Books I read in January & February

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab 

This was a Book of the Month pick for me, but it was also all over my instagram feed. People were in love with it and I couldn't wait to read it, although I was a little skeptical because whenever books get the amount of hype that this one got, I tend to feel like the only person who doesn't understand. I understood it for this book. However, I did think it was a little slow. The writing and story was amazing, but it wasn't until Henry's revelation that I felt like I couldn't put it down. 

This novel goes back and forth in time, but I've also read Dr. Faustus a few times, so whenever it was a young Addie chapter, even though I already knew she makes the deal, I couldn't help warning her against it. Devils are like genies, there's always a catch and it's never good. I did respect that Addie caught on to this after her first mistake and was able to make sure her wording was more precise the second time she made a deal.

This story was heartbreaking from the very beginning, but there were plenty of times where it was lingering on the back burner so that Addie and Henry were able to have their time together and focus on each other. Sometimes you were able to forget that while one of them had all the time in the world, the other was trying to savor every minute. 

Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan

I've been anxious - we all have - but I'd never go as far as to say that I have anxiety. Sure parking in new locations can make me panic like nothing else, but that's become more of a funny understanding between my friends and me. What I'm trying to say is that I am no expert, and I don't know how much my opinion matter on this subject, but this novel has a main character with anxiety and I really liked how it was handled. 

I felt like I could really relate to Evelyn's anxiety, just on a lesser scale. And I loved how the people who care about her understood her anxiety, but also knew when to push her to try things out of her comfort zone. Chris, of course, was amazing with her, especially as a new comer in her life. He was quick to recognize when she needed someone to talk to or someone to just be around. 

Of course, the whole premise of the novel gets Evelyn out of her comfort zone as she's dating strangers bachelorette style for the radio show she produces. Take that cheating ex. Except, she does face the small problem that the person she wants to date isn't a contestant, but her boss who's hiding the fact that his dad owns the studio and is planning on closing it and firing everyone. So it's complicated, but eventually they're able to figure something out.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

I was excited for this one. Stalking Jack the Ripper is one of my favorite series, so I was PUMPED to read Maniscalco's newest book. Again, deals with devils. 

The world of witches and devils and creatures from hell is confusing to say the least and Emilia just wants answers about her sister's death. But when she starts to get them she learns that she's getting responses to questions she didn't even ask. She's learning that some of things she knew as truths are wrong or more complicated than she could have ever imagined. The rug has been pulled out from under her and the only person she can rely on is a devil that she doesn't want to trust.

I will say that the ending made me wish I didn't read this book until the second one was released so that I could keep going immediately. I have a ton of questions, but mostly I have high hopes for Emilia and Wrath, and while I think that will work itself out in the end, a lot needs to happen before that and I'm impatient to see what that will be. 

Marrying Mr. Wrong by Claire Kingsley

I love a Vegas wedding trope. They're just so fun to me because they're so unbelievable, but always seem so easy in novels. The characters are so surprised when their relationship falls apart, as if they were starting on such a strong foundation.

Camden Cox and Sophia aren't complete strangers, though, which is new for this trope. They actually lived on the same street for some time when they were little, but that was years ago. Now Cox is a multi-millionaire and Sophia is a klutzy assistant to her best friend's husband.  When they wake up married, Cox sees it as a PR dream come true to give himself a wholesome marriage image, and all it's going to cost is a new house for Sophia's father. Easy.

As they get closer, Cox and Sophia both find that there's little they wouldn't do for the other. However, when they realize they don't really know each other and questions of character imply mistrust, they have to decide if doing everything backwards was really the best option.

Hold Me Tight by Kate J. Blake*

Kate J Blake books are fun because they're quick. They take about an hour to read and everything happens so fast that it gives you whiplash. Because of this, they're perfect for getting out of a reading slump because you don't have chapters of characters being apart because of a fight.

Hold me Tight has Tyler and Emily, who were both crushing on each other before Emily moved for her mom's work. On the day she comes home, Tyler decides to make a move, but it doesn't go as planned. In fact, it actually sets them back a little bit and Emily decides to go on a date with someone else. Tyler, unable to accept this, decides to try again. 

