Tag: What I’m Reading

What I’m Currently Reading (Good), What I Recently Read (Hated), What I Think I’ll Read Next (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)

What I’m Currently Reading (Good), What I Recently Read (Hated), What I Think I’ll Read Next (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)

FALL. IS. COMING. And I’m so here for it.

I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW! The Three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

Thanks so much to Sam from Taking on a World of Words for hosting this fun weekly post (that I am participating in for the first time in months, lol)!

***Well, this post is now outdated and insignificant but since I already wrote it, I wanted to publish it! I ended up writing the majority of this post, taking a break to read chapter 1 of Verity, aaaaaand then I read that entire book in a little over 24 hours. HOLY. HELL.

If you follow me on Instagram, you are already up to speed on all of this! I’ll be back with my review of Verity asap!

So here’s a post all about what I WAS reading, what I recently read, and what I ALREADY managed to read next, lol***

What Are You Currently Reading?

I just finished reading this one this morning and my thoughts on it are ALL over the place. Some good, some…not. I’ll share my full review in a blog post ASAP! Instagram followers, this would be the book that I was reading without revealing it’s title so nobody would spoil any of it for me!

PLEASE follow me on Instagram if you don’t already! I update on there waaaaay more frequently than I do on my blog.

The library attached the cover on this hardcover book so poorly and the fact that it’s not centered makes my type A body TWITCHY.

Goodreads Synopsis of Any Other Family {Eleanor Brown}:

The New York Times bestselling author of The Weird Sisters returns with a striking and intimate new novel about three very different women facing an impossible question: What makes a family?

They look just like any other family. But they aren’t a family like any other – not quite. Instead, they are three sets of parents who adopted four biological siblings, committing to keeping the children connected after the death of their grandmother.

Tabitha, who adopted the twins, is the planner of the group, responsible for coordinating playdates and birthdays and Sunday night dinners, insistent that everything happens just so. Quiet and steady Ginger, single mother to the eldest daughter, resists the forced togetherness, her own unsettled childhood leaving her wary of trusting too much. And Elizabeth is still reeling from going directly from failed fertility treatments into adopting a newborn, terrified that her unhappiness means she was not meant to be a mother at all.

But when the three women receive a surprising call from their children’s birth mother, announcing she is pregnant again and wants them to help her find an adoptive family for this child too, the delicate bonds they are still struggling to form threaten to collapse. As tensions rise, the women reckon with their own feelings about what it means to be a mother and what they owe each other as a family.

Set across the span of a family vacation, one full of boisterous laughter and emotional upheaval, Any Other Family is a thought-provoking and poignant look at how families shift and evolve and a striking portrait of motherhood in all its forms.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

Started this book. Didn’t finish this book. Read my thoughts HERE.

Goodreads Synopsis of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.

But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.

As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

This book has been on my list for MONTHS…I’m finally reading it! I have a love/hate relationship with Colleen Hoover books so I’m excited to see how I feel about this one (if you are looking for a great CoHo book, HERE is a link to one that I loved)!

I’ve heard Varity is INTENSE…but pleeeeease don’t tell me anything more than that! If you follow me on Instagram, you have been listening to me rant about all of the people that have been recently unknowingly spoiling books for me. UGH. A simple “I loved it”, “I hated it’, etc. is perfection! When reading a blog review, you know you are reading a more in depth review of the book (although I NEVER post spoilers in my reviews) but when someone asks not to be told ANYTHING about a book…please, please for the love of GOD respect that 😉

Goodreads Synopsis of Varity {Colleen Hoover}:

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

Have you read any of these 3 books? What did you think (no spoilers)? What are you currently reading? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny



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Book Review: Every Summer After {Carley Fortune}

Book Review: Every Summer After {Carley Fortune}

So EVERYONE is obsessed with this book right now.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might remember the Instastories of me literally CHASING this book around town at the beginning of summer. It was high on my TBR and I was DETERMINED to find myself a copy. I went to Barnes and Noble and not only were they sold out…but apparently ALL Barnes and Nobles in my area for miles around were sold out! Well if THAT didn’t make me want to read it even more, nothing would.

So I took a quick lunch break and then went straight to to bookstore #2…Barbara’s Bookstore in Vernon Hills…SUCCESS! I happily bought my book and left with a smile on my face. I couldn’t wait to start reading!

In fact, I was SO excited to start reading that I declared this book to be the book I was most excited to read this summer!

Goodreads Synopsis of Every Summer After {Carley Fortune}:

They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life a decade ago, that has felt too true. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart.

Until she receives the call that sends her racing back to Barry’s Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek—the man she never thought she’d have to live without.

For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the water and warm summer nights working in his family’s restaurant and curling up together with books—medical textbooks for him and work-in-progress horror short stories for her—Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart.

When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past.

