Summer’s Lease – Carrie Elks
Published: 13th July 2017
Source: Publisher
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
My Rating:
If music be the food of love, books are certainly the appetizers . . .Cesca Shakespeare has hit rock bottom. Six years after the play she wrote bombed at the box office, she’s unable to hold down a job, keep an apartment, and worst of all her family have no idea how far she’s fallen. So when her fairy Godfather offers her the use of his friend’s Italian villa for the summer, she grudgingly agrees to try writing a new play. That’s before she finds out the house belongs to her arch-nemesis, Sam Carlton.When Hollywood heart-throb Sam Carlton sees his name splashed across a gossip rag, all he wants to do is hide. That’s how he finds himself traveling to Italy, deciding to spend the summer in his family’s empty villa on Lake Como. Except when he arrives it isn’t as empty as he’d hoped.Over the course of the hot Italian summer, Cesca and Sam have to come to terms with their pasts. What begins as a tentative friendship quickly grows into an intense attraction – and then a scorching fling. But they can’t hide from reality forever . . . as their different worlds collide, Sam and Cesca face a choice: is this just a summer romance, or could their love weather even the coldest winds?
This is a book I was excited to read because it sounded like the perfect easy summer read. Woman with writers block escapes to Lake Como to housesit for a family and ends up trapped in a villa with a man she loathes. Who doesn't love hate to love romance set in Italy with a celebrity romantic lead? Ok, it does sound like a bit if a busy story but it still sounds fun.
Fun it was. I enjoyed myself reading. I felt a strong urge to sit in the sun and drink wine and do something spontaneous. I wanted to travel Europe and have fun and also had a strong urge to go to the theatre and all the best summer reads make you want to do something fun.
Cesca is in a bit of rut with writers block and no job and little hope in her life until she escapes to Italy where she gets her reading mojo back. It's going great until Sam Carlton, famous actor and man who ditched her theatre debut, shows up and ruins things. The two argue and I enjoyed the spark between them. Seeing the banter progress from hateful jibes to cheeky flirtation was awesome. I love a good hate to love and Sam and Cesca's path to romance was difficult.
I did find myself rolling my eyes at a couple of things though. Cesca had a sexy Italian neighbour up on the lake and he was obviously a potential love interest for her. He was such a non characters and he felt very forced and two dimensional. So much so I can't even remember his name. He felt unnecessary and purely there to push the plot along. My other grumble is that Sam and Cesca's relationship obstacles seemed a bit ridiculous. Like they had issues bit they both really needed to just use their damn words. It wasn't the end of the world but it was a little frustrating.
If you're look for a fun romance set somewhere different then check this out. It is a really enjoyable read.
About the AuthorCarrie Elks lives near London, England and writes contemporary romance with a dash of intrigue. She loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in the USA and Switzerland as well as the UK. An avid social networker, she tries to limit her Facebook and Twitter time to stolen moments between writing chapters. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two.
What is your perfect summer read? Are you like me looking for some easy romance to lose yourself in or do you prefer something meatier?
When Dimple Met Rishi – Sandhya Menon
Published: 1st June 2017
Source: Netgalley/Bought
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
My Rating:
The arranged marriage YA romcom you didn't know you wanted or needed...
Meet Dimple.Her main aim in life is to escape her traditional parents, get to university and begin her plan for tech world domination.Meet Rishi.He's rich, good-looking and a hopeless romantic. His parents think Dimple is the perfect match for him, but she's got other plans...Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works even harder to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.As joyfully refreshing as Rainbow Rowell, Jenny Han and Nicola Yoon, When Dimple Met Rishi is a frothy, funny contemporary romance told from the dual perspectives of two Indian American protagonists. While Dimple is fighting her family traditions, Rishi couldn't be happier to follow in the footsteps of his parents - could sparks fly between this odd couple, or is this matchmaking attempt doomed to fail?
The number of times I begin a review saying ‘I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book’ is starting to get a little boring, but it’s true! I put off reading books for stupid reasons and I really need to make better book choices going forward.
