Review: Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Published: September 20, 2018

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

Format: purchased

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Dear Stranger…

A desperate young woman in Southern California sits down to write a letter to a man she’s never met—a choice that will forever change both their lives.

My heart goes out to you, David. Even though I do not know you…

The correspondence between Carrie Allsop and David Mayer reveals, piece by piece, the painful details of a devastating affair between their spouses. With each commiserating scratch of the pen, they confess their fears and bare their souls. They share the bewilderment over how things went so wrong and come to wonder where to go from here.

Told entirely through the letters of two comforting strangers and those of two illicit lovers, Evidence of the Affair explores the complex nature of the heart. And ultimately, for one woman, how liberating it can be when it’s broken.

My Thoughts

Another winner by Taylor Jenkins Reid! In Evidence of the Affair, we met Carrie who has just found out that her husband is having an affair and she decides to write a letter to the husband of the women and soon they are corresponding and trying to figure out what they want to do with their spouses and their futures.

This read is done in pure letter form which I loved. I enjoyed how Carrie and David helped each other through this difficult time and in time they meet and their closeness is apparently clear. Their emotions run from hatred to sadness to love despite everything and all are so understandable. I liked how we didn't get the whole story of their time together until the end and what happened there just tear me apart.

This is another gem by TJR and even though this was a very short read it was better than some full length novels I’ve read lately. This is definitely worth the time and I highly encourage everyone to read this heartbreaking read.

Mini Review: The Tailgate by Elin Hilderband

The Tailgate by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: May 1, 2014

Publisher: Little Brown and Co

Format: via Overdrive

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

Clendenin Hughes first kissed Dabney Kimball during a Nantucket snowstorm freshman year of high school. Ever since that moment - God, the rush, the chemistry! - Dabney has known that she and Clen are an unsplittable unit - essentially the same person in two different bodies.

Of course, with Dabney now at Harvard and Clen at Yale, those bodies are 140 miles apart. And traveling is a serious challenge for Dabney, for reasons she'd prefer not to discuss, reasons having to do with her mother (or lack thereof). But with the big Harvard-Yale game coming up, Dabney is determined to make the trek to New Haven to see Clen. She's even borrowed a sexy black outfit from a classmate down the hall.

But when she arrives at the tailgate to see sparks flying between Clen and Jocelyn, a girl with dark blue eyes and luscious black hair, Dabney fears the collapse of a bond she has never questioned before, a bond so important that she'll be lost without it. A stirring portrait of young love at a crossroads, THE TAILGATE introduces two irresistible characters and invites us into a world we don't want to leave.

My Thoughts

This was an okay introduction to Elin Hilderbrand’s characters from The Matchmaker. We get a glimpse into the early lives of Clendenin and Dabney during their college years. Though I had already read The Matchmaker I didn’t really get much from this short story. I was aware of the characters and their backstories so I already knew them, but this didn’t really give me any more than I knew just by reading The Matchmaker by itself. Nevertheless, as a huge fan of the author and I will read anything she writes and if you do too this is a fast read that gives us a short history of Clendenin and Dabney the early years.

Review: The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

Published: November 3, 2015

Publisher: Crown

Format: via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

A canny young woman is struggling to survive by perpetrating various levels of mostly harmless fraud. On a rainy April morning, she is reading auras at Spiritual Palms when Susan Burke walks in. A keen observer of human behavior, our unnamed narrator immediately diagnoses beautiful, rich Susan as an unhappy woman eager to give her lovely life a drama injection. However, when the "psychic" visits the eerie Victorian home that has been the source of Susan's terror and grief, she realizes she may not have to pretend to believe in ghosts anymore. Miles, Susan's teenage stepson, doesn't help matters with his disturbing manner and grisly imagination. The three are soon locked in a chilling battle to discover where the evil truly lurks and what, if anything, can be done to escape it.

