Love's a funny thing. I’m a big fan of weird and difficult love stories. This is because real love is never easy, and I like to see that fact realistically portrayed. And, sure, while romantic love can be mind-boggling at times, I happen to think that familial love takes the cake. It's perhaps the most twisted, complicated form of love there is. On that thought-provoking note, let's move into my book review of The Mother-in-Law. I decided to...
I delved into Desperate Girls expecting a good thriller, and instead I ended up reading a romance novel tinged with a little bit of suspense. I can’t remember why I decided to add Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin to my TBR list. I think I saw a targeted ad for it somewhere, but I can’t be sure. Whatever the prompt -- add it, I did, because the Goodreads book description made it sound like this book would be a sharp, intense thriller that...
The Unhoneymooners is your next perfect beach read. I originally toyed with giving it a brief mention in my recent Quick Look Books post on Vacation Destination reads. However, in the end, I had to write a full review -- and, of course, give the book its own book-inspired recipe! This newest novel from writing duo Christina Lauren is your quintessential rom-com: two characters who loath one another somehow find themselves on a vacation in...
Well, we made it to summer, everyone! If you’re like me, you're dreaming about what vacations you want to take. Warm weather always makes me think about jet-setting somewhere exotic -- or, really, to anywhere that’s different from what I see 24/7 in my daily routine. The past few years have yielded a lot more daycations than vacations for me, though, so I’ve been getting my vicarious vacation fix through books. Which brings me to this...
Mom, don’t read this post. I’m serious. Stop reading. I know you’re a loyal Tartlet, but it’s okay for you to skip this particular book review. In fact, for the love of God, please skip this one. Are you gone? Last chance…. …… Okay! For everyone else who is NOT my mom: *blasts Salt n’ Peppa music and dances around the room* Let’s talk about sex, baby. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang is a fantastic book. I’m giving this...
Well. I'm never visiting a health resort. EVER. I'm just going to start this review by saying that Nine Perfect Strangers did not go at all where I thought it would. A lot of people said they had a hard time getting through this entire book, and I didn't quite understand what they meant until about halfway through -- which is about halfway through the titular "nine perfect strangers'" experience at a luxury spa and health resort called...
Oh, man. This book is heavy. The Things She's Seen was a hard one to read, but it's oh-so worth it. I received an ARC of this YA title by Australian brother-sister writing duo Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, and I was thoroughly hooked from the first page. This story is a poignant blend of mystery, fantasy, and brutal reality that will leave you eagerly turning the pages for more. There's a lot of action and issues packed into this slim...
Well, An Unwanted Guest was a nice little murder mystery. What's An Unwanted Guest about? When I first started reading this third novel by Shari Lapena, I immediately was reminded of Agatha Christie’s Evil Under the Sun – or, of the movie version since I’ve never actually read the book. An interesting cast of characters have all ended up at the same place – but instead of at a lux resort in the Adriatic, it’s at a cozy inn in the...
Goodreads and some other book bloggers tell me I’m in the minority on this one – but I just don’t care. The Last Romantics was a DNF for me. I requested the ARC of author Tara Conklin’s newest novel in a moment of optimism. I hadn’t been able to finish her debut novel, The House Girl; the premise had interested me, but the writing fell flat and refused to suck me into its story. Still, I had hoped that my encounter with The Last...
Welcome back to Ballybucklebo! *dances, throws four-leaf clovers in the air, and speaks with a laughably awful Irish accent* I mean, that’s pretty much what I do whenever Patrick Taylor releases a new book in the Irish Country Doctor series. I’ve been reading this series since day one, and, as you'll recall, several previous installments have made it into my Quick Look Books recommendations. The latest novel, An Irish Country Cottage, is set...
