Review: Written in the Stars

Not every Jane Austen fan appreciates an adaptation of her work but, for the most part, this Jane Austen fan does. So, I was excited when I heard about Alexandria Bellefleur's novel Written in the Stars. A play on Pride and Prejudice with a queer couple? I was all in. And, happily, I enjoyed every minute reading this book!

Here's the synopsis:

After a disastrous blind date, Darcy Lowell is desperate to stop her well-meaning brother from playing matchmaker ever again. Love—and the inevitable heartbreak—is the last thing she wants. So she fibs and says her latest set up was a success. Darcy doesn’t expect her lie to bite her in the ass. 

Elle Jones, one of the astrologers behind the popular Twitter account, Oh My Stars, dreams of finding her soul mate. But she knows it is most assuredly not Darcy... a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud, who is way too analytical, punctual, and skeptical for someone as free-spirited as Elle. When Darcy’s brother—and Elle's new business partner—expresses how happy he is that they hit it off, Elle is baffled. Was Darcy on the same date? Because... awkward.

When Darcy begs Elle to play along, she agrees to pretend they’re dating to save face. But with a few conditions: Darcy must help Elle navigate her own overbearing family over the holidays and their arrangement expires on New Year’s Eve. The last thing they expect is to develop real feelings during a fake relationship.

But maybe opposites can attract when true love is written in the stars?

Those looking for an exact adaptation of Pride and Prejudice will be a touch disappointed because Bellefleur takes some liberties with the classic and, ultimately, makes it her own story. I was totally into that and it reminded me of Bridget Jones's Diary in a way. Darcy likes things done in a certain way and can come across as aloof and reserved and, while that's kind of accurate, it's not really what she's like deep down. Which is kind of like her namesake. Elle is a lot more like Bridget than Elizabeth - she seems like she's all over the place and is untraditional. But she is smart and kind, with a family that loves to meddle. They're perfect opposites and perfect for each other.

An added bonus to reading this in December - there was a bit of a holiday element to it! Darcy and Elle have a Thanksgiving "date" at Elle's family's house and Elle also surprises Darcy with the sweetest Christmas treat which shows how well the pair know each other even though they're trying to pretend their relationship is just that, pretend. 

I wouldn't say I'm usually drawn to fake dating tropes but I've read a few this year that may have converted me. It's similar to friends-to-lovers, which is one of my favourites. There's a hint of enemies-to-lovers in this book because Darcy and Elle do not hit it off. At all. Darcy shows right away that there's more to her under her icy exterior and Elle's big heart is evident quickly as she chooses to forgive Darcy and go along with the fake dating scheme. She doesn't let Darcy walk all over her though and that helps the reader fall in love with the both of them, just as they start falling for each other.

Anyone who likes Austen-esque stories or fake dating tropes or, honestly, just excellent rom coms, should check out Written in the Stars. Alexandria Bellefleur's novel made me SO happy when reading it and I cannot wait to read the next book, Hang the Moon. 

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

Reviewing 2020: Favourite Books

What. A. Year.

I think we can all agree that at this time last year we had NO idea what the next twelve months would bring. The clock striking midnight won't magically make all our problems go away but 2021 is a fresh start and a chance to start as we mean to go on. Be anti-racist. Be a better neighbour by staying home as much as possible and wearing a mask when you do go out. Be a champion of local businesses. Let's take the good from 2020 and keep up with it and learn from the bad and grow as humans.

Like a lot of readers, I found the year to be a weird one. Sometimes I read book after book in quick succession, and other times I wanted to do anything but read. Of course there wasn't a whole lot else to do so there were a lot of phone games being played and TV and movies being streamed. At the start of the year I didn't think I'd get to 100 books. I barely made it in 2019 and there is no point stressing about a number because reading is more than your Goodreads goal. Imagine my surprise when I hit book #100 (In a Holidaze) over Thanksgiving weekend in October! As I write this, I'm working on book # 123 (Little Women) and will start # 124 (The Duke and I so I can watch The Bridgertons) shortly. Needless to say, it's really, really hard to narrow down my favourites from such a long list. But I shall try!

First up: authors I read multiple titles from and who deserve shout outs so other titles can make it on The List! I listened to both The Flatshare and The Switch (review) by Beth O'Leary this year and absolutely adored them both. I also read an abundance of K.A. Tucker's novels and, no surprise here, loved each and every one. She wrapped up Jonah and Calla's story in Forever Wild (review) after two full length and amazing novels. She also gave us The Player Next Door (review) which I swooned over. Karina Halle also had a number of releases with Lovewrecked (review) and One Hot Italian Summer (review) being up there for me. 

