Review: The Unbalanced Equation

The Unbalanced Equation by H.L. Macfarlane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Liz and Tom have known each other for several years. Tom was Liz's PhD assessor, and he was tough to work with. So, just when Liz thinks she is finally done with him and moving on to a new post doc role, he comes boomeranging back into her life. His lab burns down and where does he end up working? Her lab bench. Worse? They learn that their parents met in a grief support group and are now getting married! But wait, that's not the bottom... Liz's landlord gives her less than a week to move out.

I enjoyed the touch of science that was mentioned without getting too detailed. I enjoyed the characters, even if I found them a little over the top at times. It was a quick read, and I'd recommend it.

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Review: Lucy Checks In

Lucy Checks In by Dee Ernst
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 out of 5 stars - It was ok

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this advanced copy.  All opinions are my own.

"Lucy Checks In" is about Lucia Giannetti, once a hotel manager of a luxurious hotel in NYC, and how she's rebuilding her life after her boyfriend (owner of said hotel) runs off with all the money. In order to find a new job, she takes an offer to start up a hotel in Rennes, France. When she gets there, it's not quite what she expected. Instead of overseeing staff and workmen, she is expected to jump into some of the grunt work herself, like painting, building a website, and finding ways to bring back this hotel to it's former glory.

One thing I really liked about this book was that, for once, it wasn't a story about a late-20s, early-30s woman who keeps claiming she's "past her prime". Lucy is 49 years old and never married. I enjoyed getting to know her and the other characters who lived in the hotel. The major part I wasn't a fan of was how the story ended. It just seemed all so unlikely, even if it was a semi-happy ending.

While most people will try to claim that the family dynamic in Lucy's family is unlikely, it's one that I can relate to in a way. So, that wasn't my issue with the ending.

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Review: The Social Graces

The Social Graces by Renée Rosen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I really enjoyed learning more about the Vanderbilt family and how they fit into the New York society life. I had no idea this was how the Vanderbilt family came to be known so well, through social climbing of a wife who only wanted to be accepted in society.

The history of the society ladies was extremely interesting to me, and makes me want to go learn more about the time period.

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Review: Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask, I'll tell you to read it

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for this advanced copy.

In this 8th installment of the Enola Holmes series, we actually revisit the characters from the 2nd and 4th mysterie, Lady Cecily Alastair and her family. I do love the crazy escapades that Enola gets up to in order to rescue her friend, and the story tells the sad truths of history and a woman's place.

One struggle I have is that these are to be YA books, but so often there are obscure words that make me happy I'm reading with my Kindle and can look them up.

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Review: The Lager Queen of Minnesota

The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 out of 5 stars - It was ok

I had a hard time following the timeline, as it jumped around between people as well as time in history. It didn't help that the chapter names were all dollar amounts, so I couldn't even look back at the chapter headings in my kindle to figure out where I was in time.

I think the thing I was most disappointed in was the ending. I just found it extremely unlikely.

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Review: The Suite Spot

The Suite Spot by Trish Doller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it, if you ask me

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this advanced copy. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

Book Summary:

Rachel Beck works at a Miami Beach luxury hotel as an overnight concierge. When there’s a situation of “he said, she said” with a rich and powerful guest, Rachel is immediately let go. In order to support herself and her child, Rachel reaches out about a position at a brewery hotel on a tiny island in Lake Erie called Kelleys Island that a friend informed her about. She accepts the job, simply because it is a source of stability.

Mason, her new boss, is a handsome, reclusive man who knows everything about brewing beer and nothing about running a hotel. Rachel finds the hotel is bare bones and definitely not ready for guests. She also finds that her accommodations are a room in Mason’s home on the property. It may not be what she was expecting, but she jumps at the chance to help repair her life and build the hotel from the ground up.

Review:

I really liked getting to know the characters in The Suite Spot. I could relate to Rachel’s situation about unwanted advances in the service industry. Sadly, I could also totally see a company firing her due to “he said, she said” BS when the other side is a rich and powerful man.

The characters were fun and lively, the drama was something I could totally see happening, and I was brought back to my business trips to Sandusky, OH. I definitely looked up maps more than once to reference the locations mentioned in the book.

I enjoyed the book so much that I went back and read the first book in the series about Rachel’s sister!

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Review: Once Upon a December

Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it, if you ask me

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this free copy. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Book Summary:
To Astra Noel Snow, holiday spirit is a way of life. After her recent divorce, she's ready to cut loose and have some fun with her friends at their annual weekend visit to the Milwaukee Christmas Market. There she meets a handsome stranger who works in his family's bakery in the Julemarked and saves the best kringle (pastry) for her.

Jack Clausen lives in the Julemarked, with its snowy lights and charming shops that always stays the same. The world outside the Julemarked changes, as the inhabitants of the Julmarked magically leap from one December to the next every four weeks. He’s never minded this life until he meets Astra and shows him life outside of the magical alley.

After many dates during the month of December, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra and Jack must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they’re feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa.

Review:
As always, I really enjoyed the story written by Amy Reichert. I love the way she weaves in local information that makes me want to go wander around in nearby Milwaukee.

Even though it was May when I read it, the feeling of Christmas and the holiday cheer was ever present. I really enjoyed meeting the two main characters, but I loved most of the supporting cast (both major and minor). It was really hard to like the ex-husband even the littlest bit, so obviously he was written perfectly! I liked the little bit of magic thrown into the story without making it so out there it was unreadable.

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