Tag: book recommendation

BLOGMAS Book Review: The Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}

BLOGMAS Book Review: Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}

I read this book last December while our family was on vacation in Tennessee. You might remember how I was stuck on a mountain during a blizzard with no power and low food supply? If not, you can read that crazy story HERE 🙂 While on that mountain, I read a very long, dramatic, and HEAVY book (review of that wonderful book HERE) and when I finished, I knew that my next read needed to be something much lighter. The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson (and Richard DiLallo!) was a perfect selection to read starting on the last day of our trip and review once I came back home!

The only issue was that I literally finished reading this book on December 31, 2020 and by December 31st…who wants to read a Christmas book?! I figured that I would wait and review this one during the appropriate holiday season, even if my review had to wait a year before I published it!

Goodreads Synopsis of The Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}:

The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill’s wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby’s four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven’t celebrated Christmas together since their father’s death, but when Gaby announces that she’s getting married–and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day–she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays.

But the wedding isn’t Gaby’s only surprise–she has one more gift for her children, and it could change all their lives forever. With deeply affecting characters and the emotional twists of a James Patterson thriller, The Christmas Wedding is a fresh look at family and the magic of the season.

My Review of The Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}:

This book is EXACTLY what I was hoping it would be. Light, quick, easy to read, nothing too deep. After just finishing my previous book, I NEEDED something LIGHT. This book was perfect.

My only complaint…how is this not a book series??? This book follows the lives of a big family and each has chapters dedicated to their stories. It reminded me SO MUCH of Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter series (if you haven’t read those books, READ. THOSE. BOOKS. You can check out my review of them HERE). The Christmas Wedding feels so little like a standalone novel…this family really should be a series.

I read this book over a few days but honestly could have easily read it in one sitting. It’s only 266 pages long (short like Winter Street) and composed of 64 teeny tiny chapters…my favorite!

And it has a cheat sheet with all of the characters! WHY DON’T ALL BOOKS DO THIS?!?!? First 3 pages of the book. I probably looked back at this “cheat sheet” 20 times while reading the rest of the book. There were a lot of characters in this book but this basic summary made it so easy to keep everyone straight. LOVE. I so wish every single book had something like this. You can read more about why I hate when books have too many characters HERE.

Bottom Line:

If you are looking for an easy holiday read, this book is great! I actually enjoyed it way more than I was expecting to.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2021 Posts:

12/1: Welcome to Blogmas 2021 {Video}!

12:2: BLOGMAS: Birthday Giveaway {Amazon Gift Card}!

12/3: BLOGMAS Book Review: One Day in December {Josie Silver}

12/4: BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

12/5: BLOGMAS: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

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)*

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*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.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

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BLOGMAS: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

Blogmas: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

I recently saw this bookshelf while shopping at a craft mall. How beautiful is this display??

Is there anything worse than returning a library book without reading it??? Yes…returning THREE of them!

Once mid November hit, I made the switch to reading ONLY holiday books for the remainder of the year. More specifically, feel good, Christmas spirit type holiday books. No genre better this time of year!

Unfortunatly I had a stack of NON holiday library books waiting for me to read. And they were due back to the library. STAT. So…back they went.

It hurts my heart when I have to return library books without reading them first! These 3 books look GREAT and I absolutely plan on reading them…but only during the non holiday season 😉

***All photos taken from the front seat of my car as I was parked in the library parking lot about to slide each into the return slot on the side of the building, lol. All shadows, angles, backgrounds, reflections, etc. are courtesy of my extremely last minute thought to turn this library excursion into a blog post, lol **

Returned Library Book #1: Yes Daddy {Jonathan Parks-Ramage}

This book synopsis somehow gives me the same vibe as THIS BOOK which I loved!

Oh hi iphone reflection, lol 😉

Goodreads Synopsis of Yes Daddy {Jonathan Parks-Ramage}:

A propulsive, scorching modern gothic, Yes, Daddy follows an ambitious young man who is lured by an older, successful playwright into a dizzying world of wealth and an idyllic Hamptons home where things take a nightmarish turn.

