Finding a good Chick Lit book is a bit of a rarity these days. I keep trying to get back in to the genre I’ve so loved for years, but I can only reallFinding a good Chick Lit book is a bit of a rarity these days. I keep trying to get back in to the genre I’ve so loved for years, but I can only really read one a week and I have to be a bit more diverse when picking my reads so I don’t get bored. I thought Faking It sounded like the most delightful read, and I was very pleased to find that I did really enjoy the book.
Faking It has many of the Chick Lit cliches I’ve come to expect, but for once it didn’t seem tired or tripe – YAY! It’s actually been a while since someone has essentially been left at the altar, mind, and I felt so sad for poor Vivia (and even more sad about her full name which was borderline ridiculous). I loved that Vivia had her friend Franny by her side after her douchebag ex became her douchebag ex and that Franny convinced Vivia to head on her honeymoon anyway (although what bloody kind of honeymoon is a bicycling holiday? That sounds like my idea of hell on wheels). Even more so when she stuck it to the man with the engagement ring pics, and become a social media darling. (Doesn’t everyone dream of gaining 1000s of Twitter followers in one sweep? Just me? Oh).
I haven’t always been a big fan of France, it’s never high up on my list of places to visit (Australia is top, with New York/Florida a close second FYI) but I do enjoy reading books set there and, I have to admit, the bicycling did seem a nice way to view France. Not that I would do it myself, I’d like to make THAT clear, before anyone books me a bicycling holiday hehe.
It was so nice to see two best friends enjoying a holiday to France. I wasn’t initially taken on the romance – I liked Luc, yes, but I was suspicious. (Still am, I think, actually.) And I actually thought Vivia had something with Travis Trunnell. Maybe it was just me? I’m so glad this is just the first book in a series, and that Vivia’s story will be continuing with Finding It! It was such a delightful, light read, and probably my only issue was the whole Vivia being a virgin thing, because surely Nathan wasn’t THAT stupid? But, it got rid of him so YAY.
Faking It is such a fun read. Perfect for a summer’s afternoon, or a day down at the beach!
Merged review:
Finding a good Chick Lit book is a bit of a rarity these days. I keep trying to get back in to the genre I’ve so loved for years, but I can only really read one a week and I have to be a bit more diverse when picking my reads so I don’t get bored. I thought Faking It sounded like the most delightful read, and I was very pleased to find that I did really enjoy the book.
Faking It has many of the Chick Lit cliches I’ve come to expect, but for once it didn’t seem tired or tripe – YAY! It’s actually been a while since someone has essentially been left at the altar, mind, and I felt so sad for poor Vivia (and even more sad about her full name which was borderline ridiculous). I loved that Vivia had her friend Franny by her side after her douchebag ex became her douchebag ex and that Franny convinced Vivia to head on her honeymoon anyway (although what bloody kind of honeymoon is a bicycling holiday? That sounds like my idea of hell on wheels). Even more so when she stuck it to the man with the engagement ring pics, and become a social media darling. (Doesn’t everyone dream of gaining 1000s of Twitter followers in one sweep? Just me? Oh).
I haven’t always been a big fan of France, it’s never high up on my list of places to visit (Australia is top, with New York/Florida a close second FYI) but I do enjoy reading books set there and, I have to admit, the bicycling did seem a nice way to view France. Not that I would do it myself, I’d like to make THAT clear, before anyone books me a bicycling holiday hehe.
It was so nice to see two best friends enjoying a holiday to France. I wasn’t initially taken on the romance – I liked Luc, yes, but I was suspicious. (Still am, I think, actually.) And I actually thought Vivia had something with Travis Trunnell. Maybe it was just me? I’m so glad this is just the first book in a series, and that Vivia’s story will be continuing with Finding It! It was such a delightful, light read, and probably my only issue was the whole Vivia being a virgin thing, because surely Nathan wasn’t THAT stupid? But, it got rid of him so YAY.
