ClareR (6062 KP) rated Becoming Ted in Books
Jan 19, 2023
After Ted’s marriage to his husband Giles breaks down, he decides that it’s time to do what makes him happy - rather than what makes everyone else happy.
Ted’s parents expect him to take over the running of the family business : an ice cream parlour in the quiet Lancashire seaside town of St. Luke’s-on-Sea. But Ted doesn’t want to do that. What he wants to do is very different.
I loved the characters in this book, but special mentions for me must go to Ted’s best friend Denise and his new friend Stanley. Both are fully supportive of his new venture.
Ted’s new boyfriend, Oskar, is on his own voyage of discovery, too.
This is a thoroughly lovely book about following your dreams and living your truth. I loved it, and would recommend it!
ClareR (6062 KP) rated Another Life in Books
Dec 11, 2022
But Anna can’t seem to give Nick up, and they have a summer of poetry, music and love, before Anna realises that she will have to give up this life in order to live the life expected of her. She can’t imagine losing her family.
Nick never forgets her, and everything feels like second best. Then something awful happens and Anna and Nick meet again years later.
I loved this book and would most definitely recommend it. It’s just wonderful!
A Theory of Crystal: A Paladins of Crystal Novella
8.0
Rate It
Book
Holy gods. There’s three of them. And they’re all gorgeous. Rebellious farm girl Yelena Kozar...
Fantasy Romance Reverse Harem
The Anniversary
6.0
Rate It
Book
Novelist J.B. Blackwood is on a cruise with her husband, Patrick, to celebrate their wedding...
Literary fiction
Rough Water (Songbird #7)
8.0
Rate It
Book
Sometimes love is more than a feeling…it’s a choice. Justin Doyle loves his new wife, Sarah....
Contemporary Romance New Adult
The Pirate's Physician (A Thrilling Companion Novella to the Sea and Stone Chronicles)
Book
When her world shatters, she dares to trust a pirate. Will she survive what comes next? The...
Historical Romance Renaissance Pirates Sea Adventures
ClareR (6062 KP) rated The Woman in the Wallpaper in Books
Oct 14, 2025
Sofie and Lara Thibault, along with their mother, move from Marseille to work in a wallpaper factory near Paris after he violent death of their father. The Oberst factory provides them all with a job and Josef Oberst becomes friends with the sisters.
A marriage and the Revolution see an end to the friendship.
I loved all the historical details around the Revolution, what it was like to work in a wallpaper factory, and the differences between the workers and the aristocracy. I could feel the tension radiating off the page, building to its incendiary, and very sad conclusion. I thought the character- and world-building were excellent, and I even felt some sympathy for the awful, aristo wife of Josef.
It’s a fabulous addition to stories set during the French Revolution.
Mr Collins in Love
8.0
Rate It
Book
The year is 1811 and the new rector of Hunsford, Mr William Collins, must be above reproach. He must...
MM Historical Romance
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Thoughts: This book was really cute. I really liked it a lot. she used the f-bomb quite a lot, but i was able to overlook that and enjoy the story. Lisa is the kind of girl who at first seems to be the epitome of a princess—perfect body, favorite past time is shopping, cries when she breaks a nail. she seemed a bit shallow at first. but as the story went on and i got to know her, and see how see saw things and come to love the people she loved, i realized what kind of sweet girl she was.
One of my favorite parts of the story was when Lisa was so overwhelmed with teaching English, and her husband was being a typical guy and gave her a really pathetic gift for her 30th birthday. she got really upset and went to a bar with one of her Japanese friends, and they stayed there until about 3:00 am. she got home and Peter freaked out about her, and she just told him that she didn’t want to hear it right now. they didn’t talk for three days. she describes the tension between them, and the forgiveness after it, and you can see their marriage healed and continue to get stronger.
Characters: my favorite character was Peter. he was such a sweet guy willing to do anything for his wife whom he truly loved. It was a very good picture of marriage, too. both Lisa and Peter made sacrifices for each other, ranted about work and stupid things, sat on the balcony and had a beer, and once in a while complained to each other.
Plot: As this book was a memoir, I can’t really critique the plot, but i will say that I liked the way the book was organized—instead of chapters, there were six sections that divided up the book: Laundry, Cooking, Shopping, Cleaning, Transportation, and Intermission.
Recommendation: I sat down and read the whole second half of this book in one sitting. it was a light easy fun read, and a laugh to the last page. (my sister will testify. she was trying to write her book and I'd laugh and she’d yell “Haley be quiet!”) I recommend this book to ages 16+ (only because of the use of language and occasional sex.) and to anyone who needs a good laugh.
A Little Thing Called Life: On Loving Elvis Presley, Bruce Jenner, and Songs in Between
Book
Award-winning songwriter Linda Thompson breaks her silence, sharing the extraordinary story of her...