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

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Audiobook Review: The Wife Upstairs {Freida McFadden}

Audiobook Review: The Wife Upstairs {Freida McFadden}

Love this.

**NOTE**

This book is not to be confused with The Wife Upstaris by Rachel Hawkins. Same title, completely different book. You can read my review of Rachel Hawkins’s book HERE.

This is the 6th Freida McFadden book that I have listened to! Here are my reviews of the other 5 books of hers that I have read (listened to…all audiobooks):

The Surrogate Mother

The Inmate

Do Not Disturb

Want to Know a Secret?

The Locked Door (AKA The Most ANNOYING Audiobook Voice)

Goodreads Synopsis of The Wife Upstairs {Freida McFadden}

Victoria Barnett has it all.

A great career. A handsome and loving husband. A beautiful home in the suburbs and a plan to fill it with children. Life is perfect—or so it seems.

Then she’s in a terrible accident… and everything falls apart.

Now Victoria is unable to walk. She can’t feed or dress herself. She can’t even speak. She is confined to the top floor of her house with twenty-four-hour care.

Sylvia Robinson is hired by Victoria’s husband to help care for her. But it turns out Victoria isn’t as impaired as Sylvia was led to believe. There’s a story Victoria desperately wants to tell… if only she could get out the words.

Then Sylvia discovers Victoria’s diary hidden away in a drawer.

And what’s inside is shocking.

My Review of The Wife Upstairs {Freida McFadden}

Eh.

So I liked it and looked forward to listening to it each day. The story definitely held my interest and was great to listen to as an audiobook.

It’s just…it’s all been done before. The whole story. I can’t really say much without giving away some pretty big spoilers but every twist…been there, done that.

I’ve listened to and gave read so many psychological thrillers that by this point…nothing about this one was shocking. A few tiny twists but I truly saw all of the big ones from the very beginning.

And don’t even get me started on how this book is basically a direct copy of another VERY popular psychological thriller…I won’t say which one but I really don’t need to. If you read this book, you’ll just KNOW.

And the ending of this book was…confusing and yet predictable. Eh.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

Kept me entertained but entirely too predictable.

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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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…

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Audiobook Review: Want To Know A Secret? {Freida McFadden}

Audiobook Review: Want To Know A Secret? {Freida McFadden}

Photo Credit: Amazon

This is the 4th Freida McFadden audiobook I’ve listened to. Here are links to my reviews from the previous 3:

The Surrogate Mother

The Inmate

Do Not Disturb

Goodreads Synopsis of Want To Know A Secret? {Freida McFadden}

YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April. Secrets she’d rather you didn’t know.

Like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what’s buried in her backyard?

Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. April’s secrets are enough to destroy her.

My Review of Want To Know A Secret? {Freida McFadden}

Eh.

So Freida McFadden books are great for listening while doing other things–cooking, laundry, driving, etc.

This one, however…eh.

The most interesting parts were the parts where April was baking on her YouTube show but sadly those were such a small part of this book.

I found it confusing! I kept confusing the characters and the storylines. If I had this one in print, I would have had to keep flipping back through the chapters to solidify who everyone was/what was going on.

There was no “flow” to this book if that makes sense. The different perspectives just made it annoying and confusing.

I also hated every single character so there’s that.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

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…

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PIGS ARE FLYING {aka I Bought a Kindle Unboxing Video}

PIGS ARE FLYING {aka I Bought a Kindle Unboxing Video}

This photo has nothing to do with books but the Poke Bowl that I ate for dinner last night was so pretty that it deserves to be on the Internet.

Well. Here we are. I have always SWORN that I would never, ever, EVER own an e-reader…and now I…DO. What is happening?!? Here’s a video of me unboxing my new Kindle (!), and the reasoning behind why I finally caved and bought one.

I Bought a Kindle Unboxing Video:

I hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with love and BOOKS!

Do you own an e-reader? Any advice for a newbie?

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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Must Have Reading Accessory #7 and Our 2 Bathroom Remodels!

Must Have Reading Accessory #7 and Our 2 Bathroom Remodels!

I believe this is the 7th Must Have Reading Accessory that I’ve published on Book Coffee Happy! I’ll link to my previous 6 posts from this series at the bottom of this post!