This book was adorable! I knew I would probably (hopefully) love it but I was definitely a little wary going in because these is always the chance you will be the black sheep on these things. I wasn’t a black sheep and like every other review, I’ve seen for this book I loved it and below I will explain why.
When Dimple Met Rishi was not completely what I expected. This was mostly because I’d never bothered to fully read the summary before I began reading. I knew that the MCs had Indian parents and were involved in an arranged marriage so, as you can imagine, I had certain ideas in my head about how this book would go down. My ideas were very different than what actually happened and the book was all the better for that fact.
Half the reason this book was so great is that our main characters were adorable! I mean, Dimple was so easy to like because she may have been raised quite traditionally by her parents and they certainly made it obvious about their wishes for her future and finding the ‘Ideal Indian Husband’ but she made it obvious that whilst she respected them she had her own path. She didn’t want to wear makeup and dress pretty, she had her future determined and she wanted nothing to distract her from that. I didn’t fully understand her knowing exactly what she wanted to do as a teenager because I’m 26 and I still haven’t figured that out but I appreciated her focus and determination. I did find it frustrating that she was so unwilling to compromise for others and instead thought her way was the best. Even when it meant angering her friends and those close to her. It was her worst quality and was something which came between her and Rishi and it was annoying. I did like seeing her grow throughout the book, though, and I appreciate a character growing.
And then there was Rishi. I didn't think I'd like him as much as I did. I mean, he was close to his parents and willing to follow the path which they wished for him. He was willing to sacrifice a lot to do what was expected. Normally, the good guy in YA can come across as a bit dull and bland because I have had TV shows and films drill into me bad boys are more attractive when it comes to the fictional world. Rishi was the exception who may teach me to reconsider these things. He was awkward and cute and I loved him. I wasn't even overly bothered by the fact he had money and was privileged because he didn't flaunt it. He was just an adorable cinnamon roll and I think I loved him. I was just as frustrated by him as Dimple but I felt his reservations were far more logical. Wanting a secure future, whilst not totally believable for a teenager, is not a bad thing and so I got why he was so hesitant to pursue all of his dreams.
I found the whole book very adorable, though. And for both Dimple and Rishi their Indian heritage was obvious and I loved how Rishi honoured it so much and then Dimple was learning parts of her culture was ingrained because that was how she was raised. She considered how her parents would react to big decisions and even her quest to design an app was partially done to make her father proud of her. It was brilliant reading about two Indian-American teens and how this dual identity led them to struggle with their choices and influenced how they did these things.
I loved this, it was a brilliant YA and demonstrates the genre is totally growing. I want more diverse reads like this one. Fingers crossed this is the start of a trend.
Have you read this, what did you think? And do you have any recs for any more good diverse reads? I feel like I need to expand my horizons and read all the diverse reads.
It is another week and my reading slump is still in place. I am not wallowing but it’s a little frustrating as I keep seeing lots of good books I can’t buy because the slump reigns supreme. If it doesn’t end by the end of next week I am resorting to rereading to keep me reading because I kind of miss it but I can’t seem to settle on what I’m reading. I refuse to get myself down about it and I refuse to dwell. I will get my mojo back and until then… well… there is a reason I pay for Netflix.
Anyway, my week has been pretty dull. I pretty much only watched Psych and met up with a friend for a cheeky drink but otherwise… nada. I did get the Crash Bandicoot remake recently and I have remembered how terrible I was at those games. I have a lot less patience than I did as a kid as well so that Game Over screen makes me want to chuck the controller at the TV. I am determined to play but God damn I need to learn patience.
I had a good old clear out of my clothes yesterday. I had to clear out some of the things I don’t wear or simply what doesn’t fit me (turns out you put on weight working a desk job). It was actually a really good thing because I rediscovered clothes. How do you forget you own certain clothes? I obviously own too many and need to buy more for my holiday. Or want to, my wardrobe is better for autumn and winter.
