Friday, December 27, 2019

Best Books of 2019 // Bookworm.

Wow, it's almost 2020! I did quite a bit of reading this year, though not as much as last, and I'm happy to report that there are quite a few books that I really enjoyed. Here are my favorites by category!



Reading Goal:

My goal was to read 60 books this year, and I surpassed it by reading 87 books as of December 20th. I feel good about that! The end of this year I just haven't felt like reading as much. I will likely set the same goal next year.
Courting Darkness by Robin Lefevers (YA fantasy)
Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (YA Sci-fi)
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig (YA with a bit of horror)
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (YA fantasy)
Frogkisser! by Garth Nix (Middle Grade/YA)
The Harp of Kings by Juliet Maurillier (YA High Fantasy)



The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews - just her books in general. (Historical / Proper)
Coldhearted Boss by R.S. Grey (Contemporary)
Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean (Historical)
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore (Historical)
The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata (Contemporary)
A Lie for a Lie & A Favor for a Favor by Helena Hunting (Contemporary)
One and Only by Jenny Holiday (Contemporary)
Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas (Historical)



Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner (Quirky Coming of Age / Gave Me All the Feels)

Night Film by Marisha Pessl - I'm not a big mystery/thriller person, so if it keeps me hooked, I feel compelled to include it in this list. I liked the weird format of this one. Not 100% sure how I felt about the ending. This one is DENSE.



Little Women Cookbook by Wini Moranville
The Secret Garden Cookbook by Amy Colter
The Peach Truck Cookbook by Jessica and Stephen Rose

I've also been keeping track of my reading and book buying stats this year, here is how it broke down:

Read - 86
Owned - 23
Ebook - 51
Physical book - 42
ARC - 41
Library/Borrowed - 21
Bought - 200 (142 physical books, 64 ebooks) - 38 books were freeee! :)
To Let Go - 55

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think?

What were some of your favorite books this year?!

XO,

Alexandra

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Keep It Together // December 2019

Hello All! It's been another year of Keep It Together! :) Woohoo! We're so excited that Rebecca Jo is joining us as a co-host from now on!

I am excited to post today with Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag and Rebecca Jo from Knit by God's Hand for our Keep It Together linkup!

If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)




Planning:

I have been *trying* to make my planner a little more festive. I think I started with this as the base and expected to go back and decorate and fill in more but it never happened! -- just like last month. LOL If you guys have been following along on Instagram, I'm just doing my best right now. It's been a really hard season. I am excited to start using my 2020 planner super soon!

these are cropping weird... sorry guys.




Documenting:



I managed to do a bit more work on my October Daily! I'm about half way done, and just have to find a chunk of time to knock out the rest of it... hopefully sometime soon. I should have another video up soon with this section of the album.






What's Next?!

Well, I'm really not sure what is next. Right now I'm just working on being healthy and taking care of myself, so I may or may not get around November and December daily albums. They might be more  just as I have something to document and little albums. We'll see. Not quite sure, but I think that's ok right now.

Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!

XO,

Alexandra

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

November 2019 Reads // Just a Few!

Woohoo! It's book day! And it actually is this time, I double checked. LOLOL 



It was a light reading month, but I had some pretty decent reads!

His Royal Highness by R.S. Grey**** ARC, ebook

3.5 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.

When Whitney starts an internship at a major theme park she is assigned a current cast member to be her mentor. When she is partnered with Derek Knightly, heir to the Fairytale Kingdom fortune she is star struck and a bit smitten. When he discontinues their partnership unexpectedly she never hears from him again, and is then partnered with his grandfather the genius behind Fairytale Kingdom itself. When Derek shows up again 10 years later, Whitney doesn't know what to think. She's no longer a teenager, and no longer the underdog. She now plays the part of Princess Elena in the castle, and mentors students herself, but finding out that Derek has been assigned to play the part of her prince charming will throw her off her game.

I loved this behind the scenes imagining of what it would be like to be a cast member at a big theme park! It was so fun to imagine working there, and all of the commitment, creativity, and genius that goes into creating such a place! I loved reading about Whitney's journey from balloon seller to intern to Princess Elena. She was such a fun character and had so much passion for the park and her job. I loved her mentor program experience and being partnered with Derek. I especially adored that she later got paired with Cal, and her relationship with him. It was so sweet to me that she found her family and her home at Fairytale Kingdom, when her own family hadn't been able to be there for her. I found myself really invested in her crush on Derek in the past, even though it wasn't based on mutual attraction. I felt for her when she re-read her emails to him, oh to be eighteen! LOL My favorite parts of this book took place in the park. I adored the scenes where she was in costume greeting children for photos with her various princes. There were so many funny moments of tension, banter, and ornery kiddos. I thought that the chemistry between Whitney and Derek was great when they were paired together, and I liked seeing them grow closer after years apart. I didn't 100% identify with the way Whitney approached present day Derek, she was a little hot and cold, and I didn't really care for the way that she had kind of started spending time with Ryan and then led him on a bit before ending up with Derek. However, once that was all over I loved Whitney and Derek together, and all of the moments leading up to the parade had me swooning! I also adored anything to do with Cal and their sort of family bond. So sweet! The parts related to her family and NYC almost felt a bit separate from the rest of the book, it broke the immersion a bit for me. Overall I would recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance, and of course if you are a Disney fan. :)

One and Only by Jenny Holiday  own, physical book

5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.

