What I’m Reading (12.24.24)

It’s Christmas Eve and I have three very meh book reviews for you. I didn’t plan this! It’s just how things happened.

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith (★★★☆☆)

Audiobook • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2022

Short synopsis: An indie musician reeling from her mother’s sudden death a few months ago reconnects with her estranged father on a week-long cruise in this tale of grief, fame, and love.

I started this audiobook on the drive down to Miami for my cruise. It’s narrated by Mae Whitman so the performance was spot-on, but the actual novel itself didn’t totally work for me. For one, Greta’s father was a straight-up asshole. Of course, he’s dealing with the grief over unexpectedly losing his wife (and being on a cruise that they planned together to celebrate their anniversary). But he was an asshole before Greta’s mom died so that’s no excuse. As someone who is currently estranged from my father because he’s also an asshole who never treated me well, I found it really troubling to read this story and realize that the author wanted these two people to reconcile. Sure, reconciliation is great and I would love to be able to have my dad in my life again, but it’s not always the best thing. And I don’t know if Greta’s father made the type of amends he needed to make. He belittled her career and her relationships, and Greta deserved better. There’s also a weird romance side plot in this novel that didn’t really need to be there, and I found its conclusion to be pretty unbelievable. What I did love about this novel were the explorations of grief and the mentorship Greta gave to a young girl on the cruise who was a fan of hers. All in all, an uneven novel that I’m not likely to recommend.

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley (★★★☆☆)

E-Book • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2024

Short synopsis: Five years after caring for his niece and nephew following their mother’s death, Patrick O’Hara is back in their lives as they face another major transition—their father’s remarriage in Italy. As family tensions, a cold-footed groom, and chaotic wedding plans unfold, Patrick must balance his role as protector, peacemaker, and fun uncle amidst the mayhem.

I really liked The Guncle by Steven Rowley, so when I heard he had written a follow-up novel, I excitedly added it to my Goodreads TBR. I downloaded the e-book for my cruise, although I didn’t start reading it until I got home. (I always think I’m going to read so much more than I do!) And I’ll be honest: I wanted to abandon this book. It was so boring with very little tension and very long descriptions of the places they were visiting in Europe. It felt pedantic and overwrought. But when I went on Goodreads to see how other people felt about the book, I saw a sea of 4-star reviews and I thought that maybe I was being too hard on the book, so I kept going. While the book got marginally better, I still found it a bit of a slog. I was frustrated by the ornery guncle schtick and annoyed by the writing. It just wasn’t the book for me and I think I can safely say goodbye to these characters for good. (However, if the author does end up writing a book about the lesbian aunt, Palmina, I am here for that.)

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams (★★☆☆☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: Annie Walker, a small-town florist in Rome, Kentucky, is determined to transform herself into the confident leading lady of her favorite romance movies to find her perfect match. Enlisting the help of Will Griffin—a rugged, tattooed bodyguard temporarily in town—Annie embarks on practice dates and flirting lessons. But as their chemistry heats up and friendship blurs into something more, Annie starts to wonder if her dream guy isn’t the polished romantic hero she imagined—but the real, imperfect man right in front of her.

I recently read and loved When in Rome by Sarah Adams and was excited to read the next book in the series. I don’t know if I just didn’t notice the bad writing in the first book, but in this one, hoo boy. It was so very bad. This is another example of a book that I should have abandoned. In this case, I kept going because it was an easy romance that I could read quickly (even if I did roll my eyes so many times). I didn’t feel like Annie and Will were full people in their own rights. Annie was the trope of the virgin, small-town girl whose only goals in life were to be a wife and mother (snooze). And Will was the “guy from the wrong side of the tracks.” Because did you know? He has tattoos! And he’s a bodyguard! So he’s totally a bad boy. There were so many plot holes in this novel and I just felt like I was reading a book by an entirely different author than the one who wrote When in Rome. What a disappointment.

What are you reading?