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
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I had seen so many book bloggers love this one and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy! I was very excited to start reading and my expectations based on the reviews that I was seeing were incredibly high.
First impression: How CUTE is this cover??
Goodreads Synopsis of Lease on Love {Falon Ballard}:
After getting passed over for an overdue—and much needed—promotion, Sadie Green is in desperate need of three things: a stiff drink, a new place to live, and a one-night-stand. When one drink turns into one too many, Sadie mixes up a long-ignored dating app for a roommate-finding app and finds herself on the doorstep of Jack Thomas’s gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone. Too bad she’s more attracted to his impressive real estate than she is to the man himself.
Jack, still grieving the unexpected death of his parents, has learned to find comfort in video games and movie marathons instead of friends. So while he doesn’t know just what to make of the vivaciously verbose Sadie, he’s willing to offer her his spare bedroom while she gets back on her feet. And with the rent unbeatably low, Sadie can finally pursue her floristry side hustle full-time. The two are polar opposites, but as Sadie’s presence begins to turn the brownstone into a home, they both start to realize they may have just made the deal of a lifetime.
My Review ofLease on Love {Falon Ballard}:
I liked this book…I truly did! The story was lovely and I LOVED the author’s writing style. The banter between the friends was AMAZING and I loved reading so much of this story through text messages. Super creative and the style of this entire book was downright adorable. Did I LOVE this book like so many other people do? I did not…
This book takes “slow burn” to a WHOLE new level. This was the slowest burn that has ever been written in the history of slow burns. Frustratingly so. HOWEVER….and this is a gigantic HOWEVER…once that slow burn led to actual sex scenes? WORTH. THE. WAIT.
I loved all of the characters except for…the main character! I would have liked this book so much more had I even slightly enjoyed the main character. Sadie was SO selfish and took advantage of her friends (and Jack) repeatedly throughout the book. It was frustrating to read. How many times can people bring her coffee? Or dinner? Or stop their own lives to drop everything and work endless hours for her for FREE? Combine that with her annoying attitude, non witty jokes, and overall persona and I just didn’t see what Jack saw in her.
However, even coupled with the things I didn’t love about this one, I do think that overall this is a great book. It would be a PERFECT beach read!
Bottom Line:
I definitely do recommend this one although it did have it’s flaws…
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
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5 Reasons Why I Hated The Golden Couple {Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen}
The Golden Couple‘s official release was back in February but the copy I recently read was an advanced reader’s copy. A big thank you to Melissa Amster from Chick Lit Central for sharing!
Goodreads Synopsis of The Golden Couple {Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen}
Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.
Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate.
When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.
5 Reasons Why I Hated The Golden Couple {Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen}:
Well…obviously I hated this book.
Pretty much as much as I hated The Wife Between Us (you can read my review of that one HERE). Clearly this writing duo just isn’t for me.
It was all a bit of a disaster for me (clusterfuck would be the more appropriate term). A RIDICULOUS amount of characters and a RIDICULOUS about of backstories. Everything was so confusing and even when the pieces of the story starting fitting together, none of it REALLY fit together. The characters were all unlikable and therefore I really didn’t care what happened to any of them which obviously led to a complete disconnect from the whole book.
Some of the “twists” were so predictable and while others were not, absolutely none of them were shocking. A major twist that I had predicted turned out to be pretty far from what actually happened…and I must say…my twist idea would have been WAY better.
This book held my interest long enough to keep reading but I felt so disconnected from all of it that I will probably forget about it within days.
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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:
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Book Review: He Gets That From Me {Jacqueline Friedland}
When Melissa Amster of Chick Lit Central read He Gets That From Me, she knew that I would love it and shipped it across the country in a surprise package! Thank you so much for sharing, Melissa!
Goodreads Synopsis of He Gets That From Me {Jacqueline Friedland}:
As a young mother with a toddler and a live-in boyfriend, Maggie Fisher’s job at a checkout counter in downtown Phoenix doesn’t afford her much financial flexibility. She dreams of going to college and becoming a teacher, options she squandered when she fled her family home as a teenager. When Maggie stumbles onto an ad offering thousands of dollars to women who are willing to gestate other people’s babies, she at first finds the concept laughable. Before long, however, she’s been seduced by all the ways the extra money could improve her life. Once she decides to go for it, it’s only a matter of months before she’s chosen as a gestational carrier by Chip and Donovan Rigsdale, a married couple from New York.
