EOM Wrap Ups for June & July 2021

You guys, this year has been chaos. I'm barely keeping my head above water with reading and blogging. But I just realized that I haven't done a monthly wrap up for June or July...even after I missed January to May and had to recap in June. Ugh! I'll get it together soon, I hope.

June

I read 1 book (not including children's books). *These qualify for the 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
*Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7) by Sarah J Maas

I reviewed 1 book. *These qualify for the 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
The Layover by Lacie Waldon

Other Posts:
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 06/06/21
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 06/13/21
Sunday Post - 06/20/21
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 06/27/21
Top Ten Summer 2021 TBR List
Top Ten Bookish Wishes
Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Q3/Q4 2021
Can't Wait for The Singles Table (Marriage Game, # 3) by Sara Desai
Can't Wait for The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young
Can't Wait for The Siren of Sussex (Belles of London, # 1) by Mimi Matthews
Can't Wait for A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh & Fire, # 1) by Jennifer L Armentrout
2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge - June
EOM Wrap Ups for January - May 2021

July

>

I read 9 books (not including children's books). *These qualify for the 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
The Shaadi Set-Up by Lillie Vale
The Dating Plan (Marriage Game, # 2) by Sara Desai
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff by Dana K White
A Proper Scoundrel (Proper Scandal, # 3) by Esther Hatch
*The Prince of Spies (Hope & Glory, # 3) by Elizabeth Camden
Winning the Schoolmarm: Wyoming Legacy (Wind River Hearts, #14) by Lacy Williams
An Engagement of Sorts by Alene Wecker
To Marry an Earl by Karen Thornell
Forever Wild (Simple Wild, # 2.5) by KA Tucker

I have reviewed 3 books. *These qualify for the 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
The Dating Plan (Marriage Game, # 2) by Sara Desai
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff by Dana K White
A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram, # 2) by Darynda Jones

Other Posts:
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 07/04/21
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 07/11/21
Sunday Post - 07/18/21
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 07/25/21
Can't Wait for Sway with Me by Syed M Masood
Can't Wait for The Color of Dragons by R.A. Salvatore & Erika Lewis
Can't Wait for As If on Cue by Marisa Kanter
Can't Wait for Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words (Chain Masala Club, #1) by Annika Sharma
2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge - July Wrap Up
Email Subscription Services Update

Goals:
I'm ahead on my Bible-in-a-year plan.
I've read 24 out of 52 books (including children's books).
I've read 2 out of 5-10 series enders.

Can't Wait for Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words

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.

Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words (Chain Masala Club, #1)

By: Annika Sharma

Expected Publication: October 5th 2021 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

384 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A charming NYC romance by co-host of the Woke Desi, for fans of:
• multicultural connections
• strong friendships and families
• a “will they/won’t they” story with powerful stakes
• the city that never sleeps
• bucket list adventures
• characters who fight outside expectations and pressures to build the life they want

Kiran needs to fall in line. Instead, she falls in love.

Kiran was the good daughter. When her sister disobeyed her family’s plan and brought them shame, she was there to pick up the pieces. She vowed she wouldn’t make the same mistakes. She’d be twice the daughter her parents needed, to make up for the one they lost.

Nash never had a family. The parents who were supposed to raise him were completely absent. Now as a psychologist, he sees the same pattern happening to the kids he works with. So he turns away from love and family. After all, abandonment is in his genes, isn’t it?

If she follows the rules, Kiran will marry an Indian man. If he follows his fears, Nash will wind up alone. But what if they follow their hearts?

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

A Good Day for Chardonnay - Review

A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram, # 2)

By: Darynda Jones

Expected Publication: July 27th 2021 by St. Martin's Press

400 pages

Genre: Adult, Mystery, Fantasy, Humor

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From the New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones comes the second novel in her laugh-out-loud Sunshine Vicram mystery series, A Good Day for Chardonnay.

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff--and even fuller-time coffee guzzler--Sunshine Vicram, didn't get that memo.

All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that's about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny's got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he's not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She's seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn't know when to quit, Sunny's life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.

Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

A Good Day for Chardonnay was one of my most anticipated reads for 2021. Darynda Jones does a great job writing quirky female leads. I can't lie. Sunshine and Levi are the reason I was anticipating this book so much. Would they be able to work through some of their history and tension to make progress or move forward? I needed to know. I also had several theories concerning Sunshine's abduction, rescue, and Auri's parentage that I wanted to see if I was right about. (Spoiler alert: I was.)

As usual there are multiple mysteries going on within one book. There's the main mystery, Keith Seabright getting stabbed. Who did it? And how does it relate to Sunshine's first unsolved case of her detective career. There's also the ongoing search for the Dangerous Daughters rumored to run the town. Sunshine still doesn't know the details of her abduction and rescue due to retrograde amnesia. And then also Auri begins researching a series of missing persons cases that she believes points straight to Mrs. Fairborn. Darynda Jones wraps all of these mysteries together in just the right way.

One of this author's talents is bringing her characters to life. Every single character comes off the page no matter how little of a part they have in the story. Sunshine, Levi, Quincy, Auri, Cruz, Sybil, Poetry, Zee, Mrs. Fairborn, Sunshine's parents, Wynn, Jimmy, even Keith Seabright who technically never even had a scene but was only mentioned feels like a complete character.

I really feel like I should have much more to say about A Good Day for Chardonnay, but I don't want to spoil anything. I've had little time to read since Baby Boy was born in January, and I devoured this book. I even sacrificed sleep (okay okay just a potential nap) in order to finish. The next book will also be on my most anticipated list for next year. A Good Day for Chardonnay gets 4.5 Stars. I can't wait for more. Have you read A Good Day for Chardonnay? What did you think? Let me know!

2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge - July Wrap Up

Time for our Monthly Wrap Up for the 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge hosted by Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know and Holly @ Words Fueled by Love!

Holly hasn't finished any series enders this month. Sandy finished Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7) by Sarah J Maas & The Prince of Spies (Hope & Glory, # 3) by Elizabeth Camden.

Which series enders did you finish? Link the up below. Don't forget to include the title, your name, & your blog name (Ex: Requiem - Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know) Also, the July giveaway runs from July 25th - August 25th. On August 25th we will use random.org and the linky entries to pull a grand prize winner.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 07/25/21

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.

Husband and I went by the house Tuesday night to grab some things I sold on eBay. It's so exciting to see progress made. At the same time, I'm disheartened every time I see how much needs to be cleaned up. I know the builders will clean a lot of the mess themselves, but the whole house needs such a deep clean. Wednesday, Baby Boy turned 6 months old. I can't believe he's halfway through his first year. He tried sweet potatoes for the first time. Bless him, he didn't seem to like them much. He didn't cry the entire time like Little Boy did. We also met with the builders to discuss cabinet layout. Little Girl got into a fire ant bed and got her entire foot covered in ant bites. Little Boy busted his lip. Wednesday was an eventful day. Thursday my mom went back to Mobile to help with Nanny.

THE PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K White (5 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for As If on Cue by Marisa Kanter

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram, # 2) by Darynda Jones
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2021 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!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

An Engagement of Sorts

By: Alene Wecker

Expected Publication: August 9th 2021 by Covenant Communications

? pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Much to her mother’s dismay, spirited Anne Fletcher spent her youth seeking her father’s approval by hunting and riding. More comfortable in breeches than ball gowns, Anne sees the freedoms she once enjoyed slowly taken from her in the name of fashioning her into an eligible young lady. When her parents try to force her into marriage, Anne makes a desperate attempt to salvage her last vestige of independence. If she is to marry, she will do so on her own terms.

Anne strikes a deal: if she cannot secure a man for herself, she will agree to marry the husband her parents approved. She soon finds herself in the last place she would ever choose—that stifling parade of etiquette, the London Season. Anne’s plan is in motion. Now all she needs is a man willing to masquerade as her fiancé.

To Marry an Earl

By: Karen Thornell

Expected Publication: September 1st 2021 by Covenant Communications

? pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Katherine Cartwright knows through bitter experience that true love is fiction and trust should not be bestowed easily. Now, after two unsuccessful London Seasons, her atrocious father has decided to marry her off to the highest bidder to pay for his gambling debts, ridding himself of the daughter he never wanted. A profitable deal is struck, and Kate is packed off to the home of her betrothed, an earl she has never met. Or so she believes.

