Tag: book review

Book Review: The Goddess of Warsaw {Lisa Barr}

Book Review: The Goddess of Warsaw {Lisa Barr}

I first was introduced to Lisa Barr’s books in 2018 when I first started writing Book Coffee Happy. I had received an advanced copy of The Unbreakables and as soon as I started reading, I was HOOKED. I absolutely loved her writing style and her captivating way of storytelling. You can read the book synopsis and all of my thoughts HERE.

Fast forward to 2021 when I received an advanced copy of Woman on Fire and I absolutely LOVED IT. Like…heart pounding, couldn’t put it down. Amazing. You can read the book synopsis and all of my thoughts HERE.

And now here we are in 2024 and I have received an advanced copy of Lisa’s newest book, The Goddess of Warsaw. My thoughts? I’ll go into detail below but I’ll start by saying…HER BEST BOOK YET.

This woman is the PERFECT Bina Blonski. Stunning.

Goodreads Synopsis of The Goddess of Warsaw {Lisa Barr}:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire, the harrowing and ultimately triumphant tale of a Jewish WWII assassin turned Hollywood star …


The Goddess Of Warsaw is an enthralling story of a legendary Hollywood screen goddess with a dark secret. When the famous actress Lena Browning is threatened by someone from her war-time past, she must put her skills into play to protect herself, her illustrious career, and those she loves, then and now.

Before she was a “Living Legend”, Lena Browning was Bina Blonski, a wealthy Polish Jew whose life and prominent family were destroyed by the Nazis and imprisoned with the rest of Warsaw’s Jews in a ghastly ghetto. Determined to fight back, the beautiful, blonde Aryan-looking Bina becomes a spy and an assassin, gaining information and stealing weapons outside the Warsaw ghetto to protect her family and fellow Jews. While Bina accomplishes amazing feats of bravery, she sacrifices much in the process – including a forbidden love.

More than a decade after escaping the horrors of the war, Lena Browning rises to fame in Hollywood. Yet she cannot help but hunger for revenge against the Nazis who escaped justice after the war. Fierce and fearless, Lena uses her star power to right the past’s wrongs . . . and perhaps even finds the happy ending she never had.

A gripping page-turner of one of history’s most heroic uprisings and a glamourous actress whose personal war never ends, The Goddess of Warsaw is filled with secrets, lies, twists and turns, and a burning pursuit of justice no matter the cost.

My Review of The Goddess of Warsaw {Lisa Barr}:

The unboxing video that I had posted on Instagram:

Omg this book.

It’s SO good. Like, SO good.

I actually read it months ago but wanted to wait until closer to its release date before blogging about it. That date is almost here! You can preorder it now and it officially releases next week (5/28).

This book kept me company during my 2 weeks spent serving on a federal criminal jury back in February! By the end of the trial, all of my fellow jurors had passed this book around the jury table to read it’s synopsis and all agreed that they couldn’t wait to read it!

Like all of Lisa Barr’s books, this one took me on a JOURNEY. Spanning through decades, locations, emotions, and the most carefully crafted characters.

The settings were all written so vividly…how does she even DO that? I felt like I was there.

I smiled, I cried, I hung on to every word of this beautiful story. You know those books that live on in your heart long after you finish reading? This is one of those books for me.

How you can tell I loved a book: When the cover ends up looking like this because I couldn’t leave the house without bringing it EVERYWHERE with me!

I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of research and dedication that must go into writing an historical book such as this. The details in this book were incredible.

With everything going on in the world right now, being proud of being Jewish feels even more important than ever. Whether the reader of this book is Jewish or not, it will teach people so, so much about what Jewish people have historically gone through and how it impacts all of us to this day. Thank you, Lisa, for bringing such awareness to everyone in such a powerful and moving way.

I truly, truly loved this book.

I couldn’t be more excited and honored to attend The Goddess of Warsaw book release party this weekend! I’ll take lots of pictures and blog all about it. I had the BEST time at her Woman on Fire book release party in 2021!

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

Lisa Barr’s best book yet. Preorder Stat.

Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Xo,

Jenny

**Click HERE to preorder the book through my Amazon affiliate link (it releases 5/28). 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…

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Book Review: Expiration Dates {Rebecca Serle} and Giveaway Winner

Book Review: Expiration Dates {Rebecca Serle} and Giveaway Winner

Hi Friends!

Thank you for your support as I’m slooooowly getting back into my blogging groove! Feels so nice to be back…I’ve missed you!

This past weekend 16 of my sorority sisters and I took a trip back to our Alma Mater to say good-bye to our beloved sorority house that is now closing. Cue allll the tears. It was both a heartbreaking and heartwarming trip for sure. Love you forever, Sig Delt sisters!

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Rebecca Serle’s newest book, Expiration Dates. I put my name on the library waitlist months ago!

I LOVED every single word of In Five Years. If you haven’t read In Five Years, that book is an absolute MUST READ. The book synopsis and my glowing review can be found HERE.

Note: I haven’t read One Italian Summer but I’ve heard it’s wonderful! To be honest, I think it sounds too depressing. I’ll be skipping that one but I’m sure it’s great…

How beautiful is the cover? LOVEEEEEEE.

Goodreads Synopsis of Expiration Dates {Rebecca Serle}:

Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake.

But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.

My Review of Expiration Dates {Rebecca Serle}:

Ahhhh this is a lovely book. The character development was amazing! Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the timeline (jumped around a bit too sporadically for me), I did love the way that the story was told throughout the series of flashbacks (although I wish those flashbacks were told in more of a chronological order).

Rebecca Serle is a BEAUTIFUL writer. When I read In Five Years, I remember being completely captivated by her words. Did I feel the same way with this one? I did not…but…it was still very good. I loved the ending! I just wasn’t as invested as I was with In Five Years as I truly couldn’t put that book down once I started reading. This one was great and if I wasn’t comparing it to In Five Years I think I would have loved it much more. Comparison is truly the thief of joy as the famous quote says!

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

Read this book. Just don’t compare it to In Five Years.

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

What You Do To Me (Signed Copy!) Giveaway Winner:

Thank you to everyone who entered! Here is a video of me randomly choosing the winner:

Xo,

Jenny

**Click HERE to order Expiration Dates 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…

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Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

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Book Review: None of This Is True {Lisa Jewell}

Book Review: None of This is True {Lisa Jewell}

GORGEOUS book cover!

Goodreads Synopsis of None of This is True {Lisa Jewell}:

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

My Review of None of This is True {Lisa Jewell}:

LOVED IT.

It’s very, very dark but so incredibly well written. I read it over the course of 1 week but this is one of those books that could easily be devoured in a single day.

Let’s start with Lucy Foley’s blurb on the cover. That alone made me super excited to read this one! I LOVED The Guest List (you can read my review including the book synopsis of The Guest List HERE).

As for None of This is True, I had about 100 predictions as I was reading and EVERY SINGLE ONE of them was wrong! Love, love, love when that happens.

The actual format of this book was the most fascinating part of this book. The story toggles between a narrative, podcast episodes, a television show, and interviews. All from different different characters with their own perspectives. When these elements are all put together, it tells an incredible story.

Did I find the main character naive and stupid as hell? I did. Did I enjoy the insane amount of run on sentences throughout the book? I did not. However, just the absolute ART of this book, the incredible way the story was told though so many different points of view and though so many different channels…amazing. Loved it.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

One of the most creative ways to tell a story of any book I’ve read.

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

Xo,

Jenny

**Click HERE 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)

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Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

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Blogmas 2023: READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK

Blogmas 2023: READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK

Oh good. More lipstick on my teeth.

Being that this was my #1 book to read this holiday season that I have been thinking about since LAST holiday season…I obviously had to start with this being the first holiday book that I read in 2023! You can read my post from LAST year all about why I couldn’t wait to read this book THIS year: Blogmas 2022: The Holiday Book I’m Most Excited to Read NEXT Holiday Season

Worth every second of my year long wait to read it…

Goodreads Synopsis of Once Upon a December {Amy E. Reichert}:

With a name like Astra Noel Snow, holiday spirit isn’t just a seasonal specialty–it’s a way of life. But after a stinging divorce, Astra’s yearly trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market takes on a whole new meaning. She’s ready to eat, drink, and be merry, especially with the handsome stranger who saves the best kringle for her at his family bakery.