Entertaining myself in Sephora while waiting for my daughter because even after an HOUR she wasn’t done exploring all the beauty products! #tweenager

I love listening to audiobooks. Some of my favorite times to sneak in a few chapters: driving, cooking, folding laundry, straightening my hair, walking, doing dishes, doing my makeup, wrapping presents, painting my nails, etc. There are SO many times during my day when an audiobook adds the perfect amount of entertainment to otherwise mundane, everyday tasks.

Except for one.

SHOWERING. Oh how I would love to listen to an audiobook while showering! My phone speaker isn’t loud enough and I despise Alexa so I don’t want one in my bathroom. Every SINGLE time I’m in the shower, I think of how wonderful it would be to listen to an audiobook. Seems like such a perfect opportunity! I finally mentioned this to my husband a few weeks ago and…he bought me surprise on Prime Day!

Must Have Reading Accessory #7

Behold…my new waterproof, bluetooth, super loud best friend. She’s an absolute beauty and she brings me immense joy.

She gets LOUD. Like, I can’t have the volume all the way up or she will be TOO loud. Even over the water in my shower. Her sound quality is GREAT!

She’s tiny and portable and even came with a travel case…she will most definately be accompying me on all vacations moving forward!

Our 2 Bathroom Remodels

When I went to take a picture of the niches in our bathroom where I keep her, I realized that I never showed you a picture of our 2 recent bathroom remodels! If you follow me on Instagram, you are WELL AWARE of the remodeling process as I talked about it on my stories pretty much every single day. It was…loud and chaotic…but so,so, so worth it. Here are some photos of my favorite parts of our 2 remodels (our master and our kids’ hallway bath). The shower with the 4 niches (top center photo) is the one in the master and where my new little waterproof speaker happily sits! Also, worth noting is my makeup vanity where I literally sit for hours on end doing my hair, makeup, and nails. The mirror slides to each side with shelves behind it housing all of my beauty products. JOY I tell you. PURE JOY.

Did you enjoy this post? Here are the 6 previous posts in this series of my top MUST HAVE reading accessories:

Must Have Reading Accessory #1

Must Have Reading Accessory #2

Must Have Reading Accessory #3

Another Must Have Reading Accessory

Must Have Reading Accessory #4

Must Have Reading Accessories #5 and #6 {VIDEO}

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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The Main Characters in This Book Call Each Other Fartheads.

The Main Characters in This Book Call Each Other Fartheads.

Gorgeous Mother’s Day flowers from my family 🙂

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know how I felt about the dialogue in this book. Grown ups do NOT call each other fartheads. They just don’t. If you have someone in your life who calls you a farthead, for the love of God find yourself a new partner.

Photo Credit: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of Thank You For Listening {Julia Whelan}

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

My Review of Thank You For Listening {Julia Whelan}:

Not for me. Nope. Nope.

So I loved that it was about audiobook narrators…obviously since I have been so obsessd with audiobooks lately! That part of this book and it’s behind the scenes was super interesting to me.

Something else that I found SUPER interesting about this book was the fact that the author was the narrator! I don’t think I’ve every listened to an audiobook narrated by the author before. I thought she was great (mostly…a few voices I wasn’t a huge fan of but overall she was great).

Every other part of this book? Eh. Not nearly as interesting.

SO. MANY. FEELINGS.

So. Much. Talking.

So. Much. Backstory.

So. Much. Heaviness.

And obviously the dialogue was super cheesy and unrealistic. Grown ups do not talk to each other like this!

I have so many complaints about this book but one of the biggest was the big “twist” that I literally predicted from the very beginning and spent the entire book waiting to be revealed.

If you love audiobooks, you might (most likely will not, lol) enjoy this book. If you don’t listen to audiobooks, this is definitely NOT a book for you.

The main character is named Sewanee. Her grandmother is named Blah Blah. Swanee and Blah Blah. I hate this book.

How on EARTH did Jodi Picoult and Taylor Jenkins Reid blurb the cover?!

It was boring. So boring. Although it did hold my attention enough to keep listening so there’s that.

Moving on…

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

The main characters called each other “fartheads”. Enough said.

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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Never Ending Book, Exciting New Book Mail, Ugly Book Giveaway Winners

Never Ending Book, Exciting New Book Mail, Ugly Book Giveaway Winners

Newest addition to my laptop courtesy of my 11 year old daughter. She traded gibbetz (IYKYK) to one of her friends just to get this sticker for ME! Love, love, love her 🙂

Never Ending Book

Hiiiii Book Friends!