My favourite debut was The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (review) and, not surprisingly, my favourite reread (something I actually did this year!) was Pride and Prejudice. 

I only read four non-fiction titles which, for me, is actually a high number. Desmond Cole's The Skin We're In is a must-read.

Broken down by genre and in no particular order, I present you: The List! 

Historical

Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown (review)

The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham (review)

The Spoon Stealer by Lesley Crewe (review)

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue 

The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly (review)

The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester (review to come soon!)

Mystery
This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf (review)

Contemporary

Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis (review)

Better Luck Next Time by Kate Hilton (review)

Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter (review)

Romance

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (review)

Beach Read by Emily Henry (review)

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren (review)

All Stirred Up by Brianna Moore (review)

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur (review to come tomorrow!)

Honorable mentions: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon, The Love Study by Kris Ripper (review), Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (review), The Guest List by Lucy Foley, Waiting for a Star to Fall by Kerry Clare (review)

What books did you love this year? Do we share any favourites?

Review: The Twelve Dogs of Christmas

I had been looking forward to reading The Twelve Days of Christmas by Lizzie Shane ever since Forever's publicist, Estelle, gushed about it during a virtual event at the end of July. And I only just got to it! For shame! I love small town Christmas romances and all the doggos seemed liked such a cute addition. Final verdict? Super sweet and super festive.

Here's the synopsis:

Pine Hollow has everything Ally Gilmore could wish for in a holiday break: gently falling snow in a charming small town and time with her family. Then she learns some Grinch has pulled the funding for her family's rescue shelter, and now she has only four weeks to find new homes for a dozen dogs! But when she confronts her Scroogey councilman nemesis, Ally finds he's far more reasonable — and handsome — than she ever expected.
As the guardian of his dog-obsessed ten-year-old niece, Ben West doesn't have time to build a cuddly reputation. But he does feel guilty about the shelter closing. So he proposes a truce with Ally, agreeing to help her adopt out the pups. As the two spend more time together, the town's gossip is spreading faster than Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. And soon Ben is hoping he can convince Ally that Pine Hollow is her home for the holidays... and the whole year through.

The Christmas magic in this novel comes through with the town having various holiday events (tree lighting! A parade! A pageant!) leading up to the big day, which was featured at the end of the novel (which is not always the case). Not only were there festive events taking place for the characters to attend, but there was a big emphasis on family. Ben and Astrid are still trying to figure out how their family looks after the loss of her parents (his sister and brother-in-law) and Ally just wants to help out her grandparents but they're not allowing her to spend her "vacation" doing work (even if she's good at it and enjoys it). There are a number of sweet moments throughout as family, found and blood relatives, come together to celebrate the season.

I had some minor issues with the ridiculous lack of communication between Ally and Ben. It wasn't just lack of communication, it was the assumptions they each made even though they hardly knew a thing about each other. Instead of asking Ben about the fiancee she heard he had in a passing comment that should not have counted as fact, Ally just assumed there was one. And Ben assumed Ally wanted to get the hell out of Pine Hollow as soon as she could but she had never definitively said she wanted to go back to New York City. I know it's easy to judge when I'm outside of a situation and not trying to figure out my feelings for someone but that was the main conflict between the two - this confusion and the assumptions they make. The end of the world? No. Just a bit tiresome by the end.

I was so invested in the dog adoptions! I was, of course, rooting for a Happily Ever After with the humans, but I may have been even more into seeing who was going to bring a dog home for the holidays. That might be because I knew Ally and Ben had to get together (and which dog I was sure Ben was going to adopt after caving to pressure from his niece) but I didn't know who would get together with the dog they were meant to adopt. And each doggo had their own personality! You'd think it would get a bit confusing with twelve dogs to home but it didn't and I was cheered every time there was a successful adoption. Adopt, don't shop!

I love Pine Hollow and can't wait to revisit the town. Normally I get a bit annoyed when I can tell when an author is setting up a series or sequel but something about this town and these characters really got under my skin, in a good way, and I really enjoyed spending time with all of them. I was sad to say goodbye but happy to know I'll be able to see them again soon enough in Once Upon a Puppy.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas was a delight to read. Yes, Lizzie Shane's holiday novel was a bit predictable but that's the charm of these types of stories. I appreciated the twist she put on the small town and having all the dogs was surprisingly charming (obviously dogs are always appreciated but I wasn't expecting to be so wooed by them!). I wanted to keep reading and am already looking forward to the second book so consider this a successful reading adventure!