Told over the course of six years and one weekend, Every Summer After is a big, sweeping nostalgic look at love and the people and choices that mark us forever.

Six summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. A weekend to get it right.

My Review of Every Summer After {Carley Fortune}:

Book + Pedicure = Happiness

I was so excited when I finally DID manage myself a copy of this book! I bought it, I read it, and…Eh.

I really, really liked it. There’s nothing not to like! I smiled, I cried, I felt alllll the emotions while reading. BUT…

It was boring. It took me weeks to finish. I’m not sure what I’m missing here….so many people say they devoured this book in 1 sitting? I felt like nothing really happened within the first 2/3 of this book? It held my interest enough to keep reading but I just kept waiting for something….ANYTHING…to happen? I also just wanted MORE. More storyline, more character development, more reasons to like Percy (I did not), more Sue, more EVERYTHING.

I found the timelines to be confusing. Bouncing around through 12 years while simultaneously talking about the present just didn’t work for me. I found myself going back to the beginning of chapters to remind myself what decade we were in. Eh.

And my biggest issue with this book….IT. WAS. SO. PREDICTABLE. By chapter 2, I figured out the entire ending and I was spot on. And I wasn’t even trying to predict anything! I HATE THAT SO MUCH.

Now I DID enjoy the writing style and I’m very much looking forward to reading another book by Carley Fortune but unfortunately this one just wasn’t my favorite.

And the cover art is weird. Why does Percy have a bald spot?

Bottom Line:

It’s good…definitely not worthy of all the hype.

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

Xo,

Jenny

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2 New Books and Which One I’m Currently Reading

2 New Books and Which One I’m Currently Reading

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


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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

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Book Review: Lease on Love {Falon Ballard}

Book Review: Lease on Love {Falon Ballard}

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 of Lease 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

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

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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

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4 Books I’m NOT Reading and a Covid Update

4 Books I’m NOT Reading and a Covid Update

Our dear friends sent us a get well soon Sugarwish Box last week! We let our son choose the candy types 🙂 CUTEST GIFT!

You can check out the Sugarwish website and how it all works HERE. I have no affiliation with this company but this is one of the most adorable gifts I’ve ever received so I wanted to share!

Greetings from Day #16 of Covid! So in ways I am feeling much better but there are definitely ways in which I am far from feeling normal. I’m still congested, my ears are closed, I’m lightheaded, I’m exhausted, and the fact that my taste or smell is all messed up is DRIVING. ME. CRAZY. But…I have been trying to move on and do normal things because clearly this recovery isn’t going to happen overnight. My doctor now has me on a steroid and an antibiotic so fingers crossed they knock they help me to feel more like myself ASAP! Thank you to all of you who reached out after my LAST POST!

I went to Target 3 days ago and it felt so weird and wonderful to be out in public! A few hours of walking (sauntering?) slowly and aimlessly down the aisles was so amazing and so blissfully needed.

How FUN are these candles?! I have no clue how they smell (stupid Covid) but they are SO, SO CUTE!
I really wanted to buy this t shirt but they didn’t have my size. Absolutely love!

Last night, we went to the most amazing fireworks show that my town put on. They didn’t have fireworks on July 4th out of respect to our neighboring community of Highland Park so they did them last night instead. They were AMAZING!

From Instagram:

So that’s the Covid update! Symptoms still there but trying my hardest to get my life back. I miss my life!

Speaking of my life…how NOT ME is it to have (gasp) overdue library books?!? I’m so ashamed…this is NOT how a Library Hero should act! I must return these 4 books ASAP although I haven’t even cracked open any of the covers. This KILLS me because I was really excited to read all 4 of these…but I just haven’t felt good enough lately to even try. And now they must be returned. SIGH.

**Note: I always at least TRY to make my photos look beautiful…but with how I’m feeling lately, carpet photos at weird angles is literally the very best I can do right now, lol ;)**

Book I’m Not Reading #1:

The Club {Ellery Lloyd}

9 times out of 10, Reese Witherspoon and I do NOT agree on books (THIS book, THIS book, and THIS book are the major exceptions). However, The Club sounds so good that I have high hopes that Reese and I might be able to agree! This book was the 1 of the 4 that I was the most excited to read…hopefully I will soon 🙂

Goodreads Synopsis of The Club {Ellery Lloyd}:

The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members’ clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media.

The most spectacular of all is Island Home—a closely-guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast—and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade.

But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group’s CEO and his long-suffering team to their absolute limits. All of them have something to hide—and that’s before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island.

As tempers fray and behavior worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list.

Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.

Book I’m Not Reading #2:

Greenwich Park {Katherine Faulkner}

I know nothing about this book or this author but it caught my eye on the library shelf weeks ago. It sounds so amazing!