When James Fenwick, the new Earl of Bowcott, learns that the girl he’s loved since childhood is being sold off like chattel, he’s determined to step in and save her. He makes an offer her father cannot refuse and insists on a proper engagement. But when Kate meets James again, her old friend cannot bring himself to admit it is him whom she is to marry. Soon, an intricate charade and a past that cannot be escaped jeopardize James’s chance at rekindling their friendship, to say nothing of winning Kate’s heart. Can love truly conquer all, or was this a match doomed from the start?

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!

Can't Wait for As If on Cue

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.

As If on Cue

By: Marisa Kanter

Expected Publication: September 21st 2021 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young

352 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A pair of fierce foes are forced to work together to save the arts at their school in this swoony YA enemies-to-lovers romance that fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson are sure to adore.

Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.

But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

Except Natalie and Reid.

Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…

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

Decluttering at the Speed of Life - Review

Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff

By: Dana K White

Publication: February 27th 2018 by Thomas Nelson

240 pages

Genre: Non-fiction, Self-Help

Source: Personal Audiobook Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--You don't have to live overwhelmed by stuff--you can get rid of clutter for good!

While the world seems to be in love with the idea of tiny houses and minimalism, many of us simply can't purge it all and start from nothing. Yet a home with too much stuff is a home that is difficult to maintain, so where do we begin? Add in paralyzing emotional attachments and constant life challenges, and it can feel almost impossible to make real decluttering progress.

In Decluttering at the Speed of Life, decluttering expert and author Dana White identifies the mind-sets and emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter. Then, in her signature humorous approach, she provides workable solutions to break through these struggles and get clutter out--for good!

But more than simply offering strategies, Dana dives deep into how to implement them, no matter the reader's clutter level or emotional resistance to decluttering. She helps identify procrasticlutter--the stuff that will get done eventually so it doesn't seem urgent--as well as how to make progress when there's no time to declutter.

Sections of the book include

Why You Need This Book (You Know Why)
Your Unique Home
Decluttering in the Midst of Real Life
Change Your Mind, Change Your Home
Breaking Through Your Decluttering Delusions
Working It Out Room by Room
Helping Others Declutter
Real Life Goes On (and On)

As long as we're living and breathing, new clutter will appear. The good news is that decluttering can get easier, become more natural, and require significantly fewer hours, less emotional bandwidth, and little to no sweat to keep going.

I have slowly begun the journey into decluttering and minimalism. I have tried and failed to keep my house under control. And what I keep coming back around to time and time again is that we have too much stuff. I started researching by following a few people on YouTube. One person led me to another and eventually I came upon A Slob Comes Clean. Dana is the face behind this channel and she's written two books: How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind and Decluttering at the Speed of Life. Decluttering at the Speed of Life went on a sale with Chirp and I had a gift card for my birthday that I ended up using. And this was the perfect book for me to jump into at just the right time.

Dana K White narrates the audio version and to me that makes the book. She knows exactly where she wrote emphasis and the tone she would use when writing the words. It just makes logical sense for her to do the narration. She's funny without really making me laugh out loud. And I like the gentle way she reads the text. Her tone helped me feel like she was gently talking to me rather than preaching at me.

One of the best things about Dana's method of decluttering is that she takes the emotion OUT of decluttering. The hang ups that I have and those that I know who have trouble hanging onto "things" is that they have attached emotion to many of their possessions. Dana addresses every reason one might have to hang onto stuff without making the book about those reasons. Her method removes the emotion from the decision making process which in turn makes it easier to address, make decisions, and actually let go of items.

I love the repetition of this book. Some might find that annoying, but for me, it reinforces the steps and questions in a way that helps me to remember them. I don't think I'll need to reference back to the book at all in order to remember them when I'm going through my own home. She also repeats phrases that are instrumental in helping one to shift their mindset. Phrases such as "the size of your house is the size of your house" have been repeated to the point that they automatically come to mind when faced with a decluttering need.

Perhaps it's not quite fair for me to review this book before decluttering my own home. It's important to know whether the strategies work. I'd love to have been in a position to declutter as I was reading, but we're actually doing a home renovation and are currently living at my parents house. But I'm excited to declutter as we're bringing stuff back into our space once the renovation is complete.

