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I finished three books again this week. I’d like to be getting through four or five, but I’ve redirected quite a bit of my time to writing these days.

Sticking to the Script by Stella Weaver

Contemporary romance

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Available on Kindle Unlimited. Book two in the Cipher Office series, which is a spin-off of the Knitting in the City series. I was excited to get a story featuring two characters I’d met in the KITC series, especially for a queer romance in this universe. I loved that it was a romance between Stephen and Dr. Ken Miles, but it took way too long to get there. And then it felt like the author couldn’t decide if she wanted to go full sexy times or not. Overall it was a funny read that kept me entertained, and I learned a lot about the pressures that bi-sexual people face in regard to their sexuality. I recommend this one for readers of romance, and you could totally skip book one in the series, which I encourage you to do!

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan

Historical romance

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This doesn’t read like a historical novel. While that made it more enjoyable for me, it also caused me to give it fewer stars. I highly doubt some of the language the characters use is accurate for the time period. With that being said, I loved how forward thinking the characters were. That probably wasn’t true to the times either, but I like to think there were a few pioneers like this! Second chance/childhood romance is one of my favorite tropes and it works well here. I love meeting characters when they already have a history together. The backstories for Chloe and Jeremy were strong and made sense in how they influenced their behaviors. There was SO MUCH witty banter between them, and I loved all of it. They’re clever, strong people so watching them come together was quite fun. I would have liked more sexy times between Chloe and Jeremy but what we got was decent and realistic. I’d probably continue this series and will definitely seek out more romance by Courtney Milan. This is my second of hers and I appreciate her strong feminist thinking characters. I recommend this one for readers of romance.

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Contemporary fiction/Audiobook

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I see this novel is labeled as a romance in some places and want to be clear it is NOT one. This a timely work of contemporary fiction focused on the #MeToo movement. It’s a compelling, intricately woven story. I’m impressed with Weiner’s ability to structure the story as she did. We follow two different women with the same name, through separate timelines as their lives begin to intertwine, because of something that happened in the past. I listened to the audio book narrated by Sutton Foster and found it absolutely riveting. I would look for things to do around the house that would let me listen to my book a little longer, that’s how I know it’s good! Foster matches the fast pace and emotional content of the writing to create a powerful listening experience. This is a novel about trauma and recovery. It explores different paths for healing and closure, and the long term consequences of rape as both the victim and the perpetrator. I highly recommend this one for readers of women’s fiction and current issues. 

Did Not Finish

The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell ‘Anotnia

Contemporary fiction

This was my first DNF book in a couple months, which is great for me. I feel like I’m usually quitting books left and right! I made it 40% into this one and was too dang bored to keep going. It started strong, then quickly petered out. I didn’t like either sister or care about what happened to their restaurant. It’s not a bad book, but it didn’t hold my interest. Those who enjoy slow paced reads, particularly multi-generational family stories, might like this one.

Currently Reading

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