Review of Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

 

My Review:

If you want an easy and fun read then this is your book. The 3rd book in the "Bromance Book Club Series" follows Noah and Alexis on their romantic journey. It's the usual "best friends who are in love with each but won't tell each other because they are afraid it will ruin things" love story along with a family drama twist. Even though it's predictable, the characters are still fun and lovable and there's plenty of humor courtsey of the fellas from the Bromance Book Club. The story is cute and while it's not probably going to leave a lasting impression on your reading history, it's still worth reading if you like romance.

The standout character in this story is Beefcake, Alexis' rescue Maine Coon cat that may or may not be trying to kill Noah. The scenes with Beefcake are hilarious and completely relatable to cat owners. I just wanted more Beefcake in the story!

Overall, this is a great book if you want a pleasant escape from reality. Even though you know how these type of romance novels end, it's still entertaining to watch Noah and Alexis grow and turn their relationship from best friends to something more. The family drama that both deal with gives each character a little more depth and strengthens their bond. If you want something that will make you feel good, smile, and even chuckle occasionally, then Crazy Stupid Bromance is a great book to check out.

How Much Coffee is Needed?

Even though this is an enjoyable read, it's not one that will keep you reading all night. The book is a great one to just pick up and drop whenever you feel like it. So no changes to my coffee intake for this one, which is probably a good thing for my body. I was getting a little too jittery there for a few days.

My Next E-Read:

I just got One by One by Ruth Ware back from my library, and I am very exctied to finish it! 

*Sorry for the low picture quality. I'm still figuring out the best way to take pictures on my Kindle.

Review of High Five by Janet Evanovich

I completely forgot to take a picture before my library loan ended, so I uploaded a picture of my Kindle and the paper book I'm reading. I'm still working through Quiet by Susan Cain. It's very interesting, but I just seem to read nonfiction a lot slower than fiction. Hopefully I will finish it soon and post a review. Do you like the legos? Life of a boy mom. I kept trying to move them aside for a quick picture, and they kept rolling back. Finally I gave up and just kept them in. The picture is a little more realistic now😁

High Five by Janet Evanovich

When the pandemic began, I started looking for a series to read. I decided to try the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich again. I tried to read the first book years ago but never got into it. I knew it was a pretty long series so I decided to try again. I was really glad I did!

The books are really popular at my library, and there are not many copies of the first couple books. I've been stuck on waitlists for quite some time. I finally got the 5th book in the series in early January.

I really enjoyed the book just like I've enjoyed the rest of the series. In this book, Stephanie Plum is looking for her lost Uncle Fred and decides to make some extra money working gigs for Ranger. She meets some wonderfully odd characters in this one like Bunchy and Briggs. As always, if something can go wrong for Stephanie, it does in a big way. It seems there might be more to Uncle Fred's disappearance than just an old man getting lost. Plus, Stephanie gets a visitor from a past case that she wishes would go away.

I love that Evanovich expanded her zany cast of characters in this novel. This group of characters is just so much fun to me. I really enjoy the character of Stephanie as I relate to her snarky personality and low mateinance lifestyle. Of course, Grandma Mazur is hilarious and had me laughing loudly several times. In fact, my husband asked one time if I was okay. I dare you to try reading about Grandma Mazur describing her trip to the strip club with her friends and not crack up. She's amazing, and I hope to be like her when I get older!

Morelli was as frustrating as ever in this book as he's charming one minute and absent the next. I'm a little undecided with him as a leading man as he just comes and goes in Stephanie's life. However, in this story, Ranger steps up, and I am all here for it. I've had a thing for Ranger since the first book, so I was excited to see him get more of a storyline. Very happy!

The ending left me wanting more. I literally groaned out loud at the end! Stephanie is in a bit of a love triangle in this book, and Evanovich teases Stephanie making a big decision at the end. However, the reader doesn't get to find out who Stephanie picks! I have my hopes and ideas, but I'll have to wait until the 6th book to find out.

If you've liked the other books in the series then this is another fun and hilarious read. If you haven't checked out this series yet, I encourage you to do so. The characters are lovable and awkward. The mysteries are interesting and keep you reading. I've already put myself on the waitlist for book 6 and can't wait to read it.

