Month in Review: March 2023

 

 

Is it sad that I can't even remember what happened this month?  It was fairly quiet, that's all I know!  While the accountants are busy with tax season, this time of year is pretty light for me at work. I was asked to help out with some administrative tasks, so that's been filling some of my time.  I took advantage of my light work schedule to get some doctor appointments done for Henry and me.  My in-laws came over for a St. Patrick's Day dinner and Henry basically threw a tantrum the whole time they were here, so I guess they won't be nominating me for any Mother of the Year awards any time soon!   I think the "terrible twos" is a complete misnomer and actually starts way earlier, but 16 months?  I wasn't ready for this.  Haha, but really, Henry is very sweet and loves to smile and giggle - he just has his difficult moments, like every child!  The weather is starting to warm up, so we try to go for walks when we can - Henry loves the swings at the park down the street from our house!

The Books

 

 The (Half) Truth // Lucy on the Wild Side // Hard to Handle // The Last House on the Street

 

How To Fake It In Hollywood // Upgrade // A Column of Fire // The Wedding Veil

 

Carrie Soto is Back // Tempt Me

The Posts and Reviews

 

Michele's Monday Picks #9

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl

Quick Reviews

Top Ten Tuesday: My Spring TBR

Henry's Shelves #4

Michele's Monday Picks #10

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Cuban Heiress

Quick Reviews

Michele's Monday Picks #11

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Such Good Friends

Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews

 

 

How are you doing?

 

 

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews: The Hollywood Edition

You Can't Be Serious by Kal Penn (2021)

In You Can't Be Serious, actor Kal Penn shares his story, as the son of Indian immigrant parents, to fighting for his acting career, to taking a sabbatical and working for the Obama administration.  Even if you haven't seen a lot of him on screen, I think Penn is easily recognizable and his story is entertaining, frustrating, and heartwarming all at the same time.  A large part of his career has been spent facing and fighting racism, both overt and more subtle.  He describes his struggles in a clear manner, making the reader understand how atrociously people of color are treated sometimes.  It was a bit of a breath of fresh air to hear Penn talk about his time on the Obama campaign and later, give up his acting career for a time to work in the White House.  He doesn't get too political, you can really tell how important public service is to him and how he really just wants to help people.  Penn's writing style is very readable - he comes across as intelligent and charming and funny - plus, he's from my home state of New Jersey!  What's not to like about that?  4 stars

How To Fake It In Hollywood by Ava Wilder (2022)

At the advice of her publicist, a Hollywood actress starts a fake relationship with a reclusive former A-list actor, in order to raise her profile and help him make a comeback.  They soon realize their feelings are more than professional, but will his demons keep the two from finding their happy ending?  I really enjoyed this peek-behind-the-curtains look at the (fake) lives of celebrities - it was kind of giving me Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes vibes, with the age gap and the fame level of each person involved.  Ethan's strong feelings for Grey were kind of swoony, but I also had to keep in mind that he has addiction issues, which played a huge role in the story.  The Ethan that we get in this story - it was hard to reconcile that he was at one time one of the most famous and charismatic men in the world.  He could barely string a sentence together.  I was rooting for him to get better but wasn't convinced that Grey was the way to do it.  I appreciated her maturity, though.  Despite what the cover may convey, this definitely wasn't a lighthearted rom-com - there are a lot of dark, heavy topics, but fans of the fake dating trope will appreciate this one.  4 stars

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Such Good Friends

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

 

Such Good Friends

Stephen Greco

Expected publication date: May 23, 2023

Reveling in the star-studded parties, fashionable restaurants and gilt-edged inner circles of its most exclusive events, Truman Capote and his flock of glamorous socialite "swans" rule the highest echelons of 1960s and 70s high society New York. Stephen Greco brings this scandalous world to life in a fascinating recreation of the tumultuous friendship between Capote and his most elegant yet unconventional swan: princess and sister of Jackie Kennedy, Her Serene Highness Lee Radziwill.

On a Thursday morning in May 1961, a well-mannered twenty-one-year-old named Marlene enters the Fifth Avenue apartment of Lee Radziwill to interview for the position of housekeeper and cook. The stylish wife of London-based Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, Princess Lee is intelligent and creative, with ambitions beyond simply jet-setting. But to the public, she is always First Lady Jackie Kennedy's little sister.

As Marlene becomes a trusted presence in the Radziwill household, she observes the dazzling array of famous figures who flit in and out of Lee's intimate circle, including Gloria Vanderbilt, Rudolf Nureyev, Jackie and the President, Ari Onassis, Gore Vidal, Andy Warhol, and, most regularly, celebrated author Truman Capote. At the height of his fame following the success of Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman has granted Lee place of honor in his flock of glamorous socialite "swans."

Their closeness stems from an unexpected kinship. Both know too well the feeling of being second-best. Seeing his shadow in the woman he refers to as his most unconventional swan, Truman uses his influence and talent to try and make Lee a star.

Their bond deepens through the decade's extraordinary events, from JFK's assassination to the era-defining Black and White Ball. But Marlene, who Truman has taken under his wing as an aspiring writer, can see Truman's darker side--especially his penchant for mining his friends' private lives for material. And there are betrayals on either side that may signal the end not just of a friendship, but of the shared expectation that wealth and fame can shield against every heartbreak. - from Goodreads
 

Michele's Monday Picks #11

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with a new little series, Michele’s Monday Picks! I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you. Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to! 

