Cool for the Summer

Whew! That was a roller coaster! Cool for the Summer is a story about a soon-to-be high school senior both the summer before her senior year and the start of it.

In alternating timelines we watch as Larissa tries to figure herself out. During the summer Larissa’s mom threw a wrench in her book-store job plans and they end up spending the summer in the Outer Banks. The plus is that they’re staying at Larissa’s mom’s boss’s house… let’s be real, mansion. But she’s still away from all of her friends and the comforts of home. Lucky for Larissa her summer plans take a turn for the better when the boss’s daughter, Jasmine, takes her under her wing. From parties and photo shoots to reading graphic novels and hanging out in the hot tub, Larissa’s summer is more than she would have ever expected. After a surprise kiss with Jasmine, a whirlwind… something relationship adjacent totally throws her off.

And then it’s back to reality and high school as Larissa starts her senior year. And in an almost surreal scenario the boy she’s crushed on for actual years is finally seeing her in a new light. Chase Harding is her dream guy. And now he’s asking her out. She’s in a chain of events she can’t seem to stop, but she shouldn’t want to.

While Larissa is already struggling with her identity and sexuality, a new student shows up that totally throws her off: Jasmine.

I felt Larissa’s turmoil over her confusion – feelings can be so complicated, especially when you’re introduced to a new side of yourself. I’m not generally a fan of a love triangle, but this wasn’t quite that. I won’t lie, it was hard to watch( or um, read?) Larissa date Chase, who is obviously smitten, while being privy to her inner doubts about her feelings and their relationship. Ultimately, Adler handles the situation with as much tact as possible and her character shows more maturity than many adults.

I really enjoyed this read, it went by fast especially with the alternating timelines. I felt connected to Larissa through her love of books and writing and fangirling over an author she loves. It was a relatable look into someone struggling a bit with something they didn’t know about themselves. I think especially over this pandemic many people have learned more about themselves and specifically their sexuality with all the extra time for self-reflection. So Larissa’s own journey seemed particularly timely.

Happy Reading!
-Angela
@book.addicts.anonymous (Instagram)
https://www.goodreads.com/aaangelaaa (goodreads)

Fault Lines

This was such a unique book. I feel like I got a brief glimpse into Mizuki’s life. But it’s such an honor to see into that life.

Perhaps I feel that I can relate to Mizuki being that I’m also a “stay at home” parent. It’s a on-going inner battle within yourself. Some days I feel exhausted. Just the unbelievable feeling that I’m doing the same things again and again. I pick up the same toys multiple times a day. I do the dishes and the laundry and keep the house running – trying to keep things tidy more for my own sense of inner order than anything else. And it’s just so mundane sometimes. Throw in a pandemic and you really start to pull your hair out. I’m trying to teach my 4.5 year old how to write and basic math and I feel fully ill-equipped to become a preschool teacher to my own children.

I digress. So, Mizuki and her struggle over her purpose? I’m there, I feel her. I felt seen. The tug-of-war between wanting to be the perfect mother and not wanting to do it all is always present. Some days it’s harder than others. Add to that a marriage marred by disinterest and work addiction and you’ve got yourself quite the situation.

I can’t express how much I loved the ending to this novel. I don’t know it felt like such a sweet honor to glimpse into this time in her life. A time when she was remembering herself and her interests. A time when she allowed herself to have fun again; to care for her children but also grant herself permission to be Mizuki. It’s a story about her finding herself again. And I’m here for it.

I’d regret giving too much away, especially about the ending of this book, but I felt like Mizuki’s choices and the values she holds resonated with me. The act of parenthood is simultaneously selfish and selfless and that is so evident within Emily Itami’s book.

Happy Reading!
-Angela
@book.addicts.anonymous (Instagram)
https://www.goodreads.com/aaangelaaa (goodreads)

The Guilt Trip – Sandie Jones

High Anxiety Alert – this book had me on edge.

You’re basically inside the mind and though processes of Rachel. Rachel is a woman in her early forties, happily married to her husband, Jack, and a mother to their teenage son, Josh. The book opens when Rachel and Jack are getting ready to leave for a destination wedding. They are traveling with their best friends, Noah and Paige, and the bride-to-be, Ali. It’s an interesting dynamic. Tensions are high before they even leave.

And although the villa and destination is a true dream, Rachel certainly is living a nightmare. It’s on this trip and just day’s before the impending wedding that she starts to suspect her husband is having an affair with her future sister-in-law. Paige is really no help either, planting seeds of doubt and suspicion and Ali and Jack have certainly both been acting strange.

It all culminates at the wedding with a finale I truly did not see coming.

This is a book that will play on your nerves. Rachel is suspicious at every step, questioning and then running it back as she explains away any odd situation she’s witnessed. Her constant questioning and distrust of her husband and friends can give you whiplash. Not to say it’s unwarranted. Rachel is clearly being toyed with on this trip, but she can’t figure out who is pulling the strings.