After delivering twin babies and proudly handing them off to the Rigsdales, Maggie finally gets her life on a positive trajectory: she earns her degree, lands a great job, and builds a family of her own. She can’t fathom why, ten years after the fact, the fertility clinic is calling to ask for a follow-up DNA test.
My Review of He Gets That From Me {Jacqueline Friedland}:
School Pick Up Line 🚗 Obviously I read this book a few months back…I’m wearing a jacket, I’ve got a winter color on my nails, AND I’m in the school pick up line, lol.
Omg this book. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.
Truly couldn’t put it down. This is the type of book you can easily devour in a single sitting.
The moral and ethical dilemmas in this book are massive and so incredibly complex. As a mother, reading this book spoke directly to my heart and brought me to tears on many occasions. What a powerful book and what powerful messages live within these pages. I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.
The writing was beautiful, the characters were so descriptively created, and the story…well…the story was amazing. Raw, emotional, complicated, beautiful, and equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming. I finished reading it before bed one night and had such a horrible time falling asleep because I couldn’t stop thinking about it!
Bottom Line:
Read this. Today.
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:
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This book officially published 3 days ago but I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy in the mail months ago. THANK YOU, EMILY GIFFIN! It was a happy, happy day when this arrived in my mailbox 🙂
How absolutely stunning is this cover???
Loved that this beautiful book was sent to me and I was able to devour it before it’s official release!
Goodreads Synopsis of Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}:
A restless golden boy and a girl with a troubled past navigate a love story that may be doomed before it even begins in this irresistible new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed and The Lies That Bind.
The Kingsley family is practically American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. When Joseph S. Kingsley III is born in 1960, he inherits the weight of that legacy. Growing up with all the Kingsley looks and charisma, Joe should have no problem taking up the mantle after his father’s untimely death. But he is also a little bit reckless, and can’t seem to figure out how to channel the expectations of an entire country.
No one ever expected anything of Cate, on the other hand. She, too, grew up in a single-parent household—just her and her mom scraping by in their small apartment. As a teenager, though, Cate is discovered for her looks. Modeling may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, her face is everywhere, though she is always aware that she’d be a pariah in her social circles if anyone knew her true story.
When Joe and Cate’s paths cross, their connection is instant. What remains to be seen is whether their relationship will survive the glare of the spotlight that follows Joe everywhere. And just as they find themselves in the make-or-break moment, the tragedy that seems to run in Joe’s family right alongside all that privilege will repeat itself.
In a beautifully written novel that recaptures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells a story of a love that may or may not have the power to transcend circumstances that seem arrayed against it . . . and the difficulty of finding your way to the place you belong.
My Review of Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}:
Clearly I read this book a while back. I’m wearing fur boots and a sweater in this picture! Today, I’m sweating in a tank top and flip flops.
I absolutely loved it.
It’s such a beautifully written story in every possible way!
This book tells the story of John F Kennedy Jr and his wife, Carolyn Bassette…but at the same time, it DOESN’T tell their story and is a work of fiction. Some parts of this beautiful story are factual, some parts are fiction, but it all comes together to tell an incredible story of love, family, and history.
My Google search history is currently FILLED with Kennedy family information. I couldn’t get enough of learning about this remarkable family as I was reading this book! I have learned so much.
The writing in this book is beautiful, the characters are memorable, the storylines are so detailed and amazing. Hands down my favorite Emily Giffin book I’ve read!
Bottom Line:
Read this. And be ready to develop a sudden fascination with the entire Kennedy Family.
Will you be reading this book? 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!*
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BOOK GIVEAWAY (2 Signed Copies): What Color Is Your Brain?® {Sheila Glazov}
I’m SO excited about today’s giveaway! This fascinating book is so interesting and I have 2 signed copies to give away! I don’t typically read nonfiction books unless the topic is something that I genuinely want to learn more about…and this topic most definitely spoke to me. I’m so glad that I read this book and I’m so excited to be able to share it with you today!