Jonah Keller moved to New York City with dreams of becoming a successful playwright, but, for the time being, lives in a rundown sublet in Bushwick, working extra hours at a restaurant only to barely make rent. When he stumbles upon a photo of Richard Shriver—the glamorous Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright and quite possibly the stepping stone to the fame he craves—Jonah orchestrates their meeting. The two begin a hungry, passionate affair.

When summer arrives, Richard invites his young lover for a spell at his sprawling estate in the Hamptons. A tall iron fence surrounds the idyllic compound where Richard and a few of his close artist friends entertain, have lavish dinners, and—Jonah can’t help but notice—employ a waitstaff of young, attractive gay men, many of whom sport ugly bruises. Soon, Jonah is cast out of Richard’s good graces and a sinister underlay begins to emerge. As a series of transgressions lead inexorably to a violent climax, Jonah hurtles toward a decisive revenge that will shape the rest of his life.

Riveting, unpredictable, and compulsively readable, Yes, Daddy is an exploration of class, power dynamics, and the nuances of victimhood and complicity. It burns with weight and clarity—and offers hope that stories may hold the key to our healing.

Returned Library Book #2: The Sanatorium {Sarah Pearse}

I have had this book on my to read list for months. I just wish it didn’t have a Reese’s Book Club sticker on it! As you are well aware, I love Reese…but I do NOT always love her book selections. UGH.

This book already makes me think of THIS BOOK which I loved!

Goodreads Synopsis of The Sanatorium {Sarah Pearse}:

Ummm…????

Ummm…that’s not a language that I speak. Huh. Hey Goodreads? Might want to fix that…

Let’s try this again.

Here is the Amazon.com Synopsis instead, lol:

Half-hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks, Le Sommet has always been a sinister place. Long plagued by troubling rumors, the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel.

An imposing, isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But Elin’s taken time off from her job as a detective, so when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel, Elin really has no reason not to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge–there’s something about the hotel that makes her nervous. And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing, Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her. With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

Elin is under pressure to find Laure, but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she’s the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in. . .

Returned Library Book #3: Survive the Night {Riley Sager}

The only book I have ever read by Riley Sager was THIS ONE and it was great! Makes me excited to read Survive the Night!

Oh good, the iphone reflection is back!

Goodreads Synopsis of Survive the Night {Riley Sager}:

Charlie Jordan is being driven across the country by a serial killer. Maybe.

Behind the wheel is Josh Baxter, a stranger Charlie met by the college ride share board, who also has a good reason for leaving university in the middle of term. On the road they share their stories, carefully avoiding the subject dominating the news – the Campus Killer, who’s tied up and stabbed three students in the span of a year, has just struck again.

Travelling the lengthy journey between university and their final destination, Charlie begins to notice discrepancies in Josh’s story.

As she begins to plan her escape from the man she is becoming certain is the killer, she starts to suspect that Josh knows exactly what she’s thinking.

Meaning that she could very well end up as his next victim.

Have you read any of these 3 books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2021 Posts:

12/1: Welcome to Blogmas 2021 {Video}!

12:2: BLOGMAS: Birthday Giveaway {Amazon Gift Card}!

12/3: BLOGMAS Book Review: One Day in December {Josie Silver}

12/4: BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

Xo,

Jenny

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)*

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*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

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*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.*

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

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BLOGMAS Book Review: One Day in December {Josie Silver}

BLOGMAS Book Review: One Day in December {Josie Silver}

Ok first of all, OMG you guys left the kindest and most lovely comments on my LAST POST! I was overwhelmed by all of your sweet words, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love writing this little blog and I love that so many of you shared how much you love reading it! I promise to respond to all of your comments ASAP but in the meantime, please know how much they mean to me and how each one made me smile.

There is still time to enter the Amazon gift card giveaway! All entries must be made by 6:00 CDT tonight in order to qualify. All of the giveaway details can be found on yesterday’s post! Good luck!

Today I have a review for you of a book that I read LAST December:

Goodreads Synopsis of One Day in December {Josie Silver}:

Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic… and then her bus drives away.

Certain they’re fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn’t find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they “reunite” at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It’s Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness. 

