Mini Thoughts
Hello, all!
A Legend in the Baking- Jamie Wesley: When people look at August Hodges, they see a macho football player, not a baker. August has always loved to bake, but he's not one for the spotlight, so he prefers his co-ownership of Sugar Blitz Cupcakes to stay under the radar. But one viral rant later about how baking cupcakes isn't a threat to masculinity, and August is crowned the internet's SugarBae. With August and his partners on the cusp of opening another store, they want to capitalize on August's fifteen minutes of fame to help cement themselves into the community by hiring social media maven Sloane Dell. As the sister of his best friend, August, and Sloane have known each other for years, but things have been awkward since August spurned Sloane's teenage declarations of love. As the pair begin working closely together, they can't deny the spark between them, but are they willing to take a risk for love?
It's fitting that this centers around baking and a cupcake shop because it was sweet as sugar. I liked both our main characters. Sloane was strong and capable, and I liked how determined she was to make a name for herself. August was sweet and introverted, and I liked how much he loved baking despite people's narrow-minded views. The romance was a little too slow-burn for my tastes, especially since we know their feelings for one another early on, so my interest did start to wane after a while. Romance aside, I found the overall plot to be okay. It was cute but not the most memorable. While it's not a new favorite, I'd still recommend it if you want a quick read.
We Love the Nightlife- Rachel Koller Croft: It's 1979, and Amber has just come to London after a whirlwind marriage to a man she hardly knows. She was sick of her Midwest town and craved adventure, but, instead, what she got was a fuddy-duddy new husband who'd rather read than go out on the town. Not letting her new marital status cramp her style, Amber spends her nights dancing at all the hot disco spots around London, where she meets Nicola and her life changes forever. Nicola is a centuries-old vampire who's set her eyes on having Amber as her newest companion. The pair spend the next fifty years gallivanting around the London nightlife scene, but after an unexpected betrayal, Amber is desperate to get out from under Nicola's thumb. Amber knows she only has one shot at escaping, and if she doesn't, then the party's over for good.
When you hear 'disco vampires, ' it conjures up an image in your head, doesn't it? It's giving campy darkness hiding beneath the glittering disco light, right? Well, throw that vision out the window cause you're not getting it here. The pacing was so slow it was like wading through molasses. I don't think I've ever been this bored reading a horror book. (Aside from some gory bits, I'd say calling this horror is also a bit of a stretch.) I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but it never did. I wasn't invested in the characters or the storyline. I wanted to get immersed in this world, but it all felt surface-level. I wanted to like this so badly, but it didn't work.
Rating: 2/5
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| Pub Date: 11-19-24 Adult - Contemporary |
A Legend in the Baking- Jamie Wesley: When people look at August Hodges, they see a macho football player, not a baker. August has always loved to bake, but he's not one for the spotlight, so he prefers his co-ownership of Sugar Blitz Cupcakes to stay under the radar. But one viral rant later about how baking cupcakes isn't a threat to masculinity, and August is crowned the internet's SugarBae. With August and his partners on the cusp of opening another store, they want to capitalize on August's fifteen minutes of fame to help cement themselves into the community by hiring social media maven Sloane Dell. As the sister of his best friend, August, and Sloane have known each other for years, but things have been awkward since August spurned Sloane's teenage declarations of love. As the pair begin working closely together, they can't deny the spark between them, but are they willing to take a risk for love?
It's fitting that this centers around baking and a cupcake shop because it was sweet as sugar. I liked both our main characters. Sloane was strong and capable, and I liked how determined she was to make a name for herself. August was sweet and introverted, and I liked how much he loved baking despite people's narrow-minded views. The romance was a little too slow-burn for my tastes, especially since we know their feelings for one another early on, so my interest did start to wane after a while. Romance aside, I found the overall plot to be okay. It was cute but not the most memorable. While it's not a new favorite, I'd still recommend it if you want a quick read.
Rating: 3/5
*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!
