Review: Shrines of Gaiety

I fell head over heels in love with Kate Atkinson a decade ago when Life After Life was published (my review is here and the Canadian cover remains one of my all time favourites). I loved it so much that I was scared to try any of her other books. I have A God in Ruins sitting on my shelf, as it has been since it was published in 2015, and I want to try reading her Jackson Brodie series. But I couldn't bring myself to pick up another Atkinson novel until last year when I had the chance to review Shrines of Gaiety. Friends. I loved it.

Here’s the book’s description:

London 1926. Roaring Twenties.
Corruption. Seduction. Debts due.
In a country still recovering from the Great War, London is the focus for a delirious nightlife. In Soho clubs, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time.
There, Nellie Coker is a ruthless ruler, ambitious for her six children. Niven is the eldest, his enigmatic character forged in the harsh Somme. But success breeds enemies. Nellie faces threats from without and within. Beneath the gaiety lies a dark underbelly, where one may be all too easily lost.

You all know I love historical fiction. While Shrines of Gaiety is a historical fiction novel, it’s not like some of the other popular HF titles you’ve seen around. No, Atkinson’s novels may be set in the past and may be historically accurate (as far as I can tell) but they’re so much more. That said, the setting and the time period of this book was so enjoyable. Fans of Peaky Blinders might get Aunt Pol vibes from Nellie, as I did. It wasn’t just the fierce matriarchal vibes both women gave off but also the time period that had me thinking of the TV show while reading the book. Let me be clear, though, Atkinson’s story and characters are in a class all their own and are no copycats!

I read a lot of books set during World War II (it’s really easy to - they’re everywhere these days) and the occasional title that takes place during World War I. I’ve recently realized I very much enjoy books set after the wars or, in the case of Shrines, between them. London hasn’t fully recovered from WWI in 1926 and they have no idea what’s to come in another decade or so. That fascinated me, a modern reader, but also made me a bit sad because I, unlike Nellie and her family, know London will be devastated again in another war.

Atkinson’s writing is an absolute masterpiece. It’s detailed and clever and impossible to put down - even (or especially) when the book clocks in at over 400 pages. I savoured every one of those pages and the story Atkinson was telling in them. I was completely invested in the Coker family and wanted everything to work out for them, even when it seemed like that was an impossibility.

I’ve held off reviewing Shrines of Gaiety for a few months and it’s not only because life has been hectic. No, I just wasn’t sure how I could properly put into words how good Kate Atkinson’s latest novel is. I don’t think I’ve managed it here so I really hope you all just trust me when I say it’s a damn good read and if you’re a historical fiction fan (or even just a fan of a really good story) you should pick this book up as soon as you can.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: Bloomsbury Girls

Natalie Jenner’s debut novel, The Jane Austen Society, was one of my favourite reads of 2020. When I learned she’d have a new book coming out this year, I was thrilled. Bloomsbury Girls won’t hit my top ten list for 2022 but it was a really enjoyable historical fiction that I loved reading.

Here’s the book’s description:

Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare book store that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules. But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, and at Bloomsbury Books, the girls in the shop have plans:
Vivien Lowry: Single since her aristocratic fiance was killed in action during World War II, the brilliant and stylish Vivien has a long list of grievances - most of them well justified and the biggest of which is Alec McDonough, the Head of Fiction.
Grace Perkins: Married with two sons, she's been working to support the family following her husband's breakdown in the aftermath of the war. Torn between duty to her family and dreams of her own.
Evie Stone: In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, Evie was denied an academic position in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she's working at Bloomsbury Books while she plans to remake her own future.
As they interact with various literary figures of the time - Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim, and others - these three women with their complex web of relationships, goals and dreams are all working to plot out a future that is richer and more rewarding than anything society will allow.

The biggest issue I had with this novel was that there were simply too many characters to keep track of. Jenner made that work with JAS but I had trouble caring about and connecting with every single character who popped up in this book – and I wanted to care about them all! They were all important in their own way, but I can’t help but think the story could have been tighter and better if some of the side characters remained strictly to the side and didn’t try to become a more developed character.

If you’re not a fan of slower historical fiction stories, you might not enjoy this one. I, however, quite like them and it was great to read and get a sense of what it would have been like in 1950s London, especially for women. The three main women, Vivien, Grace, and Evie (who readers will remember from JAS), were all so different and that made the story really interesting to me. They were approaching life in different ways but they were all hemmed in by the same rules for and stereotypes about women.

I was, unsurprisingly, a huge fan of the setting of this book. Not only that it was set in London (and I was reading it just as my sister was there) but that it took place at a bookstore. I mean, swoon! I desperately wanted to be wandering London with the characters and spending all my time working in Bloomsbury Books. It made my book loving, wanderlust heart very happy.

Bloomsbury Girls was a really lovely historical fiction title that I think many readers will enjoy. Natalie Jenner has a knack for finding interesting historical tidbits and weaving them into a story full of characters you enjoy meeting. I cannot wait for her next book!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Last Dance of the Debutante

I first read Julia Kelly back in 2020 when I devoured her novel The Whispers of War. Her latest offering was The Last Dance of the Debutante which was released in Canada in November of last year. I didn’t have the chance to read it until earlier this year but it was a perfect book to read in a month that seemed like it lasted forever. It’s a slow paced historical fiction but it was a delight to read.

Here’s the book’s description:

When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsy to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society.
In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women: the cool and aloof Leana Hartford whose apparent perfection hides a darker side and the ambitious Katherine Norman who dreams of a career once she helps her parents find their place among the elite. But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family.

I think this one will really appeal to fans of The Crown, especially the first couple of seasons. England has emerged from war and is rebuilding. Times are changing and the “way things have always been done” isn’t cutting it anymore. The way Lily and her friends view society is vastly different than how their parents look at the world and I enjoyed reading as the young women found each other and started to form (and vocalize) their own opinions.

I just know that some people will say that this book is boring and “nothing” happens. The story is a bit slower, to be sure, but this isn’t a historical fiction set in wartime. The tensions present in the plot are a bit different than fighting for your life. But that doesn’t make the story less important. Kelly provides an incredibly interesting and well researched look at what life was like at a very specific time and place in history.

The “devastating secret” that Lily learns was a bit…much, perhaps. I think this was Kelly trying to up the tension and I don’t know if it quite accomplished her goal. It allowed for Lily to get some answers which she desperately needed and there was a satisfying, “Oh!” moment as it all came together. It added to Lily’s growth, which I was really invested in. I loved her as a character and that really helped me enjoy the story overall.

