Audiobook Review: The Surrogate Mother {Freida McFadden}
Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope your day was spent with those you love!
Selfie on the way to a delicious Valentine’s dinner with my husband last night 🙂
A librarian I follow on Instagram recently read this book and the synopsis had me instantly intrigued. Sounded so good! A few weeks ago when I decided that it was time for me to choose a new audiobook to listen to, this was the first title that came to mind.
Photo Credit: Amazon
Goodreads Synopsis of The Surrogate Mother {Freida McFadden}:
Abby wants a baby more than anything.
But after years of failed infertility treatments and adoptions that have fallen through, it seems like motherhood is not in her future. That is, until her personal assistant Monica makes a generous offer that will make all of Abby’s dreams come true.
Or all of her nightmares.
Because it turns out Monica isn’t who she says she is. The woman now carrying Abby’s child has dark, twisted secrets.
And she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
My Audiobook Review of The Surrogate Mother {Freida McFadden}:
Awesome audiobook choice! Lots of twists. Totally held my interest from the very beginning and I really enjoyed seeing how everything came together in the end.
I had lots of predictions…all wrong. I love when that happens!
I would definitely recommend this one and I can’t wait to read (or listen to) more by Freida McFadden as this was my first! I really loved her writing style, had me instantly hooked from the very beginning.
Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:
It was great!
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
Long Time No Blog and a Book Review: The Maid {Nita Prose}
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I took a break from blogging, posting, etc. to be with my family following the death of my husband’s wonderful grandmother. It’s been a horrible time and for the first time ever, I found myself using a book at night to completely escape from what was going on in my life. I’ve never done that before! I’m very fortunate that I live a life that I never want or need an escape from but these past few weeks have weighed so heavily on my heart.
I turned to this book each night over the past 2 weeks for a little bit of peace. I allowed myself to completely get lost in the story after some really long and heartbreaking days in my real life. This book has received some pretty major HYPE and I was curious to find out if it’s worthy…
I had asked on Instagram back at the beginning of the month if you have read this one and if so, what you thought.
Goodreads Synopsis of The Maid {Nita Prose}:
Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.
Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.
But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?
A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.
My Review of The Maid {Nita Prose}:
Eh.
So the parts of this book that I like the most had absolutely nothing to do with the mystery. I loved learning about the different characters and the relationships that they formed with each other. In fact, the parts of this book that I liked the LEAST were the parts about the mystery!
I don’t think straight up mysteries are for me. I LOVE psychological thrillers but “who done it” mysteries? Eh. At times I was bored. Obviously psychological thrillers have an element of mystery to them, but it’s the THRILLER element that keeps me intrigued. Without that thriller component, this one just didn’t keep me as entertained. I could easily put this one down in between reading sessions. A good psychological thriller literally CANNOT be put down!
Would I recommend this book? Oh absolutely…if mysteries are your thing.
Loved the characters and loved the relationships between them…but I didn’t love the mystery.
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW! The Three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
I was so fortunate to receive a copy of Kelly Vincent’s Ugly a few months ago and I’ve been so looking forward to reading it! Be on the lookout for a blog giveaway of this gem coming soon…
Goodreads Synopsis of Ugly {Kelly Vincent}:
Sophomore Nic Summers tries to ignore the taunts of “ugly lesbian.”
Because she’s not sure they’re entirely wrong. But she also has bigger concerns for now, including prepping for the school’s art contest. And while she isn’t certain of her sexuality, she does know her life is on the verge of falling apart when her best and only friend, Sam, drops the bomb that her family’s moving to Scotland. Together, to soften the blow and distract themselves from the inevitable, they start Operation Social Interaction for Nic—or OSIN for short—to try to find her some new friends.
But it’s an uphill battle for the introverted teen artist.
As Sam’s last day nears, Nic’s self-confidence wavers even more, and she starts questioning everything. If lesbian doesn’t feel quite right, maybe she’s transgender? It isn’t until she stumbles across the label “gender nonconforming” that things start to make a little more sense, and fall into place. But finding the right label doesn’t really tell her what to do next, and before she knows it, Sam is gone.
Mustering all her resources, Nic realizes she needs to find her own path and live her own truth.
What Did You Recently Finish Reading?
All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}
On 12/26 I put a poll on Instagram asking if my next read should be a holiday read or if it was time to move on. 61% of you told me that it was time to move on! After lots of consideration, I decided that I just wasn’t ready to move on juuuuuust yet and decided to squeeze in 1 more holiday book before calling it quits!
