5 books this month—-4 wins and a loss

It’s rare that I don’t love an Emily Giffin book (shout out to All We Ever Wanted and The Lies That Bind) so I decided to grab Where We Belong this month and am so happy I did! We meet Marian, a 36 year old television writer who is living her dream in New York. She has a successful job that she has worked hard for, a hunky boyfriend, and a bright future ahead. One night, she answers a knock at the door to find an 18 year old girl that has Marian and her father’s same ears. She knows instantly that the secret that she has been keeping for 18 years is now standing right in front of her. Flash back to the summer after Marian’s senior year of high school and her fling with Conrad. The two know that the relationship has an expiration date so they are soaking up as much of each other as possible….but then, a pregnancy scare puts an end to their summer romance earlier than planned. Should Marian tell Conrad? Should she keep the baby? Should she give her up for adoption and move forward with her college plans?
I really loved this book. It made me think about how our own choices can have such an effect on the lives of others for better or worse…or maybe just different. I loved seeing Marian and Kirby’s relationship unfold and I really loved Conrad (Marian’s summer love). My one complaint is that I wish we had gotten more of Conrad. A sequel maybe? A reader can only hope! Read it and let us know what you think!!!

I was so excited to read What You Wish For by Katherine Center because Happiness For Beginners, Things You Save in a Fire and How to Walk Away were 3 books that I loved. So, my hopes were high and they were met! While this is ultimately a love story, it is meatier than your average beach read. Samantha Carpenter (Sam) is a school librarian in Galveston, Texas. She loves her job, her boss, her coworkers and her school. Her love life is close to non-existent at the moment but she is okay with that because she left her last school several years ago due to an unrequited love. Tragedy occurs, and when it does, a new principal is brought in and guess what— it is Duncan—her former self’s infatuation! The problem is…he has changed. He is no longer the carefree, goofy, prankster that Sam once knew; he is uptight, rigid and has big plans to make her beloved school more like a prison than a place for children. Is there a reason for this personality change? Of course, but you’ll have to read and find out what it is!
Quote I liked— “The world keeps hanging on to this idea that love is for the gullible. But nothing could be more wrong. Love is only for the brave."

Ahhhh…another adorable romcom that I just ate right up! If you enjoyed The Hating Game, you are sure to love Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting too! Blaire and Ronan are two entrepreneurs setting up shop next door to each other. Blaire’s cupcakes and cocktail bar is brand new and adorable. Ronan’s bar has been in the family but he is renovating and giving it his own twist…complete with axe throwing. The two become frenemies, competing for new customers, but when a chain restaurant/bar moves across the street they may need to join forces for the sake of their livelihoods. The book is super cute! I loved the cupcake descriptions, Ronan’s obsession with the cupcakes, Blaire’s far from typical family and how she strives to make it on her own. I also loved watching Blaire and Ronan’s relationship evolve. If you are looking for an easy breezy and fun read, this one is for you! (There are a few intimate scenes so be aware of that.)

We Are the Brennans- This book reminded me of Malibu Rising which I reviewed last month. I love the strong sibling bond that both of these books spotlight. We Are the Brennans is about an Irish family in America and the secrets they hide/ live with. (Sidenote: I just wanted to scream at Sunday, “Why? Why didn’t you tell? Why have you kept this to yourself for years???” Ahh!) So…Sunday grew up with her 3 brothers and a very close neighbor that was also of Irish decent and spent most of his waking hours at the Brennan house. The siblings have had their rifts but are close nonetheless. 5 years before the story begins, Sunday leaves town and basically cuts off the family for reasons that are not clear. A bad car accident brings her home and we see it all unfold—her guilt, her lingering love of her ex-fiance, her adoration for her youngest brother, her brother’s failing marriage, her brother’s failing business, etc. It all comes to a head and I was actually surprised at the reason behind Sunday’s departure. I was also surprised at the ending! Have you read it? Were you surprised? What did you think?

I ended the month with The Bromance Book Club. I was really excited about this book. The premise seems great—a group of professional baseball players that have a book club focusing on romance novels—sounds like a winner! Buuuutttt…I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it, I just thought it could have been better. The book begins with Thea and Gavin in a struggling marriage. Gavin wants to win her back, but Thea is done. Enter his teammates/buddies who invite Gavin to join their book club where they learn lessons in love and chivalry from the books they read. One thing that I really didn’t like was the book inside a book—we had lengthy excerpts from the book that the club was reading. It just really broke up the book for me. One thing I did appreciate was Gavin’s stutter and how it was endearing to Thea. I also liked the friendships and how Gavin’s friends were rooting for him to work it out with Thea. If you’ve read this book, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. If you haven’t, I don’t think I would recommend it.

That’s it! Share your thoughts in the comments!

See all of the books I’ve read so far in 2021 here and those I read in 2020 here!

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