When Jane's best friend gets married she becomes a bit of a bridezilla. When the wedding is about a week away, Jane gets the news that her task is to babysit the groom's wayward younger brother and keep him from ruining everything. Jane can't wait to get out of bridesmaid duties so she readily agrees. However, she finds that Cameron embraces not only civilian life back on Canadian soil, but being babysat as well. He also helps her test her type A and play it safe nature. After a week together, they have bonded, but still have to make it through the wedding and all of the side effects that come with it.

Ugh, this book was so cute. I loved it so much. I could really relate to Jane's character in how much she wanted to get out of the wedding craziness. I'm also very much the planner, the type-A person, so I definitely felt like I "got" Jane from the beginning. I'll be honest and say that I was wary of Cameron. I'm not one for military romances, and his personality is soooo bad at first... BUT you really come around to him, and I felt like all of his military moments and ideals expressed were incredibly commendable. I loved seeing Cameron and Jane bond over shared experiences and risk taking, it was so fun and unique. I loved the way they slowly (and quickly) got to know each other and care for each other. I thought it was really sweet how much they fought their attraction, and he mostly let her call the shots. I thought that his PTSD was handled really well and while he was a bit of an angsty character it made sense and added depth to the story without being too angsty. The chemistry in this book was so good. So much banter, tension, sweet moments, and unexpected pet names. Ugh I just loved it. I am super excited to say this has broken me out of a mini reading rut, and I can't wait to read the rest of this series, and more books by Jenny Holiday!

The Secret Garden Cookbook by Amy Cotler* ARC, ebook

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy cookbooks and classic novels.

A cookbook with recipes and tibits from the time period of The Secret Garden. AUTHOR has spent time researching the foods mentioned in the book, and cookbooks written during the time period to share similar recipes to the ones Mary, Colin, and Dikon would have enjoyed. She also includes an entire section on Indian food and Anglo-Indian food as during this time period India was colonized by England. Some of the recipes are updated versions for modern cooks, while others are fairly true to their original recipes.

The cover drew me to this cookbook. The illustrations are absolutely darling, and made me want to dive back into the world of the The Secret Garden. I was especially excited to read this one after enjoying The Little Women Cookbook so much! I love that the author of this book did a lot of research related to not only which dishes were mentioned in the book The Secret Garden, but also into recipes from cookbooks written in that time period. While some of the recipes are updated for modern cooks and palates, some are also fairly true to their original versions. I loved learning more about the world during the time of the book through tidbits of history and every day life that were shared in these pages. I also enjoyed that she talks a lot about the history of colonizing India and how that influenced both the book but also the culinary history of England. The excerpts from The Secret Garden containing the particular dishes were also so sweet and brought a lot of nostalgia to the cookbook. I think that flipping through this lovely book will definitely inspire readers to have an Anglo-Indian tea or classic English breakfast of their own. From recipes for English crumpets, to fresh mango chutney, Welsh rabbit, and Cornish pasties this book has many tempting recipes. I will definitely be picking up a copy of this for my own shelves after it publishes on 1/14/20.

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams library, physical book

4 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.

When Gavin and Thea have trouble with their marriage, the men on Gavin's baseball team inaugurate him into their secret book club, where they read romance novels to fix their relationships. Though skeptical at first, Gavin joins in and makes a serious effort to win back Thea's affection, but it will take a lot more than seducing her and copying the book, he has to work on his issues, and their issues too. 

I really enjoyed this book! The idea behind it is very charming, I just loved this book club full of men reading romance novels. The concept is funny, and all of the bromance that happens throughout the book is so charming. I loved hearing their commentary which was hilarious and very thoughtful. It was an awfully feminist group of men, but I loved that, and their discourses on what was or was not feminist. It was very interesting. I did find it pretty distracting that the one guy was just "The Russian" up until the end of the book. I don't think it's mean to be derogatory at all, but it did feel weird to me. I can't speak to whether or not this would be offensive to anyone... but it did sort of stick out at me each time I read it. This might be one of the first romance novels about a couple that is already married, and I really enjoyed that aspect. It definitely sheds some light on marital issues, and how you can't become complacent within your marriage which I felt was very realistic. I thought that this book had a lot of funny and swoony moments, but it also touched on some more serious topics. A lot of those topics hit home for me, so I was probably a bit more emotional while reading than other readers would be. I loved all of the characters, especially Liv and Gavin and Thea's twins. I was rooting for everyone, and I'm excited that there will be another book in this series already! :) 

Monthly totals:

Read - 4
Owned - 1
Ebook - 2
Physical book - 2
ARC - 3
Library/Borrowed - 1
Bought - 26 (6 physical books, 20 ebooks) - 10 books were freeee! :)
To Let Go - 0


Yearly Totals:


Read - 86
Owned - 23
Ebook - 51
Physical book - 42
ARC - 41
Library/Borrowed - 21
Bought - 200 (142 physical books, 64 ebooks) - 38 books were freeee! :)
To Let Go - 55


Linking up with Jana and Steph for Show Us Your Books today. :) 


What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?! 

Let's be friends on Goodreads!

XO,

Alexandra

* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley

**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! 

***Triple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Edelweiss!

****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Keep It Together // November 2019

Whew, it has been a busy season filled with doctor's appointments and lots of social plans, but I'm super excited to share what little bit of fun documenting and planning I got done in the last month! :)

I am excited to post today with Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag for our Keep It Together linkup!