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

Review: Christmas on Peach Tree Lane

Ah, holiday romances. Sweet and festive with a guaranteed Happily Ever After complete with a Christmas tree or five. That's what Christmas on Peach Tree Lane gives readers (seriously, it had way more than five decked out Christmas trees). Jules Bennett has written a holiday story worthy of the Hallmark treatment and readers will be pleased with a romance that leaves them smiling.

Here's the synopsis:

Event planner Violet Calhoun lives to deck the halls, and her quaint Southern hometown’s fiftieth annual Tinsel Tour will be the event of the season. With a magazine crew on hand to document Peach Grove’s transformation into a winter wonderland, this year’s festivities have got to be the holly-est, jolliest yet. She does not have the time to deal with a Grinch—even a gorgeous one like Brady Jackson.

Divorce attorney Brady has plans to divest himself of his family’s ancestral mansion and be back at his Atlanta firm by New Year’s. Hanging so much as a wreath on the door is not a part of that plan. Nor is dealing with an annoying—though undeniably adorable—elf.

But Violet is all about making holiday magic happen. As they work together to stage Brady’s historic house, the town grump reveals he’s more sexy than Scrooge. And after some mind-blowing kisses, what starts as a Christmas flirtation starts to feel more like a year-round affair…

I know I'm not alone in loving the "big city worker coming to a small town and finds the meaning of life and Christmas" stories. As long as they're interesting, I don't care that they follow the same formula. In this story, Brady is the one who leaves the city (under duress, I may add) and Violet shows him that small towns have their own charm and can offer just as much as a big city can.

Bennett does a good job of making the reader understand that Brady isn't really a jerk. He's hurting and grieving after the loss of his grandfather and doesn't know how to make sense of these feelings. Luckily, Violet understands that too. I think if he had come across as super rude, instead of just a bit grumpy, I would have had a harder time rooting for him and Violet to get together. (And root for them, I did.) I do wish that Bennett hadn't had Brady and Violet's friend, Simone, go on a couple of dates a few years prior. I don't think it was necessary and just added weird tension that wasn't needed for the story.

I definitely appreciated how committed Violet was to her job and how Bennett made it clear that Violet is so busy and always working because she genuinely loves it. That's a stark contrast to Brady who works all the time because he can and feels he has to. Sure, he's a great lawyer but that doesn't necessarily mean he's loving what he does. Work will look different to a lot of people and this story showed that nicely.  

When I pick up a holiday romance I want a Happily Ever After with a sprinkling of festive cheer. Christmas on Peach Tree Lane delivers, though it's definitely a Christmas book you can read well before Christmas arrives as the big day doesn't actually feature in the novel. I think Jules Bennett has set us up for a new small town series and I'm happy she decided to start it off with a story that showcased the town and the magic of Christmas.

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

Review: One More for Christmas

Sarah Morgan has been a go-to author for me for years. I've been thoroughly enjoying her festive offerings for the last couple of years and was very much looking forward to One More for Christmas, this year's holiday novel. It gave me all the Christmas feels, complete with a lovely (and dramatic in the best way) family story, with a side of two romances and a stunning setting. I liked it a lot (didn't quite love it) but would definitely recommend it to holiday lovers this season.

Here's the synopsis:

For sisters Samantha and Ella Mitchell, Christmas is their most precious time of the year—a time for togetherness, love and celebration. Most of all, it’s about making up for everything their childhood Christmases lacked. But this year, they’ll be buying presents for the most unexpected guest of all—their estranged mother. It’s been five years since they last saw each other. But when their mom calls out of the blue and promises that this Christmas will be different, Samantha and Ella cautiously agree to spend it all together…

Gayle Mitchell is at the top of her career, but her success has come at a price—her relationship with her daughters. She never seemed to say or do the right things. Her tough-love approach was designed to make them stronger, but instead managed to push them away…until a brush with her own mortality forces Gayle to make amends. As the snowflakes fall on their first family celebration in years, the Mitchell women must learn that sometimes facing up to the past is all you need to heal your heart…

Gayle was a really hard character to get a handle on. I think that was kind of the point but, like Samantha, I found it difficult to believe she did want to change and also that she could change. At some point that feeling did go away and I was on board for Gayle examining her life choices and realizing that the life she was living was so not an ideal one. It maybe seemed a bit far fetched but I think having an accident and then being faced with the Christmas season can make a lot of people reexamine their lives.

