Review: Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I will enjoy a book *that* much more when there’s a nod to Jane Austen (it’s also a truth that I will absolutely always overuse that opening). I hadn’t realized there was a hint of Pride and Prejudice in Jackie Lau’s latest novel before I started it but, not surprisingly, I was totally into it. Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie is by no means a P&P adaptation but it does take some of the best parts of Austen’s most well-known novel and uses them to make a modern rom com that was an absolute joy to read.

Here’s the book’s description:
Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that.

Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. You’d think he single-handedly stopped climate change and ended child poverty from the way her mother raves about him. But in reality, he’s just a boring, sweater-vest-wearing engineer, and when they’re forced together at Emily’s sister’s wedding, it’s obvious he thinks he’s too good for her.
But now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly : convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees.
Unfortunately, lying isn’t enough. Family friends keep popping up at their supposed dates—including a bubble tea shop and cake-decorating class—so they’ll have to spend more time together to make their relationship look real. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark’s not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn’t so ugly after all…

You may not have read Pride and Prejudice but I think there’s a better chance you’ve probably watched Bridget Jones’ Diary (bonus points if you’ve read both novels and watched the movies). Bridget is also a nod to P&P and is one of the most fun adaptations of Austen’s work. Lau’s felt like that too - right down to the main male character being named Mark and having a penchant for sweaters - and it was much fun.

Like Elizabeth and Darcy, Emily and Mark got off on the wrong foot. Way wrong. Luckily, they eventually realized how boneheaded they had been (Emily especially) and actually communicated with each other. About fake dating and lying to their families, but communicating nonetheless! It was really enjoyable to watch them put their guards down and start to become friends - and something more.

I always, always struggle when a main character’s family and/or friends tries to force them into being in a relationship. That there’s no way they could be happy without someone special in their life. I can handle some of it because the family really does mean well and it really is coming from a place of love. But when the family refuses to take no for an answer? And won’t listen to the main character, who they claim to love so much that they want them to be happy? That’s when I get frustrated. And I know it wouldn’t be a romance book without conflict and a couple getting together but…it can be really hard for me to read a MC being ignored by those who claim to love them that they’re forced to lie or do other ridiculous things just to please their family. As an aside to the whole family thing - I did NOT buy the excuse for Emily’s eldest sister’s behaviour. I was so irritated at her and the reasoning behind it was not good enough and there were no consequences for how she was behaving towards Emily.

The first third or so of the novel was told from Emily’s perspective but then it starts to switch back and forth between Mark and Emily. I do like when romances have dual perspectives but it had been solely Emily’s POV for so long that it was kind of jarring to finally get Mark’s thoughts - as appreciated as they were to get a better sense of him and how he was feeling about the whole fake dating thing.

I really liked that Emily was an author and Lau showcased how tough it can be to become (and stay) published. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I liked the bookish element of this novel but I find that Lau was a lot more honest and realistic than other rom com authors are when their main characters are writers. As much as I hated that Emily had to keep justifying her job and how she spends her time to her friends and family, it seemed more honest that way. But the way Mark was so supportive of her writing and was protective of her time? Swoon.

Oh, and bonus! The novel is set in Toronto. Three cheers for romances taking place in Canada!

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie was so much fun to read. I was entertained by Jackie Lau’s novel from start to finish. I wouldn’t call this a super memorable novel or the best rom com I’ve ever read but it was fun and I enjoyed it - and that’s all that matters when it comes to reading!

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

Review: Not Your Valentine

I love a good holiday novella. Normally they take place around Christmas so when I find one featuring another holiday and written by a Canadian author I’ve been meaning to check out? Count me in! Not Your Valentine, a new Kobo Originals work from author Jackie Lau, was published on January 24 and was a short read that was perfect to get into the Love Day mood.

Here’s the book’s description:

Helen Tsang is tired of the pitying looks. From her parents, her friends, and even the bubble tea shop guy, who recognized her from the video. Almost one year ago, some loser couldn’t mind their own damn business and filmed an unsuspecting Helen's very public break-up during what was supposed to be a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. A video of her ex-boyfriend saying, "It's not me, it's you. You're holding me back" went viral.
Desperate to give everyone something else to talk about and with Valentine’s Day approaching once again, she asks her long-time friend Taylor Li to be her fake boyfriend, just to prove that she's moved on and hasn’t sworn off love. (Spoiler alert: She's totally sworn off love.) Taylor is the perfect option—single for once, and for some godforsaken reason, he loves Valentine’s Day.
But Helen didn't expect was how easy it would be to get Taylor on board, fitting right into the boyfriend-shaped hole in her life. All she wanted was a couple sickeningly sweet dates to fill her social feeds, not corny text messages of silly heart-shaped cakes, and bouquets of flowers that harbor hidden meanings. Wanting to be around his sunshine attitude and delicious forearms all the time? That definitely wasn't expected.
With February 14 quickly approaching, it's getting increasingly difficult to ignore her feelings, especially when she starts wishing it wasn’t all an act.
Oh God. What has she done?