If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)




Planning:


I have been *trying* to make my planner a little more festive. I think I started with this as the base and expected to go back and decorate and fill in more but it never happened! LOL Life has been kind of nuts, so I've been doing medium... but it's fun either way! I have been so busy that I haven't even opened my planner on several occasions... BUT I am staying sort of organized, and doing my best. :) Super inspired by Rebecca Jo, go check out her post in the link up below!




Documenting:

I managed to start my October Daily! I love the start of it, and just have to find a chunk of time to knock out the rest of it... hopefully this weekend! We should have enough downtime to make it happen. Excited to see how the rest turns out, and move on to other albums soon! If you are interested check out the video below to see all of the pages!








What's Next?!

I am quite "behind" my normal documenting schedule this year. I normally have started at least a few months of my full-year album and am done or nearly done with my October Daily and working on my November Daily... and getting ready for December. Oof. Right now I only have the first chunk of October Daily done, but I guess that's where I am at. I can see doing a very short one photo + one journaling page recap for 2019 as a whole, and finishing up October Daily, keeping Nov. Daily simple... and then a standard December Daily. This weekend is fairly open, I think I just need another chunk of time to work! So fingers crossed for this weekend!

Have you started thinking about your planner for next year?

Have you been working on any documenting? 

Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!

XO,

Alexandra



You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

October Reads // #arctober

It's book day!



October is known as #arctober to many readers online. I have a huge backlog of ARCs so I joined in to try to finish some of them up in a binge session. Here's how it went.

#ARCtober Goals:

Read 10 books!

Result: 6/10! - Not too bad for a busy and super anxious month! I'll take it!

25 Days 'Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander*** ARC, ebook

#1 for #arctober

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary Christmas fiction. This one while still light, is a bit more serious than most.

Daniel's sister Zoe died in January, this is his first Christmas without her. He remembers the "Christmas Tree Girl" working at the lot, who was always so kind to him and Zoe when they bought their tree. He remembers her sad eyes, and now recognizes that she must have lost someone too. He wants to have the courage to tell her his story, but is painfully awkward in practice. Kate is a widow and mom to Jack, her six year old son. Her job at the Christmas tree lot is in peril, her son is being diagnosed with special needs, her "mother in law" is in a nursing home and her funding is about to be cut, and she barely has money to keep porridge on the table, let alone a tree and gifts for Jack. Kate and Daniel will meet again and again in different circumstances, getting to know one another better. Can they move past their grief and hurdles to be happy again?

This is the Christmas novel for you if you are looking for a story with a bit more intensity. I really loved both Kate and Daniel, and thought that they were strong characters dealing with a lot of issues. Kate was a very passionate mother, put in a tough situation, just trying to make ends meet on her own. Daniel was dealing with the loss of his sister, and going through the motions of his day to day life. I admired their strength, and how they eventually came together to have a memorable Christmas. I enjoyed the charitable elements of the story related to raising money for the Apple Cafe run by young adults with special needs. I thought that the Bake Off element was a fun addition. While it did feel like the problems were piling on Kate one after the other, I like how things tied up. It felt sort of serendipitous but also very satisfying. I would recommend this novel if you are looking for a Christmassy read with a little bit more meat.

A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting*ARC, ebook

#2 for #arctober

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance, especially of the second-chance variety.

RJ is an NHL captain from Chicago, who spends part of his summer in Alaska with his brother to relax. It's the only time  when he can be a normal guy. When he meets anxious, and refreshing Lainey on the flight there, he doesn't tell her who he really is. They're both headed to Kodiak Island, and she's not quite prepared or outfitted for the trip. When he drops her off at her ramshackle cabin, he doesn't feel right about not checking in with her as the trip goes on. They're both alone, and quickly take to spending all of their time together. After a month, RJ has to leave due to a family emergency, and he never gets to tell Lainey who he really is, that he loves her, or how to get into touch with him. Months later, they meet by chance in Chicago, and RJ quickly finds out that he wasn't the only one keeping secrets.

I thought based on the title and cover that this would be sort of a romantic suspense story, LOL... so I was a little off base, but ended up enjoying this one quite a bit! I ADORED both RJ and Lainey, and their time in Alaska. It was very swoony and sweet, and their chemistry and different personalities were so fun. I honestly was dreading that part of the book coming to an end. However, I quickly found myself invested in the present day plot as well. I loved the way they uncovered secrets about their lives and lies, and how they tried so hard to make it work again. There is very little of the dreaded "JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER ALREADY!" sort of feeling, which I very much appreciated! I thought that their relationship both past and present was so sweet, and I liked the little bits of hockey life mixed in too. This book reminded me a little bit of Wait for It by Mariana Zapata and The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker, both books that I really enjoyed! I see that there is already a synopsis for book 2 in this series... and I am here. for. it. Definitely going to continue on.

The Absinthe Earl by Sharon Lynn Fisher*** ARC, ebook

#3 for #arctober

DNF @ 60% - I can't particularly recommend this one.

Ada, an orphan and student is on a holiday in Ireland studying the relationship between absinthe and fairy sightings. She meets an Irish earl at an absinthe house, and he is quickly compelled to both protect her, and take her to his family's estate where they have unearthed ancient ruins. Along the way they are swept up in a struggle between earth and the faery realm, and their inexplicable attraction to one another.