Faking It is such a fun read. Perfect for a summer’s afternoon, or a day down at the beach!...more
Absolutely cracking read. That I loved more when I got to the end, because of the way it all came together. Alice Hunter has a very, very disturbed miAbsolutely cracking read. That I loved more when I got to the end, because of the way it all came together. Alice Hunter has a very, very disturbed mind and I am HERE. FOR. IT. The plot for this novel was so intricate, and I can imagine had to be really well plotted to pull all of the novel off - especially, ESPECIALLY, that ending man. I really liked Beth as a narrator, she seemed super likeable and completely oblivious as to what her husband had been up to, and I felt for her. The only thing that seemed off, for me, was how quickly she was willing to trust Adam and move on, basically. But, that does all come good and makes a heck of a lot of sense.
This is one of those novels that makes sense the minute you've finished it, one of those where you look back on all of the events of the book in a state of shock purely because of just how well the author pulled it off.
I'm even MORE excited that the ending of the book hints at a potential sequel, where all kinds of absolutely insane things could happen. Please, Alice, make it happen!...more
The idea of this novel was very clever and I did like the Slack aspect of it - having started a new job in January that is primarily Slack-based to inThe idea of this novel was very clever and I did like the Slack aspect of it - having started a new job in January that is primarily Slack-based to interact with my colleagues. I was intrigued to see how Gerald, Gerard? I’ve actually forgotten got stuck in Slack.
To be honest this was a disappointing, forgettable novel. It was a super quick read but there was just nothing to it at all, which was a shame. There were interesting threads - the concept of Lydia and the Slack Bot potentially being sentient but the follow through was poor. It’s as if the author just did not know how to explain it, he had a great idea for a novel but forgot to come up with an ending of any description.
This book was incredible, I genuinely loved every single page and I’m so curious to see where Helen Grace’s journey goes especially after that ending,This book was incredible, I genuinely loved every single page and I’m so curious to see where Helen Grace’s journey goes especially after that ending, it was bloody brutal.
I can’t wait to dive into Pop Goes The Weasel. ...more
Michele Gorman is one of my favourite authors – she’s been on the book scene for so long now, pretty much since I started book blogging originally (ovMichele Gorman is one of my favourite authors – she’s been on the book scene for so long now, pretty much since I started book blogging originally (over 10 years now!) and she always produces the goods. Knowing she has two new books out this year made me super happy, especially since I’m only just getting back into the book blogging scene. The first one is The Staycation (aka this one!), and she has The Wedding Favour coming out in a couple weeks under her pen-name of Lilly Bartlett. (I have OBVIOUSLY) pre-ordered it.
The Staycation is a fascinating read, Harriet and Sophie and entirely different entities on the personality spectrum. Harriet is forthright and likes to have a plan and know how her life is going, whereas Sophie pretty much lets her husband Dan tell her what she needs/wants/should do. So when they do a The Holiday-style house swap, after an ash cloud ruins their trips to Italy, it seems like the perfect way for both families to still get a holiday of some kind, even if it is still in the UK.
I actually thought The Staycation was set in 2010, when the original ash cloud occurred, but it was merely a plot device for the families to not get to their intended destination of Italy. I quite liked the idea of the throwback, but it was actually set (presumably) in present day as they reference the original (real) ash cloud. I love the idea of doing a house swap with someone, which is I suppose what the concept or AirBNB is, but not having used it, I don’t know for sure. Like, there’s the worry that you’d be super aware it isn’t your house and so I’d feel anxious/uncomfortable the whole time, but in theory? I love the idea! Especially if it’s a house swap somewhere I haven’t been (ie. Harriet’s family go to London and Sophie’s family go to the countryside).