Decluttering at the Speed of Life is exactly the decluttering book that I needed to help take the emotion out of the choices I have to make. I think it will also help a few of my family members. And I couldn't recommend the audio version more. Dana K White does an excellent job narrating. The repetition helps the steps, questions, and mindset drill into your memory. Decluttering at the Speed of Life gets 5 Stars. Have you read Decluttering at the Speed of Life? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 07/18/21

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 past week flew by. I truly can't even remember much of the early part of the week. We've walked daily I know. The kids have played in the splash pad a couple of times this week, and that has helped them burn some energy off while beating the summer heat. We have had some hot days, but overall we have had a mild summer so far. Saturday we went by the house to see the progress. The drywall has been done and the roof is in the process of being done. We weren't expecting the drywall so that was awesome progress to see. The big kids and Husband went swimming at his mom's house while I took Baby Boy to get his 6 month pictures made. We ate lunch with Grammy after. Then I took Little Girl back to school shopping if you can call it that. Our school has received a grant so we didn't have to buy regular school supplies, just a backpack and lunchbox. She was so excited. It's been a while since I've bought groceries in store and even longer since I've taken her with me.

THE PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Dating Plan (Marriage Game, # 2) by Sara Desai (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for The Color of Dragons by R.A. Salvatore & Erika Lewis

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K White
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2021 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!

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!

Can't Wait for The Color of Dragons

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.

The Color of Dragons

By: R.A. Salvatore, Erika Lewis

Expected Publication: October 19th 2021 by HarperTeen

416 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A sweeping, action-packed, romantic pre-Arthurian tale of the origins of magic (and Merlin) by powerhouse adult fantasy author R. A. Salvatore and Erika Lewis, perfect for fans of The Falling Kingdoms and Seraphina

Magic needs a spark.

And Maggie’s powers are especially fickle. With no one to help her learn to control her magic, the life debt that she owes stretches eternally over her head, with no way to repay it.

Until she meets Griffin, the king’s champion infamous for hunting down the draignochs that plague their kingdom.

Neither has any idea of the destiny that they both carry, or that their meeting will set off a chain of events that will alter every aspect of the life they know—and all of history thereafter.

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

The Dating Plan - Review

The Dating Plan (The Marriage Game, # 2)

By: Sara Desai

Publication: March 16th 2021 by Berkley Books

352 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from the e-library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Even with a step-by-step plan, these fake fiances might accidentally fall for each other in this hilarious, heartfelt romantic comedy from the author of The Marriage Game.

Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiance.

Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend's little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy's matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather's will. If only he hadn't broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago...

Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren't about to follow the rules of this engagement.

The Marriage Game was one of my favorite reads from 2020. I was pulled into the story and the characters, and it opened a whole new world of Indian literature, characters, and culture. After reading The Marriage Game, I wanted to replicate the experience, and I've read several books about Indian characters since. I knew I would want to read more from Sara Desai and the other characters mentioned in The Marriage Game if she chose to write about them, which she did. I was so disappointed when my request to review The Dating Plan was denied. Thankfully, the e-library had a copy, and I was able to borrow it from there.

I got sucked into The Dating Plan immediately. I read The Shaadi Set-Up prior to The Dating Plan (review of that set for September). These two stories both have tropes concerning lost loves that have returned. And I couldn't help but contrast the difference in how long it took me to feel invested in the characters. The Dating Plan pulled me in instantaneously. And I didn't want to put it down once I started reading it. I finished it in two days which is really good for me these days.

Daisy is unique. She is analytical and detailed. She's happy to live her life single and would love for her marriage-minded family to get off her back about marraige. The description is a bit misleading because it indicates that Daisy is the one to suggest the fake engagement to Liam as a means of getting her family off her back. This isn't true at all. Agreeing to the relationship does give Daisy the perk of getting her family off her back, but she's not the one who initiates the relationship. As a matter of fact, Daisy doesn't want anything to do with Liam after her stood her up for her senior prom. Before Liam, Daisy's mother left and so Daisy has a bit of history and trauma around abandonment.