If you want a historical fiction novel that offers a glimpse of a time in history that isn’t often explored, The Last Dance of the Debutante is for you. I enjoyed Julia Kelly’s novel and am so excited for what she writes next.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Clockmaker’s Wife

You all know I love my historical fiction, especially when it’s set during WWII. I thought The Clockmaker’s Wife sounded interesting but I really didn’t expect to be completely captivated by Daisy Wood’s first adult novel. There was no real reason for that expectation but I am SO glad this book exceeded those expectations. I didn’t want it to end!

Here’s the book’s description:

The world is at war. And time is running out…
London, 1940. Britain is gripped by the terror of the Blitz, forcing Nell Spelman to flee the capital with her young daughter – leaving behind her husband, Arthur, the clockmaker who keeps Big Ben chiming.
When Arthur disappears, Nell is desperate to find him. But her search will lead her into far darker places than she ever imagined…
New York, Present Day. When Ellie discovers a beautiful watch that had once belonged to a grandmother she never knew, she becomes determined to find out what happened to her. But as she pieces together the fragments of her grandmother’s life, she begins to wonder if the past is better left forgotten…

I actually ended up listening to the audiobook of this novel – since it had been so long since it had been released (oops) and I needed something to listen to while driving to and from work. I kept finding excuses to listen to it because I couldn’t put it down. A lot of that had to do with the narrator. Sophie Bentinck was great with this novel and I’ll definitely be looking up more books that she’s narrated. She was able to move between English and American accents seamlessly and neither grated. I could have listened to her all day!

I’m always so intrigued by the stories that dive into a family’s history and expose secrets that had been hidden since the war. I wonder how many of those stories have died with the people who experienced them, especially now as their descendants are dying as well. How much don’t we know about what happened during the war, specifically? And just…generally? I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I wish I had asked my grandma more about her life. You don’t care as much as a youth and then, suddenly, it’s too late. All that to say – I really enjoyed reading as Ellie put together the mystery of her grandmother’s life and I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped as the final puzzle piece was revealed.

The plot Wood laid out in this novel – that Big Ben was going to be attacked during the Blitz – is totally fictional. She notes that right off the bat, lest anyone think the clock was ever in grave danger. But, with a typical writer’s brain, she thought…well, it could have happened. And I agree. I’m sure there were plans to bomb the buildings that never materialized. I was anxious as the story went on and Nell got closer to danger and Ellie got closer to the truth. I found it really well done. It may not have been real but Wood did the research and the rest of the story – the setting and so on – rang true.

All in all, I enjoyed The Clockmaker’s Wife. Daisy Wood’s first foray into adult novels was well done and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for her next. This one wasn’t perfect but it kept me entertained and that was good enough for me!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Meet Me In London

I really wasn’t sure what to expect with Meet Me in London, Georgia Toffolo’s first novel. But the description sounded like fun and who doesn’t want to spend some time, albeit through a book, in London, leading up to Christmas?

Here’s the book’s description:

What do you do when your fake engagement starts to feel too real…
Aspiring clothes designer Victoria Scott spends her days working in a bar in Chelsea and her evenings designing vintage clothes, dreaming of one day opening her own boutique. But these aspirations are under threat from the new department store opening at the end of her road. She needs a Christmas miracle, but one is not forthcoming.
Oliver Russell’s Christmas is not looking very festive right now. His family’s new London department store opening is behind schedule, and on top of that his interfering, if well-meaning, mother is pressing him to introduce his girlfriend to her over the holidays—a girlfriend who does not exist. He needs a diversion…something to keep his mother from meddling while he focuses on the business.
When Oliver meets Victoria, he offers a proposition: pretend to be his girlfriend at the opening of his store and he will provide an opportunity for Victoria to showcase her designs. But what starts as a business arrangement soon becomes something more tempting as the fake relationship starts to feel very real. But when secrets in Victoria’s past are exposed, will Oliver walk away, or will they both follow their hearts and find what neither knew they were looking for…?

I liked that this book kind of played on the same storyline as You’ve Got Mail but, dare I say it, better. I adore the movie but I am always so bummed that (spoiler alert) Kathleen’s store has to close down in the end. In Toffolo’s novel, Oliver is doing his best to make sure his family’s department store doesn’t run anyone out of business, especially after Victoria lays out all of the potential harm the store can do in the neighbourhood. Oliver and Victoria seem more like equals and there were no hidden identities in this story.

There were however, some secrets, particularly on Victoria’s part. I wasn’t totally thrilled with how her past was revealed because I hate when there are little hints when there is absolutely no reason for them. Tell me the whole story so I don’t have to wonder (this isn’t true for all genres or storylines, of course). I could understand completely why she kept it from Oliver because he really didn’t need to know. They were strangers who were just pretending to be in love so he didn’t need to hear about her past. But the reader should know and I wish Toffolo had told us up front.

Fake dating is usually always a fun trope and this one delivered. Sure, Oliver and Victoria know absolutely nothing about each other but the reader can tell immediately that they have some chemistry and you can’t help but hope for them to realize they’re so much better off together as a real couple.

Meet Me in London isn’t super Christmassy but the Happily Ever After you expect from such a story does happen on Christmas - which is always lovely! I’m not sure yet if I’ll read the next books in the series but I still found Georgia Toffolo’s debut novel entertaining enough for a pre-holiday read.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Certainty of Chance

I’ve been reading Jacquelyn Middleton’s novels for a number of years now and one of the things I love about her work is how her books can feel so different and yet familiar all at the same time. Her latest, The Certainty of Chance, reminded me of why I fell in love with her books so many years ago and why I’ll continue to read her novels as long as she keeps writing them. They’re entertaining and heartfelt with characters I can really relate to.

Here’s the book’s description:

There’s something about December...
Madeleine Joy is feeling more meh than merry. When an Icelandic volcano erupts six days before Christmas, hazardous ash congests European airspace, canceling flights indefinitely—including the thirtysomething's connection to Paris. Stranded alone in London, separated from her sister, and with the devastating one-year anniversary of her best friend’s tragic death just days away, Madeleine has never felt less festive. And as if things couldn’t get worse, the cute guy driving the cab to her hotel won’t shut up about carolers and tinsel…
Julian Halliwell is one of life’s sunny optimists. A former music journalist, he’s embraced his love for London by starting his own black cab business, enthusiastically ferrying passengers from one historic landmark to another. But life hasn’t always been easy for Julian. Having navigated several life-changing setbacks including a cruel betrayal by his former fiancée, Julian remains hopeful that he’ll meet somebody kind, who shares his love of music, his corgi named Winnie, and of course, the magic of Christmas time in London.
Despite being an unlikely match, fate seems determined to throw them together. But can the grieving American find joy again in a world where the lights have all but dimmed?