There were many really fun elements to this story. I liked the historical romance aspect, and some of the fantasy was really interesting. There were some parts that I was struggling to figure out what on earth was going on. Part way through, I just wasn't compelled anymore. I didn't feel like I had enough background information on the characters, and I wasn't very invested in their plight against the threat coming to earth. I thought the idea of an alternate history based around Irish mythology was interesting, but it didn't work out for me this time around. You can't win them all.

A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews*ARC, ebook

#4 for #arctober

3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical proper romance.

When Laura Hays's father died, he left them without much money. Laura has had to take up the finances, and the plans to re-open their floral farms and fragrance distilleries.When she meets with her solicitor, she finds out that he plans to deny her brother's inheritance as he comes of age as he is an invalid. Her only choice is to find another solicitor and fight for the inheritance, or to marry. However, she's never imagined herself married at all. Alex Archer has been running from his troubled past as an orphan, and swindling people out of money through gambling debts. He ends up in Surrey, collecting on one such debt, as he meets lady Henrietta ?? and intends to marry her. However, after a chance meeting in a pond with Laura, he cannot keep his mind on the task at hand.

It was so fun to tuck into another Mimi Matthews book! I really loved Laura as a character, and her drive to thrive and work hard to reach her dreams. I thought that the meeting of the two characters was very cute, and that they had very good tension. I think that Alex was a bit shut off due to his past, so it took me a while to feel that he really liked Laura... or that he was really invested in their relationship or his feelings toward her in the beginning. I think that made it a bit less swoony for me, but as the book went on it definitely made sense how he felt, and why. I think my favorite part continues to be the brotherhood of the four orphans as they reconnect, that made me quite teary. I'm so excited to see how Neville's book goes.

A Favor for a Favor by Helena Hunting- Publishes January 2020 ARC, ebook

#5 for #arctober

4.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy hate-to-love contemporary romances.

When Stevie moves to Seattle to find her boyfriend sleeping with someone else, in their new apartment, on her birthday, she's hit rock bottom. When her NHL captain brother offers her his pent house apartment, she jumps at the chance to be away from her cheating ex. When she meets the jerk across the hall, she thinks things can't get worse. Bishop was cheated out of captain for their new team by RJ Bowman, and now there's a hot mess woman living in his apartment.When he finds out that this woman is not his mistress, but his sister everything changes. When Bishop is in a bad accident on the ice, his chances of meshing with his new team are low. Luckily, Stevie is a physical therapist, and she's willing to help him work on his injury to get back on the ice sooner. Can they keep it platonic despite their teasing and close proximity?

I really loved A Lie for A Lie and was so excited when I got a copy of this one! This book started off super super super funny. I immediately loved both Stevie and Bishop. He's SO annoying. Such a jerk, and she doesn't take any of it, so their hate-to-love chemistry is amazing. The sick and needing nursed back to health trope is one that I really enjoy, so this was a fun but very painful twist on that. I loved all of the PT stuff after his injury. It was equal party steamy and hysterically funny. I loved that this was such a slowburn love story and seeing how the characters grew and opened up to each other over time. I continue to love the team and family dynamics in this series, and am excited to see where it goes! I hope that the next book in the series is about King. He's adorable.

Twice In A Blue Moon by Christina Lauren*ARC, ebook

#6 for #arctober

3.5 - 4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance that falls more on the emotional end of the spectrum.

When 18 year old Tate and 21 year old Sam meet by chance on vacation in London they fall fast and hard. With their grandparents they spend nearly two weeks together and become inseparable. Tate tells Sam her deepest darkest secret, that she's the child of famous actor Ian Butler. When Sam disappears and the press swarm their hotel, her secret is out and she knows she's been betrayed by the only boy she's ever let in. Years later, as a famous actress, Tate is going to star in a film with her father. Despite what they want the media to think, they're not close, and before the press found her, he wasn't in her life. Filming is going to be tense, and that is before she realizes that Sam wrote the screen play for the movie she's starring in. How can she put on the performance of her life, while he's watching her every move?

I meant to read Love and Other Words before I got to this one, but I ran out of time. I didn't quite know what to expect from a more emotional Christina Lauren book. One thing I love about their writing is the comedy. I found myself enamored with young Tate and Sam, and their whirlwind romance in London. I didn't want the betrayal to happen, even though I knew that it would. I also liked Tate and Sam in the present. I thought that their conflict and romance was very slow burn, which I liked, but there wasn't as much tension as I expected. I'm not overly into plots about famous people, so while I liked the parts where they were filming the movie, all of the PR and high profile stuff wasn't my favorite. I thought that Sam was really swoony, and that his movie sounded incredible. I liked the ending, but felt like it could have possibly used an epilogue. Overall I enjoyed this one, but I was hoping for a bit more tension, romance, and drama. All that being said, it took me about a day to read, so it is definitely captivating, just not my favorite CL book to date.

When Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas own, physical book

5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical romance, especially something on the more emotional end of the spectrum.

When a chance encounter with a roguish stranger at her first ball since her husband's death catches Lady Holland Taylor off guard, she re-examines her future. When Zachary Bronson gets a taste of the most irresistible woman he's ever kissed by surprise, he must know who she is. When he finds out that Lady Holly is a widow and one of the most proper women in the 'ton he hires her to teach him and his family proper etiquette. He made his fortune, and though successful in business, he is not quite accepted in the elite circles and he needs a high standing wife to help solidify his place within the 'ton. As Lady Holly helps him prepare to woo a bride, she finds herself fighting attraction that has been growing ever since the ball. Not only is she attracted to Zachary Bronson, but to the life she lives with more freedom for her and her young daughter. When the truth comes out about a promise she made to her dying husband, she must make a choice between duty and her happiness.