For Jack Clausen, the Julemarked with its snowy lights and charming shops stays the same, while the world outside the joyful street changes, magically leaping from one December to the next every four weeks. He’s never minded living this charmed existence until Astra shows him the life he’s been missing outside of the festive red brick alley.

After a swoon-worthy series of dates, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra and Jack must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they’re feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa.

READ THIS BOOK

Yes. SO. MUCH. YES. What a special gem of a book.

If you love the holiday season as much as I do, this book is a must read!

My biggest complaint with holiday books is when they don’t really talk about the holiday season…the storylines are just regular storylines that HAPPEN to take place during the holiday season. OR…just a normal book until the very last chapter which happens to be Christmas Day. Those are NOT holiday books.

Once Upon a December is the pure definition of a true holiday book. It emcompasses the joy and magic of the season throughout every page.

So I must address that this book is most definitely a book of fantasy…which is a genre that I usually don’t enjoy. BUT…somehow the holiday magic was just so lovely that I was all in??? It’s a beautifully written story, one that I absolutely loved.

And I talked about this on Instagram…KRINGLE! Who knew this was a thing??? Not this Jew!!! I must get my hands on a kringle this holiday season, they sound so amazing and delicious. If you read this book, you will also find yourself googling “kringle near me” as I did. Stay tuned for my thoughts when I try my first one!

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

This book is pure holiday magic and joy.

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

Blogmas 2023 Posts

12/1 Blogmas 2023: Welcome to Blogmas {VIDEO}!

12/2 Blogmas 2023: Happy Birthday to ME {Sephora Gift Card Giveaway}!

12/3 Blogmas 2023: Book Review: All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Christmas Bet {Meg Easton}

12/5 Blogmas 2023: The Winter Series {Joanne Demaio} Check In

12/6 Blogmas 2023: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: The Coworker {Freida McFadden}

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

12/8 Blogmas 2023: The Holiday Sign in the Form of a Post It

Xo,

Jenny

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…

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Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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Book Review: The Writing Retreat {Julia Bartz}

Book Review: The Writing Retreat {Julia Bartz}

I was looking for a super creepy book to read around Halloween and this one had been on my list to read forever! The perfect time of year to read a book like this…

Goodreads Synopsis of The Writing Retreat {Julia Bartz}:

A book deal to die for.

Five attendees are selected for a month-long writing retreat at the remote estate of Roza Vallo, the controversial high priestess of feminist horror. Alex, a struggling writer, is thrilled.

Upon arrival, they discover they must complete an entire novel from scratch, and the best one will receive a seven-figure publishing deal. Alex’s long-extinguished dream now seems within reach.

But then the women begin to die.

Trapped, terrified yet still desperately writing, it is clear there is more than a publishing deal at stake at Blackbriar Estate. Alex must confront her own demons – and finish her novel – to save herself.

My Review of The Writing Retreat {Julia Bartz}:

200 pages in aaaaaand…

Closed the book. Didn’t finish. Moved on.

So it was GOOD but there was a very weird haunted ghostlike vibe going on and I just couldn’t do it. I HATE books about ghosts (I’m looking at you, Sun Down Motel) and that part of the book just threw me so much that I couldn’t do it.

Now let me be very clear…there was no actual ghost storyline that I had encountered buuuuuut I just had a feeling about that being the direction that the book was going in and that was enough for me to call it quits. I HATED, HATED, HATED the dual storyline of the past occupants of the house and all of the weird things that lead to their deaths. I also hated Roza’s character and how much power these people all seemed more than ok giving to her.

What did I like about this book? The details of the writing process! This book is about people writing books and that part of this was interesting to me. And I loved the creepy setting. Buuuuuut that’s pretty much it. This one just wasn’t for me although I did enjoy the writing style??

Eh moving on.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

I don’t do ghosts. Or books that make me think that are they going to eventually be about ghosts.