One really positive thing which happened this week is that I discovered an awesome new website. I have a thing for stationery. I love notebooks and pens and having more notebooks than any girl needs. I like buying things and that is why I’ve lived at home for quite so long. Ohh Deer is this cool website with clothing, gifts and whole heaps of stationery and they do this subscription box which I am so tempted to buy but who goes through enough stationery to require more every month?
I also have been trying to find myself a good breakfast to take on the go to work. I used to have cereal and porridge as I get to work so early but we have been getting stroppy emails from an office manager on a power trip telling us milk is only for drinks at work (the milk is bought by the company, they are allowed to dictate these things) but it means now I need to find new things to take to work because half the folks at work are thieving bastards and steal my milk when I buy my own. I’ve discovered the wonder that is overnight oats. I mean, I say wonder but I’ve not actually tried them yet. I had a whole drama with Amazon as I bought some jars to put them in online and they didn’t get delivered because Amazon are dicks and are messing me about. When I then complained to them they gave me a month extra on my Amazon prime and promised they’d come the next day… only I then got a message that where it was being delivered to was closed so they’d redeliver on a working day. I was getting them delivered to home and my house was not closed! I am not best pleased but I got some Kilner jars in town so I’ll try doing it in those. We’ll see how it goes.
If you have good breakfast recipes that require very little work and no morning prep then let me know. I love food.
What I’ve Been Reading
Yep, just one book was finished and I am currently reading Alex, Approximately. Summer’s Lease was a great summery read and if I wasn't feeling so slumpy I would have read it in one sitting. It was such a great easy read and really made me want to be in the sun and to go travelling because Italy sounds lovely. I started Alex, Approximately Friday night and I'm really loving it. Bailey is awesomely awkward, which I can relate to, nd I am loving Porter so far. I'm optimistic I'm going to love it. I'm a third of the way in so we shall see.
New To Me
I bought just one book this week. One! And I only bought it was checking what books from my Goodreads to buy shelf was at my local library and somehow stumbled upon this book being just £1.61 online. No girl can say no to that kind of offer. It took a little while to be delivered but it was so worth it.
I did get two review copies this week. I was so surprised to see Lost and Found Sisters in the post because I’d emailed about it forever ago so that was a lovely surprise to collect from the post office. And then The City of Brass was my second approval on Edelweiss and I am so damn excited! I only requested because Danya and Nick mentioned it to me and I’m so pleased they did! This book sounds awesome, like really awesome!
And that is my week. It’s really pretty dull so please tell me exciting things about yours. Read any good books? Got any get recipes to recommend? Just plain old want to chat?
I recently read an awesome post by Clara at Lost in My Library called Are Reading Slumps Good? and it really got me thinking. I already knew I wanted to write a post about my current reading slump on the blog but I had intended to simply talk about what I’d been doing whilst the slump had taken a hold. I will still be talking about that but I also want to talk about how stressing over a slump helps no one.
Reading slumps suck. That is a fact, no one can deny they always come at the worst time. They are never convenient and it’s always annoying because it can affect your blog. That being said, it isn’t the end of the world and thinking too much on it normally only makes my slump last longer.
What I’ve been doing during this slump:
Binge Watching TV
Sometimes, binge watching an old favourite is all you can do to pass the time. It would have been cheaper if my binge watch show had been on Netflix, but buying each season of Psych hasn't broken the bank. It's fun and familiar and sometimes there is nothing better. I love Shawn and Gus and their whole dynamic. And seeing Shawn and his dad grown closer is brilliant, that is one of the relationships I loved first time around. I also now say ‘I’ve heard it both ways’ and ‘whaaaaat’ without anyone getting my references because they suck.
Watching All The Movies
A TV show can feel like too much of a commitment on a night after work. It can lead me to staying up until midnight saying to myself ‘just one more’ so watching a movie is always a nice option. I’ve found myself slowly watching films I’ve been saying I want to watch but haven’t gotten around to. I’ve seen Star Trek Beyond (and rewatched the first two), I’ve seen Moana, and Minions and I’ve got John Wick 2 all ready to watch over the next couple of days. It’s the perfect way to fill my hours before bed. Please give me all the film recs, be they old or new. You can never see too many films.