Harriet was such an interesting character, she’s hard to love, I won’t lie because she’s so regimented in everything she does; she calculates everything down to a T. Like, I’m genuinely surprised she didn’t schedule in bathroom breaks. It’s all very Sheldon Cooper-esque, although she does say she isn’t on the spectrum, and she probably isn’t, it’s probably more so a form on anxiety/control. Nothing can go wrong if every single second is accounted for, although that doesn’t leave her open for unforeseen circumstances (like ash clouds).
On the other hand, Sophie is laid back. Honestly, she comes off as quite simple at first – very unaware/naive. Leaving a lot of decisions to Dan, not really owning her own life. But I actually really warmed to her once she started to realise everything that was going on around her. Her transformation from a meek little mouse, who wouldn’t say boo to a goose to someone who sticks up for herself and has a backbone was the best part of the novel for me. It was slow little realisations, slow little changes that made her realise that, actually, she COULD do things for herself, she could stand up to Dan, her husband, and the world wouldn’t end (although he would be slighted, typical alpha male behaviour).
I will say, there are a few “eeek” moments in the novel. There’s a massive point of contention between Harriet and her daughter Billie that was borderline homophobic. Personally, I’d have re-written that entire thing. I can understand shock and confusion, but the blatant homophobia (“she doesn’t look gay”) made me cringe. I understand Gorman wanted something to spin Harriet’s world out of control, but her daughter’s sexuality was the wrong thing for that to be (imo). There was also a line, I think about Harriet, being “woke” and, again, I would have edited that out or used a different word. On the one hand, Chick Lit does not feature gay or lesbian romances as a whole, unless it’s the token gay best friend, so I appreciate that Gorman included Billie’s sexuality, but to use it for a cheap plot point made it cheap/rote.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Staycation, had everything above been edited out/changed this would have been an incredible read, but the slight homophobia kind of put a dampener on the novel for me, personally. I still enjoyed it, it was a fab little read, and I really liked the contrast of Sophie and Harriet’s characters, I never thought I’d warm to Harriet, but I did. Because I kind of understood her mind-set. And Sophie’s too. Sophie was a darling and I just wanted to hug her and make everything okay, because I can’t imagine spending years with someone who wants to control your every move and makes you feel like a child. Like, at the beginning, I thought it was cute how Dan called Sophie a silly bean, because it seemed like a term of endearment, but for every time he used it, it became clear it was used to patronise/condescend towards Sophie and that made me angry.
I’m so excited for Michele’s Lilly Bartlett offering in a couple of weeks, I really enjoyed The Staycation, it was a very apt novel for our times at the moment, where everyone is stuck at home!...more
I recently went on a bit of an e-book buying spree. E-books are currently miles and above cheaper than real books because real book shops aren't open I recently went on a bit of an e-book buying spree. E-books are currently miles and above cheaper than real books because real book shops aren't open therefore any books sold on Amazon are more or less full price or not available so I had to get my books in a new way, so I dug my Kindle out and recharged it. (I don't MIND paying full price for books, fyi, just sometimes the vast hardback vs kindle price difference is just too much)
Anyway, I thought I was reading A Night In Paris, but it turns out I was reading A Very French Affair. Easy mistake to make, they're both set in France, however at least 10 times I wondered to myself ...this isn't Paris. This is set in Antibes. There has been no mention of Paris. Where did they get the title from? Well, turns out, that's a title for an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT book.
I must confess, I didn't really like A Really French Affair. It was fine. It did everything a romance novel should do, but, i mean, that was it. It ticked all the boxes, almost as if I literally had a list in front of me, but it didn't make me feel anything. It's a shame as the story was interesting, the characters were okay, it all just felt rote to me and I don't know if that's because I've turned into a horrible cynic who can't see the goodness in the world, or if this was poorly written (to me, anyway).