My Thoughts

This was one creepy and outrageous read that had me guessing until the very end and even then I wasn’t sure what was true and what wasn’t. These two women meet when one is conning her into believing she is a psychic who can clean her home of evilness. We soon learn that maybe this home is indeed possessed and she soon realizes she is in over her head. We meet Susan’s stepson who is pure evil and will do anything to get rid of her.

Now what happens next is when things get weird and I didn’t know what was what. You see we find out the real reason how these two women are connected…in a way. Soon the stepson pits these two women against each other so you don’t know what is true. Miles is rude and crude and definitely scary beyond words, and he wants the younger girl to take him with her or else he will call the cops on her. This read was weird beyond everything but in a crazy good way. You see these two are cut from the same cloth because they are both crazy and have this odd and sinister way about them. It’s a short read and people either like this read or they don’t there is no middle ground but I liked it. You have to take Gillian Flynn’s work for what it is. It's usually dark, twisted and a little sick but that what I like about her work. This is one read that will take you for one crazy and odd ride, I for one was definitely intrigued by it.

Mini Review: Shine by Jodi Picoult

Shine by Jodi Picoult

Published: September 13, 2016

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Format: via Overdrive [audio]

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Jodi Picoult tackles issues of race and privilege in this ebook original short story, a prequel to her upcoming novel Small Great Things. In “Shine,” the master storyteller and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Time and My Sister’s Keeper introduces readers to the unforgettable Ruth Brooks.

Today is Ruth’s first day of third grade at Dalton. The prestigious institution on New York’s Upper East Side couldn’t be more different from her old school in Harlem. Despite being the smartest girl in her grade, Ruth suspects that her classmates and teachers only see her dark skin. She also notices that Christina, the daughter of her mother’s employer, treats Ruth very differently when they’re hanging out with the popular girls rather than playing together. Ruth must navigate between two worlds, never losing sight of the dreams she has for herself—in hopes that someday, someone will see her for who she really is.

My Thoughts

I actually read Small Great Things first then read this one. I thought it was a wonderful short prequel that shows us Ruth’s background and how she grew up. We get to know the things that happened in her past that shaped her into how she saw things as an adult. I also loved that we got an in-depth look at Ruth’s mom and how her experience in life made her want more for her children. This was a great prequel and a good set up to the novel.

Day 12 of 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas in Holly Springs by R. Castro

Christmas in Holly Springs by R. Castro

Published: September 29, 2017

Format: Kindle buy

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Regina Blackwell didn’t know her father. At the age of sixteen, she lost her mother. There’d always been a sense of emptiness and a yearning for belonging, that she could not placate. Of course, her mother’s estranged family didn’t help. But, Stephanie, Regina’s best friend, did her best to fill the void.

College took Regina to Seattle, and her career kept her there. However, a change was in the air when her employer was forced to make drastic cuts, which resulted in her taking unexpected time off. Coincidentally, this led to a chain of events that had her packing and on her way to unravel the mystery that was her father. Soon, Regina was on her way to Holly Springs, Arkansas, a small country village in the middle of nowhere USA, at least that was how she’d perceived it.

Holly Springs held more than just the answers she’d been looking for; it held a chance encounter with one, handsome, Charles Vandermark.

My Thoughts

Christmas in Holly Springs is the enduring tale of Regina who goes on the search for the father she never knew. She doesn’t have much to go on since her mother didn’t speak of him much and her family disowned her mother when she was pregnant. Until one day when she meets up with her mother's old friend and finds some clues that might help her find what she is looking for.

Her search leads her to a small town and hopefully her father. What started out as a curious search leads to way more than Regina could ever imagine. Not only does she find her father but finally she feels that she belongs somewhere not to mention maybe even find the man of her dreams. Christmas in Holly Springs is a wonderfully written tale of family and love and of course the magic that can only happen at Christmas.

