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Merissa (12058 KP) rated On the 2 in Books

Aug 2, 2023  
On the 2
On the 2
Felice Stevens | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
ON THE 2 is a standalone story set in New York that features some characters from previous books. You don't need to have read those to get the benefit, but I did so love seeing them and remembering their stories!

Nash is closed-off and straight-laced, working with numbers because they make sense and won't lie or betray him. Ethan is friendly and outgoing; working in a department store, he needs to be approachable. These two meet on the 2, a subway train that they both take from home to work.

One of the things guaranteed by a Felice Stevens book is the characters will be relatable. Whether because they're the grumpy or the sunshine, there will be something there that you read and laugh out loud with, from either doing the same thing yourself or knowing someone else who has done it. Neither Ethan nor Nash have the best family lives but they make the best with what they've got, in the way they know. I absolutely adored the slow burn with these two, as both of them try to figure the other one out.

I also thoroughly enjoyed how the difficulties they faced weren't just swept away in a wonderful wave of love. They worked it out and got to where they needed to be by communicating and working together. Nash speaks to Oscar, and Ethan speaks to Julia - both of them choosing kindness. Two more fantastic scenes!

A great book that I loved and have no hesitation in HIGHLY recommending.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 2, 2023
  
FM
Find Me ( Book 1)
K L Jones | 2023
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
🔞🔞🔞

5 of 235
Kindle
Find Me (Book 1)
By K L Jones
⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

Sophie Rush leads a chaotic life, she is a curvaceous 40 something, single mother of two children, from the outside looking in she seems to have it all. The looks, the family and the successful career. Even though she is happy with her lot, she finds herself seeking the one thing that is eluding her – love.

Just when she thinks all hope is lost, Sophie sees him, Finn Holston. There was just one problem, he was an up-and-coming actor and therefore one of the most inaccessible men on the planet, that didn’t deter Sophie though, she wanted him and only him! Right there and then she decided he was the one for her and throwing all caution to the wind she decides to pursue him, in the hope that if he saw her, he would want her too.

Will Sophie get her happily ever after she’s always wanted, or is she destined to be alone forever?

Come and follow this hysterical, rollercoaster ride of a journey Sophie takes on the path to find love.

I just don’t know where to start with this! I want to go with 2.5 stars. It was one of those books that had me questioning why the hell was I reading it! It wasn’t awful it had some parts that had me laughing and some parts that I just cringed at. It’s one of those stories that we have all fantasied over meeting that movie star we are all desperately in love with and him wanting us back. So it is relatable and I want to see where it goes. I did get some serious Ness vibes you know the one from Gavin n Stacey 😂😂
  
Far From Perfect (The Valentines, #2)
Far From Perfect (The Valentines, #2)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
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#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2685992062">Happy Girl Lucky</a> - ★★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3305103151">Far From Perfect</a> - ★★★★

<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Book-Review-Banner-74.png"/>;

I am extremely happy and excited to be part of the blog tour for Far From Perfect by Holly Smale. Thank you to the team at Harper Collins and Kaleidoscopic Tours - for letting me part of this tour and sending me a copy of the book.

Far From Perfect is the second book in the Valentines series. Read my review of the first book - Happy Girl Lucky.

<b><i>Synopsis:</i></b>

Being born in a family that is considered Hollywood royalty is not easy. When all her family is expecting perfection form her, Faith just wants to be normal. 

Instead, paparazzi follows her everywhere. She needs to rehearse everything she says and does. She needs to be herself - but, you know, someone else... at all times. 

<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>

Far From Perfect manages to portray an unwanted life in the spotlight of a girl that simply wants to be normal. I was very satisfied to see how the media was presented in this book. They push famous people's boundaries, twist stories and stir waters, causing dramas. And while I understand this is their job, I am grateful to see someone write about the negative impact they have on famous people.

I loved Faith as a character and I was so proud to see her stand up and fight. It was so easy to put myself in her shoes and experience her anger and frustration of not being listened to. I loved the friendship Faith has with Scarlett. It is real and funny and strong. But most of all, I loved the sister bond that Faith has with Mercy. It is so pure and emotional, and it made me think of my own little sister and how much she truly means to me. 

