Friday, May 14, 2021

Romance Quick Reviews

Mad About Ewe by Susannah Nix (2021)

Thirty years after her crush Mike rejected her in high school, Dawn is divorced and running her own yarn store when he walks in one day.  He's back in town after two divorces to help out his widowed mother.  Will these two get a second chance at love?  I really enjoyed this book!  I love that the two main characters are a bit older than most romances I read; they're more experienced and know more of what they're looking for in a partner.  Both Dawn and Mike are rebuilding their lives after divorces, so it was interesting to see how that played out for each of them.  I really enjoyed the perspective Mike had on the person he was in high school, how he was a bit ashamed of the way he acted towards Dawn, and his unabashed adoration of her now.  They were so cute together!  Probably my only issue with this book is that there are a lot of things going on, some really quite heavy, so I don't think that the proper attention got paid to all of them.  It felt like there might be some loose ends.  4 stars

Give Love a Chai by Nanxi Wen (2021)
 
Ten years ago, childhood friends Tia and Andrew got married on a whim, but a series of miscommunications led to their separation.  Now, Tia is getting married to someone else and needs a divorce, but upon seeing her again, Andrew wants another chance.  I really enjoyed the characters of Tia and Andrew.  Tia has a complex relationship with her parents, and I liked the Chinese representation.  Andrew has worked really hard and overcome a difficult childhood to become the success he is today.  Seeing the chemistry these two still have together after so many years apart and their willingness to try again after the problems they had was nice, but at the same time, so many of Andrew's decisions were problematic for me.  Knowing how he felt about Tia, I couldn't understand why he couldn't just commit 100% and be open and honest with her.  His actions and words didn't mesh.  Their continued miscommunications were frustrating, and the last part of the book went a little off the rails for me.  3.5 stars

Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover (2020)
 
After Beyah's mom passes away, she decides to spend the summer before college at her dad's house, where she meets her neighbor, Samson.  At first, they seem like complete opposites, but they have an inexplicable connection, but is it enough to overcome the challenges they will face?
 
Ok, unpopular opinion time: sorry, guys, but I just didn't like this book.  I understand Beyah had a difficult childhood, but she's so bitter and willing to throw it in everyone's face that she was poor.  It was uncomfortable.  I didn't like the way she treated her dad; she blamed him for things that were out of his control and never even questioned anything.  Maybe if she had kept better in touch with him, she would have realized how her mother was manipulating them both.  On to Samson: I just couldn't get behind this insta-love.  He barely tells her anything about himself and (spoiler) everything he does tell her ends up being a lie - and Beyah doesn't care!  She's ready to give up her life for a guy she's known for a few weeks that she literally knows nothing about.  I don't understand how someone can just overlook that.  The only redeeming part of this book was Beyah's stepfamily, Alana and Sara, who welcomed her in, no questions asked, and made her feel loved.  2.5 stars


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20 comments:

  1. Mad About Ewe is SUCH a clever title for that book! With Give Love a Chai I'd probably also be frustrated by the continued miscommunications. It's a pet peeve in romance novels. I've enjoyed CoHo books in the past but I really can't with insta-love so I'm probably gonna skip that one.

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    1. Yeah, insta-love is also a pet peeve of mine!

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  2. Mad About Ewe sounds so cute! Love that title! haha. Sorry to hear the Colleen Hoover book was disappointing. I'd expect more!

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    1. It's so cute because she owns a yarn store!

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  3. I've turned to romance quite a bit during this pandemic. Thank you for these reviews.

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  4. I've only read one Colleen Hoover book and it wasn't for me. I've been too scared to try any of her other books, despite several people I know obsessing over her stories. Your review doesn't make me want to try again... haha. I'm glad you enjoyed the others!

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬

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    1. I'm beginning to think that Colleen Hoover is not the author for me; unfortunately, I haven't loved the last couple books of hers I've read.

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  5. I really enjoyed Mad About Ewe and am looking forward to reading more of Susannah Nix's books. Give Love a Chai was cute but a little all over the place and repetitive. You know my feelings about Heart Bones LOL.

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    1. Yes, definitely want to read more from Nix. Haha, yes, we definitely have different feelings about Colleen Hoover!

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  6. Mad About Ewe sounds like such a fun read! I get supper annoyed at miscommunications in stories, so Give Love a Chai would probably not be for me. I only read one Colleen Hoover but I didn't really enjoy that, and this one also does not sound like it would change my mind...

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    1. I feel like I'm giving up on Colleen Hoover; I think there's one more book I really want to try, but that's it!

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  7. I know this falls under the "judging a book by it's cover" thing, but I just can't with punny titles. Mad About "Ewe" and Give Love a "Chai"... ugh. I just cringe every time I see one. I think Penny Reid has a lot of those. An even though I may be missing out on some good stories, I see a title with a pun or a cutesy play on words and it's an immediate turn-off. Just one of those weird pet peeves, I guess. :)

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    1. Haha, I get it! Sometimes it can be a bit much. Mad About Ewe makes sense because of the yarn store connection.

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  8. Thirty years after being rejected -- so we are dealing with a "mature" heroine. Alright! Though I would never have guessed that Mad About Ewe got heavy. I have not read a CoHo in a bit, but the last one I read was an older book. I have yet to really touch the newer ones, and this one sounds like it was good I avoided it.

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    1. Yes, I loved that the characters were a little older, not something I come across a lot of.

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  9. I was bummed Mad about Chai wasn't as awesome as Mad about Ewe😔 especially as it did have good stuff going for it. The instalove in Heart Bones is a major turn off for me — I would have given up at that point.

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    1. Yeah, instalove is one of my pet peeves, too!

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  10. Mad About Ewe sounds really good and I'm with Sam on liking that it sounds like the main character is a little older than the twenty-somethings that have been in most books I've read lately. That's a bummer about the Colleen Hoover book. She's on my list of authors to try this year but I'll definitely pick a different book after seeing your review. I don't think I'd like Beyah at all.

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    1. I'd start with Verity - that's the one I've liked the most!

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I'm so glad you stopped by, and I would love to hear your thoughts! Comments are always greatly appreciated!