Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

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This was an enjoyable read that remained consistent almost throughout the entire book. After her twin sister and her brother-in-law fall ill on their wedding day, Olive goes on their all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii. It’s an offer she couldn’t pass up, but unfortunately for her, she has a guest- Ethan, her sister’s husband’s brother. She and Ethan have a mutual hatred but try to put that aside to enjoy their free vacation.

This was a fun story with solid enemies-to-lovers mixed with a slight fake relationship trope. It’s charming and funny. And definitely, a page-turner as Olive and Ethan continuously encounter people from their real-life while in Hawaii.

The characters are terrific. Before I talk about the romance, I want to talk about Olive’s relationship with her family. It’s a very strong presence. And her family was a welcome and warm addition to the book. I enjoyed their dynamic and their closeness. 

Ethan and Olive had such chemistry and their banter was great. As much as I enjoyed this book, I will say that unfortunately towards the end, I became frustrated with Ethan. I understand his familial ties to his brother, but I didn’t quite like his behavior. And I sided more with Olive when the major conflict arose. And that could be partly because the story is told through her POV.

Final Analysis

The Unhoneymooners is an exciting and entertaining read with a great romance. It does lose its footing when the conflict comes around, but it doesn’t stay down for long. It manages to pick that momentum back up. 

Review: An Unexpected Love Story (Falling into Happily Ever After) by Ellie Hall

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This was an okay romantic comedy. It’s a book centered on Catherine, who makes a plan to go on five days before Valentine’s Day. That plan is quickly abandoned when an old high school crush coincidentally appears back in her life.

It’s a fairly slow book. And most of the time, the dialogue felt stiff or out of place. There was a scene early in the novel where it was a housewarming party and the conversation between the characters didn’t flow well for me nor did it feel like a conversation these types of people would be having.

In addition, there was a lack of depth for the characters. Throughout the book, I never really got a sense of who Catherine was. Yes, she hates her job and has a best friend. What about her drive? Passions? Kellan was the same way. Everything for him was centered around Catherine for the moment his POV begun. It was hard to understand why there was such an attraction for them to each other because that wasn’t presented well.

Final Thoughts:

An Unexpected Love Story (Falling into Happily Ever After) is an okay romantic comedy that lacks comedy and an interesting romance.  

Review: Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life by Julianna Margulies

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I knew very little about Julianna Margulies besides the fact that she was an actress. Earlier this year, I started The Good Wife (2009-2014) after constantly seeing internet friends rave about it. I got more than halfway through the first season and still haven’t finished it. It isn’t a terrible show, and Julianna is certainly amazing in it. It just wasn’t something that held on to my interest. In March, I decided to watch ER (1994-2009). After the first episode, I was hooked, and I hadn’t stopped since. Like several people, I was engrossed in the beautifully flawed relationship between Nurse Carol Hathaway and Doug Ross. And when I heard that Julianna Margulies was writing a book. I instantly pre-ordered. Because of course I wanted to read a book by the actress who played Carol Hathaway.

Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life is an invitation into Julianna’s life as she struggles with continuing to live up to the persona of the ‘sunshine’ girl, growing up, and coming to terms with who she is and what she wants.

In essence, it is about someone who has had to adjust her entire life. When she was young, she moved from city to city and sometimes country to country. And then when she was finally on her own, she had to adjust to several other personal situations including a tedious relationship.

It’s not the most scandalous or intimate celebrity memoir but it’s still a captivating read.

Throughout the entire book, it is clear that this is a real and raw person. Everything felt honest. And she did not shy away from telling the bad, even when it didn’t reflect her in a positive light. She shared her regrets, mistakes, and faults. But also her wins and achievements. It had a nice balance.

There were two stories that stuck out to me the most. The first was her explaining why she chose to leave ER after the sixth season. Her contract was up, and the network had offered her an incredible amount of money to stay on. She considered it but one night on her way home she stopped at a bookstore and when she got home, she opened the book and saw the quote “I decided to learn more, not earn more.” That is such a powerful quote.

