Tag: Fall

Book Review:: If We Were Villains | M.L. Rio

What is more important, that Cesear is assassinated or that he is assassinated by his intimate friends? … ‘That,’ Frederick said, ‘is where the tragedy is.’

If We Were Villains M. L. Rio Book Cover

After years in prison, inmate Oliver Marks is released on parole. Detective Colborne, the man in charge of the crime that put Oliver behind bars, is no longer in active duty. Lingering questions over the case has him approaching Oliver for the truth of what happened all those years ago. Being the Shakespearean thespian he and his friends are, he recounts the tale in all its detail and subtlety.

At Dellecher, an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends are in their fourth year of theater studies, where they perform endless Shakespearean plays. The friend group is very close-knit, and each of them play their respective roles dutifully on stage, and off. But things are changing, and after a strangely intense performance, one of them ends up dead.

The students in this theater program are dedicated to their craft, most certainly to a fault. They read deep into the verse, and quote it, frankly, constantly. I’ve never wanted to do a deep-dive into Shakespeare’s cannon more than I did while reading this book, and perhaps those with more background on the plays in question would have understood the deeper levels of meaning I’m convinced were there for a more astute reader. As it was, Oliver as the narrator did a good job of explaining enough that even a novice reader like me was able to follow the subtext of the scenes presented well enough. But these kids sure have a way with language, and as the author, M.L. Rio impressed me with such an expansive, luxurious writing style. It made me feel smarter and vastly ignorant all at once (ha).

One thing I’m sure Colborne will never understand is that I need language to live, like food-lexemes and morphemes and morsels of meaning nourish me with the knowledge that, yes, there is a word for this. Someone else has felt it before.

Oliver is a great supporting actor, and his place in the friend group mirrors that role. It is a great POV from which to experience the story. He sees the others for who they are without his own ego getting in the way, and is profoundly loyal to them, and is entirely too trusting of them, as it turns out. His character did not have a front row seat to the tragedy, and has to piece together what happened himself as the cracks in the story begin to show.

Did you love Donna Tartt’s The Secret History? Did you like it but wished it had less Latin & philosophy and more Shakespearean verse? Then this was written for you. The gist of the story was very similar, with mirrored themes and pacing in both plot and language. To me, this is essentially a re-telling of The Secret History, although having read it doesn’t give anything away of this one. But if you loved it, you’ll love this, and vice versa.

This Gothic mystery is not for the casual reader. The prose is dense and poetic and requires concentration and patience to get through (listening to it as an audiobook might help if you’re finding it too tedious). But if you’re a seasonal reader and like to lean into the vibes of autumn, this is a perfect companion to the chilly, snow-crusted, dim evenings of October.

Details

Title:: If We Were Villains
Author:: M.L. Rio
Genre:: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher:: Flatiron Books
Length:: 354 pages
Audio Length:: 12h 50m
Audiobook Narrator:: Robert Petkoff
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: April 11th, 2017
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Book Review:: The City in Glass | Nghi Vo

Where have I been all my life where I haven’t experienced the work of Hugo Award winning author Nghi Vo? By happy circumstance, I’ve been given the opportunity to review her latest book before its release, The City in Glass. Now I will take it upon my own responsibility to make sure you don’t miss out on this unique and riveting story.

The City in Glass Nghi Vo Book Cover Romanesque statues of a man and woman on either side of a burning city in the background.

This is a book unlike anything I have read. It is poetry and philosophy. Biology and sociology. It is Anthropology and metaphysics. It captures at once the fragility of a human life, and its unique, irreplaceable beauty. Perhaps most of all it explores the most potent and universal human desire: to be remembered.

Azril is an ancient city that has grown and developed through the ages. It has done so by the careful and loving influence of the demon Vitrine, who records its most special figureheads, events, and traditions in the book she stores in the glass case within herself. When a group of vengeful angels comes to destroy what she most loves, she is almost destroyed in her grief and curses the angel nearest her before giving in to her despair. Unwilling to give up the place she loves, she sifts through the wreckage slowly and methodically and coaxes the rivers to return to the once prosperous land. The angel she cursed is ostracized from his own kind so long as he bears the mark she’s given him, and she refuses to remove it, so he keeps close and watches as Vitrine scrambles to recreate that which was once so precious to her. Decades pass. Then centuries. More.

Gazing upon the Earth from the astral perspective offers such value to consider. When we realize as humans how fleeting we are, does it not humble us? Does it not force us into gratitude for the present moment, every moment, we happen to be granted?

