What I’m Reading (3.4.24)

Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks (★★★☆☆)

Print • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: Callum has been given an ultimatum by his now-deceased grandfather: He must marry by 35 or else he will lose his family’s funeral home. Enter: Lark. No, she’s not interested in becoming his wife. After all, she’s still grieving the loss of her husband two years ago. But she’s more than happy to help Callum in his search for a wife! But the more time she spends with Callum, the more uncertain she is about Callum ending up with anyone other than her.

Generally, these ultimatum tropes—must marry before X age or else!—are not my favorite. I just don’t think it’s a very realistic trope? Then again, are any of these romance tropes realistic? Probably not. What I loved about this book was the setting: It took place in Galway, Ireland, which is a city I’ve visited and loved. I also really loved the rapport between Callum and Lark. They were very sweet to each other, and I loved the simple, natural way they fell in love with each other. Additionally, I loved that Callum was demisexual (someone who is only sexually attracted to people they have built a close emotional bond with). What a great detail! What I didn’t love about this book was Lark’s character. Lark seemed like a very unevenly drawn character: Outside of work, she was this sunny, confident person who was always up for an adventure. At work, she was shy and insecure. She was supposed to be leading a team, but she let people on her team push her around, and I just so badly wanted her to stand up for herself. It was really hard to read the scenes at her workplace because what was happening to her was wholly unacceptable. All in all, it was a fine romance but I wish the author had given Lark a bit more gumption.

The Seven-Year Slip by Ashley Poston (★★★☆☆)

Audiobook • Spotify • Contemporary Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: Clementine is reeling from the sudden loss of her beloved aunt and, for the time being, is living in her apartment. One day, she comes home and there’s a strange man named Iwan in her apartment. He tells her that Clementine’s aunt is letting him stay there. Only this man exists seven years in Clementine’s past. What happens when she tries to find him in the present?

I listened to this book and it’s one of the few times where I think I would have enjoyed the novel a lot more if I had read it in print. The narrator’s style just didn’t work for me; she was overly dramatic and made the writing feel really cheesy. I loved the unique take on time travel in this novel: It only happened in this specific apartment and Clementine could never quite predict when it would happen. Some days, she would come home and her apartment would be firmly in the present. Other days, it would be seven years in the past. I also loved the slow, sweet way Clementine and Iwan began to fall in love in this apartment. I think this novel, at times, could be a bit too predictable. I never like to use that term when reviewing romance novels because they are supposed to be predictable. But the foreshadowing in this novel was heavy-handed and I would have appreciated a defter plot.

How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety by Ellen Hendrikson (★★★★☆)

Print • Library • Nonfiction (Self-Help) • 2018

Short synopsis: Dr. Ellen Hendrikson takes readers on a journey to better understand the roots of social anxiety and why it endures—and how we can rewire our brains through our behavior. Using her techniques to develop confidence, think through the buzz of anxiety, and feel comfortable in any situation, you can finally be your true, authentic self.

I really loved this book. I struggle with social anxiety and it can often be a very isolating experience. There are times when I’m at Starbucks with Mikaela and the thought of going up to the register to order my drink feels insurmountable. So I order the drink from my phone instead. I have such a hard time making conversation with people I don’t know. My mind just goes completely blank—what questions was I supposed to ask? I have to really push myself to be social because it’s not in my nature. My nature is to stay at home where everything feels safe. But that’s not what I truly want. What I truly want is to experience the world around me, form strong connections with people, and let my full self live out loud. This book does an excellent job of breaking down exactly what social anxiety is and why some of us struggle with aspects of social behavior that come so easily to others. And then she breaks down how we can get ourselves to a place where we don’t feel so defined by our anxiety. My social anxiety is so much better than it used to be, but I still have a ways to go. It will always be something I struggle with, of course, but the more I work on improving my social anxiety, the less grasp it will have on my psyche. (More to come on this subject; I took so many notes while reading that I may write a blog post!)

What are you reading?