My October Wrap-Up
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Books that range from 1-star to 5-stars this month; I absolutely loved some of this month's reads...and then there are some that I actually hated. You win some, you lose some! But for what it's worth, I highly recommend that 5-star read, and as for the ones I rated pretty low...who knows, you might wanna pick it up anyway. These are my thoughts, feelings and views on my October reads - enjoy!
Fire & Flood // Salt & Stone
FIRE AND FLOOD SERIES
- by Victoria Scott
3.0/5.0 stars
~
Another instance where consistently high ratings for a book completely baffle me, Fire and Flood had a promising premise that just fell flat.
Sixteen year old Tella Holloway's life has been upturned since the move to Montana, out in the middle of nowhere, to give the family breathing space given her brother's condition. Violently ill with no cure for his affliction, he is close to dying and Tella is counting down each breath with irrepressible grief and dread. Trapped in helplessness and living in barren land with no friends or technology (her parents' choice to maximise appreciating her brother's life), she is slowly going out of her mind. Until the night a little box appears on her bed. Holding a device not unlike a voice recorder, it gives her a cryptic message; that she has been chosen to compete in the Brimstone Bleed, a race across four landscapes - jungle, desert, ocean and mountain - with the ultimate prize for the winner. The Cure. But there are over a hundred contestants, and each of them are fighting to the death to procure the mysterious cure that will miraculously save the life of their loved one. With hundreds of lives on the line, and fighting for her own life in the process, Tella has to find her wits about her to survive the four brutal ecosystems and along the way, as she makes her fair share of allies - and enemies - the question remains, who can she truly trust? And beyond that, why and how does a cure exist for an incurable disease? Why is there only one dose enough to save the life of one person? And why do Tella and her fellow competitors have to battle it out to get their hands on it, or die trying in the process?
Does this sound familiar to you? If this doesn't scream Hunger Games to you then go ahead, pick them up, read them and see the similarities blind you. To me, this felt like a "younger", watered down version of The Hunger Games - whilst it was mildly entertaining, it's been done before and it's been done better. Maybe fourteen year olds would enjoy if they haven't read the original epic dystopian that shook the world but to class this series as a dystopian would be a crime. In terms of Tella's world, there is no world-building; there's no insight into a corrupt government or any prelude that leads to her current situation and we literally jump from her in her bedroom in Montana in the modern age (I assume? There's talk of smartphones and the internet, and no indication that she's living in a regressive society) to her suddenly finding herself in a jungle and the race is on.
| Mostly I remember the way I was before I became a Contender. Competing in this race is like becoming a drug addict. One small slip leads to another and before you know it, you find yourself in an impossible situation and can't fathom how your life has spiraled so far from what it was - Tella, Salt & Stone
In turn, the plot has gaping holes and this is my biggest issue. As far as plot goes, Tella is in a Hunger- Games-esque hunt for a cure to save her brother's life. That's literally it. And as much as little pieces of the history and/or rumours surrounding the race, her brother's illness, and the Cure are revealed, the snippets are just that - snippets. It never fully evolves into a solid back story that gives the plot substance. Nothing is explained or makes sense, and just as we were getting to the crux of the bigger picture, the second book ends and apparently a third book isn't even in the works? And I just don't get it. Because there are so many unanswered questions that render this duology (?) pointless. It simply does not work because nothing adds up, everything is left hanging and in the end, it's just one big confusing mess.
I have to give credit where credit is due though; Tella's narrative was refreshing. Yes, it was juvenile and silly at times, but that authenticity of a sixteen year old really stood out. Despite the situations she finds herself in, she's still young enough to think and feel as a sixteen year old does. She stays true to her character through till the end and I appreciated her quirky humour, completely out-there attitude and boldness that gets her through the many many tests she faces. The world-building of the landscapes was admittedly pretty thorough, it was vivid and brutal and the challenges Tella and her allies face kept me on my feet long enough to want to know more about this strange situation she's in. The author's also done a great job in investing in her characters; every character that we're introduced to has a distinct voice and role in the story and I appreciated the way she focuses on how their lives intertwine under the weird circumstances that bring them together. For a book that I personally felt is aimed at a much younger audience, Victoria Scott truly does answer the question "what would you do to save someone you love?". The murky waters of salvaging one's humanity are explored in depth, from the sheer desperation that could make someone cross that line between human and animal, to how far you would go to save a life, and whilst there may be fatal errors in plot - so much so that I can't even count this as a series - there are hints of redemption in this slightly messy, all-over-the-place story.