Goodreads Synopsis of Greenwich Park {Katherine Faulkner}:

Helen’s idyllic life—handsome architect husband, gorgeous Victorian house, and cherished baby on the way (after years of trying)—begins to change the day she attends her first prenatal class and meets Rachel, an unpredictable single mother-to-be. Rachel doesn’t seem very maternal: she smokes, drinks, and professes little interest in parenthood. Still, Helen is drawn to her. Maybe Rachel just needs a friend. And to be honest, Helen’s a bit lonely herself. At least Rachel is fun to be with. She makes Helen laugh, invites her confidences, and distracts her from her fears.

But her increasingly erratic behavior is unsettling. And Helen’s not the only one who’s noticed. Her friends and family begin to suspect that her strange new friend may be linked to their shared history in unexpected ways. When Rachel threatens to expose a past crime that could destroy all of their lives, it becomes clear that there are more than a few secrets laying beneath the broad-leaved trees and warm lamplight of Greenwich Park. 

Book I’m Not Reading #3:

An Honest Lie {Tarryn Fisher}

I HATED The Wives (read my review HERE) but I DIDN’T hate Tarryn’s writing style so I was willing to give her newest book a chance…???

Goodreads Synopsis of An Honest Lie {Tarryn Fisher}:

Lorraine—“Rainy”—lives at the top of Tiger Mountain. Remote, moody, cloistered in pine trees and fog, it’s a sanctuary, a new life. She can hide from the disturbing past she wants to forget.

If she’s allowed to.

When Rainy reluctantly agrees to a girls’ weekend in Vegas, she’s prepared for an exhausting parade of shots and slot machines. But after a wild night, her friend Braithe doesn’t come back to the hotel room.

And then Rainy gets the text message, sent from Braithe’s phone: someone has her. But Rainy is who they really want, and Rainy knows why.

What follows is a twisted, shocking journey on the knife-edge of life and death. If she wants to save Braithe—and herself—the only way is to step back into the past.

Book I’m Not Reading #4:

Super Host {Kate Russo}

I’ve seen this book recently reviewed on many book blogs and I think it sounds so wonderful. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that my family LOVES to rent Airbnbs! Over the past 2 years, we have rented them in Michigan, Galena, and of course…the ill fated Google homepage worthy trip to Tennessee, lol.

Goodreads Synopsis of Super Host {Kate Russo}:

Bennett Driscoll is a Turner Prize-nominated artist who was once a rising star. Now, at age fifty-five, his wife has left him, he hasn’t sold a painting in two years, and his gallery wants to stop selling his work, claiming they’ll have more value retrospectively…when he’s dead. So, left with a large West London home and no income, he’s forced to move into his artist’s studio in the back garden and list his house on the popular vacation rental site, AirBed.

A stranger now in his own home, with his daughter, Mia, off at art school, and any new relationships fizzling out at best, Bennett struggles to find purpose in his day-to-day. That all changes when three different guests–lonely American Alicia; tortured artist Emma; and cautiously optimistic divorcée Kirstie–unwittingly unlock the pieces of himself that have been lost to him for too long.

Warm, witty, and utterly humane, Super Host offers a captivating portrait of middle age, relationships, and what it truly means to take a new chance at life.

So there you go…4 books I am NOT reading although fingers crossed I will read them all soon!

I hope you are having a lovely day!

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

Xo,

Jenny




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

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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

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The Book I Am The Most Excited To Read This Summer

The Book I Am The Most Excited To Read This Summer

Chillin’ at one of my favorite places on the planet…my bestie’s pool! Fun fact: Unbeknownst to me, her landscaper entered the pool area JUST as I was taking this selfie while she was inside of the house. It was awkward for both of us.

Earlier in the week I had quite the adventure literally CHASING a book around town. I wanted to buy a copy of this book so badly and I was on a MISSION. I documented the entire ordeal on Instagram Stories throughout the day but I never revealed the title of the book :).

I had been on the library waitlist for weeks and I had a feeling that my name wasn’t moving up to the top slot anytime soon. And then last Monday, I received the following message from my dear friend and book twin, Jana:

Straw that broke the camel’s back? Check. I LOVED 28 Summers SO MUCH! If you haven’t yet read 28 Summers, you must read it ASAP…it’s so wonderful (except for the tiny fact that the entire beautiful story is centered around horrible infidelity…read my review HERE).

The very next day after receiving this message from my book twin, I set out on a mission. I started at Barnes and Noble where I was told that not only did they not have any copies but NO BARNES AND NOBLE in the AREA had any copies. Everyone is reading this book right now! I left the store feeling a bit discouraged but also even more intrigued to find myself a copy…

Bookstore #2: Barbara’s Bookstore in Hawthorn Mall. They had 3 copies! Barbara’s Bookstore for the WIN!