I received a copy to listen to for free, and before I was halfway done with it, I had pre-ordered a hardcover copy. This is the kind of book that begs to be read with regularity. I have no doubt in my mind that revisiting these pages will reveal new and fascinating insights each and every time I turn them.

Details

Title:: The City in Glass
Author:: Nghi Vo
Genre:: Fantasy
Publisher:: Tordotcom
Length:: 224 pages
Audio Length:: 6h 5m
Audiobook Narrator:: Susan Dalian
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: October 1st, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross
The Familiar | Leigh Bardugo
Heartless Hunter | Kristen Ciccarelli

Book Review:: Before We Were Us | Denise Hunter

Life is good. After struggling through so much of life, you’ve finally found the place you belong, and the one who is meant to stand by your side. Then, in the blink of an eye, all the memories of discovering these things are wiped from your mind. Before We Were Us is the story of Lauren Wentworth, who fell from a ladder and lost an entire, formative, summer.

Before We Were Us Denise Hunter Book Cover. New Hampshire Latefront in fall foliage.

As a new college graduate, Lauren took a job as the manager of a tourist lodge in New Hampshire as a condition to winner her dream job in Boston: being a bona fide party planner at one of the most prestigious firms in New England. It’s her chance to prove her capabilities to her future employer and she won’t let anything get in the way of the future she’s dreamed of for so long. Except one day she wakes up in the hospital and finds that four months have passed since her last memory, and suddenly the owner’s son she couldn’t stand is saying that somehow they’ve been in a loving relationship all summer long. The two realities are impossible to reconcile in her head, and she’s unsure if she wants to regain her lost memories.

Jonah, her almost fiancée, is devastated. Just on the cusp of their happily ever after, the woman he loves is suddenly all but repulsed by him. He steps back, gives her the space she desperately needs, and waits for her. All he can hope for is that she’ll remember their time together, but when nothing changes even weeks after her injury, he isn’t sure what their future might hold.

What a concept! I think a premise like this naturally tugs at our human heartstrings. Memory is fallible, and so deeply, deeply personal. You can’t convey to another person exactly how something felt, or how it affected you. Even journals probably couldn’t evoke the same feelings if you don’t have the memory to accompany it. You can try. Lord knows, we all try. That’s what literature is. Poetry, and music too…all art in its various shapes forms strives to capture and convey human emotion.

This is a very strong story with many moments of sweetness and heartbreak and necessary, if reluctant, soul searching. There are strong examples of family with themes of overcoming hardships and long-held grievances. Jonah was exemplary in his role as supportive, loving partner. Finding out that Thomas Nelson is a Christian publisher is not surprising. Though I wouldn’t say this book is blatantly religious, but it does serve as a good example of what I imagine a healthy religious practitioner should look like. It’s not a story about characters making conflict-ridden choices, but rather navigating difficult circumstances with all the nuance it entails.

Any reader, especially of romance, might enjoy this story. I know I did. I was lucky enough to be chosen as an advanced listener by netgalley and the publisher. The narrator, Kim Churchill, did a wonderful job.

Details

Title:: Before We Were Us
Author:: Denise Hunter
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 9m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kim Churchill
Audiobook Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Published:: September 10th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 1 (smooches only)

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If you liked this book, check out…

It’s All Relative | Rachel Magee
Hello Stranger | Katherine Center
Funny Story | Emily Henry

Book Review:: Counting Miracles | Nicholas Sparks

Do you believe everything happens for a reason? Jasper did, once. Now, after an insurmountable tragedy he’s convinced God has abandoned him. He hasn’t lost his faith entirely though, because when a white deer shows up in the forest surrounding his property, he takes it for the symbol it is: a harbinger of change.

Counting Miracles Nicholas Sparks Book Cover | Old man and his dog walking away into the North Carolina autumnal forest

A veteran named Tanner is on the search for his father-a man he’s never known, nor known anything about until his grandmother’s deathbed confession, when she left a note with his name & the town he lived in. He’s a drifter, never staying in one place too long or committing to anything but his job. On his first day in Asheboro North Carolina his brand-new sports car is backed into by a teenaged driver and changes the trajectory of his trip. He’ll be in town far longer than anticipated, and the young girl’s mother is one of the more interesting women Tanner’s ever met. Kaitlyn is her name, and her young son is friendly with Jasper, the old man living nearby who teaches him to whittle.

