Tag: contemporary fiction

Book Review: The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Author: Freya Sampson
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: August 30th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Strangers aboard a London bus unite to help an elderly man find his missed love connection in the heartwarming new novel from the author of The Last Chance Library.

When Libby Nicholls arrives in London, brokenhearted and with her life in tatters, the first person she meets on the bus is elderly Frank. He tells her about the time in 1962 that he met a girl on the number 88 bus with beautiful red hair just like hers. They made plans for a date at the National Gallery art museum, but Frank lost the bus ticket with her number on it. For the past sixty years, he’s ridden the same bus trying to find her, but with no luck.

Libby is inspired to action and, with the help of an unlikely companion, she papers the bus route with posters advertising their search. Libby begins to open her guarded heart to new friendships and a budding romance, as her tightly controlled world expands. But with Frank’s dementia progressing quickly, their chance of finding the girl on the 88 bus is slipping away.

More than anything, Libby wants Frank to see his lost love one more time. But their quest also shows Libby just how important it is to embrace her own chances for happiness—before it’s too late—in a beautifully uplifting novel about how a shared common experience among strangers can transform lives in the most marvelous ways.

UNEXPECTED.

I didn’t even know this book existed until a week ago when a friend texted me about it, and since I love her dearly I said I would read it too. AND HERE WE ARE. I think this was an unexpected gem that I grew to love. Now, it is definitely more fiction than romance so know that going in.

As Libby rides the bus after a miserable turn of events in her life she meets many characters who turn to impact her future and the way she learns to handle trials. I loved all of the side characters and learning their stories and paths that they have walked. Some are joyful and some are more filled with sorrow, but there was this sense of hope and that things worked out in the end that I loved.

There is a little dash of a romance with some tropes I love and some not so much. I do think everything came together in the end really well and the epilogue is just the absolute best. I thought the answers needed were given and I am not upset I picked this one up at all.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Fiction
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: Kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, dementia

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Author: Kyla Zhao
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 16th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When a fashion writer dives headfirst into the cutthroat Silicon Valley tech world, her future threatens to unravel in this addictive novel by Kyla Zhao, author of The Fraud Squad.

On paper, Zoe Zeng has made it in New York’s fashion world. After a string of unpaid internships, she’s now a fashion columnist at Chic, lives in a quaint apartment in Manhattan, and gets invited to exclusive industry events.

But life in New York City isn’t as chic as Zoe imagined. Her editor wants her to censor her opinions to please the big brands; she shares her “quaint” ( small) apartment with two roommates who never let her store kimchi in the fridge; and how is she supposed to afford the designer clothes expected for those parties on her meager salary?

Then one day, Zoe receives a job offer at FitPick, an app startup based in Silicon Valley. The tech salary and office perks are sweet, but moving across the country and switching to a totally new industry? Not so much. However, with her current career at a dead end, Zoe accepts the offer and swaps high fashion for high tech, haute couture for HTML. But she soon realizes that in an industry claiming to change the world for the better, not everyone’s intentions are pure. With an eight-figure investment on the line, Zoe must find a way to revamp FitPick’s image despite Silicon Valley’s elitism and her icy colleagues. Or the company’s future will go up in smoke—and hers with it.

BORING.

Oh my goodness I wouldn’t have even picked this up if it wasn’t gifted to me because blehhhhh. First, if you think this is a romance, it is not. There are some kisses but the relationship is poorly built and told instead of shown.

There were some good themes and discussions surrounding many facets of fashion, tech, etc. But I feel like it was poorly executed. The conversations seemed forced and inauthentic and this came off more like everything was being shoved in my face rather than a natural inclusion to topics that absolutely should be discussed.

The characters also provided a large disconnect for me. I didn’t care what happened to anyone and the FMC seemed to go backwards rather than forwards. Some of her actions and thoughts in the later half of the book made me incredibly frustrated.