I will post my full review during Blogmas 2023 (!!) but here’s a quick, 3 word summary for now: It was adorable 🙂
Goodreads Synopsis of All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}:
When Sadie and Max are selected as contestants on the famed reality singing show Starmaker, each thinks they’ve finally gotten their big Nashville break. But then they’re paired up for duet week and stun the world with their romantic onstage chemistry. With fans going wild for #Saxie the network demands that they remain a duo on and offstage, or exit the competition. Faking a relationship until their final performance in the Starmaker holiday special shouldn’t be too hard, except for one small problem–Sadie and Max can’t stand each other.
But with their dreams just within reach, they agree to the ruse. Will their fake relationship be exposed before they can win? Or will an unexpected trip to Banff spark real feelings by the Christmas finale?
What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?
The Maid {Nita Prose}
Time to find out what all the hype is about.
Goodreads Synopsis of The Maid {Nita Prose}:
Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.
Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.
But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?
A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.
Have you read any of these 3 books? What did you think (no spoilers)? What are you currently reading? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!
Xo,
Jenny
Click on the images below to order through my Amazon links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! Spend some time searching through old blog posts, I have been blogging since 2018 and I’ve read a LOT of books 🙂
Book Coffee Happy’s 13 most viewed posts of 2022 can be found HERE
My Favorite Posts that I wrote in 2022 can be found HERE
I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby:
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
The coaster that I currently keep on my nightstand 🙂
Long time no blog (well, long time meaning 7 days, lol). To go from posting a new blog post every single day since 12/1, it felt so weird to take a week off! It has been a glorious week filled with tons of family time, reading books, eating delicious food, and delighting in the fact that I have officially completed my first Blogmas! Thank you to everyone for your support of my blog this month (and all months). It’s been such a fun December here on Book Coffee Happy and I’m already starting to plan for next Blogmas 🙂
I was planning on posting my most viewed posts in January but…who wants to read any kind of 2022 recap in JANUARY?! So here I am, stopping by to post this one last blog post of 2022 and then I’ll see you back here in January.
Book Coffee Happy’s Most Viewed Posts of 2022
Checking my blog analytics is always so interesting to me. It’s helpful for me to see which types of posts you like to read! Some make total sense while some…do not, lol. Either way, here are Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed blog posts of 2022 (in order starting with the 13th most viewed post and ending with the #1 most viewed post):
This book is amazing and so is this author. I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Woman on Fire book launch party and it was such an incredible night!
Oh do people disagree with me on this book. So much so that this post was my most visited blog post of 2022!
So there you have it…Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2022 🙂 I have so loved writing theses posts for you and I can’t wait to continue writing even more. I can’t wait to see which posts of mine you enjoy reading in 2023!
**HERE is a link to see Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed blog posts of 2021**
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
Horrific, Disgusting, Awesome, and Amazing…AKA Verity {Colleen Hoover}
A smiling, happy picture of me somehow doesn’t seem appropriate when discussing this book but I did take this selfie a few weeks ago when the sun was setting and lighting was perfection so…
Omg this book. My dear friend, Becca, loaned it to me MONTHS ago and for months I’ve been staring at it (check out Becca’s adorable YouTube channel HERE). Of course I had heard Verity was intense, of course I had heard it was messed up. I didn’t really want to read it but I was incredibly curious to see what all the hype was about…
Goodreads Synopsis of Verity {Colleen Hoover}
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.
Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.
My Review of Verity {Colleen Hoover}
Holy. Hell.
This book is FUCKED UP. It’s twisted, horrific, disgusting….the list goes on and on.
And yet…
I couldn’t put it down. I read it in 24 hours. I can’t remember the last time I read an entire book in 24 hours!
Writing a spoiler free review is practically impossible with this one so I really can’t say much except…READ THIS. STAT.
I mean…how often to do you see a Facebook page created for people to discuss ONE book?!? If you follow Book Coffee Happy on Instagram (which you should because I post on there significantly more often than I post on here…I usually post stories daily), you saw that I had shared this in my stories a few weeks ago. This is one of a few Facebook groups out there created just to discuss Verity…crazy. Colleen Hoover herself even chimes in on discussions at times!
**Pro Tip: Do NOT visit this FB page until you have finished reading the book. The primary discussion on there is all about the ending of the book.**
Best and simultaneously most fucked up Colleen Hoover book I’ve read (and I’ve read a whole bunch). The writing in this book is absolutely brilliantly amazing. It’s so weird to say that I loved this book because it’s just so MESSED UP but…it’s an amazing book.
Bottom Line
It’s haunting, it’s disturbing, it’s insane. It’s awesome. I LOVED it.
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
Did I have to squat down on the floor to take this selfie? Yes. Were people walking by and staring at me? Also yes.
Hello Hello!
I present you with my latest library book haul and only 1 sentence on why I chose each book 🙂
A Shoe Story {Jane L. Rosen}
My beautiful friend Erica Ferguson is an amazing freelance copy editor and she told me to read it.
Goodreads Synopsis of A Shoe Story {Jane L. Rosen}:
Esme Nash is eager to leave her small town and begin her carefully planned post-grad life: a move to New York City, an apartment with her loving college boyfriend, and a fancy job at an art gallery. But when tragedy strikes, instead of heading to Manhattan, she returns home to care for her ailing father, leaving every bit of her dream behind.
Seven trying years later, Esme is offered a dog-sitting job in Greenwich Village by a mysterious stranger, giving her access to all of her long-buried hopes and dreams—as well as to an epic collection of designer shoes. Esme jumps at a second chance to step into the future she’s sure was meant to be hers.
As she retraces her steps, one pair of borrowed shoes at a time, making new friends and reconnecting with her old love, Esme tries on versions of herself she didn’t know existed. But the hazy August days and warm summer nights pass too quickly, and Esme must decide how much of the life she imagined still fits, and what—and who—is on the road ahead of her.
Bookish People {Susan Coll}
The back cover includes the following sentence and it literally says it all: “…captures the endearing quirks of some of the best kinds of people: the ones who love good books.”
Goodreads Synopsis of Bookish People {Susan Coll}:
Independent bookstore owner Sophie Bernstein is burned out on books. Mourning the death of her husband, the loss of her favorite manager, her only child’s lack of aspiration, and the grim state of the world, she fantasizes about going into hiding in the secret back room of her store.
Meanwhile, renowned poet Raymond Chaucer has published a new collection, and rumors that he’s to blame for his wife’s suicide have led to national cancellations of his publicity tour. He intends to set the record straight—with an ultra-fine-point Sharpie—but only one shop still plans to host him: Sophie’s.
Fearful of potential repercussions from angry customers, Sophie asks Clemi—bookstore events coordinator, aspiring novelist, and daughter of a famed literary agent—to cancel Raymond’s appearance. But Clemi suspects Raymond might be her biological father, and she can’t say no to the chance of finding out for sure.
This big-hearted screwball comedy features an intergenerational cast of oblivious authors and over-qualified booksellers—as well as a Russian tortoise named Kurt Vonnegut Jr.—and captures the endearing quirks of some of the best kinds of people: the ones who love good books.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow {Gabrielle Zevin}
Goodreads Synopsis of Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, and Tomorrow {Gabrielle Zevin}:
On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.
Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.
The Messy Lives of Book People {Phaedra Patrick}
Synopsis reminds me of Verity but without the horrifying, disgusting, and revolting parts.
Goodreads Synopsis of The Messy Lives of Book People {Phaedra Patrick}:
Mother of two Liv Green barely scrapes by as a maid to make ends meet, often finding escape in a good book while daydreaming of becoming a writer herself. So she can’t believe her luck when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero, megabestselling author Essie Starling, a mysterious and intimidating recluse. The last thing Liv expected was to be the only person Essie talks to, which leads to a tenuous friendship.
But when Essie dies suddenly, a devastated Liv is astonished to learn of her last wish: for Liv to complete Essie’s final novel. But to do so Liv will have to step into Essie’s shoes, and as Liv begins to write, she uncovers secrets from the past that reveal a surprising connection between the two women–one that will change Liv’s own story forever…
Have you read any of the above 4 library books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below (NO SPOILERS PLEEEEASE)!
Connected: Discovering Your Inner Guides GiveawayWinners:
Here is a video of me choosing the 3 winners 🙂 Thank you to everyone who entered!
Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
What I’m Currently Reading (Good), What I Recently Read (Hated), What I Think I’ll Read Next (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)
FALL. IS. COMING. And I’m so here for it.
I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW! The Three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
Thanks so much to Sam from Taking on a World of Words for hosting this fun weekly post (that I am participating in for the first time in months, lol)!
***Well, this post is now outdated and insignificant but since I already wrote it, I wanted to publish it! I ended up writing the majority of this post, taking a break to read chapter 1 of Verity, aaaaaand then I read that entire book in a little over 24 hours. HOLY. HELL.
If you follow me on Instagram, you are already up to speed on all of this! I’ll be back with my review of Verity asap!
So here’s a post all about what I WAS reading, what I recently read, and what I ALREADY managed to read next, lol***
What Are You Currently Reading?