My Review of One Day in December {Josie Silver}:

I love Reese Witherspoon but MAN do I disagree with SO MANY of her book club picks!

Unfortunately this book was just not for me. I REALLY wanted to love it but sadly…I really didn’t.

This book felt looooooong. I won’t sugar coat it…I was so bored. The entire time. Even the “big” events somehow lacked the ability to feel big and the whole book just dragged for me.

A big part of the reason that I didn’t like this book was the fact that I didn’t like ANY of the characters. Each was so unlikable and so completely unrelatable in their own way!

The relationships between the characters in this book were so BEYOND flawed and many of the situations were so unrealistic. Ugh.

I LOVE romance. I LOVE fate and destiny and I LOVE Serendipity! This book was absolutely none of those.

The most annoying part? I waited for SUCH A LONG TIME to read this book because people say it’s a “holiday book” so obviously I had to read it in December. It’s NOT! Yes, the holidays are mentioned but overall I would NOT say this is a holiday book by any means. If you still want to read this book despite my scathing review, feel free to read it at any time throughout the year 🙂 If you are looking for an amazing holiday read, I highly recommend THESE BOOKS.

I was nervous to post the best books that I read in 2020 a few weeks before the year’s end in fear that I would read another book that should have been included in my list! Thankfully after reading this book, my list still stands firm, lol. I read this book at the very end of 2020! I have waited an entire year to post my review because…who wants to read a book called One Day in December during any other month? Not I!

Bottom Line:

392 pages….of nothing happening.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2021 Posts:

12/1: Welcome to Blogmas 2021 {Video}!

12/2: BLOGMAS: Birthday Giveaway {Amazon Gift Card}!

Xo,

Jenny

Clearly this book was not for me…but you might love it!  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)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

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*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.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The 12 Best Books I Read in 2020 can be found HERE

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

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The Book That Got Me OUT Of My Book Rut!

SEE YA BOOK RUT!

My son bought me this coffee mug and I love it so, so much. It’s perfectly creepy.

So to those of you who have been following my STUPID book rut…it’s officially OVER.

I have finished reading a book. Let me repeat…I HAVE FINISHED READING A BOOK. It has been WEEKS since I’ve done that and it feels positively fantastic. Starting books and not finishing them is hell but sometimes it needs to be done. And MAN have I done that a lot recently.

The Book That Got Me Out of My Book Rut:

Goodreads Synopsis of Firsts {Laurie Elizabeth Flynn}:

Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward, fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time- the kind Mercedes never had herself.

Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy- so far. Her absentee mother isn’t home nearly enough to know about Mercedes’ extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won’t even say the word “sex” until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn’t bank on Angela’s boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn- or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.

When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process.

My Review of Firsts {Laurie Elizabeth Flynn}:

Ok so I didn’t love it. Each character was more unlikable than the next (especially the main character which made it completely impossible to root for her). The storylines were so far fetched and unbelievable.

HOWEVER….

It held my interest enough for me to finish reading the entire book which is something that hasn’t happened in WAY TOO LONG (weeks!!!). If you haven’t been following my book rut, HERE is a link which explains the utter hell I have been going though. And HERE is a link to the book that I THOUGHT was going to get me out of the stupid rut buuuuuuut….did not. Ugh.

Did I love Firsts? No. Did it grab me in the way that I thought I needed a book to in order for my book rut to end? No. Was it well written with easy to read, short chapters (my favorite)? Sure was! I’ll take it! WINNER!

Bottom Line:

If you are looking for a quick read, this book is good. Not great…but good enough for me to say SEE YA, BOOK RUT!

**If any of you are currently going through a book rut, my thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.**

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)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

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*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.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

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Book Review: The Last Thing He Told Me {Laura Dave}

I was looking forward to reading this book for MONTHS and was obsessively checking the library to see if my copy was in! I was already prepared to buy it in case it didn’t come before our trip to Michigan because I knew that it would be the perfect vacation read.

I DID in fact get my copy from the library before my vacation and I DID in fact bring this book with me to Michigan a few weeks ago!

