Tag: contemporary

Book Review: The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily

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The Twelve Days of Dash and LilyThe Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think it’s safe to say that I absolutely loved Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares so I was really, really excited to get my hands on this, the sequel. Dash and Lily made such a cute couple and I loved the funny adventures they had as they raced around New York carrying out a series of tasks and meeting the most eccentric cast of characters along the way.

The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily had a lot to live up to, possibly too much, but while it doesn’t quite reach the dizzying heights of the first book it’s still a really good read. It takes place a year later and is a very different type of book. Dash and Lily have both grown up a bit and are now in a steady long term relationship. Lily in particular, has had some shocks which have shaken her up and left her without her usual joy and Christmas spirit. It’s up to Dash, with some help from Lily’s brother Langston and their friends, to help Lily find her happy again but is it too late.

Given the depression that Lily seems to have fallen into at the beginning of this story it’s unsurprising that the book is missing a lot of the fun and laughs from Book of Dares. There’s not much in the way of holiday cheer despite the best efforts of Dash and I think that’s why I didn’t love it as much as I hoped. There is the odd moment which made me laugh but a lot of it left me feeling a little bit down. It doesn’t help that Dash and Lily seem to be having problems in their relationship. They’ve lost the spark and a series of misunderstandings and lack of communication is making it look like they may not have a future.

While there is quite a bit of angst in this story there is still the odd funny moment. Dash’s best friend Boomer steals pretty much every scene he’s in and the arguments between Dash and Lily’s brother Langston were a definite highlight.

The writing, as you would expect, remains brilliant and the characters are very real. While most of the story is not that happy, it’s probably more believable than the first book. Bad things do happen, people don’t always cope well and relationships hit rocky patches.

If you’re looking for a book that will fill you with happiness and holiday cheer this may not be for you but if you’re looking for something real I’d definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. As always all views are my own.

The Blurb (from GoodReads)

Dash and Lily have had a tough year since they first fell in love among the shelves of their favorite bookstore. Lily’s beloved grandfather suffered a heart attack, and his difficult road to recovery has taken a major toll on her typically sunny disposition.

With only twelve days left until Christmas—Lily’s favorite time of the year—Dash, Lily’s brother Langston, and their closest friends must take Manhattan by storm to help Lily recapture the unique holiday magic of a glittering, snow-covered New York City in December.

Book Review: Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares

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Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (Dash & Lily, #1)Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

My rating: 5 big fat santa stars

Where has this book been all my life? Why did no one tell me how good it was? I loved this book sooo much. I think it could be my all time favorite Christmas read

It’s very, very cute and innocent and extremely funny. I don’t think I’ve ever highlighted so many sentences in a story before or had such a difficult time trying not to laugh when reading on the train (scene when Dash goes to visit Santa, that’s all I’m saying). If you’re looking for the perfect book to get you in the festive spirit or even just a book to make you smile I’d definitely recommend Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares.Read More »

Review: Faithful by Alice Hoffman

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FaithfulFaithful by Alice Hoffman

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

A beautifully written and emotional story I loved this book so much more than I expected I would. It is for the most part a sad story but the occasional moments of light and hope make it very engaging.

Despite the fact that she has written around thirty books this is the first Alice Hoffman book I’ve read, I think I felt they just weren’t my type of book, but when someone recommended this, her latest work, I thought why not. I am so glad I took their advice.

I’m not entirely sure how I would classify this book as it begins very much like a young adult contemporary but develops into a much more grown up story. It’s primarily about working out what’s important in life, recognizing the love and support family and friends provide and making the most of our time together. It left me kind of wanting to hug everyone I know and tell them I care about them.

The story follows Shelby Richmond over the period of about a decade. It begins a couple of years after a tragic car accident has transformed Shelby into a completely different person from the confident and popular girl she was in school and has left her best friend Helene in a coma. Full of survivors guilt, post traumatic stress and let down by those treating her for depression she believes she is nothing and doesn’t deserve the life she had planned out. She goes nowhere, does nothing and has absolutely no hope except when she begins to receive mysterious postcards giving her the motivation to take some action.