How much coffee was needed?

I stayed up pretty late reading this one. I was getting better about going to bed at a decent time, but I just enjoyed this book too much. I wanted to keep reading because the story was entertaining and I was truly just loving it. After staying up too late, I needed several cups of coffee the next day. I was so interested in the story that I stayed up to finish it the next night. So this book caused two late nights and LOTS of coffee was needed the following days.

Next Choice

Next on my e-book list is the third book in the Bromance Book Club Series, Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams.

Review of Final Girls by Riley Sager

 

I had started to read One by One by Ruth Ware, and it was going great. Then I woke up on Saturday to continue reading it, when I realized my library loan had ended😩 I was just getting to the part where the bodies were starting to pile up! Well, I went ahead and added myself to the waitlist again for it and will hopefully have it back soon.

Since I needed a book, I picked the loan that was going to run out next, Final Girls by Riley Sager. I read Lock Every Door in December and enjoyed his style of writing. The title of this book was what made it a must read for me.

I love scary movies and have a soft spot for Final Girls, probably because my two favorite horror movies are Halloween and Scream. Of course when it comes to horror films, Laurie Strode and Sidney Prescott are the ultimate final girls. I was very curious what story Sager would craft with the topic.

 

He did not disappoint! The story was perfectly paced and kept me reading. He did a great job giving the reader a troubled yet resilient final girl. Just as you would expect of anyone who has survived some sort of extreme trauma, our final girl, Quincy Carpenter is trying to move forward from the events that made her a final girl. However, a new event forces her to face her past and makes her realize that she's not over it like she thought. 

The book alternates between the present events and the event of the night at Pine Cottage that turned Quincy into a final girl. This back and forth, kept me reading as not only was I eager to see what happened to Quincy in the present, but I desperately wanted to see what happened on that night. Sager did an excellent job dropping clues and keeping me guessing throughout the story. I'm the type of reader who tries to guess the bad guy by the end of the first chapter. While I had my hunches, Sager gave us a twist and villian I didn't see coming. Sager makes all the details work with the twist and gives us a satisfying ending with our final girl. 

How Much Coffee Was Needed?

I didn't end up reading this much at night like I usually do with my reading, however I had a difficult time putting this book down. Any bit of down time I had, I picked up this book and kept reading. So even though I didn't stay up late reading, I still would say it had the potential to be a book that needed several cups of coffee. 

Next Book:

High Five (The Stephanie Plum Series) by Janet Evanovich

Review of First Impressions by Debra White Smith

 

I know it's been a few days, but I started work again last week (I'm a teacher), and so my free time drastically diminished. Plus I finally got around to watching Bridgerton on Netflix. Have you seen that series yet? Wow! You can probably guess where my free time went☺ I read the series by Julia Quinn a year or two ago and really enjoyed it. I thought the Netflix series was beautifully shot and the characters really came to life. It was a perfect escape series. If you enjoy period pieces and romances, check it out! Just don't watch it with any kids around😆

I was really excited to read this "Contemporary Retelling of Pride and Prejudice." Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, and I can never seem to get enough versions of her work. However, I just don't think this was a good time for me to read this one. I struggled with getting through it. I just don't think it was the right book for me right now. 

Overall the story is Pride and Prejudice set in a small town in Texas. Elizabeth is a small town lawyer named Eddi, and Darcy is a rich guy named Dave, who created the equivalent of Google. The town that both live in (named London) is putting on the play version of Pride and Prejudice. I think this might have been the part that bothered me the most was that they were practicing for the play, but couldn't see the similarities in their own lives. 

The author, Debra White Smith, really tried to stick to the plot of Pride and Prejudice, just with modern instances and events. Overall she did a nice job, but I had trouble with the Mr. Collins aspect. In this version, he is Collin, Eddi's third cousin. Yep, you read that right. Third Cousin! Apparently, Eddi's mom tries to set her up with her third cousin, which I guess isn't illegal in Texas (This tidbit is mentioned several times in the book). I guess it really gets the ick factor of the character of Mr. Collins across. I know the cousin thing was popular back in the day, but it was just tough seeing it in a modern setting.