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

Xo,

Jenny

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)

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Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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Audiobook Review: The Wrong Family {Ellery Kane}

Audiobook Review: The Wrong Family {Ellery Kane}

From Book Coffee Happy’s Insta:

We saw Hamilton for the 2nd time! Although I liked the cast from the first time we saw it much more than this one, it was still amazing obvi!

Hiiiii! Happy Fall! I have an audiobook review for you today from a book I’ve been listening to while recently taking some gorgeous fall walks around my neighborhood. I only wish I loved the book as much as I loved the walks 🙂

***Note: This book is not to be confused with The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher. My review of THAT mess of a book can be found HERE.***

Photo Credit: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of The Wrong Family {Ellery Kane}:

He tells you he’s your father. He welcomes you into his family. And now you’re trapped…

I’ve never met my father. It was always just me and Mom, so when she died, I was completely alone. But today, years since I first mailed my DNA to Family Ties, I finally have a match. They’ve found my biological father.

When I meet Robert , he’s warm, dependable, sturdy. I’m desperate for him to like me. I want to be part of his perfect, high-flying family more than anything.

Except, I’m not so sure they are perfect. Every day, strange things go wrong in the Thompsons’ grand Lake Tahoe house. A family photo is found burning. Robert’s car is tampered with. My mother’s necklace goes missing.

Though that’s nothing compared to the horror of finding the huge family portrait violently slashed in its ornate gold frame… But someone is trying to blame me for everything—all eyes are on me. I can’t run now.

And then I receive an email from Family Ties that makes my blood run cold.

Robert Thompson is not my father.

Now I’m trapped in a house full of strangers, with no idea who I can trust. And I’m terrified my life is in grave danger…

My Review of The Wrong Family {Ellery Kane}:

WHY. DO. AUTHORS. SPOIL. THEIR. BOOKS. BY. GIVING. AWAY. TOO. MUCH. IN. THE. SYNOPSIS?!?

I can’t even. The biggest twist in this whole book is literally given right in the synopsis. How dumb is that?! I freaking hate spoilers.

This book was just eh from the very beginning. A few things I didn’t see coming but none as shocking as the most UNshocking twist that wasn’t even a twist because I read it before I even listened to the book.

Everything about this book just kind of fell flat for me. Annoying characters, stupid storylines. The kind of book that you forget about the minute it’s over without ever giving it another thought.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

Nope. Skip it.

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

Xo,

Jenny

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)

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Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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My Heart is With Israel and a Book Review: Drowning {T.J. Newman}

My Heart is With Israel and a Book Review: Drowning {T.J. Newman}

It’s been so awful watching from such a distance as the horror has been unfolding in Israel. My heart hurts.

It’s felt wrong and weird to continue blogging throughout all that is happening. As a Jewish person, I can’t even put into words how terrifying and heartbreaking all of this is.

From Book Coffee Happy’s Instagram Account:

Blogging is something that I do for a fun, creative hobby and it has felt too weird (and wrong?) to work on my writing my little blog when my mind and my heart are both so currently distracted.

That being said, writing this blog also provides such a wonderful distraction for me…as do reading books. I’ve always said that books can be the perfect cure when you need your mind to focus on something else.

Like me, I know that many of YOU also use books as a distraction and as an escape. I feel helpless in this entire situation but if I can help distract you or take your mind off of scary things even for a little bit by simply recommending books…that’s something I can do. Books are magic and can instantly transport you to completely different places, time periods, and even people if you let them in.

So back to blogging and recommending books it is…for me, for you, for us 🙂

**Head over to Book Coffee Happy’s Instagram account and watch my current Instastory for more of my thoughts on all of this…This morning I posted 8 minutes of me talking all about it…**

Now I WILL admit, I wish I had spent the past week reading something….anything….more uplifting than this book, lol. HOWEVER, this book was so amazing that I legit was completely absorbed while reading which was actually the most perfect distraction for me. This book is INTENSE. Like heart pounding intense. It’s AWESOME.

Goodreads Synopsis of Drowning {T.J. Newman}:

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors—but it’s too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.

More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.

Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent—Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife—who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.

There’s not much time.

There’s even less air.

My Review of Drowning {T.J. Newman}:

If you haven’t yet read T.J. Newman’s debut novel, Falling, you must read that book ASAP. It’s AMAAAAAZING (book synopsis and my review here).