I first met Sheila Glazov years ago (2018) when I was invited to attend a meeting of the Midwest Writers Association. I met such a lovely group of authors that night and I so enjoyed listening to each of them speak of their books, their process, and all of the other aspects of writing. At the time, I had just started blogging and this group was such a wealth of information!
I loved spending the evening with all of them and was so honored to be invited to another of their meetings months later. It was at that second meeting that I listened to Sheila Glazov share her in depth expertise on the topic of brain colors and I was greatly impressed with her knowledge and passion on this subject.
Goodreads Synopsis of What Color is Your Brain?® {Sheila Glazov}:
Why do you zig while others zag? What makes you seem unique or peculiar to some people, yet similar or comforting to others?
The differences are in our personalities and how they shade our perception and affect the way we work, live, and interact. Discovering and understanding our own strengths and idiosyncrasies while adapting to others can be an overwhelming task.
In response to this common frustration, What Color Is Your Brain?® A Fun and Fascinating Approach to Understanding Yourself and Others explains the similarities and differences that impact our thoughts and actions. Rather than offer an excuse for people’s behavior, this book helps to explain why our perspectives differ from or relate to the viewpoints of others. Enjoyable, insightful, and easy-to-read, What Color Is Your Brain?® is a guide to exploring who we are, why others see us the way they do, and how the four “brain colors” or personality types play a role in our everyday lives.
Sheila Glazov has created colorful personality profiles that simplify the complex nature of our traits and talents. With its entertaining anecdotes, innovative perspectives, and resonating concepts, What Color Is Your Brain?® is a fun and fascinating book that promotes both self-awareness and acceptance of others.
Written for readers of all ages, genders, and backgrounds, this book is intended to facilitate effective communication and cooperation while minimizing frustration in numerous aspects of our everyday lives—at work and home, in dating and marital relationships, with team projects, among family members and friends, and within a mixture of other interpersonal connections.
What Color Is Your Brain?® offers the essential pieces of the puzzle that is human interaction, teaching us how to recognize and appreciate a spectrum of personality types. With the help of this dynamic book, discovering your own brain color and learning to adapt to others is bound to be a no-brainer.
My Thoughts on What Color is Your Brain?® {Sheila Glazov}:
I learned SO MUCH about myself from reading this book. After taking the quizzes, it was determined that I am a “Yellow Brainer” through and through. I don’t want to give specifics (you’ll have to read the book yourself for those) but according to the back cover, I am: responsible (YES), organized (YES), loyal (YES), and Punctual (YES). As I read more and more about the attributes that “Yellow Brainers” possess, it was glaringly obvious that this is absolutely the color for me.
Once I learned my color, it was fascinating to read about how my particular personality traits mix (and don’t mix) with others around me. I found myself analyzing my family members, friends, colleagues, and even my own children to see what colors I would define them as and was then able to see the best (and worst) ways for us to interact with each other. It opened my eyes not only as to WHY I see others and their actions the way that I do but how other people are seeing ME and why I act the way that I do.
My husband took the quizzes and it was interesting to see his responses (which unsurprisingly were almost completely different than my own)…
This book is awesome and a must read. I learned so much and most importantly, how to approach different situations with the different people in my life. I learned WHY I act and react the way I do to things, why THEY act and react the way they do to things, and how (based on our colors) we should be acting and reacting to things together. I can honestly say that there are a few people in my personal life who I now view in a different (more informative, more accepting) light. I just didn’t understand how their brains worked before…and now I do.
I told you that this topic is fascinating!
My highlighter was working in overtime while reading (told you I’m yellow brained).
I read this whole book while holding a open highlighter…so much I wanted to remember! My entire book looks like this!
The book itself is easy to read and broken down into sections to make all of the information easy to understand. I read and highlighted the entire book cover to cover in 2 days. It’s amazing how much I learned about myself and those I love in just 2 days!
