Book Review: Fight or Flight by Samantha Young

Title: Fight or Flight
Author: Samantha Young
Publication: October 9th 2018
Synopsis:

A series of chance encounters leads to a sizzling new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series. 

The universe is conspiring against Ava Breevort. As if flying back to Phoenix to bury a childhood friend wasn’t hell enough, a cloud of volcanic ash traveling from overseas delayed her flight back home to Boston. Her last ditch attempt to salvage the trip was thwarted by an arrogant Scotsman, Caleb Scott, who steals a first class seat out from under her. Then over the course of their journey home, their antagonism somehow lands them in bed for the steamiest layover Ava’s ever had. And that’s all it was–until Caleb shows up on her doorstep.

When pure chance pulls Ava back into Caleb’s orbit, he proposes they enjoy their physical connection while he’s stranded in Boston. Ava agrees, knowing her heart’s in no danger since a) she barely likes Caleb and b) his existence in her life is temporary. Not long thereafter Ava realizes she’s made a terrible error because as it turns out Caleb Scott isn’t quite so unlikeable after all. When his stay in Boston becomes permanent, Ava must decide whether to fight her feelings for him or give into them. But even if she does decide to risk her heart on Caleb, there is no guarantee her stubborn Scot will want to risk his heart on her….

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MY RATING: 2.5/5 STARS

 

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

The last book I read by Samantha Young was her famous, ‘On Dublin Street’, and while everyone on the planet seemed to loved that one, I actually did not like it one bit at all. I remember being very agitated with the story, the plot, the characters, and the ending. I threw it across the room. I wish I could say something different about ‘Fight or Flight’, the latest novel by Samantha, but I was very much on the fence about this one. The story follows the trope of love/hate relationship and I feel it deep down in my core about this one in the same way.

I loved parts of it.

But, geez. I hated lots of it too.

Book Review: I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

Title: I Owe You One
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Publication: February 5th 2019
Synopsis:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella, an irresistible story of love and empowerment about a young woman with a complicated family, a handsome man who might be “the one,” and an IOU that changes everything

Fixie Farr has always lived by her father’s motto: “Family first.” But since her dad passed away, leaving his charming housewares store in the hands of his wife and children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn’t take care of her father’s legacy, who will? It’s simply not in her nature to say no to people.

So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees—she ends up saving it from certain disaster. Turns out the computer’s owner is an investment manager. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, Sebastian scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. But Fixie laughs it off—she’d never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she?

Then Fixie’s childhood crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie’s buttons. She wants nothing for herself—but she’d love Seb to give Ryan a job. And Seb agrees, until the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOUs between Seb and Fixie—from small favors to life-changing moments—ensues. Soon Fixie, Ms. Fixit for everyone else, is torn between her family and the life she really wants. Does she have the courage to take a stand? Will she finally grab the life, and love, she really wants?

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MY RATING: 4.5/5 STARS

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

I have to admit that I am a HUGE fan of Sophie Kinsella but it doesn’t mean that I am bias in any way. In fact, a few of her past books including “My So-Called Life” was a disaster in my opinion and I was starting to doubt Sophie and wondered maybe she lost her touch. Her next novel following the disaster, “Surprise Me”, while was fun and light, it lost a bit of the jazz I loved in all her previous novels. However, despite some reviews on Goodreads, I strongly loved “I Owe You One” and would tell you to pick it up if you ever doubted the Queen of Romantic Comedy.

Book Review: Paperback Crush by Gabrielle Moss

Title: Paperback Crush
Author: Gabrielle Moss
Publication: October 30th 2019
Synopsis:

A hilarious and nostalgic trip through the history of paperback pre-teen series of the 80s and 90s.

Every twenty- or thirty-something woman knows these books. The pink covers, the flimsy paper, the zillion volumes in the series that kept you reading for your entire adolescence. Spurred by the commercial success of Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club, these were not the serious-issue YA novels of the 1970s, nor were they the blockbuster books of the Harry Potter and Twilight ilk. They were cheap, short, and utterly beloved.