I am still slowly chipping away at this almost 600 page book but admittingly it’s taking me significantly longer than necessary to finish it!

I just need a day with zero distractions where I can hunker down and READ! Who’s with me??? Add in coffee, delicious food, and a beach. Soooo a vacation. Turns out what I need is a vacation…

Exciting New Book Mail

Look at this beauty that I received in the mail last week! I can’t wait to read it, it sounds so amazing.

Goodreads Synopsis of Typecast {Andrea J. Stein}:

Callie Dressler thought she had put her past where it belonged—behind her. But when she learns her ex-boyfriend is bringing their breakup to the big screen, she must face the fact that their history has been looming over her all along.

At thirty-two, Callie Dressler is finally comfortable in her own skin. She loves her job as a preschool teacher, and although living in her vacant childhood home isn’t necessarily what dreams are made of, the space is something she never could have afforded if she’d stayed in New York City. She knows her well-ordered life will be upended when her type A, pregnant sister, Nina; adorable four-year-old niece; and workaholic brother-in-law move in, but how could she say no when they needed a place to crash during their remodel? As Nina pointed out, it is still their parents’ house, even though their mom and dad have relocated.

As if adjusting to this new living situation isn’t enough, the universe sends Callie another wrinkle: her college boyfriend, Ethan—who Callie dumped ten years earlier for reasons known only to her—has a film coming out, and the screenplay is based on their real-life breakup. While the movie consumes her thoughts, Callie can’t help wondering if Nina and her friends are right that she hasn’t moved on. When a complication with Nina’s pregnancy brings Callie in close contact with Nina’s smart and funny architect, Callie realizes she had better figure out whether she wants to open the door to the past—or she’ll risk missing out on her future.

Sounds so good, right?? I will post my full review (and host a giveaway!!) once I finish reading….stay tuned 🙂

Ugly Book Giveaway Winners Video

Thank you to everyone who entered to win a signed copy of Kelly Vincent’s gorgeous book, Ugly (book synopsis and my full review HERE) ! I know you will love it as much as I did. Here is a video of me choosing the winners:

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

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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7 Books I’m NOT Reading!

7 Books I’m NOT Reading!

A nice change from the plethora of audiobook reviews I’ve been posting recently, right?? I recently returned 7 library books before I had a chance to read them (well, I did read a bit of 1 of them…I’ll get to that in a minute).

I think all 7 of these books sound GREAT and I can’t wait to read them eventually!

**Please make sure to take note of the beautiful, artful, and professional photography throughout this blog post. I decided to write this post as I was looking at the pile of these books sitting next to me on the passenger seat of my car as I was filming an Instastory. All of these photos have the lovely background of my dirty car = crumbs and all. And some even include my chipped nail polish. So pretty. Enjoy!**

Book #1 I’m NOT Reading: The Bookshop on the Corner {Jenny Colgan}

Goodreads Synopsis of The Bookshop on the Corner {Jenny Colgan}:

Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.

Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.

From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.

Book #2 I’m NOT Reading: Mika in Real Life {Emiko Jean}

Goodreads Synopsis of Mika in Real Life {Emiko Jean}:

One phone call changes everything.

At thirty-five, Mika Suzuki’s life is a mess. Her last relationship ended in flames. Her roommate-slash-best friend might be a hoarder. She’s a perpetual disappointment to her traditional Japanese parents. And, most recently, she’s been fired from her latest dead-end job.

Mika is at her lowest point when she receives a phone call from Penny—the daughter she placed for adoption sixteen years ago. Penny is determined to forge a relationship with her birth mother, and in turn, Mika longs to be someone Penny is proud of. Faced with her own inadequacies, Mika embellishes a fact about her life. What starts as a tiny white lie slowly snowballs into a fully-fledged fake life, one where Mika is mature, put-together, successful in love and her career.

The details of Mika’s life might be an illusion, but everything she shares with curious, headstrong Penny is real: her hopes, dreams, flaws, and Japanese heritage. The harder-won heart belongs to Thomas Calvin, Penny’s adoptive widower father. What starts as a rocky, contentious relationship slowly blossoms into a friendship and, over time, something more. But can Mika really have it all—love, her daughter, the life she’s always wanted? Or will Mika’s deceptions ultimately catch up to her? In the end, Mika must face the truth—about herself, her family, and her past—and answer the question, just who is Mika in real life?