One of the things I loved about this book was a fairly simple thing: it takes place in London. At Christmas! I loved this for a couple of reasons. The first is that I, like many, many others, have not traveled much outside my own city in the last two years. Armchair travel to anywhere right now is great! The second reason is that my sister was in London while I was reading it (she's back home in Canada now). So as I was reading about Madeleine and Julian’s adventures in the city, I was able to picture my sister there too. She also read the book recently and I loved getting her messages as she got to certain parts. I got a number of “I’ve been there!” messages as well as photos showing exactly what Middleton was describing. Especially fun was that Middleton was also in London in November/December 2019, which is when my sister first landed in the city so they saw many of the exact same Christmas events and decorations that year. And, boy, was it magical. It really felt like I was experiencing the magic of Christmas in London and I really hope one day I can see it in person.

It’s not all Christmas joy, either. Madeleine suffered a loss a year prior when one of her closest friends passed away (perhaps a minor spoiler but I think this is an important warning, especially around this time of year). She slowly begins to find the joy in the festivity around her and it was lovely to read as she opened up over the course of the novel.

Speaking of warnings, I love that Middleton is always super clear and descriptive about the potential triggers in her books. Many of her characters deal with mental health struggles and it’s fantastic that we, as readers, can see those characters in contemporary romances. Plus, Middleton is writing from experience and treats those storylines with the utmost respect. Triggers aren’t mentioned as often in romances - though that’s changing - and it’s impossible to mention them all (I have a very particular one that’s hardly ever mentioned) but Middleton makes sure to thoughtfully think about what her readers might find difficult and mentions them at the beginning of the book.

And the romance! It was such a lovely story as Madeleine and Julian randomly met and had to decide if they’d give into the feelings they clearly had for each other even though Madeleine was only going to be in London for such a short period of time. Julian might be my favourite of all the male characters Middleton has written and has been added to my (long) list of book boyfriends.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Certainty of Chance sometime before the holiday season ends. Jacquelyn Middleton’s latest novel will have you feeling all the feels, including wanderlust and Christmas spirit.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Blog Tour: The Bookseller's Secret

The Bookseller's Secret, Michelle Gable's latest novel, immediately intrigued me. A writer who's lost her mojo? London in present day and during World War II? A missing manuscript? A bookshop? Oh, yes. I was intrigued. The novel didn't quite live up to what I was expecting but it was interesting and entertaining enough to keep me turning the pages until the end when I finally learned the bookseller's secret.

Here's the book's description:

In 1942, London, Nancy Mitford is worried about more than air raids and German spies. Still recovering from a devastating loss, the once sparkling Bright Young Thing is estranged from her husband, her allowance has been cut, and she’s given up her writing career. On top of this, her five beautiful but infamous sisters continue making headlines with their controversial politics.
Eager for distraction and desperate for income, Nancy jumps at the chance to manage the Heywood Hill bookshop while the owner is away at war. Between the shop’s brisk business and the literary salons she hosts for her eccentric friends, Nancy’s life seems on the upswing. But when a mysterious French officer insists that she has a story to tell, Nancy must decide if picking up the pen again and revealing all is worth the price she might be forced to pay.
Eighty years later, Heywood Hill is abuzz with the hunt for a lost wartime manuscript written by Nancy Mitford. For one woman desperately in need of a change, the search will reveal not only a new side to Nancy, but an even more surprising link between the past and present…

I have to admit I didn't know who Nancy Mitford was before I read the description of this book and that small tidbit was all I knew when I dove into Gable's novel. I think that might have been a detriment to my reading enjoyment and I can't quite put my finger on why. Perhaps because I didn't know a thing so I didn't know how many liberties the author was taking (I don't mind a few but I know that real people are really hard to write about in historical fiction so I tend to shy away from those types of novels) nor did I have any details or info that I feel like the author might have assumed the reader would have. She does a good job of explaining who Nancy was and all her various family members but the "why I should care"-ness just wasn't there. It wasn't even until partway through the book that I realized Mitford is the author if The Pursuit of Love, which has recently been released on Prime and is on my watchlist! She was an interesting woman, to be sure, but I think some of the context was a bit lost.

There's a dual timeline in this novel, like many other historical fiction titles these days. It functions just about as you'd expect but with one notable exception: the "present day" very clearly references the pandemic on multiple occasions. You know, the one that is currently still much a thing? It was a thing of the past in the "present" timeline and, I gotta say, it really weirded me out. It was the first time I encountered it in fiction and I honestly wasn't expecting to for another year at least. I laughed when, in about the middle of the book, Nancy and her friends were discussing a new novel (Grand Canyon) and Nancy says, "We're a stitch too in-the-middle-of-things to comfortably picture a world in which Germany has defeated us." Was this Gables making reference to the fact that she's referencing something we're still going through or did she not even realize the parallels? The parallels are there, of course, and it is something I've noticed myself when I've been reading war fiction over the last however long this madness has been going on. I just didn't expect it to be in my hands for another long while.

I liked that Nancy seemed to buck all traditions and she wasn't what I would normally expect from a woman in the 1940s (which, I think, is a bit sexist and backwards thinking of me) and I really liked reading as she went about her business of having affairs and hosting blackout salons in the bookshop. She was wicked smart but not always the kindest person. I don't know if she was intentionally cruel or just too focused on herself that she never really thought about the feelings of others. Definitely an intriguing woman!

Katie, on the other hand, was going through a hellish time and I felt like that made for a more flat character. She was like a shell of herself which makes it hard to want to read about her - if that makes any sort of sense. I didn't dislike her by any means but I didn't necessarily feel engaged when reading her story. I did really love that she's an author, as is her best friend, as it's always fun to read about writers and readers. I also appreciated that her storyline was able to satisfy the wanderlust I've been feeling as she wandered around London.

The Bookseller's Secret wasn't, really, much of a secret but I enjoyed Michelle Gable's novel well enough. I think it was a case of the story and characters not being for me, not necessarily the way she wrote them. I'm definitely going to make sure to check out more of her work.

About the Author
MICHELLE GABLE is the New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment, I'll See You in Paris, The Book of Summer, and The Summer I Met Jack. She attended The College of William & Mary, where she majored in accounting, and spent twenty years working in finance before becoming a full-time writer. She grew up in San Diego and lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, with her husband and two daughters. Find her at michellegable.com or on Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest, @MGableWriter.

Connect with the Author
Website * Twitter * Instagram

Buy The Bookseller's Secret
Bookshop.org * Barnes & Noble * Google Books 
Amazon * Kobo * Apple Books

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Graydon House, in exchange for a review for the purpose of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: A Brit Player

I first read Brenda St. John Brown back in 2018 when I picked up A Brit on the Side, the first in the Castle Calder series. I loved the setting she created in small town England and the characters she wrote. I haven't read books two or three but when I had the chance to read book four, I was happy to do so! I knew this isn't a true series and I could read the books in any order so I wasn't bothered by jumping back in with A Brit Player. I was rewarded with a steamy second-chance romance that I really enjoyed reading.

