Sunday, March 10, 2024

Sunday Post - 03/10/24

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday was martial arts night for Big Girl and basebally practice for Big Boy. Tuesday, we went to the library and met up with some other homeschool families at the park. Then we did grocery pickup. The big kids had belt testing in martial arts that night. They don't know whether they passed or failed yet. Belt ceremony is Tuesday of this week. Wednesday was probably our best day this week for school. Everyone just got in there and did lessons without complaining about anything. Thursday, we ran to my parents to hang out. They're moving this week. Thursday night was baseball and softball practices. Friday was nice because the kids got to play outside off and on, and we had that windy weather that comes before a storm. It did rain Friday evening and all through the night. The big kids camped out in our tent in the living room Friday night and Saturday night. Husband and I were both surprised they stayed all night. Saturday, Big Girl had softball practice at an indoor facility since the fields were soaked. We also played in the yard when we got home. I'm usually booked pretty far in advance on reviews. I do have several review books that are already prepped for April and beyond, but it slipped up on me and I don't have anything prepared to post for this week. But hey, it never hurts to take a few days off.

THE PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Appointment in Bath (Somerset Stories, # 4) by Mimi Matthews (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Serpent Sea (Spice Road, # 2) by Maiya Ibrahim
Thursday: Review of With a Little Luck (Fortuna Beach, # 2) by Marissa Meyer (4 Stars)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: No blog post - Taking a personal break this week.
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday?

Don’t forget to link up for the 2024 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2024 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

NEW BOOKS:

Eight Dates

By: Dr. John Gottman & Dr. Julie Schwatz Gottman

Publication: February 5, 2019 by Workman Publishing Company

231 pages

Genre: Adult, Self-Help, Relationships, Non-fiction

( Goodreads | Amazon *Current on sale )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Strengthen and deepen your love with a fun, ingenious program of eight life-changing conversations—on essential topics such as money, sex, and trust—from two of the world’s leading marriage researchers and clinicians.

Navigating the challenges of long-term commitment takes effort—and it just got simpler, with this empowering, step-by-step guide to communicating about the things that matter most to you and your partner. Drawing on forty years of research from their world-famous Love Lab, Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman invite couples on eight fun, easy, and profoundly rewarding dates, each one focused on a make-or-break trust, conflict, sex, money, family, adventure, spirituality, and dreams.

Interactive activities and prompts provide motivation to stay open, stay curious, and, most of all, stay talking to each other. And the range—from the four skills you need for intimate conversation (including Put Into Words What You Are Feeling) to tips on being honest about your needs, while also validating your partner’s own emotions—will resonate, whether you’re newly together or a longtime couple looking to fortify your bond. You will discover (or rediscover) your partner like never before—and be able to realize your hopes and dreams for the love you desire and deserve.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Thursday, March 7, 2024

With a Little Luck - Review

With a Little Luck (Fortuna Beach, # 2)

By: Marissa Meyer

Publication: February 13, 2024 by Feiwel & Friends

368 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--After being magically gifted with incredible luck, a boy discovers this gift just may be a curse when it comes to love, in this YA novel by #1 New York Times -bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

Jude is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw his comics, host regular D&D night with his friends, work at his parents’ vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he comes across a mysterious twenty-sided dice and finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.

Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. His first art submission is accepted to his favorite fanzine. He helps his friend’s song become a finalist in a songwriting competition. And he’s the 100th caller to a local radio contest, winning him a pair of coveted concert tickets, which he uses to ask out the popular girl he’s been crushing on since elementary school. For a few blissful weeks, he feels invincible.

But when he loses the magic dice at a local music festival, his luck takes a turn for the worse. He struggles to reclaim his good fortune while fighting off long-buried feelings for his best friend―who is definitely not the girl he’s supposed to be in love with. Can Jude risk stepping into the spotlight long enough to win the true girl of his dreams? Or is he doomed to be unlucky in love forever?

The description gives too much away about With a Little Luck. But that also means that I don't have to keep all of that out of my review which makes things easier for me. I got the audiobook for With a Little Luck for review. And I have to say that I was stoked. I've reintroduced audiobooks into my life over the last couple of years, and I'm so thankful because I can probably increase the number of books "read" in a year by a third. At first, I was bummed to be denied the egalley of With a Little Luck, but this type of story is one that I enjoyed on audio probably more than I would have liked reading a physical copy of it. Stacy Carolan was the narrator, and he did an outstanding job.

I don't remember ever reading a contemporary book written solely from the male point of view. Usually, if a male voice is included, it is at least written as a dual or multiple narrative. Marissa Meyer's choice of writing only Jude's voice is probably best as it would have given too much away to have written from either Ari or Maya's perspectives.