I might have given this two stars but I never hit that “hate reading” point. Nothing set me off so badly that I was rage reading, I just didn’t care what was happening either.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fiction
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: misogyny, fatphobia, body shaming and sexual harassment

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC Book Review: The Roads We Follow (Fog Harbor #2) by Nicole Deese

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Fiction + Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Nicole Deese
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: April 30th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As the youngest daughter of a country music legend, Raegan Farrow longs to establish an identity away from the spotlight and publish her small-town romances under a pen name. But after her dream is dashed when she won’t exploit her mother’s fame to further her own career, she hears a rumor from a reliable source regarding a tell-all being written about the Farrow family. Making matters worse, the unknown author has gone to great lengths to remain anonymous until publication.

Raegan chooses to keep the tell-all a secret from her scandal-leery sisters as they embark on a two-week, cross-country road trip at their mother’s request and makes it her mission to expose the identity of the author behind the unsanctioned biography. But all is complicated when she discovers their hired bus driver, Micah Davenport, has a hidden agenda of his own–one involving both of their mothers and an old box of journals. As they rely on each other to find the answers they seek, the surprising revelations they unearth will steer them toward their undeniable connection and may even lead them down the most unexpected of paths.

Thank you Bethany House Books for the free copy.

BEAUTIFUL.

I really enjoyed this story. I was captivated from the get-go and there’s something about Nicole Deese’s writing that draws you in. I loved all of the themes of forgiveness, finding where you belong and reconnecting with your family. This felt authentic to me and I think that’s why it resonated so well. I could feel the complicated family dynamics and sometimes the backwards journey it takes to find balance and a place of peace with loved ones.

The romance was tender and sweet. It’s more instant attraction than I’m generally drawn too but I didn’t have that issue at all here. I felt that connection and that click between Raegan and Micah. I loved that they had the tough conversations, moments to breath, and some good kissing scenes too. This was also dual POV (which y’all know I love) and only added to the story getting Micah’s side and reasoning behind his choices too.

I loved all of the road trip antics. How the journey was up and down and ultimately ended exactly where I hoped it would. I loved all of these characters and watching the relatable nature that is life bring this family together.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: None
  • Romance: Kisses
  • Violence: Low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of using diet pills/unsafe weight loss, loss of a parent, divorce, depictions of grief, alcohol consumption

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC Book Review: Wedding Issues by Elle Evans

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 352 pages
Author: Elle Evans
Publisher: Zibby Books
Release Date: April 2nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Competition for a bridal magazine cover unleashes frenemy mayhem and family sparring in this hilarious, frothy debut. Olivia “Liv” Fitzgerald, soon-to-be-lawyer, can talk anyone into anything. Well, almost anything. When her scheming aunt throws her cousin, Kali, into a competition for a bridal magazine cover alongside Liv’s best friend, Leighton, all hell breaks loose. To save the day, Liv only has to

a) Secure the Southern Charme cover for Leighton,
b) Keep Aunt Charlotte happy and Kali’s wedding running smoothly,
c) Finish her final year of law school and nab a coveted NYC big-law job, and
d) Win over the guy of her dreams.

What, like it’s hard? With sparkling prose, debut author Elle Evans gives us a hysterical, moving twist on the classic bride wars story. Readers will root for Liv as she balances her schemes, dreams, and double Maid of Honor duties, discovering that integrity might be more important than smooth talking―even if it means she can’t please everyone at once.

Thank you to Zibby Books for the gifted ARC.

A BIT TOO MUCH DRAMA.

I went in with good hopes about this one. It sounded charming and humorous and full of hijinks. Buuuut I think those shenanigans crossed a line into the ridiculous and I was increasingly frustrated with what was happening.

There were some cute moments and I liked seeing Olivia work things out for her life. She gets walked all over a bit before finally apologizing and going after the things she want too. I wish the focus would have been more on Olivia and not the other two brides.

Also, to note, this isn’t a romance. It’s fiction with a tiny dash of romance. I really wish Will had played a larger role in the story too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fiction
  • Language: low-moderate
  • Romance: one fade to black

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph