Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Books I Initially Wanted to Read Because of Cover Love
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is actually supposed to be Titles or Covers That Made Me Want to Read/Buy the Book. I decided to focus on covers, mainly because I’m a sucker for a cool cover and because they are usually what first catches my attention and makes me interested in learning more about a book. As you can see from my selection, I’m very drawn to flowers, rich and vibrant colors, and to black and white covers with pops of red.
10 Books I Wanted to Read Initially Because of Cover Love
1. CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi
2. THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by T.J. Klune
3. EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE by Jay Kristoff (This book hasn’t come out yet but I preordered as soon as I saw the cover.)
4. THE LOST APOTHECARY by Sarah Penner
6. RED WINTER by Annette Marie
7. GODS OF JADE AND SHADOW by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
8. A SHADOW BRIGHT AND BURNING by Jessica Cluess
9. THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY by Alix E. Harrow
10. THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES by Alix E. Harrow
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Question: Have you read any of these? What kind of covers draw your attention?
Reviews: BATTLE ROYAL, HOT UNDER HIS COLLAR, & DELIA SUITS UP
Happy Monday all! After delving into a few thrillers last week, I found myself running back to the rom-coms this week for some lighter, more upbeat reads. I had a lot of fun with all three of the books I’m sharing with you today.
Battle Royal (Palace Insiders, #1) Goodreads Author: Lucy Parker
Publication Date: August 17, 2021
Publisher: Avon
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Lucy Parker’s new romantic comedy Battle Royal became a must-read for me as soon as I learned that it features a reality TV baking show and two rival bakers who truly cannot stand one another. Not only are these rivals forced to serve as judges together, but there is also a battle royal where the two rivals go head-to-head as they each try to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design and bake a cake for a royal wedding. This sounded like the perfect recipe (pardon the pun) for entertainment and Lucy Parker sure delivers!
I loved the main character Sylvie Fairchild from the moment she’s introduced. She is a charming ray of sunshine and her shining personality comes through in every whimsical, often glittery, creation that she bakes in her shop, Sugar Fair. Four years ago, she appeared on her way to victory on the reality TV show, Operation Cake, until the famous (and sexy) pastry chef, Dominic De Vere, voted her off the show and pronounced her as lacking in talent and relying on gimmicks. When Sylvie is offered the opportunity to serve as a judge on the same show, she reluctantly agrees to do it even though it means she’ll have to deal with Dominic again.
In addition to serving as a judge on the reality show, Dominic also owns a well-respected bakery that is often used by businesses in the area and even by the palace at times. Sylvie snarks that everything Dominic bakes is beige and colorless, just like his personality.
I loved the tension between Sylvie and Dominic as the sparks flew between them. It became clear pretty quickly that what they were feeling for each other wasn’t hate at all and it was very entertaining to watch their relationship grow and evolve, especially as they each vie for the contract to bake the royal wedding cake. It also becomes clear that they have more in common than they ever realized, particularly as it relates to loneliness and loss.
Battle Royal also features a fabulous cast of lovable secondary characters, including Dominic’s sweet sister Pet, as well as Sylvie’s coworkers at Sugar Fair, who, although they love to snark at each other all the time, are loyal to Sylvie above all else and were definitely her found family. These characters were all so great. I became very invested in all of them and I’m hoping we’ll see them in future books since this is apparently the beginning of a new Palace Insiders series.
If you enjoy romances that feature rivals to lovers and sunshine personalities versus grumpy, Battle Royal is the book for you! 4 STARS.
Hot Under His Collar (The Nolans, #3) Goodreads Author: Andie J. Christopher
Publication Date: July 20, 2021
Publisher: Berkley Books
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Andie J. Christopher’s new novel, Hot Under His Collar, is a forbidden romance, and the latest installment of her The Nolans series. It focuses on Sasha Finerghty, an event planner with a bit of a problem. She’s always drawn to what she can’t or shouldn’t have. Her latest obsession with forbidden fruit comes in the form of a huge crush on Father Patrick Dooley. She has drooled over the sexy priest from a far for a while now, but when she is paired up with him on a fundraising event to save the church’s pre-K program, her crush rises to a whole new level.