Again, the description spells things out a bit wrong for Liam. He runs into Daisy and does make an effort to reconnect with her, but she's not interested. He's been away from San Fransico for 10 years, and so he's not been in touch with Daisy or her brother (his former best friend). Liam is back for two reasons. One is business, and the second is his grandfather's funeral. His grandfather left him the family distillery with the condition that Liam is married before his next birthday. So Liam is the one to reach out to Daisy about the fake engagement. And therefore, he has to find some benefits for Daisy in order for her to agree.

One thing I really appreciated about The Dating Plan was that many times the characters had the option to be open about the nature of their relationship or to hide it and they often chose to tell the truth. Well with the exception of those they were trying to fool. This openness gave the trope a different spin than you typically see.

I always have to mention the adult scenes because I figure someone out there might be interested to know. Language and sexual scenes were present. Neither dominated the story so that's a bonus for me as I don't enjoy reading books where the language or scenes do take over. I do have a lower tolerance for these than some (but perhaps a higher tolerance for it than others).

Favorite quotes:

-When she'd woken up this morning, she would never have guessed she would be pulled away from her cozy workspace and dragged to a tech conference, only to wind up on the run from her ex, with an armload of pads and her matchmaking auntie hot on her heels.

-His lips brushed over hers in a featherlight caress, so gentle and unexpected she forgot to breathe. There was no passion in the kiss. The earth didn't move, time didn't stand still, fireworks didn't fill the sky, not even a single bird twittered around her head. But it was tender adn sweet, his lips were soft and gentle, and for the briefest second she was tempted to give in to the heat of senseation and kiss him like she was a lovelorn teenager all over again.

-Unlike Sanjay, who admired the superheroes for their otherworldly powers, Daisy loved how they were committed to saving the world, even though they were all broken inside.

-"Spreadsheet birthday sexy times."

The Dating Plan was everything I was hoping it to be. The more honest approach to a trope surrounded with dishonesty made this story different in a sea of similar stories. I was hooked immediately. The characters were complex and interesting. And I couldn't help but root for them individually as well as together. I am dying to get my hands on The Singles Table and am so disappointed that I've already been denied. Hopefully, the e-library gets a copy of that one as well. The Dating Plan gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Dating Plan? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 07/11/21

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.

Husband was off work Monday. We went to his mom's house to let the kids swim, to eat lunch, and to celebrate my birthday. I ended up holding Baby Boy on the swing while the big kids went swimming. It was hot, but I enjoyed reading my book in peace. We're still living at my parent's house while work is being done on our house. HVAC was done to the addition and electrical should be finished by tomorrow. Fingers crossed that the roof, insulation, and drywall gets done this week. My parents came home Monday afternoon from my Nanny's house, but mom had to turn around and go back on Tuesday. My cousin who used to be a nurse and is being paid by the family to stay with Nanny right now got pnuemonia and RSV so she had to take the week off. And then one of my aunts is also sick and an uncle started radiation for skin cander this week. That left my mom as being the only one available to stay with Nanny for the week. The kids and I have walked every day. The block that my parents live on isn't quite as long as we'd normally walk if we were home, but it has been nice to get out of the house and get some fresh air. The mosquitos are terrible here so I don't enjoy being outside while the kids play much myself. I have finally hit a reading spell and finished two books and am almost done with an audiobook this week. That's much needed so that I can get some reviews posted here on the blog. I also got my RSS/email subscription stuff sorted (see the post below if you're interested).

THE PAST WEEK:

Wednesday: Can't Wait for Sway With Me by Syed M Masood
Thursday: Email Subscription Services Update

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Dating Plan (Marriage Game, # 2) by Sara Desai
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2021 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!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

The Dating Plan

By: Sara Desai

Expected Publication: March 16th 2021 by Berkley Books

352 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from the elibrary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Even with a step-by-step plan, these fake fiances might accidentally fall for each other in this hilarious, heartfelt romantic comedy from the author of The Marriage Game.

Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiance.

Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend's little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy's matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather's will. If only he hadn't broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago...

Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren't about to follow the rules of this engagement.

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!

Email Subscription Services Update

Hey guys!

