Sunday, December 31, 2017

Review: Can't Forget You by Rachel Lacey

Can't Forget You (Risking it All, #3)Can't Forget You by Rachel Lacey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Although this is the third book in a series, I haven't read the first two books. This read very much like a stand alone. And I enjoyed it so much that I intend to go back and read the first two in the series. I love a reunited story line and this one is a really good one. The characters were all very well fleshed out. The relationship between the hero and heroine was really sweet. It was lovely to see them reunite and come together with a new start. The hero is a bit of a tortured soul which is also compelling. Watching them come together while he's working to heal himself was really interesting. The heroine (Jessica) is a smart, feisty character which was a nice contrast to the hero who was struggling emotionally. All in all, this was a really nice, sweet romance. I definitely enjoyed it and plan to read more of the series!

NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a honest review.

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Review: Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel

Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes EverythingReading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been dipping in and out of this one for the last few weeks. I think that was a really nice way to work through this book. I jumped around to the various topics that interested me the most. Let me start by saying I'm a huge Anne Bogel fan - I read her blog and listen to her podcast religiously. I like her approach to reading and books. I was really excited to see she was writing a book and I was even more excited once I found out it was about personality. That is one of the things that I really love to hear Anne write/talk about since I'm also fascinated with personality and how it affects our lives.

I've done quite a bit of work around Meyer's Briggs and StrengthsFinders over the years and they are both included in this book. And yet, I still found things from those sections that I didn't know or hadn't thought about. And the other chapters cover other personality frameworks were fascinating ... in fact, I'm now doing more research on the Enneagram and the Highly Sensitive frameworks. This book is a great introduction and basic overview of each framework. If you have an interest in personality and want to learn more, this is a fantastic place to start.

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Review: Heather, the Totality by Matthew Weiner

Heather, the TotalityHeather, the Totality by Matthew Weiner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am really struggling with this review. There were things that I liked about this one and things that didn't quite work for me. Since finishing, I've heard several interviews with the author and that has given me a bit more of a positive perspective than I had when I initially finished. I know much of the buzz for this one came from the fact that the author is well known for his work with Mad Men. After hearing him talk about this book and his intention in writing it, I definitely had a better feeling about the book as a whole. I suspect this is due to the fact that this book covers some topics that aren't easy to read. I also heard someone say something very negative about this novel before reading it so I'm wondering if my initial reactions may have been tied to that initial impression that I had from their negative remark.

This is more of a novella than a novel (130 pages) - it's a very quick read and isn't a difficult read in any way, shape or form. There is an odd structure to this one - it's told in a very detached 3rd person narrative. The writing is very clear and realistic - nothing flowery here. It didn't bother me but I know many reviewers have mentioned that it's structure was discombobulating for other readers. The structure gave the story the feeling of a script in some way which may be tied to his being a screenwriter.

The story itself is where I think many people became a little frustrated with the novel. It is an interwoven narrative that tells the stories of a well off family and a construction worker. The author goes into great detail about the family - the parents, in particular. We learn a great deal about them and their innermost thoughts. Some of these thoughts are disturbing and feel icky. And the construction worker's story is all around disturbing. How Matthew Weiner pulls these two narratives together is interesting. I feel of two minds about it ... one one hand, I see where he's going and find it fascinating and yet, I also understand why it's been so frustrating to many readers. I can't say too much without ruining the book for you so if I sound cagey, that is why.

I found the story of the construction worker to be the most fascinating of the two narratives but that goes well with my own personal interests around nature versus nurture. His perspective was disturbing but compelling. In fact, I'd almost have loved to have read a whole book about him and his life. That story line stayed with me.

The overall themes of obsession and choice really resonated with me. The exploration of nature versus nurture. The contemplation about parenting and freedom. The idea of moral ambiguity just permeates this book in such a great way. And so ... that was all good. And yet, the book also left me feeling uncomfortable ... almost leaving a bad taste in my mouth or something. I liked it ... but I didn't love it. I completely understand the critical reviews. I get it completely. But, I liked it more than I expected based on the reviews I'd read and the feedback I'd heard before reading it.

I have a hard time recommending this one because it is such a decisive book. If the synopsis sounds interesting and the themes are interesting to you, I think you should give this one a shot. If not, you may want to skip it.

Review: A Crazy Kind of Love by Mary Ann Marlowe

A Crazy Kind of LoveA Crazy Kind of Love by Mary Ann Marlowe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me a little to get into this one but once I did, I was IN. This was a nice, light romance with an interesting story line. I loved the chemistry between the characters and the side characters were all well drawn and had depth. It was interesting to think about the paparazzi angle and how it must feel to be a person who does that for a living. I really enjoyed everything about this one. So cute and memorable! I enjoyed the fact that this one was heavy on the sweet stuff and didn't have the usual angst and difficulty that many romances have. It was simply a love story with an interesting plot wrapped around it. Very good book!

Note: Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC for an honest review.

Review: Only You by Addison Fox

Only You (The Brooklyn Brotherhood, #4)Only You by Addison Fox
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although part of an existing series (of which I've only read the 3rd book), I do think this worked just fine as a stand alone novel. I enjoyed how the background of the series was tied into this particular story. This was a solid romance that engaged me throughout. I really liked both of the primary characters ... although the hero's name (Fender) was pretty annoying to me. I'm just not a fan of the name. The overall message - love can conquer all - was really well done in this novel. I enjoyed the way the various characters came together and overcame the obstacles before them. I definitely think I'll be going back and read the first two books in the series. I enjoy the world that Addison Fox creates in this series and look forward to revisiting the earlier books.

Note: Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC for an honest review