It's cute and it's quick.

by Mist@ke by Signal Ehrlich*

Anna and Liam are both doing completely fine in life. Goal oriented and hard working, they both assume they'll settle down when life calms down. However, it seems fate has other ideas when Liam, who has completely written off serious relationships for the time being while his career falls into place, accidentally sends Anna an email meant for a friend and the two start getting to know each other. Intentions are made clear from the very beginning, but when feelings don't want to play by the rules both of them need to rethink their priorities.

I really liked Anna and Liam's characters. I thought their dedication to their careers was relatable. They both had goals before they met each other and they struggled to find the balance between work and a personal life. 

The one "negative" thing I will say about this book is that I couldn't figure out where it took place. I think it was in America, maybe the Pacific Northwest, but they said a few British things, like A4 paper, which confused me.

*This book was gifted. Opinions are my own

Books I Read in January & February

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
Second chances are tricky. I personally believe in giving people second chances, but I also understand that sometimes those chances have to be conditional. Sam and Tate meet in a movie-style fashion: On vacation. Very Lizzie McGuire. And just like Paolo, Sam ends up being not great. He sells a secret Tate trusts him with to the media and then disappears from her life. She's heartbroken, but over time she's able to use the leaked information to help further her career as an actress. Years later, she has to work with Sam and confront her past. However, when he reveals that even though he knew what he did was wrong, he had a good reason for doing it, Tate decides to give him a second chance.

My favorite part about this is that, in my opinion, what usually happens in books like this is the girl gets betrayed by a boy and then years later finally decides to trust a different boy. The fact that Tate decides to give the same boy a second chance was huge for me. Of course, some factors allowed her to do that. For one, she agreed with his reasoning for selling her out. And two, she was able to build her career off of the event. If one of those two things weren't the case I don't think she would have ever spoken to Sam again. However, when Tate becomes headline news again, she doesn't know whether or not Sam was the one to sell her out.

This novel tackles questions about who to trust, based on actions, reasons, and consequences. And of course, it always seems to be conditional, but you are capable of trusting someone who did you wrong in the past and great things can come out of it. This novel also reminds us that the people were supposed to be able to trust (in this case, family) aren't always the most reliable. Tate finds herself in a few conflicting situations, but she is constantly learning from her past to make the best decisions.

Love According to Science by Claire Kingsley*
This book is the sequel to Faking Ms. Right. Check out the review for this novel HERE. Spoiler: I loved it :)

Man Crush Monday by Kirsty Moseley*
Check out the review for this novel HERE. Spoiler: It was another good one :)

His to Keep by S.S. Richards*
This is the sequel to At His Mercy, which I reviewed in January. At the end of that novel, Elena comes back to Maksim and resolves to take down her uncle with him. In this novel, she is quickly taken captive by her uncle and is held in a secret place where he keeps all of the slaves he is training for sex trafficking. Meanwhile, Maksim is doing everything he can to find her. Although separated, the two of them use the love they have for each other as motivation to get through it. Secrets are revealed about Elena from both her and Maksim's point of view, which made it really interesting to see how they react.

Up until this point, I was fully invested in the story, but I had a few issues with Maksim after he finds Elena. He wants them to go back to the love and intimacy they found with each other by the end of the first book, but I hated how he went about it. There are a few times he grabs Elena and turns her to face him, which I did not like at all. She literally just got out of a sex trafficking prison where she was beaten and drugged. I felt like Maksim should have been more sensitive to that and been more cautious with Elena. To me, she was really struggling, and he didn't want to help her. And it wasn't even like he was trying different things and failing, he just didn't want to acknowledge what she went through. He was trying to force her back into normalcy. He does give her space at one point and finds the one person who can really help Elena, which I liked, but after that, the book quickly comes to an end. Within five minutes, Elena talks to this person and then turns to Maksim and they're immediately okay again. It felt rushed to me. I needed one or two more chapters of Elena and Maksim finding their rhythm again.

Faking Ms. Right by Claire Kingsley
I stayed up until about 2am to read this in one go. I really enjoyed it. I read the sequel first because I didn't know that this book existed, but I don't think it gave too much away. I mean, I knew Everly and Shepherd would end up together, but I kind of knew that anyway. This novel shows great family and friend dynamics, that although probably aren't totally relatable, aren't super far fetched either.