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| Pub Date: 8-20-24 Adult - Horror |
We Love the Nightlife- Rachel Koller Croft: It's 1979, and Amber has just come to London after a whirlwind marriage to a man she hardly knows. She was sick of her Midwest town and craved adventure, but, instead, what she got was a fuddy-duddy new husband who'd rather read than go out on the town. Not letting her new marital status cramp her style, Amber spends her nights dancing at all the hot disco spots around London, where she meets Nicola and her life changes forever. Nicola is a centuries-old vampire who's set her eyes on having Amber as her newest companion. The pair spend the next fifty years gallivanting around the London nightlife scene, but after an unexpected betrayal, Amber is desperate to get out from under Nicola's thumb. Amber knows she only has one shot at escaping, and if she doesn't, then the party's over for good.
When you hear 'disco vampires, ' it conjures up an image in your head, doesn't it? It's giving campy darkness hiding beneath the glittering disco light, right? Well, throw that vision out the window cause you're not getting it here. The pacing was so slow it was like wading through molasses. I don't think I've ever been this bored reading a horror book. (Aside from some gory bits, I'd say calling this horror is also a bit of a stretch.) I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but it never did. I wasn't invested in the characters or the storyline. I wanted to get immersed in this world, but it all felt surface-level. I wanted to like this so badly, but it didn't work.
Rating: 2/5
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| Pub Date: 11-5-24 Adult - Contemporary |
Lost and Lassoed- Lyla Sage: Teddy Andersen has always had a wild streak in her. She's a free spirit and is great at rolling with the punches, but when life starts punching back, Teddy finds herself in a rut. She's lost her job, her best friend is engaged and doesn't seem to need her as much, and Teddy doesn't know where she fits anymore. The one constant in Gus Ryder's life is biting off more than he can chew. If he's not taking care of his six-year-old daughter, he's running his family's ranch, and though he loves both and would do anything for them, it doesn't always leave much room to breathe. Teddy and Gus have been at each other's throats for years, but seeing as she's his only option to watch his daughter, Gus reluctantly accepts her help. The pair are dreading a summer stuck in each other's company, but as the days go on, they start seeing one another in a different light. Could they have had it wrong all this time, and the tension between them wasn't loathing but love?
Lyla Sage has done it again. Her books bring me so much joy, and I've been antsy waiting for Gus and Teddy's story. I ate this book up in one sitting. It had me giggling and kicking my little feet. I love the dynamic between Teddy and Gus. We've seen little interaction between them throughout the previous books, and I've always loved their snide remarks toward one another. It's that playground flirting mentality where you're mean to the one you're crazy about, and it works so well for them. Their bantering was top-notch, and watching them push each other's buttons was so entertaining. And that feistiness transitioned to explosiveness once they gave in to their feelings. I also loved how they supported one another and gave the other space to feel tired or vulnerable. They showed each other sides of themselves that they hide away from others, and it showed how much they trusted and cared for one another. It didn't hurt that every interaction between Teddy and Riley was also adorable as heck. Overall, it is another solid addition to this series, and I can't wait for the next one.
Lyla Sage has done it again. Her books bring me so much joy, and I've been antsy waiting for Gus and Teddy's story. I ate this book up in one sitting. It had me giggling and kicking my little feet. I love the dynamic between Teddy and Gus. We've seen little interaction between them throughout the previous books, and I've always loved their snide remarks toward one another. It's that playground flirting mentality where you're mean to the one you're crazy about, and it works so well for them. Their bantering was top-notch, and watching them push each other's buttons was so entertaining. And that feistiness transitioned to explosiveness once they gave in to their feelings. I also loved how they supported one another and gave the other space to feel tired or vulnerable. They showed each other sides of themselves that they hide away from others, and it showed how much they trusted and cared for one another. It didn't hurt that every interaction between Teddy and Riley was also adorable as heck. Overall, it is another solid addition to this series, and I can't wait for the next one.
Rating: 5/5
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