Here's the book's description:

Whoever said taking a second chance on your first love was a good idea obviously had nothing to hide…
They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. But shagging a guy with a “Bad Decision” tattoo is never a good idea. It’s a warning label. Trust me.
So when a friend coerces me into taking part in a charity dating auction, I jump at the chance to leave London - and my bad decisions - behind for a weekend.
But Max Foster is there and he’s bidding on me like it’s his job. Max isn’t just a guy. He’s THE GUY - my first love who I haven’t seen since the day he left high school to go play professional football in Spain.
I shouldn’t see him again, never mind want to. Because letting him find out about the secret I’ve kept from him these past twelve years? That has “bad decision” written all over it.

My mid-thirties old lady feeling self was a bit...concerned that the initial relationship between Tara and Max happened when they were sixteen. You cannot fully know yourself at sixteen but you can have intense emotional connections. And the pair had that. Of course you're not going to forget someone like that over the last decade plus. Neither Max nor Tara expected the other to be exactly like their teenaged self (ugh can you imagine if you reconnected with someone in your twenties and they were exactly the same as they were in high school?) and they did seem to want to get to know the person they had become. That helped with my "ahh they were so young" feelings. Plus you could just tell they were meant to be together so I put my old lady judginess away and went along for the ride.

There are triggers in this book and two of them I feel I can't mention because they're central to the plot how the story is told. If you want to read this and are really concerned about what they are, please DM me on Instagram! (@KaleyS23, if you're not following already!) I will say they are relationship based and do not include abuse. Other triggers could include feelings of abandonment, being unable to commit, and a second chance at a relationship. 

It had been awhile since I had read a true romance (true = the end goal is a Happily Ever After (or a Happily Ever After For Now) where the two main characters end up together in coupled bliss) that was also on the steamier side. Yes, please, doors open sex scenes. There's a place for all kinds of sex scenes, of course, but sometimes you want to actually see (er, read) the sexual attraction instead of just imagining it. (Which, I guess, you're still technically doing while reading it...) Anywho. St. John Brown wrote the scenes really well and you could feel the pent up emotions between Tara and Max just leaping off the page.

Tara and Max were lovely characters to read about. Sometimes when a friend of a friend type series gets into the later books, the characters might not be as engaging or entertaining as the author might have hoped. I liked reading about both past and present day Tara and Max and were rooting for them, both as a couple and for Tara personally as she worked on her issues. 

I think I know who might be the stars of the next book and I'm excited to see if I'm right.

If you're a romance reader, I encourage you to check out Brenda St. John Brown's novels, especially her Castle Calder series. A Brit Player was just the book I needed at the time and I flew through it. I'm looking forward to finding the time to go back and read the books I've missed and check out some of her others.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the author via Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Blog Tour: The Last Bookshop in London

Bookshops and World War II historical fiction? I'm pretty sure Madeline Martin's latest novel was written just for me. The Last Bookshop in London delighted me while allowing me to learn through reading what it would have been like to live through the Blitz.

Here's the book's description:

London, autumn 1940: the Blitz has only just begun when Grace Bennett arrives in London to find the city she’s spent a lifetime dreaming about now cast in the clouds of war, and all of her plans unraveling at the seams. After accepting a job at a charming bookshop nestled in the heart of the city, a haven for literary-minded locals, she feels like a fish out of water – she’s never been much of a reader, after all.
As the bombs rain down on the city night after night, a devastating air raid leaves London’s literary center in ruins, and the libraries and shops of Paternoster Row are destroyed in a firestorm. But against all odds, one bookshop miraculously survives. Through blackouts and air raids, Grace continues staffing the shop, discovering a newfound comfort in the power of words and storytelling to unite her community in ways she never imagined, a power that triumphs even the darkest nights of war-torn London. 

As I've read books set during the World Wars during the last year, I've been struck a few times at the similarities between war time and this current global pandemic. It puts things into perspective a bit, too, especially as Martin wrote about the Blitz. Night after night, for months, bombs were dropped on London by the Germans. Blackout curtains were a must and there were fines if even a speck of light could be seen from outside. I've read about this time before but I hadn't really thought about what it would have been like outside at night if there wasn't a single light on. Martin wrote an especially poignant scene as Grace stays too late at work and has to make her way home after dark, in the rain, and could not even identify her own front door. Imagine how frightening that would be. The beginning of the war, when this book was set, saw the posters "Keep Calm and Carry On" begin to sprout up around England and that mentality shines through in this novel. Londoners were terrified - they were sending their children away to the country and having to go to shelters or Tube stations every night to stay safe from bombs - but they carried on. They could emerge every morning and find their house or business (or both) destroyed. And yet, they carried on. Seems the least I can do right now is stay home as much as possible and avoid getting together with friends and family whom I miss dearly. 

I was so thrilled when I read that Grace would be getting a shop assistant position at a little bookshop in London. I was less thrilled when I realized she wasn't much of a reader. She had no idea the joy she was in for! She quickly learns the magic of reading thanks to a handsome shop patron. George tells her to read The Count of Monte Cristo and Grace's life is never the same. She inhales novels and works on advertising for the shop to promote books to give other Londoners the magic of escaping into a good read. Partway through reading I began to wish I had written down all the titles Grace reads and recommends. Austen makes a few appearances, as does Charles Dickens. She reads Middlemarch and is gifted Vanity Fair. Martin does such a wonderful job of capturing what it means to be a reader and how important books and stories can be during times of hardship.

Grace was a lovely main character. She was young without being annoyingly naive. She had a big heart and my own hurt for her as she saw friends help the war effort and all she was doing was helping out in a dusty old bookshop. She was scared and I'm sure I would have felt the same in her position. She does step up, as I think most of us would, and she volunteers as an ARP (Air Raid Precautions) warden which saw her out during the bombings three nights (and eventually five nights) a week. She narrowly missed bombs and saw horrifying sights. Through it all she supported her friends and made the bookshop thrive. You couldn't help but be in awe of her strength even when you see her faltering due to sheer exhaustion. She didn't give up even when that would have been the easiest option. You'll love her and will root for a Happily Ever After for her and all of the other characters, even though you know the scars of war will impact them long past VE Day. 

I didn't want to stop reading The Last Bookshop in London. Madeline Martin's novel was a joy to read, even as I mourned for and with the characters as they went through the horrors of war. If you're a book lover and a fan of historical fiction, this novel is a must read for you.

About the author

Madeline Martin is a USA TODAY bestselling author of historical romance novels filled with twists and turns, adventure, steamy romance, empowered heroines and the men who are strong enough to love them.

