Book Review: The Matchmaker of Périgord

Book: The Matchmaker of Périgord by Julia Stuart

Cover Design by Helen Chapman
Cover Illustration by Mary Schuck

Edition: Paperback

Description:

The charming tale of a small French town in which the local barber, whose business is failing as his clients grow older and lose their hair, decides to become the town matchmaker.

Barber Guillaume Ladoucette has always enjoyed great success in his tiny village in southwestern France, catering to the tonsorial needs of Amour-sur-Belle's thirty-three inhabitants. But times have changed. His customers have grown older—and balder. Suddenly there is no longer a call for Guillaume's particular services, and he is forced to make a drastic career change. Since love and companionship are necessary commodities at any age, he becomes the town's official matchmaker and intends to unite hearts as ably as he once cut hair. But alas, Guillaume is not nearly as accomplished an agent of amour, as the disastrous results of his initial attempts amply prove, especially when it comes to arranging his own romantic future.

For every reader who adored Chocolat, Julia Stuart's The Matchmaker of Périgord is a delectable, utterly enchanting, and sinfully satisfying delight.

Book Review: Caribbean Cruising

Book: Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne

Edition: Paperback

Description:

The perfect summer story of a girl, several boys, and a cruise ship full of possibilities.

Lindsay has never been on a cruise, but she knows exactly what she wants to do now that she is: climb a waterfall, snorkel, meet lots of cute guys, and look for one perfect guy for a summer fling.

But her to-do list isn't going according to plan, especially when she discovers that it's impossible to have a fling-when you're actually falling in love.

Book Review: Tuscan Holiday

Book: Tuscan Holiday by Holly Chamberlin

Edition: Paperback

Description:

In this warm, evocative novel set against a breathtaking Italian backdrop, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin explores the complexities of mother-daughter bonds, and the gift of second chances. . .

Marina Caldwell is thrilled to receive a two-week trip to Tuscany as a college graduation gift. That is, until she realizes her mother wants to go with her. The gulf between idealistic single parent Elizabeth and cautious, controlled Marina seems too wide to bridge, even with the aid of chilled Prosecco and mouthwatering panforte.

But amid the magical sights and scents of Florence, Marina's careful plans for her vacation--and her future--are thrown into chaos, and Elizabeth's long-held assumptions crumble. Soon a world of unexpected possibilities unfolds for both--buoyed by newfound courage, unshakeable love, and the stirring beauty of a Tuscan sky. . .

Book Review for The Book Girl's Book Club for February: Ghana Must Go

Book: Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi

Cover Photography by Don Smith
Cover Design by Darren Haggar

Edition: Paperback

Description:

A renowned surgeon and failed husband, Kweku Sai dies suddenly at dawn outside his home in suburban Accra. The news of his death sends a ripple around the world, bringing together the family he abandoned years before. Moving with great elegance through time and place, Ghana Must Go charts their circuitous journey to one another and, along the way, teaches us that the truths we speak can heal the wounds we hide.

Electric, exhilarating and beautifully crafted, Ghana Must Go is at once a portrait of a modern family and a testament to the transformative power of unconditional love, from a debut novelist of extraordinary talent, Taiye Selasi.

Book Review: The Monsters of Templeton

Book: The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

Book Designed by Michelle Ishay
Book Illustrated by Beth White

Edition: Hardcover

Description:

So begins The Monsters of Templeton, a novel spanning two centuries: part a contemporary story of a girl's search for her father, part historical novel, and part ghost story, this spellbinding novel is at its core a tale of how one town holds the secrets of a family.

In the wake of a wildly disastrous affair with her married archeology professor, Willie Upton arrives on the doorstep of her ancestral home in Templeton, New York, where her hippie-turned-born-again-Baptist mom, Vi, still lives. Willie expects to be able to hide in the place that has been home to her family for generations, but the monster's death changes the fabric of the quiet, picture-perfect town her ancestors founded. Even further, Willie learns that the story her mother had always told her about her father has all been a lie: he wasn't the random man from a free-love commune that Vi had led her to imagine, but someone else entirely. Someone from this very town.