 

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The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Dangerous Damsels #3)

By India Holton

Expected publication: April 18, 2023

From Goodreads:

Two rival spies must brave pirates, witches, and fake matrimony to save the Queen.

Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice’s capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve (alongside a dagger and an embroidered handkerchief). So when rumors of an assassination plot begin to circulate, she’s immediately assigned to the case.

But she’s not working alone. Daniel Bixby, otherwise known as Agent B and Alice’s greatest rival, is given the most challenging undercover assignment of his life— pretending to be Alice’s husband. Together they will assume the identity of a married couple, infiltrate a pirate house party, and foil their unpatriotic plans.

Determined to remain consummate professionals, Alice and Daniel must ignore the growing attraction between them, especially since acting on it might prove more dangerous than their target.

This series is such a gem – wit and romance and pirates and witches and magic!

Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Last Lifeboat

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

 

The Last Lifeboat

Hazel Gaynor

Expected publication date: June 13, 2023

Inspired by a remarkable true story, a young teacher evacuates children to safety across perilous waters, in a moving and triumphant new novel from New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor.

1940, Kent Alice King is not brave or daring--she's happiest finding adventure through the safe pages of books. But times of war demand courage, and as the threat of German invasion looms, a plane crash near her home awakens a strength in Alice she'd long forgotten. Determined to do her part, she finds a role perfectly suited to her experience as a schoolteacher--to help evacuate Britain's children overseas.

1940, London Lily Nichols once dreamed of using her mathematical talents for more than tabulating the cost of groceries, but life, and love, charted her a different course. With two lively children and a loving husband, Lily's humble home is her world, until war tears everything asunder. With her husband gone and bombs raining down, Lily is faced with an impossible choice: keep her son and daughter close, knowing she may not be able to protect them, or enroll them in a risky evacuation scheme, where safety awaits so very far away.

When a Nazi U-boat torpedoes the S. S. Carlisle carrying a ship of children to Canada, a single lifeboat is left adrift in the storm-tossed Atlantic. Alice and Lily, strangers to each other--one on land, the other at sea--will quickly become one another's very best hope as their lives are fatefully entwined. - from Goodreads
 

Quick Reviews

 Lucy on the Wild Side by Kerry Rea (2022)

Primatologist Lucy desperately wants to be promoted to senior keeper, and when a famed reality show chooses her zoo to film at over the summer, she sees a chance to show her love for her animals, despite her crippling fear of cameras.  What she doesn't expect are the complicated feelings she develops for Kai, the show's host - this summer might be one that changes Lucy's life forever.  This is Rea's second book and if I was worried about the second-book slump, I had no reason to be.  I loved this book and I love the characters that Rea creates.  Lucy was so relatable - she hates public speaking, is a bit afraid of stepping outside her comfort zone, sweats constantly, and has a complicated relationship with her mother.  Kai was also a well-rounded character - a celebrity who has his own issues with his mother (who just happens to be Lucy's idol).  The way the relationship bloomed between them was beautiful - moving from a bad first impression to finally understanding each other.  There's a bit of humor, not too much drama, but definitely some sad scenes - bring your tissues!  But overall, you're going to fall in love with Lucy, Kai, and all the gorillas.  4.5 stars

Hard to Handle by K. Bromberg (2020)

Dekker is a sports agent sent to woo a hockey player from his current agent, but things are complicated because she and Hunter used to hook up, and lately Hunter has been a mess, on and off the ice.  Can Dekker help him before he self-destructs, without crossing any professional lines?  I struggled with this one a bit.  The pacing is absolutely glacial for at least the first half of the book.  It felt like nothing was happening, and Hunter just kept alluding to *something* that happened with his brother.  I was getting so annoyed, like, just come out with it already!  Once more things were revealed, I got into the story more.  Even though I didn't 100% feel their connection, especially given their history, I appreciated how Dekker was really able to get through to Hunter, and by the end of the story, he seemed like a completely different person, a likeable one!  His family dynamics were heartbreaking, and for that reason I was rooting for him.  If you enjoy angsty, dramatic, second-chance romances, or sports romances, this might be one for you to check out.  3 stars

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Cuban Heiress

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

 

The Cuban Heiress

Chanel Cleeton

Expected publication date: April 11, 2023

In 1934, a luxury cruise becomes a fight for survival as two women’s pasts collide on a round-trip voyage from New York to Havana in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton's page-turning new novel inspired by the true story of the SS Morro Castle.

New York heiress Catherine Dohan seemingly has it all. There’s only one problem. It’s a lie. As soon as the Morro Castle leaves port, Catherine’s past returns with a vengeance and threatens her life. Joining forces with a charismatic jewel thief, Catherine must discover who wants her dead—and why.

Elena Palacio is a dead woman. Or so everyone thinks. After a devastating betrayal left her penniless and on the run, Elena’s journey on the Morro Castle is her last hope. Steeped in secrecy and a burning desire for revenge, her return to Havana is a chance to right the wrong that has been done to her—and her prey is on the ship.

As danger swirls aboard the Morro Castle and their fates intertwine, Elena and Catherine must risk everything to see justice served once and for all. - from Goodreads