Books I Read in 2021
Another year over, here are the books in 2021 and what I thought about each one.
When Life Gives You Lemons by Fiona Gibson
From the very first chapter of When Life Gives You Lemons, I was hooked.From main character Viv's one-liners on friends and life that had me cackling to observations on her own husband that already made me want to yell at him, this story felt so raw and real, and somewhat relatable, I could have mistaken it for non-fiction.
And, despite the age difference between myself and Viv (she's going through menopause and I'm barely out of my twenties), I had no difficulty connecting to her ways of thinking or the reactions that'd come out of her mind or mouth.
Add in the comic relief of the best friend, the innocence and optimism of 7-year-old daughter Izzy and the mental ups and downs we've all been through before, during and after a breakup and this book is truly wonderful, delicious lemonade.
SynopsisBetween tending to the whims of her seven-year-old and the demands of her boss, Viv barely gets a moment to herself. It’s not quite the life she wanted, but she hasn’t run screaming for the hills yet.
But then Viv’s husband Andy makes his mid-life crisis her problem. He’s having an affair with his (infuriatingly age-appropriate) colleague, a woman who – unlike Viv – doesn’t put on weight when she so much as glances at a cream cake.
Viv suddenly finds herself single, with zero desire to mingle. Should she be mourning the end of life as she knows it, or could this be the perfect chance to put herself first? When life gives you lemons, lemonade just won’t cut it. Bring on the gin!
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Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker
I know they say don't judge a book by its cover, but between the bright happy cover, and the hopeful description, I was so excited to read Happy Singles Day, expecting an uplifting story with an enviable romance between two people as single as myself.
What I experienced was a slow-burn situationship based on lust between two otherwise fairly miserable people. Besides Paige's obsession with how hot he is, and when his bulges are hard, and Lucas' constant thoughts about her body and what she could do to him in the sack, the writing doesn't give you much developed emotional chemistry between the two and for at least half the book, if not longer, you might struggle to care if they get together, let alone finish the book.
They also hold a lot of criticism towards one another, especially with Lucas, for example, considering her uptight and OCD for being a clean and tidy person, something he considers to be a woman's thing. (Meanwhile, his bed and breakfast is an absolute dump, right down to peanut butter smudges on the banister.
On the upside, there were some pleasant parts including the adorable presence of Lucas' daughter, who admittedly seemed older than her written age, and a puppy rescue attempt from a storm drain.
If you struggle with HSD as well, a lot of the plot is shoved into the last chapters/epilogue. Don't feel guilty about DNFing, or skipping to them.
Synopsis
As a Certified Professional Organizer, everything in Paige Parker's world is as it should be. Perfect apartment, perfect office, perfect life. And now, the perfect vacation planned to honor Singles Day. After all, what's better than celebrating her pride in being single? Because who needs a man anyway? They have zero taste in quality television, leave the toilet seat up, and sleep with your best friend. No thanks. Her life is fine just the way it is.
As the owner of a now-dormant bed & breakfast, Lucas Croft's life is simple and quiet. It's only him and his five-year-old daughter, which is just the way he likes it. Because who needs a woman anyway? They nag you to clean up your stuff, want the toilet seat put down, and expect the dishes to be done the same day the meal is cooked. No thanks. His life is fine just the way it is.
But when Paige books a room that Lucas' well-intentioned sister listed without his knowledge, their two worlds collide. If they can survive the week together, they just might discover exactly what they've both been missing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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You Have a Match by Emma Lord
In 2020, Tweet Cute by Emma Lord reignited my love and habit of reading while being stuck in what would become the longest lockdown in North America.
2021's continuance of said lockdown would include new writing from her in the form of You Have a Match.
Not going to lie, I struggled with it at first. The number of conflicts in the first 40% of the book left feelings of "can't we get one of these over with?" I almost temporarily DNF'd it because I didn't have a desired outcome, and I felt that was a problem. I wanted to pick a side.
Once I got into the second half of the book, it got MUCH better. The camp aspects were fun, and the character development improved to the point I wanted more.
The only thing that put a damper on it was the odd, unrealistic parental cameos and dialogues, and a sudden switcheroo of attitudes that came with them.
Looking back at the camp tales, there's also a cheek kiss I didn't understand but I'll leave it at "something to be cute."
Synopsis
When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front.
But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister.
When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents ― especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself.
The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby's growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything.
But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.
My Stats for You Have a Match
4.8 hours of reading- 22 avg. minutes per session- 1.9 avg. pages per minute
Looking forward nonetheless to more Lord!