This is just a short post to let you know that I've finally switched my RSS feed from Feedburner to follow.it. Google announced that they are discontinuing Feedburner July 2021. I put off researching what I would need to do to update my RSS feed and follow by email feature, but I finally settled on follow.it. For those of your already subscribed via email, your email addresses were imported to follow.it from Feedburner. If you aren't already and wish to subscribe, there's a link on my homepage or you can click here and enter your email address.

I chose follow.it from the other options I saw because

1. it is FREE (although there are tiered pay options)
2. the options for follow.it seem to be designed for bloggers compared to some of the competitors which are more designed for marketing and e-commerce


3. the customer service at follow.it was beyond helpful and made this the easiest transition for me
4. several options for your readers to choose to follow you


5. the ability to customize

6. the statistics for bloggers is diverse to help you reach your target audience

If you're a blogger and looking for an alternative to Feedburner, I can't recommend follow.it enough. Their customer service will make the transition easy for you. Check out this link to find out what makes follow.it such a good alternative for you. Good luck!

Can't Wait for Sway With Me

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.

Sway With Me

By: Syed M Masood

Expected Publication: November 2nd 2021 by Little, Brown

320 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--She’s All That goes desi in this hilarious, affecting, and sweetly romantic comedy by the author of More Than Just a Pretty Face.

Arsalan has learned everything he knows from Nana, his 100-year-old great-grandfather. This includes the fact that when Nana dies, Arsalan will be completely alone in the world, except for his estranged and abusive father. So he turns to Beenish, the step-daughter of a prominent matchmaker, to find him a future life partner. Beenish’s request in return? That Arsalan help her ruin her older sister’s wedding with a spectacular dance she’s been forbidden to perform.

Despite knowing as little about dancing as he does about girls, Arsalan wades into Beenish’s chaotic world to discover friends and family he never expected. And though Arsalan’s old-school manners and Beenish’s take-no-prisoners attitude clash every minute, they find themselves getting closer and closer—literally. All that’s left to realize is that the thing they both really want is each other, if only they can get in step.

At turns laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, and sincerely heartfelt, Sway With Me is a coming-of-age story for anyone trying to find their place in the world.

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

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 07/04/21

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.

Most days are bleeding together. We are doing about the same thing every day. I did have my first hair cut since September 2020 on Wednesday. I intended to get another cut in December before Baby Boy was born, but my stylist had surgery and was out of commision. I contacted her in March, but she was playing catch up and the first available she had was for June 30th. I feel so much better having it cut. But man that threw my whole day's schedule off. Baby Boy is doing well. He's 5.5 months old by now. He's still such a good baby. I believe he'll be cutting his top two teeth soon. The older kids have been struggling with not being home. Renovations are going so slowly. I'm thankful progress is being made at all. But man it's disheartening to go this slow. At this rate, the kids will be back in school well before we're finished. Thursday my mom did a version of VBS with the kids. There's also been a fox creeping into my parent's backyard. I think it's a mother with two babies. Husband had an extra day off work on Friday from his new job. My parents left to go visit my Nanny. She's up and down with her health. It rained Friday so we didn't get out to do much. Saturday, Husband had to run by our house to mow grass so I had the kiddos to myself. Today, we get together with Husband's family to celebrate 4th of July but also to remember his dad that passed away 6 years ago.

THE PAST WEEK:

Monday: No Blog Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books of Q3/Q4 2021
Friday: Can't Wait for A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh and Fire, # 1) by Jennifer L Armentrout

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: ?
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2021 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!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

A Wicked and Beautiful Garden (Witches of the Island, # 1)

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: May 5th 2021 by Katie McGarry LLC

318 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Twenty-eight year-old Cassie Strega can’t escape fate.

All she wants is to live a normal, quiet life delivering the babies in her small town. But when she discovers she comes from a lineage of witches, her life becomes extraordinary—in the gravely dangerous type of way.

Then, she’s reunited with her first love.

Orion, the sultry Fae warrior who broke her heart years before, is searching for a baby. Not just any baby, but the queen of the Fae who will one day lead them in their final battle against the demons determined to rule the world. The same baby who has been calling to Cassie for help in her dreams.

Fighting the intense attraction of their former blood bond, Cassie and Orion work together to find the child. But when the heartbreak that nearly destroyed Cassie nine years before looms once more, she’ll have to decide whether getting involved in the supernatural war is worth losing everything, including her life.

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!