Quick Lit: September 2019
I finally started to find my fiction mojo in September, though I still didn't finish a ton of books compared to previous months. As much as I love reading, sometimes other things grab my attention more – and that's normal! I finished 8 books in September, and I'm reviewing 7 of those today (plus one October read). The eighth book is mentioned at the bottom of this post. Visit Modern Mrs. Darcy for more people participating in the Quick Lit feature.
WELL MET BY JEN DELUCA – I'm not a huge fan of wearing costumes, and the Renaissance Faire sounds like torture to me. But I couldn't resist this rom-com about two enemies who engage in a bit of flirtation... and maybe more... while working at their town's annual Renaissance Faire. The second I hear "hate-to-love," I can't wait to get my hands on a book. I went into Well Met with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by it! The first 100 pages or so very really slow for me, but I continued on and was soon hooked. Hello, delightful banter. I liked the secondary storyline involving the heroine's relationship with her sister and niece, as well as the hero's journey to deal with what he's lost and how he moves forward. The setting ended up being a nice touch, too. I So Enjoyed It!
EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER BY LINDA HOLMES – I went into this one expecting a new favorite and instead was so disappointed. I did not click at all with the dialogue in this book, but I can't really put my finger on why. It just felt so stilted and fake to me! I kept picturing the characters as 10+ years older than they actually were, too, which didn't really help matters. The Maine setting never really came to life for me, and I had a lot of issues with the story. Both characters are dealing with some heavy stuff (the loss of a spouse and loss of a career), but it felt like they were trying to fix each other rather than actually face their own issues. I found both characters flat and their chemistry together was almost nonexistent. I was So Over It personally, but many other readers have loved it.
WOOING CADIE MCCAFFREY BY BETHANY TURNER – I randomly grabbed this Christian fiction book at the library and had very mixed feelings on it. I'm about to semi-spoil one aspect of the story, just FYI. I liked that it was trying to deal with sex before marriage, a topic often ignored in this genre (or at least the books I've read). And the guilt and remorse that the characters express felt very realistic to me. However, I was so dang frustrated with the characters! JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER. It baffled me that they'd been dating four years but were completely unable to communicate (about their future, their feelings, and the significant events that derailed both of those things). I was So Okay With It, and this review goes into more detail about many of the frustrations I felt, too.
THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY BY ALIX E. HARROW – I owe this new favorite read entirely to Kelly! She first spotted it on Instagram and sent it my way so we could fangirl over the cover and summary. When she visited at the beginning of September, she convinced me to pre-order it with her. I took it to the beach with me at the end of the month, and I loved every second I spent savoring it there. The writing is so lyrical, the world so intricately constructed, and the concept so creative. I loved the way the story unfolded, even though I predicted a twist or two. It's the type of book you want to read slowly, to soak up the magic and mystery. It's a love letter to readers and the places that books can take you. I'm So Obsessed With It and will be opening this Door again in the future.
THE CITY OF BRASS BY S.A. CHAKRABORTY – I borrowed this audiobook, narrated by Soneela Nankani, from the library and was so glad I did. The world is so layered and complex that it was a little hard to follow in the beginning but, at the same time, I appreciated hearing all the names and terminology spoken aloud. While the story and characters are interesting and well developed, I felt like the world and its rich history is where this book truly shined. The Middle Eastern folklore was fascinating, and the political maneuverings and conflicts kept me guessing. The pacing was a bit uneven – with some dramatic, action-packed scenes and then others that felt like reading about the history of this place and its people. But all in all, I So Enjoyed It and will be picking up the second book.
UNSPOKEN, UNTOLD AND UNMADE BY SARAH REES BRENNAN – It's been five years since I first read this series, so I decided to re-read at the end of the month. My original series review is still one of my favorites I've ever written, though it is long. Just be forewarned! However, I had a few thoughts to add since then so figured I'd write a little something short and sweet. I'm still So Obsessed With this series – but I don't know that I would have loved them as much if this had been my first read. I think I discovered them at exactly the right time in my reading life, and now I partly love them for the memories associated. They're darker and more angsty than I remembered, and the conclusion was a bit anticlimactic... and yet they're still favorites. I recommend them, but with that footnote.
The only book that I didn't review above was Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean, the second book in her Bareknuckle Bastards series. The heroine was fantastic, and I loved watching her outwit her opponents. MacLean is too steamy for me personally, however, so I did skip over quite a bit. But the story itself earned a So Enjoyed It!
What have you been reading lately?
It makes my heart happy that you enjoyed Well Met! I really liked that one a lot, and I certainly cannot wait to read the other books that she's writing (which are still connected to this one). And I've never reread the Lynburn Legacy series, but it makes sense to me that they might hit differently years after reading them the first time! That's how I suspect I would feel too.
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