Whoever is writing these postcards seems to know exactly how she feels and what she needs and while the sender is a mystery they give her the push she needs to move out of her parents house, meet new people and begin to rebuild her life.

As I said, it’s not a happy story. In fact parts of it are depressing as hell but sometimes you just need this kind of emotional read. I don’t think I’ve cried this much over a book in a long time. It’s definitely not one I’d recommend reading while on public transport.

Main character Shelby is complicated and feels very real. There were aspects to her I loved, others I hated (she treats another character atrociously) and some which frustrated me no end. The most important thing though was that I cared and I could empathize with a lot of her feelings despite not having gone through anything like she has.

The other characters are just as complex and believable in their own way and the relationships between them were just the same. Her relationship with her mother in particular really got to me and the love her mum had for her was heartbreaking to read at times.

The book does cover a fairly long period of time but for the most part the timing felt right. It focuses in on specific periods then skims over others. My one gripe is that there were certain parts I wanted more of but I suppose that would have made the book considerably longer which may have made it less poignant.

There is also a little bit of weirdness around the Helene bit of the story which is necessary for the plot but seemed inexplicable to me in terms of certain characters behavior. Without giving too much away her parents keep her in some kind of limbo for years, not dead but not really alive either. This means that no one really gets any kind of closure which I think is the reasoning for it in the story but it just seems odd and other aspects I won’t go into are odder still.

These are however pretty minor quibbles in a story I loved a lot. I’m not sure it’s a book I’d want to read again (I don’t think I could go through the emotional turmoil more than once) but it’s definitely one I’d recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy. All views are my own.

Blurb (from GoodReads)

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and The Dovekeepers comes a soul-searching story about a young woman struggling to redefine herself and the power of love, family, and fate.

Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend’s future is destroyed in an accident, while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt.

What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithfulis the story of a survivor, filled with emotion—from dark suffering to true happiness—a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world. A fan of Chinese food, dogs, bookstores, and men she should stay away from, Shelby has to fight her way back to her own future. In New York City she finds a circle of lost and found souls—including an angel who’s been watching over her ever since that fateful icy night.

Here is a character you will fall in love with, so believable and real and endearing, that she captures both the ache of loneliness and the joy of finding yourself at last. For anyone who’s ever been a hurt teenager, for every mother of a daughter who has lost her way, Faithful is a roadmap.

Alice Hoffman’s “trademark alchemy” (USA TODAY) and her ability to write about the “delicate balance between the everyday world and the extraordinary” (WBUR) make this an unforgettable story. With beautifully crafted prose, Alice Hoffman spins hope from heartbreak in this profoundly moving novel.

ARC Review: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

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The Sun Is Also a StarThe Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having never read any of Nicola Yoon’s other books I wasn’t sure what to expect from this but as I’d heard a lot about her previous book Everything, Everything I had high hopes.

YA contemporary stories can be a bit hit or miss for me but in this Yoon has created a story that’s intelligent, sweet, emotional and at the same time deep. It did take a little while to grow on me but by the end I was completely invested in the story and the characters and that ending was just incredible.
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ARC Review: All She Ever Wished For by Claudia Carroll

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All She Ever Wished ForAll She Ever Wished For by Claudia Carroll

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Probably wrongly, I feel a little bit misled by this book. Based on the cover, the title and the release date of October I kind of thought that this was going to be a Christmas romance and unfortunately it’s not. I no doubt should have paid a bit more attention to the blurb but I just got too excited about a Claudia Carroll Christmas story. I absolutely loved Meet Me In Manhattan and would probably rate it as one of my all time favourite Christmas romances.

