Review: Of Mess & Moxie

Of Mess and Moxie by Jen Hatmaker

Rating: 4 Stars

As a lapsed Lutheran, I really appreciated Jen’s (I feel like I can call her Jen after finishing this book; I mean, we’re basically best friends now) approachable voice as she talks about faith. Even though there were many things she discusses that I can’t directly relate to (I’m not married and don’t have kids), I never felt excluded reading those parts. The whole thing felt like sitting down and having a discussion with a good friend. 

I often avoid Christian books, movies, etc because so much of it comes across as preachy and often judge mental. This is not the case with this book. She writes the book in a very non formal, chatty voice, which I usually wouldn’t enjoy, but in this case it felt just right, but if you prefer more formal writing, this may be a struggle.

Review: I Think I Love You

I Think I Love You by Lauren Layne

Rating: 3 Stars

The final installment of the Stiletto and Oxford series by Lauren Layne does not disappoint. It's one of my favorite types of romances to read, the friends-to-lovers stories, and Layne executes it beautifully. All of the characters from previous books make an appearance, so the reader has a chance to check in with each of them one last time as well. It can get a little confusing to keep track of all of the secondary characters, so if you have it in you, a binge-read of the entire series might help keep all the characters straight. If you don't, though, Layne does a good job of re-introducing all the secondary characters so you won't feel lost.  Layne does a fabulous job of writing friendships, and that aspect of her writing really showed through in this story, especially since the main story-line featured two best friends. It was such a joy to read about the friendship between Hunter and Brit, and how that friendship stayed the base of the relationship, even after they had started sleeping together. My only complaint about this was that the resolution of the main conflict seemed a little rushed. 

Overall the story was fun and easy, although the ending was bittersweet.. I''m sad to see the series end, but I look forward to reading more of Lauren Layne's writing. Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy of the book.

Review: Hot Asset

Hot Asset by Lauren Layne

Rating: 3.5 Stars

After recently finishing (and being completely disappointed) in The Wedding Date, I was thrilled to be able to dive into Lauren Layne's newest series! Hot Asset is exactly what I like in a romance. It was fun and flirty, with characters that have flaws but address these flaws by the end of the book. 

I also really enjoy how Layne writes relationships of all kinds. The main romantic relationship is great, of course, but I personally enjoy how she writes friendships, especially between men. These relationships feel real and authentic, which can be difficult to write. 

If you're looking for a fun, easy, romantic read Lauren Layne is your girl. I'm already counting the days until the release of the next book in the series, Hard Sell. Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

Review: The Wedding Date

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Rating: 1 Star

I wanted to like this book so much. I've been hearing so much buzz around it and the premise is one that is definitely catnip to me. I love this kind of rom-com in any form; tv, movie, book, I eat it all up. The additional layer of an interracial relationship should have been an added bonus to an already fun and interesting story.

However, the entire book fell completely on its face for me. There wasn't a single redeeming quality about this story (although, admittedly, I did skim the last 10% of the book, I just couldn't take it anymore).
The first major issue for me was the writing itself. It felt like a project for a freshman's creative fiction seminar. The ideas are there, the conventions are okay, but altogether it just doesn't work. There was no flow to the writing and the sentences were choppy and repetitive. The page breaks were also terrible; there were breaks where it didn't make sense, and in other sections there weren't breaks where there clearly should have been. Guillory also spent way too much time talking about food; where the characters were going to eat, what they were eating, etc. It just didn't make sense to me, neither of the characters had any connection to food except that they eat, and the focus on food really took me out of the story. It interrupted the flow (what little of that there was) unnecessarily in my opinion. Finally, at one point the author used all capital letters to show emphasis within the narrative (not as a character's text message or email) and I do not like that at all.

The second major issue was the content (and really, after that, what's left?). The heroine, Alexa, was so insecure. It drove me absolutely up the wall! I understand that some insecurity can make a character relatable, but at the level Guillory wrote Alexa, it was just obnoxious. She was a pretty, smart woman in a position of some power; she shouldn't have spent the book acting like a 14 year old girl trying to navigate junior high. Drew had issues too, for sure, but Alexa's insecurity really stood out and rubbed me the wrong way. 