**So many of you messaged me asking if I tried looking for the book on Amazon or Target. I had not because I really wanted to buy it from a bookstore. I so rarely buy books (I love my library so much) so when I do actually purchase a book, I just love the experience of shopping in bookstores and supporting the book community!**

The Book I Am The Most Excited To Read This Summer:

I’m hoping to start reading either tonight or tomorrow…I’ll share my thoughts as soon as I finish! My expectations are obviously HIGH for this one, fingers crossed I’m not disappointed…

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below but ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS, PLEASE!!

Xo,

Jenny

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

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

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5 Reasons Why I Hated The Golden Couple {Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen}

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.

Moving on…

Ha I just reread my 2018 review of The Wife Between Us and my feelings about the 2 books aren’t all that different!

Bottom Line:

Hated it.

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

Xo,

Jenny

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Happy Summer, What I’m Reading, Delicious Lunch

Happy Summer, What I’m Reading, Delicious Lunch

Hi 💕

Happy Summer!

Now that my kids are done with school, it is officially SUMMER over here! Although summer is not my favorite season (I’ll take a freezing cold blizzard over the summer heat any day), I love all of the extra family time summer allows. Bring on pool days, backyard time, picnics, and summer concerts! In fact, I’m enjoying a lovely sunny day in our backyard as I’m typing this blog post. I am sitting at our table typing while my son is next to me drawing a masterpiece 🙂 A lovely summer day, indeed.

What I’m Reading:

Remember when I was debating which book of the 2 that I recently bought to read next (I talked about it in THIS POST)?

I chose to start with Lease on Love by Falon Ballard!

I’m about 200 pages in and I have SO many thoughts (some great, some…not so great). I’ll post my full review when I finish! In the meantime, here’s the synopsis from Goodreads:

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.

Delicious Lunch:

And because sometimes I like to post random pictures of my food on my blog, here’s a picture of the GORGEOUS fish poke bowl I ate for lunch a few weeks ago. How absolutely beautiful is this?! Loved it!

I hope you are reading (and eating!) something fabulous today! Happy Summer!

What are you currently reading? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

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

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Book Review: Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}

Book Review: Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}

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

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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I Pulled A Lot of Weeds While Listening to an Audiobook

Over the weekend, my husband was getting ready to pull the weeds from our front yard and our backyard. I, having ZERO knowledge of what a massive job this actually was, offered to do it instead (I’m not really an “outside” girl. I’d much rather be inside reading a book). He GLADLY accepted my offer! I told him I predicted it would take me about 20 minutes tops. He told me it would take HOURS.

Spoiler: He was right. 3 hours to be exact.

The first order of business was to find a suitable audiobook to keep me company. I was sitting and searching audiobook selections through the Hoopla app when I received this text from our kitchen:

**The beautiful tiles on our table and our hammock all broke during a windstorm a few weeks ago. Ugh. They will be replaced…but today’s mission was WEEDS!**
There was definitely a rather long amount of time where I had no idea that I was wearing the gardening gloves backwards. I flipped them over and things got easier. Apparently this is the proper way. **Follow me for more gardening tips**
Jon sent this photo to my dad. Everyone was so proud of me! Including myself. WAY proud of myself.

Other interesting texts between my husband and I as I worked:

3 hours later (3 HOURS) it began to rain and I declared that I was done. Was I actually done pulling weeds? I was not. Was I done “enough” pulling weeds with a now ruined manicure and pedicure and just wanted to take a shower? Absolutely.

Jon was VERY impressed with my work! Apparently I’m a natural and I did a great job!

So what kept me company for most of this project? AUDIOBOOKS for the win! As you know, I have recently discovered such a love for audiobooks for exactly days such as this one. It was a perfect companion as I was out there sore and sweating! Note I said “most of this project”. For about 1/3 of this endeavor my 6 year old son kept me company and we discussed dinosaurs, worms, squishies (if you are parent you know), and swim goggles. Let’s just say that between him and Colleen Hoover, I was never alone…

The Audiobook:

Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Goodreads Synopsis of Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}:

Sydney is living in an idyllic bubble—she’s a dedicated student with a steady job on the side. She lives with her best friend, has a great boyfriend, and the music coming from the balcony opposite hers is fast becoming the soundtrack to her life. But when Sydney finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her, the bubble bursts. The mysterious and attractive man behind the music, Ridge, gives Sydney hope that she can move on and they begin to write songs together. But moving on is harder than she expects, Sydney can only hope….

Maybe someday…

I will post my review once I finish listening!

What Color is Your Brain?® Giveaway Winners Video:

My 10 year old daughter’s hand! She picked the winners!

If you won please email me your mailing address within 24 hours of when this post is published. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll pick a new winner…

Have you read Colleen Hoover’s Maybe Someday? Do you garden?

Xo,

Jenny

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

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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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