Alas in this case it was not to be. That’s not to say this is not a great story, because it is. It’s the story of two women, Kate and Tess who are at very different points in their lives. Kate’s marriage to billionaire Damien King is over and Tess is planning her wedding to art historian Bernard. Their lives intersect one day on the Ha’penny bridge, when Tess comes across Kate in tears, and then a couple of years later when Tess is called for jury duty and ends up embroiled in a legal dispute between Kate and Damien over a painting.

The chapters alternate between Tess and Kate for the most part (Bernard gets a couple of chapters) with Tess’s chapters set in the present and telling the story of her wedding plans, the court case and her relationship with Bernard, his family and hers. Kate’s chapters are mostly flashbacks, telling the story of her relationship with Damien from their first meeting to the events that resulted in them in court battling over custody of a painting.

I have to admit that initially I found the story a little on the slow side and this wasn’t helped by the fact that I didn’t really take to either Tess or Kate. Both came across as quite weak characters, with Tess particularly frustrating me with her blindness to the fact that she and Bernard were a complete mismatch.

Where the story really picks up however is when the court case begins. I really enjoyed Tess’s attempts to get out of jury duty and loved some of the conversations between the jurors who are primarily composed of pensioners.

I don’t think I ever took to Kate unfortunately and this is probably the main reason why I rated it as I did. The flashbacks were interesting but as a lot of them were in the form of newspaper articles it was kind of difficult to get that connection. She felt a bit absent to me and honestly I don’t think I cared what the outcome of the case would be.

Bernard and his family were also a little annoying to me. They were just that bit too stereotyped as socially awkward, eccentric, intellectuals. I think I spent most of the story waiting for Tess to come to her senses and call the wedding off which I suppose in a way did keep me reading.

As a Claudia Carroll book it is well written and there is some fantastic dialogue but it just seemed to be missing that little spark for me.

Overall, therefore I’d say good rather than great.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb (from GoodReads)

A gorgeous story of chance meetings and unexpected friendships . . . because sometimes what you’ve always wished for isn’t necessarily what life has in store . . .

Marriage. It’s a dream come true. Isn’t it?

One wet winter night, two women meet on a bridge. One is Tess Taylor, a personal trainer on the way to meet her boyfriend for date night. The other is Kate King, a celebrity married to a handsome billionaire who just happens to make her cry. In the cold dark evening, there is nothing to link them together but the bridge they shiver on. Little do they know they’ll both hold the key to each other’s future marriage…

All She Ever Wished For tells the story of what happens when your dream is about to come true. And what happens when that dream turns into a bit of a nightmare…

Book Review: Resistance is Futile by Jenny Colgan

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Resistance is FutileResistance is Futile by Jenny Colgan

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Funny, brilliant, weird, sad, quirky and cute.

Resistance is Futile is definitely Jenny Colgan at her best and I loved this book from almost the very first page to that incredible ending.

This is science fiction with a big dollop of romance thrown in. It’s one for nerdy girls everywhere who like math and science and are looking for a quirky and adorable story with lots of laughs.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

Connie thinks she’s never met anyone quite like Luke Beith before.

She has no idea how right she is.

As a high-ranking mathematician in a male-dominated field – with bright red hair – Connie’s used to being considered a little unusual.

But she’s nowhere near as peculiar as Luke, who is recruited to work alongside her on a top-secret code breaking project.

Just what is this bizarre sequence they’re studying? It isn’t a solution to the global energy crisis. It isn’t a new wavelength to sell microwave ovens. The numbers are trying to tell them something . . . and it seems only Luke knows what.

The truth is out there. Will Connie dare to find it?

In this whirlwind adventure, Sunday Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan boldly goes where no author has gone before . . .

Thoughts

It’s described on the back of the book as “a charmingly quirky tale of love, friendship . . . and the possible obliteration of mankind” and I think that actually sums it up quite nicely.

I have to admit it was the title’s reference to Star Trek: TNG together with that description that initially drew me to this book when I spotted it in the library. I’ve always been a big fan of Jenny Colgan but this promised something a bit different from her recent food themed chick lit. I was always a pretty big Star Trek fan and love shows like the Big Bang Theory and Doctor Who and this has elements of all of those mixed in.

It’s pretty much impossible to say a lot about the plot without giving much away (hence the synopsis from GoodReads) but it’s mostly about a group of mathematicians brought together to try to solve some mysterious code (that’s probably nothing…honest) and the relationships between them. I absolutely loved the math and science theme that runs throughout this book and there are a lot of jokes about mathematicians, physicists and other scientists that had me laughing out loud (I’d recommend you don’t read this book in public).

The characters are probably the highlight of this book and Jenny has a fantastic ability to create unique ones that you really won’t forget. Luke was by far my favourite and I felt like I could almost see and hear him he was so real. His behaviour and statements definitely fall into the distinctly odd category (when he first appears he’s pushing a piano across a field) but there is something very endearing about him. I wanted to hug him or adopt him and could definitely understand why he fascinated Connie so much.

Main character Connie is also pretty great. It’s so good to see a brilliantly intelligent woman in a male dominated career like mathematics and there just aren’t enough books like this. She seems to be the most sensible and normal of the bunch despite being something of an anomaly. For the most part she’s the voice of reason in a group of the socially inept but she’s still totally out of her depth when it comes to Luke.

At their very first meeting he can’t look anywhere but at her bright red hair. He even takes to calling her Hair. He seems fascinated by her and she feels the same about him. She’s kind of used to mathematicians being a bit odd but he’s on another level.

The other characters are also great, from American Arthur who believes “the man” is out to get him, to Ranjit who gets far too excited and Evelyn the only other female mathematician who’s kind of like the mother to the group.

The story goes at a pretty good pace and there’s lots of action and excitement mixed in with mathematical theories. I do have a bit of a math brain but have to admit most of the maths and science stuff was beyond me so had no idea what they were talking about but it sounded convincing (and there isn’t too much of it). There was the odd bit I found myself skimming over (mostly told from the pov of another character) but other than that I thought the whole thing was a great read.

Definitely one I’d recommend if you like your chick lit a tiny big weird and quirky. I’ve actually just realised Jenny has written a Doctor Who book so I’m off to try to track that down.

 

Book Review: Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick

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Every Exquisite ThingEvery Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Every Exquisite Thing is the first book I’ve read by this author and I have to say I’m impressed.

It wasn’t at all what I was expecting but was just what I needed. It’s a story about not fitting in, figuring out what you want to do with your life and what kind of person you want to be.

It’s quirky, emotional and strangely addictive. If you like books that are a little bit different from the norm I would recommend you read it now.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

From Matthew Quick, bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook , comes a heartfelt, unconventional and moving novel for readers who love John Green and Annabel Pitcher.

Nanette O’Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hard-working student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper – the mysterious, out-of-print cult-classic – the rebel within Nanette awakens.

As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young but troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that sometimes rebellion comes at a high price.

A celebration of the self and the formidable power of story, Every Exquisite Thing is Matthew Quick at his finest.

Thoughts

OK first up, I hate that it’s compared to John Green in the blurb. It seems at the moment that every contemporary YA read is “for readers who love John Green“. Personally I’m not a fan of John Green and found Looking for Alaska to be pretty boring. This book is so much better than that and that comparison nearly put me off reading it. In my opinion Every Exquisite Thing is also for readers who don’t particularly like John Green 🙂

Anyway, minor John Green rant over….

It’s actually really difficult to put into words what’s so great about Every Exquisite Thing as it’s such a hard book to describe. It is a sort of coming of age story but it’s very different from the usual and I think that’s what I loved about it. I’m a big fan of anything that’s kind of weird and this book is definitely that.

The story centers around Nanette who from outward appearance seems to have everything sorted. She has plenty of friends, gets good grades and is looking at a very bright future but in reality she’s not sure it’s a future she wants. She’s doing everything she can to hold everything together and trying to please everyone but once she reads a book titled the Bubblegum Reaper she decides to just stop.