Who's That Girl
- by Mhairi McFarlane
4.0/5.0 stars
~
There are some authors that you stumble upon in life by mere chance and their books turn out to be so wonderfully fabulous that you suddenly become their die-hard fan and vow to read their every book because I mean, they wrote that book that you absolutely loved. So naturally, every other book they write has to be amazing - right?
Mhairi McFarlane is one of those authors for me. When I read It's Not Me, It's You back in January, I instantly became a fan of her work (you can read my review for it in my wrap-up here and find out exactly why). But for some odd reason, I had no clue that she was releasing a new book this year. It wasn't until I went book hauling with the best friend as I so often do, that I found myself in Waterstones desperate to pick up a spontaneous book but failing to find one that caught my eye, when she exclaimed "ohmygod Kauser she's got another book out!!" Now, I had no idea who "she" was but when I spun around, my friend was standing, so utterly excited, at a table stacked with copies of Who's That Girl - bear in mind that we both bought It's Not Me, It's You together, read it around the same time, and fan-girled over it - and without even thinking twice, we both bought a copy even if we couldn't really afford to break into our bank accounts. But, I mean, it was a Mhairi McFarlane book. A guaranteed laugh-out-loud, feel-good-about-yourself romantic comedy that neither of us could resist buying. I think you can all guess what's coming next. It wasn't as good as INMIY. It just wasn't.
Who's That Girl starts off with Edie at the wedding of her two office colleagues, Jack and Charlotte and as she's Instagram-ing pictures that deceivingly make it look like she's having a great time, she's musing on how social media fabricates and distorts real life, with her snapshots not just filtering out flaws, but also filtering out the barrel of emotions that are making it a not-so-great time and making her head hurt. She is later forced to muse on the power of social media to wreck her life; caught out when the groom kisses her just moments after declaring his vows of eternal love to his new bride, Edie is labelled a home-wrecker and instantly finds herself shunned by her colleagues and those she thought were her friends. Too ashamed to go back to work in the office, Edie tries to resign but her boss Richard has other plans; take time out from London and ghost-write the autobiography of famous TV star, Elliot Owens who is currently filming in Nottingham. The catch? Nottingham is Edie's hometown and when she has to move back in with her father and sister with whom she has a tense relationship, whilst also dealing with a difficult celebrity who makes her job harder than it should be, she can't help but wonder if she's simply traded one nightmare for another...
This book was bloody hard to get into. It took me a while to wrap my head around the events that blow up in Edie's life and for the most part, the story dragged considerably which is why I can't for the life of me understand why I kept turning the pages. I would finish one chapter and instead of putting it down to take a break from the (supposedly?) tedious reading, I would go ahead and start the next chapter anyway. Before I knew it, I was halfway through and the story started to pick up in ways that made for an enjoyable second-half read. I learnt from INMIY that Mhairi's books are heavy with plot; there's always so much going on that it's almost hard to keep track. It's pretty heavily padded and some sub-plots I thought were unnecessary but in a way, they add to the very "human" nature of Mhairi's writing. She's a natural at conveying the struggles of normal life, the human emotions that come with inevitable highs and lows. I love that in her easy, humorous narratives, she's still able to touch on difficult and relevant issues. Her characters and relationships are given so much depth and her story is almost a journey of these characters learning more about themselves, each other, and navigating the rocky road that is life.
| You won't find someone who treats you as you should be treated until you start to believe you are worth the ones you want, the ones who aren't asking you to do any work. Find the man who appreciates you at your best, not one who confirms your worst suspicions about yourself - Who's That Girl, Mhairi McFarlane
Her perspective on celebrity persona as well as her characterisation of Elliot Owens was intriguing and in turn, so was the dynamic between him and Edie as she uncovers his story to tell the world - it kept me hooked to the book. If I'm honest, the backbone of the plot was pretty solid too; it may only be marginally interesting but I found the social media angle to be fascinating, especially using Edie's story - and Elliot's too in an entirely different but just as relevant way - to highlight the damage that social media can have on our lives and how we're so vulnerable to letting other people's opinions define who we are and what we do. It may not be as comically funny as It's Not Me, It's You, and it may not have that I'll-keep-reading-until-it's-3am quality, and it may have an ending that had me begging for a sequel or at the very least an epilogue (seriously Mhairi, you can't leave your readers hanging like that!!!), but the writing, originality, and characters that are flawlessly human make it an easy 4 star read.