Connect with the author

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest 

Buy the novel

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Bookshop * IndieBound * Libro.fm 

Books-A-Million * Target * Kobo * AppleBooks * Google Play  * Audible

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Hanover Square Press. in exchange for a review for the purpose of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye

I've been reading Jacquelyn Middleton for a few years now and I love how sweet, real, and entertaining her novels are. Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye was released in November 2020 and I found myself saving it until I needed a contemporary romance mood booster. I finally read it early in 2021 and enjoyed being whisked away to London while learning more about a character readers had met in an earlier novel.

Here's the synopsis:

Leia Scott has sworn off love. Fresh from a messy, public divorce from her hockey player ex, the twenty-six-year-old fashion designer temporarily trades New York for London to heal and embrace her freedom. Her vow? To protect her heart, steer clear of relationships, and say yes to flings without strings. She throws herself into designing upcycled dresses and exploring London with her sister. But Leia’s carefully curated plan encounters a flirty complication with an irresistible British accent.

Wealthy, charming, and devastatingly attractive, Tarquin Balfour is tired of meaningless hookups and dates that go nowhere. For years, he has played the bon viveur with reckless abandon, throwing decadent parties, sleeping with a parade of women, and diving into extreme sports around the globe. But now the young property developer wants more. He craves love and commitment, to prove his kind heart matters more than the abundance of zeroes attached to his bank balance. Struggling with undiagnosed depression, Tarquin worries he’ll never find The One…until he meets his princess, a fashion designer named Leia.

Afraid of falling in love and fearful of being alone, Leia and Tarquin enter into an entanglement that threatens to hurt them both.

I didn't quite love this one as much as I wanted to. And, the most frustrating thing is, I don't know why. It could have been that the characters didn't become as three dimensional as I'd like. I got a good sense of them but it felt surface level, apart from their real and honest talks about their mental health. The story also overlaps with Middleton's previous novels and characters we've already met popped up. I liked that but it also sometimes felt like the story was being shoehorned into a world that had already been created. They fit into the world, of course, but I think I would have liked a story that was just Tarquin and Leia's. 

Back to the mental health aspect of the story. I so appreciate that Middleton is an Own Voices author when it comes to talking about anxiety and depression. Her characters have honest conversations (eventually) about their struggles and how what they're going through doesn't always "look" like depression. It's not preachy, it's not especially difficult to read. It's just there, matter of fact. Which I think is so important. We all know someone who has depression and/or anxiety and I'm sure we're all discovering that our mental health has taken a major hit over the past ten months. I am so glad authors like Middleton lay it all out there in a way that should help others understand and find a bit more compassion and empathy.

I really enjoyed the armchair travel Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye provided, especially because my sister is currently living in London, where most of the novel was set. She can't travel to most of the places in the novel right now because of a third lockdown, but it still made me feel closer to her, somehow. Middleton has family in the UK so she is very familiar with the locations she writes about. That helped make it feel even more real and also made me desperate to visit England again! I especially want to get back to Scotland to see more of the country including the Orkney Islands where Leia and Tarquin spend some time with his family. It sounds magical!

Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye is a great contemporary romance to read if you're looking to escape to another city (or, if you happen to live in London, escape to a city you can't explore right now) or if you want to enjoy a love story that's meant to be even if the characters fight against it. I'm looking forward to what Jacquelyn Middleton writes next.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

New Release: Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye

Happy release day to Jacquelyn Middleton! Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye (her fourth novel) is out in the world today! I have, sadly, not been able to get to it yet despite being so, so, so excited to dive into this fun, sweet, sexy, wonderful romance. Middleton's novels always delight me and I can't wait to read it (why must life be so complicated and time consuming?). 

Here's what the new novel is all about:

Will her fling become his forever?
Leia Scott has sworn off love. Fresh from a messy, public divorce from her hockey player ex, the twenty-six-year-old fashion designer temporarily trades New York for London to heal and embrace her freedom. Her vow? To protect her heart, steer clear of relationships, and say yes to flings without strings. She throws herself into designing upcycled dresses and exploring London with her sister. But Leia's carefully curated plan encounters a flirty complication with an irresistible British accent.
Wealthy, charming, and devastatingly attractive, Tarquin Balfour is tired of meaningless hookups and dates that go nowhere. For years, he has played the bon viveur with reckless abandon, throwing decadent parties, sleeping with a parade of women, and diving into extreme sports around the globe. But now the young property developer wants more. He craves love and commitment, to prove his kind heart matters more than the abundance of zeroes attached to his bank balance. Struggling with undiagnosed depression, Tarquin worries he'll never find The One...until he meets his princess, a fashion designer named Leia.
Afraid of falling in love and fearful of being alone, Leia and Tarquin enter into an entanglement that threatens to hurt them both.

I've really enjoyed the rest of Middleton's novels and I wish I had had time to re-read them all before this one published. I don't know about you but I'm having the most up and down reading life this year...I'm rolling with it because that's all you can do in this weird time but it's hard when I find myself struggling to fit in reading books I'm SO excited for. Anyway. Some of the characters from her previous novels will pop up in this story and I'd love to have had the time to remind myself of who's where and dating who. (Whom? This is why I don't write books. Or copy edit them.)

Here's what I thought about two of her previous books:
London Can You Wait? - Review
Until the Last Star Fades - Review

Early Buzz
"Leia and Tarquin's chemistry sizzles…this sultry, yet sweetly heartfelt romance is a winner. Fans of contemporary romance will rejoice in this story of falling in love through and despite mental illness."
-- Publishers Weekly's BookLife 'Editor's Pick'

"Sex scenes are steamy, well written, and anti-shaming. Humor enlivens the drama nicely...SAY HELLO, KISS GOODBYE offers well-drawn, multilayered characters and standout, sex-positive romance."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"As steamy as it is heartwarming...the two main characters are undeniably endearing...mental health issues are explored with the appropriate gravitas and the theme of gratitude is strong throughout. Romance fans will be grateful they picked up this novel. With SAY HELLO, KISS GOODBYE, Middleton has written a winner."
-- BlueInk Review (STARRED REVIEW)

Where to Buy
Amazon * Apple Books * Nook * Kobo 

Not ready to buy? Add Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye to your Goodreads!

About Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn Middleton is an award-winning author of love stories for hopeful romantics--'hopeful' because her novels are always full of optimism and a 'happy ever after' is important now more than ever before. But life is messy, relationships are messy, and her books aren't afraid to go there, too. If you enjoy character and relationship-driven stories about people dealing with the triumphs and disasters we all face, Jacquelyn's books are for you.
In 2019, she was named BEST CANADIAN AUTHOR at the RWA's Toronto Romance Writers 'Northern Hearts' Awards for UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES. She is also the author of LONDON BELONGS TO ME, LONDON, CAN YOU WAIT? and SAY HELLO, KISS GOODBYE.
An own voices author, Jacquelyn has dealt with anxiety, panic attacks, and depression all her life, and is dedicated to depicting mental health challenges realistically and empathetically in her novels.
Jacquelyn's books have been featured by The Hollywood Reporter, NBC News, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News, USA Today, Cosmo, Redbook, and the Huffington Post.
She lives in Toronto with her British husband and Japanese Spitz dog.