I’ll be honest that it took a bit of time to understand Helen and get into the flow of how Lau wrote. And I’ve spent the last few weeks wondering how on earth I would try to describe what I meant by that. This was a short book - Goodreads puts it at 136 pages - so it’s tricky when some of those precious pages are spent trying to get the hang of a character and their story. I liked Helen a lot but I think I was being too Elder Millennial and forgot what it was like to be younger. And the lying to friends and family about dating someone? That was hard for me to get into. I also struggled with the assumption that everyone would still be thinking of Helen and the viral video a year later (before it was ultimately brought up by the “news” cycle again). It all seemed a bit too…like Helen was the centre of the universe, maybe?

Speaking of fake dating though… As much as I hated the reason why Helen got into it, I do enjoy a good fake dating trope. Lau made it work pretty well, though there seemed to be a lot of set up and explanation for why Helen and Taylor knew each other and why he’d be perfect for shenanigans. That said, I did really like them together and was rooting for them the whole time. I love when characters are so clearly a good match for each other!

Have you ever noticed that, for some reason, romance books need to tell you the first and last names of every single character the first time they’re introduced? It’s something I’ve noticed myself for years and I don’t get it. I don’t actually care what the character's last name is - unless it's somehow connected to the plot. And when you’re meeting four characters in a page and a half (of a short novella), it’s a bit much. I don’t necessarily blame Lau (though I do question why a romance novella needed to have the heroine, a group of four girlfriends plus mom, dad, sister, sister-in-law, plus a romantic interest…) for giving each character first and last names. I blame the genre and the expectations the publishers assume readers have. I do acknowledge that sometimes using last names is a quick way to get an idea of the background of the character. But I don’t really love the expectation that I’m supposed to assume something about someone based on their name. Am I reading too much into this? Anyone else have thoughts?

But back to the romance in this book. It is STEAMY. For a short book, it packs in a lot of sexy moments and I was here for it. It’s sex positive too which is always great to see in romance novels. The sex scenes weren’t too much for the novella, in my opinion, and they were honest and felt right for the story as a whole.

A final note: I don’t think you have to read this around Valentine’s Day but it is a perfect book to tuck into near the beginning of the year. I loved that it started on New Year’s Day and then had a few scenes centred on Lunar New Year. But since this novella is so short, you can get this baby finished in no time so you can buy it today and have it done by the end of Valentine’s Day!

All in all, Not Your Valentine was a ton of fun. It had me craving all sorts of food while reading it and I was fully invested in the Happily Ever After. I’m really looking forward to reading more from Jackie Lau!

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

Review: The Last Encore

I get absolutely no pleasure in having to review books I don’t like. I actually kind of hate it. I don’t go into reading books expecting to dislike them. No, I am usually really good at knowing when I’m going to like something. I also like to give indie authors a shot, as I’ve been doing for over a decade even though I’ve slowed down a bit lately. So it was that reason that I requested to review The Last Encore by indie (and Canadian!) author Elodie Colliard. And. Um. I really didn’t like it.

Here’s the book’s description:

What if love is the key?
Avery Clark needs a break. Between her photography business not doing as well as she’d hoped and incessant family drama that does nothing to ease her spiking anxiety, she needs something to go her way.
And that was even before her ex-best friend, and talented pianist, Joshua Harding, ran into her during an event in Toronto, after he left her suddenly ten years ago, breaking the only promise he had swore he wouldn't.
When an opportunity to grow her business falls into her lap, Avery decides to put her doubts and resentment aside and agrees to photograph Josh’s sister’s upcoming wedding.
As they spend more and more time together, rediscovering each other and the people they turned into, Avery realizes that maybe, the spark she felt ten years ago wasn’t just a fleeting teenage phase.
But the past is never far away, and an unknown future is terrifying. Could Avery take that leap of faith?

First of all, I felt like this book was just too long. It’s listed at being 366 pages which shouldn’t have felt like an obscenely long novel but it was. Perhaps because it felt like nothing of substance was happening?