Another story that stuck out to me involved her parent’s. I found the most fascinating thing about this book to be her relationship with her parents. She did not have the perfect childhood. And towards the end of the book she writes about how when she got older, she confronted her parents about their actions and all she needed to hear was “I’m sorry, I should have done more.” I’m not a parent but it stuck out to me when she said, “children don’t realize that we are all are just human beings, trying to find our way.”

Final Analysis

Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life is an intriguing, insightful memoir. 

Review: The Audacity of Sara Grayson by Joani Elliott

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In her debut novel, The Audacity of Sara Grayson, Joani Elliott gives readers a book to fall in love with. This is one of those books that you don't want to stop reading. I'm excited to see what this author writes in the future.

Cassandra Bond is a bestselling author who suddenly dies. The last book in one of her most beloved series has yet to be published. As a dying wish, she bestows this request of her book to be written by her daughter, Sarah. After a failed attempt at publishing a book before, Sarah lost confidence in being a real writer.

When a new editor is assigned to the book and doubts her ability to write and potentially damage the brand, a spark ignited within her to prove them wrong. As she faces obstacles at every turn, trying to prove the editor wrong, meeting the deadline, secrets are revealed that change the narrative and potentially rewrite a new book in her life.

Overall, the book was a wonderful read. Sarah is a relatable character that has qualities that many will resonate with, especially authors who have felt like a failure. Some moments will touch you and make you laugh out loud. Her relationships with the other characters in the book are just as interesting as her own experience. You will not be disappointed with this one. I recommend adding this to your list.

Review: Reluctantly Perfect by SE Rose

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Reluctantly Imperfect is the last book in the Perfectly Imperfect series. I, unfortunately, started with this one and am extremely disappointed I missed out on what seems like it was a fun series. From what I read in this one, it looks like she saved her best for last. I will be back reading.

The book introduces us to Clark Moore and Megan Lennox. They had all the makings of being a storybook romance. Their families knew and grew up together and became each other’s friends. That all was smooth sailing until a teenage moment changed everything between them. From that moment on through college, they lost their way and avoided each other at all costs. 

When an opportunity comes up for their dream job, they are paired together for what seems like an impossible task. As they find a way to work together, they realize that fate and destiny have a way of always arriving on time. 

I always love the enemies to lovers theme. It had all the charm and swoon one could ask for. There wasn’t a moment that I could look away. As I mentioned before, I haven’t read the preceding books in the series so I don’t know if this could be a standalone or needed a back story. Despite that, it was easy to follow with likable characters giving off a cute, fun read. I’d recommend checking this one out. 

Review: The Happiest Girl in the World by Alena Dillon

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The Happiest Girl in the World is told in the POV of both Sera Wheeler and her mother, Charlene Wheeler. Since she was a child, Sera and her mother have only focused on one thing- getting her to the Olympics. Throughout The Happiest Girl in the World, the two of them try to reach that goal and face many obstacles along the way.

This is a must-read. It’s a well-written, dark book. It’s very heavy at times as it deals with several serious topics. It felt extremely realistic. Especially since the narrative is intertwined with several real-life events. It’s quite literally ripped from the headlines as it highlights the recent sexual harassment charges against a top gymnastics doctor and the very dark side of striving to be great. And it’s hard not to be sucked into this behind-the-scenes tale.

It takes place over roughly 9 years. This is a saddening and emotional journey. Sera is putting in long hours, dealing with constant pain, the fear of failure, sweat, and tears. She wants more than anything to make it to the Olympics as a gymnast. And then there is her Charlene who wants it just as much as her daughter, but for a different reason. I think their POVs were perfectly crafted and I felt their desire with every word.

Final Thoughts

The Happiest Girl in the World is a haunting novel about the struggles and sacrifices while on the path to greatness.