I’ve been so excited to get my hands on her newest book, Drowning, and let me tell you…it most definitely did NOT disappoint.

HOLY. HELL.

My heart was legit pounding while reading this book. I smiled. I cried (tears down both cheeks). I held my breath. It was intense and crazy and amazing and awesome.

If you are someone afraid of flying, this might not be the best choice for you…I might never get on another plane for the rest of my life after reading this…but if you can handle this topic, READ THIS BOOK.

Were parts of it a bit too technical? Yes. Did I have to Google a vast amount of aviation terms? Yes. Was all of that worth it to help me better understand this heart pounding book? HELL YES.

I really didn’t think I could love her second book as much as I loved her first but I really, really did. By the way, both books are stand alone novels…they not a series. You can read either one first. And you should definitely read them both…STAT.

The movie rights for this book have already been sold and OMG it will make such an amazing movie (the movie rights for her first book, Falling, have also been sold and that will ALSO be an incredible movie). I’m not a huge movie fan but I can’t WAIT to see both of these! I can only imagine seeing all of this on the big screen in a dark room…my heart is pounding just thinking about it…

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

READ. THIS. BOOK. Just not while you are on an airplane or have plans to be on one anytime soon 😉

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

Sending love and peace to all…

Xo,

Jenny

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)*

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

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Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2022 can be found HERE

Book Review: The Soulmate {Sally Hepworth}

Book Review: The Soulmate {Sally Hepworth}

Goodreads Synopsis of The Soulmate {Sally Hepworth}:

There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.

When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral…Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?

And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate…lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.

My Review of The Soulmate {Sally Hepworth}:

Eh.

I couldn’t connect to ANY of the characters at ANY time of this book which made it hard to care what happened to any of them.

While I found the bits about their marriages interesting, I absolutely hated the bits about the businesses, investors, etc. Unfortunately, this was a major part of the book!

AND there was one pretty big storyline that was never really explained…I waited the entire book to find out more about it! I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t go into detail but I can’t imagine I’m the only reader who wanted more storyline about this…

There WAS a twist that I did NOT see coming which is always fun but overall? Eh.

The best part of this book were the insanely short chapters…some were 1 or 2 pages long! I love that so much, I flew through this book. I really do wish every book could be written in short chapters such as this.

2 Sally Hepworth books that are worth reading over The Soulmate: THIS ONE and THIS ONE.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

She’s written better books.

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

Xo,

Jenny

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…

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BOOK (AND BOOK SWAG) GIVEAWAY: What You Do To Me {Rochelle B. Weinstein}

BOOK (AND BOOK SWAG) GIVEAWAY: What You Do To Me {Rochelle B. Weinstein}

**What You Do To Me {Rochelle B. Weinstein} will be published on October 17, 2023. There is a link at the bottom of this post to preorder yourself a copy. I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy…and I have another early copy to give away to a lucky reader!**

This is the 4th book of Rochelle Weinstein’s that I have read. Here are my reviews of the other 3 books (Spoiler: loved them all):

Somebody’s Daughter

This is Not How It Ends

When We Let Go

As much as I adored her other 3 books, this one is HANDS DOWN my favorite.

Is this cover not STUNNING?!

Goodreads Synopsis of What You Do To Me {Rochelle B. Weinstein}:

From the bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends comes a moving novel of two unfinished love stories and the music and lyrics that bring them together.

Journalist Cecilia James is a sucker for a love song. So when she stumbles across a clue to the identity of the muse for one of rock’s greatest, she devotes herself to uncovering the truth, even as her own relationship is falling apart.

While writing an article for Rolling Stone, Cecilia works to reveal the mystery that has intrigued fans and discovers a classic tale of two soulmates separated by fate and circumstance. Rock star Eddie Vee once sang with his soul, dedicating love songs to Sara Friedman, his inspiration and first love. Now, Eddie takes refuge in anonymity, closed off to the past. Sara, too, has distanced herself from their love, moving thousands of miles away to live the life she once railed against. As Eddie and Sara tentatively open up to Cecilia about broken dreams, she struggles to give them a happy ending. In the process, she learns that broken hearts can be healed—even her own.