This tale weaves these characters together in interesting and emotional ways. The narrative bounces between Tanner, Kaitlyn, and Jasper’s voices. There is mystery, tragedy, hope, parenting struggles, romance, and a whole lot of facing reality thrown in too. There are real family relationships, and a religious throughline that is, if not convincing, at least something to make you ponder.

For most of the book the prose felt quite calming to read. It has a nice steady rhythm that kind of lulls you as you read into this serene sort of interest. I haven’t read many characters like Tanner. He’s a middle-aged bachelor who is just cruising through life to whatever the next opportunity may be. He doesn’t seem to have a destination in mind, just enjoys the ride along the way. And Jasper, sweet Jasper. His only companion is his beloved dog and Mitch, Kaitlyn’s son. He lives in a cabin built by his father’s hands living out his days in as much peace as he can manage. Until that dang deer shows up.

For Kaitlyn, who is divorced, the romantic fling that begins to develop with Tanner is a risk. He’s just visiting, and she has a lot to lose. I really enjoyed reading this romance from her perspective.

I’ve never read a Nicholas Sparks book before, though I’ve seen a few movies based on his writing (The Notebook, obviously). While I wasn’t blown away by its brilliance, the experience of reading it was really nice, and I’ll certainly read more of his backlist! Do you have any recommendations on which I should read (there are so many!).

This is an arc review & my honest opinions.

Details

Title:: Counting Miracles
Author:: Nicholas Sparks
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: Random House
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 45m
Audiobook Narrator:: Holter Graham & Nicholas Sparks
Audiobook Publisher:: Random House Audio
Published:: September 24th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Last Love Note | Emma Gray
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife | Anna Johnston

Book Review:: Splendid Little Schemes | Robin Strong

As a 30-something middle-ish-class woman, I have been approached by a lot of MLMers through the years, and even joined a few (for the discount, of course). Essential oils, beauty products, ‘adult’ things, jewelry, children’s books, and even packaged food and mixes. I know how they operate. I know the jargon they use and the sickly positive vibes they project like the batman spotlight for encouragement and motivation…and damn, if this book did not capture that vibe perfectly.

Splendid Little Schemes Robin Strong Book Cover

Vicky is a high ranking Puremetics consultant looking for the next great team member to recruit and push her up over the next line of promotion in her business. She is currently the fastest growing upper tier star of the company and wants to keep up the momentum. When she meets Anna, a new member of their community, she pounces on the opportunity to get her (and her contacts back in Oregon) in her downline. But a mistaken address leads Anna to a different sort of meeting that will change the course of both their lives. Instead of a spy-day style girl’s night to sample Puremetics products, Anna has stumbled upon one full of anti-MLMers looking to take down the beast that is Puremetics and its enigmatic leader.

This is a scathing commentary on MLM pyramid scheme style direct-sales marketing companies and the way they prey on the vulnerable (women, mostly, but really any and everyone new consultants can convince to join). While the book does not mention any real MLM companies (except a brief reference to the OG Avon) and is perhaps a caricature of some of their most despicable practices & of those who lead companies like these, it certainly takes a stance against them.

Religion is another rampant theme. Vicky’s husband’s career is in the Mormon church, and her family has always been devout in that religion (yep-it’s set in Utah, how’d you guess?). I’m not sure if it was a critique of this religion in particular, or stringent religious beliefs which encourage deep life-long guilt for making very human mistakes, and sometimes simply being who you are in general. Either way, the issues are characterized well within the plot of the novel, driving character decisions and living rent free in the character’s heads. There may also be a nod to scientology mixed in there somewhere that I didn’t miss (but seriously, where are you Shelly Miscavige?!).

The perspective shifts between a few characters to show many aspects of the issues. There is the diehard ‘business owner’ Puremetics consultant, an anti-MLM hero with a personal vendetta, and a normal-ass chica with her own problems who gets swept up in all of it. The ‘mission’ to take them down gives the novel clear focus and makes it so compelling.

I don’t watch a lot of reality tv myself, but I imagine fans of it would eat this novel up. It’s got suburban drama with a side of Stepford going on. I loved it, I think you will too.

Note: I received this title as an advanced listening copy from netgalley and the author for free in exchange for my honest review.