When Everly gets a phone call from her boss to meet him at a black-tie event she doesn't ask many questions. Once she arrives and discovers that he needs her to play the part of his girlfriend because his dad is dating his ex-girlfriend, Everly does so flawlessly, enjoying making make-believe for one night. However, she quickly finds herself playing the part for more than one night and even moving in with her boss to keep the charade going. However, when the line between pretend and real blurs (because how could it not?) things get complicated. Throw in a secret motive Everly had for half a second when she agreed to the whole thing and an out of state job offer, and Everly and Shepherd find themselves with big decisions to make.

I thought this book was really funny, which I always appreciate. Everly is a friendly girl who has enough dating horror stories to make her tough enough to handle anything. Pair that with quiet, private Shepherd who really hates seeing his ex-girlfriend with his dad. One of my favorite scenes is when Shepherd asks Everly out to dinner and she recommends a questionable food truck. She already has other plans but wants to mess with him Shepherd a little bit before declining. She knows he'd never want to eat there, but it's cute that he seems to about to give in because she picked it. They definitely have the opposite attract vibes going for them, but at the same time, Everly is the person who allows Shepherd to open up. And he not only opens up to her but also to his family by inviting him to see his band play. And Everly, as friendly and open as she is, proves she's trustworthy with secrets, which Shepherd clearly appreciates.

Normal People by Sally Rooney
I genuinely don't know how I felt about this novel. Part of me found it very interesting. The idea that there are "couples" out there, who aren't really in a relationship, but always seem to gravitate towards each other when they're in close proximity. I liked that. I thought there was some truth to that. I also found it interesting that Connell and Marianne have a role reversal once they leave their hometown for Uni. I also think that can happen. The person who has it all in high school realizes they're really not that cool and the misunderstood person finally finds a sense of belonging.

However, I also didn't really like either of their characters. They always came back to each other but seemed more of a familiarity/convenience thing rather than a they actually care about each other thing, which I struggled to get behind. Connell finds himself in a bad state and thankfully gets the help he needs from the school therapist, but I feel like being with Marianne doesn't help him move forward in his life. Marianne definitely could have benefitted from therapy herself. Her family was some of the worst people ever and she grew up thinking that she deserved to be treated poorly. She actually gets her feelings hurt when Connell refuses to hit her, which was just really sad to read.

At the end of the book, I craved an epilogue telling what happened after Connell gets his MFA. Do they continue this weird relationship they're in? Do they finally grow up and are able to love each other in a more mature way? Do they both finally move on from one another? I was curious, but we don't get an answer.

Odriel's Heirs by Hayley Reese Chow*
I don't naturally gravitate towards fantasy novels unless there is a ton of hype behind them. However, when the author of this novel reached out and asked me for a review, I read the synopsis and decided to give it a go. And I was not disappointed. As this is a new novel, I'm going to try to not give away any spoilers, but it might be tricky

This novel follows Kaia, a Dragon Heir (which means she can create and direct fire), as she tries to protect her home from an evil man who is trying to bring darkness to the land through his army of the undead. But she's not alone. She's with Klaus, the Shadow Heir (He can turn invisible), whom she's known forever, but has never really gotten along with - If you're like me and read a lot of love stories you know where this is going. And they're a man who has been cursed to be a cat guiding their way. As they travel throughout their land to destroy the undead, they're faced with tough decisions and sacrifices.

I (obviously, because I'm me) loved the relationship between Kaia and Klaus. They're rivals the way athletes are rivals. They both want to be the best, but they still have respect for each other. They also understand that they're fighting for the same thing so the most important thing is that they're both the best they can be. They also know that they need each other in order to be victorious in the battle...and maybe more... Their competitiveness with each other allows for some humor and pranks between the two that also reminds readers that although they're heirs, they're also seventeen-year-olds.

I also liked that there wasn't one big fight in this novel, but also a few smaller ones. The two are constantly being mentally and physically challenged. They get hurt whenever they have run-ins with the enemy and are weakened the more they are forced to use their powers. They also have to make very hard decisions very quickly and later think through their decisions. They're trying to protect their home from a dangerous being and the novel never allows the reader to forget the stakes and challenges.

Then the novel ends and things are different but okay. They just fought in a huge battle and a lot of people died. There's a new normal that has to come over the world, but it seems like it will adapt. And then there's an epilogue that makes you realize the ending has a false sense of security. This novel just doesn't stop. Now I can't wait for the sequel.