This book hit me right in all of the feelings. To start, this woman is a widow and lost her husband to Typhoid. She had a hard time figuring out who she was without him. I loved that she decided to go with her gut and try to change her life even to the dismay of her family. I thought that Zachary was a straight up scoundrel, but then I saw how he was with his family and her daughter Rose and I really fell for him. There was so much tension in this book, which makes the whole story so much fun to read. It also had so many of my favorite tropes: forced proximity, taking care of the other person while they are sick, funny children, etc. I adored how much they fought over propriety, especially when he bought her a wardrobe of clothing without her permission. Oh gosh, I laughed so hard. The end of this book is quite emotional, which I didn't expect, but I found myself really loving it. I love how much they changed throughout the book. There was one line in the book that caught me off guard. I've been thinking about it for days and I'm pretty sure it was either 1) completely random and meaningless or 2) that there was going to be another plot line woven in that was removed... but there was a homophobic comment that was disappointing made by Zachary. The more I think about it the more I'm pretty sure it was either meant to show his silly pride, or to go with a story where he was abused by a man, but it ended up just kind of being there... and there wasn't any follow up. It almost felt too causal to even have any meaning. Of course I'd prefer not to have these lines, but I am going to go with it was a throwaway line in an otherwise great book.

Baking Me Crazy by Karla Sorensen library, physical book

3 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.

The men in Levi Buchanan's family are cursed to fall in love quickly, hard, and with one woman for the rest of their lives. Levi thinks this is a bunch of nonsense until he meets Joss, a player on the wheelchair basketball team he helps to coach. He immediately asks her out, and she turns him down. 5 years later they're best friends, and he hasn't brought up dating since. When Joss starts having feelings for her new PT, the first time she's ever had feelings for anyone, Levi decides to throw his hat in the ring or risk losing Joss to another man. Can she get past her insecurities related to her disability and her inexperience with romance to get to know Levi in a new way?

For starters, I haven't read the Winston Brothers series by Penny Reid. This book is set within that world, though written by a different author. I loved the town and the bakery, and I adored all of the side characters. I loved seeing a romance with diversity in ability, this is the first of it's kind for me. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into Joss's life with her wheelchair, but I did find her hard to relate to. It's hard to say how much of that is me not quite getting into her shoes vs. just not quite clicking with her personality. Levi was a sweetie, and I liked seeing him pine for her and later try to woo her. It was very cute, and I loved his family too. I thought that the chemistry between the characters was really good, and that they were really funny and cute together. I struggled with the conflicts because I just couldn't quite get into Joss's mindset. She kept getting so upset and pushing him away, and that was just hard for me to identify with. Overall this was a cute book and I would consider reading more in the series. I really loved Joy, so I hope a future book might be about her. :)

Monthly totals:

Read - 8
Owned - 1
Ebook - 7
Physical book - 7
ARC - 7
Library/Borrowed - 1
Bought - 36 (34 physical books, 2 ebooks) - 2 books were freeee! :)
To Let Go - 0


Yearly Totals:


Read - 82
Owned - 22
Ebook - 49
Physical book - 40
ARC - 38
Library/Borrowed - 20
Bought - 174 (136 physical books, 44 ebooks) - 28 books were freeee! :)
To Let Go - 55


Linking up with Jana and Steph for Show Us Your Books today. :) 


What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?! 

Let's be friends on Goodreads!

XO,

Alexandra

* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley

**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! 

***Triple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Edelweiss!

****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Keep It Together // October 2019

here, and I am excited to share what I have been up to! :)

I am excited to post today with Lauren at Shooting Stars Mag for our Keep It Together linkup!

If you're new here, this is our linkup for all things planners, memory keeping, and journalling. Please feel free to join us on the third Thursday of the month with any posts that fall into those categories! :)




Planning:

I have still been enjoying my ECLP! I finally found some wet erase markers to use in my new EC dashboard, and on the covers of my planner! :) 




I also purchased some other sale items like stamps, and a stencil because it was a 75% off sale a few months ago. :) I have been using the stencil to track the books that I've read. It's kind of fun to see how many books I finish in a week or day, etc. I'm kind of a dork like that! hehe





I'm also using a health tracker that I bought a loonnng time ago from EC, but hadn't used before. I'm tracking my meals because I've been seeing a GI dr. for issues. I'm hoping this helps in case I need to food log! :) 



Documenting:

Table with Storage!


image via IKEA website.
I'm going to be honest, I've spent a lot of time at doctor's appointments and doing a lot of reading... so I haven't done a bunch of documenting lately. We did solve one problem, which was where to store my items while I'm working! I used to take over our massive dining table, and have to put things away when people came over. We recently got this table (not affiliate link) via IKEA, and it has been great for storing small stashes of my basic tools and scrapbook collections! I'm excited to use it more soon, but for now it is a big improvement!

What's Next?!




I am still working on what I want to do for 2019 documenting... ooof. I need to get going because I am readddyy for October-December Daily! :) / I'm very "behind" Lol. That is the way of documenting.You just have to do it when you feel like it and you have time. I have put together all the stuff I need to start for October and November, so I just need to DO IT! :) 

Have you started thinking about your planner for next year?

Have you been working on any documenting? 

Would you or anyone you know be interested in buying a little blank album to add details to?

Please feel free to linkup with us below! We'd love to see what you are up to!

XO,

Alexandra




You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

September Reads // Library Finds & Mood Reading

It. Is. Book Day!!!! I read a ton of random things this month, a LOT of library reads, which means I'm behind on my ARCs and my TBR. LOL, oh well! Let's get to it!




Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy humorous contemporary romance.

When Kailyn meets her TV crush, Daxton Hughes, and finds out that he goes to her law school, she instantly makes a fool of herself. She also gains a very gorgeous rival for the remainder of her law school program. When he throws her under the bus at the end of school, she never wants to see him again. Years later they meet again, setting up a trust for his younger sister, Emme. When his parents unexpectedly die he becomes his Emme's guardian and inherits his parent's estate. He's trying to navigate his own emotions, let alone issues that preteen girls deal with. And his aunt is suing for custody. The two will be legally brought together for the good of Emme and change opinions of each other as they go along.

This was my first book by Helena Hunting. I thought it was really cute, and actually had a decent amount of depth to it too. It definitely had the super funny parts, but also bits that made me teary. I thought that the awkward meeting was funny and cute, and set them up for an awkward reunion later on. I honestly loved the parts with Emme the most. I'm apparently a sucker for the "single dad" trope, even though he's not Emme's dad, this really pulled at my heartstrings. I thought that Dax trying to navigate preteen parenthood was super funny, and of course the period section was particularly hysterical! I enjoyed the chemistry between Dax and Kailyn, but I loved the emotional depth even more. Overall I would recommend this one if you enjoy contemporary romantic comedies.

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

3.5 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy urban fantasy, and teen drama. I am not personally familiar with Kdrama, but I would imagine it has a lot of inspiration from that genre!

Gu Miyoung is a gumho (a nine-tailed fox) who survives on the gi (energy/life force) of men. Her mother is a ruthless killer, but Miyoung hunts only criminals. When she moves back to Seoul she is attacked by a dokkaebi (goblin) in the woods, and meets a boy, Jihoon, who was also being attacked her fox bead (soul) falls out. She quickly becomes very sick, but makes friends with the boy, who won't stay away from her despite her warnings. When Miyoung's shaman friend tries to perform a ritual to replace the bead things take a turn for the worse. Who can Miyoung trust? Can both her and Jihoon survive against so many forces of evil?

This was really good for a debut novel! I loved the unique urban fantasy setting, and the inclusion of Korean folklore. I thought that it was all very different to read, and fascinating. I liked Gu Miyoung and Jihoon and was interested in the fantasy element of the story. I enjoyed all of the glimpses into Korean culture, especially in terms of Jihoon's relationship with his halmeoni (grandmother). There is so much respect and love in their relationship. Overall I would have loved a bit more atmosphere in the setting. I would have loved to hear more about the description of the city and the forests too. I love that kind of thing in a fantasy novel! I felt that the conflict and dramatic elements of this story were very strong, as I said above I would imagine a lot of this is influenced by kdrama, but I don't have personal experience watching it. It did feel just a bit too dramatic for me at times, and I felt like the main conflict drug out a bit too long as well. I felt overall that that part could have been shortened and the book itself could have been a bit shorter. All that being said I thought that the action was compelling, and the ending was as well. I wish I would have known more about the other characters. Perhaps other books in this series will be about them? Overall I definitely recommend this if you are looking for a change in your urban fantasy. I will be excited to see what else Kat Cho ends up writing! Also, as a heads up, in the end of the book there is a glossary, I wish I would have known that before I started reading this! It would have been helpful since I am not familiar with Korean terms, means of addressing one another, etc.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

3.5 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.

When Emily moves to a small town to take care of her injured sister and teenage niece, she has to sign up for the Renaissance Faire as a chaperone. Along the way she will meet quirky characters both in and out of costume including a kilted gym teacher, Mitch, and an uptight rule following English teacher, Simon. Emily finds that Simon becomes a whole different person at the Faire, a roguish pirate captain. Along the way she'll question what is real, and what is part of the Faire, and if this is the place she is meant to call home.

Overall I enjoyed this book, but my hopes were just a bit too high I think. A romance novel set at the renaissance festival??? SIGN ME UP! This book did have those two things, but it ended up being a bit more of a story about a girl and her family finding their home in a small town. To start there was just a bit more set up than I'd have liked. They don't actually get to the Faire until about page 95. Once they were there I loved the world, all of the characters, and the interactions. I thought that Emily's wench persona Emma's interactions with Simon's pirate persona a pirate captain were fantastic. I loved the chemistry and the banter. I wanted more of that! I did appreciate that Emily made the move to figure out how much of their relationship was left at the faire vs. real, but the continued worry about that was a lot for me. I didn't understand all of their miscommunication. I like where things ended up and that this will become a series. I like the town and the everyday characters too, so I am excited to see where this will go. Overall I just wanted more tension and swoony moments, and more of the actual faire.

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy YA fantasy.

Evie has just returned from a summer away at a mental health facility, where she unlearned the dangerous things that her "crazy" grandmother taught her. She returns to school to find that a new bridge built in their area means that some of the Cajun population will be joining her class, including the mysterious Jack Deveaux. When the voices in her head cease to go away, and the apocalypse comes, she and her mother must survive on their own. Evie soon learns that her blood can grow plants, which helps them to make ends meet. When Jack shows up at her plantation, he warns them of an army on the move planning to overtake the plantation and put Evie and her mother into slavery, where most women have ended up post-apocalypse. Evie leaves with Jack to try to escape the army and try to get to her grandmother. She might be the only one who can tell Evie what is happening, why she is hearing voices, and what she needs to do to survive.