Book #3 I’m NOT Reading: The Babysitter {Sheryl Browne}

I actually DID start reading this book and read to page 83 before I called it quits. It was ok…and if I hadn’t bought THIS BOOK that I was so excited to start, I probably would have continued reading The Babysitter

Goodreads Synopsis of The Babysitter {Sheryl Browne}:

You trust her with your family. Would you trust her with your life?

Mark and Melissa Cain are thrilled to have found Jade, a babysitter who is brilliant with their young children. Having seen her own house burn to the ground, Jade needs them as much as they need her. Moving Jade into the family home can only be a good thing, can’t it?

As Mark works long hours as a police officer and Melissa struggles with running a business, the family become ever more reliant on their babysitter, who is only too happy to help. And as Melissa begins to slip into depression, it’s Jade who is left picking up the pieces.

But Mark soon notices things aren’t quite as they seem. Things at home feel wrong, and as Mark begins to investigate their seemingly perfect sitter, what he discovers shocks him to his core. He’s met Jade before. And now he suspects he might know what she wants …

Mark is in a race against time to protect his family. But what will he find as he goes back to his family home?

Book #4 I’m NOT Reading: The Second Wife {Sheryl Browne}

Goodreads Synopsis of The Second Wife {Sheryl Browne}:

She made her bed. You’ll lie in it.

Rebecca and Nicole swore to be best friends forever. But three years after they last met up, Rebecca receives a phone call from Nicole’s devoted husband, Richard. Nicole is dead, a tragic suicide. Drowned in a river close to her family home, Richard was the one who pulled her body from the water. Now he can’t even speak about what happened.

While Rebecca reels from the news, she reads her friend’s last letters to her and begins to wonder if she knew Nicole at all. What secrets was she keeping from all the people who knew and loved her?

As Rebecca gets closer and closer to Richard, things go too far and she begins to slip into Nicole’s old life – staying in her home, sleeping in her bed… But if she’s going to become the wife Nicole never was, can she keep herself safe?

Book #5 I’m NOT Reading: The Book Haters Book Club {Gretchen Anthony}

Goodreads Synopsis of The Book Haters’ Book Club {Gretchen Anthony}:

All it takes is the right book to turn a Book Hater into a Book Lover…

That was Elliott’s belief and the reason why he started The Book Haters’ Book Club—a newsletter of reading recommendations for the self-proclaimed “nonreader.” As the beloved co-owner of Over the Rainbow Bookstore, Elliott’s passion and gift was recommending books to customers. Now, after his sudden death, his grief-ridden business partner, Irma, has agreed to sell Over the Rainbow to a developer who will turn the cozy bookstore into high-rise condos.

But others won’t give up the bookstore without a fight. When Irma breaks the news to her daughters, Bree and Laney, and Elliott’s romantic partner, Thom, they are aghast. Over the Rainbow has been Bree and Laney’s sanctuary since childhood, and Thom would do anything to preserve Elliott’s legacy. Together, Thom, Bree and Laney conspire to save the bookstore, even if it takes some snooping, gossip and minor sabotage.

Filled with humor, family hijinks and actual reading recommendations, The Book Haters’ Book Club is the ideal feel-good read. It’s a celebration of found family and a love letter to the everyday heroes who run bookstores.

Book #6 I’m NOT Reading: Eden’s Children {V.C. Andrews}

Goodreads Synopsis of Eden’s Children {V.C. Andrews}:

Mother doesn’t always know best in this atmospheric and twisty novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic series and Landry series—now popular Lifetime movies.

When former teacher Paula Eden adopts Faith and Trevor, she is astounded by their natural intelligence and decides to homeschool them to nurture their brilliance. But as the years go on, Faith and Trevor itch for more independence.

When Faith sets her sights on a handsome young man visiting from out of town, Paula grows increasingly desperate to preserve her small family and her plans for the children to carry on her legacy. Luckily, she has a cohort in loyal Trevor, who will do anything to please his mother, even at the risk of hurting his sister and potentially changing their lives forever.

