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purplepenning
Cute, cozy rom-com with Dalmatian flirtation. Review to come closer to pub date.
3.5 rounded up. A word about expectations: If you don't expect Good Eggs to be a "rollicking," "hilarious" Irish version of "Schitt's Creek," then I think you'll probably enjoy it quite a bit. It wasn't laugh-out-loud funny to me and didn't bring Schitt's Creek to mind at all (though I love and think of Schitt's Creek often). It's more like if Fredrik Backman wrote a contemporary Derby Girls/Golden Girls mashup. It has a touch of screwball comedy, especially in the antics of the octogenarian matriarch, Millie, but at it's heart it's a character-driven story of a quirky multigenerational family struggling through a bit of a crisis. Or, rather, coinciding crises: a midlife crisis for Kevin, an elder-years crisis for Millie, and a teen-angst crisis for Aideen. Read the first half with patience and the last half will deliver a delightful, satisfying conclusion.
Topics, tropes, and themes: family life, multigenerational relationships, elder care, raising teenagers, sandwich life, early/mid/late life crisis
Content notes: strong language; underage smoking; infidelity; running away; mild violence; elder abuse/fraud; scenes at boarding school, hospital, and nursing home
My thanks to Atria Books for a digital review copy.
Topics, tropes, and themes: family life, multigenerational relationships, elder care, raising teenagers, sandwich life, early/mid/late life crisis
Content notes: strong language; underage smoking; infidelity; running away; mild violence; elder abuse/fraud; scenes at boarding school, hospital, and nursing home
My thanks to Atria Books for a digital review copy.
This one is probably going to get some dings for pacing, but I actually liked it quite a bit. It's a slow burn, Cyrano/catfishing romance turned fauxmance turned romance that captures the drama and dare-we-hopefulness of sliding into someone's DMs in today's dating landscape.
I loved the blend of super contemporary and traditional here: Jia is an online beauty influencer, but she's also Pakistani American and a practicing Muslim. Dev is from an indulgent, excessive Bollywood royalty family, but he's romantic, responsible, respectful, and determined to make his own way. The physical aspects of the relationship are sweet, with sex not happening until after marriage, but realistic. Bonus: A wounded, moody teenager who speaks five languages and steals half the scenes she's in; a warm, caring Uncle who represents the joys of multigenerational extended families; and so much sister and friend and frenemy support!
Topics, tropes and themes: fauxmance, fake dating, PR engagement, one hotel room, abstinence, slow burn, mental health, self confidence, cinnamon roll characters, family, social media, influencer culture, oblique references to illness (COVID-like symptoms)
Content notes: grief, death of family members, infidelity (side character, backstory), car accident (side character, backstory), catfishing, panic attack, estrangement, brief strong language, married sex
I loved the blend of super contemporary and traditional here: Jia is an online beauty influencer, but she's also Pakistani American and a practicing Muslim. Dev is from an indulgent, excessive Bollywood royalty family, but he's romantic, responsible, respectful, and determined to make his own way. The physical aspects of the relationship are sweet, with sex not happening until after marriage, but realistic. Bonus: A wounded, moody teenager who speaks five languages and steals half the scenes she's in; a warm, caring Uncle who represents the joys of multigenerational extended families; and so much sister and friend and frenemy support!
Topics, tropes and themes: fauxmance, fake dating, PR engagement, one hotel room, abstinence, slow burn, mental health, self confidence, cinnamon roll characters, family, social media, influencer culture, oblique references to illness (COVID-like symptoms)
Content notes: grief, death of family members, infidelity (side character, backstory), car accident (side character, backstory), catfishing, panic attack, estrangement, brief strong language, married sex
A diverse, inclusive Star Trekkie space adventure for today's teens!
Tina and her best friend, Rachael, are living a relatively normal life of teen angst, perhaps a bit heavy on the angst. Rachael, a talented and extremely introverted artist, has dropped out of school in self-preservation. Tina is slogging along without her and, between bouts of protesting injustice, awaiting the day when the beacon inside her summons the mother ship to retrieve her and activate the memories of the brilliant alien commander from which she was cloned. We all have our stuff. Once the beacon is activated, it's nonstop high-stakes adventure for Tina, Rachael, a handful of genius Earth kids, and the alien crew they join in an intergalactic battle against a sadistic monster and the genocidal rebellion he leads.
Using alien cultures to normalize diversity is nothing new, but it feels fresh and smart here — from the universal translator including pronouns in all introductions to the accommodation for and embrace of bio diversity among the alien crew. If the pro-diversity, anti-colonization message isn't exactly subtle, it's well done and welcomed. As is the twist/interlacing of the chosen one/chosen family tropes.
