“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.

“The Spanish Daughter” by Lorena Hughes

Title: The Spanish Daughter   
Author: Lorena Hughes   
Publisher:  Kensington Publishing Corp.     
Year: 2022    
Genre(s): historical fiction
Part of a Series: No.

Rating: 

Why I Read It: Once Upon a Book Club pick

Summary: Maria Purificacion de Lafont y Toledo, better known as Puri, travels from Spain to Ecuador upon the death of the father who abandoned her and her mother when she was still a child. On the voyage over, she is attacked and her husband Cristobal is killed. Puri decides to assume his identity to help find who wanted her dead. She meets the other family her father had in Ecuador and has to work through years of family secrets to find the truth to solve her husband’s murder and claim her share of her father’s fortune.

New York, New York

Welcome to New York, it’s been waiting for you.

Yes, I did just quote a Taylor Swift song. I like her music and I feel this quote is appropriate.

So, New York City. The place I call home.

(Well, full disclosure: I live in one of the outer boroughs of New York City, not in Manhattan, but it still counts).

I was going through my list of read books on Goodreads and I realized that I haven’t really read a lot of books set in New York City. Which seems odd as I know there are plenty of them. One of my favorite quotes from a defunct Disney ride called The Timekeeper was “New York City, home of a million dreams and one parking spot.” I think it does accurately describe New York (including the one parking spot) and why so many people choose to set their stories there.

Mid-Year Check In

It’s July, meaning the year is halfway over. Time certainly flies, huh?

So with another review still a little while off, I thought I would see how this blog is doing at this point in 2024.

Check it out under the cut.

“Not Your Crush’s Cauldron” by April Asher

Title: Not Your Crush’s Cauldron
Author: Rachel Joyce   
Publisher:  Griffin
Year: 2024    
Genre(s): paranormal romance
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3. Read reviews for Book 1 and Book 2.

Rating: 

Why I read it: To complete the trilogy

Summary: Olive, the third Maxwell triplet, always assigns her class an assignment to challenge themselves to get out of their comfort zone. This year, she decides to do the list along with her student. Her friend and new roommate, Bax, agrees to do it with her but hides important information from her – namely, that he’s been assigned as her guardian angel. As they complete Olive’s list, will their relationship become more than it is?

Happy Anniversary!

Eleven years ago, I decided to start this blog of my book reviews! I know I didn’t set the book reviewing blogosphere on fire but that’s okay. I’ve just enjoyed sharing my thoughts on the books I’ve read.

And I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them.

For fun, I’ve decided to put together some statistics to see how the past 11 years have gone for me.

Let’s take a look!

“Miss Benson’s Beetle” by Rachel Joyce

Title: Miss Benson’s Beetle
Author: Rachel Joyce   
Publisher:  The Dial Press   
Year: 2020    
Genre(s): historical fiction, adventure
Part of a Series: No

Rating: 

Why I Read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection

Summary: With World War II over, teacher Margery Benson decides to abandon her career and finally pursue her dream of proving the existence of the golden beetle of New Caledonia. She buys the gear, books passage to the other side of the world and engages the services of Ms. Enid Pretty as an assistant. As they journey to New Caledonia, both Margery and Enid take another journey that could change them forever.

Resurrecting More Reviews

I’m getting closer to starting new reviews soon. But I’ve been on vacation since my last post so I knew I wouldn’t have time even if I did finish a book by then.

So I’m going to highlight some more reviews I published over a decade ago now for you to enjoy.

This time I’m going to do a trilogy written by Pamela Aidan. They tell the story of Pride and Prejudice but from Darcy’s perspective rather than Elizabeth’s.

Check them out under the cut!

No New Reviews Yet

I’m just really behind on my reading.

I thought I had a good schedule set up but it doesn’t seem to be working. I also think that the book I’m reading isn’t really holding my attention. And while I know I can always just stop, I really don’t want to do that just yet. So I’m going to try to power my way through this.

Wish me luck!

Anyway, I think I’m going to share some old reviews so they can get some more views. I hope you check them out!

Literary Trends

I’ve been operating this blog for almost 11 years. Which means I missed my 10th anniversary. Looks like I’ll have to rectify that later.

So check for that in June!

Anyway, since I’ve been posting pretty regularly on this blog for over a decade, I’ve noticed some trends. Especially when I’m reading more modern books courtesy of Once Upon a Book Club. So I thought I would discuss them.

Check it out under the cut!

“Not Your Ex’s Hexes” by April Asher

Title: Not Your Ex’s Hexes
Author: April Asher
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2023    
Genre(s): paranormal romance
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2. Book 1 reviewed here.