I just finished reading this one this morning and my thoughts on it are ALL over the place. Some good, some…not. I’ll share my full review in a blog post ASAP! Instagram followers, this would be the book that I was reading without revealing it’s title so nobody would spoil any of it for me!
PLEASE follow me on Instagram if you don’t already! I update on there waaaaay more frequently than I do on my blog.
The library attached the cover on this hardcover book so poorly and the fact that it’s not centered makes my type A body TWITCHY.
Goodreads Synopsis of Any Other Family {Eleanor Brown}:
The New York Times bestselling author of The Weird Sisters returns with a striking and intimate new novel about three very different women facing an impossible question: What makes a family?
They look just like any other family. But they aren’t a family like any other – not quite. Instead, they are three sets of parents who adopted four biological siblings, committing to keeping the children connected after the death of their grandmother.
Tabitha, who adopted the twins, is the planner of the group, responsible for coordinating playdates and birthdays and Sunday night dinners, insistent that everything happens just so. Quiet and steady Ginger, single mother to the eldest daughter, resists the forced togetherness, her own unsettled childhood leaving her wary of trusting too much. And Elizabeth is still reeling from going directly from failed fertility treatments into adopting a newborn, terrified that her unhappiness means she was not meant to be a mother at all.
But when the three women receive a surprising call from their children’s birth mother, announcing she is pregnant again and wants them to help her find an adoptive family for this child too, the delicate bonds they are still struggling to form threaten to collapse. As tensions rise, the women reckon with their own feelings about what it means to be a mother and what they owe each other as a family.
Set across the span of a family vacation, one full of boisterous laughter and emotional upheaval, Any Other Family is a thought-provoking and poignant look at how families shift and evolve and a striking portrait of motherhood in all its forms.
What Did You Recently Finish Reading?
Started this book. Didn’t finish this book. Read my thoughts HERE.
Goodreads Synopsis of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}:
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.
But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.
As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.
What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?
This book has been on my list for MONTHS…I’m finally reading it! I have a love/hate relationship with Colleen Hoover books so I’m excited to see how I feel about this one (if you are looking for a great CoHo book, HERE is a link to one that I loved)!
I’ve heard Varity is INTENSE…but pleeeeease don’t tell me anything more than that! If you follow me on Instagram, you have been listening to me rant about all of the people that have been recently unknowingly spoiling books for me. UGH. A simple “I loved it”, “I hated it’, etc. is perfection! When reading a blog review, you know you are reading a more in depth review of the book (although I NEVER post spoilers in my reviews) but when someone asks not to be told ANYTHING about a book…please, please for the love of GOD respect that 😉
Goodreads Synopsis of Varity {Colleen Hoover}:
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.
Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.
Have you read any of these 3 books? What did you think (no spoilers)? What are you currently reading? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click on the images below to order through my Amazon links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
If you follow me on Instagram, you might remember the Instastories of me literally CHASING this book around town at the beginning of summer. It was high on my TBR and I was DETERMINED to find myself a copy. I went to Barnes and Noble and not only were they sold out…but apparently ALL Barnes and Nobles in my area for miles around were sold out! Well if THAT didn’t make me want to read it even more, nothing would.
So I took a quick lunch break and then went straight to to bookstore #2…Barbara’s Bookstore in Vernon Hills…SUCCESS! I happily bought my book and left with a smile on my face. I couldn’t wait to start reading!
Goodreads Synopsis of Every Summer After {Carley Fortune}:
They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life a decade ago, that has felt too true. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart.
Until she receives the call that sends her racing back to Barry’s Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek—the man she never thought she’d have to live without.
For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the water and warm summer nights working in his family’s restaurant and curling up together with books—medical textbooks for him and work-in-progress horror short stories for her—Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart.
When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past.
Told over the course of six years and one weekend, Every Summer After is a big, sweeping nostalgic look at love and the people and choices that mark us forever.
Six summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. A weekend to get it right.
My Review of Every Summer After {Carley Fortune}:
Book + Pedicure = Happiness
I was so excited when I finally DID manage myself a copy of this book! I bought it, I read it, and…Eh.
I really, really liked it. There’s nothing not to like! I smiled, I cried, I felt alllll the emotions while reading. BUT…
It was boring. It took me weeks to finish. I’m not sure what I’m missing here….so many people say they devoured this book in 1 sitting? I felt like nothing really happened within the first 2/3 of this book? It held my interest enough to keep reading but I just kept waiting for something….ANYTHING…to happen? I also just wanted MORE. More storyline, more character development, more reasons to like Percy (I did not), more Sue, more EVERYTHING.