I wanted to love that the book was set in Canada. And I did, to an extent. I don’t live in Toronto but I’ve visited often enough so I kinda know a bit about the city and I always love when romances are set there. I do live in Niagara and the characters visit Niagara-on-the-Lake a couple of times throughout the book. Although I’m not entirely sure Colliard has been to NOTL herself. Some of the descriptions of getting to the town from Toronto didn’t make much sense and I wondered where, exactly, they were staying. I was weirdly annoyed that, in one scene, she mentioned that the sun was almost set at 4pm. Which, you know, does happen in Canada. But not in October. Also mentioned in October was a Toronto Blue Jays home game. Yes, the Jays could have had a game at home in October but…it would have been playoffs and kind of a big deal. And it was late October so these fictional Jays were killing it that season! These are all nitpicky things but they just ate away at me and once I got to a certain point (likely about 20% in) I just leaned into the things that annoyed me. Never a fun time.

As for the love story…I could almost buy it. What I couldn’t get behind was how the drama unfolded and how long it took to explain why Josh left and why that was a big deal to Avery. And even after all that, I couldn’t understand why it was such a big deal. He was an idiot and she had some things to work out, I get that, but it just didn’t make sense to me. I think this book was supposed to be kind of steamy but I admit I kind of skimmed over the sex scenes (OK, OK, I may have been skimming everything by that point). Talk of consent between the two of them was quite sexy and I give Colliard major props for making that a big part of the story

Writing this review did not bring me joy. But, I have to be honest about the books I read and, honestly, The Last Encore was not very good, plain and simple. It was a total miss for me and that made me sad. I wanted to enjoy Elodie Colliard’s debut novel and I think she could be a good writer with more practice and with a better editor. And maybe not trying to rush publication on a book. I likely won’t read her books again unless trusted friends can convince me she’s grown as a writer.

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

Review: Letters Across the Sea

For a relatively young country, Canada has a rich history. And one that is full of events and people that are hardly talked about. Genevieve Graham is exposing these little known moments one novel at a time. She has a gift for taking a point in time and creating an incredibly compelling tale that will allow readers to get lost in a story while learning about our country's history. Letters Across the Sea was an eyeopening read full of characters I fell in love with.

Here's the book's description:

If you’re reading this letter, that means I’m dead. I had obviously hoped to see you again, to explain in person, but fate had other plans.
1933
At eighteen years old, Molly Ryan dreams of becoming a journalist, but instead she spends her days working any job she can to help her family through the Depression crippling her city. The one bright spot in her life is watching baseball with her best friend, Hannah Dreyfus, and sneaking glances at Hannah’s handsome older brother, Max.
But as the summer unfolds, more and more of Hitler’s hateful ideas cross the sea and “Swastika Clubs” and “No Jews Allowed” signs spring up around Toronto, a city already simmering with mass unemployment, protests, and unrest. When tensions between the Irish and Jewish communities erupt in a riot one smouldering day in August, Molly and Max are caught in the middle, with devastating consequences for both their families.
1939
Six years later, the Depression has eased and Molly is a reporter at her local paper. But a new war is on the horizon, putting everyone she cares about most in peril. As letters trickle in from overseas, Molly is forced to confront what happened all those years ago, but is it too late to make things right?

The research a historical fiction author has to embark on is incredibly interesting to me (are you surprised? I adore the genre and spent the last year working for a community museum. I like me some history.). I've heard a number of authors say they started with one idea and, through their research, was able to bring in something completely different that enriched the final story. As Graham explains in the author's note, she originally wanted to focus on the Christie Pits Riot and then have Max sent to fight in Dieppe. She changed her mind when she learned about the Canadian soldiers who fought in Hong Kong. I don't know about you, but I knew nothing about those battles and I'm really glad people like Graham and others are working to make sure those men are not forgotten.

It was particularly poignant to read about the riot and unrest as we're still reading about racist behaviour and hate crimes occurring in Toronto and elsewhere. I couldn't help but see the parallels between what was happening in 1933 and what's happening now - almost ninety years later. We think we've come so far but some white people are acting just as irrationally now as they did then. The Jewish people are as to blame for WWII as those of Asian descent are for COVID-19. As in, they're absolutely not to blame. I hadn't known much, if anything, about the Christie Pits Riot and I worried for everyone while also being sickened that so much violence was erupting because someone decided their beliefs were better than someone else's. 

