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Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?
9.0
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Yinka wants to find love. Her mum wants to find it for her. She also has too many aunties who...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Love at First Like in Books
Mar 19, 2020
First of all, please congratulate me for reading a book on my Netgalley backlist! Go me! Second, congratulate me again for reading a book based on a premise I despise: sitting on a throne of lies! :)
When Eliza discovers via Instagram that her last serious ex-boyfriend, Holden is engaged, she flips out. Despite the fact that she runs a successful business, Brooklyn Jewelers, with her sister, Sophie, Eliza feels as if she's lost the breakup--and life--when Holden gets engaged first. After all, she's still single. To console herself, she takes out some of the jewelry store pieces and snaps some insta-worthy shots of them on her left (ring) finger. This process is accompanied with a little alcohol to soothe the loss. Everything seems fine until she wakes up in the morning and realizes she's posted a shot to the store's page--and it's basically gone viral. From there, Eliza makes the perfectly rational (??!!) decision to pretend she's engaged and line up a free wedding and honeymoon to drum up business for Brooklyn Jewelers. All she needs now is a groom.
"My wedding is exactly six months from tomorrow. All I have to do now is find the groom."
I have no idea why I picked this book, I'm guessing it was a Netgalley widget, because I really really hate books based on lies like this. It truly makes me nervous and on edge. I almost didn't keep reading, but I decided to give it a shot. And I will grudgingly admit that Eliza grew on me, okay? If you aren't as bothered by me by the "throne of lies" concept, you might enjoy this book. And if you are into Instagram and jewelry, you could even love it.
Some pluses... Eliza has a lesbian sister. Sure, it's token lesbian representation, but at least it's there. Eliza pines for a man, but she's also a strong businesswoman and her business is very important to her (so much that she'd go along with this harebrained scheme to keep it). She and her sister are running a fairly successful storefront in New York. They admit part of that is because they received an inheritance, but Eliza also puts a lot of work into it. That's cool.
Some negatives... a lot of the dilemmas and plot points come across as very flat and one dimensional. Oh no, suddenly the rent is being raised, heightening the stakes in Eliza's fake wedding scheme?! Her sister's health insurance no longer covers IVF, so she needs more money to have a baby with her wife? You don't say, etc. At times, the plot feels like a trainwreck, where you know something horrible is going to happen, but you just can't look away. Eliza is determined that she's getting married--no matter the cost to anyone. The book stressed me out a lot. (Just tell people the truth!)
Still, much like a Hallmark movie, I found myself invested. I knew how it would probably all wind up, but I was weirdly captivated by it all. The Instagram heavy scenes, Eliza's dramatics, the looming wedding date. Somehow it worked in the end. It was crazy and ridiculous, but oh well. 3 stars.
When Eliza discovers via Instagram that her last serious ex-boyfriend, Holden is engaged, she flips out. Despite the fact that she runs a successful business, Brooklyn Jewelers, with her sister, Sophie, Eliza feels as if she's lost the breakup--and life--when Holden gets engaged first. After all, she's still single. To console herself, she takes out some of the jewelry store pieces and snaps some insta-worthy shots of them on her left (ring) finger. This process is accompanied with a little alcohol to soothe the loss. Everything seems fine until she wakes up in the morning and realizes she's posted a shot to the store's page--and it's basically gone viral. From there, Eliza makes the perfectly rational (??!!) decision to pretend she's engaged and line up a free wedding and honeymoon to drum up business for Brooklyn Jewelers. All she needs now is a groom.
"My wedding is exactly six months from tomorrow. All I have to do now is find the groom."
I have no idea why I picked this book, I'm guessing it was a Netgalley widget, because I really really hate books based on lies like this. It truly makes me nervous and on edge. I almost didn't keep reading, but I decided to give it a shot. And I will grudgingly admit that Eliza grew on me, okay? If you aren't as bothered by me by the "throne of lies" concept, you might enjoy this book. And if you are into Instagram and jewelry, you could even love it.
Some pluses... Eliza has a lesbian sister. Sure, it's token lesbian representation, but at least it's there. Eliza pines for a man, but she's also a strong businesswoman and her business is very important to her (so much that she'd go along with this harebrained scheme to keep it). She and her sister are running a fairly successful storefront in New York. They admit part of that is because they received an inheritance, but Eliza also puts a lot of work into it. That's cool.
Some negatives... a lot of the dilemmas and plot points come across as very flat and one dimensional. Oh no, suddenly the rent is being raised, heightening the stakes in Eliza's fake wedding scheme?! Her sister's health insurance no longer covers IVF, so she needs more money to have a baby with her wife? You don't say, etc. At times, the plot feels like a trainwreck, where you know something horrible is going to happen, but you just can't look away. Eliza is determined that she's getting married--no matter the cost to anyone. The book stressed me out a lot. (Just tell people the truth!)
Still, much like a Hallmark movie, I found myself invested. I knew how it would probably all wind up, but I was weirdly captivated by it all. The Instagram heavy scenes, Eliza's dramatics, the looming wedding date. Somehow it worked in the end. It was crazy and ridiculous, but oh well. 3 stars.