Details

Title:: Splendid Little Schemes
Author:: Robin Strong
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction/Satire
Publisher:: Strong Stories LLC
Length:: 309 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 17m
Audiobook Narrator:: Robin Strong
Audiobook Publisher:: Strong Stories LLC
Published:: October 10th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vukovik
My (Not So) Perfect Life | Sophie Kinsella

Book Review:: Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour | Nora Nguyen

(You’ll have to forgive me for not knowing the way to type the correct characters for the Vietnamese names/words in this review – I wish I did, it’s so beautiful!)

Adam & Evie's Matchmaking Tour Nora Nguyen Book Cover

Evie’s Auntie Hao leaves her San Franscisco row house to Evie in her will, with the condition that she goes on the flagship matchmaking tour of the new, exclusive, Love Yeu company. It’s three weeks in her father’s home country of Vietnam, a place Evie never got to visit with Auntie Hao, as they had once dreamed of. With her career as a poet in a stagnant lull, and a recent betrayal in her romantic relationship, she has nothing to lose. Adam is Love Yeu’s CMO, having left a lucrative job in business to help get his sister’s matchmaking tour business off on the right foot. After a disaster of a previous relationship, love is the last thing he’s looking for, but his sister convinces him to join the tour anyway, so he can get firsthand experience of the company’s offerings.

Adam’s family is wealthy and very traditional. Patriarchy is very rampant in the family culture, and everyone is expected to play their role. In contrast, Evie lives largely on a whim. Above all, she is free. It attracts Adam immediately, and holds his attention, even when he tries to talk himself out of it.

Vietnam sounds incredible. The wild(er)ness, the history, the people, the food; Nguyen’s writing makes the tour experiences pop off the page. In a book about a matchmaking tour there is obviously quite a large cast of characters required. I found myself skimming over some of the dense character scenes, because I knew most of them weren’t playing a crucial role. I didn’t care much about the extraneous characters. The ones who did stick out though, were beautifully complex and compelling, especially our two leads.

One character I didn’t jive with was Ruby, Adam’s sister. At the beginning she seemed okay, she was the one who got Adam to agree to go on the matchmaking tour, however, she quickly changed her tune when he started actually getting something out of it. She was the great Reversing Ruby, with a heavy side of Negative Nancy thrown in. And I didn’t care much for her overall, even given the third act revelations about her.

The themes were well integrated and supported by backstory, however, I felt like it could have probably been shorter. Some things felt revisited a few too many times, or a little too blatantly. Overall though, the story was done very well.

This book is a great escape. Beautiful scenery, lots of heart, growth, and passion. Definitely worth your time!

This is an arc review & my honest opinions.

Details

Title:: Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour
Author:: Nora Nguyen
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 45m
Audiobook Narrator:: Ewan Chung & Viet Thanh Nguyen
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: September 24th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Summertime Punchline | Betty Corrello
PS I Hate You | Lauren Connolly
Sunshine & Spice | Aurora Palit

Book Review:: The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamberlin

So you like to read romance…lucky for you, I’ve found your next favorite romance author. Do you enjoy authors like Tarah Dewitt, Katherine Center, Sarah Adams, and Abby Jimenez? Go ahead and add Sarah Chamberlain to the list, because you’ve stumbled onto the review one of my favorite romance reads of 2024. I can save you a few minutes of reading by telling you to just buy it. This is one you’re going to want to chronicle on your bookshelves at home. It’s so good. But if you still want the deetz, I got you.

The Slowest Burn Sarah Chamberlain Book Cover

Ellie is a cookbook ghostwriter living in the cottage house of her dead husband’s parents. He died three years ago, leaving her a widow in her late twenties. Since then, she’s thrown herself into her work, saving money to eventually buy her own place and get back on her feet. Unfortunately, the client of her latest project is less than genial. In fact, he’s all but openly hostile. She’s got the writing & cooking skills she needs to do a great job, but she can’t write a book in this guy’s voice unless she knows…literally anything…about him. Kieran recently won a prestigious televised cooking contest and his agent is looking to capitalize on the flash of fame. Putting out a cookbook is the obvious step forward, except it feels like schoolwork, and Kieran has never been good at that. In fact, he’s been exceptionally bad at it, and this project is stirring up a lot of old insecurities.

Oh, but this book is delicious. There is something in reading about food, even if it’s food you’d never want to eat yourself. Happy croissants? I can get behind that. A blood orange and duck confit salad? Yeah, that’s not going into my mouth. But reading about it? I mean, it’s sexy. It’s sexy when someone takes such care in choosing and preparing ingredients to assemble a bite that will do pleasant things in your mouth. Food is romance (or at least it can be, and in this book, trust me, it is).