As Willie puts her archaeological skills to work digging for the truth about her lineage, she discovers that the secrets of her family run deep. Through letters, editorials, and journal entries, the dead rise up to tell their sides of the story as dark mysteries come to light, past and present blur, old stories are finally put to rest, and the shocking truth about more than one monster is revealed.

Book Review: One Con Glory

Book: One Con Glory by Sarah Kuhn

Cover by Chris Stewart

Edition: Digital

Description:

Diehard fangirl Julie loves Buffy marathons, fighting about comic book continuity, and being left alone. But more than anything, Julie loves Glory Gilmore, a mostly-forgotten C-List superheroine from the world of '80s comics.

For years, she's longed to reclaim the precious Glory action figure that's eluded her grasp so many times before. And one fateful weekend, she has the chance to do just that. Of course, no great quest is ever simple. Before she can triumph over the forces of loudmouth nerds and clueless Mundanes everywhere, Julie will have to deal with an avalanche of unexpected obstacles.

In the midst of battles for videogame supremacy and frustrating encounters with a supremely irritating TV pretty boy, she'll be forced to reconsider her fandom and reevaluate her life. She might even have to talk to people.

Book Review: Baggage Claim

Book: Baggage Claim by David E. Talbert

Edition: Paperback

Description:

SHE'S GOT THIRTY DAYS AND THIRTY THOUSAND MILES TO FIND A HUSBAND.

According to the women in Montana Moore's family, you're not a lady until you marry and not a woman until you have birthed at least two children. At age thirty-five, Montana is neither and her prospects are meager. Her mother is working on husband number five, and her baby sister, Sheree, has just announced her engagement to a promising future doctor. Pledging to keep herself from being the oldest and the only women in her entire family never to wed, Montana embarks on a thirty-day, thirty-thousand-mile expedition to charm a potential suitor into becoming her fiance.

Who will she choose? Damon Diesel, a P. Diddy wannabe; Reverend Curtis P. Merewether, pastor of Greater House of Deliverance, Tabernacle of Praise, Worship, and Miracles; pompous attorney-turned-councilman Langston Jefferson Battle III; or Quinton Jamison, a multimillionaire who's twenty years her senior?

Book Review for The Book Girl's Book Club for September: Garden Spells

Book: Garden Spells (Waverley Family book #1) by Sarah Addison Allen

Edition: Paperback

Description:

In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small house in the smallest of towns, is an apple tree rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it.

The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation. For the Waverley history is in the soil. And so are their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants -- from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, distributes unexpected presents whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys -- except for Claire's rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire's quiet life is turned upside down. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy -- if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom...or with each other.

Book Review: Hope in a Jar

Book: Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Twenty years ago, Allie Denty was the pretty one and her best friend, Olivia Pelham, was the smart one. Throughout high school, they were inseparable...until a vicious rumor about Olivia -- a rumor too close to the truth -- ended their friendship.

Now, on the eve of their twentieth high school reunion, Allie finds herself suddenly single, a little chubby, and feeling old. Olivia, a successful beauty editor in New York, realizes she's lonely and that she's finally ready to face her demons.

Sometimes hope lives in the future, sometimes it comes from the past, and sometimes, when every stupid thing goes wrong, it comes from a prettily packaged jar filled with scented cream and promises.

Book Review: Crazy Rich Asians

Book: Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians book #1) by Kevin Kwan

Edition: Paperback

Description:

When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees on a summer in Singapore to visit her boyfriend's "traditional" Chinese family, she expects the trip to be relaxing, if a little dull. She has no idea....

Nick's childhood home is a palace. He grew up riding in more private planes than cars. He and Rachel will be attending the wedding of the year. Oh, and Nick just happens to be one of Asia's most eligible bachelors -- and his formidable mother isn't so sure Rachel is the right one for him.



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I loved reading this story, it's fast paced and full of family drama, romance, humor, gossip, extravagance, greed and so much more.