The other major content issue I had was the lack of communication between Alexa and Drew. I know that part of the rom-com trope is some sort of miscommunication, but this went way beyond the normal miscommunication between characters. They didn't talk to each other throughout the whole book, it seemed and all of their problems could have been solved by just having a conversation! It was extremely frustrating to read. One miscommunication is fine, but the entire plot being driven by a constant lack of conversation between two adults? That's just obnoxious. 

I really wish I could have loved this book, and I really wanted to, but it just had too many problems for me to ignore and get fully invested in the story. I never connected to the characters, never felt their chemistry, and honestly, didn't feel much of anything throughout the whole book. I was extremely disappointed that a book with such potential didn't deliver even a little bit.

Review: The Flight Attendant

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian 

Rating: 3 Stars

Chris Bohjalian’s The Flight Attendant is a wonderful example of what a thriller should be. I was captivated by the story, particularly the hot mess that is Cassie, from the very beginning. I couldn’t see how she would get herself out of the mess she was in, and was compelled to keep reading in order to find out.

The best part about this novel, though, is that the ending completely surprised me. As the pieces all started to fall into place, they didn’t go together the way I expected, keeping this from being a run of the mill mystery that any armchair detective could solve halfway through. Bohjalian did an excellent job of parceling our bits of information that kept me engaged all the way to the end. 

This is a fantastic story for anyone who likes smart thrillers and spy novels.

Thanks to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of the book.

Review: A Conspiracy in Belgravia

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas

Rating: 2.5 Stars

I’m struggling a little bit with my feelings on this book. On the one hand, I think Sherry Thomas is an excellent writer and the cliffhanger at the end of the book insures I’ll pick up the next installment. 

On the other hand, I struggled to get through this book. I felt too bogged down in details for most of the story. I loved that the ending of the mystery had a twist I didn’t expect, but I honestly couldn’t explain, even immediately after finishing it, what the plot/mystery actually was. It went in and out of my brain almost immediately. It’s how I felt about the first one as well. And it’s been over a year since I’ve read that one, so I had a hard time following all of the characters and storylines that were brought back from the first story. 

I found the relationships to be the most compelling parts of the book, and I’m particularly interested in reading more about how the main characters continue to relate to each other.

I give this 2.5 Stars, because Thomas is a great writer and I think she writes a good mystery, but I also think there’s too much happening for one book. That is most likely a writing style preference on my part, and I would recommend this to anyone interested in historical mysteries. I will also definitely be reading the next one because I want to know what happens next; not so much the next mystery, but where she takes these characters and their relationships to each other.

Review: Ain't She A Peach

Ain't She a Peach by Molly Harper

Rating: 3 Stars

This is the second full-length installment in Molly Harper's Southern Eclectic series, but could be read as a stand-alone. There have also been two novellas, but again, those don't need to be read to understand and enjoy the story. Harper does a good job of catching the reader up on any important information from the other stories, although that comes off as a little repetitive if you've read the novellas.

I've read all of Harper's other books, and was a  little skeptical about picking this series up, since I didn't like her complementary novels nearly as much as I've enjoyed her paranormal books, and was starting to wonder if her style only worked for me in a paranormal setting. I am pleasantly surprised to say that that appears to not be the case, as I've enjoyed this entire series. 

Ain't She a Peach is full of quirky characters, funny story-lines, and at it's heart, a family that truly loves each other. It is billed as a romance, and that element is there,  but I felt the more compelling relationship was between Frankie, the heroine, and her parents, and how they've all dealt with her childhood illness. 

This was a a fairly quick and easy read, but extremely entertaining. I hope that Harper will write at least one more novel in the series, because I'd love to see Duffy settled. If you like a lighthearted story filled with quirky characters, be sure to pick this one up when it's released 6/12/2018.

Thank you to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.