Category Archives: Rated C+

August 19, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee

Title: The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee
A Sweet Mess Series
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

With witty characters and heartrending romance, Jayci Lee, author of A Sweet Mess, returns with The Dating Dare—where two people might just find out how hard it is to resist falling in love with the right person.

No serious relationships. This is the one rule Tara Park made for herself and it has been working swimmingly, thank you very much. The occasional fling is fine, especially since she’s busy with Weldon Brewery. But when Seth Kim, temptation personified and her best friend’s new brother-in-law walks into her life, Tara might be willing to bend her golden rule…but only for four dates—the four dates she agreed to after a few good rounds of beer and a game of truth or dare. It’ll be fun. No biggie.

Seth Kim can’t believe Tara agreed to his dating dare. He’s leaving for a new job in Paris in a month and a no-strings attached fling seemed like a nice little distraction for both… But their secret dates, while sweet and sexy, always hit roadblocks straight out of a romantic comedy. Thankfully, their non-dates and chance meetings are smoother, frequent, and heated. However, the more Seth sees of Tara, the less willing he is to let her go—and what was supposed to be a fun little game turns into something that neither of them are ready for.

But sometimes, the best things in life are the ones we never see coming.

Review:

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee is a steamy romance with a cute premise. Although this newest latest release is the second book in the A Sweet Mess series it can be read as a standalone.

Tara Park is the maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding when she and the groom’s brother and best man Seth Kim decide to get to know each other better. Both are attracted to one another so a drunken game of truth or dare leads to an interesting proposition. Seth challenges Tara to four dates before he leaves for a new job in Paris. She agrees on the condition they keep things casual between them. As Tara and Seth grow closer, will they keep to their no strings agreement?

Seth and Tara’s dates are initially fun outings that are laced with sexual tension. Both have agreed to keep their dare a secret so they come up with interesting reasons to spend time together. Their plans are sometimes thwarted by circumstances out of their control. No matter how frustrated they are by the interruptions, these unexpected situations reveal endearing facets about their personalities. Seth has a surprisingly romantic streak that  delights Tara. With Seth’s departure fast approaching, will they discuss their growing feelings for each other?

The Dating Dare is a light read with plenty of heat and low angst. Tara and Seth are interesting characters whose past relationships leave them with plenty of emotional baggage. While their outings are charming, the storyline is predictable.  The secondary cast of characters is delightful and leave readers wanting to know more about them. The late in the story conflict that arises between Tara and Seth is not unexpected but it is still a little disappointing. Although their romance has an instalove vibe, it is easy to root for Seth and Tara to resolve their differences.  Jayci Lee brings this engaging romance to a sigh-worthy conclusion.

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Filed under A Sweet Mess Series, Contemporary, Jayci Lee, Rated C+, Review, Romance, St Martin's Griffin, The Dating Dare

· 12:01 am

Review: Ghosts by Dolly Alderton

Title: Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 354 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLER • A smart, sexy, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about ex-boyfriends, imperfect parents, friends with kids, and a man who disappears the moment he says “I love you.”

Nina Dean is not especially bothered that she’s single. She owns her own apartment, she’s about to publish her second book, she has a great relationship with her ex-boyfriend, and enough friends to keep her social calendar full and her hangovers plentiful. And when she downloads a dating app, she does the seemingly impossible: She meets a great guy on her first date. Max is handsome and built like a lumberjack; he has floppy blond hair and a stable job. But more surprising than anything else, Nina and Max have chemistry. Their conversations are witty and ironic, they both hate sports, they dance together like fools, they happily dig deep into the nuances of crappy music, and they create an entire universe of private jokes and chemical bliss.

But when Max ghosts her, Nina is forced to deal with everything she’s been trying so hard to ignore: her father’s Alzheimer’s is getting worse, and so is her mother’s denial of it; her editor hates her new book idea; and her best friend from childhood is icing her out. Funny, tender, and eminently, movingly relatable, Ghosts is a whip-smart tale of relationships and modern life.

Review:

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton is an interesting novel that follow main character Nina Dean for a year of her life.