Overall, I'm a big fan of this fun, inventive space adventure, but not a fan of the abrupt, first-person present-tense writing. Your mileage may vary there (especially if you're a teen or more used to this style). Also, I'm seeing a lot of love for the cover, but it doesn't really work for me. The glowy purple aesthetic is, of course, awesome. But it can't overcome the weird Barbie vibe this gives me. Don't let that deter you — there's not a bit of Barbie in here (though there is a bit of glowy purple).
Content notes: transphobia/persecution (in backstory; overall story is trans-affirming), violence, gun violence, genocide, death, torture, imprisonment, bigotry,
My thanks to #NetGalley and Tor Teen for a digital ARC.
Tina and her best friend, Rachael, are living a relatively normal life of teen angst, perhaps a bit heavy on the angst. Rachael, a talented and extremely introverted artist, has dropped out of school in self-preservation. Tina is slogging along without her and, between bouts of protesting injustice, awaiting the day when the beacon inside her summons the mother ship to retrieve her and activate the memories of the brilliant alien commander from which she was cloned. We all have our stuff. Once the beacon is activated, it's nonstop high-stakes adventure for Tina, Rachael, a handful of genius Earth kids, and the alien crew they join in an intergalactic battle against a sadistic monster and the genocidal rebellion he leads.
Using alien cultures to normalize diversity is nothing new, but it feels fresh and smart here — from the universal translator including pronouns in all introductions to the accommodation for and embrace of bio diversity among the alien crew. If the pro-diversity, anti-colonization message isn't exactly subtle, it's well done and welcomed. As is the twist/interlacing of the chosen one/chosen family tropes.
Overall, I'm a big fan of this fun, inventive space adventure, but not a fan of the abrupt, first-person present-tense writing. Your mileage may vary there (especially if you're a teen or more used to this style). Also, I'm seeing a lot of love for the cover, but it doesn't really work for me. The glowy purple aesthetic is, of course, awesome. But it can't overcome the weird Barbie vibe this gives me. Don't let that deter you — there's not a bit of Barbie in here (though there is a bit of glowy purple).
Content notes: transphobia/persecution (in backstory; overall story is trans-affirming), violence, gun violence, genocide, death, torture, imprisonment, bigotry,
My thanks to #NetGalley and Tor Teen for a digital ARC.
This didn't quite work for me. It was less "Good Place" meets "Good Omens” and more "Lucifer" fan fiction.
3.5 rounded up probably. "Gilmore Girls" meets the "Great British Bake Off" in this contemporary rom-com from the author of "Boyfriend Material."
Rosaline Palmer can't seem to measure up. Her overachieving parents disapprove of every part of her life except her precocious daughter Amelie — keeping her best friend/ex, Lauren, in her life [confusing and misguided]; dropping out of university to raise Amelie [unnecessary and limiting]; working in a shop [beneath her]. What do you do when you can't measure up? Pin all of your hopes on a reality TV baking show [trivial] run by a high-strung, foul-mouthed producer [crass and low-class] and hope you don't fall flatter than a failed souffle. Or fall for the wrong guy while you're at it.
Speaking of measuring up — this didn't quite measure up to "Boyfriend Material" for me, which was one of my 2020 top picks for romance. I did really like the setting, most of the characters, and Rosaline's thoughts and conversations about her bisexuality, though.
Content Notes: sexual assault/attempted date rape, confrontation with biphobia, crude/frank discussions and humor (but only moderately steamy sex scenes)
Rosaline Palmer can't seem to measure up. Her overachieving parents disapprove of every part of her life except her precocious daughter Amelie — keeping her best friend/ex, Lauren, in her life [confusing and misguided]; dropping out of university to raise Amelie [unnecessary and limiting]; working in a shop [beneath her]. What do you do when you can't measure up? Pin all of your hopes on a reality TV baking show [trivial] run by a high-strung, foul-mouthed producer [crass and low-class] and hope you don't fall flatter than a failed souffle. Or fall for the wrong guy while you're at it.
Speaking of measuring up — this didn't quite measure up to "Boyfriend Material" for me, which was one of my 2020 top picks for romance. I did really like the setting, most of the characters, and Rosaline's thoughts and conversations about her bisexuality, though.