Rachel Chu had no idea what she would be in store for when her boyfriend Nicholas "Nick" Young invited her to spend the summer with him in Singapore and attend his best friend Colin Khoo's wedding. She figured she would have fun seeing the sights, meeting Nick's family and friends and hanging out with her old college friend Peik Lin.

Gossip travels fast because as soon as Nick asked Rachel to travel back home with him for the summer, the news had already presided them. And once Nick's mother Eleanor learned of the news, she knew she had to end this romance between Nick and Rachel because to her and everyone else they believed a proposal was imminent.

Since Nick was a Professor at NYU like she was, Rachel sort of had the idea that he perhaps had a modest background such as her. But once they arrived in Singapore and she got a clear picture of Nick's world, it was more than she could have ever imagined.

In what should have been a fun summer vacation for Rachel quickly started to turn into a nightmare as she had to deal with jealous women who consider Nick to be the ultimate catch or more like the ultimate jackpot (due to his family's immense wealth) and the behind the scenes of Eleanor's planning.

This was a fascinating read with some delightfully interesting characters along with several odious ones as you delve into this story. Although this mainly focused on Rachel and Nick, there were other characters and their issues shown throughout the story such as Nick's cousin Astrid Leong who believed her husband Michael Teo was cheating on her.

Wealth (and the perception of it) played a big part in the lives of many of these characters. I feel like with most of these characters they don't really see people instead they only see how much someone is worth coupled with someone's family name or lineage (or lack thereof) then they factor that in how they act towards others.

This is very much a dramedy because there was a good balance of drama and humor as the story featured plenty of emotional and heart-wrenching moments to go along with the funny ones. With the way this ended, I have to get the second and third books to continue the story.

Book Review for The Book Girl's Book Club for August: Frankenstein in Baghdad

Book: Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi with translations by Jonathan Wright

Edition: Paperback

Description:

From the rubble-strewn streets of U.S.- occupied Baghdad, Hadi -- a scavenger and an oddball fixture at a local café -- collects human body parts and stitches them together to create a corpse. His goal, he claims, is for the government to recognize the parts as people and to give them proper burial. But when the corpse goes missing, a wave of eerie murders sweeps the city. Hadi soon realizes he's created a monster, one that needs human flesh to survive -- first from the guilty, and then from anyone in its path. With white-knuckle horror and black humor, Frankenstein in Baghdad captures the surreal reality of contemporary Iraq.

Book Review: The First Wives Club

Book: The First Wives Club by Olivia Goldsmith

Edition: Paperback

Rating: 1 1/2 stars

Review:

The First Wives Club was a disappointing read, it was very slow moving and at times felt like it was written for shock value with the constant use of racist, sexist, homophobic, fatphobia etc. language as well as many of the characters were simply vile and despicable.

This story deals with three former wives, Anne Paradise, Brenda Cushman and Elise Atchison who were planning to get even against their ex-husbands who after using them to get ahead in their careers and improve their social standings tossed them aside for younger women. The ladies' plan also included seeking revenge for their deceased friend Cynthia Griffin whose ex-husband Gil was truly a horrible person.

It took some time and many pages for the women to hatch some kind of plan and then to set it into motion. At first Annie was reluctant to subject her ex-husband Aaron to the plan but after being used and humiliated by her ex to then finding out he used and lost the money from their special needs daughter Sylvie's trust fund for the stock market. She was more than ready to seek some form of justice.

Meanwhile, Brenda was trying to seek additional money from her ex-husband Morty after his company went public in the stock market. If it wasn't for Brenda and her family, he never would have been able to build up such a lucrative career as a first-rate retailer. But once he was done with Brenda he swindled her out of a reasonable divorce settlement including duping her out of stock for his company. In the end he ended up tossing her a few monetary crumbs that barely allows her to pay her bills. If Morty wasn't going to do the honorable thing then it was time for a bit of revenge.

And last was the extremely wealthy ice queen Elise who had gotten so used to looking the other way while her husband Bill (whose career she help elevate) had his numerous affairs but things changed after he left her for a younger woman. She was finally ready to start living her life again for herself but she also wanted revenge.