I wanted a fun, summer read and it was, I guess. Like genuinely, it did what it promised on the tin. ...more
Probably more like a 2.5 stars but ultimately, I didn’t enjoy this novel. It had a whole lot of promise, it just seemed to fail in execution. The synoProbably more like a 2.5 stars but ultimately, I didn’t enjoy this novel. It had a whole lot of promise, it just seemed to fail in execution. The synopsis was fascinating and does bring a lot of questions - why was Laurel criminally responsible at 10, but Rosie, at 6, wasnt? What happens if a six year old kills someone without anyone else there? What happens then?
The central mystery that brings Laurel and Rosie back into the public eye was ridiculous, it could have been amazing, but it petered out to just being a reason to bring back the “flower girls” to the present audience.
I didn’t like the characters, none of them were redeemable or likeable with the exception of Hillier, the police officer, who was criminally underused and utterly wasted in this novel.
Jane Fallon is the absolute master of telling tales about toxic friendships. And yet, her books are never same-y. They’re always fresh and original anJane Fallon is the absolute master of telling tales about toxic friendships. And yet, her books are never same-y. They’re always fresh and original and I was so excited to dive into Tell Me A Secret. There’s just something about a toxic friendship that makes me smile in my loneliness and want to scream at people, “THIS IS WHY I DON’T HAVE FRIENDS”. Because, here’s the thing, a lot of the time (for me, anyway) friends aren’t friends. They talk behind your back, leave you out of things, don’t get in touch, and it’s like what’s the point and that is soooooo apparent in Tell Me A Secret, where Holly is pretty much treated like crap because she got a promotion ahead of a colleague, like get a grip, support your friend, stop being a cow.
It is fairly impressive that people can take a promotion as something to take way beyond the realms of personal, as Roz does in Tell Me A Secret. Here’s the thing: three people going for one job is always going to end up with two people being hurt and you kinda just have to take it on the chin, especially if you purport to be someone’s friend. It’s not as if Holly swanned into the job with no experience, she had paid her dues for three years which while not as long as Roz (or Juliet), was obviously good enough to be promoted ahead of them both and when things started to go wrong for Holly, I felt awful, because you like to think you can trust your work friends. Even if they’re just work friends.
I really liked Holly. She was a fab narrator and the way she handled herself was so incredibly impressive. I am a wuss, I would have just ended up letting what happened happen, without doing anything about it, because I am a grade-A mug. But Holly was so competent at her job and I just wanted to punch Roz’s lights out for wanting to ruin something that was so wonderful. You could see how isolating it got for Holly as Roz froze her out without word, and got people onto her side, and made Holly look ridiculous and it was just like a car crash and I felt awful. Here’s the thing: Holly wasn’t perfect especially in regards to Juliet, but I felt like amends were made whereas Roz was unrepentant.
I really, really enjoyed Tell Me A Secret. Dee, Holly’s friend, was absolutely fabulous. She kind of friend Roz should have been and I loved her long-winded tales and her lack of a filter and the silly things she would believe from her own work colleagues. I liked that she never questioned Holly when Holly told her what was going on and instead went above and beyond to help Holly to clear her name. It made my heart happy.
Jane Fallon is such a fantastic writer. I love that she’s back on a book-a-year schedule because I look forward to her new releases each January, I just know I’m going to get a thought-provoking look into female friendship. Tell Me A Secret is yet another brilliant read from Jane Fallon and I already can’t wait for next year’s book (no pressure, Jane!)....more
This was a really interesting read - the representation was incredible, but I will say it was a bit transphobic, with Sam using incorrect pronouns numThis was a really interesting read - the representation was incredible, but I will say it was a bit transphobic, with Sam using incorrect pronouns numerous times which I could understand if he learned his lesson the first time, but it’s something he continued to do, which was disappointing. I hope this maybe gets fixed before the book comes out next year.
The magical aspect I loved, I loved Sam most of the time, but he could be fairly vicious and there was a particular exchange with Tom that left me reeling - they both were vicious.
I loved Sam’s dad, the Grands, Millard Fillmore, so there was a lot to like about this book but the transphobia lets it down so much....more
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