Content Notes: sexual assault/attempted date rape, confrontation with biphobia, crude/frank discussions and humor (but only moderately steamy sex scenes)
This is a tough one to review. It's not my jam (I almost DNF'd multiple times and would probably give it 2-stars), but I think there's a place for it and a significant audience for it. If you like Hallmark channel movies but find them a little too saccharine, this book might be for you — character-driven, slow-burn, PG romance that isn't too cloying or overtly religious. I'm fine with all of that, and I did think the overall plot (and the twist) were clever and interesting. My main issue is that I didn't really like the main character. It's hard to root for someone's HEA through a slow-burn, 10-year plotline when you aren't enjoying hanging out with them and aren't sure you want them in another character's life for the long haul.
As we enter the story, Olivia is a 30-year-old, somewhat aspiring screenwriter who likes classic Hollywood movies and serious films. She disdains rom-coms and anything sappy or cutesy, but she supports herself by writing both sappy and cutesy greeting card content for a Hallmarkesque company. (I'm not judging. That's probably the most realistic bit of the book. I'm not sure you could support yourself in L.A. doing that now, but it might have just been possible in 2003). She calls herself a Joan Cusack type — ever a supporting character and never a lead — but Joan is supportive AND interesting, and I didn't find Olivia to be either (or kind or respectful or honest or self-aware). We're told, rather than shown, that she's funny and smart and beautiful. She has clearly captivated her friends, Fiona and Liam, and a charming aspiring actor who helps rescue her from unwanted creeper attention in a coffee shop in the opening scenes. She and the actor make a pact to meet back at the shop in 10 years, on February 4, 2013, to make her film together. For the rest of the book, we check in on each February 4 to see how things are going with the screenplay and life, and to find that there's always a series of coincidences or ironies (of the Alanis Morissette variety, not the Lit 101 variety) involving Olivia, the actor, and her friends. By the tenth February 4, they've been through some ups and downs, and we've covered a lot of fun pop culture territory — but will the meetup and the movie actually happen?
The screenplay/movie thing hardly held my attention. I liked seeing the edits/changes made as time went by, but other than that, I barely cared about it by the end. But I was motivated to stick around to see where these characters ended up. Well, one character in particular. The overall character development wasn't what I wanted, but the last 1/3 of the book was definitely better than the first 2/3, so I'm moderately satisfied that I made it to the end.
Topics, tropes and themes: LA culture, pop culture of the early 2000s, struggling writer, 30-somethings, lifelong friends, sibling rivalry, self-esteem, self-awareness, love triangle, being the star of your own life,
Content notes: love triangle, cheating, controlling behavior via lies of omission, months-long estrangements, all privileged characters (middle class country club set)
My thanks to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for a digital ARC.
As we enter the story, Olivia is a 30-year-old, somewhat aspiring screenwriter who likes classic Hollywood movies and serious films. She disdains rom-coms and anything sappy or cutesy, but she supports herself by writing both sappy and cutesy greeting card content for a Hallmarkesque company. (I'm not judging. That's probably the most realistic bit of the book. I'm not sure you could support yourself in L.A. doing that now, but it might have just been possible in 2003). She calls herself a Joan Cusack type — ever a supporting character and never a lead — but Joan is supportive AND interesting, and I didn't find Olivia to be either (or kind or respectful or honest or self-aware). We're told, rather than shown, that she's funny and smart and beautiful. She has clearly captivated her friends, Fiona and Liam, and a charming aspiring actor who helps rescue her from unwanted creeper attention in a coffee shop in the opening scenes. She and the actor make a pact to meet back at the shop in 10 years, on February 4, 2013, to make her film together. For the rest of the book, we check in on each February 4 to see how things are going with the screenplay and life, and to find that there's always a series of coincidences or ironies (of the Alanis Morissette variety, not the Lit 101 variety) involving Olivia, the actor, and her friends. By the tenth February 4, they've been through some ups and downs, and we've covered a lot of fun pop culture territory — but will the meetup and the movie actually happen?
The screenplay/movie thing hardly held my attention. I liked seeing the edits/changes made as time went by, but other than that, I barely cared about it by the end. But I was motivated to stick around to see where these characters ended up. Well, one character in particular. The overall character development wasn't what I wanted, but the last 1/3 of the book was definitely better than the first 2/3, so I'm moderately satisfied that I made it to the end.
Topics, tropes and themes: LA culture, pop culture of the early 2000s, struggling writer, 30-somethings, lifelong friends, sibling rivalry, self-esteem, self-awareness, love triangle, being the star of your own life,
Content notes: love triangle, cheating, controlling behavior via lies of omission, months-long estrangements, all privileged characters (middle class country club set)
My thanks to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for a digital ARC.