The concept for this story could have been handled much better because as I mentioned above this is a slow moving (and often times boring) story that relies upon shock value to sell it instead of good writing. I found the story also jumps frequently from different characters' point of view throwing off what little momentum this story had. It's hard to find sympathy for any of the characters including the ladies of The First Wives Club because most of the time this story was written in such a passive-aggressive way.

Annie, Elise and Brenda were painted as long-suffering wives but the sad thing is they were the ones who had settled for their horrible lives but only felt empowered once the men left them for someone else. I don't even understand why they could not have left their husbands and it's even more stupefying when you think about Elise's situation because she was the one who had all the money in the relationship, she could have easily left Bill.

There were times when I found the story was actually interesting (which is why I gave it an additional 1/2 star) but there were not enough of those well-written scenes as there should have been. What annoys me about their plan of revenge was that they really didn't have one and a lot of times their ex-husbands self-destructive tendencies brought about their end instead of due to the plan. And also Gil's career downfall was mostly due to all the help they received from Elise's rich "uncle" Bob Bloogee.

Overall, this was such a disappointing read and not to mention it's riddled with so many negative stereotypes. And despite the sound bite on the cover from Cosmopolitan magazine there was nothing hilarious, smooth or sexy about this book. This is one of those rare instances where the movie was actually better than the book.

Book Review: A Second Helping

Book: A Seconding Helping (Blessings book #2) by Beverly Jenkins

Edition: Paperback

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Is there such a thing as cozy literature because if there is, A Second Helping would totally fit in that genre.

Although I did not read the first book, the author does a good job of summarizing throughout what happened in the previous story and who the characters were. So I didn't feel lost while I was reading this.

The story filled with warmth, drama, humor, family, friendship and community follows several of the residents in the small and historic town of Henry Adams, Kansas. Thanks to Bernadine Brown buying the small struggling town, it was finally starting to become revitalized. Although Bernadine owned the town, all the residents from the newly elected Mayor to the children were involved one way or another in making sure the town was heading in the right direction.

This was good, I was drawn into the story as many of the characters face various issues and challenges that range from romance to complex family drama. Such as Bernadine was dealing with seeing her cheating ex-husband Leo showing up unexpectedly in town. She had moved on with her life but it still hurt to see him. Meanwhile, 11 year old Amari Steele who was a foster child wanted to officially be adopted by his foster father Trent July, the Mayor. However, the matriarch of the July family, Tamar thought Amari should do something that showed he understood the importance of being apart of the family as well as finding a way to celebrate the history of the town. There was even an intense scene when one of the teenagers had been kidnapped leading to a frantic recovery.

A Second Helping is warm-hearted and emotional at times but there is lots of humor to go around. There are a lot characters in this but they don't overwhelm the story. You get to see how they deal with not only trying to rebuild the town but their lives. There was some discomfort that pertain to one character Rochelle "Rocky" Dancer who returned to Henry Adams because she left her husband after she found him wearing her underwear. It seemed like her husband's choices were not only used as a running joke but as way to ridicule him. Too bad there wasn't a scene where Rocky at least expressed that she cared for him but he needed to figure out who he is for him to be happy. The incident didn't have to be shown with such disgust and disdain from not only Rocky but some of the townspeople. It would have been a great opportunity to show understanding on Rocky's part and that the couple parting ways was because she wanted him to be happy finding himself.

Although, that's the only issue I had with the book, I'm very much interested in wanting to continue reading this series. It's an easy, breezy read with a bit of drama to keep the story moving along.

Book Review: The Little Paris Bookshop

Book: The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George with translations by Simon Pare

Edition: Paperback

Rating: 3 stars

Review:

The Little Paris Bookshop was an interesting read as it follows Jean Perdu who owns a very unique bookstore that's on a ship. Although he enjoys prescribing just the right books for his customers he can't seem to help himself. Because for 20 years, Perdu has put his life on hold, he's nothing more than a ghost haunting his own life. He doesn't seem to be able to move on after his girlfriend Manon had suddenly left him. He didn't even read the letter she had left him.