I liked that Molly was interested in journalism and was eventually able to work at a newspaper. Being a reporter is a really important job (I should know - I live with one) and there are so many out there who are doing their damnedest to make sure the truth is being reported. Yes, some media outlets report with a clear bias (as Graham discusses really well in her novel - the discussion about how the Jewish papers were talking about what was happening to their people in Germany well before other papers were was sobering) but far too often I hear every news outlet from every medium get tarred with the same brush. Hearing that it's "the media's" fault for, well, it seems like everything sometimes. You have to think critically, read past the headline, and take in the whole story to get the full picture. That full picture will tell the truth. And, yes, you should be paying for your news. Subscribe to your local paper. Support journalism. Know the difference between an opinion piece and a news article. I don't want to know a world where everything we hear about is determined by corporations and their ad dollars instead of reporters hard at work, chasing the real and important stories.

Well. That got a bit soapbox-y and off track. Back to the book!

As I've established, Graham is a master at writing about Canada's history in a way that engages, interests, and educates the reader. She is also so, so good at writing characters that seem so real that it's a surprise when they don't leap off the page or when you remember you're reading a book, not talking to a real person. Both Molly and Max had chapters told from their points of view (Molly was first person and Max was third...I'm not totally sure why there was a distinction and sometimes it was a bit jarring to change perspectives like that) so you were able to really feel what they were each feeling during the story. How each family was reacting to the possibility of Max and Molly having feelings for each other. How the riots affected them all. How they dealt with the many, many horrors of war. Through the eyes of these wonderful characters, we learn what it was like for women and families left behind in Canada during the war and how men fighting a battle they never should have had to fight were captured and, ultimately, forgotten about. 

Letters Across the Sea is another winner from Genevieve Graham. Her latest novel will educate you on our country's past and make you take a hard look at what else you can be doing in our present to protect our future. You'll grieve for characters and you'll feel hopeful about the changes that are to come. Read this book and read the author's note at the end. Educate yourself even further than Graham's (most excellent) novel. And, above all, enjoy this wonderful story.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. A physical ARC was also provided by the author herself. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Matchmaker's List

I am loving the resurgence of the rom-com. I adore these types of novels and am thrilled that they're making a comeback in such an amazing way. Gone are the stereotypical white girls trying to make it in the big city, wearing the best fashion (though I loved those books too). Now we're getting diverse characters and authors and stories that are so much more realistic and so, so necessary. The Matchmaker's List by Sonya Lalli has some issues but, in the end, I'm so happy it's published and available for women everywhere to read.

Here's the synopsis:

One devoted modern girl + a meddlesome, traditional grandmother = a heartwarming multicultural romantic comedy about finding love where you least expect it. 
Raina Anand may have finally given in to family pressure and agreed to let her grandmother play matchmaker, but that doesn't mean she has to like it--or that she has to play by the rules. Nani always took Raina's side when she tried to push past the traditional expectations of their tight-knit Indian-immigrant community, but now she's ambushing Raina with a list of suitable bachelors. Is it too much to ask for a little space? Besides, what Nani doesn't know won't hurt her...
As Raina's life spirals into a parade of Nani-approved bachelors and disastrous blind dates, she must find a way out of this modern-day arranged-marriage trap without shattering her beloved grandmother's dreams.

One of my favourite things about this novel was that it's set in Canada and doesn't hide it. Canadian authors too often set their novels in the US or purposefully ambiguous locations - not usually because they want to but because it's harder to market a Canadian set book to American readers (insert major eye roll here). I think it's a bunch of baloney so when I find a book that's proudly Canadian, I cheer.

The biggest thing I didn't like about this book was so big it really affected the way I viewed the story as a whole. I could have liked the novel SO much more had this plot point not occurred. This is going to be a bit of a spoiler but I think it needs to be discussed because I'm not OK with this part of the story and think others should be aware of it. Raina was so fed up with being pushed onto male suitors that she pretends to be gay. AND a character had come out to her in confidence and she ends up outing them later on. Not to mention seriously pissing them off and offending them. I just cannot understand why Lalli thought it would be a good idea to have Raina pretend to be gay for protection from an arranged marriage. Just...no.

There were other things I really liked about this story. I loved that there was an actual list of suitors that was added to and amended as the novel went on. Raina and her Nani's relationship is complicated, like all family relationships are, but the love between them runs so deep. Respect of the other is a bit lacking but they truly do love each other. Raina's friendship with Shaylee is perfection and Shay is the kind of girlfriend every woman should hope to have (and be). I appreciated that Raina is figuring herself out and is a big work in progress, even by the end of the novel. I liked that each date she has to go on is a separate chapter and that there are other chapters from past birthdays interspersed throughout as well.

