Women’s Fiction

Fated

By Sarah Ready

Coming July 16, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

Fated is the 3rd book in the Ghosted series, though it takes place before the other books, so I think it could easily be read as a standalone. In this story, we follow Fiona, co-owner of her family’s famous watch company in Geneva. She has some abandonment issues and is afraid to fall in love. When she is gifted a family heirloom that will let her dream her desires, she is introduced to a different life on an island, with a husband that might be a chance for her to love.

I wanted to love this book… the premise was interesting, with beautiful settings and great descriptions. The pacing felt a bit slow for my taste, and I think I would have liked to see more of Fiona in the real world. The dream world definitely had more drama and complications than I was expecting. I think I felt a little uncomfortable with the premise of Fiona basically living the life of another person (Becca) in the dream world, who seemed to have different intentions when Fiona wasn’t there. Meanwhile Fiona is dating her friend, Max, in the real world while she falls for Aaron in the dream world. All that said, the end of the book really takes a turn that tugs at the heartstrings and kept me more invested in the story. I was happy about how it ended and like the hints toward the next book in the series.

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles, Sarah Ready and NetGalley for the free review copy of Fated! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

Just Some Stupid Love Story

By Katelyn Doyle

Coming June 4, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

At their 15-year class reunion, Seth and Molly see each other for the first time since breaking up at the end of high school. Molly is a rom-com script writer who doesn’t believe in real romance, while Seth is a divorce lawyer who believes in soul mates. They make a bet about 5 couples from the class to determine who is right at the next reunion in 5 years… and one of those couples happens to be themselves.

Just Some Stupid Love Story alternates points of view between the two main characters, Molly and Seth. It took me a bit to warm up to Molly… she’s very cynical, especially about romance. As we learn about her past it becomes more understandable, but sometimes her self-sabotaging was really frustrating. The story covers the span of 5 years, so there are several jumps in time that highlight Molly and Seth coming together and drifting apart over the years. They both have a lot of self-reflection along the way, leading to a good deal of character growth. It was interesting to see how the relationships of other couples in the story evolved over time in addition to the main characters. Overall, the book was a little predictable but still a quick read that kept me engaged.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Just Some Stupid Love Story! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

April 30, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Women's Fiction 0

The Husbands

By Holly Gramazio

Coming soon on April 2, 2024

(3 / 5)

Imagine coming home one night, where you live alone, only to be greeted by a strange man who turns out to be your husband. It’s a different reality, and with the mysterious husband come other small differences. When the husband goes into the attic, a different husband appears, with a different reality…

I wanted to love this book, but it ended up falling a bit flat for me. I didn’t really feel a connection to Lauren, the main character, so I think that was a lot of it. The beginning of the book was a bit too impersonal for my taste, since I knew very little about Lauren and the husbands were rapidly changing. We do end up getting to know Lauren a lot better as the story progresses, but I just never felt a real connection. The premise was definitely a unique and interesting investigation into “what if,” with the paranormal twist of the magic attic, seeing how ending up with different spouses changed Lauren’s life in different ways. I think I was secretly hoping for something that was more comedic or romantic, so this book just wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It wasn’t a bad read, just not quite the right book for me.

Thank you to Doubleday Books | Doubleday and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Husbands. All opinions in my review are completely my own.

March 25, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Literary Fiction Women's Fiction 0

Fairytale of New York

By Zoë Folbigg

Available now (read for free with Prime Reading)

(5 / 5)

Charlotte “Charlie” Brown is a professional makeup artist in London. She hasn’t seen her boyfriend, Harry, for 6 months, so she’s taking some off to visit him in New York City. She arrives just days before Christmas, but Harry isn’t there to greet her at the airport and isn’t answering his phone. Where could he be? And where does Charlie go from here?

This book was a great December read since maybe half of it takes place around Christmas and New Year’s. The story has a lot of depth to it and was very immersive – it was very hard to put this one down. I loved the settings of New York and London – it felt like a bit of an adventure exploring these places with the characters, especially when I recognized a few places from my own travels.

I really enjoyed the main character, Charlie. She is accomplished and hardworking, but she also has some self-doubts and ghosts from her past that she needs to resolve. Along the way she befriends Pete, another likable character who helps show her around New York City. These characters are joined by a diverse cast of side characters that were interesting and had their own stories.

I thought the style of writing was interesting in this book. It follows Charlie, but internal thoughts and feelings are shared from the characters that are around her too. I don’t usually see a narrative like this, but it really worked in this book, giving additional insight and even a sense of mystery since we obviously don’t know the whole backstory yet. I would love to read some more books by this author.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free review copy of this book. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

December 3, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Women's Fiction 0

Clover Hendry’s Day Off

By Beth Morrey

Coming soon on January 30, 2024

(4 / 5)

Clover Hendry’s Day Off was something a little different from other books I’ve read, but also something I could really relate to. The book follows Clover Hendry for one day that is anything but ordinary for her. Usually, Clover is the type of person that doesn’t speak up, who always says “yes” even when she’d rather say “no”. But she’s also overwhelmed and burnt out in her roles as wife, mother of twin teens, and producer of TV shows. So, for one day, Clover has decided she’s had enough, and she’s going to put herself first. Of course, this leads to quite a chaotic day of crazy antics. I don’t necessarily approve of everything she does over the course of the day, but there were definitely some laugh out loud moments along the way.

As we follow Clover through her day, there are also introspective moments as she recalls events in her life that she feels have shaped who she is today. Some of these memories are happy, like recalling the day she met her husband, but others are not so happy, like her wedding being a disaster. I think those moments where she really took a close look at herself, realizing how she has always put everyone before herself, how anxious she is, how she lacks a sense of self-confidence, how exhausting being a mother is… that was the true meaning behind the story that led to immense character growth. I don’t think I’ve ever highlighted so many passages in a book as I did in this one, but there were so many times I felt as if this book was providing me advice for my own life.

There were some times that I had trouble following Clover’s train of thought in her cluttered mind, but overall the writing was good, and I seemed to be able to follow better as the book went on. Being American, I was a bit tripped up by the British dialect at times too, but could still understand the context.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the free advanced copy of Clover Hendry’s Day Off. The opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.