Nina Dean has just turned thirty-two and she is ready to jump back into the dating game. She is rather rusty when it comes to romantic entanglements since she was in a long-term relationship. Her best friend Lola introduces Nina to the world of dating apps. After several possibilities fizzle out before the meet in person stage, she hits it off with Max.  Has Nina finally met her Mr. Right?

Nina is a successful cookbook author and she is also a columnist.  She is in the unenviable position of watching her beloved father’s decline from dementia and her mum’s unexpected attempts to remake herself. Nina’s longtime friendship with her married friend Katherine has also hit a bit of a rocky patch. So Max is a welcome addition to her life but she is bewildered when he “ghosts” her after a pivotal point in their relationship.

Ghosts is an engaging novel with an intriguing storyline. However, Nina and the secondary cast of characters are somewhat underdeveloped.  While the dialogue is snappy and sarcastic, there are several pages of Nina’s inner thoughts that are long winded and meandering. One of the scenes late in the story is rather jarring since it does not fit with that particular story arc. Nina’s scenes with her dad are heartbreakingly poignant as his dementia worsens. Her relationship with her mum is a little contentious due to Nina’s lack of understanding about her mum’s out of character behavior. Dolly Alderton brings the novel to a lovely conclusion that readers will absolutely love.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dolly Alderton, Knopf, Rated C+, Review, Women's Fiction

July 28, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: The Retreat by Elisabeth de Mariaffi

Title: The Retreat by Elisabeth de Mariaffi
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

She came looking for inspiration. Instead, disaster strikes.

Maeve Martin arrives at the High Water Center for the Arts, a gorgeous lodge nestled deep in the Rocky Mountains, determined to do one thing: begin her own dance company. A retired performer and mother of two, time is running out for her to find her feet again after the collapse of her disastrous—and violent—marriage. And at first, there’s a thrill to being on her own for the first time in years. Isolated in the snowy beauty of the retreat, Maeve can forget the ghost of her past for an hour, for a day.

But when an avalanche strikes, Maeve finds herself trapped with six other guests. They’ve lost all power, phone service, heat, and the road back to town. At first, there’s a sense of camaraderie—the fire is warm, the freezer well-stocked. But as the days pass and the storm rages on outside, tensions start to run high. Help is coming, so they just have to hold on, right?

Then the first guest meets an unspeakable death. Followed by another. Soon Maeve must admit how little she knows about these strangers . . . and how useless a locked door is if the darkness is already inside.

Review:

The Retreat by Elisabeth de Mariaffi is a tension-filled mystery with a fantastically creepy setting,

Ballet dancer Maeve Martin is thrilled with the opportunity to stay at the High Water Center for the Arts. She does have a few reservations about the isolated location but she shrugs them off soon after her arrival. She gets off on the wrong foot with Sadie Kwon who is Director Karolina Rhys’ assistant. Maeve is excited about her quick friendship with filmmaker Anna Barthelmy. She is flattered by the attention of artist Sim Nielssen and a little leery of facilities’ manager Dan Darling.  Journalist Director Justin Doyle is always ready for fun but he enjoys stirring up trouble. Maeve is finally hitting her stride in the dance studio when an avalanche then winter storms trap her and the others at the isolated lodge.  The death of one of their group convinces Dan it is time to attempt to hike to the nearest village for assistance. Will help arrive before another life is lost?

Maeve is a former up and coming ballet dancer who is now a mother of two young children. Having finally escaped her former controlling, abusive husband, she would like to start her own dance company.  She is planning to use her time at High Water to get back in the groove of dancing again. Maeve mostly keeps to herself, but she feels pressured to spend time with the other guests at the lodge. She really enjoys Anna but the undercurrents between the various people make her uncomfortable. Maeve is also experiencing frightening nightmares that she struggles to understand. When the storm knocks out the electricity and phone service,  Maeve does not if she can trust any of the people she is stranded with at High Water.

The Retreat is an atmospheric mystery with interesting yet underdeveloped characters. Maeve finds it difficult to quiet the negative inner voice of her former husband as she resumes dancing. She also discovers she does not trust her judgment as she gets to know the strangers she is staying with. The other guests already know one another and it is difficult for her to understand the strained relationships between them. The storyline is fast-paced and Elisabeth de Mariaffi turns up the suspense as this intriguing mystery comes to a bit of an unsatisfying conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Elisabeth de Mariaffi, Mulholland Books, Mystery, Rated C+, Review, Suspense, The Retreat

June 7, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: The Tulip Tree by Suzanne McCourt

Title: The Tulip Tree by Suzanne McCourt
Publisher: Text Publishing
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Henryk reached out to embrace him, formally, awkwardly. How rarely they’d touched since childhood, thought Adi, as he sank against his brother. How clumsy their love was.

Brothers Henryk and Adam Radecki’s relationship is one of fraught love and jealously. Henryk, unhappily married, becomes a rich and successful industrialist, while Adi, a devoted vet, finds and loses love. Their bond is tested throughout their lives, from the 1920s, against the background of Poland’s tragic and tumultuous relationship with Russia, through war, revolution and invasion, until 1954 in the Snowy Mountains of Australia.

Adi’s wife and son are at the heart of this riveting tale, in which family secrets threaten to tear lives apart. Caught up in momentous events, each character reminds us of our power to survive extraordinary times, of the moral choices we make and the dramatic turns our lives can take.

Beautifully written, full of the detail of everyday life, its joys and suffering, The Tulip Tree is engrossing historical fiction at its best, a profoundly moving story of love, sacrifice and loyalty.

Review:

The Tulip Tree by Suzanne McCourt is a family-centric novel that spans 1920-1950s.

Henryk and Adam “Adi” Radecki are brothers whose relationship is complicated. Henryk is a businessman who is married with one daughter. Adi is a widower with a son and after remarrying, he and his second wife have two more children. He is a veterinarian who is haunted by the death of his first wife. Henryk is competitive and regrets letting his first love get away. Adi is quiet and keeps his feelings bottled up. As war comes once again to Poland, Henryk and Adi view Hitler’s antipathy towards Jews quite differently. In the aftermath of the war, suspicions run high and informants often give up information about others to protect themselves or loved ones.

The various characters are well developed although not all of them are likable. The storyline is rife with factual information about the Polish-Soviet War, World War II and Ravensbrück concentration camp. The pacing is uneven and sometimes very slow.

The Tulip Tree by Suzanne McCourt is a poignant novel that is quite educational. The various settings are vividly brought to life. The war years are realistically portrayed and offer a haunting glimpse World War II.  After the end of the war, the Radecki families’ lives are difficult and the revelation of a secret drives a wedge between those who are affected by the devastating truth.

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Filed under Fiction, Historical, Rated C+, Review, Suzanne McCourt, Text Publishing, The Tulip Tree

June 4, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield

Title: Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In this sweeping debut, Asha Bromfield takes readers to the heart of Jamaica, and into the soul of a girl coming to terms with her family, and herself, set against the backdrop of a hurricane.

Tilla has spent her entire life trying to make her father love her. But every six months, he leaves their family and returns to his true home: the island of Jamaica.

When Tilla’s mother tells her she’ll be spending the summer on the island, Tilla dreads the idea of seeing him again, but longs to discover what life in Jamaica has always held for him.

In an unexpected turn of events, Tilla is forced to face the storm that unravels in her own life as she learns about the dark secrets that lie beyond the veil of paradise—all in the midst of an impending hurricane.

Hurricane Summer is a powerful coming of age story that deals with colorism, classism, young love, the father-daughter dynamic—and what it means to discover your own voice in the center of complete destruction.

Review:

Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield is a complex family-centric young adult novel.

Eighteen-year-old Tilla is excited and nervous about spending two months in Jamaica with her dad. She and her nine-year-old sister Mia live full-time in Canada with their Jamaican-born mother. Their father splits his time between Canada and Jamaica but recently, he has not returned to visit them. Tilla’s expectations about her dad are low because of his history of breaking promises. She is also old enough to remember the constant arguments between her parents.