Overall, Sonya Lalli's novel is a lot of fun. Is it the best rom-com I've ever read? No, but I am absolutely OK with that (less OK with that big issues I mentioned). I enjoyed the time I spent reading The Matchmaker's List and think it's an incredibly important addition to the contemporary fiction space. I look forward to what Lalli writes next!

*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: Just Like Family

I first met Kate Hilton back in 2013 at BookBuzz Toronto, an event I helped run. She was one of ten authors taking part in the event and, this is the embarrassing part, the only author I hadn't read. *cringe* I've been following her writing career since then though so when I got the chance to review Just Like Family as part of HarperCollins Canada's First Look program, I was thrilled. I had this book done in two days and it was such a great read. Take a look at this link to see what others thought of this novel.

Here's the synopsis:

From the nationally bestselling author of The Hole in the Middle, a witty, insightful new novel about juggling the demands of three husbands—a work husband, an almost husband and an ex-husband—and figuring out the true meaning of family.
Avery Graham has built a life that anyone would admire. She has a brilliant career as chief of staff to Peter Haines, the charismatic mayor of Toronto. She has a devoted partner in Matt, her live-in boyfriend of 14 years. And she has a loving family and deep friendships that stretch back to childhood summers at the cottage.
But when Matt proposes, Avery’s past threatens to engulf her present. Can she contemplate a lifetime commitment to Matt after her disastrous first marriage to Hugh? And is Matt really the love of her life, when she has spent so much of it by Peter’s side? Avery could use some good advice from the women who know her best, but her closest friends, Jenny and Tara, have drifted away over the years.
When a scandal erupts at city hall, Avery must overcome her deepest fears about love and loss, and discover what it means to be a family.

One of the things that really drew me to this story was where it took place. The novel is set in Toronto and too often Canadian authors don't place their novels (especially contemporary/women's fiction ones) in Canada. Part of that is, I think, because for some reason readers in other countries (cough America cough) don't want to read any books set in Canada. Which is, in my humble opinion, stupid. I want to read stories that take place in my own country and set in my own time. While I don't live in Toronto, I'm close enough that I visit quite often and I even interned in the city for four months a few years ago. Because of this, I could picture City Hall - Avery's workplace - quite clearly. I also loved that there was a secondary setting of a cottage in, I'm assuming, Muskoka. I grew up in southern cottage country so I have a soft spot for any cottage set books. 

Also, a fictional story about a mayor of Toronto involved in something that is not more scandalous than the situations the actual former mayor of Toronto found himself in a few years ago? You can't help but laugh. (Just Google Rob Ford if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

Speaking of which, Hilton managed to find a great balance of absolute ridiculous scenarios (an older councillor bounces, quite literally, off another, much larger councillor and flies through the air) and realistic dramatic scenes. If she wasn't such a masterful writer, this could have been a completely different novel (I'm thinking Sophie Kinsella...a favourite author of mine but who is known for more outlandish storylines.)

And the drama! I was so invested in Avery and finding out why she was the way she was. She went through a lot at a younger age and hadn't quite dealt with everything appropriately. And let's be real - who actually deals with problems well in your early twenties? Avery was a really interesting, multi-layered character and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her story.

The story takes place in 2017 with flashbacks throughout. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the flashbacks. I was sometimes annoyed to go back to 1989 or 1999 when I just wanted to see how present day Avery was faring. I eventually realized there was no other way to tell this story. Hilton uses the flashbacks to reveal more about Avery, her life, and the people she lost along the way. Those revelations made the present make so much more sense (like realizing why Jenny isn't in Avery's life much and what really happened with her ex-husband).

I have to note my favourite scenes, and probably the most powerful ones in the whole novel. I knew as soon as I saw the subheading of September 2001 for one of the flashbacks that we were going to head into some intense moments. Hilton wrote the scenes about 9/11 so well and it had such an impact. It was one of those times where I had no idea what else was happening around me because I was so completely drawn into the story. (And this is saying something because I was reading this part in my office on my lunch break.) Gah. Just...amazing scenes. Heartbreaking but so well done.