But I haven’t even gotten to the swoony bits yet! Let’s take the title, The Slowest Burn. I mean, with a title and a cover like that (LOOK HOW PRETTY IT IS), you just know you’re in for a treat, and Chamberlain did not disappoint.

What is it we love about a slow burn romance? The longing. The intimacy of getting to know someone so completely before jumping in the sack, right? The deep and honest friendship with possibility that simmers and fizzles just underneath every interaction. Check. Check. Check.

Ellie and Kieran are both misunderstood. They each have trauma from their formidable years that shaped them into what they currently are: functioning adults with relationship issues (aren’t we all). Through the forced proximity of the cookbook project, which they both need to do well, their layers of armor weaken around each other as they connect over the food they’re creating together. A true bond forms between them that emulsifies into something simply irresistible.

Both main characters have depth and realistic internal conflict they need to work through. Ellie needs to work on enforcing boundaries, and Kieran has always been too much for most people to handle and is a little too eager to employ his coping mechanisms.

But it’s not all about the romance! There are many other types of relationships explored in these pages: professional, familial (siblings, parents, in-laws), and friendships. Themes of grief are discussed as well as learning disabilities. The FMC is plus sized, the MMC isn’t super tall, both are simply integrated into the characterization and not flouted around just to be ‘Inclusive’. So much good stuff to chew on in this book!

I read this book as an advanced listening copy from the publisher & netgalley. I devour audiobooks like Ellie devours frites, and this one was no exception. Both narrators did a great job. Occasionally I could hear a few mouth sounds from Hunter Johns, but to be honest, I actually liked that. *blushes*

So in conclusion, this book is amazing, and you all should read it. Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk.

Details

Title:: The Slowest Burn
Author:: Sarah Chamberlain
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Griffin
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 12m
Audiobook Narrator:: Hunter Johns & Kate Handford
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: September 24th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

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Author Website
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If you liked this book, check out…

Savor It | Tarah Dewitt
PS I Hate You | Lauren Connolly

Book Review:: Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Tragedy changes people. It ripples outward, affecting more than just the usual suspects. It captures the families with the biggest waves, the friends and acquaintances, and still others, too, as reality struggles back into equilibrium. Simply bearing witness to something is enough, sometimes, to change someone. And for anyone involved, it can calcify even the most innocent things into something to be held close like a secret. Words muttered by instinct; others unspoken. Guilt somehow osmotically bleeds into everyone surrounding tragedy. Because it’s not just one story, is it? Everyone has their own. Every Moment Since is a brilliant and compelling crime suspense novel that captures these truths, and others, so well through an emotional character driven narrative.

Every Moment Since Marybeth Mayhew Whalen Book Cover

Eleven-year-old Back to the Future obsessed Davy Malcor disappeared one night over twenty years ago. Now, his iconic jacket has been found, and the case is no longer cold. His brother, who now makes a living off of his tell (almost) all book, comes back to town to be with his family as the investigation ramps back up. It is the formative unsolved case for the town of Wynotte North Carolina. There was never any evidence for conviction, but rumor has power too, and the town has its suspect, who never did leave town.

This story was so profound for me. It is not about the solving of a decades-old cold case, it is about the repercussions the disappearance of one little boy had on a whole community of people. The father who could not let go of hope to a level of personal detriment, the mother in denial of deep-rooted resentments, the brother, parading around behind a facade of the truth for a living. The sculptor, the girl next door, the young girl who was the last to see Davy alive…it is such a rich and compelling story with layers that resound through time. It is a study, in some sense (as I suppose all novels are), of human nature.

I loved the jumping perspective. Getting into the heads of so many characters was so interesting, as each one seemed to focus on a different aspect of the tragedy. It also kept the pacing and suspense wound tight. I was lucky to be granted an advanced listening copy by the publisher and netgalley, and the full cast did an excellent job giving life to each of the characters. I couldn’t stop listening!

I have been enjoying reading suspense novels more and more as the days grow shorter, and this one is one of the best I’ve read. If you are a fan of the genre at all, you’ll want to get your hands on a copy. I can’t wait to read more from Marybeth Mayhew Whalen.