Rating: 

Why I read it: I read the first book and wanted to read the sequel.

Summary: With her sister Violet now the Prima Apparent, Rose Maxwell struggles to find a new direction for her life. When she ends up doing community service at an animal rescue owned by half-demon veterinarian Damian, she finds a distraction with both the animals and their sexy doctor. He also introduces her to the world of supernatural bounty hunting and she finds she has a talent for it. But as everything falls into place, Damian has a secret that could destroy everything.

My Favorite Women Authors

I’m surprised I haven’t covered this already but I looked through my old blog posts to confirm it.

So I’m rectifying this now.

It’s Women’s History Month and I want to highlight some of my favorite women authors. Now, of course, I do love Jane Austen but I think I want to focus on more modern authors. So Jane is on my list, just not for this blog.

Here we go!

“Today We Go Home” by Kelli Estes

Title: Today We Go Home
Author: Kelli Estes
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Landmark
Year: 2019    
Genre(s): historical fiction, contemporary fiction 
Part of a Series: No

Rating: 

Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection

Summary: Discharged from the army and suffering from PTSD after her last tour in Afghanistan, Larkin Bennett returns home and is teetering on the edge. The only thing keeping her from going over is a diary found amongst her late friend’s belongings about Emily Wilson, a woman who disguised herself as a man to fight in the Civil War. Though living in a different century, Larkin finds comfort in Emily’s story and realizes she isn’t alone.

“Between Earth and Sky” by Amanda Skenandore

Title: Between Earth and Sky
Author: Amanda Skenandore
Publisher:  Kensington Books
Year: 2018    
Genre(s): historical fiction
Part of a Series: No

Rating: 

Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick

Summary: Alma Mitchell is surprised when the morning newspaper contains an article about a her childhood friend and that he is suspected of murdering a federal agent. She convinces her husband to go from Philadelphia to Wisconsin to help him. Going back to Wisconsin and facing Harry or Asku forces Alma to consider their time at a school meant to assimilate Indigenous children into white culture and challenge the lies she has told herself.

“She Wouldn’t Change a Thing” by Sarah Adlakha

Title: She Wouldn’t Change a Thing
Author: Sarah Adlakha
Publisher:  Forge
Year: 2021    
Genre(s):  literary fiction, science fiction
Part of a Series: No

Rating: 

Why I read it: 12 Days of Bookmas gift

Summary: Maria Forsmann is a successful psychiatrist, wife and mother of two with one on the way. But an appointment with one patient sets things in motion that ultimately change Maria’s life forever. After a traumatic event, she wakes up in her seventeen year body and realizes she has been sent in time to prevent another tragedy. But doing so would prevent her from returning to her family forever. What will she choose?

“The Last Tale of the Flower Bride” by Roshani Chokshi

Title: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher:  HarperCollins
Year: 2023
Genre(s):  gothic, mystery
Part of a Series: No

Rating: 

Why I Read It: Once Upon a Book Club selection

Summary: A scholar specializing in fairytales and legends marries a mysterious woman named Indigo on one condition – he never asks about her past. But when they return to her childhood home for her aunt’s last days, he realizes he needs to break his promise and discover what happened to her friend Azure. But will learning this secret not only end his marriage but his life?

Wrapping Up 2023

Happy New Year again! 

Since I don't have a new review ready, I thought I would just do a little wrap up of 2023. Everyone else does it, so why not me?

I had 22 posts to this blog during 2023 and 17 of them were book reviews. The other fives were other posts, usually recommendation lists. Of those reviews, these were the most popular: 

1. The Space Between by Dete Meserve: 55 total views

2. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna with 45 total views

3. The Duchess by Wendy Holden  with 44 total views

4. The Wildland by Rebecca Hodges and Sisters of the Resistance by Christine Wells tied with 43 total views each

6. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James with 42 total views 

Many, of course, were published in the first half of the year and so benefitted from being up longer. Here were the three most popular posts of the second half of the year: 

1. The House on Harbor Hill by Shelly Stratton with 33 total views

2. The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald with 20 total views

3. How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior with 16 total views

So that was my 2023! I look forward to all the reviews I'll post in 2024 and hope you continue reading them!

Did you have a favorite review or book from 2023? If so, let me know in the comments! 

My Books of 2023

 

These are the 15 books I read in 2023! I still have two books left to review so you can expect those soon! I struggled with one and then the holidays were a bit crazy this year. But I'll start new now that it's January 1st and I'll finish those two pending reviews from 2023. 

And then I'll continue on with the new books I'm going to read in 2024. 

Thank you to everyone who read one of my reviews last year and I hope you'll continue this year! 

Happy New Year!