Father Patrick was very close to his devout mother and when she passed away, he decided to join the clergy to fulfill her dying wish. He has questioned his choice for a while now and when he meets Sasha and realizes he is physically attracted to her, Patrick becomes even more conflicted about his path in life.
Both of these characters are super likeable and it’s very clear from their early interactions that, forbidden or not, they have major chemistry. I had a lot of fun watching the two of them trying and failing to fight their attraction to one another. The more time they spend together planning the fundraiser, the more opportunities there are for awkward and potentially inappropriate moments. There are also a lot of engaging and thought-provoking internal monologues as both Sasha and Patrick reflect on what it would mean if they were to try to pursue a relationship.
The only drawback for me was that this was definitely a slow burn romance and I found myself getting impatient with them dancing around one another for so long. I just wanted them to just hurry up and get together already so it was a little frustrating. Even with that though, Hot Under His Collar is still a pretty fun and sexy read. 3.5 STARS
Delia Suits Up Goodreads Author: Amanda Aksel
Publication Date: August 3, 2021
Publisher: Berkley Books
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Amanda Aksel’s new novel Delia Suits Up is a hilarious modern day take on popular films like Freaky Friday and Big, but instead of just swapping bodies, you also swap genders. Delia Reese wants to make it big on Wall Street and she has the credentials to do it. However, no matter how many job interviews she goes on, no one will hire her. She becomes more and more convinced she can’t land a job because she’s a woman. During a drunken round of Truth or Dare with her roommates, Delia says if she could change one thing about herself, she’d wish to be a man. When she wakes up the next morning, she has gotten her wish, penis and all.
After Delia’s initial freakout and after she has convinced her roommates she’s really her and not some random stranger who has turned up in their apartment, Delia changes the name at the top of her existing resume to a man’s name, dresses up in her roommate’s best suit, and heads back to Wall Street to make something happen for herself.
You guys, this is such a fun and entertaining read! Delia is such a great character and her frustrations with job hunting are all too relatable. She’s also really funny. I laughed out loud so many times as she was trying to get used to her new body, and in particular, to her new appendage. Some might consider the humor to be a bit crude at times since a lot of it revolves around exploring that appendage. Crude or not, it’s pretty hilarious.
It’s not all just over-the top humor though. There’s obviously a more serious exploration of sexism in the workplace as Delia tries to break through into the “boy’s club” that is Wall Street. Another layer is added to the story when Delia encounters her best friend Eric, who she also has a crush on, while she is dressed as a man and accidentally learns how Eric feels about her. One of the only downsides for me was actually that I would have liked a lot more of Eric and Delia together because he was such a sweet guy.
If you’re looking for a fun and fast-paced read and enjoy movies like Big, Freaky Friday, and 13 Going on 30, you’ll want to check out Delia Suits Up. 3.5 STARS
Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Therapist & The Drowning Kind
Happy Thriller Thursday! It’s Sharon, and my reviews this week are for B.A. Paris’ new book, The Therapist and Jennifer McMahon’s new book, The Drowning Kind. I loved both of these books and I am excited to share my thoughts on them.
The Therapist Goodreads Author: B.A. Paris
Publication Date: July 13, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
I have been a fan of B.A. Paris ever since I read her debut thriller Behind Closed Doors a few years ago. Seriously, if you want to read an amazing book, I highly recommend that one. As soon as I see she has a new book coming out I immediately add it to my To Read list and buy it as soon as it is released. This was the case with The Therapist, and it did not disappoint.
Alice and her partner Leo move into a house in The Circle, a gated community in London. As Alice is getting to know her neighbors, she finds out that Leo never told her that the former owner, Nina Maxwell who was a therapist, was murdered in the house and her husband, Oliver, who ended up killing himself, was accused of killing her. About twenty years ago Alice’s parents and her sister, Nina, were killed in a car accident and ever since then, whenever Alice meets another Nina, she becomes obsessed with them. This is the case with Nina Maxwell, and as she digs into Nina’s life, she discovers that Oliver may not have killed her. Alice’s neighbors, however, don’t want to talk about it. Even though they do not think Oliver killed Nina, they are willing to believe it since he killed himself once he was accused of the murder. It is a lot better to believe Oliver did it than someone else in their community. The more Alice digs and the more questions she asks, Alice finds that all of her neighbors are keeping secrets and this community is not as perfect as it seems.