Rereading the synopsis as I wrote this post made me realize that Just Like Family is about so much more than what the synopsis suggests. It's not just about the scandal at City Hall or Matt proposing or even about her friendships. Kate Hilton's novel is about a strong, modern woman whose life is going completely off the rails, as it has done in the past. Through Just Like Family and Avery's story, we learn (or are reminded) that your past shapes your present but it does not have to define your future. Kate Hilton's new book is definitely one you're going to want to add to your To Be Read list!

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for a review for their First Looks program. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Mating for Life

Declaration time! I have found a new Canadian author to love after reading Mating for Life. Marissa Stapley's debut novel was so good and I enjoyed every second I spent reading it.

Here's the synopsis:

Former folk singer Helen Sear was a feminist wild child who proudly disdained monogamy, raising three daughters, Liane, Ilsa and Fiona (each by different fathers) largely on her own. Now in her sixties, Helen has fallen in love with a traditional man who desperately wants to marry her—and while she's fearful of losing him, she’s equally afraid she’ll betray everything she's ever stood for if she goes through with it.
Her youngest daughter, Liane, has just ended her own tepid engagement, and is in the heady early days of a relationship with the love of her life. But he has an ex-wife and two daughters—and her new role as “step-something” doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Ilsa, an artist (and classic middle child), has broken away from a bohemian past and is fervently hoping her second marriage will stick. Yet her world feels like it is slowly shrinking, and her painting is suffering as a result—and she realizes she may need to break free again, even if it means disrupting the lives of her two young children. And then there's Fiona, the eldest sister, who has worked tirelessly to make her world pristine. When she discovers her husband has been harboring a huge secret, her own past becomes harder to ignore, and Fiona loses her tenuous grip on happiness. To get it back, she must face some truths that she’d rather keep buried,
and alter the impossibly high expectations she’s been holding everyone – including herself – up to.
Interwoven with these narratives are glimpses of the lives of the women that surround Helen and her daughters: the first wife of Liane's great love; the girlfriend of a man Ilsa is drawn to; the young woman that Fiona's husband has kept a secret. Through these alternating perspectives, and with pitch-perfect honesty and heartwarming humor, Stapley explores sex, marriage, and how the many roles that women play are often at odds with each other. Ultimately a celebration of the redemptive power of love in all its forms, Mating for Life is a stunning, memorable debut.

I had received an ARC so long ago that I had forgotten what the book was really about, let alone that it was written by a Canadian. There are oodles of amazing Canadian authors out there. Some of those authors have written really great women's fiction. What I lack in my reading life (which, let's be honest, is my entire life) is women's fiction set in Canada. It just doesn't often happen. So, I was thrilled when I realized (remembered?) that Mating for Life was set in Muskoka and Toronto. This may not mean much to anyone else but ever since interning at Project Bookmark Canada (and, actually, I think there are some awesome Bookmark opportunities with this one) I've been trying to read more CanLit and it's hard when one of my preferred genres isn't represented. So, thank you, Marissa , for writing just the book I wanted to read.

I really loved the relationships in this novel. Stapley did an amazing job of capturing the nuances of the relationships between a mother and her daughter and between sisters. Because, as much as the marriages and other romantic relationships played a part in this novel, that's really what the story was all about - Helen and her three daughters and they way they interacted and felt about each other. I liked that even if you had a good relationship with your own mother or sister, as I do, you could still identify with Helen, Fiona, Ilsa, and Liane. You knew where they were coming from even if you couldn't understand, for example, how Liane didn't mention her engagement to her sisters, or even to her mother (those would be my first two phone calls should I ever get engaged). The family dynamic was just so real. I don't know how else to really explain why I liked the female relationships in this book...they were just really well done and I felt connected to their story and their lives as I was reading.

If you follow me on Goodreads you may be wondering why, if I'm obsessing over this book so much, I didn't give it five stars (if you don't follow me on Goodreads, I gave this one four, and only because I can't do halfs on the site!). This was purely for a personal reason. It is very common for me to not like a book when it switches perspectives. I like being in the head of one character (sometimes two is ok) but I'm not usually a fan of books that switch between three or more characters. Mating for Life switches between many characters but...I was pretty much ok with it. It still bothered me because I wanted to know what was happening in one character's life but then the chapter would end and it'd be onto someone else's world. It worked, totally, but it made me wish for more time with certain characters. It's also worth it to note that there were usually gaps in time between chapters and you're sort of left scrambling and playing catch up as you try to figure out what had happened with a character since you last heard of them. Again, this really worked with the way the story was being told but it was a little something that I didn't totally love. 

