4 stars I could never argue that Sidney Bristol is not a good storyteller because I think that may be her biggest strength. I haven’t read one of her books for a while, partly because I felt like the writing could be better. In the past, I have felt that the language could be a bit more sophisticated (and still be accessible to most readers) and some of the grammatical errors got under my skin. However, I received this one as a freebie and decided to give her another chance. I was pleasantly surprised because I didn’t notice the simple language and syntactic issues that had so bothered me in previous books. I almost gave it five stars. Unfortunately, there were two plot-related issues that stopped me. First of all, we never find out about this Skilton fellow and what his motivations are, and without knowing that, how can we know that he won’t show up again? Secondly, I feel that the epilogue is a bit heavy-handed in its introduction of Evan as the next character in need of his special someone. Suddenly, the reader is privy to his thoughts, and conveniently, he is longing for what Jamie and Tabby have. It was just a bit much for me. Despite my misgivings, I’m still giving this story four stars because I really enjoyed it and I think it’s worth reading. December 5, 2021
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2 stars
One word came to mind when I finished this short book: flibbertigibbet. It’s not exactly the right word to describe it, but it comes close. It’s frivolous and overly wordy. The plot is thin with very little conflict. The characters are two-dimensional, with very little development, although some of their banter is amusing. Overall, it was very disappointing and I cannot recommend it. This book was free when subscribing to the author’s newsletter. Needless to say, I’ve unsubscribed. Not my cup of tea. November 30, 2021 5 stars This is a short, almost whimsical story, with an HEA. I always enjoy Erica Ridley's books and this is no exception. I'm thankful to the author for this ARC. My only complaint is that I felt as if I’d read this before. This is the first in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series and focuses on Estelle and Aaron, two people in love who allowed misunderstandings and assumptions get in the way of their HEA. Luckily, they are given a second chance through the machinations of the venal, yet surprisingly romantic, Mr. Marlowe. November 29, 2021 4 stars Snow White and Rose Red is one of my absolute favorite fairytales from when I was a kid. In this retelling, Rossa wears red and the prince, Boris, is a white bear, so she calls him Snow. It was a clever way to mix up the story while retaining the most essential elements. Overall, I enjoyed the story but it has as much depth as any fairytale. Although I appreciated the changes from the original, I felt like the original theme of treating everyone, human or animal, kindly was missing in this version. Sadly, I think that was my favorite part. November 28, 2021 4 stars I received an ARC from the author, and I’ll start by saying that Zoe York is definitely in the top ten of my favorites. That said, I’m not able to give this particular novella five stars. I really did enjoy it and I found the characters, Ben and Chelsea, realistic and relatable. It’s a love-at-first-sight story, and I’m fine with those too. It veers into painting their relationship as almost a fairytale romance, and even that I can handle. What bothered me was when the characters started voicing their undying love for one another. This may not bother other readers, but to me, it felt saccharine and overdone. I guess I found it hard to believe that either of them could harbor such strong emotions for the other when they’d had so little time together. Love-at-first-sight is all well and good, and I can even see a couple determining that they are meant to be together and should be married within a very short time. However, I’ve always imagined that kind of decision accompanied a feeling that love would grow over time and not that it was already so intense. Perhaps that is my misconception. Be that as it may, it pulled me out of the story, and as a result, reminded me that it was fictional. Since my main reason for reading fiction is to escape reality for a few moments at a time, I don’t like when I’m pulled from the fantasy to question the likelihood of something that’s happening. I still recommend the book because it’s a great story to get you in the mood for Christmas miracles. November 24, 2021 4 stars I received an ARC from the author. This Christmas story has everything, from a little bit of Christmas magic to a realization about the importance of family to a bit of romance. It’s the second book in a row that I’ve read where the male romantic lead plays Santa and now I’m starting to wonder if I’ve missed out on something. It’s all told from the POV of Serena, a single mom of a five-year-old boy named Chase. She notices “hot Santa” but moves on and doesn’t expect to see him again. However, JD (Santa) shows up in a surprising and endearing way. Although the voice in which this story is told is quintessentially Jade Jamison, I found I just didn’t like it as much as usual. I almost wonder if changing it to present-tense (rather than past) could have helped. My favorite part was when Serena, surrounded by her loving family, realizes that she is enough. She doesn’t need a man to define her or to save her, although she’d certainly be happy to have one for companionship and romance. I believe it was this epiphany that truly opened her to the possibilities and brought romance to her. It’s a fun Christmas story and I enjoyed it, but it’s a novella, so don’t expect too much drama or character growth. November 22, 2021 5 stars I am thankful to the author for sending me an ARC. I have to admit, I didn’t read the first books in the Pickle series. I think they sound fantastic, but unless I get an ARC, I just don’t have time for them. Based on this one, I know I’m missing out and I hope to make time for them, but I have such a long list of TBR… I’m particularly fond of second-chance stories because they resemble my own. In this one, Mack and Rory are separated when Rory takes a job across the country and doesn’t ask Mack to come with her. Mack is devastated, but life moves on, and ten years later, he is surprised to find she has moved back. Rory is hesitant to admit, even to herself, that she has any feelings for Mack beyond friendship, but it’s clear she’s wrong. When Mack starts to realize she is following similar patterns to the last time, distancing herself from him to avoid her feelings, he is furious with himself for allowing her to hurt him again. At the same time, he is honest enough with himself to admit that he loves her (always has) and will do what it takes to keep her this time. It was impossible not to fall in love with Mack. From his incessant dad jokes to his intuitive ability to respond to emotional situations, not to mention his apparent “hotness,” he’s the whole package. It’s a little more difficult to relate to Rory, who is so compartmentalized in her life and so unable to tap into her emotions, it takes her ridiculously long to realize how much she cares for Mack. Her transformation is believable and hopeful. It feels good when she finally realizes that personal relationships are just as important as professional ones, maybe even more so. I truly enjoyed this book, and one of these days, I hope to read the rest of them. November 20, 2021 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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