Once I got back home from our trip, I had posted this video in my Instagram stories after I had repeatedly tried OVER AND OVER to get the sand out of the plastic cover. Total fail. Oops.

Yikes.

Goodreads Synopsis of The Last Thing He Told Me {Laura Dave}:

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her.

Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers: Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered; as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss; as a US Marshal and FBI agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth, together. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they are also building a new future. One neither Hannah nor Bailey could have anticipated. 

We all have stories we never tell.

My Review of The Last Thing He Told Me {Laura Dave}:

I know this is going to be quite the unpopular opinion but…

Man is this book overrated.

The very best part of this book was the fact that I didn’t actually end up buying myself a copy!

I really didn’t like this book.

I felt like there was absolutely no character development and certainly no development between characters. Relationships that should have been important seemed trivial based on zero development in their storylines.

I found each character more unlikable than the next and therefore I wasn’t nearly as invested in the outcome of the story as I should have been.

People describe this book all the time saying that they couldn’t put it down. This confuses me because I had a much harder time picking it UP than I did putting it down, lol.

The story itself was confusing and VERY, VERY far fetched. Completely unrealistic for SO many reasons. I had many issues with the way that the main character (Hannah) reacted to so many things.

Oh and the ending? I hated it. Like REALLY hated it.

Bottom Line:

For the life of me I cannot understand why so many people love this book.

This book is just further proof that Reese Witherspoon and I could never be real life friends. We disagree waaaaaaaaay too much on what makes for a great book. There have been very few exceptions to this…but the biggest exception where her and I actually agree is hands down THIS BOOK. One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read!

PLEASE TELL ME I’M NOT ALONE. Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

HERE is a link to another book that everyone loves and I hate.

Xo,

Jenny

Clearly this book wasn’t for me…but you might love it!  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)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*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.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

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Book Review: The Wife Upstairs {Rachel Hawkins}

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins was on my to read list FOREVER. I was so excited to finally get my hands on a copy to read and review!

Goodreads Synopsis of The Wife Upstairs {Rachel Hawkins}:

Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates—a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.

But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie—not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for.

Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past—or his—catches up to her?

My Review of The Wife Upstairs {Rachel Hawkins}:

This book is a “modern retelling of Jane Eyre”. I read the original Jane Eyre over 20 years ago so I really can’t speak to the similarities and differences between them. However, I CAN say that one book is clearly known as a true classic and this one…well…I REALLY do not foresee the same for this one.

I really just didn’t like this book.

It was all a bit of a mess for me. Different perspectives, flashbacks thrown in the middle of current storylines, characters so unlikeable that I found myself not caring enough about what happened to any of them.

It’s like the first 200 pages were told in tidbits of stories and only in the last 90 pages did any of them start to make sense. Which is fine, but…what a boring first 200 pages of reading a book and not completely understanding what was going on.

This book just lacked so much depth. Depth in stories, depth in character development, depth in all of it.

It was only 290 pages but it took me so much longer than it should have to read because I was just so bored! As I was nearing the end (yaaaay) around midnight, I found myself closing the book with 5 pages left to finish in the morning. Who puts a THRILLER down with only 5 pages left??? That right there should tell you how bored I was with these characters and storylines.

Plus, I absolutely hated the writing style. Nope, not for me.

This book DID have 2 things that I quite enjoyed. A major twist that I did NOT see coming and…the cover art. I liked the cover art. Aaaaand that’s about it. I didn’t like anything else.

Bottom Line

This book had been on my to read list for so many months. Such a disappointment. Ugh.

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)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*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.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

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The Guilty Reader Book Tag

I saw The Guilty Reader Book Tag on Zeezee With Books and immediately knew I wanted to participate! This was a fun one to do! Thanks so much for posting, Zeezee! If you haven’t yet checked out Zeezee’s lovely blog HERE is a link 🙂

Without even thinking about it, I recently gave myself a French braid while reading. Does anyone else do this??? I do this all the time while reading, lol…

The Guilty Reader Book Tag

HAVE YOU EVER REGIFTED A BOOK YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN?

