MyTiredBrain

I’m apparently on a brother’s-best-friend kick, since this is the second book in a row with that trope. The best part of the book may have been Ford adapting to having a daughter. He donated sperm when he was nineteen so he could have money to see Rage Against the Machine, and all of a sudden he gets a knock on his door. His daughter’s dad died and her mother is too depressed to care for her, so Ford steps in. liked the “little storm cloud” description. Ford has always been in love with Rosie, but she’s his best friend’s little sister. He thought all chances with her were done when she moved away to the city and moved in with her boyfriend. She gets fired after being sexually harassed, and shows up back home. And her relationship status is now changed to it’s complicated. Ford is a single billionaire, and he hires her to help with his newest project of starting a recording studio/retreat center. But now she’s his employee, and his best friend’s sister. Rosie is sometimes way too bratty...

I still can’t count apparently. This is book 58, after two book 56’s.  It was angsty but good. Melody returns home after getting dumped by her controlling boyfriend. Her twin brother pushes her to take his spot on camping trip, and when she arrives at the campsite she sees her long-lost first love, Zac. He walked away from Melody when they were teenagers and he wants to make it right. She’s still hurt and doesn’t trust his affection. But they are both still attracted to each other. Cue the angst. Plus Zac and Melody’s brother are best friends. So they have keep their rekindled relationship a secret, so Melody fake dates a friend as cover (seemed like an unnecessary complication to me).  He kept a red string they exchanged as teenagers. She kept the string too, even though he hurt her. The ex-boyfriend controlled what she wore, ate, and she realized how isolated he kept her once they split. 

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...