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The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod
A slow-burn told from two perspectives, readers are given narrations of the lives of musician Toni Bennet and band manager Seb Quick. Seb also happened to be Toni's teenaged crush back in the small town in which they'd been raised, until he ran away, leaving her behind.
Now, years later, Toni & Seb find themselves reunited in Philadelphia, first with a chance encounter at a recording studio and again when she's auditioned for a band, the band Seb happens to be working with not realizing she'd been called to try out until she's already impressed the rest of the group.
After losing the historic musical fiction show Vinyl on HBO to cancellation years ago, I was excited to read a rock story with a similar feel. It just felt a little like work getting through it. Much of the story felt like it could have been edited down, and it was hard to connect with some of the characters, whose instances, feelings and dialogue were always covered in great, great detail.
I ended up swapping reading the ebook for listening to the audiobook on walks, just to get through it in a timely fashion; although the male voice chosen for the Seb chapters is far too Hollywood / cinema listings hotline for my liking, but the voice for Toni's chapters was perfect.
I almost wish Toni's story had been one book, and Seb's story had been a 2nd perspective release. I adored Toni most and just wanted to hear more of her experience when getting through the Seb moments.
Overall, a good book, and I'll certainly keep an eye out for future releases by Xio Axelrod.
Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the advance reading copy.
To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters
After reading such serious historical fiction as The Tattooist of Auschwitz, I was pleased to receive a complimentary ARC of To Have and to Hoax, which was positioned as more of a comedic, romantic historical fiction story; something on the lighter side of the historical fiction spectrum.
Unfortunately, despite my best efforts in reading the e-copy and listening further to an audiobook copy, I just couldn't fall in love with this story or its characters, nor did I find it very comedic.
Two royal types rushed into love, became bitter, estranged lovers and continue to try to burn each other while remembering (frankly shallow) reasons why they had originally loved (lusted over) each other in the first place.
My first DNF of the year.
Official Synopsis
Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.
Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.
Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?
Thank you, though, to Atria Books and NetGalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
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Greece Actually by Sue Roberts
My first Sue Roberts book, I learned very quickly that her writing style is that of detailing surroundings and not character stories, which was interesting in itself.
While the book itself makes for a light, somewhat cute read, the description given is very different from the actual story layout of the book.
* Spoiler Alert & Trigger Warning (Partner Violence) *
Desc: Small, shy, safe. That’s how Becky lives ever since her last romantic calamity landed her in hospital.
What Actually Happened: Her (now ex) boyfriend stabbed her, leaving her for dead (which may be triggering for some readers)
Desc: Her comfort zone is as confining as her tiny bank balance, and fiercely guarded by her totally over-the-top mum.
What Actually Happened: While her parents moved to be closer to her, they are not over the top at all. In fact, her mother encourages her to spread her wings and find her life.
Desc: But the news that her ex is back sniffing round is the final straw. In a very un-Becky move, she packs her bags for the Greek island of Skiathos. Maybe the setting of her favourite ABBA movie will be just the break from reality Becky needs…
What Actually Happens: Becky's uncle is going on holiday and invites Becky to watch his villa in Greece. She takes a few days to decide and invites her girlfriends as well. Her ex-boyfriend is released from prison loooooong into the timeline of her trip but doesn't do any sniffing around while she's in Greece. He's nowhere near.
Desc: Stepping aboard the Mamma Mia! boat tour, Becky leaves her fear in the port as she sings… out loud… in public, and cries Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! to everything the Greek life has to offer.
What Actually Happened: There is actually very little Mamma Mia in this book, and the boat trip is her and her girlfriends on the boat while Mamma Mia music plays on speakers in the background, and that's basically as far as the mention goes. They also watch the film at a theatre later, but that's the stretch of it.
Desc: She befriends locals young, old, and absolutely perfect (hello, sizzling hot restaurant-owner Kyros!), dines on freshly baked bread drizzled in golden olive oil on a starlit date, and walks barefoot along silky sandy beaches. When Kyros asks her to stay longer, Becky is stunned.
What Actually Happened: Kyros never asks her to stay longer.
Desc: Could she really create a new life for herself here, and trust her heart with this smooth-talking charmer? But just as she’s thinking about putting down roots, her troublesome ex makes a dramatic return, begging for her back. Will she go back to playing it safe, or will she take a chance on Greece and embrace her true dancing queen?
What Really Happened: The dramatic return happens after she's already back home, followed by a somewhat rushed conclusion.