The Bubblegum Reaper starts her thinking about things and desperate to know the real meaning behind it she tracks down the reclusive author and develops a friendship with him. Through him she meets others who have been captivated by the book including a poet who she begins a relationship with.

I loved how the ideas in a book somehow managed to inspire her to act, to stand up for herself. As an avid reader I can certainly think of a number of books that have inspired me to some kind of action. I could also definitely relate to that feeling of being trapped in a life you’ve somehow fallen into but may not actually want. Going through the motions for lack of a better idea of what to do. It was fascinating to watch Nanette rebelling as she fought to be and do what she wanted. She’s a well written and engaging character and you can’t be sure what she’ll do next.

The other characters were equally fascinating. All flawed in their own ways. Struggling to find their place in the world and in some cases very troubled and mixed up. There’s a lot of emotion and feeling in the story and I think that’s what made is so appealing to me. It’s not an action packed story but the pacing is just right and the dialogue is pretty much perfect.

I was going to say I enjoyed it immensely but enjoyed isn’t quite the right word. It’s probably more that it kept me enthralled from start to finish. Definitely a read I’d recommend for all who like a good YA contemporary (whether you’re a John Green fan or not).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Book Review: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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The Problem with ForeverThe Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Liked this book a lot but didn’t get the feels I was hoping for…sorry.

This was my first book by Jennifer L. Armentrout and having heard so many great things about her I wanted to love this so much. I haven’t always had the best relationship with YA contemporary stories but I thought for sure that this book would be packed full of emotion. Unfortunately however I just didn’t feel it.

It deals with some really difficult and uncomfortable issues and I think handles them in a responsible and very genuine way. While there is a lot going on, abuse, PTSD, drug dealing, loss and bullying it’s written in such a way as to make it seem very realistic (although I don’t have much experience of most of it).

Synopsis

Main character Mallory (aka Mouse) was raised in an abusive foster home where she learned that the best way to keep out of trouble is to keep out of sight and keep quiet. While it’s 4 years later and she’s in a new and supportive home and has had lots of counselling she still doesn’t like to talk and prefers to avoid notice. Having been home schooled for the past few years she decides it’s time to face her fears and go to school.

It comes as a big surprise though when she bumps into Rider, the boy who used to try to protect her and who she hasn’t seen since a terrible event set them on different paths. He resumes his role as her protector but they’re both older now and things have changed. They come from different worlds so despite their shared past they may not have a future.

Thoughts

It was definitely interesting reading a book with a main character like Mallory. I haven’t come across many books where the main character doesn’t say much and is afraid of pretty much everything. I felt so sorry for her but still occasionally found myself getting frustrated with her and just wishing she would speak up for herself rather than letting others push her around and make decisions for her. I loved how she developed over the course of the story but I also liked how there was no instant cure. The one part I could really relate to was the social anxiety, the fear of having to go into a big group of people, to have to stand up and speak in front of others and I thought the author portrayed this very well.

Rider was possibly the sweetest guy ever and I think I fell a little bit in love with him. He did have the bad boy thing going but his reaction in seeing Mallory and at a couple of other points did ever so slightly break my heart.

Where I think my issue lay, was the relationship between them. Yes it was quite sweet, but I didn’t feel any real spark between them and in a book where the relationship is the central part of the story that’s a problem. I didn’t feel myself rooting for them so while I kind of hoped they’d get together and sort everything out it wouldn’t have been the end of my world if they hadn’t.

My other main criticism is the length. At 480 pages it’s a little on the long side. If it had really grabbed me it wouldn’t have been an issue but for me it did feel long. The writing is good but I did find there was an over emphasis in getting the very positive message across. I’m a little older than the target audience and have become quite cynical and negative in my old age so maybe it’s just me and younger readers will find it more inspirational.