I loved how Paris kept me guessing throughout this book. Just when I thought I may know what was going on and who killed Nina, a curveball would be thrown in to point me in another direction. I love when an author keeps me on my toes and makes me suspect everyone in the book. No one in this community was above suspicion, not even Alice’s partner Leo. Once Alice found out that Leo knew about the murder and did not tell her, she started questioning if she could ever trust him again. And she started looking into him and found that he was not all he said he was. On top of all the secrets and lies, strange things start to happen to Alice in the house. Sorry, I cannot say what they are because that would spoil things. But add all of this together and you have a read that will have your brain all over the place.
We also get chapters from the past that are the POV of a therapist as they are having sessions with a client. We do not know who the therapist or client is and that adds to the mystery and suspicion of Alice’s investigation. As with Alice, I was all over the place and suspected everyone. At one point I thought I had things figured out, but boy oh boy, was I wrong. By the end of the book when all was revealed, I was on the edge of my seat.
If you are a fan of B.A. Paris or if you like books that keep you guessing I highly recommend The Therapist, I don’t think you will be disappointed. 4 stars
The Drowning Kind Goodreads Author: Jennifer McMahon
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
I have not read anything by Jennifer McMahon in a few years, but the synopsis for The Drowning Kind jumped out at me and I had to read it. I borrowed this from the library, but this was so good that as soon as I was finished reading it, I bought a copy because I needed to have this book in my collection.
The Drowning Kind alternates in dual timelines. The first timeline is in the present and follows Jax. Jax and her sister Lexie used to visit their grandmother every summer at her estate in Brandenburg Vermont called Sparrow Crest. Jax and her sister were very close when they were younger. They would spend their summers exploring around the estate, riding their bikes into town and swimming in the pool. The pool at the estate is said to have magical powers, it is fed from underground springs that bubble up to fill the pool. When Lexie was diagnosed with bipolar Jax tried to be there for her but when it got too much for her Jax moved across the country. When their grandmother died and left Sparrow Crest to Lexie, it was too much for Jax to handle so she cut off all ties with Lexi. When Jax came home one night and she had nine missed calls with frantic voice mails from Lexi she assumed that Lexi was off her meds again. The next morning Jax gets a call from her aunt telling her Lexie has drowned in the pool. When Jax gets to the estate she finds that Lexi had been researching their family and the land the estate was built on. When Jax continues the research, she discovers that the land had a very dark and deadly history.
The second timeline starts in 1929 and follows Ethel Monroe, who married late in life and desperately wants a baby. When she and her husband take a trip to a new hotel that had opened in Brandenburg Vermont, Ethel learns of the springs that is able to cure any ailment by either drinking it or swimming in it. The springs can also grant wishes. But nothing in life is free and while the springs does give it also takes. Through this timeline we get the history of the Springs and how Sparrow Crest came to be. I don’t really want to say too much and spoil anything. But I did figure out a couple things from this timeline.
While I like the timeline in 1929, the present-day timeline with Jax was my favorite. I had so much sympathy for Jax. She felt so guilty about not taking her sister’s calls and then being back at the estate brought up so many of her childhood memories. It is from these memories that we get to know Lexie. I think Jennifer McMahon did a great job of bringing a dead character to life. Lexie’s energy just jumped off the pages. I cannot say to much about what Jax and Lexie uncovered in their research on the land, but I will say it involves drownings and ghosts.
This book was so creepy and eerie, there were a few nights that I dreamt of the book and would jolt awake and have to turn on my bedroom light to make sure no one was in my room. LOL! The Drowning Kind was also about family, grief, and forgiveness. I actually had tears in my eyes a few times while reading. And the ending literally had my mouth drop open and me saying out loud “What?!” 4 ½ stars