I find that I hardly ever want to read a book that someone gives to me. While I SO appreciate the kind gesture, choosing a book to read is such a personal decision. Rarely are books given to me that are actually books I want to read! I don’t gift them to others for this exact reason but I do try my best to find them good homes. I give away my books during my annual garage sale and I LOVE to donate to Little Free Libraries.

HAVE YOU EVER SAID YOU’VE READ A BOOK WHEN YOU HAVEN’T?

Nope! In case you haven’t yet figured it out…I really, really love to read 😉

HAVE YOU EVER BORROWED A BOOK AND NOT RETURNED IT?

No but people have done this to me and it’s AWFUL. If you borrow a book from someone, please always return it! I’ve actually recently stopped loaning out my books because of exactly this.

HAVE YOU EVER READ A SERIES OUT OF ORDER?

Only once and it was a total mistake! I read THIS BOOK and only when I finished did I realize it’s #2 in a series. Oops. I loved that book so much that I must go back and read book #1 at some point! I’ve heard it’s wonderful!

HAVE YOU EVER SPOILED A BOOK FOR SOMEONE?

NO NO NO NO NO. NEVER EVER. NOT EVEN ONE TIME. HELL NO. HARD PASS. You can read more about my thoughts on this and why I will NEVER spoil anything on my blog (or in my life) HERE.

HAVE YOU EVER DOG EARED A BOOK?

Every single day, lol. Read about it HERE.

HAVE YOU EVER TOLD SOMEONE YOU DON’T OWN A BOOK WHEN YOU DO?

Nope!

HAVE YOU EVER TOLD SOMEONE YOU HAVEN’T READ A BOOK WHEN YOU HAVE?

Ummm why would anyone do that?

HAVE YOU EVER SKIPPED A CHAPTER OR A SECTION OF A BOOK?

NEVER. I read every single word every single time. I see other bloggers who say things like, “I skimmed the middle few chapters” and it blows my mind every single time. Why read a book just to skip over parts of it? If you do this, I’d love hear your reasoning!

HAVE YOU EVER BAD MOUTHED A BOOK YOU ACTUALLY LIKED?

No but if you read my blog for any length of time than you are WELL aware that I have bad mouthed plenty of books that I hated, lol. I pride myself on always sharing my truest feelings on books…good and bad! For example, my review of one of the worst books that I have ever read can be found HERE.

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged! If you do particapate on your blog, please tag me so I can see your answers!

**I’ll be back here on Wednesday with a review of a WONDERFUL book!**

Readers, I’d love to hear your answers to some or all of these questions from this book tag in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

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2 Books I Recently Started Reading…and Didn’t Finish.

I HATE starting books and not finish reading them. Absolutely HATE. It feels like such a waste of time…getting to know characters, immersing myself in story lines, etc. just to put the book down without finishing? Ugh.

Bookshelf at an antique store I visited a few weeks ago. Beautiful ❤️

I once wrote an entire post on abandoning books and I must admit…my thoughts on this have most definitely changed over time. Now I just stop reading as soon as I realize that I’m not EXCITED to pick up the book. Reading is my favorite hobby and as soon as it doesn’t feel fun, I’m OUT. Books should never feel like a chore and as an adult there is no required pleasure reading (professional reading, yes…but never pleasure reading).

Here are 2 books that I recently started reading and gave up before ever finding out what happened in the end.

Book #1 That I Started Reading and Didn’t Finish:

Favorite coffee mug. Not favorite book.

Goodreads Synopsis of Destination Wedding {Diksha Basu}:

Tina Das wants to belong, but she just isn’t sure where. India or America? Brooklyn or Bombay? Manhattan or Delhi? Or start from scratch in London–she still has fond memories of her one-night stand with Rocco Gallagher, the handsome Australian, as they traipsed through Covent Garden and Seven Dials, but he never called back so maybe it’s time to let that dream go, and focus on finding the next big story for her streaming network instead.

She’s hoping she’ll find it at her cousin’s lavish, weeklong Delhi wedding, and has taken her best friend Marianne Laing along for the ride to Delhi’s poshest country club, Colebrookes. Marianne has always had international tastes, in life and in love, yet can’t help but think of sweet, steady, khaki-clad Tom back home in New York.