What You Do To Me is the story of a love song and of the triumph of the heart over the greatest of odds. Even for those who have written off love forever.

My Review of What You Do To Me {Rochelle B. Weinstein}:

Oh this beautiful book…

The characters, the settings, THE MUSIC. I might never be able to listen to a song again without wondering who it was written for and the story behind it.

There are so many storylines in this book ranging from past to present and all of them came together to tell such an amazingly beautiful story. Everything is written with such depth and such heart.

The creativity is took to write a story like this..taking a modern song (a song which I have always LOVED by the way) and creating a different time AND different people all contributing to it’s beautiful lyrics all the while connecting different storylines to come together in such. a special and unique way?? Amazing.

My plans of getting a manicure prior to Rosh Hashanah dinner were foiled by the fact that I couldn’t put this book down and spent the entire day reading. I didn’t even remember that my nails looked like this until I was walking out the door. Lovely.

I smiled, I cried (tears streaming down both cheeks), I hummed song lyrics, I loved this whole book. I never wanted it to end! I felt so connected to these characters and their stories. This book is so BEAUTIFULLY written.

Love you, Rochelle 🙂

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

Loved every single word…and song lyric.

Book Giveaway (1 Signed Copy):

**Rochelle herself had sent me a copy of this book (along with the cutest book swag) and her publisher had ALSO sent me a copy of this book (along the cutest book swag)…which means…I have an extra copy to give away before the publishing date to one VERY lucky reader (along with the cutest book swag)!**

Matches!
Notepad!
Sticker!
Pen!
One lucky winner will receive everything in this picture!

***GIVEAWAY DETAILS***

If you are local, we can arrange pickup for you to get your book (and book swag!) directly from me. If you aren’t local, I will mail it all to you! Open to US residents only for this giveaway, please.

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 on Sunday (9/24/23) at 6:00 pm CDT and the winner will be randomly chosen and announced here on my blog on Monday (9/25/23).

I will post a video here on Monday of me choosing the winners!

Good luck!  Can’t wait to read your comments!

Xo,

Jenny

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)

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Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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Most Annoying Audiobook Voice.

Most Annoying Audiobook Voice.

This gigantic zucchini has absolutely nothing to do with this blog post but it’s insane and deserves a permanent spot on the Internet.

This is my 5th Freida Mcfadden audiobook that I’ve listened to. I went into it assuming it would be like the others…not the BEST psychological thrillers out there…but definitely GOOD. Like, easy to listen to while doing other things, easy to follow the stories, etc. Here are my thoughts on the 4 other Freida Mcfadden audiobooks I’ve listened to:

The Surrogate Mother

The Inmate

Do Not Disturb

Want to Know a Secret?

And now…my 5th Freida Mcfadden book. The one with the most annoying narrator of all time:

Goodreads Synopsis of The Locked Door {Freida Mcfadden}:

Some doors are locked for a reason…

While eleven-year-old Nora Davis was up in her bedroom doing homework, she had no idea her father was killing women in the basement.

Until the day the police arrived at their front door.

Decades later, Nora’s father is spending his life behind bars, and Nora is a successful surgeon with a quiet, solitary existence. Nobody knows her father was a notorious serial killer. And she intends to keep it that way.

Then Nora discovers one of her young female patients has been murdered. In the same unique and horrific manner that her father used to kill his victims.

Somebody knows who Nora is. Somebody wants her to take the fall for this unthinkable crime. But she’s not a killer like her father. The police can’t pin anything on her.

As long as they don’t look in her basement.

Most Annoying Audiobook Voice

I never even got to determine if I liked the story or if it was well written because…THAT. VOICE. It was AWFUL. I can’t even describe it…like an old fashioned detective type voice? Does that even make sense? Like a cartoon? I truly can’t describe that voice….like every word she said had such an intense tone. Terrible.

I talked a bit about this on Instagram saying that there are definitely certain voices (accents, etc.) that I prefer while listening to audiobooks but I’ve NEVER had to stop listening purely due to the voice of the narrator. Until this book. Made it exactly 15% before I was DONE. I could not handle that voice for even 1 second longer.

Have you listened to 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)*

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Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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