MyTiredBrain

Well, part way through reading it I felt a sense of deja vu, but I kept going anyway. I wasn't sure if I’d already read this book before, or just read something very similar. After I finished I looked it up, and apparently I read it in early 2024. Oh well.  Mia and Noah have been best friends forever, and secretly in love with each other for almost as long. Noah feels guilty about the idea of finding happiness after the death of his brother. Mia feels guilty burdening a partner with her chronic medical issues. When she has the opportunity to fulfill a life-long dream and go back to school, Noah proposes she marry him so she can quit her job and get on his benefits.  The writing was fine. Their relationship was cute, albeit slightly codependent. Noah being blackmailed at work felt contrived. Noah’s this smart, driven guy, but he can’t just stand up to a work bully who’s threatening to tell their boss Noah’s marriage to Mia is a scam? I mean, he could have just gone to his boss ...

I’d read another book from this author. Neuroscientist Frances Siberstein is struggling in the competitive world of academia. She needs to get a grant or make connections quick because her funding is running out. Her fear of flying leads to a meet cute with a fellow conference attendee, Louis North. She knows him virtually but they had never met in person, and she’d hoped to keep it that way, since years ago he used her ideas for a publication and then didn’t credit her. Now she had to contend with Louis, plus try to avoid the organizer of the conference: her ex who also put his career aspirations in front of hers.  It’s convoluted, but Frances and Louis end up fake dating to maintain their professional integrity. The why is kind of stupid, but watching them attack the fake dating in a scientific manner was cute. Frances’ thoughtlessness when it comes to her sister was annoying (calling repeatedly during her sister’s honeymoon), so it was good there were some consequences eventuall...

Iris discovers her fiancé is cheating the night before they’re supposed to get married. Her dumping of him goes viral, and she takes off for Hawaii for a solo honeymoon. Unfortunately her ex cancelled the vacation villa, so when she goes to enter the keypad it doesn’t work. She gets let in, only to discover it’s occupied by Roman, who is Tom Brady famous. Iris doesn’t follow football, so she doesn’t know who he is. Their connection is immediate.  He likes that Iris likes him for being himself, not because he’s a famous quarterback. She’s looking for a rebound fling. He catches feelings, but she pulls back when she realizes he isn’t sharing his whole self with her.  The book is fine, but somewhat forgettable. He keeps his son hidden from Iris, which pisses her off. They separate, but he goes to her hometown and convinces her to move in with him in LA. He buys her a horse ranch so she can set up an equine therapy program. His family seems great, and fodder for future books. He’s...

I liked the voice and characters. Eve Hatch gets pregnant from a one-night stand. The father, Ethan is ambivalent, mostly because his girlfriend is a nightmare. Eve’s best friend, Willa, has been struggling with infertility, so this news drives a wedge between them when Eve needs Willa most. It’s Willa’s brother, Shep, who steps in and supports Eve as she navigates the pregnancy. Eve and Shep’s changing relationships was sweet to read. (8)

Well, this one made me cry multiple times. Emotionally exhausting, but enjoyable. I’m a big fan of this writing duo. Morgan is being haunted by Zach, a guy she met for one, non-remarkable date. He’s ruining her life by driving away her roommate, which puts her at risk of becoming homeless since she can’t afford rent on her own. He can’t remember his past and feels just as miserable about the situation as Morgan. In an attempt to find a solution she goes to a paranormal support group, where she meets Sawyer. He’s being haunted by his fiancée, who died five years ago. Unlike Morgan, he doesn’t want his ghost to leave, and he’s troubled because she seems to be fading.  The book is an exploration on loss, living, letting go, facing fears, and self discovery. Sawyer was a potter before his fiancée died, but his life stopped with Kennedy’s death. His yard is overgrown with dead plants and trees. He’s isolated himself from his friends and family. Morgan has spent her life flitting from th...

It was good enough, but not great. I’d say I’d still read more from this author but when I look back at my books-read list, apparently I’ve read two other books, and they were both rated similarly, so maybe not at this point.  Melody Adams and Beckett Nash met on vacation in Aruba. He was there to work on writing his first book, and to escape the memory of his father bailing on the family right before Christmas. Melody was there for a morale-boosting and bonding trip with her sick mom. Their instalove lacked believable chemistry. The book is written in a sort of duel perspective, two years after they return home and both believe they were dumped. I liked Melody’s relationship with her mom (“Birdie”). I didn’t like her mom calling her “Pretty Girl” all the time. Spoiler alert here - it got to be too much after Birdie dies, and Melody still talks to her. I have no problem with people talking to dead relatives since I think that’s normal, but their somewhat in-depth conversations wher...

I liked the writing style, and the descriptions of the food and scenery were really strong. Olive Stone’s estranged father dies and leaves her his struggling restaurant. His devotion to the restaurant over his family is what caused the estrangement, so Olive wants to sell it and collect the money as soon as possible. The chef there, Leo Ricci, wants her to keep it and let him update the restaurant and menu in a way that her father refused.  Before she can settle that issue, she has to finish her father’s cookbook, which is on deadline and needs the last three chapters completed. Olive must travel with Leo to three regions in Italy to come up with recipes and stories to fulfill the obligation. Leo uses the time to sell his vision of the restaurant. Olive comes to terms with the reasons for the estrangement. And of course, the two discover feelings for each other along the way.  This reads almost more like women’s fiction than romance, as Olive’s emotional journey is more centra...