lisaluvsliterature's Reviews (4.19k)

I won a copy of this through the Bookish First website, but then it didn’t get to me until after the pub date, so I didn’t get the review done as a separate post, especially since my life kind of went to heck the first couple weeks of April. But in the end I ended up enjoying it just as much as I’d hoped I would! I’ve wanted to read something by these authors for a while, but this was the first chance I got. And I am sure that I will be reading more in the future. I liked how both characters had their own take on what the deal was going to be, she thought she’d teach him how to get over her, and he thought he would convince her they should be together. The family dynamic between the two families was really great as well. Another great book I can’t wait to share with my students!

So, I bought the hardcover of this when it came out. But as always, my review schedule kept me from getting to it right away. Then I realized that Tom Felton was the author and that he was going to read his own biography and knew that was going to be the best way to read/listen to it. And it was. So I borrowed it from the library’s digital audiobooks. I was on a long waiting list, because everyone of course wanted to read/listen to it. I enjoyed hearing about his pretty normal upbringing. Of course all the Harry Potter world talk was so fun to hear as well. He had a word he mentioned that was meaning falling asleep as soon as he got in a car: carcoleptic, and that totally describes how I used to be when riding with my family just about any trip over an hour long. So many things to go back and watch for in the movies now as well after listening to this. A lot of things I never thought about, how really there wasn’t any scandal around any of the actors for these movies like there always seems to be around any kids’ movies. Also his struggles at the end were good to read about as well. 

So, I was really excited for this one, I mean, there’s a dachshund on the cover and in the title! And while the story was good, it wasn’t one that grabbed me and made it so I couldn’t put the book down. I do really prefer first person when I’m reading romance, especially when we do kind of get both characters’ sides of the story. Overall it was a good enough read, but I don’t know that I will go on with the series.

This was a fun historical retelling with a reimagining, or extra storyline added to the musketeers of history. It made me dig into some French history comparing what time period this was based on what I knew from other stories. So that is a positive. The audio was a neat way to read/listen to this story for sure, because the narrator did do a great French accent and pronounced the French words very well. However at times the accent/pronunciation did get me confused as I listened because sometimes the words sounded close and if I’d been reading the print book I wouldn’t have been confused. It was mostly having to do with the names of people. The narrator did also leave big pauses between parts of a conversation, but then no pause at all often at where I know there had to have been a space or something in the book to represent a new section/scene beginning. Otherwise it was a great story! I received a hardback copy from the publisher to read for the library book award committee I’m on, but I ended up fitting in the audio version from my public library in the end.

I’ve been anxiously awaiting this book since I first heard about it and it did not let me down at all! Even as long as it was I could barely put it down, I hated every time I had to quit reading because my lunch break was over or I had to go to bed before work the next morning. The whole plot had so many intricate details relating the characters to each other in so many different ways that I loved reading along to see just what was going to happen next and how someone might react. Another part that really grabbed me was the fact that the book touched on unrequited love being more than just a romantic love. The love for a parent someone never got to meet, that was such a deep and emotional aspect of this story. 

As I have found with the other books I’ve read by this author, I really love all the characters, even if they come across as a bit unlikable at first. And then there is always a character or two that keeps the humor going, and in this book, there was even an unexpected humorous character that didn’t disappear when I thought it would, a lobster that popped up again in such a hilarious way. The romance was wonderful, the having to realize that love isn’t always going to be about perfect swept away moments of thunder/lightning, at least it may not appear that way right away. 

Wonderful new story from Sarah Ready!

I was excited to return to the world of the Donner Bakery since some of the other original books in the series had migrated into new offshoot series in the SmartyPants Romance Green Valley world. This author was new to me, although I do have one of her books as a freebie ebook. I was lucky enough to get the audiobook to listen to this one. Both narrators had good voices. However the way the female narrator said Green Valley sounded like “Grain Valley” a lot of the time, which kind of messed with me as I was listening since Grain Valley is a suburb of Kansas City where I live. Also occasionally the male narrator would emphasize certain phrases or words that seemed a little off or over the top at times.

The story itself was pretty good. I liked the way Julia would just run away from situations she didn’t like, I mean literally run away, lol. And there was a really good representation of a person with a genetic issue that caused a lifelong disability, one that I hadn’t really heard about before, with Julia’s love interest Shane. Shane’s musical ability was a neat one, and I enjoyed how both of them had their interest in baking. I would love to try some of the bread they talked about!

I did have some issues with what seemed to be a lot of use of cliches, some awkward dialogue at times, as well as occasionally too much unnecessary descriptions of things. I also didn’t feel the first sex scene fit perfectly. While I’m normally all about getting to the steamy scenes as soon as possible, something about the way this happened, or the way they reacted to each other during that scene was a bit wrong for me.