It wasn't until a new neighbor, Catherine, who was dealing with her own romantic difficulties as a soon to be divorcee, moved into his apartment building did he finally read the letter. For 20 years, he had avoided reading the letter in fear of what it may contain and what new heartbreak it would unleash. However, what the letter contained set Perdu off on an impromptu adventure where he set sail with his ship of books in hopes of dealing with so many warring emotions and thoughts. He was surprisingly accompanied by a writer, Max Jordan who was trying to escape the pressures of writing his next book.

Along the way they meet many fun, strange, weird and interesting people but at the heart of this book is dealing with grief and the realization that life is equally hard and worth living to its fullest. There is a lot of soul searching not only for Perdu but for many of the characters. There were so many unspoken feelings, desires and hopes as the characters seemed to have managed to go through life not really living it. It took some time but after a break-through Perdu had finally started to rekindle the joy of living and finding a new love.

This was good and it had some very beautifully description writing but there were times when the story dragged quite a bit and was very slow and boring. At one point, I had almost decided to stop reading it because it was moving so slow but I'm glad I finished it. There is a good story here but it does take a while for it to really build up and take form.

Book Review: Bridget Jones's Diary

Book: Bridget Jones's Diary (Bridget Jones book #1) by Helen Fielding

Edition: Hardcover

Rating: 3 stars

Review:

Told in journal entries, this follows a year of Bridget Jones' life which turned out to be a mess as well as everyone that's in it.

At the start of the book, Bridget who was still enjoying the holiday season, attended a New Year's day party where she met a peculiar Mark Darcy who was wearing an ugly diamond pattern sweater. Despite everything Bridget's mother and her mother's friend tried to do to get Bridget and Mark together, nothing resulted in their efforts. At the time Bridget really wasn't that interested in Mark because for some reason she had a huge crush on her boss Daniel Cleaver.

Bridget works in publishing but in a dead-in job that only seemed remotely tolerable for her because of Daniel. In between the flirting and secret dating, Bridget learned rather quickly how much of a slimy jerk, Daniel really was. However, that still didn't stop Bridget from liking him.

In the midst of her romance and life drama, Bridget's parents and her friends were also dealing with some issues of their own. Drama really should be Bridget's middle name because her life seems to revolve around it. From her dismal dating life to her constant mistakes at her new job as a television reporter, nothing ever quite seems to work out for her.

This was funny but there were parts of the story that were boring, dragged on longer than they should have or were simply ridiculous especially the scenes that center around Bridget's mother. So much time was wasted on Bridget dealing with Daniel. Even when they first started flirting you could tell that he was a total creep but some how she didn't see it.

Bridget's life maybe miserable but at least her friends were there for the most part to wallow in misery with her. I wish there had been more scenes with Bridget and Mark Darcy, but a few misunderstandings seemed to put a damper on thing between them initially but things did eventually work out between them.

I think I prefer the movie version over the book version of Bridget because in the movie she had a more proactive, take charge approach to life. She wanted to make a change in her life and set about doing it. While in the book, she sort of coast along as thing happen in her life, not really making any effort to make changes to improve her life or go after what she wants.

This is one of those rare instances where although the book was a relatively fun read the movie was so much better. The movie did a great job of capturing a Bridget who is slightly neurotic yet witty while also building up the romance between her and Mark.

Bridget Jones's Diary wasn't a bad read but if I had to chose between the book and the movie I would most definitely choose the movie.

Book Review: The Sugar Queen

Book: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Edition: Hardcover

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I really liked The Sugar Queen it was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. The story which incorporates magical realism throughout follows several characters as their lives interconnect.

The story opens with 27 year old Josey Cirrini finding a strange woman, Della Lee Baker sitting in her closet. If that wasn't strange enough it was also bad timing, Josey had no time to deal with Della Lee's stubbornness to leave since she had to take her very disapproving mother Margaret to the doctor.

Despite being in her 20s, Josey who lives with her mother, has a life that is devoid of any sort of zest and she is so downtrodden from constantly trying to seek her dismissive mother's approval. Josey comes from a prominent family, her late father Marco revitalized their small town and ever since she was a little girl she could never live up to the legend that was her father nor the beauty of her mother. She has been trying to make amends for her actions as child that she seemed to have given up on enjoying her life all together.

