MyTiredBrain

Leigh is Elle from Clueless, starting an MFA program and feeling like her love of pop culture means she might not be deep enough to thrive in a literary program. Her self doubt amplifies when she realizes her high school crush-turned-nemesis, Will, is also in the same small program. He crushed her crush back in the day, when he said her work was all style and no substance.  Leigh also has to deal with her parents’ crumbling marriage, as she navigates some renewed feelings for Will. They both doubt their worth for each other and there is a lot of push and pull. I wasn’t absolutely wowed by this book, but the writing was good and I’d read another book from this author. (7.5)

Elle is a podcaster who has been managing her aging grandmother’s (Lovie) care from afar. She gets a call from the care coordinator saying Lovie’s dementia is worsening and she needs 24 hour care. The agency sends a nurse and Elle heads over, not realizing the nurse will be staying over in her old bedroom. Surprise ensues, along with some oddly irrational anger, when she meets nurse Adam.  Their initial enemies situation feels contrived, but okay, I’ll go with it. Lovie sees the two of them together and thinks Adam is her deceased husband, and she thinks Elle is Lovie. To keep Lovie from getting upset, Adam and Elle decide to play along.  Sigh. I’ve been working for 25 years with people who have dementia. They often mistake a daughter for their mother or sister. A granddaughter could be a daughter or sister. They may not recognized themself in a mirror, but they still know who they are. I’ve never had a patient think someone else is THEMSELF. I could maybe see someone looking ...

Elle attends a party in NYC, and meets a handsome bouncer-looking guy. They make out and he tries to take her home by offering to buy her anything, unwittingly triggering her biggest pet peeve - someone using money to buy affection. She bolts and spend the next couple years seething over the interaction.  She returns to the city to house sit for someone she couldn’t say no to, and (What’s the chances of this…) ends up on the penthouse floor with only one other apartment, and that one belongs to, wait for it, the bouncer-looking guy. He’s actually tech billionaire Parker Warren, and he needs a fake date for the summer to distract the media from a meager. She’s a screenwriter with writer’s block, and being around him seems to inspire hate-fueled writing.  Their dialogue and it actions were mostly great. I liked how the author weaved NYC into the book. The forced proximity coincidence is super far-fetched. Elle’s distain for using money for control was understandable, but sometim...

Charlotte takes a job at the Pink Pony Club (I had that song in my head for much of the book…) to try to get information on her missing cousin, who used to strip there. Hank owns the club. Charlotte and Hank knew each other as kids, and Hank stood her up for the prom. Hank is persona non grata around town, and many people blame his club for Charlotte’s ex-husband running off with a stripper. The two start off as enemies-ish, but their attraction grows. Charlotte’s a single mother to three children, and dating Hank would make them all pariahs.   It was cute, and the folksie voice was endearing. It was told from both points of view, but the voices felt similar despite the grumpy/sunshine differences. Her kids were an entertaining addition to the book, and Hank’s journey from thinking all kids are the Devil’s spawn to adoring Charlottes’ was cute and touching. (7.5) 

For the most part I liked the voice. Cute quips like, “For the love of God and Tom Hanks” were repeated throughout the book. Emmy Ellison wrote a book about her celebrity crush, and gets tons of publicity when she has the opportunity to meet him. Jason Connor has a reputation problem, and being someone’s celebrity crush complicates his life. I liked how the two main characters had conflicting goals. There’s a photo-shoot scene that’s great, where she steals his sub and their banter is fun. Closed-door sex scenes. I get frustrated with book when one of the major conflicts is due to a lie (or omission) that could easily be fixed with an honest conversation. I’d still read another book by the author. (7.25) 

Amelia “Rae” Rose travels to Rome, Kentucky to get away from her pop star life. Her car breaks down in front of local pie-shop owner Noah Walker. If that doesn’t sound like a Hallmark movie, then I don’t know what would. Noah already tried to make a relationship work with someone who didn’t want to stay in his small town, so he’s understandably resistant to having any feeling for Rae. Rae’s life is on the road, traveling from stage to stage, so a simple life with a pie guy doesn’t make sense.  I liked the tension, as they both fought their feelings for each other. I liked the townsfolk and how nosy everyone was. The closed-door aspect was a letdown for me, after all the build up. And the resolution felt quick to me. It was a light, enjoyable read. (7)