Here is an overview of the book, taken directly from Sheila Glazov’s website:
A Conversation with Sheila Glazov, in her own words:
What type of person would be the ideal reader for your book?
An ideal reader for my book is an individual who is eager to learn an engaging and compelling methodology, which will help them understand their personality type and decode other people’s points of view to reduce the hassles and increase the harmony in their life!
What would be the biggest benefits a reader would gain from learning about their brain color?
The biggest benefits a reader will gain from learning about their Brain Color personality are:
Appreciation for their unique attributes, abilities, and strengths.
Acceptance of other people’s perspectives in order to communicate better, collaborate more, stress less, and work smarter.
More harmonious relationships with the adults and children in their family, romantic partners, workplace colleagues, and customers, friends, and people in their community.
Where can your book be purchased?
My book can be purchased online in paperback and/or e-book editions at
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo.
Any additional information that you would like to provide about you or your book:
People tell me that the Brain Color theory is a remarkably powerful and simple approach to determine what make people tick. It helps them immediately, recognize, adapt, and accommodate other’s perspectives to reduces the stress and complications in their personal and professional lives. People have fun learning why some people are a pain in the neck and others are a song in their heart.
My book has sold over 35, 000 copies. The book also contains 2 Brain Color Quizzes: One for the reader’s personal life and one for their professional life. I allocates 10% of the royalties from the sale of all my books to The Raue Center For The Arts Mission Imagination children’seducation program.
***GIVEAWAY DETAILS***
Would you like to win a signed copy of What Color is Your Brain?® I have 2 signed copies to give away! This particular giveaway is open to US residents only.
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 (5/17/22) at 6:00 pm CDT and the 2 winners will be randomly chosen and announced here on my blog on Wednesday (5/18/22).
I will post a video here on Wednesday of me choosing the winners!
Good luck! Can’t wait to read your comments!
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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Book Review: When We Let Go {Rochelle B. Weinstein}
Years ago in the very beginning of my book blogging days, I had read another blogger’s review for Rochelle Weinstein’s Somebody’s Daughter on a book blog. I immediately was captivated by the synopsis and knew that I had to read it. My local library didn’t have a copy but that didn’t prevent me from checking EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I was there because I was so determined to read it (I have since learned to request books that my library doesn’t have and they can order them…). When my library finally DID get a copy of Somebody’s Daughter, I was ON. IT. Needless to say, I devoured it and it was just as wonderful as I knew it would be. If you haven’t read Somebody’s Daughter, you can read the synopsis and my glowing review HERE.
Fast forward a little over a year and I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of Rochelle’s next book, This is Not How it Ends. I. LOVED. THAT. BOOK. To quote my own words from my own blog review:
“I SOBBED. In the absolute very best way. In fact, I messaged Rochelle Weinstein very late one night to share a fun fact that I discovered while reading…eye cream BURNS when it mixes with tears! Who knew?! Like…for real. It hurt.”
To read the rest of my review as well as the synopsis of This is Not How It Ends, click HERE (pro tip: apply eye cream AFTER reading).
And now here we are in 2022. Back in February, I SO fortunate to receive an advance copy of Rochelle’s newest book, When We Let Go. It publishes NEXT WEEK (5/17) and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on a copy!
Goodreads Synopsis of When We Let Go {Rochelle B. Weinstein):
When Avery Beckett is proposed to by Jude Masters, a widowed father and the man she loves, it should be a time of great joy. Instead, Avery is on edge. She’s wary of the idea of family, doubtful of happy endings, and too afraid to take the leap. It’s the kind of fear that comes from having secrets.
Before Avery commits to a new life, she must reconcile with the one she left behind.
When Avery returns to her childhood farm in the North Carolina mountains, she’s surprised to be saddled with a companion: Jude’s teenage daughter, Elle, who’s grappling with the loss of her mother and the complicated emotions of first love. On a path of mending wounds and breaking down walls, Avery and Elle form an unexpected alliance. It’s giving them the courage to move forward. And for Avery, everything she needs to confront the past.