The story Faith tells us is a story that will touch every teenager. The struggles of love, family, friendships and finding purpose in the world. We have all been there, we have all fought the same battles and we understand. Even though some problems may seem trivial as a grown up, I remember how important those moments were to me when I was young, and how they shaped me today, and I was glad this was not underestimated in this book. 

And sometimes, life makes us forget. Time passes by, and we are lost for a bit. Until a book comes in our hands - to remind us what really matters. This is that book. A beautiful continuation of the series. I recommend it to the teenagers - to find your purpose; and also to everyone else - to remember what that purpose is!

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10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
Elif Shafak | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
You can also read my review at my blog - https://roamingthroughbooks.wordpress.com

I saw this book reviewed on The Sky Arts Book Club and Shafak was interviewed and I think I fell a little in love. Shafak is a beautiful human being who is currently self-exiled from Turkey to the content of her novels being subject to investigation as part of a legal movement in which writers are frequently prosecuted. A passionate storyteller, who writes openly about human rights, her protagonists are often the fallen, forgotten and marginalised. Needless to say I have been looking forward to reading this ever since.

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World is a novel about a murdered street walker, Tequila Leila and the last moments of brain activity that is said to occur after the heart has stopped beating. The memories of her life flood back, often related to taste and smell and we start to learn about the story of her life.

Central to her memories and providing a backbone to her life were The Five, – five people with which she formed close, integral friendships and in the absence of her blood relatives, are Leila’s “family”.

The book is structured around three parts – the first, The Mind telling the stories of her post-mortem memories, the second, The Body about how she was murdered and the impact it has on The Five, and finally, The Soul which is a touching finale in which The Five determine to give Leila the send-off she deserves.

Shafak is such a clever storyteller and is able to illuminate aspects of humanity which is often avoided or ignored, which make us feel uncomfortable, and yet her tenderness and compassion shine through the portrayal of all her characters enabling the reader to walk a mile in the shoes of those who are often forgotten.

For a book centred around death, an issue that rarely sits comfortably with human beings, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World confronts it without fear. She skilfully takes a sex worker’s body which is disregarded in its anonymity by those that are responsible for sweeping up the detritus of the Istanbul streets, and reveals a story of a life, full of tragedy, joy and love.

I love how Elif Shafak takes the stories of all of The Five and transforms the insignificant to the significant through the love they have for Leila and each other. In a society which elevates the rich and famous and makes their voices the loudest and most significant in the world, I loved the truth which was affirmed in this book about what a life of substance really means.
  
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows
Balli Kaur Jaswal | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
When I started reading this book, I really didn't know what to expect from it. The name of the book was simply unbelievable. The more I read it, the more it shocked me, and I know for sure, that after reading this book, I will never look the same at South Asian aunties and the community. The description of the book is quite accurate. British born Punjabi Nikki gets a job in gurdwara in Southall, London, to teach reading and writing to Punjabi widows, who are mostly from villages. She quickly notices that these widows are not interested in learning how to write, instead, they are very keen to share their erotic fantasies with other women. While teaching the widows, Nikki learns, that Southall, and the community itself are hiding many dirty secrets of its own.

I found the characters of this book very amusing, and at the same time very close to my heart. I loved how author put two opposites in the book; Nikki, who wants to live her life and make her own choices, and her sister Mindi-who still wants things done the traditional way. All the widows, who participated in this book, were really interesting and diverse personalities. They all had a story to tell, not only erotic one, but the one of their life as well. I do know quite a lot of South Asian people, and the way author described them in the book is very accurate. I am not including their fantasies, but the part of how they present themselves to society, is quite accurate. Respect of the family is the main value in Asian society, and all people try to maintain that. That’s why Nikki is kind of rebel against traditional values, which is sometimes quite shameful in the eye of the community. Everything in this book sounds very real and believable: characters, plot and the way author described places used in this book, it’s unbelievably accurate. I liked that author included more than one character in this book, and told the story from Nikki’s and her employer’s Kulvinder’s perspective. Kulvinder has huge influence in the book, with the tragic story of her daughter Maya, who died very young. Through the views of Nikki and Kulvinder, the story of the book unfolds very nicely, and keeps the suspense going.