Also in attendance are Tina’s divorced parents: her mother, Radha, who’s bringing her American “boyfriend,” David, to the wedding, and her father, Neel, who’s using the visit to India to explore the idea of dating again, only to discover it and he have both changed completely in the decades he’s been away.

Infused with warmth, charm, and wicked humor, Destination Wedding grapples with the challenges of work, love, and finding the people who make a place feel like home.

My Review of Destination Wedding {Diksha Basu}:

It PAINS me to write this review. I was SO EXCITED to read this book! I first mentioned it waaaaaaaay back in 2019 as one of the books that I couldn’t wait to read in 2020. I then mentioned it again when I was discussing my trip to the most amazing bookstore I’ve ever visited! That awesome store didn’t have Destination Wedding in stock (I asked!) but they did have THIS BOOK by the same author which I bought and ended up loving! A few months ago, my library FINALLY was able to locate a copy of Destination Wedding for me and I was READY. I was so prepared to love it!

I didn’t love it.

I was so BORED. It wasn’t a horrible book it was just…boring. I so badly wanted to feel SOMETHING while reading but the further I got into the book, the more bored I became. I stuck it out waaaaaay longer than I should have but I just so desperately wanted to love it. It became more and more clear that this was not the book for me when I continued to be completely disconnected from the characters and didn’t care what ended up happening in any of the storylines.

It literally PAINED me to put this book down after waiting YEARS to read it. Ugh.

Bottom Line:

Hands down my most disappointing book of 2021 thus far.

Aaaaaaaaand Book #2 That I Started Reading and Didn’t Finish:

Goodreads Synopsis of Are We There Yet {Kathleen West}:

Alice Sullivan feels like she’s finally found her groove in middle age, but it only takes one moment for her perfectly curated life to unravel. On the same day she learns her daughter is struggling in second grade, a call from her son’s school accusing him of bullying throws Alice into a tailspin.

When it comes to light that the incident is part of a new behavior pattern for her son, one complete with fake social media profiles with a lot of questionable content, Alice’s social standing is quickly eroded to one of “those moms” who can’t control her kids. Soon she’s facing the very judgement she was all too happy to dole out when she thought no one was looking (or when she thought her house wasn’t made of glass).

Then her mother unloads a family secret she’s kept for more than thirty years, and Alice’s entire perception of herself is shattered.

As her son’s new reputation polarizes her friendships and her family buzzes with the ramification of her mother’s choices, Alice realizes that she’s been too focused on measuring her success and happiness by everyone else’s standards. Now, with all her shortcomings laid bare, she’ll have to figure out to whom to turn for help and decide who she really wants to be.

My Review of Are We There Yet {Kathleen West}:

The writing was good! The depressing family drama…was not. Reading books about other people’s drama can be done in a way that the reader can find interesting. The way this book played out wasn’t interesting, it was…depressing. As a mother, reading about another mother’s struggles wasn’t interesting…it just made me feel sad.

I DO think there is probably a really wonderful and important life lesson within these pages but unfortunately I just didn’t care enough to stick around and find out.

Bottom Line:

I closed the cover and found myself YEARNING for a really wonderful book to read next. And BOY DID I FIND ONE! Review for that book will be posted here on Friday…one of the best books I’ve read all year! Stay tuned…

Have you read either of these books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Clearly these books weren’t for me…but you might love them! 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)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*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.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

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BOOK GIVEAWAY (5 Copies) Open to US and International Readers! The Seven Day Switch {Kelly Harms}

I am so happy to welcome guest blogger Melissa Amster from Chick Lit Central back to Book Coffee Happy today! I always love working with Melissa. If you haven’t checked out her lovely book blog, you absolutely must! Hers was the very first book blog I ever read and she definitely was one of the inspirations for me to start blogging myself. We have a GREAT book (and giveaway!) for you today! Thank you so much, Melissa, for sharing an Advance Reader’s Copy of The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harms with me this past spring.