As soon as their plane lands, Tilla’s hope for a different version of her father are dashed when he takes her and Mia to the country. He then leaves them with their relatives and returns to the city. Mia immediately makes a connection with her cousins while Tilla is confused by the resentment and abuse she experiences at the hands of family members. With a hurricane bearing down on the island, Tilla weathers her own storm as discovers shocking secrets and endures a heartbreaking assault.

Tilla is uncomfortable for much of her time in the country. Her aunt makes no effort to hide her antipathy towards her. Tilla is also confused by the family’s adulation of her father. She is also stunned to witness colorism and racism throughout her visit. Tilla is delighted to be reunited with her cousins but she is shaken to realize the depths of their hostility. After experiencing a horrific betrayal, Tilla wants to return home and put the harrowing ordeal behind her.

Hurricane Summer is a well-written young adult novel.  The characters are interesting but they are a little underdeveloped. The Jamaican countryside springs vibrantly to life and it is very easy to visualize the various places Tilla visits. The storyline is engaging but a bit slow paced. Asha Bromfield deftly handles a number of sensitive topics. Due to the subject matter, I recommend this young adult novel to older teenagers.

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Filed under Asha Bromfield, Contemporary, Hurricane Summer, Rated C+, Review, Wednesday Books, Young Adult

May 4, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Confessions from the Quilting Circle by Maisey Yates

Title: Confessions from the Quilting Circle by Maisey Yates
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The Ashwood women don’t have much in common…except their ability to keep secrets.

When Lark Ashwood’s beloved grandmother dies, she and her sisters discover an unfinished quilt. Finishing it could be the reason Lark’s been looking for to stop running from the past, but is she ever going to be brave enough to share her biggest secret with the people she ought to be closest to?

Hannah can’t believe she’s back in Bear Creek, the tiny town she sacrificed everything to escape from. The plan? Help her sisters renovate her grandmother’s house and leave as fast as humanly possible. Until she comes face-to-face with a man from her past. But getting close to him again might mean confessing what really drove her away…

Stay-at-home mom Avery has built a perfect life, but at a cost. She’ll need all her family around her, and all her strength, to decide if the price of perfection is one she can afford to keep paying.

This summer, the Ashwood women must lean on each other like never before, if they are to stitch their family back together, one truth at a time…

Review:

Confessions from the Quilting Circle by Maisey Yates is a family-centric novel that deals with some heavy subject matter.

Lark Ashwood moved from her hometown after graduating from high school. After college, she takes a job as an illustrator for children’s books. She also works on her own projects and she enjoys traveling and exploring new places. But after her beloved grandmother dies, Lark decides it is time to move back home and begin a new stage in her life. But the reasons why she left all those years ago are still unresolved. And Lark soon discovers her feelings for an old friend still remain. Will she finally make peace with the issues that have continued to haunt her?

Lark’s middle sister Hannah has a successful career as a violinist with the Boston Symphony. With the summer off from the symphony, she plans to renovate her grandmother’s family home and turn it into an Airbnb rental property. Lark is not at all thrilled to be thrust in close proximity with her high school boyfriend. And when they begin spending time together, old memories begin to rise to the surface. Will finally coming to terms with what happened to her allow her to make changes in her life?

Oldest sister Avery returned home after college and she is married to a surgeon with a demanding career. She takes care of their two children and she is very involved with other school moms. From the outside, Avery has the perfect life but is she hiding secrets from her sisters and parents?

While all three girls love their mother, Mary, none of them are close to her. The grandmother they were so close to abandoned her family when Mary was three years old. She was raised by her dad who did not like to deal with messy emotions. Mary’s pragmatic approach to life makes it difficult for her to relate to her three daughters. Now they are back in town, Mary is hoping to repair her strained relationships with her daughters.

Confessions from the Quilting Circle is a character-driven novel of recovering from old and new pain. The characters are well-developed with genuine strengths and weaknesses. The storyline is interesting but the overall pacing is somewhat slow to since the women are prone to a lot of introspection.  Maisey Yates brings this engaging story to a satisfying conclusion.

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Filed under Confessions from the Quilting Circle, Contemporary, HQN Books, Maisey Yates, Rated C+, Review