This is a catch up post, but includes the five books I read in February 2022.
4 stars:
When Sparks Fly, by Helena Hunting: Avery and Declan met in college, when Avery dated Declan’s best friend and had her heart broken. Now, Avery and Declan are best friends and roommates… but they start to become more when Avery gets in a serious car accident and is so incapacitated that Declan needs to help her with everything, and the intimacy starts to build. I really liked this sweet rom com, even if it was a bit predictable. This was the first book in the Spark House series, and I had already inadvertently read the second book, so it was great to go back and meet these characters even if I knew how the story was going to end. I didn’t love this quite as much as Starry-Eyed Love (book #2), but I will definitely keep looking for more books by Helena Hunting!
Meant to Be, by Emily Giffin: I didn’t know much at all about the Kennedy family, but it was fascinating to read this fictionalized account of JFK Junior (Joseph S. Kingsley III) and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (Cate Cooper), even if I can’t say how much of it matched reality. Cate dropped out of high school to become a model, and when Joe sees her on a beach, he falls in love at first sight and begins a relentless pursuit, even as Cate thinks their two worlds are too different to merge. I loved this novel, even as it was very different from Giffin’s others, and highly recommend it whether you know much about the Kennedy family or not. It’s certainly made me want to research more!
Meet Me in the Margins, by Melissa Ferguson: Savannah is a junior editor at a highbrow publishing house who is secretly writing a romance novel (extremely frowned upon by the snobby owner of the publishing house). When Savannah leaves her manuscript in a hideaway nook, she returns to find that someone has made blunt editing suggestions in the margins – and she starts falling in love with her penpal. This is a fun happy ending rom com, even though it was pretty obvious to me from the beginning who the editor was (though Savannah took a while to figure it out), and I liked the inside peek into the publishing world.
Chef’s Kiss, by T.J. Alexander: Simone is a grumpy and standoffish perfectionist pastry chef, who has learned that she can’t trust anyone. When an upbeat new kitchen manager named Ray is hired, she alternately finds herself loathing Ray and yet being attracted to her. Things heat up when Ray comes out as nonbinary at work, and as a cis-het, it taught me a lot about the process and how I can better support those going through a similar process. Although I learned a lot in this book and it tackled some difficult topics around discrimination in the workplace, it was still a fun read and I was cheering for the budding romance. And I always love books about the restaurant / cooking industry! Definitely recommended when you want something light and happy without being totally frothy and saccharine.
2 stars:
Matrix, by Lauren Groff: Set in the 12th century, this book follows Marie as she is exiled from royal court to become the prioress of an impoverished abbey – and while it’s a tough assignment, she soon becomes both wise and beloved. This came highly recommended, but I didn’t enjoy Fates and Furies and I didn’t really enjoy this either; it took me a few weeks to finish because I kept setting it aside for something more interesting. Some of the language was lovely, but the plot meandered over several decades, without a central plot line, and I found it rather dull. Really can’t recommend this.
Any book recommendations for me? Follow me here on Goodreads to keep up with what I’m reading in real time.