I didn't know anything about this going in, which is how I prefer to start books. I thought that the way the author blended so many things together (teen angst, fantasy elements, post apocalyptic elements, etc.) was really seamless. It would have been easy to be super overwhelmed by the amount of things going on, but it all worked for me. Despite Cole's reputation for writing super steamy books, this one felt like YA to me (which it is). I wondered if it would be more like NA, but it was fairly tame overall. We'll see how the next books go, after all our heroine is just 16. I liked the idea behind the tarot cards and the teens being the major arcana characters. I liked the glimpse into Acadian/Cajun culture, and thought that Jack had his swoony moments... but he is also very possessive, kind of mean, and gave me whip lash a lot. I get that this is literally the end of the world and people are bound to be intense and hard on each other for mistakes... but I had a hard time love, loving him... and their relationship, which makes me wonder if they're endgame. We'll see!

The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata

4.5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance, and the slowest of slow burns.

When Lenny met Jonah in Europe, they had a great, but short relationship. After he is injured in a rugby match, she never hears from him again. Much later, he shows up at her gym, and he has a lot of explaining to do. (I don't want to give spoilers, so you get a short synopsis!)

OH. MY. HEART. This book was so sweet. I absolutely adored the plot elements which I will keep a secret since they are not in the description. I adored Jonah. He's such a softie and I can't help but imagine him as a cross between Vance Joy, Taika Waititi, and a rugby player. He was so nice, and so gosh darn cute. The accent was a bonus, but his personality was the best. He was such a stark contrast to Lenny who is super angry and brash a lot of the time. I liked their relationship and how comfortable they were together. I ADORED Lenny's whole family. He grandpa and her uncle were adorable in the way that they were like her parents, and their entire family dynamic just gave me all of the feels. I will say, this is the slowest of slow burns. Like 90% folks. The epilogue had me crying. So just be ready to feel all the feels. I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy slow burn contemporary romance, with a lot of great family elements.

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

4 Stars - I recommend if you have read Poison Princess.

The second book in the Arcana Chronicles.

I really enjoyed the second installment of the Arcana Chronicles series! I was a bit on the fence about accidentally starting such a long series, but this book confirmed that I will keep going for the foreseeable future. I liked that we got to see a bit more of the world post-flash. Those cannibals, yikesers. I also like that we meet more characters, and get to know a bit more about "the game". HIGHLIGHT FOR SPOILERS: I definitely kept my feeling that Jack is kind of possessive and a hot mess. He's always drunk, and doesn't treat Evie well at all. I looooved everything up until the very very end! It felt like Evie very randomly thought of Jack before getting together with Aric... and then he was acting unreasonable. Agh. Is this going to be one of those series where the male romantic leads just do garbage things all of the time... and we just have to go for the least awful of the two? I hope not. Also, I felt like Evie's battle lust was confusing. Most of the time she seemed in control of it... and other times she was back to the back stabbing Empress. I'm not sure what to make of those shifts. Overall I enjoyed this and it definitely ended on a mega cliffhanger, so I am excited that my library has the next books in this series.

Naughty or Nice by Lauren K. McKellar*

2.5 Stars - I might recommend if you love Christmas fiction.

Claire and Hamish are top runners for a promotion at work, which will be announced after the office Christmas party. The problem is, Hamish has been attracted to Claire since he moved to her branch. Can they work together without getting together?

I was definitely drawn to this one by the cover. I love cute Christmas fiction, and with this being a novella I wasn't too worried about not liking it. This started out very cute and festive. I enjoyed the holiday elements and the office competition for promotion, however I felt like there were several too many dramatic issues also included in the novella. It is very short, so both characters having money/family issues, medical issues, jerks at the office, etc. etc. it just felt like a bit too much for such a short length. Overall it was cute, but it had a bit too much going on for me.

Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep

3.5 Stars - I might recommend if you enjoy adult fantasy.

When Evie's entire family, and royal line is killed in a massacre, but she survives, she must find a way to defeat her evil cousin. She hides her identity joining a gladiator troupe, in hopes of being trained by it's leader Serilda Swanson and someday overthrowing her cousin. She quickly learns that the gladiator world is just as brutal as her life at court was. When her cousin makes it clear that she has it out for the gladiator troupe, they flee the city to warn other nations of coming war, but are attacked on the road. Can Evie trust Serilda with her secret? Can she possibly compete against her warrior and magier cousin for the throne?

You know when there is a book that you just expect to LOVE? It is your favorite genres, and has themes that you love? This was one of those books for me.....but I didn't end up loving it as much as I thought I would. The beginning of this book was a bit slow for me. On the first page it tells you that the royal massacre will occur, but it takes many chapters to get there. Once it did, the action picked up and I was more invested in the plot. GoT fans, it will remind you an awful lot of The Red Wedding. I was interested in Evie as a character, and her revenge plot. I thought that the magic systems (while a little complex, and under explained) was interesting, and made for a very diverse world. I liked the group from the Black Swan as well. I loved Sullivan, and I am excited to see how that relationship will play out, at apparently the slowest burn speed, lol. I thought that the contrast between super brutal and kind of silly didn't quite work for me, and that is one thing that just continually threw me off. There was a lot of onomatopoeia, "plop plop plop" and that just is one of my biggest pet peeves when it is not written as, "the shirt plopped to the floor" but rather, "the shirts fell to the floor. Plop plop plop." It just is a personal pet peeve. I can't explain it. There were also times when members of the gladiator troupe were really silly, and then someone is being poisoned or killed. That type of humor mixed with the super brutal was a bit jarring for me. I know it is possible to have both, but it threw me off here. All that said, I'm excited to see where things go, so I have picked up the second book. Depending on how long the series ends up being, and how the second book goes, I might stick with it.