In the end however, the story was good, and makes a fair addition to the Donner Bakery series.

That first explosive laughter moment that Quinn’s books usually pull from me wasn’t quite as soon in this one, but it wasn’t far after we got going. Wait till you read the part about belly nuzzles, kept me giggling for quite a while! I loved the prologue for how this got started and gave us the background. One thing that always amazes me about her stories is how they are all so different! Even with the awesomeness that each story brings, it doesn’t feel like I’m reading any sort of a repeat of the last book she wrote. Not that I don’t enjoy the familiarity of stories that have the similar feel that I get from my favorite authors, but I just love the way that all of her stories have something different that grabs me and keeps me riveted, even at over 400, sometimes almost 500 page long stories!

In a way there was a part that reminded me of one of the other books by this author when the characters kind of tried long distance, only this kind of was the opposite, more towards the end of the book. And I can’t say too much about that without getting spoilery. This book had tons of back and forth, and as this was supposed to be the weeks leading up to Tessa’s twin sister Roxanne’s wedding, even that part of the story was a lot different from other stories with similar plot points to that. We didn’t quite get all the family stuff like normally is what throws the wrench into all the things. Instead we got a girls trip, somewhat gone wrong as they tried to hold each other, Tessa specifically in this case, to a contract they made as teenagers. 

All the things they did to get back at each other were some crazy things. The help that Tessa got from “The Bulge” or Myles, was perfect as well. And Myles had his own family back story, that really complemented the story perfectly, and made all of the puzzles pieces snap together exactly right in the end.

I really feel like this story was very different and unique! I picked it up and didn’t want to put it down! Unfortunately as I was reading some big things happened in my life, so I didn’t get to finish it as quickly as I could have normally. But every spare moment I had I was reading, even if that meant sitting in the hospital waiting room and scrolling on my tiny phone screen.

While it started out with Olivia going to an interview for a tv show, I was definitely intrigued as it went down the little detour with that not really playing any more into the story. There were a lot of great characters, and even the ones that I didn’t like for how they treated Olivia actually, most of them anyway, had some redeeming qualities in the end, especially one, that I won’t mention because I won’t spoil the little moments that made me smile towards the end.

And then the big “darkest night” moment at the end, what started to come between the two at the end, well, I hated it, but in the best way. I totally understood Olivia’s reasons, even if I wish she’d stayed and heard or asked him for clarification. But, yeah, misunderstandings are a big part of romances.

Probably my only complaint is that I wished for an epilogue! For a while I was kind of thinking who cared about those, but I think lately I’ve gotten spoiled with all the authors that give epilogues. Not that this needs it, there was a definite happy ending.

I have to say I’m becoming more and more a big fan of Portia MacIntosh!

I really am enjoying this series, even if the books are a little bit long for me! I liked how this one kind of overlapped what happened in the first book, Playing Hard to Get, by taking place at basically the same time. Camden and Blair were meant to be, and it’s obvious to the reader, as well as probably most everyone around them, except maybe her brother. I like how Blair was able to kind of tempt him, and get him to finally give in to the temptation. Of course it went too long with not telling her brother, and that’s a normal story line for this type of trope/plot. I liked how there was more to it than that. Cam’s past was one that made it easy to see why he felt the way he did. I liked how he even took a moment when he realized that he’d started to become exactly what he’d told himself he would never become, like his father. And I like that Blair did set a line in the sand, not putting up with it, but that she did let him back in when he was ready. To me that is real. And it was more than just him saying he was ready. He did the work, he did what he needed to do not only for Blair and their relationship, but also for himself and his own well-being.

A great story, and I look forward to the next book in the series, although there are so many of the characters I hope to see get their HEA!

Oh my gosh, this story was probably one of the funniest of the whole series! It was a shorter novella sized story, but I did finish it in one day, almost one sitting. I was even laughing out loud while I was sitting in the chair getting a pedicure. Between the hen night antics, and the stag night craziness, I almost could not stop laughing. I guess I didn’t remember Rory’s friend Charlie being quite as hilarious as he was in this story, but oh my gosh, sooooo funny what he added to the wedding as the best man. Honestly all the characters were in rare form with the jokes and craziness. There was the eccentric Hollywood star Brad who had married Rory’s mom, who did both help out with the tension between Rory and Zoe’s moms, but also created a bit of an issue with going out into nature with Zoe’s dad and getting lost/stuck, and then there was his speech/turn as the person in charge of all the wedding speeches. Zoe’s mom and Morag got up to quite a bit of craziness whenever they’d start drinking.

I could go on and on, but really if you like to laugh, this is the book for you. Some funny British vs. American term jokes, like a spotted dick line or two. It was also good to maybe get a tiny peek at the characters that I think make up the author’s next series.

Loved this “ending” to this series!