MyTiredBrain

I’m surprised this has such a high Goodreads rating. It was ok. Blake and Wyatt have know each other since they were kids, and their dads are best friends. They end up both staying at the their family’s shared compound at Lake Tahoe. Blake is there to nurse her wounds after getting cheated on by her boyfriend. Wyatt is a musician, and he’s there to try to overcome his writer’s block. Hooking up would be messy, and Wyatt tries to push her away by being an ass to her, but they can’t resist each other.  The family chat stuff was useless to me. Blake is not sure what to do with her life, but because she comes from a rich family who will support her no matter what, it didn’t feel like there was really any tension or stakes involved in her figuring things out. There was a side-plot about a ghost who haunted the lake, and that was interesting to a point. There was a lot of fluff in the book (like a family badminton tournament), and a glossed-over assault. Spoilers ahead - it includes the ...

Bennet is grieving the loss of her first love, Sam. He died in a car accident, driving to her apartment after they had gotten into a fight on the phone. She feels responsible for his death, depressed and listless, hating most of her temp jobs, and wondering if she should leave New York City. She meets Henry after her roommate pushes her to go out on a date. It starts off rocky, but Henry is persistent. He wants a friend, and nominates himself to help Bennet find her passion. They take classes together and spend time exploring the city. Bennet’s grief lifts with Henry’s company, and they become more than friends, but then she feels guilt for moving on. She blows it all up when she invites Henry to Sam’s sister’s wedding, and downplays her relationship with Henry.  It had some touching moments.

I really liked the writing, and I found myself looking forward to reading this (while I was reading it). Annie is a know-it-all, and that can be a bit tiresome. She knows her sister shouldn’t marry a cheater. She knows her company is making bad decisions. Her new boss, and beau, Connor, is nerdy and sweet. He developed Dinocode to teach kids how to code, and Annie uses it to get better at her job. Their banter was cute. The side plot with her best friend and her roommate felt weak. It was a quick read. I’d definitely read more from this author. (8)

 Poppy is an influencer with a bubble gum personality. No one, especially her family, really takes her seriously. Jack is a chef with trauma from being abandoned as a baby. He doesn’t trust close relationships, and pushes everyone away. When the man who was like a father to him does, Jack falls apart. 

It was well written and kept my interest, but the pacing was a bit slow at times. I liked the multiple viewpoints and I was intrigued by the murders. It tells the story of a group of people living at a boarding home, The Briarwood House (which is a character in the story too). The owner of the home is horrible, but her two kids, Lina and Pete, find a family within the boarders, thanks to the warmth of the newest tenant, Grace. Grace is an observer, and she, and the reader, learn the stories of the other tenants. They all become close as they attend a Thursday evening supper club. A zillion spoilers to follow: Among the tenants is Englishwoman, Fliss, who is struggling with postpartum depression and being a single mother while her husband is in Korea during the Korean War. She was a nurse and misses her career. Nora falls for a shady “businessman,” (gangster) and his dog, Duke. Bea was a women’s league baseball player before blowing out her knee, and she struggles with teaching high sch...

Some things were kind of cute, and it was a fast read. Athena was engaged to Johnny, and she left her job (which she need to leave due to burn out), home, and friends to move in with him. His brother, Matthew, encourages Johnny to break up with Athena because Johnny can’t take care of himself, let alone a dependent wife. This leaves Athena heartbroken, and almost homeless.  She bought the tiny home next door (the spite house) as a wedding present for Johnny.but now lives in it. On one side is Johnny; on the other side lives Matthew. While Johnny is away on an extended vacation, Matthew and Athena shift from enemies to friends, to lovers. In that short time Matthew helps Athena work through her depression.  I have a hard time with this kind of romance, because in the real world I’d tell Matthew there are a million other women he could pick, so how about not your brother’s ex-finance? He’s a kind, thoughtful, pediatrician so I think there’s someone out there who’d be interested....

I liked the writing style, and lush descriptions of the surroundings and food. Frankie is named after a whale. Her mom left for a year when she was young to save the whales, and Frankie has never forgiven her, nor gotten over the fear of abandonment. George moved in next to Frankie when they were both kids, after his dad dumped him with his grandmother. So he has some abandonment issues too. Frankie and George have been best friends since they were kids. They drifted apart over the years, but he still agrees to be her best man at her wedding. Nate is safe and steady, and Frankie thinks she will be happy with him. When she’s dumped right before the ceremony, George helps whisk her away back home. He convinces her to go on her honeymoon with him, and they spend the week healing old wounds.  Just as they both admit they have more-then-friends feelings for each other, Frankie discovers Nate has been holding out in her. She didn’t know why Nate left her, but George knew the whole time a...