Book #7 I’m NOT Reading: Faking Reality {Sara Fujimura}

Goodreads Synopsis of Faking Reality {Sara Fujimura}:

Dakota McDonald swore after “The Great Homecoming Disaster” that she’d never allow her romantic life to be a plot line in her parents’ HGTV show again. But when the restaurant run by the family of her best friend (and secret crush), Leo, is on the line, Dakota might end up eating her own words.

Leo Matsuda dreams of escaping his small town Arizona life and the suffocating demands of working in his family’s restaurant, but the closer he gets to his goal—thanks to the help of his best friend (and secret crush) Dakota—the more reasons there are for him to stay.

Have you read any of these books? Which look interesting to you? 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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2 Books I Recently Stopped Reading Without Finishing…

2 Books I Recently Stopped Reading Without Finishing…

My favorite holiday scent is still going strong over here!

Ugh so I’ve started reading 2 seperate books over the past 2 weeks….aaaaand I’ve put both down without finishing. I HATE WHEN THIS HAPPENS!

To quote myself (I say this alll the time): “life is too short to read books you’re just not enjoying”. I just wasn’t ENJOYING these. They were both…fine! Just not enough to make me excited to pick them up each day (which is always the sign for me that it’s time to move on). Sometimes books like this are ok to read and push through in hopes that they will turn around but sometimes…you just need for books to grab you right from the start. Neither of these were “grabby” enough for me (well THAT certainly sounds dirty…Happy Valentine’s Day, lol).

Book I Stopped Reading Without Finishing #1:

The Bookshop of Second Chances {Jackie Fraser}

Goodreads Synopsis of The Bookshop of Second Chances {Jackie Fraser}:

Thea Mottram is having a bad month. Her husband of nearly twenty years has just left her for one of her friends, and she is let go from her office job–on Valentine’s Day, of all days. Bewildered and completely lost, Thea doesn’t know what to do. But when she learns that a distant great uncle in Scotland has passed away, leaving her his home and a hefty antique book collection, she decides to leave Sussex for a few weeks. Escaping to a small coastal town where no one knows her seems to be exactly what she needs.

Almost instantly, Thea becomes enamored with the quaint cottage, comforted by its cozy rooms and shaggy, tulip-covered lawn. The locals in nearby Baldochrie are just as warm, quirky, and inviting. The only person she can’t seem to win over is bookshop owner Edward Maltravers, to whom she hopes to sell her uncle’s antique novel collection. His gruff attitude–fueled by an infamous, long-standing feud with his brother, a local lord–tests Thea’s patience. But bickering with Edward proves oddly refreshing and exciting, leading Thea to develop feelings she hasn’t felt in a long time. As she follows a thrilling yet terrifying impulse to stay in Scotland indefinitely, Thea realizes that her new life may quickly become just as complicated as the one she was running from.

Book I Stopped Reading Without Finishing #2:

Nora Goes Off Script {Annabel Monaghan}

Goodreads Synopsis of Nora Goes Off Script {Annabel Monaghan}:

Nora Hamilton knows the formula for love better than anyone. As a romance channel screenwriter, it’s her job. But when her too-good-to work husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns her marriage’s collapse into cash and writes the best script of her life. No one is more surprised than her when it’s picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her 100-year-old-home. When former Sexiest Man Alive, Leo Vance, is cast as her ne’er do well husband Nora’s life will never be the same.

The morning after shooting wraps and the crew leaves, Nora finds Leo on her porch with a half-empty bottle of tequila and a proposition. He’ll pay a thousand dollars a day to stay for a week. The extra seven grand would give Nora breathing room, but it’s the need in his eyes that makes her say yes. Seven days: it’s the blink of an eye or an eternity depending on how you look at it. Enough time to fall in love. Enough time to break your heart.

Filled with warmth, wit, and wisdom, Nora Goes Off Script is the best kind of love story–the real kind where love is complicated by work, kids, and the emotional baggage that comes with life. For Nora and Leo, this kind of love is bigger than the big screen.

Soooo there you go. Although it does hurt my heart to put down books I’m not enjoying, I always do it! Moving on! I am well aware that there are people who feel that they must finish all books they start…I am quite CLEARLY not one of those people 😉

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

Have you read either of these books? 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)

*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)*

*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*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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