Day 6 of 12 Days of Christmas: The Reading Group by Della Parker

The Reading Group: December by Della Parker

Published: December 1, 2016

Publisher: Quercus

Format: free Kindle read

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Meet the Reading Group: six women in the seaside village of Little Sanderton come together every month to share their love of reading. No topic is off-limits: books, family, love, and loss . . . and don't forget the glass of red! Grace knows that the holiday season is going to be different this year. No turkey, no tinsel, no gorgeously wrapped gifts under the tree . . . how on earth is she going to break it to her little boys that Christmas is effectively canceled? And can she bear to tell anyone her embarrassing secret? Enter the Reading Group: Grace's life might have turned upside down but there's no problem they can't solve.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this short story about a group of friends who initially came together for their love but books but soon realize that this group was much more than that. This story is about friendship and their support of one another and that it can pull them through anything that life throws at them.

Day 5 of 12 Days of Christmas: Under the Mistletoe by J. Parker

Under The Mistletoe by J. Parker

Published: December 23, 2016

Published: HHH Books

Format: free Kindle read

Rating: 2/5

Synopsis

It's Christmas Eve, and Grace still hasn't seen a present under the Christmas tree from her husband. When Todd announces there is no present coming, she feels snubbed, not realizing that he's got a different surprise planned. But is his gift what she really wants? Or even what she needs?

My Thoughts

This is a very short read around 20 pages or so but what I didn’t like about this story was Grace the main character. I felt like she wasn’t very nice to her husband and I just didn’t like her overall attitude. My dislike for her ruined the story for me.

Mini Review: Clementine by Amanda Linsmeier

Clementine by Amanda Linsmeier

Published: November 16, 2016

Publisher: Emerald Lily Publishing

Format: Free Kindle read

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

In this short story, Clementine makes an unfortunate discovery and takes the ultimate sweet revenge on the one who betrayed her.

My Thoughts

At a mere 19 pages, Clementine was an enjoyable read. It's about Clementine and how she finds out a secret her boyfriend has been hiding and how she gets her revenge. I found this read funny and entertaining. I didn’t expect much for such a short read but I was completely happy for what its worth.

Mini Review: Any Other Way by Michelle Ziegler

Any Other Way by Michelle Ziegler

Published: August 31, 2014

Publisher: Smashwords

Format: free Kindle read

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

Everyone wants to be someone’s first choice. Rebecca is no exception. She’s been in love with Tyler forever, but he’s one of her best friends. She knows you never cross the friendship line; not if you want to stay that way. Too bad for meddlesome friends. Now, she’s stuck on a camping trip with a bunch of couples, and Tyler. Will Rebecca be able to bury her feelings and stay friends with Tyler, or will she sabotage everything including the Labor Day weekend?

My Thoughts

Rebecca and Tyler are two friends who clearly like each other but due to some misunderstandings don’t want to cross the friendship line. I’ve seen this story line play out before and honestly I’ve seen it better. There was just something about this read that simply didn’t click for me. Maybe it was the characters or something but I just felt it was an okay read, nothing else.

Mini Review: I'll Be Waiting by Michelle Ziegler

I’ll Be Waiting by Michelle Ziegler

Published: September 19, 2016

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Format: Free Kindle read

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Angela has pined away for Nick since they were kids, but he’s off limits. She’s supposed to plan a going away party with his sister, but Angela’s spending more time daydreaming than planning. Every glance from him drives her closer to throw caution to the wind and has Angela wondering if he might feel the same way. Nick has devoted his life to the military and is heading out on one more deployment. The party his sister and her best friend throw him is another excuse to spend his last few hours with the woman he can’t get out of his head. Nick chases off the competition but might have overstepped this time. Will one last parting gift be enough to keep her thinking of him until he returns?

My Thoughts

Angela and Nick have always had a thing for each other but never actually got together because of his sister and not wanting to ruin her friendship with Angela. However just before he is headed out on deployment he decides after seeing Angela with someone else he finally decides to tell her how exactly he feels no matter what. Will Angela and Nick finally come together or will his absence be too much for her? I thought this short story was cute and fun and the sparks between these two were electric. I liked the short story and it gives us a full romantic read without the feeling of being rushed. Definitely a cute quick read for anyone.