Details

Title:: Every Moment Since
Author:: Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Genre:: Thriller/Suspense
Publisher:: Harper Muse
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 48m
Audiobook Narrator:: Cassandra Campbell, George Newbern, Kirby Heyborne, Jane Oppenheimer, Macleod Andrews, Renata Friedman
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: October 1st, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
The Midnight Feast | Lucy Foley

Book Review:: Once Upon A Boyband | Jenny Proctor

A book for all the fangirls out there who ever fanaticized about meeting their girlhood pop star crushes, catching their eye, and falling in head-over-heels MFEO love with them. This one’s for you.

Once Upon A Boyband Jenny Proctor Book Cover

It’s just another workday for Laney at her father’s veterinary practice, when she and the hunky dog-rescue guy find themselves in a flirty back-and-forth neither one of them expected. When he gets locked out of his car with a full litter of puppies, Laney gives him a ride and they hit it off. Things are going well when she finds out Adam Deacon Driscoll is actually Deke Driscoll, the mega-boyband-popstar she was infatuated with in high school. He’s been running away from fame since the band broke up when he was 18, but there’s a charity concert coming up, and the guys want to do a reunion gig. Everything in Adam’s body is telling him not to do it, except his heart, which still has a soft spot for music.

Okay, it’s a little cheesy with a title like Once Upon a Boyband, but this book is actually so good! I really liked the two lead characters – Adam/Deke is very well developed, and Laney is endearing, but really, she’s kind of a stand-in for…every girl. You can put yourself in her shoes and live vicariously in the romance – and ooo, what a romance it is.

I’m a sucker for soulmate level attraction. When the connection happens, there’s just no going backwards. I’m not talking insta-love, I’m talking meaningful, magnetic, electric energy between two people that is mutual and all consuming. This book has it. The side characters, too, had spirit, and I loved that about them.

It was a really fun story with so many moments of sweet tenderness and care. The conflicts are very realistic and the solutions don’t come easy. It’s cute, it’s nostalgic, it’s relatable…it’s everything you want in a sweet escape.

Thank you to Jenny Proctor and netgalley for choosing me as an arc reader for this title. It was a pleasure to read!

Details

Title:: Once Upon A Boyband
Author:: Jenny Proctor
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: Jenny Proctor Creative
Length:: 358 pages
Published:: September 1st, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 1 (kisses and snuggles)

Linky Links!!

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[Paperback] [eBook]

If you liked this book, check out…

Hate Mail | Donna Marchetti
The Tourist Attraction | Sarah Morgenthaler

Book Review:: Wished | Sarah Ready

Do you believe in love at first sight? Anna does. She felt it the moment she laid eyes on her stupidly rich client, Max Barone. She is one of the cleaners for the jewelry magnate’s mega-mansion and might as well be invisible for as much as he notices her. But she notices him, and for three years she pines after him from afar.

Wished by Sarah Ready Book Cover

One day while cleaning, she finds a necklace with a note – it makes wishes come true. So she closes her eyes and whispers her most secret wish – that the two of them would be married. Realizing how silly that is, she takes it back, but before she can put the necklace back, he catches her with it, and fires her. Not exactly the way she was hoping to be noticed by him. But when she wakes up the next morning…she finds her dream came true.

Though there is plenty of humor and silly rom-com antics sprinkled throughout, this book is much deeper than the high-concept plot might appear. I found myself contemplating much bigger philosophical questions as I listened to the advanced listening copy I was provided access to by netgalley & the publisher (the narration was great, by the way). Questions of free will, honesty, self-sacrifice, what love is (or what it can be), and how we hold ourselves back because of mistakes we’ve seen modeled for us as we grow.

Max is lonely in that big ol’ mansion, and adamant that he will not repeat the mistakes of his father. Anna sees him in the way he keeps his house: the books he reads, the food he eats, the glimpses she gets of him when he works from home. Her life in a small Geneva apartment she shares with her mother and young sister is difficult, and dreaming of Max helps her cope. But will she feel the same when she gets to know him face to face?

This story is another instance of the age-old lesson: be careful what you wish for. Do valuable things have value if you don’t have to work hard to get them? And when she realizes the consequences of her mistakes, can Anna undo the phenomenon she set into motion?

I can tell how much thought and craft went into this novel, and I’m intrigued to read more from this series by Sarah Ready. If you’re a fan of magical realism, you’re really going to enjoy this novel!

Details

Title:: Wished (Ghosted #4)
Author:: Sarah Ready
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC
Length:: 313 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 36m
Audiobook Narrator:: Amanda Ronconi & Will Watt
Audiobook Publisher:: Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Audiobooks
Published:: October 1st, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4.5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3.5

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