Magisto - Video Editor & Maker
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Magisto is the best video editor and movie maker with over 80M happy users! Finally, the video...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2450 KP) rated Murder’s No Votive Confidence in Books
Oct 23, 2019
This Debut Has My Vote of Confidence
This Memorial Day Weekend is going to be busy for Stella Wright. Not only is it the start of tourist season for her native Nantucket Island, but, thanks to her best friend, she has landed a job providing candles for a wedding taking place over the weekend. This job includes a large and elaborate unity candle, but before the couple can walk down the aisle, Stella finds the candle broken next to the body of the bride’s estranged uncle. When the police are quick to arrest a local bartender, Stella is certain they have the wrong suspect. Can she use the fact that she’s helping with the wedding to find the killer?
I didn’t get as much reading time as I am used to when I picked up this book, but I felt like the book started off a little slowly. That might just be me, however. Things definitely picked up in the second third of the book, and I was impressed with some of the twists we got as we neared the super fun climax. The characters really grew on me, especially Stella. There are hints we might be in for a love triangle, but I think it is clear who Stella’s love interest should be, and I really liked him, too. The suspects are good characters and strong as suspects. I felt the island could have come to life a bit more, but again, that might have been my lack of reading time to fully immerse myself into the story. Overall, I enjoyed this debut and I’m definitely planning to visit Stella again.
I didn’t get as much reading time as I am used to when I picked up this book, but I felt like the book started off a little slowly. That might just be me, however. Things definitely picked up in the second third of the book, and I was impressed with some of the twists we got as we neared the super fun climax. The characters really grew on me, especially Stella. There are hints we might be in for a love triangle, but I think it is clear who Stella’s love interest should be, and I really liked him, too. The suspects are good characters and strong as suspects. I felt the island could have come to life a bit more, but again, that might have been my lack of reading time to fully immerse myself into the story. Overall, I enjoyed this debut and I’m definitely planning to visit Stella again.
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Whip up your fall fashion wishlist with indie designer styles in any size, cute women’s clothing,...
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Wedding Date (The Wedding Date #1) in Books
Mar 18, 2021
Cute romance with lots of banter
Alexa Monroe would not usually go on a date with a man she was trapped with in an elevator. But she cannot deny the chemistry she feels with Drew Nichols when they get stuck during a power outage. Drew is about to head to the wedding of his ex, and he asks Alexa to be his date. At the wedding, the pair have a lot of fun, but Drew has to fly back to his job as a pediatric surgeon in LA and Alexa must return to Berkley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. But they cannot stop thinking about each other, so they start long distance dating. Still, they must overcome Drew's commitment issues and Alexa's own insecurities.
I inadvertently read the fifth book in this series first, so I went back to start at the beginning. I found this one to be very similar to the fifth book, which I liked better, but it was still enjoyable. Book #5 features Alexa's sister, so I knew a lot of the plot of this one, but oh well. I did not care for Drew as much--he was a little irritating with his commitment and anger issues, but he grew on me. The book featured what seems to be Guillory's trademark fun banter and focus on delicious, fun snacks. And she tackles serious issues, such as racism, along with the romance.
Overall, this was a cute read. I liked Alexa a lot and enjoyed escaping into a good romance. This is probably a 3.5-star read, but rounded up because it made me smile.
I inadvertently read the fifth book in this series first, so I went back to start at the beginning. I found this one to be very similar to the fifth book, which I liked better, but it was still enjoyable. Book #5 features Alexa's sister, so I knew a lot of the plot of this one, but oh well. I did not care for Drew as much--he was a little irritating with his commitment and anger issues, but he grew on me. The book featured what seems to be Guillory's trademark fun banter and focus on delicious, fun snacks. And she tackles serious issues, such as racism, along with the romance.
Overall, this was a cute read. I liked Alexa a lot and enjoyed escaping into a good romance. This is probably a 3.5-star read, but rounded up because it made me smile.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Wife in Books
Sep 9, 2020
Their 10th wedding anniversary should be something to celebrate. Why does Zoe only feel dread?
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
After reading the synopsis of The Wife by Shalini Boland, I knew I wanted to read it. A bride faints on her wedding day while getting ready. She wakes to a massive headache and no memory of fainting or what led up to it. Everyone said she must have been overcome with emotion, but nothing felt right afterward. Fast forward ten years and Zoe is planning an anniversary party. As the anniversary draws closer, the people around her are acting strangely. If she finds out what happened during the missing time, will it ruin the life she built?
I know, right? Sound good, doesn't it? Well, when I started reading it, I was disappointed. I thought I had everything figured out but was still enjoying the story. Then, wait, what? The story becomes intriguing and pulls you in and does not let go. It is not the fluffy and straightforward story I thought it was. It is a thriller worth reading.
Although Boland herself says she writes "suspense thrillers and dark adventures," I had not read any of her work previously. Her novels are rated around four stars on Goodreads, and I will be reading more of her work soon.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/9/20.
After reading the synopsis of The Wife by Shalini Boland, I knew I wanted to read it. A bride faints on her wedding day while getting ready. She wakes to a massive headache and no memory of fainting or what led up to it. Everyone said she must have been overcome with emotion, but nothing felt right afterward. Fast forward ten years and Zoe is planning an anniversary party. As the anniversary draws closer, the people around her are acting strangely. If she finds out what happened during the missing time, will it ruin the life she built?
I know, right? Sound good, doesn't it? Well, when I started reading it, I was disappointed. I thought I had everything figured out but was still enjoying the story. Then, wait, what? The story becomes intriguing and pulls you in and does not let go. It is not the fluffy and straightforward story I thought it was. It is a thriller worth reading.
Although Boland herself says she writes "suspense thrillers and dark adventures," I had not read any of her work previously. Her novels are rated around four stars on Goodreads, and I will be reading more of her work soon.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/9/20.