Rachel’s feelings, while not necessarily invalid, after all, your feelings are your feelings, often felt irrational. I was so frustrated with Rachel’s anger toward the other woman and apparent apathy toward her husband’s suspected behavior. I read through this rather quick, the events all take place over the course of just a few days and yet so much happens your brain will be doing double-time to keep things straight.

Lately, I’ve found a slew of books in the domestic suspense genre that all stem from miscommunication or a lack of communication in relationships. I’m sure that is an accurate root of such high-drama events. But, one thing I’ve also noticed is the glorification of alcohol abuse in adults. Characters needing a drink to get through the day or taking the edge off by over-indulging. It’s a surprise to me because I assume as adults we know that alcohol only exacerbates any emotions or drama, it surely doesn’t do anything to alleviate pressure from a tense situation. In so many novels lately, it’s as though the characters believe it will, and I find that unrealistic? I’ve recently been learning more about glorifying alcohol abuse in moms and when you see it, it’s hard to unsee. So that did play a role in this novel and I found it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Overall though, the book was fun to read and fast-paced. A great example of reading for enjoyment and entertainment. I think it would be interesting to see this get picked up for a television series or movie, too.

Happy Reading!
-Angela
@book.addicts.anonymous (Instagram)
https://www.goodreads.com/aaangelaaa (goodreads)

If the Shoe Fits – A Cinderella retelling.

I’m convinced that everything Julie Murphy touches turns to gold. Or whatever you deem to be greater than gold. For me it might be chocolate.

I’m a sucker for a good retelling as it is so when I saw that Julie Murphy was making a Cinderella retelling for adult audiences I was committed. I’m not big on the bachelor/bachelorette franchise, like it’s pointed out in this book reality television is pretty far from “reality.” I would not begrudge anyone something that makes them happy. So if you LIVE for reality tv, please have at it! For me, it tends to give me anxiety.

But I am all about a book that focuses on this situation. I love the internal monologue that we’re privy to in a book that you can’t get from reality tv “confessionals.”

Julie Murphy’s characters are so dynamic and fun. Confident and secure in their talents and abilities as well as the way they look. Its something I strive to achieve for myself so reading about confident women who love themselves is something I’m passionate about reading and learning from.

Cindy is a girl whose a little lost. She’s just graduated from Parsons School of Design. And it isn’t what she thought it would look like. Cindy spent her first three years on fire, she had passion and talent and drive. But the death of both her mother and more recently, her father, finally caught up to her during her senior year. She felt lost in a fog of grief and a creative block. So when the idea to go on her stepmother’s reality dating show, Before Midnight, is brought up, Cindy figures, “why not?” It can’t possibly hurt her designing block she’s in and at the very least she can showcase some of her own creations with her air time and get her name out there.

What she didn’t expect was to actually LIKE the suitor. What comes next is a book full of cute and witty romantic encounters and a woman choosing herself in the most important ways. Cindy is smart and kind and clever and it’s so important that she pursues her own dreams, just like I’d want for any other woman! If you like the bachelor series, pick this up. If you like Cinderella, pick this up. If you like some meet-cute romances, pick this up! If you like strong, compassionate, witty protagonists, pick this up! Just, pick it up, trust me.

Happy Reading!
-Angela
@book.addicts.anonymous (Instagram)
https://www.goodreads.com/aaangelaaa (goodreads)

Safe in My Arms by Sara Shepard

I’ve been a Sara Shepard fan since I first sunk my teeth into the twisty ride that is her Pretty Little Liars series, raced through The Lying Game series and recently enjoyed Influence, so I was eager to get my hands on Safe in My Arms, since it seemed to be geared more toward adults.

Shepard tackled some really dramatic and relatable situations and feelings in this book! Without allowing for spoilers, I’ll say she writes about postpartum mental health, the realities and struggles of parenthood (plus the joys), and abusive family members. As her books often seem to do it is rife with secrets. Everyone has something they’re trying to hide and keep buried. Whether it’s trying to keep your past hidden as a transgender woman, trying to keep your job hidden in the topless dancer industry, or trying to keep your postpartum struggles hidden as a new mom, each of our main character is struggling to only let others see what they WANT to portray.

When the blackmail starts showing up, each character is put under pressure, realizing their secrets are not as locked away as they had hoped. It’s only when these three women, Andrea, Lauren, and Ronnie, witness an attack on the principal of their children’s preschool do they start to confide in one another. Out of necessity to protect themselves and their children, they come together and end up tackling the question of WHAT did they witness and WHO could possibly have a vendetta against a school principal.

Shepard is a master at weaving together the smallest details and playing on your nerves. You’re kept in a state of anxiety as the situation unravels and the stakes get higher.

I really enjoyed this and felt that Ms. Shepard did a great job tackling a slew of relatable and intense situations!

Happy Reading!
-Angela
@book.addicts.anonymous (Instagram)
https://www.goodreads.com/aaangelaaa (goodreads)