I think if you’re a fan of Colleen Hoover and Sarah Dessen this book will be perfect for you. However it wasn’t as good as I was hoping.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan

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You Know Me WellYou Know Me Well by David Levithan & Nina LaCour

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You Know Me Well is a fantastically well written story about friendship, love and working out what you want to do with your life set during San Francisco’s Pride Festival. As you can probably tell there is a strong LGBT element however it deals with issues that everyone has faced at some point in their lives regardless of sexual orientation.

It’s an enjoyable and emotional read that once I started I just couldn’t put down. Although the time period covered is short, there is a real journey for all of the characters and I found myself really rooting for them and caring for them. I could definitely relate to a lot of the issues and problems they faced.

If you like YA contemporary books with a lot of feels I think you’ll definitely enjoy this book.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

Who knows you well? Your best friend? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? A stranger you meet on a crazy night? No one, really?

Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed.

That is until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.

When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other — and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more.

Thoughts

I think I spent around the first third of this book trying to figure out what film it reminded me of. It drove me nuts for ages until I finally figured out it was Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. It just had that indie, crazy night out, quirky character type vibe to it. As you all probably know (but I didn’t) David Levithan co wrote the book the film is based on which is no doubt why it felt so familiar to me and why I enjoyed it so much.

The story starts with Mark and Kate meeting in a bar at the start of the Pride Festival. Kate is supposed to be somewhere else meeting a girl she’s been fantasizing about for ages and Mark has been abandoned by his best friend Ryan, the boy he’s been in love with forever but who may not feel the same. Both are at a bit of a cross roads in their lives, having a bit of personal crisis but discover in each other the person they need at that point in time.

I think most people will have met someone at some point that they just instantly click with and that’s what happens with Mark and Kate. It’s so great to read a story about friendship rather than romance and that’s exactly what this is. It’s about finding and keeping people in your life who will support you, advise you, encourage you to take chances and be there for you if/when it all goes wrong.

Don’t get me wrong there is a little bit of love and romance but it’s the realistic, non perfect kind rather than hearts and flowers and everyone living happily ever after. It’s unrequited love, fear of putting yourself out there and saying how you feel, feeling not good enough and being rejected (or accepted). Basically it’s real life as a teenager at that crucial point in time when you’re leaving school and deciding what you want to do with your life.

Of the two main characters I think Mark was probably my favourite. He’s the openly gay jock who’s madly in love with his best friend Ryan but is scared to tell him as he has a suspicion his feelings aren’t returned. He was just so sweet and nice, devoted to Ryan but terrified of telling him in case he loses him. I was so proud of him throughout the story and just wanted to hug him.

Kate (or Katie) was a little harder to warm up to but I think that was more due to frustration with her than dislike. She’s a talented artist who seems to achieve everything she wants but is terrified of going for it. She’s been accepted to one of the best art programmes, has the chance at an exhibition and is due to meet the girl she’s been dreaming of forever but just wants to run away from it all because she doesn’t think she’s worthy. I could definitely relate to that feeling but it didn’t make it any less annoying. The main thing I loved about her however was the way she supported her friends.

The other characters in the book were also exceptionally well written. I loved them at times, they annoyed me at others but they were just very real. I’ve definitely met at least some of them in my non book life.

Each chapter of the story alternates between Mark and Kate’s perspective and I assume with the two authors David wrote Mark’s chapters and Nina Kate’s (although I don’t know for definite). This works incredibly well and the flow feels very natural and easy rather than in any way disjointed. Overall I thought the story was well paced. It’s contemporary young adult so there’s obviously not going to be a huge amount of action and excitement but it definitely had me hooked and wanting to know how it would all end.

There were a lot of moments that made me laugh and smile and the occasional tear so it’s safe to say I enjoyed it a lot. If you like this genre (and possibly even if you don’t) I think you’ll really like this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. It’s released on the 2nd June in the UK.