An emotional tale of mothers and daughters, loss and acceptance, When We Let Go is about the lessons that come from heartbreak and the healing it takes to embrace the joy of a second chance.
My Review of When We Let Go {Rochelle B. Weinstein}:
I read this book while on a family getaway to Wisconsin!
This story is absolutely beautiful.
As you know, I’m a HUGE quote person and I love discovering beautiful and meaningful quotes within the pages of books. There are SO MANY beautiful lines in this story, so many deep and special quotes that I had to read twice just to absorb. I won’t share any of them as I don’t want to spoil any part of this beautiful story but just know…this entire story is FULL of meaning and beauty.
I laughed, I cried, I loved it. These characters immediately spoke to my heart from page one and still do. Even though I’ve finished reading, I have not finished thinking about these characters, their stories, and their futures.
Rochelle, I adore you as a person and I respect you as an author. I can’t wait to read your next one!
Friends, When We Let Go officially releases on May 17th! You can preorder your copy HERE.
Bottom Line:
Absolutely loved it.
Have you read any of Rochelle’s books? Will you be reading this one? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the image below to preorder 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!*
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2 Author Events, What I’m Reading, Best Coffee News Ever
On Tuesday night, I went to see my girl, Lisa Barr, speak about her AMAZING book, Woman on Fire, at my local Barnes and Noble. She was adorable as usual and it was so wonderful to listen to her talk all about her book, her research, and everything that went into creating her amazing finished product.
Shout out to my dear friend, Megan, for joining with me!
Love you ❤️
Speaking of Lisa Barr, I had mentioned that I went to her release party last month when Woman on Fire was officially released. It was an AWESOME party. Thank you so much for including me, Lisa! I had the best time and I felt so honored to be included. I adore you and I love being able to celebrate your amazing success!
So nice to see Francie Dickman! Francie was one of the very first authors to send me her book back when I had JUST started writing my blog. You can read my review of her lovely book HERE.
So nice to see you, Francie!Woman on Fire candle and napkin…LOVE!I love authors ❤️Cookies! SO CUTE!
Goodreads Synopsis of Woman on Fire {Lisa Barr}:
From the author of the award-winning Fugitive Colors and The Unbreakables, a gripping tale of a young, ambitious journalist embroiled in an international art art scandal centered around a Nazi-looted masterpiece–forcing the ultimate showdown between passion and possession, lovers and liars, history and truth. NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Actress Sharon Stone set to produce and star in the film adaptation of WOMAN ON FIRE.
After talking her way into a job with Dan Mansfield, the leading investigative reporter in Chicago, rising young journalist Jules Roth is given an unusual–and very secret–assignment. Dan needs her to locate a painting stolen by the Nazis more than 75 years earlier: legendary Expressionist artist Ernst Engel’s most famous work, Woman on Fire. World-renowned shoe designer Ellis Baum wants this portrait of a beautiful, mysterious woman for deeply personal reasons, and has enlisted Dan’s help to find it. But Jules doesn’t have much time; the famous designer is dying.
Meanwhile, in Europe, provocative and powerful Margaux de Laurent also searches for the painting. Heir to her art collector family’s millions, Margaux is a cunning gallerist who gets everything she wants. The only thing standing in her way is Jules. Yet the passionate and determined Jules has unexpected resources of her own, including Adam Baum, Ellis’s grandson. A recovering addict and brilliant artist in his own right, Adam was once in Margaux’s clutches. He knows how ruthless she is, and he’ll do anything to help Jules locate the painting before Margaux gets to it first.
A thrilling tale of secrets, love, and sacrifice that illuminates the destructive cruelty of war and greed and the triumphant power of beauty and love, Woman on Fire tells the story of a remarkable woman and an exquisite work of art that burns bright, moving through hands, hearts, and history.
You can read my full review of another of Lisa’s amazing books, The Unbreakables, HERE.
What I’m Currently Reading:
He Gets That From Me {Jacqueline Friedland}
I quite literally cannot put this book down. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that it has made me THINK…and I find myself thinking about it so often throughout the day when I’m not reading. The ethical and moral dilemmas that this book questions are FASCINATING and as of this point (I have exactly 99 pages left) I’m not sure how it will end and I’m also not sure how I WANT it to end. It’s amazing, I HIGHLY recommend this book. I’ll post a full review once I finish reading but in the meantime…READ IT. It’s awesome.