Goodreads Synopsis of The Seven Day Switch {Kelly Harms}:

Celeste Mason is the Pinterest stay-at-home supermom of other mothers’ nightmares. Despite her all-organic, SunButter-loving, free-range kids, her immaculate home, and her volunteering awards, she still has time to relax with a nice glass of pinot at the end of the day. The only thing that ruins it all is her workaholic, career-obsessed neighbor, who makes no secret of what she thinks of Celeste’s life choices every chance she gets.

Wendy Charles is a celebrated productivity consultant, columnist, and speaker. On a minute-by-minute schedule, she makes the working-mom hustle look easy. She even spends at least one waking hour a day with her kids. She’s not apologizing for a thing. Especially to Celeste, who plays her superior parenting against Wendy whenever she can.

Who do Celeste and Wendy think they are? They’re about to find out thanks to one freaky week. After a neighborhood potluck and too much sangria, they wake up—um, what?—in each other’s bodies. Everything Celeste and Wendy thought they knew about the “other kind of mom” is flipped upside down—along with their messy, complicated, maybe not so different lives.

Jenny Share’s Review:

I read (and loved!) The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms a few months back (you can the synopsis and my review HERE) and was so excited to read her newest book The Seven Day Switch. She has such an easy to read, easy to love style of writing and I am a BIG fan. I had a pretty good feeling about this book before I even opened to the first page and I’m so happy that my first thoughts turned out to be correct.

I absolutely loved this wonderful book.

This book should be required reading for every parent out there! You truly don’t ever know what somebody else is going through and what that person chooses to reveal to the world does not in fact always tell the entire story.

This book has made me look at so many people in my life in a whole different light and has made me wonder about what is going on in their lives that I am not privy to.

“Mommy Wars” are a very real thing and moms are constantly comparing themselves to each other. STOP THAT! The decisions that you make for your own family should never be compared to decisions that somebody else is making for her own family.

I recently came upon this quote and it really spoke to me:

“Your kids don’t care what other moms are doing.”

How incredibly true is that? Your kids really don’t care what other moms are doing as long as you are doing the right thing for them. Parenting doesn’t come with an instruction manual and what is right for one family may not be right for the next.

This book really spoke directly to my heart and if you are a mother, it will speak to yours too! Every mother will be able to identify with at least something within these pages. The characters, the storylines, the messages…I truly loved this beautiful book so very much.

***I would be absolutely remiss if I didn’t say the following. Those who know me in real life know that I am a HUGE advocate of breastfeeding. Extended breastfeeding (breastfeeding toddlers) is normal, beautiful, and something that I did with both of my children. As much as I love this book, I did not love the negative connotation that came with this particular storyline. For a book about breaking judgmental parenting barriers, this storyline was clearly negative against parents who choose to feed and nurture their children in this way. I really wish that this particular storyline and all that went along with it could have been written with a bit more objectivity.***

Melissa Amster’s Review:

I’m always a fan of surreal stories, where you have to suspend disbelief. So the premise of The Seven Day Switch was definitely up my alley before I even opened it! And what was inside was even better than what I was expecting. Even though the topic of switching minds has been done before, such as in Freaky Friday, Kelly Harms puts a fun and refreshing spin on it, while also emphasizing the importance of balance in one’s life. As soon as I read just one chapter, I knew I had to tell my friend who runs Balanced Working Moms on Facebook about it. And, of course, I knew this book would be perfect for Jenny and I was not only excited for her to read it, but also to review it together at her blog.

 
I really liked and identified with both Wendy and Celeste in different ways. I enjoyed seeing them navigate each others’ lives and the things they did to try to help each other out, even if it wasn’t always with the best of intentions. There was one part I didn’t agree with at first, but I’m glad it was recognized and hashed out between the two women. Wendy’s son reminded me so much of my younger son. (Even Celeste’s son was similar to him in some ways.) I think, personally, I am more of a Wendy. However, I am thankful to have a relationship with my husband and kids that is more on par with Celeste. There were a lot of great moments, as well as some humorous ones. It’s always tricky to write about one character living another character’s life, but Kelly did this flawlessly throughout the novel.

 This was a sweet and touching story that I definitely recommend!