The story was told in third person with shifting perspectives. Gayle, Samantha, and Ella all have many chapters but Kirstie, whose family owns the house in Scotland where the Mitchells spend the holidays, also has a couple of chapters. If memory serves, it really was just two. I know Morgan wanted to give some background into the family without Brodie, an eventual love interest, being the focus but it was really odd to have these random chapters when Kirstie really doesn't play a large role in the novel at all.

But the setting? Oh my word, it was magical. I loved being transported to the Scottish Highlands (and wish I could be there right now, to be honest. If I'm going to be locked down again soon, may as well be somewhere more remote. With reindeer!) I did find myself wishing the story would hurry up and the family would just arrive already but the set up was worth it. You got to understand a bit more why Samantha would be investigating the house for work (her travel company focuses on wintery, festive escapes and I love that idea) and understand how difficult it was going to be for all of the Mitchells to spend the holidays together.

What I like about having multiple characters to read about is you get three very different lives and storylines. Gayle is having, well, I guess a mid-life crisis brought about by her accident and I absolutely adored reading as she got to know her granddaughter and became friends with Mary, the owner of the house. Ella has a wonderful marriage and I really appreciated that Morgan showed how solid she and her husband were. They had a great relationship that was a partnership and they were also still clearly excited about each other in the bedroom. Then there was Samantha, who, despite her best intentions, seems to be following in her mother's footsteps and has been so focused on work she hasn't allowed herself to get involved in a real relationship. So seeing her open up with Brodie was delightful (and he is oh so romantic and I loved him). I was rooting for all sorts of Happily Ever Afters while reading this novel.

One More for Christmas was a lovely holiday novel. Sarah Morgan continues to be a must-read for me and I think others will thoroughly enjoy this one as well. It's not perfect but it's perfect for the season and that's all that matters to me. Now...let's start planning a vacation to the Scottish Highlands. 

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

Review: The Merriest Magnolia

Note to self: make sure you check if a book is part of a series before you request it. I hadn't realized that The Merriest Magnolia was actually the second book Michelle Major had written in her Magnolia Sisters series. It wasn't the end of the world but it meant I wasn't prepared for not knowing everything about the characters but expecting to. I got over that fairly quickly but then the rest of the book kind of let me down.

Here's the synopsis:

Home for the holidays has always meant cozy small-town traditions…but this year all that may change…

Carrie Reed has always been known as her hometown Good Girl, yet she still loves Magnolia, North Carolina—after all, this is where her newly discovered sisters, Avery and Meredith, live. But Christmas is on its way and with it, her first love. Dylan Scott is back in town and planning on changing everything she’s ever loved about Magnolia with his real estate development project…but not without a fight.

Returning to Magnolia was never in Dylan’s plans—it holds too many reminders that he would never be good enough, and memories of the girl he left behind. But when a tragedy leaves him guardian of a grieving teenager, Dylan returns, ready to remake the town into something only money can buy, small-town traditions be damned. But with Carrie determined to stop him, he finds himself wondering if redeeming his teenage reputation is worth losing out on his second chance at love.

In a surprise to no one who knows what romance novel tropes I like, I requested this book because of the second chance love story. If I'm being honest though, I'm starting to wonder why. Because usually there's major heartbreak and massive miscommunication and then lots of anger when they see each other again after 10+ years. So, I think I need to reevaluate things and take a closer look at which second chance stories I am actually drawn to. And maybe not get distracted by festive storylines!

Dylan was, quite frankly, an idiot. I can forgive running off when he was 18 (ish?) because no one really knows themselves at that age. He should have just talked to Carrie because he was stupid to think she was too good for him (not to say that she wasn't good...she was. And perhaps was too good for him. But that's for HER to decide.) and there was a lot of hurt and emotional issues that could have been avoided if he hadn't just taken off. He was holding onto too much anger about what her father did to him and the town and couldn't see that he was acting in quite a similar manner when he came storming back into town wanting to take over things and make them "better" without even taking the time to figure out what the town actually needed. Newsflash: it wasn't him and his fancy schmancy ideas. Ahem. Yeah, I didn't like Dylan at all and that did not help me like this story.