I found the timelines to be confusing. Bouncing around through 12 years while simultaneously talking about the present just didn’t work for me. I found myself going back to the beginning of chapters to remind myself what decade we were in. Eh.
And my biggest issue with this book….IT. WAS. SO. PREDICTABLE. By chapter 2, I figured out the entire ending and I was spot on. And I wasn’t even trying to predict anything! I HATE THAT SO MUCH.
Now I DID enjoy the writing style and I’m very much looking forward to reading another book by Carley Fortune but unfortunately this one just wasn’t my favorite.
And the cover art is weird. Why does Percy have a bald spot?
Bottom Line:
It’s good…definitely not worthy of all the hype.
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
Book Review: To All The Boys I Loved Before {Jenny Han}
I ran a few polls on Instagram and here are the results:
Goodreads Synopsis of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}:
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.
But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.
As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.
My Review of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}:
As soon as I purchased it, I noticed that my very first impressions of the book were SO positive. And when I say book, I mean the actual aesthetic of the book….
As for the words written INSIDE of the beautiful book…
Eh.
I made it 150 pages in before I declared I was done. I had HUGE expectations for this book because I know people who absolutely LOVE it and I just…didn’t?
I’ve mentioned this before but I hate when YA books are too….YA. I love a YA book that’s written to the appeal of any age and this book just felt so, so incredibly juvenile to me. Would a high schooler love this book? Maybe. Does a married mother of 2 love this book? Absolutely not. It was just TOO unrelatable. On every single level.
The passage that officially put me over the edge:
Aaaaaand I’m out.
I was super disappointed because I so badly wanted to love this series. I even ran to the library to get the next 2 books in the trilogy so they would be waiting for me when I finished book #1! Aaaaaaaand now I need to return those 2 books. Stat. They are currently still sitting in the front seat of my car. Never even made it into my house.
As I was taking this picture, a gigantic fly flew into my car and I couldn’t get it to leave. Currently my car is housing a gigantic fly and 2 library books that I will be returning without even opening the covers. Lovely.
Do I think this book may have gotten better had I kept reading? Probably. Did I care enough to find out? Absolutely not.
I know that putting this one down was a good choice because once I stopped reading, I never even thought about these characters again until I sat down to write this blog post.
Bottom Line:
Congratulations to the 47% of my Instagram followers who have not read this book!
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Clearly I didn’t love this book…but you just might! Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
Months ago, my best friend Amy and I visited a Half Price Books Outlet (remember when I first went there and bought what turned out to be the BEST BOOK I’VE EVER READ???)
I look tired but happy in this photo, lol. Here’s hoping that Dunkin helped to wake me up! Also, it’s now August and I was wearing a winter coat in this picture.
I bought 2 books that day. 1 had been on my TBR for quite some time and 1 was a new to me book/author that I had never heard of.
The New Book That Had Been On My TBR For Quite Some Time:
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}
Goodreads Synopsis of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}:
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.
But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.
As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.
New To Me Book/Author:
Skinny {Donna Cooner}
Goodreads Synopsis of Skinny {Donna Cooner}:
Find your voice.
Hopeless. Freak. Elephant. Pitiful. These are the words of Skinny, the vicious voice that lives inside fifteen-year-old Ever Davies’s head. Skinny tells Ever all the dark thoughts her classmates have about her. Ever knows she weighs over three hundred pounds, knows she’ll probably never be loved, and Skinny makes sure she never forgets it.
But there is another voice: Ever’s singing voice, which is beautiful but has been silenced by Skinny. Partly in the hopes of trying out for the school musical—and partly to try and save her own life—Ever decides to undergo a risky surgery that may help her lose weight and start over.
With the support of her best friend, Ever begins the uphill battle toward change. But demons, she finds, are not so easy to shake, not even as she sheds pounds. Because Skinny is still around. And Ever will have to confront that voice before she can truly find her own.
I Read One Book and Am Reading the Other One Now
I was super excited to find these 2 books! I read Skinny first but am actually saving my review to publish during…BLOGMAS! Yes, I am doing Blogmas again this year, I loved doing it last year even though I didn’t quite complete it (HERE is a link to a video I made allllll about what Blogmas is). Stay tuned for my full review but in the meantime here’s a hint as to how I felt about this book: READ. IT. STAT.
And now, I’m 150ish pages into To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Jury is still out on how I feel about it but my friend Jenna absolutely loves it so I feel like I need to continue to give it a fair chance :). So far, I would say that I’m liking…not loving…it??? Fingers crossed I start loving it soon!
Have you read either of these books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
Book Coffee Happy 