“Yours, Unexpectedly” by Rachel Lewis

Title: Yours, Unexpectedly
Author: Rachel Lewis    
Publisher:  Self-published
Year: 2024    
Genre(s): romance
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1

Rating: 

Why I read it: I entered a giveaway for it and though I didn’t win, decided to read it anyway.

Summary: Rebecca “Bex” Bardot needs to take a fine arts course in order to graduate. She gets placed in an Intro to Acting course and discovers the TA is Anders Olsson, her brother’s best friend and the person Bex has had a crush on for several years now. Unknown to her, Anders has been harboring feelings for her as well. As he prepares to complete his master’s and relaunch a career derailed by his untreated ADHD, will he finally take a chance? Will she?

“Famous for a Living” by Melissa Ferguson

Title: Famous for a Living
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Publisher:  Thomas Nelson    
Year: 2023    
Genre(s): romance
Part of a Series: No.

Rating: 

Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick

Summary: Cat Cranwell has built her life around social media as an influencer. But when scandal ruins her reputation, she finds her life in shambles. Her best option is to move out to Montana and accept a position from her uncle, who is a park ranger. Out there, she learns more about herself and who she wants to be as well as how to use social media responsibility. Most importantly, she meets Zaiah Smith – a man who seems to hate everything about her life. But will that change as she changes?

Election Day Rewind: “Why They Marched” by Susan Ware

 Tuesday is Election Day here in the United States.

If you are eligible to vote and are registered to vote, I strongly encourage you to go vote if you haven’t already done so. It may seem like your vote doesn’t matter but it does. Every vote does.

Recently, I went to go see the musical Suffs, which tells the story about the women who secured the right for women to vote in the United States. I loved it and I’m so sad it’s closing in January. If you can see it on Broadway before the New Year, I strongly encourage you to do so. If you can’t, a national tour is launching in 2025 so I encourage you to see it if it comes to your neck of the woods.

And you can always listen to the cast album. The music is amazing.

Some (More) Reads for Halloween!

Two years ago, I wrote this post about some books you could read for Halloween. I’ve decided to update the post with a few more books I’ve read that could also fit the season.

So here we go!

Again, I’ll start with some spooky and suspenseful reads.

“The Many Daughters of Afong Moy” by Jamie Ford

Title: The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
Author: Jamie Ford
Publisher:  Atria Books    
Year: 2022    
Genre(s): historical fiction, fiction
Part of a Series: No.

Rating: 

Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick

Summary: Dorothy has used her mental health struggles to fuel her art. But when they get too much and she worries her daughter will face the same problems, Dorothy undergoes a risky and experimental treatment to find the root of her problems. She learns it may not lie in her own past but the past of her ancestors, several women who have faced their own struggles going all the way back to one of the first Chinese women in America, Afong Moy. Will Dorothy be able to break free from generational trauma? Will she finally be able to find the peace and love she wants for both herself and her daughter?

Review Rewind: “Baker’s Dozen” by Allison Fuller

Since it’s fall, I thought I would look back to one of my favorite fall books – “Baker’s Dozen.”

Full disclosure – I do know Allison personally, so you can judge for yourself if I was able to give a fair review. This book also started as a fanfic for the Outlaw Queen (Robin Hood/Regina Mills) pairing in the Once Upon a Time fandom but Allison didn’t just change the names. You can understand the story just fine without understanding the show or the Outlaw Queen story on it.

You may also recognize the title as I mentioned it in my post about stories set in New York. This one takes place mostly within a few blocks in Lower Manhattan and really captures the spirit of the city as autumn descends on the city and then slowly changes to winter as the holidays approach.

Here is the summary I wrote about the book in my review:

Victoria Mason runs a thriving Manhattan bakery called Forbidden Fruit. She has a dedicated staff, a loving son and a best friend helping her raise said son. The only thing missing in her life is romance. But the handsome professor who comes into her shop each weekday at 8:15 AM might just change all of that. As the year starts to wind down, Victoria finds her love life starting up again.

You can read my original review here.

I hope you enjoy it and do give the book a try. It’s a great read.

And happy fall! 

“The Cinderella Pact” by Sarah Strohmeyer

Title: The Cinderella Pact
Author: Sarah Strohmeyer   
Publisher:  Dutton Adult    
Year: 2006    
Genre(s): contemporary fiction, romance
Part of a Series: No.

Rating: 

Why I Read It: It was on my Goodreads list but I think I put it on after watching a TV movie based on the book.

Summary: Nola Devlin works as an editor at fashion/gossip magazine Sass! and her main focus is on their popular advice columnist, Belinda Apple. Except Belinda Apple doesn’t exist – it’s all Nola, who pretends to be Belinda since no one gave her a chance, unable to look past her weight. But when Belinda’s advice inspires her friends to lose weight and have their Cinderella moments. Nola agrees and finds that once she starts to take control of her life, everything changes.