Seduction on a Snowy Night by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, and Mary Jo Putney*

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy romance and Christmas fiction. These are not Hallmark romances, expect some decent steam.

An anthology of Christmas romance novellas by popular romance authors.

A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter - 4 Stars - I enjoyed this unusual historical romance. I liked that Caroline abducts the rakish Baron Thornhill, and keeps him captive at her modest country home. It was fairly easy to guess why he was abducted, but it was awfully fun getting there. I enjoyed the country setting quite a lot, and of course the forced proximity. I thought that the chemistry between Adam and Caroline was great. The only thing I didn't love was that it was a bit hard to tell when it switched perspectives from time to time... and then all of a sudden people were referred to by different names and I'd realize, ah ha, the perspective has switched.

A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries  - 4 Stars - I liked the impossible dilemma of Colonel Heywood needing to marry for money, and Cassandra needing to marry for love. They both have exactly what the other needs, and what they both want... but they have to be brave to get there. I liked the romance between these two sparring characters. I thought that at first Heywood was not very appealing skulking on the terrace, smoking... but his character and wit later had him growing on me. His thoughts and outbursts are priceless and so swoony. I enjoyed the family dynamics between Heywood and his mother and siblings, as well as Cass's interactions with her cousin. Though I could tell that many of these characters likely had their own books, it wasn't too distracting. The amount of lyrics just thrown in from Christmas songs and carols really made me chuckle.

One Wicked Winters' Night by Mary Jo Putney - 3 Stars - This second chance romance started out with quite a lot of what felt like inside knowledge about the characters, likely things happening in other books. As the story went there was quite a lot more of this which I found distracting. If you'd read the other books, I am sure it would be delightful, but on it's own I felt like they could have scooped a lot of that out and given a bit of summary instead. However, I really enjoyed the intensity of the romance between Diana and Anthony. The reasons that she left him in the past, and how they can make it work in the future. I do wish this was just a bit steamier than it was. There were a lot of cats in this novella, which was simultaneously silly and cute. Not my favorite of the bunch.

A Highlander Walks into A Bar by Laura Trentham

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy light hearted contemporary romance.

Izzy is well known in Highland, GA for living at Stonehaven manor and putting on the Highland Festival each year. Highland was founded by the Scottish, and therefore pays tribute to that from tartan swagged lamp posts, to kilt stores, to the annual festival. When Izzy's mom comes back from her trip to Scotland with a Scotsman in tow, she doesn't know what to think. It's clear that her mom is enamored with the Scotsman, Gareth, but Izzy is suspicious of his motivations. Alasdair, Gareth's nephew is sent to retrieve him and send him back to Cairndow (their estate), and is equally suspicious of Izzy's mom. When it becomes clear that Gareth hasn't told Izzy and her mother about his true identity, Gareth gets to know them both, and their town quite well. What will happen when they return to Scotland? How can the two couples own estates on two continents?

My thought process related to this book was: "oooh Scotland!" "oh ok, Scottish guy in Georgia...?? I dunno about this." "No this is totally fine!" I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to! I'm not going to lie, the idea of a Scottish guy coming to Georgia is not nearly as appealing to me as the other way around, but it really worked out for me. I really liked Rose and Gareth, and Izzy and Alasdair. I enjoyed the quirkiness of the town, and their Scottish obsession and heritage. I loved Izzy, she was so awkward and fierce. I loved her little blurts of inappropriate things she said, and Alasdair's reactions to that. I enjoyed how everything was described, all the senses are engaged, and I loved how magical it all sounded. The woods, the wildflower field, etc. I liked that the conflicts seemed believeable, and it wasn't quite as fluffy as a Hallmark movie. It was, however, mostly hopeful and positive. It was a perfect mix for me of fluff and quirky, with steamy and a little bit serious. I loved the epilogue, and how it introduces the next book! I'm excited to read more of Trentham's books in the future!

Monthly totals:

Read - 10
Owned - 4
Ebook - 3
Physical book - 7
ARC - 3
Library/Borrowed - 4
Bought - 25 (9 physical books, 16 ebooks) - 12 books were freeee! :)
To Let Go - 6


Yearly Totals:


Read - 74
Owned - 21
Ebook - 42
Physical book - 33
ARC - 31
Library/Borrowed - 19
Bought - 138 (102 physical books, 42 ebooks) - 26 books were freeee! :)
To Let Go - 55


Linking up with Jana and Steph for Show Us Your Books today. :) 


What have you been reading? What do you hope to read this month?! 

Anyone else hate onomatopoeia in their fiction??

Let's be friends on Goodreads!

XO,

Alexandra

* Asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley

**Double asterisks denote books won via a goodreads giveaway! 

***Triple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by Penguin First to Read in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Penguin First to Read!

****Quadruple asterisks denote titles that I was given advance access to by the author of the book in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time!