She secretly has a crush on the mailman Adam Boswell who she has this uncanny ability of knowing when he's around. Josey also secretly hides junk food, romance novels and travel brochures in a secret compartment in the very closet that her uninvited guest Della Lee is staying in. Josey's less than stellar life needed the change that came from Della Lee's impromptu interruption.

Josey wasn't the only one whose life needed a bit of a reboot, Chloe Finley was dealing with the heartbreak of finding out that her boyfriend Jake Yardley had cheated on her. Chloe owns and runs a small diner and thanks to Della Lee requesting a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich that Josey unexpectedly made a new friend. Which is just what Chloe needed because she was tired of pushy and insistent books showing up when she didn't need nor want to read them. That's thing about Chloe, ever since she was a little girl, books have mysteriously and magically appeared to her. The heartbreak she was experiencing was so intense and she had no desire to read what the books wanted her to read especially in regards to forgiveness. Chloe also needed a way to define herself and her life now that she was no longer in a relationship with Jake.

The story also focused on Josey's mother Margaret and the extremely complex relationship between mother and daughter. As well as the story focused on Adam whose life appeared to stall after he had a terrible ski accident while Jake was trying to do everything he could to win Chloe back after making such a horrendous and life altering mistake. He never meant to hurt Chloe but that's exactly what he did and nothing he did or could say was making the situation any better. While all of that was going on, you see how Della Lee played a part in Josey finding a way to break out of the confined box she had placed herself in to actually be able to start to build a life for herself.

This is a quick yet engaging read that I read pretty fast. It's actually taken me longer to write the review than I did reading the story. I was trying to gather the words to express how interesting this story was. It's whimsical, warm, humorous, emotional and at times dark and unexpected. In a way so many of the characters lives undergo a change that happened as a way for growth and discovery even if it's sometimes bittersweet.

Book Review: Revenge Wears Prada

Book: Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns (The Devil Wears Prada book #2) by Lauren Weisberger

Edition: Paperback

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

It may have taken me a while to finish reading this (I've been a little busy) but it was worth trying to find time to read it. In Revenge Wears Prada, it's been nearly a decade since Andrea "Andy" Sachs quit her horrendously stressful job as assistant to domineering Runway magazine Editor-in-Chief Miranda Priestly.

Since then, Andy's life has taken on a few changes, such as her and Emily Charlton, another former Runway assistant to Miranda, have created a high-end luxury wedding magazine called The Plunge. She also recently married Max Harrison, a media mogul she met while in the process of starting up the magazine, and they were expecting their first child.

Just when it seem like Andy's life was at its happiest (give or take a few hiccups), Miranda Priestly re-entered her life when Elias-Clark, the publisher of Runway magazine wanted to buy The Plunge. Elias-Clark is the most prestigious and biggest publishing company and it should be a dream that they were interested in buying their three year old magazine but Andy was not thrilled with the idea. Especially when it meant they would have to deal with Miranda, who was now the Editorial Director for all of Elias-Clark's magazines given her even more power. No amount of courting was going to change Andy's mind because she didn't want to give their beloved magazine to Miranda and Elias-Clark not after all the time and hard work she and Emily had put into creating it.

However, Emily was totally on board with selling the magazine and thought this was a great opportunity for them. It wasn't just the magazine drama getting to Andy but having to balance her new life as a mom and everything that goes with it.

Revenge Wears Prada is an interesting read because not only does it continue to explore the glamorous/fantasy side of working in magazine publishing but also what Andy was going through with being a new mom. I like that you see a lot of moments of Andy's life after she quit working for Miranda and how she regrouped after that extremely difficult year. It was interesting to see how she became really good friends with Emily and how they created the magazine. And certainly not to be overlooked is that Miranda continued to be a complete terror, I guess some things never change.