*This book was gifted to me, but the opinions are my own

Love According to Science by Claire Kingsley | Book Review*

Oh, you guys know I love a good RomCom, so when I got the opportunity to review Love According to Science I was wicked excited.

This novel alternates chapters between Hazel Kiegen and Corban Nash as they move from hating each other to loving each other. Hazel is a psychology researcher who loves science, so when Corbon, a data analyst, starts publishing articles online about how he cracked the code to falling in love, but doesn't include adequate research, Hazel calls him out whenever she gets a chance. Then he gets a job at the same university as her and the two have to start working together on a project. Between pranks and an out of town conference, there was no way there two couldn't have strong feelings for one another. And as they start to get to know each other and realize that hate and love are both passionate emotions that can be easily confused. 

This book is a riot. I highly recommend. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I have a few favorite things I want to share vaguely with you. The first is Hazel's cat, Erwin, specifically how Corbon reacts to him. Let's just say the argument over fat and fluffy is ongoing throughout the novel. Corbon doesn't even say anything outrageous, but the way it's said made me laugh. The second is Corbon's love for penguins. He says they're his favorite animal and then immediately tries to backpedal because he doesn't think they're a 'cool' animal to share with Hazel, but she doesn't let him forget it. Hazel's friends reminded me of my own and our dynamic. They clearly care for each other and want what's best for her. Finally, both Hazel and Corbon are so authentically themselves, even when they face people who don't understand their passions and I think they're very admirable for that. 

If you're looking for your next RomCom, you should check out Love According to Science. It's technically Book Two in a series, but you can read it as a standalone. For more about this book and Claire Kingsley, check out my other blog post HERE.

*This book was gifted to me, but the opinions are my own.

Love According to Science by Claire Kingsley

Title: Love According to Science

Series: Dirty Martini Running Club

Author: Claire Kingsley

Genre: Steamy Romantic Comedy

Release Date: January 23, 2020
Check out my review HERE!

"I would give this book ALL THE STARS if I could. Five is not nearly enough. This is such a clever, fresh take on finding your soul-mate." ~ Read Me Romance Blog

"Take necessary precautions: two nerdy scientists are about to light up your ereader and leave you with a hot flash!" ~ Marika Ray, author of MomCom

"There was just something about these two that clicked and made my inner nerd squeal. And can I just applaud Kingsley on writing this story? The amount of research alone that she had to have done. Wowza." ~ Amity Book Blog

"Corban is adorable. Disheveled, distracted, caring, full of animal facts, a BOSS in bed, and secretly jacked- what more could you want?" ~ Romance Reviewed

For psychology researcher Hazel Kiegen, science holds all the answers. Her decision to swear off dating? Totally backed by her own calculations. Just don’t ask about her missing orgasms. She hasn’t been able to science her way out of that little conundrum. But her biggest problem? Corban Nash. He’s frustrating. Infuriating. And deliciously adorable, but that’s neither here nor there. He claims to have cracked the code to falling in love, and Hazel is determined to prove him wrong.

Corban Nash created the theory of accelerated intimacy after numerous successful tests on his friends and family. Every couple who used his questionnaire fell in love, until Corban found himself the last single guy in his social circle, and a groomsman in dozens of weddings.

The only problem is, it’s never worked on him. And science hasn’t explained why.

Despite being the lone aberrant data point, Corban believes in his research, and with his new job, he’ll have the resources to prove it. Verifying his theory right under the nose of his nemesis, Hazel Kiegen? Even better.

There isn’t a theory in existence that will make Hazel fall in love with Corban. Not even with his sexy half-smile and temptingly muscular body. But from the moment these two rivals meet, sparks fly. And when they put his questionnaire to the test, the results aren’t what either of them expect.

Heat, Heart, & Happily Ever After

Claire Kingsley writes sexy contemporary romance and romantic comedies. She loves sassy, quirky heroines, swoony heroes who love their women hard, panty-melting sexytimes, romantic happily ever afters, and lots of big feels.

She can’t imagine life without coffee, her Kindle, and the sexy heroes who inhabit her imagination. She’s living out her own happily ever after in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three kids.

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