Would I read another Sue Roberts? Absolutely. Despite differing from the offering, it was still a fun one.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding
"Thomas and Viv Adler have a picture-perfect family, or do they?"
My first Robyn Harding read, and my first domestic mystery/thriller, I was addicted to The Perfect Family.
Narrated in four voices - father, mother, son, and daughter - all with secrets to tell, I was never bored with any of their lead-ups. I absolutely needed to know EVERYTHING at all times. And the ending did not disappoint.
What a ride!
Official Synopsis
Thomas and Viv Adler have a picture-perfect family. Affluent and attractive, with two well-mannered kids almost out of the nest, they live in a beautifully restored Craftsman house in a well-to-do neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. Their jobs are secure; their children are thriving; the world is their oyster.
Until one morning, when they wake up to find that their house and car have been pelted with eggs. Thomas dismisses it as the work of a few out-of-control kids, but when a smoke bomb is tossed on their front lawn, and the tires on their BMW are punctured, he begins to worry.
The family installs surveillance cameras but they show nothing but grainy images of shadowy figures in hoodies. Unable to identify the perpetrators, they are helpless as the assaults escalate. The police assure them that this is just the work of bored teenagers. But no one in the Adler family believes it. After all, each of them has a secret—kept not only from the outside world but from each other.
Seventeen-year-old Tarryn is dabbling in a seedy online world; her older brother, Eli, has dropped out of college and refuses to tell his parents why; and Thomas and Viv have their own secrets that began as harmless fun and relief from the pressures of everyday life, but have grown into something darker and more dangerous.
As the Adlers grapple with their guilt, fear, and shame, the assaults grow deadly. Their “perfect” façade is crumbling, and it may be too late for any of them to do anything about it in this addictive and twisty suspense novel that will keep you turning pages until its explosive ending.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
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A Spot of Trouble by Teri Wilson
Unfortunately, this book was my 1st DNF of the fall/winter season.Within 3 chapters, I was so annoyed by the female main character, I couldn't possibly care what happened next.
In those chapters alone, her basic story was:Accusing the male MC of stealing her dog, calling her family to arrest him, not apologizing when it turns out to be his own dog, taking cupcakes to the firehouse as an apology and then taking the cupcakes back because she doesn't like that he's a good baseball player (was supposed to go to MLB), because that might dim her family's police department's light/chances in the police vs. fire dept softball tournament.
For 28, she sounded 13. Not my cup of tea.
Official Synopsis
Violet March and Sam Nash are as different as night and day and have been enemies ever since Violet accused Sam of dognapping her beloved Dalmatian. Sam knows that would never happen—his well-trained fire safety demonstration dog never steps out of line, whereas Violet's problematic pooch has never met a command she didn't ignore completely, much like her bubbly owner.
So when Sprinkles and Cinder accidentally switch places during the annual police vs. fire department softball tournament, Violet is thrilled by her dog's sudden perfect behavior, while stubborn-yet-charming Sam is horrified to find that his dog no longer listens.
But when they eventually realize and switch the dogs back, Sam and Violet are shocked to find that not everything is as simple as it seems. And a little puppy love might be just the thing they've been missing...
But thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for providing the ARC.
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A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton
A fun read for those who enjoy a Hallmark Christmas-style category, A Bookshop Christmas gives you a widowed FMC and a somewhat snotty MMC with two main questions, will they get together and stay together and what will happen to the struggling bookshop the FMC has been caring for in the meantime?
Stepping out of my reading category comfort zone with this one, I struggled to remain gripped, even when passing the 50% mark. I wasn't attached enough to either character or their outcome(s) to truly drive myself to keep picking up the book in my spare time; but don't let this deter you if holiday will-they, wont-they romances are your favourite trope.
Official Synopsis
A snowstorm. A stranger. A spark. And it's Christmas! It should be the perfect start to the perfect love story. But real life is far messier and more complicated than in the pages of the books in Megan Taylor's family bookshop – the last few years have left this young widow in no doubt of that. Moving back home to York should have been a fresh start, but all it did was allow her to retreat from the world. When prize-winning author Xander Stone rams his supermarket trolley into her ankles and then trashes her taste in books, Megan is abruptly awoken from her self-imposed hibernation. It's time to start living again, and she's going to start by putting this arrogant, superior – admittedly sexy – stranger in his place. Just as she is beginning to enjoy life again, the worst happens and Megan begins to wonder if she should have stayed hidden away. Because it turns out that falling in love again is about more than just meeting under the mistletoe...
Thank you to Aria Fiction and NetGalley for my introduction to this category via a complimentary ARC.
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