The story is cute and comfortable, just like it should be for anyone who has read Pride and Prejudice. The story does have a strong religious focus which I was not expecting. If I would have researched the author, I would have seen that she is a Christian speaker and author. It felt a little too heavy and forced at times to me, but others may not feel that same way. 

This book was not a coffee needed book for me as I had troubles finishing it. Again, I just don't think this was the right book for me at this time. A cute story, but just not one that made me want to keep reading.

My next e-reader book is One by One by Ruth Ware. I have read almost all of her books and loved them, so I expect nothing less from this one. 

Have you read anything good recently? Any books that required lots of cups of coffee the next day? If so, let me know in the comments. I always love discovering new books!

Book Review: Hide (Book #2 in the Dective D.D.Warren Series) by Lisa Gardner

 

 *I tried really hard to keep my review spoiler free. It is not a detailed review, just my thoughts, feelings, connections, and experience reading the book.

Hide is book #2 in the Dective D.D. Warren series by Lisa Gardner. As mentioned in a previous post, I read the first book in the series, Alone, in December and had finished the book on New Year's Eve. I actually read another book in the series earlier in the year (Look for Me), and liked it, but for some reason didn't try to start reading the series. So when I was trying to find something to read in December, I remembered this series and thought I would give it a try. 

I enjoyed the first book a lot and saw that my library had the second in the series available. I changed my plan on my first e-reader book of the year as I felt drawn to continue the series. It ended up being an excellent choice as I flew through the book and couldn't put it down.

As you can probably guess from cover, this is a thriller or mystery book with lots of suspense. I love these types of books as a way to escape my daily life for a little bit. While the book is part of the Dective D.D. Warren series, the book tells the story of a crime from a couple points of view (none of them D.D. Warren which is a little unexpected). In this book, the reader gets the story from both the victim's point of view, Annabelle Granger, and one of the detectives working th case, Bobby Dodge. Bobby Dodge is a character from the first book. While you do not necessarily have to read the first book to understand this book, it does help a lot with understanding Bobby's character. Detective D.D. Warren is in the book, but we only see her through Bobby or Annabelle's eyes. The switching narrators is a useful strategy in the book as the reader gets a more complete picture of the investigation.

The character of Bobby Dodge is interesting, a little irritating, and complex, and I'm happy to see him after reading the first book. One aspect that I really appreciate about him is how he is handling trauma from the first book. Bobby's approach to moving forward was interesting to read and realistic to me. While I've never gone through an extreme trauma, I've had experiences that have left me riddled with anxiety. The way Gardner wrote Bobby's thoughts and sorting through his trauma struck me and was even comforting. Just recognizing the fact that the thoughts or questions never really go away or that you change as a person was helpful to me. Again, I've never had any serious trauma like the characters in the book, but I've had experiences that I'll never really shake. I thought Gardner's approach was an aspect of the story that really resonated with me. 

As I mentioned, I'm not going to give out a detailed review or summary. I do not want to hint at any possible spoilers. Basically Annabelle has been running from something her whole life, but she's not sure what or who she's hiding from. A recent grisly discover brings her past back and connects her to the investigation. With some help from detectives, Annabelle hopes to finally figure out why she's been running. I'll let you read the book summary on Amazon or your library's site if you want more details. I will say that some of the crimes mentioned were a little difficult for me to stomach, but Gardner never went so explicit where it ruined the story for me. It was just enough to make my skin crawl or stomach turn in disgust, while helping me realize the reality of what an investigation like this might entail. 

Gardner's approach to giving the reader clues is something that kept me reading the first book. She gives just enough hints that you can see the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, but not completely. For this book, I came to a conclusion, and I was partly right, just not all the way. Gardner throws in the last piece of the puzzle towards the end that not only serves as a plot twist, but helps make the picture complete. As a reader, the last few chapters give you the twist you crave, plus the satisfaction of seeing the story all come together and make sense. When I was done reading, I just needed time to process everything, which I enjoyed. I like thinking back and searching for the clues or seeing that one of my hunches was right. It's Gardner's storytelling that kept me reading just one more chapter and then another and another, until I finished the book well after midnight. 