Reading Fanfiction
I am a big fan of fanfiction and I always will be. During my A-Levels and uni fanfiction was basically all the reading I did for a really long time and it’s still comforting to me, even now. I think my slump is not caused by not wanting to read but more an unwillingness to deal with unfamiliar characters and deal with the storyline. Fanfiction involves characters I know and have their own level of predictability to them. Sure, I know that’s usually what romance is for but I kind of feel like I can’t face all the words in a book. Gove me a 20000 word fanfic and I will devour it, though.
Blog Planning
I have actually been taking an interest in my blog itself. Not just the posts which I write, but the design of my blog and silly things like how I tag my posts. I’m putting in a greater effort to cross post my reviews and I am trying to basically to be a more active blogger. I may not be great at the whole social media thing but I can at least make my blog the best which is can be. I may have a blog redesign in the future, but I make no promises. I am notoriously bad at following through.
Bullet Journaling
My bullet journal is neither pretty or incredibly complex. I’m not good at minimalist and I have no theme or anything. My bullet journal is just a bunch of lists and things to do all in one place and I love it. I am putting a solid effort in to put in all my things in there. I find it quite nice having a place where all the things I think of I want to remember can be written. I’ve got a list for the books I want to borrow from the library, a list of my ARCs (which needs updating), a list of films I’ve watched and those I want to watch. Basically, I’ve got a lot of lists, more than I probably need.
So, there you have it. I may not be reading much lately but no one can claim I’m not keeping busy. What do you do when you’re stuck in a slump? What do you do when you’re not reading?
Another month has started and that means another batch of new books are being released which I need to get excited for. There are a few books I will definitely be buying but a couple are books I was thrilled to learn were getting a UK publication and so I am bouncing around waiting for it to come out. I don’t have as many dithering reads either this month. I may not manage to get all of these books straight away but they will be say on my GoodReads TBR for a while.
Books I Will Definitely Buy
I am very excited for this book. It took me a little while to get into the first book it was an absolutely brilliant read and I was so intrigued about dragon culture once finishing. I sadly didn’t get a copy on Netgalley so I’m bouncing around waiting for this to be released this month.
Look, I’ve said before I was excited about this book but I am still excited and I still want it. I want it so bad. I am a massive fan of K-drama and so a book which has k drama in it? Yeah, I’m gonna read it.
Everyone has been raving about this book (or, at least, I’ve seen a whole bunch of positive things about it). I feel like this is a book for me as fandom plays a big role. And also it looks pretty. A pretty cover does a lot for me.
I haven’t read much by Kylie Scott but I saw this book somewhere and it just sounds like my kind of read. Also, I haven’t read this kind of YA read in a long while and I’ve got a craving. A craving this book will totally satisfy so I will be reading.
All you need to do with this one is read my reviews for the last two books. I am obviously going to buy these (I’ve preordered in fact) so why is this book not in my hands yet?
This book fell into my radar because of a smart bitches podcast and it has stayed on my radar for about two months. I was actually going to include this book on my ‘books I’m dithering about’ section but then I saw this post by Nick where she said it was a favourite of the year so far. I trust Nick with everything she reads so I totally preordered and will be reading.
Books I Already Have
I have two romance reads which I will be reviewing this month. The first is Summer’s Lease and it’s set in Italy and involves hate to love so really it’s pretty damn awesome. The second is an angsty sounding romance which came as a surprise in the post so I’ve got to speed through the first book and this one. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Books I’m Dithering Over But Are On My Radar
These are the books I am dithering about. They have fallen on my radar and I am interested in reading but I’ve not heard anywhere near enough about them to buy straight out. If you’ve read any of them please tell me all the reasons I should (or shouldn’t) be reading them.
What books are you looking forward to being released this month? Do you prefer waiting for a book to be published in your country before buying or do you not have the patience for that?
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