The Hating Game
- by Sally Thorne
5.0/5.0 stars
~
The Hating Game is the wittiest, most hilarious, entertaining, original chick lit I have ever read. Throw in some sizzling chemistry, turn up the heat, and cook up one hell of a slow-burn romance and you have yourself a scorcher of a read.
Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
2) A person’s undoing
3) Joshua Templeman
Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.
Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There’s the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.
If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she’s got Joshua Templeman all wrong.
Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn’t hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.
I think it's safe to say that I'm fairly obsessed with the enemeies-to-lovers trope. But very rarely is it done exceedingly well. Sally Thorne's debut novel has easily become one of my absolute favourite reads - so much so that I went back and re-read the last 30% of the book because I just could not get enough.
Told entirely from Lucy's perspective, we are hit full force with her hatred for Josh and the games that the two indulge one another in. And my God is it entertaining as hell. Sparks fly from page one and their electric sexual tension is insanely exhilarating - I was instantly swept up by their sharp, witty banter, crazy chemistry and the dynamics of their relationship and it wasn't long before I was hard-core shipping them. Their fierce workplace rivalry takes a hit following their "earth-shattering kiss", and it's so earth-shattering that you can feel the force through the pages. The slow-burn romance that ensues is so deliciously intoxicating, so enchanting and hilarious and passionate all at the same time that it was dizzying in the most delightful way. You know that fictional love story that gives you butterflies and makes you feel slightly feverish and you feel like you're going out of your mind because it's enchanting the shit out of you? Yeah, that was my experience of The Hating Game. And I loved every second of it.
“Shortcake.”
“Stop calling me Shortcake.”
“Watching you pretend to hate that nickname is the best part of my day.”
There's an easy flow to this book; the transition from nemesis to lover is almost seamless and the build-up is painfully sweet with beautiful dialogue and intimate moments that are delicately written, all the while with the hilarious wit intact. I adored these characters and their story so much. Lucy is such a cute, endearing little thing. Her inner monologues and sharp tongue were laugh-out-loud funny and at times, my heart really broke for her because she's that ray of light you hope never goes out. Josh is that asshole you love to hate - the competitive streak he has going on with Lucy, his dark humour and veiled vulnerability made me fall for him in ways I probably shouldn't fall for a fictional character. I love - love love love - how he gently handed over his heart to Lucy piece by piece. Their relationship is so wonderfully enrapturing and the ending scenes are so beautiful, it made my heart hurt. God I love these two so much. I'm light-headed with just how much. They're that ridiculously in-love couple that make you jealous on the street because seriously, how can that much love exist between two people.
It's a no-brainer that The Hating Game gets five stars - it's irresistible and original, doesn't miss a trick, and is perfect in all it's loved-up glory.
Swear on this Life
- by Renee Carlino
1.0/5.0 stars
~
The moment I saw Swear on this Life pop up on my Goodreads feed, I was fascinated to read it. The synopsis tells the story of Emiline, a teacher of creative writing who's struggling to break into the writing scene whilst juggling a relationship with her long-term boyfriend and dealing with a past that has scarred her deeply. Then she is introduced to the latest book that has taken the world by storm; a best-selling debut by a mysterious author who calls himself J. Colby, it is a cruel reminder of everything she wishes she could accomplish in life. But when she opens the first page, she is entranced by a tale that is as familiar to her as her own name. Because it is her tale. A novel about friendship and the throes of first love, it is the story of two childhood best friends, Emerson and Jackson, and their rough experiences with her alcoholic father, his drug-addicted mother, and a life of poverty in rural Ohio. They dream of a better life - a life in which they can be together - but when life forces them apart, they are torn between the life they left behind, and a life without each other that lies ahead. As Emiline reads about their journey, she re-lives the dark and troubled past that she had locked away and tried to forget, but the painful memories resurface with J Colby's writing. Emiline is reading about her life on his pages - and that means that J Colby is Jase, her best friend and first love who she hasn't seen since that fateful night ten years ago when a calculated decision cuts her out from his life. And now that she's reading about her life through his words, she demands answers - like what gave him the right to use her painful past to drive a successful novel, why did he write it in the first place, and was she even meant to read it, and why, after all these years, did he never try to find her? But the answers may not be what Emiline wants to hear, and she learns the hard way that sometimes, fiction sugar-coats a sharp-edged truth.