There is plenty of humor, drama and romance with this surprisingly moving story that had quite a few unexpected things happening. I found that trust, friendship and self-respect were some of the underlying elements in this story with Andy continuing to figure out who she is and where she wants to go with her life. I like that there is no cut off period for self-discovery, we are always growing and finding out new things about ourselves. As well as being aware of things that are always there and perhaps pay more attention to them.

This was a wonderful sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, it's fun and entertaining as it sometimes had me going through a roller coaster of emotions alongside Andy. However, in the end it left me feeling happy with the direction Andy's life was heading.

Book Review: How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

Book: How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez

Edition: Paperback

Rating: 2 stars

Review:

This is one of those books where the writing is great (it was very expressive) but the story was boring. Told in reverse are 15 stories that take place from 1989 to 1956 that follows the Garcia family who had to flee the Dominican Republic to New York City for political reasons. I was disappointed with this book because with each story you never truly got to know these characters and it never felt like the stories were even connected. There was no cohesion making the stories appear to be abrupt and fragmented. I found the book to drag on a bit with the stories having no clear purpose as to why they were written.

Although there were four daughters (Carla, Sandra, Yolanda and Sofia) neither of them had a distinct personality. There was no way of telling each of the sisters apart and even though the author included the name of the sister at the top of the page of certain stories, it really doesn't make a difference because it was like one character with four names. The sisters were unfortunately forgettable and interchangeable with their voices blending into one.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents wasn't a complete bore there were some interesting moments and a few relatively good stories I enjoyed reading. However, there wasn't enough of it to make this a compelling read. I was also disappointed by the amount of colorism tossed around at the Garcia family's staff in the stories that were set when the family was still living in the Dominican Republic.

A bit of a struggle to get through because it was boring, I do wish it had been a better read. Not sure if this is a book I would give a second read but for now it's going back on the shelf. Perhaps, I will donate it, maybe there is someone out there who will enjoy reading this.

Book Review for Book Club: Someday, Someday, Maybe

Book: Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

Edition: Paperback

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

Someday, Someday, Maybe is set in the late 90s and follows twenty-something Frances "Franny" Banks as she attempts to follow her dream of becoming an actress. Franny has been living in Brooklyn for almost three years with her two roommates, Jane her best friend from college, who is a production assistant with dreams of becoming a producer and Dan, an aspiring screenwriter. In between her waitress job and taking acting classes, she has managed to land a few acting gigs but nothing that has really cemented her chances of becoming a full-time actress. It's safe to say that she has been struggling to make her dream come true.

With six months left on the deadline she gave herself, she's on a race against time to see if she truly has what it takes to be an actress. She hopes that her upcoming showcase for her acting class will be just what she needs to get noticed by agents but could a mishap on stage ruin her chances. Surprisingly, it didn't but she found herself with two very different agents to chose from. Another surprising thing was that she was getting attention from James Franklin, the hottest guy in her acting class who was already a successful up-and-coming actor.

But just as things were starting to look bright, her acting prospects started to dwindle along with her finances after she lost her waitressing job. This has her questioning whether she really does have what it takes to be an actress or should she simply give up. She is certainly putting in the hard work but is that enough.

This was an interesting book because the writing makes you feel as if you are right there taking the journey with Franny. It's a good blend of drama and well placed humor that makes this such an easy read. The writing is strong with very witty dialog and characters that feel so real. I found Franny to be delightful, naïve at times and a little quirky but you can't help wanting to root for her to succeed.

There is a little romance intertwined in this as Franny gets involved with the charming James Franklin but is there something too good to be true about him. She also finds herself starting to have feelings for her roommate Dan who is that quintessential nice guy but there is something so intriguing about him. The romance isn't the focus of this book, it's Franny and her desire to become an actress.

This was a solid read but the ending left me a little disappointed because although it concludes on a high note it does end rather abruptly. It truly left me wanting more of the story, I want to know how things work out for Franny and her friends.

I feel like this book was written for dreamers, Franny and quite a few of the characters are going after their dreams and sometimes that can be hard and often times scary thing to do. Who knows if you will succeed but you certainly won't if you give up without giving it a try. This was a fun and wonderful read.