Connect with Jacquelyn
Website * Goodreads * Amazon * Facebook * Facebook Group * 
Instagram * Twitter * Bookbub * Newsletter  

Review: The Austen Playbook and Headliners

Back near the start of the pandemic (remember how naive we were?), Harlequin sent out an email with a few titles for reviewers to check out because they thought readers might be looking for some sweet Happily Ever After stories to sink into. They thought correctly and I requested two that ended up being part of the same series - Lucy Parker's London Celebrities series. 

The Austen Playbook follows Freddy, a theatre actress in London, and Griff, a theatre critic, as their lives collide. They've always been aware of each other, given their professions, but they're thrown together in the most unlikely of circumstances as Griff's family estate is playing host to a unique play that Freddy is taking part in. They're staging a play inspired by some of Jane Austen's most famous characters that will be aired on live TV. Not only that, the audience gets to vote on how the play proceeds. Sort of like a choose your own adventure but...televised live. Just a bit stressful, eh? 

The next book is Headliners and, as you may expect if you've read the preceding novel, it features Sabrina, Freddy's older sister, and Nick. The two are evening TV news presenters and they've both taken major hits to their careers. The owner of the news station decides to make them work for their careers and they're thrust together to co-host the network's struggling morning show. They hate each other...at least, that's what they think at the start. As you may imagine, those feelings start to change.

Each novel could be described as an enemies-to-lovers story (though Freddy and Griff's is more of an opposites attract but they did know each other and I wouldn't call them friends or even acquaintances...I think there was a healthy dislike there). And, I admit, this is not one of my favourite tropes. Intellectually, I just don't love the idea of people despising each other and then, wham, they want to hop into bed together. But...I'll admit that many authors know how to tell a good story and I almost always end up enjoying the ride as the characters realize their strong feelings for the other have shifted in a surprising way.

I hadn't read the first books in the London Celebrities series but I don't think you really need to. I would, however, recommend you don't jump into Headliners without first reading The Austen Playbook. A lot happens in Freddy's story that directly impacts what happens in Sabrina's and you'll get a much better sense of the sisters and their lives if you read the books together. 

I really adored Freddy and Sabrina. Their mom died when they were very young and Sabrina had to step up and become more mom than older sister to Freddy (which, of course, has it's own set of issues the pair had to deal with over the course of the novels). Their father was an actor but was injured on set and now managed Freddy's careers (again...much frustration, much drama). The women were close, which was so great, and they had their sibling squabbles like any others (made me miss my sister, that's for sure). They're both smart, funny, and had such warm and welcoming personalities that it was a delight to read their stories - and as the men in their lives realized that they had been idiots and could not live without them. 

The setting of these novels was absolutely delightful. I had a whirlwind trip to Edinburgh before the world shut down and I also spent an evening hitting the top sights in London before flying home the next day. The books are set in London and I was feeling a bit nostalgic for the sightseeing tour my sister brought me on. I also liked that part of Freddy's story took place at a countryside estate because it was just so quintessential England to me. (Maybe that's just the Canadian in me.)

I think I liked Headliners more than The Austen Playbook but both of Lucy Parker's novels were a balm to this romance lover's soul while dealing with all the pandemic has brought upon us. They were sweet and sexy, fun and dramatic, and both had the most delightful Happily Ever Afters. Check them out if you're also in need of an escape!

*Copies of these novels were provided by the publisher, Harlquin, via NetGalley, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: London Can You Wait?

At some point in 2016 I started hearing about a book called London Belongs to Me. It was a debut novel and it sounded really good. One day it came up on sale so I snapped it up on my ereader and then, a few weeks later, I was asked to review it for the other blog I sometimes review for, Novel Escapes. (You can find my review here.) Clearly I had wanted to read it so I agreed to review it for some extra exposure for the author. And guys? I adored it. It wasn't perfect but it was really good. So good, in fact, that I bought a Kobo gift card for my sister (who was working on a cruise ship at the time) so she could buy it too (she's a sucker for stories set in London). I was so excited when I learned Jacquelyn Middleton would be writing a sequel. London, Can You Wait? was just as delightful as the first book!

Here's the synopsis:

Alex loves Mark. Mark loves Alex. But is love enough?
Since moving to London from the US, twenty-four-year-old Alex Sinclair seems to have it all: a coveted job writing for the theatre, supportive friends, and the man of her dreams—gorgeous Irish actor, Mark Keegan. But in the year since the acclaimed debut of her play, Alex and Mark’s lives have been turned upside down.
Thanks to his role on a smash-hit British TV show, Mark is catapulted to stardom. Alex couldn’t be happier—until her boyfriend’s popularity and insatiable drive to succeed means they’re apart more than they’re together. Forced to share Mark with showbiz heavy-hitters, intrusive press, and unrelenting fangirls, Alex’s hopes for a stable and committed life with him start to fade. Her struggles with panic attacks, career uncertainty, and Mark’s increasingly worrisome behaviour make her wonder: how much more can she bend before she breaks?
A passionate tale of secrets, loss, and ambition, London, Can You Wait? is the eagerly-awaited sequel to Middleton’s debut novel, London Belongs to Me.

The story starts about a year after London Belongs to Me ended. Mark and Alex are totally in love and Mark's acting star is rapidly rising. I can't imagine how it would feel to be dating an actor let alone a super famous one who is hardly ever around. I've done the long distance relationship thing and it is not easy - and we weren't even dealing with the added stress of fame. I totally understood all of Alex's emotions when it came to missing Mark and being frustrated that he was constantly putting work first. She wants to be supportive because she loves him so much but how can you be supportive when it seems like your partner doesn't care enough to be around to support you? I could even understand why she wouldn't want to have that tough conversation with Mark to explain how she was really feeling (hey, tough conversations are no picnic). But I really wanted her to. I hated that both she and Mark were hiding so much from each other. That is not a recipe for a healthy relationship.

This next part will be a tad spoiler-y but it's to be expected because it's a novel about an established couple so you know there's going to be some relationship issues. I was not thrilled with how Mark was handling his fame or what he does (and doesn't do) that ultimately breaks the pair up. But, it helped them finally face their issues and build an even stronger foundation for their relationship.

Even though it was a novel about a girl who's dating a famous actor, I found the story to be pretty realistic. Alex's relationship fears were valid and her career struggles were also authentic. Most younger twentysomethings (including myself when I was Alex's age) either have no idea what they want to do with their life (me) or know what they want to do and have trouble gaining more than a toe-hold in their industry of choice (Alex). I also loved that even though the story mostly revolved around Alex and Mark's relationship, Alex's career played an important role. This isn't just a love story which makes the novel oh so much better.