Movie casting suggestions:

Wendy: Piper Perabo

Celeste: Ginnifer Goodwin

Seth: Alexander Skarsgård

Davis: Sam Page

Hugh: James Roday Rodriguez

Ruthie: Mary Elizabeth Ellis

***GIVEAWAY DETAILS***

Would you like to win a copy of The Seven Day Switch? We have 5 copies to give away (open to our US and International readers!)

To be entered, just leave a comment below (on this blog post)!  Your comment can be about anything!

**You must comment below to be eligible for the giveaway and you must comment here on this blog post (not on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)**

Giveaway will close tomorrow (7/8/21) at 6:00 pm CDT and the winners will be randomly chosen and announced here on my blog on Friday (7/9/21).

Make sure you check the blog on Friday to see if you’ve won (you will have 48 hours from the time I post the winner to email me the mailing address where you would like your book sent.  If I don’t hear from you within 48 hours, I will pick a new winner).

Good luck!  We can’t wait to read your comments!

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)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

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*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.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The 12 best books that I read in 2020 can be found HERE

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

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READ THIS BOOK STAT!

READ THIS BOOK STAT.

Yesterday’s Mystery Drive Thru Coffee. I paid and pulled away. I took the first sip and quickly realized that this was most definitely not 3 cream/3 Splenda. However, it was DELICIOUS so I just kept on driving, lol. Thanks for the mystery, Dunkin! Xo!

I rarely buy books. The minimalist in me LOVES borrowing (and then returning) books to the library. It’s such a win win…I read so many books and if I don’t love them…eh…I just bring them back.

Do I have big, colorful bookshelves proudly displayed in my home artistically filled with all of my reading adventures? I do not. Do I sometimes get Bookstagram Envy on Instagram? Oh I sure do. Do I love having a clean, clutter free home? YES YES YES.

Sometimes, I cave.

Barnes and Noble gift card? I bought THIS BOOK. Global pandemic? Ordered THIS BOOK on Amazon.

Needless to say, I hated both of those books and gave both away as soon as I finished reading. Ugh.

And then I bought THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK while on vacation a few months ago and I loved every word. A smart purchase indeed. I also bought THIS BOOK on that same trip and it ended up being the very best book I’ve ever read!

And I DID just buy 2 books last weekend when I just so happened to be a few miles away from the MECCA of bookstores…

A few weeks ago I put my name on the library waitlist for Taylor Jenkins Reid’s newest book, Malibu Rising. I was so excited to read it! In the meantime I read THIS BOOK. And hated it. And when I finished reading that awfully boring book, I KNEW I needed something AWESOME to read next.

Approximately 5 clicks later and Amazon Prime promised me that I would have Malibu Rising in my hands the very next day. And I did 🙂

Goodreads Synopsis of Malibu Rising {Taylor Jenkins Reid}:

Malibu: August 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over–especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud–because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own–including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind. 

My Review of Malibu Rising {Taylor Jenkins Reid}:

EVEEEEERYONE is reading this book right now. And there’s a reason.

I. ABSOLUTELY. LOVED. IT. I finished the last page, heard myself breathe a huge breath I didn’t even know I had been holding , and out loud (to absolutely nobody but myself) said “WOW”.

This book was amazing and I was completely all in from the very first sentence. It was interesting, it was fascinating, it was AWESOME.

PLEASE SOMEONE MAKE THIS BOOK INTO A MOVIE. OR A TELEVISION SERIES. OR A MINISERIES. ANYTHING ON A SCREEN!!! This would be an amazing story to be able to actually see unfold on a screen.

I do have 2 complaints…

1. There were so many characters and so many backstories that I’m STILL not even sure I know who everyone was. I think there were definitely wasted pages talking so much about these unnecessary characters but I suppose it did give an overall feel to the depth of the partygoers?

2. A few of the big twists were highly predictable (although a few were NOT).

However, these complaints are SMALL in comparison to how many things I absolutely loved about this book. It’s a wonderfully written story, so complex and so amazing.. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished reading. An absolutely perfect summer read.

Bottom Line:

Buying this book was such a SMART decision, so happy that I did!

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)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*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.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

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