MyTiredBrain

I’m a sucker who hates to write bad reviews. I almost quit halfway through but persevered. Both main characters had long periods of being unlikeable, and there was so much internal thoughts throughout the book, it was exhausting at times. Show, don’t tell. Sophie’s a romance writer with writers’ block. She has never been in love, so she’s having trouble giving her main characters a happy-ever-after. She decides to meet up with her exes to find out why she’s never been able to say, “I love you.” Which seems kind of dumb, since there is only one ex who even came close to being love material.  Dash is a former child star, and Sophie’s landlord. He’s also Sophie’s best friend’s brother. He’s a recovering alcoholic and, with his struggles to maintain sobriety, keeps everyone at a distance. All of a sudden they can’t keep their hands off of each other, despite having very few interactions.  She has trust issues. He has a stalker. His family is a mess. She’s unsure what she wants and...

There was nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering here, but it was well done and an easy read. Football player, image-saving fake dating trope, all pretty standard. Siena Pippen runs her adopted father’s bait and tackle shop after his death. It’s a soul-sucking job, but she feels indebted to him for saving her. She meets Brooks Attwood as he’s trying to come back from an injury, and a viral video makes it look like they’re a couple. Brooks needs Siena to fake it until he makes it, but she’s already had one relationship with a pro athlete implode, and doesn’t want another. He initially thinks she’s into money and fame, and he’s already been burned by one vampire girlfriend. Neither trusts the other. But she needs the money, and he needs her to help him appeal to a family-focused team, so they forge a rocky alliance. 

I really loved this book. I loved the voice, the way the friendship grew between the two main characters, and the messy way grief was depicted.  Lenny’s been struggling ever since her best friend from childhood died of cancer. She’s avoiding life, and taking short-term babysitting gigs to stay afloat. She gets hired by Reese, taking care of a cute kid named Ainsley, and the grumpy uncle, Miles, comes with the job. He can tell Lenny’s holding on by a thread, and he becomes her lifeline in exchange for help relating to Reece and Ainsley. Together they work through a live-again list Lenny created with her best friend before she died. The growth of their friendship, and how they both begin to live again through mutual support, was touching and well done. I cried an embarrassing amount of times throughout the book. I would absolutely read another book from this author. (9.5)

It was cute. Not as much adventure through the jungle as I expected. The romance was a little weak to me. There were some cute lines, like the dildo of justice not being lubed. The antagonists weren’t really fleshed out. Adriana Jones receives a gift addressed to her while on vacation with her brother. It’s a bracelet, and once she puts it on, it won’t come off. Turns out it was supposed to go to Dr. Andrew Jones, and it’s the key to missing treasure. They travel around Columbia, trying to decode ancient maps, with Andrew’s old nemeses and ex-girlfriend hot on their heels. It felt long but overall it was an enjoyable read. (7)

It’s definitely reminiscent of Happy Place, but it was still an enjoyable read. Joni and Ren are besties from childhood. They agree to be each others’ plus-ones for weddings to ensure they stay connected after Joni moves across the country for a new job. The description said dual narrative, so I expected it to alternate between Joni and Ren’s point of view, but it was between past and present. The mystery of why they had such a huge falling out kept me reading.  Currently, Joni and Ren are forced together at their family’s shared beach house, for the wedding of Joni’s sister and Ren’s best friend. (At least I think - the side characters were a little indecipherable.) The book goes back and forth between Joni and Ren as they are now, basically barely on speaking terms after 2 1/2 of no contact, and the past, when they were inseparable. Only Joni’s sister knows Joni and Ren are no longer friends, and no one knows why.  The romance could have been stronger, but the weaving of tim...

 I liked the book, but I didn’t absolutely love it, and I’m not sure why. Lane struggles with anxiety, and feels like her friends all have their lives together, while she’s bumbling along. Her dad’s death when she was young has made her fearful of falling in love. She feels undeserving of love as well, so she keeps everyone at a safe distance. On a whim, she decides to buy a bus and renovate it into her new home.  Matt is a mechanic and overall handyman, and he helps Lane turn the bus into a home. They are part of the same friend group, so even though they’re attracted to each other, they agree it’s best not to jump into a relationship. The friendship is too important, so of course they decide to just hook up, which is not the brightest plan. He’s too good to be true, and she’s struggling with a bus load of emotional baggage. The side plot of her sister’s upcoming wedding and relationship woes felt choppy and unfinished. At times it was a slog. There were also some really good...

I found the footnotes to be distracting and hard to follow, at least for the digital version. Also, the ending felt rushed. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the book and flew through it. Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic and professional rivals for over a decade. Jonah has grown up with a prestigious father who forced his three kids to debate everything, including why it makes sense to have a teddy bear for emotional support. Sadie’s mom died young and her father took off, so she’s had to be scrappy her whole life, with only her sister in her corner.  When a teaching position comes up, it pits them against each other. Jonah needs the job so he can be near his sister as she navigates being ditched by her husband for his secret second family. Sadie needs the job for financial security, and because it’s one of the few positions that’s looking for her popular-romance specialty. Sadie notices that the position offers a “partner hire,” and she suggests they get married so they wi...

This was a good way to start the year. I know I’ve liked other Katherine Center books, and I’d definitely read more of her work. Libby Morgan’s life totally changed after her husband died in a car accident. She discovers he left them in a financial bind, and she’s forced to move her and her two kids in with her toxic mother. Things are looking bleak until she gets a letter from her aunt, offering to rescue them in exchange for assistance working on her goat farm.  Libby moves her family to Texas Hill Country, where she learns the freedom and hard work of life on a farm with her hippie aunt. Also on the farm is the overly-bearded, but steady and loyal, O’Connor, who shows her the ropes of milking goats and selling cheese. He is also caring for his wife, who is in a vegetative state, so any attraction they feel towards each other is off limits. It’s a sweet read, with O’Connor standing up to Libby’s daughter’s (Abby) bully, and Libby’s aunt Jean modeling how to live without being anx...