As the description states, Jude finds a 20-sided dice, and his luck becomes undeniably good. He wins every coin toss. He is the 100th caller in a radio contest and wins tickets to a concert for the favorite artist of the girl he's been crushing on since elementary school. She agrees to go to the concert with him. And beyond that, they seem to have a great time. And even more, she's interested in joining his D&D group. I'm sure I'm missing a few other things that Jude's good luck provides him with, but you get the gist.

Things seem to be going well for Jude. While Jude is getting to spend time with Maya, his long-time crush, it's obvious to the reader that Maya just isn't interested in Jude the way that Jude wants her to be, even with the extra luck. On the other hand, Jude is helping his best friend Ari with a songwriting competition. She earns a spot to go to a live festival, and Jude, Maya, Ari, and Ezra (Jude's complete opposite, kind of friend, but also kind of nemesis) decide to go as a foursome. At the competition, Jude loses his dice. And his luck goes with it.

Of course, things were going too smoothly for Jude. And no story would be complete without conflict to overcome. I sure was beginning to feel sorry for Jude. His bad luck was almost worse than any of the good luck he ever had. In the end, Jude discovers that his crush on Maya was masking deeper feelings that he has for Ari. And I loved the idea that even bad luck can be good if it leads us to good results. Removing luck from the equation, this is how I believe God works in our lives. He works all things out for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

With a Little Luck was a fun read/listen. Jude's family is endearing, and I loved his relationships with each of his sisters. I am a sucker for tropes, and a good best friends to lovers trope is such a good one. I couldn't help but root for Jude and Ari...especially Ari. Bless her. With a Little Luck gets 4 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) With a Little Luck? What did you think? Let me know!

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Can't Wait for Serpent Sea

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Serpent Sea (The Spice Road Trilogy, # 2)

By: Maiya Ibrahim

Expected Publication: September 17, 2024 by Delacorte Press

512 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--As a Shield Immani is sworn to protect her land from the monsters across the city but as the Harrowlanders begin preparing supplies, horses and their greatest weapon—spice magic—she knows it is only a matter of time before the invasion begins…and it will be a losing battle. But Immani also knows that the only true way to fight magic is with monsters. If she can restore Qayn’s stolen powers, together they can summon an army to save Sahir. Forming an alliance with a former King turned monster might seem like the riskiest thing she can do but things are made even more dangerous by the fact that his magic is in the form of three jewels that once were encrusted in his crown but are now hidden beyond the dessert.

A forbidden quest to find the jewels might be the only way to combat the Harrowlanders but as Immani journeys across the sea, she will discover serpentines and other scaled creatures warriors have only heard about in myths…and that can strike at any moment. One wrong move could cost her life—and everyone she loves. But Immani may find there is more than meets the eye crossing the serpent sea…and betrayal cuts deeper than any dagger.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Monday, March 4, 2024

Appointment in Bath - Review

Appointment in Bath (Somerset Stories, # 4)

By: Mimi Matthews

Publication: June 27, 2023

288 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Clean Romance

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A chance meeting between the sheltered daughter and the forward-thinking son of rival Victorian families sparks a forbidden romance in USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews's fourth book in her acclaimed Somerset Stories series.

Shy and stammering Meg Burton-Smythe has spent the whole of her life living on the fringes of local society. She's more comfortable with her daydreams than she is with people. But when a dashing, golden-haired hero rides to her rescue one morning, she dares to hope that her dreams might finally come true. There's only one her handsome rescuer is the son of her father's sworn enemy.

Ivo Beresford doesn't believe in clinging to the past. Freshly returned from a lengthy grand tour, he's looking to the future, eager to spearhead the building of a new railway extension in Somersetshire. But an unexpected encounter with Meg Burton-Smythe, the isolated only daughter of his parents' oldest foe, sets the past and the future colliding.

Resolved to put ancient grudges to rest-at least where innocent young ladies are concerned-Ivo encourages lonely Meg to embark on a secret friendship. After all, what harm can a friendship do? It isn't as though there's any danger of the two of them falling in love...

I've been looking forward to Appointment in Bath since reading Return to Satterthwaite Court since Ivo and Meg's story overlaps with Kate & Charles's. Plus, Mimi Matthews is one of my auto-buy authors. Knowing the backstory between Maggie, Nicholas, and Fred, my immediate reaction to a relationship between a Beresford & a Smythe-Burton was that it could never work. So, of course, I needed to find out how Mimi Matthews would make this work.

Meg couldn't be more likable. She starts the book as meek and shy. But I love it when she discovers her backbone. She avoids the extreme of following in her father's footsteps of plain meanness or vindictive behavior. Meg is a strong female lead even when she doesn't seem that way. Her stammer and uncertainty about how others view her causes her to appear weak, but that's surface level. When the rubber meets the road, Meg stands up for herself against those closest to her and those she wants closest to her. She knows when she deserves to be treated better.