I find second-chance love stories to be too tedious, angsty and beat-around-the-bush for my liking. I mean, once a relationship has ended, that ship has sailed my friend. Rarely do I buy into that second chance. But Swear on this Life had the promise of being an epic love story. The originality of having a book written about your life and love story, by none other than the lover himself, and having it communicate everything he couldn't say, and paving the way for a second shot at love - it's a swoon-worthy, catchy plot. But boy did this book fall flat with its execution. The plot itself is flimsy; the past that spans Em and Jase's childhood is quite dramatic without any build-up and at times, it felt like certain events or characters were thrown in just for the sake of driving the two of them apart. The narrative of the past - which we read as Jase's book told from Em's perspective - is bland, dull and without any creative quality. It's ironic actually, because as Emiline is reading, she can't admit she's enjoying Jase's book and says something along the lines of "your writing sucks, your book is just about two friends and their childhood" and you know what, she hit the nail pretty damn hard on the head. There is no solid plot to Jase's story and throughout, I felt none of the emotional connection that he was trying to convey. Not only did I not connect with the characters, but there was no chemistry and instead of feeling a natural pull between the two, I was forced to believe it existed through a narrative that was trying to drum it home. I was being told about their chemistry rather than feeling it through a character-driven plot, without which the book collapsed.
Similarly, in the present, Em and Jase had close to zero chemistry, they lacked communication, and ended up back in each other's arms after seeing each other for a couple of days after twelve years of no contact. All because of the love they felt for each other when they were fifteen. If you can call it love. In truth, they were the only person that the other had at the time; it was a circumstantial love that should have faded with time. And beyond that, these characters should have changed within that time. They should actually no longer be compatible because their lives took completely different turns, and something you feel at an adolescent fifteen, is not something you will feel at twenty seven. They should have lived and seen so much of life that their perspectives, feelings, and emotional growth would have stunted an instant re-connection when they met again. There's a huge chasm of time, feelings and memories, and change that is between them that their second chance at love would have been improbable at best. I'm sorry, but this book just did not work for me. The writing, the characters, the plot, none of it did this fresh, exciting concept justice. It should have been an earth-shattering love story but instead, it was disappointing, tedious, and so far out of touch with reality, it was almost laughable.
The moment I saw Swear on this Life pop up on my Goodreads feed, I was fascinated to read it. The synopsis tells the story of Emiline, a teacher of creative writing who's struggling to break into the writing scene whilst juggling a relationship with her long-term boyfriend and dealing with a past that has scarred her deeply. Then she is introduced to the latest book that has taken the world by storm; a best-selling debut by a mysterious author who calls himself J. Colby, it is a cruel reminder of everything she wishes she could accomplish in life. But when she opens the first page, she is entranced by a tale that is as familiar to her as her own name. Because it is her tale. A novel about friendship and the throes of first love, it is the story of two childhood best friends, Emerson and Jackson, and their rough experiences with her alcoholic father, his drug-addicted mother, and a life of poverty in rural Ohio. They dream of a better life - a life in which they can be together - but when life forces them apart, they are torn between the life they left behind, and a life without each other that lies ahead. As Emiline reads about their journey, she re-lives the dark and troubled past that she had locked away and tried to forget, but the painful memories resurface with J Colby's writing. Emiline is reading about her life on his pages - and that means that J Colby is Jase, her best friend and first love who she hasn't seen since that fateful night ten years ago when a calculated decision cuts her out from his life. And now that she's reading about her life through his words, she demands answers - like what gave him the right to use her painful past to drive a successful novel, why did he write it in the first place, and was she even meant to read it, and why, after all these years, did he never try to find her? But the answers may not be what Emiline wants to hear, and she learns the hard way that sometimes, fiction sugar-coats a sharp-edged truth.
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| Source |
I find second-chance love stories to be too tedious, angsty and beat-around-the-bush for my liking. I mean, once a relationship has ended, that ship has sailed my friend. Rarely do I buy into that second chance. But Swear on this Life had the promise of being an epic love story. The originality of having a book written about your life and love story, by none other than the lover himself, and having it communicate everything he couldn't say, and paving the way for a second shot at love - it's a swoon-worthy, catchy plot. But boy did this book fall flat with its execution. The plot itself is flimsy; the past that spans Em and Jase's childhood is quite dramatic without any build-up and at times, it felt like certain events or characters were thrown in just for the sake of driving the two of them apart. The narrative of the past - which we read as Jase's book told from Em's perspective - is bland, dull and without any creative quality. It's ironic actually, because as Emiline is reading, she can't admit she's enjoying Jase's book and says something along the lines of "your writing sucks, your book is just about two friends and their childhood" and you know what, she hit the nail pretty damn hard on the head. There is no solid plot to Jase's story and throughout, I felt none of the emotional connection that he was trying to convey. Not only did I not connect with the characters, but there was no chemistry and instead of feeling a natural pull between the two, I was forced to believe it existed through a narrative that was trying to drum it home. I was being told about their chemistry rather than feeling it through a character-driven plot, without which the book collapsed.