I started this book on a Saturday morning, and spent time reading a good chunk of the morning. I then did some work and spent time with my family until about 7 in the evening. Then I picked the book back up and read until it was time for bed (for the kids, not me). After bedtime routines, I picked the book back up and continued. I only planned to read for about 30 minutes, but then that time passed and I couldn't stop. I really thought I had better self control, but I should know better. I decided to stop at 11pm, but when that time came around, I was at a crucial point and couldn't stop then. I made my mind up to just finish the book, which took me past midnight. This book was definitely a major coffee-needed-the-next-day book, and multiple cups of coffee needed at that. I was groggy, sleepy, and even a little lazy the next day, but it was totally worth it as it always is. 

I have plans to read the next in the series, but I'm on a waitlist for it at my library. As a result, I've decided my next e-reader book will be First Impressions by Debra White Smith.

As you ca see in the picture, it's a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen is my girl, so I love to read different retellings of her stories. Again, this will be another escape reality book for me as well as a light and happier (fluffier??) story to help balance the darker plot of Hide.

First Book Choices of 2021

 

Sorry I am a day late on this post, but I spent the time I should have been working on this post, reading one of my new books. I guess I got a little too arrogant about meeting one of my resoutions on January 1st. Third day of the new year, and I'm already runnig behind. This is a litte more like the true me😁

To start off 2021, I have picked my e-reader book and my hard copy book. For my e-reader book, I have chosen Hide by Lisa Gardner. It is Book #2 in the Dective D.D. Warren series. I read the first book in December and actually finished it New Year's Eve. I enjoyed it a lot and decided to read the second one right away since it was available from my library. Well, I really enjoyed this book too as I spent my time reading yesterday instead of writing this post or doing any lesson planning for that matter. I finished the book late last night (technically this morning) and needed plenty of coffee today. I'll share my review of the book as well as my next e-reader choice in a post later this week.

My hard copy or "real" book is Quiet by Susan Cain. I purchased this book a year or two ago from my local bookstore, and it's sat starting or maybe even glaring at me on a shelf ever since. For some reason I felt like I needed to be in the right frame of mind to focus and read this book. This nonfiction book is about being an introvert (🙋 totally me!) in today's world. I'm really looking forward to reading it, but I know it will probably take a little time for me to get through.

Well those are my first two choices for 2021. I chose Hide as my escape from reality book, and I chose Quiet to help my learn how to thrive in reality book. As I mentioned, I already finished Hide and will post a reveiw and update soon. 

Have you read either one of these two books? If so, what did you think? I love hearing thoughts and insights from other readers so please share in the comments.

Reading 2021 Goals and Posts

We made it! 2021! I'm actually a little scared to type those words. Like somehow 2020 is still going to show up and take over this year too. Here's to a new year and fresh start!

For 2021, one of my goals was to start and publish this blog. Check! First day of 2021, and I already have success with one of my resolutions! I should probably quit while I'm ahead, but no, not me. Let's keep this year going and see what else I can do.

One really good thing about 2020 (I've typed that year again. Is it like Beetlejuice where I say or type it 3 times, and it suddenly appears?) is the amount of reading I did. With the pandemic, my family didn't really do a whole lot during that year that shall not be named. For me, this meant an increased amount of reading time. Yay! My only regret is not recording the reading so I could see what I read and how many books I read. 

Learning from my mistakes, my goal this year is to record what I read and give a quick description/review about each book. I'm going to also remain honest about what I'm reading and not just record books that make me sound smart or give a good impression. I truly believe that most books have a purpose and reason. I hope to be honest about what I'm reading and why I'm reading each book.

For this year, I plan to have an e-book (Kindle) and an actually hard copy book that I'm reading at all times. I will admitt that I tend to read more e-books, but I've noticed recently that I miss books and the experience of holding and reading them. I'll record on the blog what books I am reading, when I start them, and why I chose them. I will then come back to write a reveiw post when I'm done. Hopefully I'll also sprinkle this blog with posts about my reading thoughts, habits, and some coffee recommendations.

Feel free to share thoughts, comments, and book recommendations. Tomorrow I'll share the two books I'm starting my year with and why.

Here's to 2021 and a new reading journey!