Ivo is almost singularly focused on progress. He's a visionary. He sees where improvements could be made all around him. And his two biggest visions are on moving forward and leaving the past between his parents and Meg in the past and planning a railroad expansion into their home village. Ivo's tunnel vision gets him in trouble when he doesn't notice the feelings of others that he's steamrolling right over.

Fred is probably the biggest curiosity. What will his reaction be to Meg having a relationship with a Beresford? Surely, he has to respond in some underhanded way, either regarding the relationship itself or Ivo's business venture. I won't give things away, but I liked how Mimi Matthews handled things in this area.

Favorite quotes:

-"It's because you'll have faced what you feared. Every time we do so, we emerge stronger for the experience. It's a proven fact."

-"The important things are often difficult to say."

-"He m-may not love me, but he doesn't strike me. He doesn't lock me away in the tower." "A low bar."

-"Is love not something you need?"

-"But he m-might say things. He m-might lose his t-temper." "So what if he does. His words can't harm me."

-"I must blame the mistletoe. Potent stuff, that."

-"You're more than your circumstances."

-"Humans have an infinite capacity for change. We've no need to fear it. To change is to survive."

As always, I enjoyed Appointment in Bath and read it in about two days. Mimi Matthews is one of my favorite authors. Her characters are always deep and multi-layered. Meg and Ivo were no different. And I enjoyed getting to see Fred in quite a sorry state. Our actions do have consequences after all. And now I can't wait for James and Hannah's story, coming soon. Appointment in Bath gets 4 Stars. Have you read Appointment in Bath? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Sunday Post - 03/03/24

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

This was a quick week. Hopefully this is our last one double timing extra-curricular activities. Monday, I kept Baby Boy home from MDO. He was coughing pretty bad. No fever thankfully. I took Big Girl to martial arts and Husband took Little Boy to baseball. Baby Boy woke up at 4 am coughing. After getting up several times, I ended up putting him in the bed with us. We didn't sleep peacefully the rest of the morning, but we did get to sleep a little late. Tuesday, we did our normal grocery pick up. We were a little lazier than normal because I wasn't feeling well either. Big kids had martial arts. Wednesday was a normal day. Thursday was a lot. First I took the big kids to my parent's house. Then I took Little Boy with me to the doctor for his 3 year checkup. All went well there. They did tell us that his blood work showed he was fighting a virus which makes sense considering his symptoms. We went back to my parent's house to hang out until time to come home. Then the big kids had martial arts. Immediately from there, Big Boy had baseball. Big sister had to hang out until her softball practice after. Her practice got cut short due to temperatures. Friday, I had to run an Amazon return to the UPS store. Then we had school as normal. It was raining all day so the kids couldn't get outside to get their energy out which meant for a loud day. Both kids were supposed to have ball practices on Saturday but the rain drenched the fields and practices were cancelled. I don't mind, but it does mean Big Boy has had almost two weeks of practices more than Big Girl. I finished two books this week and I've made a pretty big dent on another one.

THE PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of For Letter or Worse by Esther Hatch (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for To Love the Brooding Baron by Jentry Flint
Thursday: Review of Nyxia (The Nyxia Triad, # 1) by Scott Reintgen (4 Stars)
Friday: January & February 2024 EOM Wrap Ups

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of An Appointment in Bath (Somerset Stories, # 4) by Mimi Matthews
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday?
Thursday: 13th Blogoversary

Don’t forget to link up for the 2024 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2024 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

NEW BOOKS:

These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows, # 1)

By: Lexi Ryan

Publication: July 20, 2021 by HMH

448 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fae

Source: Borrowed from the e-library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From New York Times best-selling author Lexi Ryan, Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses in this sexy, action-packed fantasy about a girl who is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes.

Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she'll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.

Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie's only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.

Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.

Kiss Me, Catalina (Queens of Mariachi, # 2)

By: Priscilla Oliveras

Publication: November 1, 2022 by Montlake

280 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal kindle library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Dreams come true for an untamable rising star and a mariachi idol in a rousing romance about passion, fame, and family by USA Today bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras.

Ambitious San Antonio singer Catalina “Cat” Capuleta gets the chance of a lifetime when she joins superstar heartthrob and fellow mariachi Patricio Galán on his seven-week concert tour. Demanding and arrogant, Patricio challenges Cat on every level, as an artist and as a woman. But headstrong Cat is determined to be his match. No matter how seductive Patricio’s baritone voice, Cat’s eyes are only on the success and making her familia proud.

No woman gets under Patricio’s skin like Cat. Her talent mesmerizes. Her passion is thrilling. And her drive, stemming from an old unhealed family wound, exposes a vulnerability he secretly recognizes in himself.

When the duo hits the road, the sparks don’t just fly—they detonate. Stage by stage, as each reckons with the past—and with each other’s quick-fire personalities—they bring crowds to their feet, and Cat’s long-held dreams come true. Will their road romance go up in flames? Or could making music together kindle the most rapturous love song of their lives?

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!