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Gypsy Origins ( All the Pretty Monsters book3)
Book
I'm not all that special, really. Or uncommon. I'm sure there are a lot of girls with old gypsy...
Hazel (1853 KP) rated How Not to Fall in Love, Actually: A Laugh-Out-Loud Romantic Comedy in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
“Life, as any chancer knows, is 10% planning, 10% design and 80% totally winging it …” and Catherine Bennetto’s debut novel <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> provides a perfect example. The protagonist, Emma George, does not have the most stable of lives: a job she is not that great at, a disappointing boyfriend, and not much hope for the future. Clinging on to dreams of working in the film industry in New York, Emma plods on in her frustrating London job, however, things are due to get a lot worse.
A quick succession of events leaves Emma boyfriend-less, homeless, penniless, grandmother-less, and, to top it off, pregnant. Although letting off a woe-is-me aura, Emma does not realise how fortunate she is. A series of serendipitous incidents, a fashion-obsessed mother, and a sister on the other side of the world make Emma’s life more bearable. Moving into her late grandmother’s Wimbledon cottage and acquiring a handsome lodger, with a loving family just around the corner, Emma’s life has the potential to be happier than it has ever been before – if only she could see that.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> (a title presumably inspired by the film Love Actually) is a typical British romantic comedy that provides light-hearted relief with its jovial narrative. Full of eccentric characters – a foul-mouthed four-year-old, a felony-obsessed octogenarian, and a harried mother of four – this novel is certain to entertain, although whether it deserves the “laugh-out-loud” status it promises is questionable (but then I am more of a laugh-inside type of reader).
One of the best things about this book – and many British chick-lit – is the authenticity of the characters and settings. Although a few of the scenarios may be toward the extreme end of the scale, none of the occurrences are too far-fetched, and all the characters are relatable in some way, despite their idiosyncrasies.
Personally, I tend to avoid chick-lit, finding them rather lowbrow and written for the sake of writing. Books that have love or sexual encounters as their key theme are not something I enjoy. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> exceeded these rather low expectations. Admittedly, there are one too many sexual references and far too much swearing, particularly from a four-year-old character – although that does add to the overall humour - but the general storyline was enjoyable. Despite the title hinting at a love-focused story, there were so many other elements to the plot, resulting in a much more interesting novel.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> is obviously targeted at women, but can be enjoyed by adults of all ages. Those in their twenties and thirties may be able to relate to the struggles Emma is dealing with, whereas older generations may be able to reminisce about their past dilemmas. Whatever the reader’s situation, this book brings laughter, relaxation and the realisation that life is not so bad.
“Life, as any chancer knows, is 10% planning, 10% design and 80% totally winging it …” and Catherine Bennetto’s debut novel <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> provides a perfect example. The protagonist, Emma George, does not have the most stable of lives: a job she is not that great at, a disappointing boyfriend, and not much hope for the future. Clinging on to dreams of working in the film industry in New York, Emma plods on in her frustrating London job, however, things are due to get a lot worse.
A quick succession of events leaves Emma boyfriend-less, homeless, penniless, grandmother-less, and, to top it off, pregnant. Although letting off a woe-is-me aura, Emma does not realise how fortunate she is. A series of serendipitous incidents, a fashion-obsessed mother, and a sister on the other side of the world make Emma’s life more bearable. Moving into her late grandmother’s Wimbledon cottage and acquiring a handsome lodger, with a loving family just around the corner, Emma’s life has the potential to be happier than it has ever been before – if only she could see that.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> (a title presumably inspired by the film Love Actually) is a typical British romantic comedy that provides light-hearted relief with its jovial narrative. Full of eccentric characters – a foul-mouthed four-year-old, a felony-obsessed octogenarian, and a harried mother of four – this novel is certain to entertain, although whether it deserves the “laugh-out-loud” status it promises is questionable (but then I am more of a laugh-inside type of reader).
One of the best things about this book – and many British chick-lit – is the authenticity of the characters and settings. Although a few of the scenarios may be toward the extreme end of the scale, none of the occurrences are too far-fetched, and all the characters are relatable in some way, despite their idiosyncrasies.
