Wow, it’s already the middle of May? Better late than never, I suppose! It’s no surprise to me that after a killer reading month in March, April was a complete flop. I think I started and stopped 10 different books last month… nothing could keep my attention.
How to Bake a Perfect Life – 3 Stars! (2 Hearts)
Ramona is an excellent baker, infusing a healing magic into her breads. But when her business begins falling apart, her son-in-law has been wounded in Afghanistan and her pregnant daughter leaves to be with him, and her stepdaughter needs to come live with her, Ramona struggles to keep it all together.
I loved how O’Neal wove sourdough into the story. My senses awoke and I wanted to bake bread every day. While I loved When We Believed in Mermaids and The Lost Recipe for Happiness, I struggled with this one. It’s clear that it’s one of her first novels, as the writing doesn’t feel as developed as her other books. I also had a hard time rooting for any of the women or their relationships with each other. In addition, there were some outdated phrases to fat phobia that bothered me.
However, this line about having the right values was worth it all. “Human beings before things. Earth before consumption… Time is precious and should be respected.” Definitely a motto we can all live by.
Tidbits: Adult, Women’s Fiction, Foodie, beloved author.
Other Barbara O’Neal novels I’ve loved:
When We Believed in Mermaids – 5 stars
The Lost Recipe for Happiness – 5 stars
The All You Can Dream Buffet – 4 stars
Yours Truly – 4.5 Stars (5 Hearts)
If you read Part of Your World then I’m sure you’ve been anxiously awaiting for Bri’s book – well she finally got it! Bri is finalizing her divorce, her brother needs a new kidney soon, and she’s about to get passed up for her dream promotion. Jacob has social anxiety and his brother is about to marry Jacob’s ex-girlfriend. When Jacob starts working at Bri’s hospital, they don’t exactly get off on the right foot, but that’s all about to change.
Just like Two Wrongs Make a Right, we have brief enemies-turned fake dating- turned lovers. The banter between Bri and Jacob was so much fun! On top of it, they write letters to each other and I was in heaven. This was a truly enjoyable book to read, I never wanted to put it down. The fake dating bothered me a bit (it’s definitely ME, not the book), but it didn’t make me dislike the story. The cast of characters and their unique personalities were fantastic and thoroughly developed!
Abby Jimenez is an amazing author and I continue to look forward to what she comes up with next!
Tidbits: Adult, Romance, Fake-Dating, Enemies to Lovers, beloved author.
More Books with a Fake-Dating Trope:
The Kiss Quotient – 5 Stars
The Love Hypothesis – 3.75 Stars
The Spanish Love Deception – TBR
The House in the Cerulean Sea – 5 Stars! (5 Hearts!)
Linus is a forty year old curmudgeon working for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, when he is given a highly classified assignment to visit and observe an orphanage on Marsyas Island where six highly dangerous children reside. Here he will meet magical children, large and small, that will have him questioning the true meaning of family.
This was our April book club pick after a year of inconsistent meetings and readings. It was so wonderful to get back in the swing of things. The House in the Cerulean Sea was endearing and heartwarming and I can’t wait to read it again someday. The characters wormed their way into my soul and this is definitely a book to hug when you’re finished. I don’t like fantasy, but I would consider this to be more along the lines of Harry Potter, where magical characters are mixed with ordinary humans. It had so many poignant messages that can be transcribed into issues of race, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized voices. It was Perfection!
Tidbits: Young Adult, Fantasy and Magical Realism, LGBTQ+ characters and author.
Looking for more book recommendations? Check out all of my book posts here!
What was your last 5 Heart book?
Becca @ Life’s a Pearl
Yay! So happy to see your April update and that you loved Yours Truly and Cerulean Sea. I can’t wait to check those two out! My last 5 heart book was Heartless by Elsie Silver 😊