One would think during quarantine that I would have a lot of time to read, but that hasn’t been the case. Work had kept me very busy, I am in the last month of my master’s degree, and I have two kids homeschooling right now. I have been lucky enough to steal some time away here and there to read. I read three books over the past month, well two-and-a-half.
Love and Other Words: by Christina Lauren
I found this book at The Ripped Bodice out in California back in early March. The concept sounded interesting to me. The story takes place in present day and looking back at Macy’s childhood. She develops a truly special friendship with a neighbor named Elliot, and they bond over books. The book chronicles their awkward teen years, and eventually their falling out. Macy doesn’t run into Elliot until many years later.
I picked this book up, intrigued by the plot. Normally, I like very dramatic romance, with high-stakes. Rom-coms are not my thing. As I started this book I thought it might be a little “light” for me. The story unfolded slowly but I kept reading. WOW this book did not disappoint! I don’t want to give anything away, but the end of this book is something I will remember for the rest of my life. Towards the end of the book, I could not put it down. This was an incredible book and I highly recommend it!
My Dark Vanessa: by Kate Elizabeth Russell
My sister first told me about this book and said that she could not put it down. She had pre-ordered it and when it arrived, she had read the entire book within 24 hours of receiving it. She raved about how good it was, so when she came to quarantine with my family and I, she brought it with her for me to read. The subject of the story sounded spicy, and very naughty, aka the perfect quarantine read. The book is told in first person by Vanessa, a girl who falls in love or is seduced by her high school English teacher, depending on who’s point of view you are looking at.
This story is recalled through Vanessa’s eyes as an adult. So I must be completely honest, I did not finish this book. I got just about half way through this book. I found the sexual encounters deeply disturbing to the point that I could not keep reading. As the reader I think I was just as confused as young Vanessa, not able to make out if it was love, lust, perversion, or all of the above. I figure if I couldn’t figure out what it was as a woman in her mid-thrities then, no way could this character, and so it felt like abuse to me.
What Doesn’t Kill Her: by Christina Dodd
I also bought this book from the Ripped Bodice in California in the same trip where I bought Love and Other Words. I have always thought the premise of amnesia, waking to a relationship with a spouse you don’t recognize always makes for an interesting read. I have read a couple of books done this way. I have yet to read one that I really loved. I started reading this book on my train commute when I was traveling back and forth pre quarantine.
The main character in this book is one tough woman, and that was very cool. She wakes up to a BIG surprise and is settling into life with that sececret. Through a strange turn of events she ends up on an adventure to deliver an artifact. It turns out that the artifact is very expensive and others want to steal it. There is a lot of action in this book and I found myself really wanting to know what happened to Kellen, the main character. The romance aspect of this book really lacked for my tastes. Through out the book, there is this romance building and then when the moment arrives…. meh. I was mad and I felt let down. The characters in the book are complex and there could’ve been so much more there.
Tell me in the comments, what did you read this month. Have you read one of the reviewed books? Tell me what you thought of it.
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