Mini Thoughts

Hello, all!

Pub Date: 6-28-22
Adult - Historical Romance

A Matter of Temptation- Stacy Reid: Ever since being ruined in the eyes of the ton, Miss Wilhelmina "Mina" Crawford has spent her days secluded in her family's crumbling country estate. When her brother confides in her just how dire their finances are, Mina is determined to do whatever it takes to help. But the only person willing to hire a woman--especially one as headstrong as Mina--is the cold but brilliant, Earl of Creswick. Simon is well-known in political circles and has been trying for years to pass a bill that would benefit the masses of England, but he needs help. When he hires Mina to be his secretary, he expects her to answer his letters and dictate his correspondence. What he wasn't expecting was to fall head over heels for her. Mina can't deny the feelings are mutual, but can she put her past behind her to have the future she's always dreamed about?

I mostly picked this book up after I heard one person raving about a particular scene with Simon and an icy lake, and aside from that, I thought it was okay. It was my first book by Reid, and it didn't blow me away, but it wasn't terrible either. The writing was fine, but the pacing felt a little too slow. I did enjoy the characters and thought Mina and Simon were fun. I liked their banter and how Mina kept pushing Simon's buttons. She was spirited, and he was stuffy, but they worked so well together. I enjoyed watching Simon open up and become more vulnerable with her. It was very sweet. The ending and the conflict did wrap up rather quickly, but it was fine. I'm not sure how memorable this will be for me, but I liked it.

Rating: 3/5

Pub Date: 1-24-23
Adult - Contemporary

Georgie, All Along- Kate Clayborn: When Georgie Mulcahy was young, she was always described as "flaky" or "flighty." She never had a clear vision for her life; until she became a personal assistant and could put everyone else's problems before her own, and she was great at it. But then her boss decided to up and leave Hollywood behind for a more relaxing lifestyle, leaving Georgie to head back to her hometown. While helping her best friend unpack, Georgie finds a "friendfic" they wrote in high school, detailing all the fun things they would accomplish. Georgie thinks this list is what she needs to get her life back on track, but her plans are derailed when she finds herself with an unexpected roommate-- Levi Fanning, the onetime town troublemaker now turned hermit. But Levi surprises Georgie by offering to help her in her quest, and it becomes clear to Georgie that everything she wanted might not be on the page but right in front of her.

I've seen this floating around online a lot lately, so I was interested in picking it up, and it was fine. I thought Clayborn did a wonderful job at making Georgie very relatable. From the first page, I felt connected to her and her struggles to find her place in the world, and was rooting for her the entire time. All the relationships in the book were also very well done. I loved Georgie's friendship with Bel, and the dynamic between her and her parents was hilarious and heartwarming. But her relationship with Levi was the real winner here. Levi is my favorite type of love interest-- grumpy on the outside but a big softy inside. Plus, I love a man who loves his dog. They're both a bit broken, and it was satisfying watching them grow together. With Levi especially, Clayborn shines a light on how situations we're placed in when we're younger can have lasting effects on how we handle things in adulthood. That said, I did feel like something was missing, but I still liked it and would recommend it.

Rating: 3/5

Pub Date: 11-29-22
YA - Thriller

Five Survive- Holly Jackson:
 Spring break is supposed to be fun, but Red Kenny and her five friends are fighting for their lives. Instead of hopping on a plane like the rest of their classmates, Red, and her friends rented an RV to take them to Gulf Springs, but it soon breaks down, leaving them stranded with no cell service. The group quickly realize that this was no accident and that someone is targeting them. Someone on board has a secret worth killing over. With eight hours left until sunrise, the group must either find a way to escape or figure out who's the target. As the hours' pass, the tension rises within the RV, pitting friend against friend. If there's one thing they all know for sure, it's that not all of them will survive the night.

I've heard amazing things about Jackson's writing, so I was looking forward to picking this up. It was fine. I thought the premise was a lot better than the execution. I loved the idea of this group of kids being stuck in the middle of nowhere while someone picks them off. I expected it to be tense and suspenseful, but it wasn't. I also didn't like any of the characters, so it didn't make a difference to me who lived or died. Everything played out like a CW teen drama. What kept me going was the pacing. The story happens at breakneck speed, which is what you want in a thriller. Was it predictable? Yes. Was it over the top? Yes. Did I still find it slightly entertaining? A bit, yeah. So while it wasn't super impressive, I'd still recommend it if you're looking for a quick thriller to pick up.

Rating: 3/5

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