Goodreads Synopsis of He Gets That From Me:
As a young mother with a toddler and a live-in boyfriend, Maggie Fisher’s job at a checkout counter in downtown Phoenix doesn’t afford her much financial flexibility. She dreams of going to college and becoming a teacher, options she squandered when she fled her family home as a teenager. When Maggie stumbles onto an ad offering thousands of dollars to women who are willing to gestate other people’s babies, she at first finds the concept laughable. Before long, however, she’s been seduced by all the ways the extra money could improve her life. Once she decides to go for it, it’s only a matter of months before she’s chosen as a gestational carrier by Chip and Donovan Rigsdale, a married couple from New York.
After delivering twin babies and proudly handing them off to the Rigsdales, Maggie finally gets her life on a positive trajectory: she earns her degree, lands a great job, and builds a family of her own. She can’t fathom why, ten years after the fact, the fertility clinic is calling to ask for a follow-up DNA test.
Best Coffee News Ever:
As for the best coffee news ever (for me at least)…a brand new and sparkling Dunkin’ WITH A DRIVE THRU has opened within a walkable distance from my house. It’s clean, it’s beautiful, it smells amazing (new construction), the employees are so nice, and the owner told me…and I quote…”Make yourself comfortable. This is your home now.”
Dreams really do come true.
My current view as I’m typing this blog post:
Happy Saturday! 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
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Candle Holder Update and a Book Review: If The Shoe Fits {Julie Murphy}
Before I dive into a book review, I must take a moment to update you on my favorite candle holder…Broken no more! Big hugs to my wonderful husband for making it look brand new once again after I had dropped it. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers, it was touch and go there for a bit…but look how pretty and sparkly she looks now! #phew
Ok time for a book review (although unfortunately not a very positive one. I love my candle holder WAY more than I love this book).
Photo Credit goes to Goodreads because I listened to this one as an audiobook
Goodreads Synopsis of If The Shoe Fits {Julie Murphy}:
After having just graduated with a degree in shoe design, and trying to get her feet on the ground, Cindy is working for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of America’s favorite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show needs filling ASAP, Cindy volunteers, hoping it might help jump-start her fashion career, or at least give her something to do while her peers land jobs in the world of high fashion.
Turns out being the only plus size woman on a reality dating competition makes a splash, and soon Cindy becomes a body positivity icon for women everywhere. What she doesn’t expect? That she may just find inspiration-and love-in the process. Ultimately, Cindy learns that if the shoe doesn’t fit, maybe it’s time to design your own.
My Review of If The Shoe Fits {Julie Murphy}:
Eh.
So I LOVE reality shows and I’ve always been a member of Bachelor Nation. Turns out I also really enjoy books about this type of reality show! This is the 3rd “Bachelor” type book I’ve read and I must say…it was my least favorite.
So much of it was just so unrealistic (and I’m not even talking about the reality show part…obvi that part is always unrealistic, lol).
I liked this book…I didn’t love this book. I did like it significantly more than Dumplin’ (see my review of that one HERE).
If you want to read a fantastic book that centers around contestants of fictiocious “Bachelor” type reality shows…I HIGHLY recommend THIS ONE and THIS ONE over If the Shoe Fits.
And, according to Goodreads this book is the first in the “Meant to be Series” which is:
“Meant to Be is a series featuring updated and contemporary takes on classic Disney princesses, and also the first Disney intellectual property to be developed as an adult publishing project.”
I mean…I think that’s just stupid.
Bottom Line:
Unfortunately this is not the most dramatic book review ever…see what I did there??? Bachelor fans will 🙂
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Clearly this wasn’t my favorite book 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*
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What I’m Currently Reading (Loving), What I Recently Read (Amazing), What I Think I’ll Read Next (Excited)
I dropped my favorite candle holder yesterday and it broke. Sad.