PAPERBACK CRUSH dives in deep to this golden age with affection, history, and a little bit of snark. Readers will discover (and fondly remember) girl-centric series on everything from correspondence (Pen Pals and Dear Diary) to sports (The Pink Parrots, Cheerleaders, and The Gymnasts) to a newspaper at an all-girls Orthodox Jewish middle school (The B.Y. Times) to a literal teen angel (Teen Angels: Heaven Can Wait, where an enterprising guardian angel named Cisco has to earn her wings “by helping the world’s sexist rock star.”) Some were blatant ripoffs of the successful series (looking at you, Sleepover Friends and The Girls of Canby Hall), some were sick-lit tearjerkers à la Love Story (Abby, My Love) and some were just plain perplexing (Uncle Vampire??) But all of them represent that time gone by of girl-power and endless sessions of sustained silent reading.

In six hilarious chapters (Friendship, Love, School, Family, Jobs, Terror, and Tragedy), Bustle Features Editor Gabrielle Moss takes the reader on a nostalgic tour of teen book covers of yore, digging deep into the history of the genre as well as the stories behind the best-known series.

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MY RATING: 3/5 STARS

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

To be honest, I was in love with the cover, the idea, and the everything about this book when I first heard about it. This book basically captures my childhood in a tightly bound thick coffee table book. I loved Babysitter’s Club and any series this book brought back from the deep recesses of my memories so I was super excited to dive into it.

Book Review: Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

Title: Don’t You Forget About Me
Author: Mhairi McFarlane
Publication: March 26th 2019
Synopsis:

Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to rise again…

The hilarious new heartbreaker from Mhairi McFarlane!

If there’s one thing worse than being fired from the grottiest restaurant in town, it’s coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else.

Reeling from the indignity of a double dumping on the same day, Georgina snatches at the next job that she’s offered – barmaid in a newly opened pub, which just so happens to run by the boy she fell in love with at school: Lucas McCarthy. And whereas Georgina (voted Most Likely to Succeed in her school yearbook) has done nothing but dead-end jobs in the last twelve years, Lucas has not only grown into a broodingly handsome man, but also has turned into an actual grown-up with a business and a dog along the way.

Meeting Lucas again not only throws Georgina’s rackety present into sharp relief, but also brings a dark secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows the truth about what happened on the last day of school, and why she’s allowed it to chase her all these years…

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MY RATING: 3/5 STARS

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

This is my first novel by Mhairi McFarlane and it won’t be my last. She’s been recommended to me a lot after I asked a lot of people who their favourite romantic comedy author was besides my queen Sophie Kinsella. However, it was only until I received an ARC that really pushed me into actually reading her stories.

Book Review: 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

Title: 99 Percent Mine
Author: Sally Thorne
Publication: January 29th 2019
Synopsis:

Crush: a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s travelled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. That’s the problem with finding her dream man at age eight and peaking in her photography career at age twenty—ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for grey and chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts, or that perfect face that’s inspiring her to pick up her camera again. Soon sparks are flying—and it’s not the faulty wiring. It turns out one percent of Tom’s heart might not be enough for Darcy anymore. This time around, she’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.

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MY RATING: 2/5 STARS

I was provided an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

I wanted to start off this book review by stating that I was one of the very few that did not like/could not get through The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. I know. It’s a big shock for a lot of people but please don’t hate me because I think it’s a me and Sally problem and not her books are actually horrible and nobody should read them. Personally, I think it’s me not being able to connect to her writing and characters. And you know what? That’s okay.  Because Sally is a very talented writer who writes the tropes that everyone in the women’s fiction and romance fan category crave and love. It just doesn’t resonate with me.

Balancing Books, Life, and Work–How to Realistically Read More.

Honestly, there are countless of articles, blog posts, and booktube videos that have explored this topic many of times. Heck, even I think I wrote some a while back but since then I’ve blossomed into a realistic reader. By realistic reader, I mean that I accept the fact that life doesn’t always allow for premium reading time most of the time. Sometimes, I just don’t feel like reading and that’s completely okay. But if you ever find yourself wanting to reach your reading goals or maybe just want to knock off more books off your TBR, I’ve curated a few lessons I’ve learned in the past few years to share with you.

Reading Is Like Running In A Marathon

Just like how you probably won’t sign up for a 10K and just do a light jog around your block as an excuse for training, you probably shouldn’t have hopes of finishing a 400 pager soon after escaping a reading slump or a 3 month break from not reading a single page. Be more realistic with yourself and start off slow with a shorter book. You’re going to have to train yourself to have a longer attention span so that you slowly increase the number of hours you can read for a day. For example, not many people can concentrate on reading for more than an hour before they grow tired or bored. The same goes for reading longer books. Once you read more per day, you will be able to finish books faster, and burn through longer books in a shorter amount of time.