Book Review: Just One of the Guys

Book: Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins

Edition: Paperback

Rating: 3 stars

Review:

This wasn't a bad story but it's not what I would consider to be a typical romance because there really wasn't much in the story. Dating and relationships were definitely talked about in this but romance wasn't shown.

Just One of the Guys is about lovelorn 31 years old journalist Chastity O'Neill who moved back to her hometown of Eaton Falls for a career opportunity as an editor for the Eaton Falls Gazette. But returning home brings with it the familiar problems of dealing with her crazy family and her unrequited love for her old friend Trevor Meade.

Chastity has had a crush on Trevor since she was 10, he is pretty much an honorary member of her family ever since his fell apart following the death of his younger sister. It wasn't until her freshman year in college did something happen between them but that was a one weekend hook up with both realizing that it should not have happened. Since then every guy she would meet or date would be compared to him.

Throughout the story Trevor doesn't seem interested in wanting to date her but she couldn't seem to move on. Chastity is very eager to get married and have children to the point that she signs up for online dating sites, goes to single's night grocery shopping, etc. to find her would be husband.

Dating doesn't seem to be easy for Chastity, she's 5' 11" and feels awkward and out of place because of her height and size that is when she's not around her equally sized family. She's self-conscious over her lack of not being stereotypical feminine and being considered one of the guys. She also wants to live up to her family's reputation because her father, brothers and Trevor work in some sort of heroic capacity such as firefighters, paramedics, etc. She think what's hindering her is her phobia or aversion to blood and thought taking an EMT class would help and not to mention it's also as a way to potentially find a date.

She does eventually meet a guy, Dr. Ryan Darling a slightly arrogant and condescending surgeon at the local hospital who also teaches women's self defense classes. She met him when she attended one of the classes for an article. Despite Ryan being interested in her, she still can't get over Trevor. However, that doesn't stop things from progressing really fast in her relationship with Ryan and it was not long before they were engaged. Her relationship with Dr. Darling felt like a combination of settling because she couldn't get the guy she wanted and forcing herself to move on.

This is a relatively fast read but I was disappointed with the story and despite being 376 pages it still felt rushed and not thought out especially the ending. When the story wasn't focusing on Chastity's love life the rest was on O'Neil family drama from the divorced parents and the mother's new found desire to start dating to Chastity's brother Mark's anger issues and marital problems. There was even a minor subplot that had someone targeting Chastity at the newspaper but after finding out who it was and why they did it only added more disappointment to the story.

I was also disappointed with so much homophobia casually being tossed around that it makes me wonder if that's the author's view point filtering through the story. I also didn't like how stereotypical Chastity's best friend Elaina who is Latina was sometimes written. I found this story to be riddled with a lot of instant and quick relationships from Chastity's mother meeting and then planning to marry a man she only known for a short amount of time to Chastity's brother Matt's insta-relationship with one of her co-workers.

Something I didn't quite get was why Chastity was still so in love with Trevor after all these years. Yes, he's a nice guy but perhaps if the story which is written in Chastity's point of view also showed his maybe it would show why he was this amazing guy she couldn't get over. I feel like the reader only sees him through Chastity's rose colored love goggles most of the time. You don't really get to see what makes Trevor tick or what truly motivated his actions or lack there of in regards to Chastity that is until the end. But why should the reader have to wait that long to find out what's going through a character's mind?

This isn't a bad story it's well written and there are some funny and touching moments but I do wish it had been better. There is a slow burn approach to Chastity and Trevor's relationship so much so that it was almost non-existent. It doesn't make any sense why they put themselves through so much inner turmoil and emotional drama to not be together. There are some nice instances where you can see how Trevor showed how much he cared about her but why did it take so long for them to be together. There were so many pages being wasted with them dating other people and dancing around the subject of their attraction to each other.

Overall, this a bittersweet tale that doesn't really fit in the romance genre. Chastity and Trevor are some what interesting characters but one of the issues I had was that there was a lot of attention on things that happened between them in the past. However, the story didn't focus enough attention on why they should be in a relationship in the present or give them enough time to be together.

This is a quick read but I don't know if it will necessarily satisfy romance fans.