MyTiredBrain

I liked the writing style (use of language, dialogue) better than the actual plot, but I would have been happy to read more chapters. It’s always a good sign when I wish a book wasn’t ending, or when I immediately want to see if other books by this author are available from my libraries. At one point she likened a manicured lawn to a prize-winning poodle, and I just loved that description. Cecily Foster makes podcasts, and with her keen ideas, sharp ear, and solid work ethic, she helped produce one that really took off. Unfortunately it was stolen by her ex, so she’s a bit relationship gun shy. She’s finally given the opportunity to star in a new podcast, but it’s one where she has to go on twenty dates and get a mental makeover from a lifestyle coach. Cecily would rather listen to fifty hours of static than agree to this idea, but her coworkers will lose their jobs if this isn’t a hit.  Right before she’s set to go on her dating spree, she meets Will while he’s chasing after a run...

The book is ok. Fine, really, but I wasn’t wowed. It’s one of those situations where the conflict could have been resolved in five seconds if the main characters just had one honest conversation. Shortest book ever. Ballerina, Bree has been in love with her best friend, NFL quarterback, Nathan since she met him in high school. Nathan has been in love with Bree for the same amount of time. But they are best friends, and both are too scared to move out of the friend zone, for fear of ruining the friendship. Ok, sure. I get it, but it’s been like seven years. You’d think their friends would have spoken to each other and compared notes, since everyone around them seems to think they’re in love with each other Bree gets drunk and blurts out her feelings for Nathan, and the video of her confession goes viral. Nathan’s agent lands them an advertisement gig, but it would be better if they faked being a couple to help with the promotion. This will shock you, but the faking feels awfully real to...

I used to really love Tessa Bailey books, but lately they have been a little meh. This one’s much better than Dream Girl Drama, but is still lacking a little something.  NHL player Robbie Corrigan is a player (not just the hockey kind), who forsakes his manwhore ways when he meets star softball pitcher Skylar Paige. Except she’s not buying it, and she thinks he’s just pursuing her as another conquest. Plus she’s forever had a crush on her brother’s best friend. If only that guy saw her as a woman and not just her brother’s little sister.  Enter the overly-done dating assistance, offered to Skylar from the ever-experienced Robbie. He joins her for her family’s wilderness competition (because that’s common for families to have), and realizes he needs to prove his instalove for her, instead of helping her catch the other guy’s eye. She has trust issues. There’s a bunch of making out, then sex. It was all ok. I’ll forget this book in two weeks, and I’m not sure what I could write ...

Emily Henry is easily one of my favorite authors, and I think I’ve read all her books. Her writing style is smooth and the dialogue feels natural. Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson are journalists, competing for the opportunity to write a biography on the famous and infamous reclusive Margaret Ives. Margaret grew up with Vanderbilt-like riches, and married an Elvis-like rock star. The paparazzi were brutal and impacted her life in catastrophic ways. Alice and Scott alternate days meeting with Margaret, and they repeatedly bump into each other on the small island. Margaret makes them both sign NDAs, so they can’t share notes, but each suspects they’re not getting the full story. As their connection grows, so does what they can’t share with each other. 

Kind of forgettable, but enjoyable enough. Nic is a scientist who studies how fire impacts various materials. She returns to Seattle to profess her love for her best friend, Skylar, only to find out that Skylar is moving to Fiji. To farm and live off the grid, free from social media, despite being a famous influencer. Nic meets firefighter Kira, who joined the group while Nic was away, and they work together to try to manipulate Skylar into staying. As they plot against (or for?) Skylar, they realize their attraction is growing. I thought initially Skylar might be making up the whole move as an elaborate way to get Nic and Kira together, but that wasn’t the case. A large part of the book focuses on Nic’s uncertainty with her grant-funded career, and Kira’s frustration over being repeatedly passed over for promotions. The chemistry was only ok for me. (6.5)

This was a quirky read. I liked how unexpected things had a voice, like a baseball hat and especially the cat, Pancake, even if Pancake is a harbinger of death.  PJ Halliday is lucky enough to win the lottery, but unlucky enough to suffer the worst kind of loss - the death of his teenage daughter. She drowned in a cranberry bog, and PJ’s family fell apart soon after. He drinks to cope, and relies on his (living) daughter, ex-wife, and her steady boyfriend to keep him from completely crumbling. When his estranged brother’s children need a guardian, it’s like a second chance for PJ. He also learns that his high school sweetheart’s husband just died, so he decides to take the kids on a road trip to the Tender Hearts Retirement Center, where she lives, to try to win her heart. His daughter, Sophie, and Pancake join them too. The two kids, Ollie and Luna, are grieving the loss of their parents and getting used to PJ and Sophie as guardians. Luna has her own motive for the road trip - wa...