Carrie was a very good person. Too good. She had turned into a doormat because her father emotionally manipulated her. I feel like I was missing a few pieces since I hadn't read the first book where she and her half-sisters find out about each other after their father's death. He seemed like a real piece of work and I hated that she lost out on so much of her own life because he and his ego were too fragile to let her go and experience things on her own. And he discouraged her painting because she was better than him! What parent does that?? She did have a typical romance heroine journey and found a backbone and rekindled her love of painting, so I appreciated that. But it was hard to get over my anger with her father...and Dylan...and even her mother for leaving her with her dad. 

I did, surprisingly, love the fact that Dylan was now the guardian of his late cousin's teenager (obviously I was not a fan of people dying and the kid having his life turned upside down). I was more invested in Sam and his storyline than I was the romance between Dylan and Carrie. I liked seeing as he opened up to Carrie, and then Dylan, and started to learn that there were still people in the world who cared about him and were there for him. I said it was surprising that I liked this storyline because I'm not into single parent stories. I don't want kids and have a hard time connecting with romances where the hero or heroine has kids. But there was something about this one that got me right in the feels.

Ultimately, The Merriest Magnolia did not leave me feeling very...well...merry. Michelle Major's latest novel wasn't a bad one. It just wasn't for me. Might be worth a read if you're looking for a hit of small town Christmas and half-sisters becoming the best of friends but if you already have a TBR pile as tall as a Christmas tree, I'd maybe give this one a miss.

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

Review: The Sea Gate

Jane Johnson's novel, The Sea Gate, published last month but I had been waiting for it for months before that. I saw the cover, read what it was about, and it immediately went on my Highly Anticipating list. Because this has been the year it's been, I just finally got to reading it over the last week. It didn't thrill me as much as I expected but it intrigued me enough that I just had to see how the mystery would unfold and how many secrets were being hidden.

Here's the synopsis:

A broken family, a house of secrets—an entrancing tale of love and courage set during the Second World War.
After Rebecca’s mother dies, she must sort through her empty flat and come to terms with her loss. As she goes through her mother’s mail, she finds a handwritten envelope. In it is a letter that will change her life forever.
Olivia, her mother’s elderly cousin, needs help to save her beloved home. Rebecca immediately goes to visit Olivia in Cornwall only to find a house full of secrets—treasures in the attic and a mysterious tunnel leading from the cellar to the sea, and Olivia, nowhere to be found.
As it turns out, the old woman is stuck in hospital with no hope of being discharged until her house is made habitable again. Rebecca sets to work restoring the home to its former glory, but as she peels back the layers of paint and grime, she uncovers even more buried secrets—secrets from a time when the Second World War was raging, when Olivia was a young woman, and when both romance and danger lurked around every corner...
A sweeping and utterly spellbinding tale of a young woman’s courage in the face of war and the lengths to which she’ll go to protect those she loves against the most unexpected of enemies.

I'm really not sure why I didn't fall head over heels for this book. World War II stories never get old for me so that wasn't it. I think it boils down to the way the story was told. And boy was it told. It's super slow to start and I was just waiting for the moment where all would be revealed, and I knew just how it would be done too. There was a whole section at the end where Olivia tells Becca (and therefore the reader) everything. Sure, there were some flashback scenes but it was sort of an info dump as the loose ends got tied up. 

There were a few things I did like about the WWII aspect of the novel. First, I liked that it was another insight into how the war affected those who were left behind. How did the women and children (and men who couldn't fight) look after the homes and farms with so many men away at war? We get so many war stories from the male perspective but it touched the lives of far more people than just those who were on the battlefield and the effects were felt far beyond where the battles were fought.

Olivia's mother is away for the majority of the war and I appreciated that Johnson mentioned that she had been part of the SOE. It's a part of WWII's history that isn't talked about as much because it was mostly involving women. It has shown up in a number of books in the last year or so and I am so here for it because those women were heroes who deserve to be recognized.

Finally, Johnson also touched on Prisoners of War and the prejudices that ran rampant during the war. There were clear parallels between both the flashbacks and contemporary story (perhaps too clear...like it was history repeating itself and I think that was something I struggled with) with a white woman and a non-white man having romantic feelings for each other. One of the things that showed was that things have not changed nearly enough in the years since WWII ended.

Jane Johnson's The Sea Gate didn't hit the high notes for me but I still found myself needing to know what secrets Olivia and her home were hiding and that kept me reading until the last page. 

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