There's a massive cast of supporting characters in this novel. You'd almost expect it to be overwhelming but Middleton manages to keep everyone and everything sorted and in check. Of course, I did kind of forget who some of the characters were (it's been awhile since I read LBTM after all) but I eventually got it all sorted out in my head. Lucy is an amazing best friend to Alex and it was awesome to get to see her succeed as well. And Alex's family (her dad, step-mom, and grandmother anyway) are so supportive of Alex and I'm glad that she has them in her corner plus we, as readers, got to spend more time with them as well.

Also - that cover? Love.

I don't know what else I can really say about London, Can You Wait? other than - buy the book and read it. (But also, read London Belongs to Me first because you really will enjoy this book so much more.) It's a great read with really amazing characters who you will completely fall in love with and who you'll root for even when they're being idiots. I cannot wait to see what Jacquelyn Middleton writes next!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Kirkwall Books, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: City of Friends

Joanna Trollope is one of those authors who I've heard of for what seems like forever. But...I've only ever read one of her novels (the updated Sense & Sensibility for The Austen Project...my review is here if you're interested). When her latest, City of Friends, showed up in my mailbox I was immediately intrigued and fell head over heels in love with that cover. I was in the mood for a contemporary tale so it moved itself right to the top of my TBR list. And was it worth it? Yes! It was a delightful story that kept me interested and I knew right away that I'd be passing it on to my mom to read too.

Here's the synopsis:

The day Stacey Grant loses her job feels like the last day of her life. Or at least, the only life she'd ever known. For who was she if not a City high-flyer, Senior Partner at one of the top private equity firms in London?
As Stacey starts to reconcile her old life with the new—one without professional achievements or meetings, but instead, long days at home with her dog and ailing mother, waiting for her successful husband to come home—she at least has The Girls to fall back on. Beth, Melissa and Gaby. The girls, now women, had been best friends from the early days of university right through their working lives, and through all the happiness and heartbreaks in between.
But these career women all have personal problems of their own, and when Stacey's redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain secret, their long cherished friendships will be pushed to their limits...

City of Friends takes the typical format when multiple characters are the focus of the story. Each chapter of this novel follows a different friend - Stacey, Melissa, Gaby, and Beth - as they each deal with the fallout of Stacey losing her job. I sometimes have problems with books like this but it didn't bother me as much as it normally does. It took awhile to get into and really get a sense of each woman but it flowed better than other novels like this I've read in the past.

That being said, I think I wanted more from each woman. The story takes place over the course of a year or so (I think? That was another issue...I wasn't totally sure how much time had passed.) and each woman had a lot going on that had to be fit into one chapter. There were gaps but I think that's just kind of how life goes. You're going to have days that are of great importance to your life, and those are the ones we got with this novel, but there are also the other days when you're just putting one foot in front of the other and everything is ticking along as usual.

Speaking of being like real life, I thought the friendship between the four women was realistic. They may be in their forties and I'm just in my twenties (hoo boy...can only say that for another month or so!) but female friendships are similar at all ages. I did love the following quote because I knew exactly what kind of "crossed wires" Trollope was referencing. It makes me look forward to even more solid friendships in the future:

"Even when they couldn't meet, they rang each other, or texted, or tweeted. The inevitable crossed wires of their twenties and thirties had mellowed into a much less judgemental support system in their forties." (page 12)

They have such a great friendship that they know they are always there for each other even if they don't see each other for a few weeks at a time.

I loved how successful all four women were (yes, Stacey lost her job but she definitely didn't deserve it). They were proud of their successes because they worked hard to get where they were. This hit pretty hard as I was reading this book back on International Women's Day.

Current read is great for #InternationalWomensDay - 4 women who have worked HARD&moved up in male dominated business world. #IWD #amreading pic.twitter.com/cYXKcXWx0h

— Kaley Stewart (@KaleyS23) March 9, 2017

The fact that they've had to fight to get where they are, and had to fight much harder than their male counterparts, is referenced throughout the novel. Also, all four women are so supportive of other women in their workplaces and, in Gaby's case especially as she manages so many people, will do whatever they can to make sure other women are able to succeed. As much as I loved this whole female success storyline...I think it shows a lot that I even needed and wanted to reference it. We've come so far but there's still more work to be done!

Final note...I already mentioned how much I love this cover. I'm not sure what it is but all of the elements together work for me. This cover is, from what I can tell from my (admittedly not very thorough) Internet sleuthing, for the paperback. There is another cover for the hardcover that I also really love. It has a very different feel but it also fits the story so well. Each woman has a house and lifestyle that suits them, or so they think, and so this cover is lovely. (This is actually making me realize that Trollope spent a lot of time discussing their houses and living arrangements. Interesting that I hadn't noticed it until now.)

City of Friends is a book for you if you love (or are in need of) contemporary novels. Joanna Trollope has written a story of four smart, realistic women that you will thoroughly enjoy reading about. You'll drop into their lives and, at the end, emerge with the desire to text, write to, call, or visit some of your own best friends.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: My Not So Perfect Life

I've been reading Sophie Kinsella for years and I'm always happy to see when she has a new book (except the Shopaholic books - I've given up on those because Becky drives me up the flipping wall). It's been awhile since I've read one of her adult books (I read and enjoyed Finding Audrey, review here) so I was really thrilled when I received a copy of My Not So Perfect Life. I dove in and could not stop. This book is exactly what I want chick lit to be and I loved it. 

Here's the synopsis:

Katie Brenner has the perfect life: a flat in London, a glamorous job, and a super-cool Instagram feed.
Ok, so the real truth is that she rents a tiny room with no space for a wardrobe, has a hideous commute to a lowly admin job, and the life she shares on Instagram isn’t really hers.
But one day her dreams are bound to come true, aren’t they?
Until her not-so perfect life comes crashing down when her mega-successful boss Demeter gives her the sack. All Katie’s hopes are shattered. She has to move home to Somerset, where she helps her dad with his new glamping business.
Then Demeter and her family book in for a holiday, and Katie sees her chance. But should she get revenge on the woman who ruined her dreams? Or try to get her job back? Does Demeter – the woman with everything – have such an idyllic life herself? Maybe they have more in common than it seems.
And what’s wrong with not-so-perfect, anyway? 

I loved Katie. It helped that she's only a few years younger than I am so I really understood her struggles, especially in terms of her career and cultivating a seemingly perfect life online (you know you're guilty of only posting the good stuff too, don't try to deny it!). It's common for me to find myself rolling my eyes at chick lit heroines, particularly Kinsella's. I didn't find myself getting frustrated with Katie, not much anyway. I wanted her to be honest with her dad but I could totally understand why she was holding back. Maybe I wasn't getting annoyed because I just identified with Katie on so many levels and could see bits of myself or my friends in her. Whatever the reason, she was an absolute joy to read because she was smart, funny, and such a genuinely good person.