I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW (which is supposed to be published on Wednesdays but today is actually Monday)! The Three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
Thank you to Melissa Amster from Chick Lit Central for sharing your copy of this one with me! I started reading it yesterday and I’m already ALL IN…
Goodreads Synopsis of He Gets That From Me {Jacqueline Friedland}:
As a young mother with a toddler and a live-in boyfriend, Maggie Fisher’s job at a checkout counter in downtown Phoenix doesn’t afford her much financial flexibility. She dreams of going to college and becoming a teacher, options she squandered when she fled her family home as a teenager. When Maggie stumbles onto an ad offering thousands of dollars to women who are willing to gestate other people’s babies, she at first finds the concept laughable. Before long, however, she’s been seduced by all the ways the extra money could improve her life. Once she decides to go for it, it’s only a matter of months before she’s chosen as a gestational carrier by Chip and Donovan Rigsdale, a married couple from New York.
After delivering twin babies and proudly handing them off to the Rigsdales, Maggie finally gets her life on a positive trajectory: she earns her degree, lands a great job, and builds a family of her own. She can’t fathom why, ten years after the fact, the fertility clinic is calling to ask for a follow-up DNA test.
What Did You Recently Finish Reading?
I will have my full review of this gorgeous book posted soon but for now I’ll just say…YOU NEED TO PREORDER THIS ONE STAT (it publishes 5/17). Link to preorder at the bottom of this post!
Goodreads Synopsis of When We Let Go {Rochelle B. Weinstein}:
A moving novel of family and forgiveness and of hope and healing by Rochelle B. Weinstein, the USA Today bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends.
When Avery Beckett is proposed to by Jude Masters, a widowed father and the man she loves, it should be a time of great joy. Instead, Avery is on edge. She’s wary of the idea of family, doubtful of happy endings, and too afraid to take the leap. It’s the kind of fear that comes from having secrets.
Before Avery commits to a new life, she must reconcile with the one she left behind.
When Avery returns to her childhood farm in the North Carolina mountains, she’s surprised to be saddled with a companion: Jude’s teenage daughter, Elle, who’s grappling with the loss of her mother and the complicated emotions of first love. On a path of mending wounds and breaking down walls, Avery and Elle form an unexpected alliance. It’s giving them the courage to move forward. And for Avery, everything she needs to confront the past.
An emotional tale of mothers and daughters, loss and acceptance, When We Let Go is about the lessons that come from heartbreak and the healing it takes to embrace the joy of a second chance.
What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?
Thank you to Emily Giffin for sending me an advanced copy of your newest book! I can’t wait to read it! Meant to Be publishes 5/31…link to preorder at the bottom of this post 🙂
Goodreads Synopsis of Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}:
A restless golden boy and a girl with a troubled past navigate a love story that may be doomed before it even begins in this irresistible new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed and The Lies That Bind.
The Kingsley family is practically American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. When Joseph S. Kingsley III is born in 1960, he inherits the weight of that legacy. Growing up with all the Kingsley looks and charisma, Joe should have no problem taking up the mantle after his father’s untimely death. But he is also a little bit reckless, and can’t seem to figure out how to channel the expectations of an entire country.
No one ever expected anything of Cate, on the other hand. She, too, grew up in a single-parent household–just her and her mom scraping by in their small apartment. As a teenager, though, Cate is discovered for her looks. Modeling may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, her face is everywhere; though she is always aware that she’d be a pariah in her social circles if anyone knew her true story.
When Joe and Cate’s paths cross, their connection is instant. What remains to be seen is whether their relationship will survive the glare of the spotlight that follows Joe everywhere. And just as they find themselves in the make-or-break moment, the tragedy that seems to run in Joe’s family right alongside all that privilege will repeat itself.
In a beautifully written novel that recaptures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells a story of a love that may or may not have the power to transcend circumstances that seem arrayed against it . . . and the difficulty of finding your way to the place you belong.
Have you read (or are planning on reading) any of these 3 books? What are you currently reading? What have you recently read? What do you think you’ll read next? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click on the images below to order (and preorder) 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.*
Book Coffee Happy 