A small thing to note but I liked it so I wanted to share: each chapter started with the name of an animal (fox, squirrel, seagull) and a description of their mating behaviour. And I am pretty sure the name of that animal is mentioned within that chapter. I missed a few of them but I definitely caught others. So neat! Here's an example:

I'm a bunny owner. Of course I picked the rabbit one!

I don't know what else I can say about Mating for Life except: read it. Seriously. Marissa Stapley has written an absolutely wonderful novel and I think so many others would love it too. You can bet I'll be pushing this one on almost every reading woman in my life. If you're looking for a well written, emotional, real women's fiction novel (an added bonus if you want a Canadian to have written it), Mating for Life should be your next read. It will be released, appropriately enough, on July 1. Buy it, devour it, and then let me know what you thought of it!

*I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Finding My Happy Pace

I've mentioned several times on the blog that I'm a huge fan of Heather Wardell. I've loved every single one of her books and Finding My Happy Pace was no exception. I've been trying to catch up on her novels but she's just such a fast writer and I have a bazillion other books to read so I'm still behind. I've also gotten myself out of order! She has a Toronto Series that's not really a true series but some of her previous characters appear or are mentioned in subsequent books. Since I've already read the next book in the series, I'm now only behind by three books. Not bad!

Here's the synopsis of Finding My Happy Pace:

If thirty-year-old Megan were any more of a doormat, she'd have footprints on her back. She helps anyone and everyone, no matter the cost to herself, and she's always been that way. Even the thought of withholding her assistance makes her feel sick. Worse, it makes her feel like she's a bad person, selfish and unkind. She takes up running purely to avoid gaining weight, but as she trains with her cute but heartbroken coach Andrew she becomes more able to do things she'd never thought she could, both physically and emotionally. The day before she runs her first marathon, though, her best friend's demands result in the biggest challenge yet to her developing assertiveness and Megan must decide: cave in as she always has before or stick to her new-found 'happy pace' in running and life.

Usually I give Heather's books a five star rating on Goodreads because I adore them so much. This time, though, I couldn't quite justify it. I loved the story but I hated how much of a doormat Megan was. Because of that annoyance I couldn't quite love it as much as I'd like. It was tough because I really did like Megan and she's a great person and character but reading about how she constantly gave into her so-called BFF and her mother was frustrating. Oh, and speaking of her mother...the family dynamics in this one drove me up the wall. Though it's a testament to Heather's writing that I felt as frustrated as I did. Sure, I was constantly yelling at Megan to stand up for herself but I could also see exactly why it was so difficult.

I'm so happy that Andrew featured prominently in this novel. He was in Planning to Live (funnily enough, the only other book of Heather's that I gave four stars to. You can read my review here) and I always wondered what he got up to afterwards. It was great to see that he was trying to move on with his life and was open to, well, opening up to someone else. It's hard to say too much without giving away the ending of Planning to Live! He's a great guy, though, and I'm really happy he and Megan were able to connect.

I really liked the marathon/running aspect of this novel. I always think that Heather has really interesting and unique ideas and activities for her main characters. Training for a marathon isn't a very unique thing, you're right, but I don't think I've personally read any novels about it before. It was interesting and made me think about my running obsessed friend, Heidi. We all tease her but I'm also so incredibly proud of her for being so dedicated and running so many races. This line made me think of her and made me giggle:

Once again, Heather Wardell delivers a winner with Finding My Happy Pace. It's not my favourite of hers but I think everyone would enjoy it. I can't wait to move onto her next one! Hopefully I'll be all caught up by the end of the year!

Happy reading :)

Mini Review: Live Out Loud

Once again, Heather Wardell has given me a fabulous read! Live Out Loud was a great, thought provoking, and emotional novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Here's the synopsis:

Amy's a hobbyist songwriter with big dreams, but not the usual 'making it as a musician' kind. No, Amy wants to honor her late best friend by finally starting the support center for teenage girls they'd dreamed of when they were just girls themselves. She doesn't know where to start, but when one of her songs becomes an overnight internet sensation she sees a quick path to the money she'll need to make the center a reality.
As white-hot pop sensation Misty Will, Amy finds a whole new world opening to her and realizes she loves being on stage holding an audience spellbound. She also loves how her young fans look up to her and draw strength from her songs, but of course they don't know the awful thing she did after her friend died and how badly she could have used a support center herself. She knows, though, and also knows that she simply has to leave her new pop princess identity behind and become Amy the center director as she's dreamed of for eight years.
Doesn't she?