Many people probably wouldn't care too much what Katie's job is but I loved that she worked in branding. I'm a communications grad and I've worked in marketing type positions over the years so I really liked reading as they tried to come up with campaigns and worked on different projects. It's only a small part of the book but it rang true for me and it helped me enjoy the story that much more. 

As much as I loved Katie, I also really liked Demeter. I could see how she was a bit of a nightmare to work for (we've all had bosses like that, right?) but I could also see glimpses of someone who's trying to hold it all together and starting to show some cracks. Or maybe I could see it just because I figured where the story was going. The point is, Demeter was a really interesting character and I loved the reminder that no one's life is perfect, no matter how it's filtered on Instagram.

Final side note...I really want to go to Katie's family's farm and try glamping. I am not an outdoorsy kind of girl (camping? No thank you) but I am a small town, country girl so the idea of getting away from the city and spending time at a farm without the distractions of life is incredibly appealing. And Kinsella made Biddy's food sound freaking amazing. 

Just in case you want further proof of how much I liked My Not So Perfect Life, I'm planning on buying it this week (in hardcover...in Canada...so I essentially have to pay with a kidney) so I can go to a signing on Saturday. It's not often authors I enjoy come to Canada so I'm thrilled that I live close enough to go to the event. (I just need to hope for no snow!) 

My Not So Perfect Life may have just catapulted itself to the top of my list of favourite Sophie Kinsella books. It's not perfect (sorry, couldn't resist) but the teeny little things that I wasn't thrilled about didn't even matter because the story is, overall, so so good. If you're a lover of contemporary stories with heart and laughter that feature smart and real women, you have got to pick up this book!

*An eARC was provided by Random House in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Mini Review: Build a Man

I had heard great things about Build A Man by Talli Roland but it took awhile for me to get around to reading it. Now that I have, I can't believe I waited that long! I loved this book!

Here's the synopsis:

The perfect man is out there . . . he just needs a little work.

Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every pitch she sends out disappears like her clients' liposuctioned fat, never to be seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between -- giving Serenity a story no editor could resist.

With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success, even going undercover to gain intimate access to Jeremy's life. But when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and Serenity is ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, she must decide how far she really will go for her dream job.

Some of you know that I also write reviews for Novel Escapes (and if you didn't before, now you do!) and I was asked to review Construct A Couple, the second book in the Serenity Holland series (my review is here). I really don't like reading the second (or third) book in a series before reading the first so I set out to get myself a copy of book one. Happily, I was successful (thank you Smashwords!) and I dove right into the book.

I loved Serenity. She was funny and just clueless enough to make things amusing but not frustrating. I noted in my review of book two that she reminded me of Becky Bloomwood from the Confessions of a Shopaholic series. Becky drives me crazy so Serenity had all of her best qualities. I liked that Serenity was real and relatable. I liked her so much that I hated that she was dating such a boring guy. Peter was clearly not good for her and I couldn't wait for her to realize that. Does she? Doesn't she? Read the book to find out ;)

Some other quick thoughts: The whole premise of the book was unique without being too crazy. I loved the budding romance between Serenity and Jeremy. Her best friend is a great BFF. I love books set in London.

I did find that I enjoyed Construct A Couple more than Build A Man so if you read this one and can't feel bothered with reading book two, I strongly encourage you to give it a shot! I was so happy that I had book two on my ereader when I was on a train trip and finished book one. I was able to pick up on Serenity's story without any delay. Unfortunately, now I have to wait for Talli Roland to finish the next book in the Serenity series! In the meantime, I'll have to find more of her novels because she's become one of my favourites.

Happy reading :)

Vacation Reads Challenge: A Year in Europe

Bonjour! I've finished my fifth read for the Vacation Challenge hosted, in part, by Ruby's Reads. I decided to read A Year in Europe by Rachel Hawthorne because it took place in three major European cities - London, Paris, and Rome. I would love to visit any of these cities, especially London and Paris.

Let's start off with the synopsis from Goodreads:

MEET THE GIRLS of A Year in Europe, a collection of three interconnecting novels about the adventures of traveling abroad.
Robin: Her junior year abroad in London takes a surprising turn when she falls for British hottie Kit.
Dana: Paris is the City of Love, and Dana's on a mission to find a gorgeous French boyfriend.
Carrie: She's crazy about Antonio, her Italian dream guy. If Carrie tells him the truth about her American heritage, she might lose him forever.
A Year in Europe. Three unforgettable stories. One unforgettable journey.

Overall, I thought this was a fun read. It was actually kind of nice to read about teenage girls who just wanted to have their first boyfriend instead of reading about women who are looking to jump into bed with someone or a teenage girl who wants to become immortal *cough Twilight cough*. I have to admit that I kept thinking, why are these girls so obsessed with getting a boyfriend and worrying about whether boys like them? Partway through Dana's story I realized that my friends and I used to act like Robin, Dana, and Carrie when we were 16. After that, I put my 16 year old self in their shoes and started to enjoy the book a little more.

I liked that the novel was based around the girls going abroad for a year and living and learning in another country. This is something that I never would have done myself in high school, since I was pretty quiet and liked staying close to home. I could really understand the tough emotions the girls found themselves having while they were away from their hometown, friends, and family. However, I couldn't quite understand why they were so clueless in their new cities. Carrie was the only one who had no problem where she was because her father's Italian and she's fluent in the language. Robin and Dana, on the other hand, had some difficulties - and Robin was only going to London! She had no idea that the "tube" meant the subway and the "boot" meant the trunk of a car. Maybe I'm judging too harshly, but I'm pretty sure I had a rough idea of the most common English lingo when I was their age. I do applaud Dana for heading to a country where she is not fluent in the language though - I can't imagine how difficult that would have been!

England is one of my top dream travel destinations (Scotland, Ireland, and Australia are also up there) so I was definitely most envious of Robin and her year abroad. I'd love to go to Paris as well, but since I'm nowhere near fluent in French, it would be a little more challenging. I took French up until grade 10 (one year past the mandatory French classes us Canadian kids have to take) but I didn't retain much - just enough to excel at the French questions on Jeopardy! :) Regardless, I would love to travel to Paris sometime in my life.

This novel was a fun read, nice and light for the summer. I would definitely recommend it to teenagers who are looking for a good book to lose themselves in. I've read quite a few of Rachel Hawthorne's books before and I've always enjoyed them. It goes to show that just because you're no longer a teenager doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good YA novel every once and awhile. Especially one that takes you to so many wonderful cities!

Happy travels...er...reading, everyone! :)