Mini Review: When We Fell In Love by Eileen Cruz Coleman

When We Fell in Love by Eileen Cruz Coleman

Published: June 15, 2017

Format: free Kindle read

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

Katie and Ben fell hopelessly in love when they were only nineteen and quickly settled into the idyllic life in the small coastal town of Solomons Island. Ten years later, their perfect life of morning talks on the porch and sunset strolls by the bay starts to unravel when a secret Katie buried long ago resurfaces and threatens to tear her and Ben apart. Now, Katie must decide whether to tell Ben the truth about her past and risk losing the man she loves, or to bury her secret again and risk losing both their lives.

My Thoughts

When We Fell in Love is the story of Ben and Katie and how they fell in love. I thought it was a cute read seeing how they met and how they got together but there seems to be something and someone dark from Katie’s past that has come back and is determined to get her back. I did like this short story but when it came to Katie’s past it just felt rushed all of a sudden. I wanted more of an insight into that but it was rushed towards the ending and I kind of felt cheated. Overall it was an okay read that kind of left me hanging.

Mini Review: Love Takes the Cake by Krista Ames

Love Takes the Cake by Krista Ames

Published: September 19, 2016

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Format: free Kindle read

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

Bad breakups are never a good thing. Even if love is involved. Josh McIntyre has been avoiding his ex-girlfriend Annie for quite some time now. He’d left her, and their relationship on a sour note. Now thanks to their close friends and a wedding, he won’t be able to avoid her anymore because he was assigned a job by the groom. Annie Grimes owns the hometown bakery, Annie’s Place and she’s tasked with making the cake for her friend’s wedding. When she agrees, she decides to concoct a plan to get Josh’s attention. Will she get more than she’s bargained for and open old wounds by trying to trick her ex or does he really still love her?

My Thoughts

Love Takes the Cake is a cute romantic read about realizing what you had after its gone. Josh and Annie had a bad break up but when mutual friends are getting married, Annie hates to admit that she still has feelings for him. But does Josh? There are mixed signals and finally, everything comes to light. While I gave this 3 stars I did like it, I just thought it was an okay read, nothing I haven’t read before. It’s a very short read so if you want something light and fun this is perfect. 

The Wedding Story by Dee Tenorio

The Wedding Story by Dee Tenorio

Published: December 1, 2011

Format: free kindle read

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

Ruth Anne Barbellis—unhappily nicknamed "Rhubarb" by her lifelong enemy, Bobby Wichowski—is in Wedding Hell. Why? Her sister is marrying Bobby's brother.

 She's trussed up in a bridesmaid dress that must have been designed originally as a Victorian Torture Chamber. To teach them a lesson, she and Bobby have been assigned to the Kiddie Table. And that's only the beginning...

My Thoughts

Ruth and Bobby have grown up together but have always had this hatred for each other, so when Ruth’s sister gets married they are forced to be nice but soon they find out there is something more between them.

This is a classic story of two people who think they despise each other but really it's nothing more than buried feelings for each other that finally come to the surface. This was an okay read nothing special or different but I thought it was funny and the ending was very cute. Definitely a short read at only 50 plus pages but worth it if you want something light.

Mini Review: Mixtapes & Rollerskates by Tracy Krimmer

Mixtapes & Rollerskates by Tracy Krimmer

Published: September 25, 2015

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Angie was a 90s girl with it all figured out, but after a disastrous marriage, she's not sure she knows how--or where--to find the right guy. A crash while roller skating lands her in the arms of Owen, a sweet and handsome forty-something widower. As the soundtrack of her high school years plays in the background, flirtation leads to what feels like a real connection. Can Angie trust her heart enough to move on and make a new soundtrack to her life?

My Thoughts

This is a VERY short read about 30 pages or so but it's super cute and lots and fun. Angie is getting over a divorce and one night while roller skating she bumps into Owen who is a widower and with that a whole night of talking might just lead into something that both weren’t looking for but might be what they both need. I loved the cute and flirty interaction between both of them and the chemistry was off the charts. This is definitely one quick read that has the feel of a full-fledged novel.