Happy Tuesday! Let’s talk about what I read in April. The selection of books wasn’t nearly as wonderful as the ones that I discussed during my spring book chat, but some there were still a couple gems.
Couldn’t Put Them Down …
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover – 4 stars
Not my favorite by Hoover but still good nonetheless. I enjoyed the backstory of Miles that lead up to present day, but I found his relationship/arrangement/whatever you want to call it with Tate repetitive and a bit boring at times. And, what is the deal with Tate’s older brother? Why is he so overbearing and protective of her? That part was missing for me. I did enjoy the story’s take on love lost after tragedy and trying to find it again.
Country Heaven by Ava Miles – 4 stars (BookBub freebie)
This was a super cute, quick and easy read. Of course, it had major flaws and story gaps, but it was the kind of book I was in the mood for. For chick lit/romance, the characters were pretty developed. Even though it all cleaned up too nicely, Rye’s family dynamic was interesting to follow. I loved all of Tory’s family recipes – I actually may even try a couple for real! I could’ve done without Rye’s cheesy song lyrics.
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin – 4 stars
I’ve been anxious to read a Daisy Goodwin novel ever since watching Victoria on Masterpiece – I also have this book waiting for me! – and it didn’t disappoint. Her writing is beautifully detailed, and I loved the intricacy of all the story lines going on in this story. It was a little hard to follow at times, and I occasionally forgot who was who but I eventually figured it out and got back on track. You’ll enjoy this if you’re into English literature/royalty/regency-type stuff.
Enjoyable Enough …
When All The Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz – 3 stars
Another slightly boring, repetitive read. I didn’t even find this to be remotely suspenseful or thrilling. Charlotte is kind of annoying and naive. Max has a bucket-load of issues that only are discussed sporadically. The stepsister is basically an idiot. Yet, the whole mystery part of the story gets wrapped up in five pages and everything is hunky dory. Actually, after writing this review, I probably should move it to the Skip category but whatever. If you’re interested in Krentz, I recommend Secret Sisters instead.
Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler – 4 stars
This was a take on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. While it definitely wasn’t 10 Things I Hate About You (one of my all-time favorites, no embarrassment here), it was a cute story. I enjoyed the epilogue most to learn what happened with Kate and Pyotr. There were a few gaps that I wanted answered, though like what happened to the preschool job? Or the guy that Kate had a crush on that worked with her? Why did Bunny have to be SO annoying? 😉 Thanks for the recommendation, Ashley!
Skip …
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett – 3 stars
In all honesty, with the exception of the first chapter I’m not entirely sure what happened the rest of the book. I kept falling asleep and found the story/characters really boring. Maybe I couldn’t relate or just wasn’t in the mindset to read this type of novel. I’m obviously in the minority with this opinion since this book gets rave reviews on Goodreads, but it just wasn’t for me.
Currently reading: The Girls by Emma Cline (yep, still reading this! I had trouble getting into it, so I took a break to get through some library books) and 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
Final recommendations: Ugly Love if you’re a Colleen Hoover fan and The American Heiress if you’re into that sort of thing. Vinegar Girl also is a cute and easy read.