The plot of the book is very original; nevertheless, it tells couple of different stories at the same time. Most of the action in this book happens in Southall, London. As the author said in the book, she lived in Southall, while she was studying at university. That explains why she wrote about this place with such detail. She described every corner and street with great accuracy, and beautifully presented the spirit of that place. How do I know? I visited that place many times, that’s why the similarity shocked me. This book tells not only the story of widow’s fantasies, but also involves murders, and many dark secrets of the society itself, and that really made the book amusing, twisty and hard to put down. The more Nikki gets involved with the widows, the more this story turns and thickens. Author discussed a lot of important topics in this book, such as: honour killings; family relations between parents and children, and what honour and respect of the family means in Asian society; immigration and adjustment problems; and many more. Author showed really nicely, that women, even after marriage remain women, and that after washing dishes, cooking and cleaning houses, they have their wishes and desires, which are not always fulfilled. Let me tell you one thing, those erotic stories they tell are really kinky, and has wide variety of action going on, so it is definitely not for young people to read.

So, as I mentioned before, and as it is obvious from the name of the book, it contains so foul language but at the same time is very comic and funny to read. This book is quite detailed, but it doesn’t make it boring, it helps to understand the situations better. I really liked, that the chapters were divided, so it was easier and more fun to read it. The ending of the book is nice and ended the book really well, by putting all characters at peace. To conclude, I really enjoyed this layered, funny and very beautifully written book and I do recommend reading it to everyone, who would like to have an insight of South Asian community, and get involved with those great topics which author brought up in this book.
  
How to Keep a Secret
How to Keep a Secret
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
How to Keep a Secret is written in a different style than we normally see from Sarah Morgan. As with all her other novels, this one flows story to story without hesitation blending all 4 women’s stories into one overall story. Not leaving you feel like you are reading separate stories, another 5 star, well done for Ms. Morgan.

How to Keep a Secret follows the stories of Mom Nancy, a painter who barely had time for her daughters while they grew up. Sisters Jenna, who longs for a baby with her husband (maybe too much), Lauren, who’s husband unexpectedly dies leaving her in chaos with her teenage daughter Mack, who isn’t much into supporting her mother right now. They each are well versed in secret keeping, will they come together as one to tackle them head on.

Each woman has her own story to tell and each is told with passion, compassion, dignity and grace from both their own perspectives and as seen from those around them. Once again Ms. Morgan uses her pen and paper to draw us into this world, surrounding us with new friends who we fight for, care about and are sad when they leave us.

Nancy’s story could be a mother’s story from any age or perspective. She is the breadwinner and leaves the care of the girls up to their dad, “the fun one”. She feels like she has neglected them their whole lives and has no clue how to be there for them now. Having lost her husband 5 years ago she has become a shell of her former self. She has to do some major life adjustments and clean outs to get back to being herself again. Maybe even find love again.

Lauren is dealing with the loss of her husband as well, though in the present not the past as her mother is. She has lost the close connection with her teenage daughter Mack, and has absolutely no idea what happened to cause the rift. At her husbands funeral she finally finds out the reason behind Mack’s sudden departure. As she packs and moves back home to Martha’s Vineyard, can she find peace with her daughter once again?

Jenna has suffered her own personal losses as of late she can’t get pregnant. She has no idea why or how come, she just knows she wants a baby more than anything isn’t being afforded the opportunity. If one more well-meaning person tells her how great a mom she’d be when she finally decided to have a baby, she would spit nails. She’s decided the universe has not. Can her marriage to Greg withstand the constant pressure that comes from trying to make a baby and failing?

Mack is a confused, upset, lonely and borderline angry teenage girl. She just lost her dad Ed and is now having to move across the pond with her mother into her grandmother’s house on Martha’s Vineyard. Nothing about life is fair at this moment. Can she start over in a new place, with new friends and new family?

Ms. Morgan once again tells a beautiful story that has you so wrapped up in the lives of the characters you are quite upset that it has ended. I received a copy of the novel in advance without any expectations for review. Any and all opinions expressed are solely my own. I would advise you to run, not walk, to the nearest place that sells Ms. Morgan’s books and pick up a copy today.