Personally, I tend to avoid chick-lit, finding them rather lowbrow and written for the sake of writing. Books that have love or sexual encounters as their key theme are not something I enjoy. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> exceeded these rather low expectations. Admittedly, there are one too many sexual references and far too much swearing, particularly from a four-year-old character – although that does add to the overall humour - but the general storyline was enjoyable. Despite the title hinting at a love-focused story, there were so many other elements to the plot, resulting in a much more interesting novel.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> is obviously targeted at women, but can be enjoyed by adults of all ages. Those in their twenties and thirties may be able to relate to the struggles Emma is dealing with, whereas older generations may be able to reminisce about their past dilemmas. Whatever the reader’s situation, this book brings laughter, relaxation and the realisation that life is not so bad.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated All About Evie (Chameleon Chronicles, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Not totally romance, not exactly chick-lit, not altogether a mystery, so what is it? A bit of all of the above really. ALL ABOUT EVIE is a fluffy read that's fairly quick and utterly harmless. Evie, at 41, is a nice change from the 23-year-olds that run rampant in lighter fiction. Yes, her age does come into play since she's an old geezer in the world of show business, but it never became overbearing or unnecessary and added another dimension to her character. Evie narrates in first person, while when it cuts to another character it is written in third person, a bit jarring at first, but I didn't have any problems with it. The plot was fine, as was the pace, there's not much to rave or quibble about, the book was just nice. I think the most irritating thing about the book was the excessive mentioning of Evie's TMJ (temporomandibular joint, which should actually really be called TMD - temporomandibular joint disorder/dysfunction), I really got sick of her bringing it up and then confusing it with lockjaw. We got it, you have a problem with your jaw, move on. But on the whole, I wouldn't say there was anything earth-shattering about the book but it's a perfectly good beach read. One thing, this is the first of three books (not sure if they'll be more), so it's not a standalone, which was unfortunate for me. At this time I'm not sure if I'll be on the look-out for the other two.
There's Been a Life! My Autobiography
Book
Since his first tentative steps on stage, Alex Norton's career has been both highly colourful and...
Farm Sounds by TantrumApps
Games and Education
App
Take your kids to the farm, anytime! A fun application to play with your children, and a great...
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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Dangerous in Books
Sep 6, 2019
***ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.***
Something caught me early on with this. It was probably Liams I-know-Im-good-and-dont-need-to-prove-it mentality. The way nothing phased him until he met Devon Candler and everything went right out the window.
Devon could literally be the definition of sex and though she wants Liam she tries to resist him. You cant help but like her, really, with her tough chick attitude. She could certainly look after herself and designed some bad-ass weapons.
That being said, I have to admit I got a little bored in places. It might have been all the description, which Im not that big a fan of, or the really long paragraphs (also not a fan of) and kept putting it down the more we got into the story, just wanting the plot to hurry up and play out. Dont get me wrong. Its a good book and Im glad I read it but there wasnt any introduction to the new world we were in, thats my only problem with it apart from the above-mentioned things but they relate to me personally.
It was certainly something a little different to what I normally read and I honestly did enjoy it.
If you like something futuristic with paranormal vibes then this is probably right up your street. Add a splash of romance and youre all set for an intense journey.
Something caught me early on with this. It was probably Liams I-know-Im-good-and-dont-need-to-prove-it mentality. The way nothing phased him until he met Devon Candler and everything went right out the window.
Devon could literally be the definition of sex and though she wants Liam she tries to resist him. You cant help but like her, really, with her tough chick attitude. She could certainly look after herself and designed some bad-ass weapons.
That being said, I have to admit I got a little bored in places. It might have been all the description, which Im not that big a fan of, or the really long paragraphs (also not a fan of) and kept putting it down the more we got into the story, just wanting the plot to hurry up and play out. Dont get me wrong. Its a good book and Im glad I read it but there wasnt any introduction to the new world we were in, thats my only problem with it apart from the above-mentioned things but they relate to me personally.
It was certainly something a little different to what I normally read and I honestly did enjoy it.
If you like something futuristic with paranormal vibes then this is probably right up your street. Add a splash of romance and youre all set for an intense journey.