Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Move the Body, Heal the Mind by Jennifer Heisz

Heisz talks about the notion of a Lazy Body, that we need to make ourselves move. Movement can help us in any number of ways.

It's an interesting book but a little down on any other methods outside of exercise. Preferably the exercise outside in this book.

Three stars
This book came out March 8, 2022
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

April 2024 Rereads

As always, opinions are my own 

Inheritance by Nora Roberts
Four stars
Lost Bride Trilogy #1
Followed by The Mirror
This book comes out November 21, 2023

Monday, April 29, 2024

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma

Kareena Mann's life is crashing down around her. Her younger sister's wedding is pushing out all thoughts of anything else, her father is selling the house that Kareena has put in a ridiculous number of hours putting together, and the handsome man she just met ditched her in the middle of a makeout session. Now, a crushing hangover is making her regret agreeing to help her sister, a YouTube influencer, get to the set of the Dr. Dil show.
Dr. Prem Verma regrets leaving behind the amazing woman in the sweater vest. He had a hospital emergency. But he really regrets it now, especially since she's yelling at him for not believing in true love in the middle of his show. It causes any number of rumors about him in the Indian community and causes the funding for his community health center to be jeopardized. He needs Kareena as much as she needs him. If they have a fake relationship, he could get the funding for his center and she'll get the funding to buy her mother's dream house.

The fake relationship never really took off (thankfully) but the two still find their way to each other in the end.

Four stars
If Shakespeare Was an Auntie #1
This book came out March 15, 2022
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Sunday, April 28, 2024

The Summer Book Club by Susan Mallery

As is usual in Mallery books, three women find their matches. Of course, for Paris, that new man is actually an ex-husband. They broke up years ago and he remarried and has a son. But now Jonah's back in town with his son to help while his mother undergoes surgery. While Paris believes they are on their way to being friends, Jonah might have a different idea.
Her best friend Laurel has two daughters and an ex-husband who doesn't see the girls. Her oldest is acting out toward all males. She just needs a friend. A male friend. One who can show that not all men are flakes who can't be counted on.
Last is Cassie. She's just joined the friend group after inheriting some land from a great uncle. She's feeling raw after her brother and sister kicked her out of the nest. While both of her siblings got money, she inherited land. Land that an apparently very hot archaeologist is working on. 
An enjoyable book but the ending was incredibly fast like the author ran out of time and wanted to wrap up the storylines quickly.

Three and a half stars
This book came out February 13, 2024
Borrowed as hard copy from library
Opinions are my own

Saturday, April 27, 2024

What's Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park

I don't read a ton of young adult these days but the cover was fun and the premise intriguing. It was an interesting book but I was not expecting so much going on in one book and some decidedly unexpected themes that are heavier than the cute cartoon cover would imply. 
Jackie Oh is a high school student whose parents expect great things from her (even though she's currently failing a high school class.) Going on a teen cooking show is not one of them. But she's determined to win. 
I thought she was well developed but there were a couple of other story lines that felt like they were tacked on and I wish we had actually learned more.

Three stars
This book comes out April 30, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Random House Children's and NetGalley
Opinions are my own


Thursday, April 25, 2024

Only a Kiss by Mary Balogh

Most of Mary Balogh's books read along like a gentle river. Maybe some ripples but mostly a comforting and relaxing ride. This one was just a little slower than the others in this series and I felt bad since I've been waiting for Imogen's story for a long time. 
We've reached the end of the series (except for maybe the Duke's story?) and we finally learn what brought Imogen to Penderris. And why she's secreting herself in the wilds of Cornwall. The same wilds that Percival Haryes, Earl of Hardford decides that he's going to escape to. He's drunk at the time and only half-remembers that he has an estate in Cornwall and somehow it makes sense that, to cure his boredom, he needs to be more bored. 
But then he gets there and finds out that his late cousin's wife is at the estate. And her aunt-in-law as well as a companion. Oh. And a LOT of dogs and cats. None of which he's pleased about. 
So it's a rough meeting for the two of them. But as they get to know each other, they find out that maybe they're not so different after all...

Three stars
This book came out September 1, 2015
Survivors' Club #6
Followed by Only Beloved
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

10 years ago, Eleanor Dash wrote a bestselling mystery novel. That would be great for many people, but hers came with some drawbacks. First, being an author was her sister's dream; Harper is now Eleanor's assistant. Second, she based her detective on a real man, Connor Smith (used his name and everything), and the story is based on a mystery they solved together. But he's blackmailing her with... something.
In true first-person-narrator mystery fashion, our author may not be telling us the unvarnished truth. Some of it may be lies she's telling us, others may be lies she's telling herself. Either way, she's on a tour celebrating the anniversary with her sister, Connor, his ex-wife (also an author, a biography based on living with Connor), a TikTok influencer who wrote a book stunningly similar to Eleanor's, Connor's ex-partner from their detective agency (who also wrote a book about Connor), Connor's latest fling, and Shek, an author whose book sales are waning. Oh, and there are the paying guests, a BookFace group, including Eleanor's stalker, and a tour guide who doesn't seem to know what she's talking about.
Connor is convinced that someone is trying to kill him, but he's not the one who dies.

Four stars
This book comes out April 30, 2024
The Vacation Mysteries #1
ARC kindly provided by Minotaur Books and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own