This is the sixth book in Heather's Toronto Series and I really like that this series isn't a typical one. All the books take place in Toronto (or with characters from the city who happen to be on vacation) but the main characters change in each book. What's fun is that sometimes characters from previous novels make brief appearances in following books. For example, the main couple from Stir Until Thoroughly Confused (Mary and Kegan, who I loved) show up Live Out Loud. I was annoyed at myself because I accidentally read this one before book five, A Life That Fits (I think I got confused by the Ls and the fact that I didn't have the list in front of me when I started this one on my Kobo). It doesn't really matter in the long run, but I didn't know if any characters from book five showed up in book six.

This is more of an observation than anything else, but when I was reading this novel, I was sort of picturing Amy as similar to Katy Perry. Perry is also pop-y and appeals to young girls but has a bit of a serious side as well, just as Amy does. Of course, the bright coloured wigs and costumes Amy-as-Misty wears further set the comparison in my head!

Like all of Wardell's novels, Live Out Loud was a balance of sweet and fun, and serious and inspirational. Amy had some tough decisions to make throughout this novel - Who should she sign with? Should she stay with her boyfriend? Should she keep being Misty? I saw this novel as a "follow your heart" kind of story and I really enjoyed it. If you still haven't picked up any of Heather Wardell's books (even after me bugging you to every time I review one of her novels), get to it. She's a great writer who always tells a wonderful story and I can't wait to dive into her next book.

PS In case you're wondering about all the mini reviews you've been seeing (and may continue to see...) - I'm way behind on reviews due to a lack of downtime for writing since I started my internship. I'm getting a TON of reading done on my commute but the reviewing part has fallen by the wayside. I'm hoping to get my act together soon so expect some more reviews in the next little while!

Just Finished: Stir Until Thoroughly Confused

I cannot begin to tell you guys how much I love Heather Wardell's books. Stir Until Thoroughly Confused was the third novel of Wardell's that I have read and it's been added to my Favourites of 2011 list along with the other two (you'll get the full list sometime in December, don't worry).

Here's what this one is about, courtesy of Goodreads:

Mary's given up everything, including an unsatisfying marriage, to become a chef. But the career comes with a side dish: Kegan, her sexy but controlling new boss.

They're soon in a relationship, and in all-too-frequent arguments, and when it becomes clear they can't work together and be together Mary faces a dilemma: keep her dream job or her dream man?

What I really loved about the first three novels I read were that they were all a little bit connected (Wardell calls them her "Toronto" series). Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo was the first and Go Small or Go Home was the next one - if you're so inclined and haven't yet done so, you can read my reviews of both of them here and here. I loved them both so I was cautiously optimistic that I would love Stir just as much and I did! I was a little worried as Kegan had shown up in the first two novels and, honestly, I wasn't his biggest fan. I don't know why I worried because Wardell was able to introduce a "life event" that changed Kegan and made him, well, more likeable. I was also unbelievably happy that Tess and Forrest from Go Small made frequent appearances - my favourite was the best and most touching wedding I've ever encountered. I'm glad Wardell brought back Ian and Candice too. Even though I didn't like them quite as much as Tess and Forrest, I still loved Polar Bear and their story and was happy to see some sort of closure with Kegan and Candice.

Even though you can kind of figure out that the main characters (in this case, Mary and Kegan) will end up together it's always a journey and I love that. There are twists and turns that I don't expect and, to me, that's what makes a great novel. The twist in this novel comes from a fairly classic problem facing many women - should Mary choose her dream career or her dream man? I don't think you'll be disappointed with how Wardell handles this conflict and how she resolves it - I sure wasn't. 

Wardell's characters tend be interested in things or come across things that I never would have thought about. For example, in Stir Kegan plays on an underwater hockey team. Like Mary I had never heard of underwater hockey and was so curious as to why Wardell had decided to put that in and how she had heard about it. Also, how did she come up with the menu premise for Magma? Focusing each dish around a certain spice, and having the tastings all have one spice in common. So interesting! It was the same sort of thing with Tess in Go Small - I never would have thought to create a character who liked creating miniatures. It's a part of the art world that most people wouldn't think of and I love that I got to be exposed to it through Wardell's book. There are lots of little things like the above examples that keep Wardell's books interesting and a little educational too. 

Overall, I loved loved loved Stir Until Thoroughly Confused. Once again Heather Wardell has written a book that I couldn't get enough of. I can't wait to keep working my way through all of her other books. Lucky for me, there are quite a few of them and she just keeps writing more too! I highly recommend you check out her books because they'll leave you completely satisfied.


Happy reading :)