Happy Monday, friends! It’s officially the first Monday of 2019, and I’ve already finished three books this year. Ha! To be fair, I was already halfway through two of them before the year began, so I’m gaming the system somewhat. I also had a lot of time to read this weekend because the playoffs are in full swing in the NFL, and I spent both Saturday and Sunday watching the games while reading. Divine.
Let’s dive into my reviews:
Books Finished
Title: The Purest Hook
Author: Scarlett Cole
Published: 2016
Format: Library e-book
Genre: Contemporary romance
Rating: ★★★★☆
Plot Summary: Dred and Pixie have been flirting with each other for a while. Every time he comes into the tattoo shop where she works, he asks her out and she turns him down. She wants him desperately, but dates mean relationships and relationships mean openness and she can never tell anyone her dark secrets and what led her to work at a tattoo shop in Miami.
My Thoughts: I loved this fun contemporary romance from start to finish! I’ve read the previous two novels in this series, so I’ve been introduced to Dred and Pixie, and their flirtmance had been apparent from the first book. It was so great to finally get their story. I’ll admit that sometimes I got frustrated with Pixie and her refusal to tell the people in her life her secrets, but her character was written very true to life. Someone with the amount of baggage she has would be hesitant to tell anyone about it. I found the ending to be a little overly dramatic, but overall, it was a really sweet read.
Title: Skinny Dip
Author: Carl Hiaasen
Published: 2006
Format: Library paperback
Genre: Fiction
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Plot Summary: Chaz and Joey are on their honeymoon cruise when Chaz throws her overboard. Too bad for him, Joey’s an expert swimmer and manages to be rescued by a man named Mick, and then have some fun seeking revenge on her husband.
My Thoughts: I read this for my work book club, and was fairly apprehensive about reading it. It’s satire, and I’m not usually one for that in my fiction novels. But I promised my coworker that I would give this book a fair shot, after failing to read the other Hiaasen novel he suggested. And… I liked it. I did not love it and I probably won’t be reaching for another Hiaasen novel anytime soon (if ever), but it was an easy read and I was definitely tickled by some of the ways Joey got revenge on Chaz. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the ending was tied up a little too neatly for my liking, but I’m glad I gave this book a try. Would I recommend it? Yes, but only to a certain subset of people. It’s definitely not for everyone.
Title: I Think I Love You
Author: Lauren Layne
Published: 2018
Format: Library e-book
Genre: Contemporary romance
Rating: ★★★★★
Plot Summary: Hunter and Brit have been best friends for years, but after another failed relationship, Brit asks Hunter for lessons in how to be more attractive to men… only to find herself falling for her best friend.
My Review: Oh, how I loved this novel! The friends-to-lovers trope in romance novels is my kryptonite, and this one was so well done. Hunter and Brit were so perfectly suited for one another, and I found the journey of their romance to be believable and so damn adorable. It was the kind of romance novel I couldn’t put down and couldn’t stop thinking about when I did, and I haven’t read one like that in a really long time. It was the perfect way to end the Stiletto/Oxford series.
What I’m Reading This Week
- The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson – I’m listening to this thriller on audiobook and it’s been a wild ride so far. The characters are pretty much terrible human beings, every single one of them, and I’m really not sure where the story is going. I have about four hours left in the audiobook, so I’ll finish it sometime this week and I’m bracing myself for the ending.
- Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang – I’m nearly finished with this novel, which I started on Saturday afternoon. It’s about a girl who attempts suicide, what led her to this decision, and how it reverberates throughout her community.
- Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer – Once I finish Falling Into Place, I’ll start this nonfiction book all about female friendship.
- Maybe This Christmas by Sarah Morgan – My romance read for the week, which I probably should have picked up last month, ha.
What are you reading?
Oooh, I hope you end up liking “The Kind Worth Killing.” I love that author! His next book is excellent, too! Creepy, but so good!
I read “Harbor Me” in one day, I think on Friday? And now I’m reading “Becoming” which I am LOVING. I want to savor it but I know Phil’s mom needs to borrow it for his February book club. And even though I want to savor it, I also can’t put it down. I love the Obamas so much and it depresses me to think about the current POTUS and FLOTUS. Ugggggggggh.
Next up I am going to read The Clockmaker’s Daughter which is a book from BOTM. One of my goals for 2019 is to read all the unread books on my shelves and to donate whatever I don’t read in 2019. Because if I don’t feel like reading those books in the next 365 days, when will I feel like reading them??
Ok I love the term “flirtmance”! I also finished a book on NYE so I totally am counting it for 2019 haha. Gonna check out some of the ones on your list for this week!
I couldn’t finish “Text Me When You Get Home” but think I’ll eventually return to it. I liked it, it just wasn’t hooking me at the time. And I loved “The Kind Worth Killing” – even as terrible as all of those people were!