Similarly, in the present, Em and Jase had close to zero chemistry, they lacked communication, and ended up back in each other's arms after seeing each other for a couple of days after twelve years of no contact. All because of the love they felt for each other when they were fifteen. If you can call it love. In truth, they were the only person that the other had at the time; it was a circumstantial love that should have faded with time. And beyond that, these characters should have changed within that time. They should actually no longer be compatible because their lives took completely different turns, and something you feel at an adolescent fifteen, is not something you will feel at twenty seven. They should have lived and seen so much of life that their perspectives, feelings, and emotional growth would have stunted an instant re-connection when they met again. There's a huge chasm of time, feelings and memories, and change that is between them that their second chance at love would have been improbable at best. I'm sorry, but this book just did not work for me. The writing, the characters, the plot, none of it did this fresh, exciting concept justice. It should have been an earth-shattering love story but instead, it was disappointing, tedious, and so far out of touch with reality, it was almost laughable.
F*ck Love
- by Tarryn Fisher
2.0/5.0 stars
~
I fell in love with Tarryn Fisher's writing when I read the Never Never trilogy that she co-wrote with Colleen Hoover (review here) and when I saw the blurb for F*ck Love (and it's gorgeous cover), I was hoping it would be just as addictive, keep-me-on-my-toes kind of crazy - but expectations will forever be the bane of my existence.
Helena is in love with her best friend's boyfriend. Not without reason, of course. But when she gets a glimpse into the life that she and Kit could have, she can't let it go. Suddenly, Kit, who is reckless, mysterious and an artist with words - the exact opposite of her - becomes the only guy she can envision herself with. Seeing him in a new light, Helena is slowly but surely falling head over heels for the one person she shouldn't be falling for. But he's falling for her too. Isn't he? She can't be imagining the sparks, or the way he seems to see her in ways that no one has seen her before, or how he brings out a lighter, more exciting side of her. Then again, the mathematician in her tells her that she's breaking all the rules and taking a miscalculated risk. She could keep quiet and play it safe, pretend that this thing between her and Kit doesn't exist and that it's a fanciful dream, or she could throw caution to the wind in the hope that the beautiful future that she's seen unfold with Kit is one that she's destined for - but in the case of the latter, she hurts her best friend. And she may hurt herself in ways that are beyond what she bargained for, The question is, how far do you go in the name of following your heart?
I'll give her this; Tarryn Fisher started off strong. The first half of the book is equal parts wacky and weird, yet intriguing. Helena is a quirky but instantly likeable character and her narrative, whilst different shades of funny and ridiculous, was engaging and almost relatable. That little snapshot of her future with Kit had me hooked; it was so lovely, I wanted to root for the two of them just based on that. And initially, Kit himself had me hooked too. Mysterious and flirty, I wanted so much more between him and Helena. But we just never got it. Whilst the relationship heats up, after a while, it just becomes all kinds of hot-and-cold and I got tired of the constant angst and will-they-won't-they drama that was going on. It's like every time they were borderline making progress, I'd think "about time!", and then the author would throw something in just to make them swerve the corner and their friendship/relationship would be back at square one. After about the 40% mark, I was tiring of Kit. He lacked depth and intrigue and as the story progressed, he became more of a coward who, ironically, would (or should) make a girl say f*ck love. He was pretty much just a good looking guy who Helena had a thing for, and I could no longer understand why she did. The actual reason for why she does pine for him (which I can't give away because it's kind of spoilery), the one thing that is driving this plot, eventually amounts to nothing. It's a mute point when we get to the end of the book and I was left questioning what happened to this unexplained, mysterious plot device which is the only thing I was hanging on to throughout the remainder mediocre 60%.
Also, the sheer drama or "plot twists" that were meant to act as curve balls were so ridiculous and unbelievable, it made the book almost comical. There's only so much coincidence that I can buy into, after which point it needs to stop. Drama for the sake of drama never works. Ever. It was rolling-my-eyes level of bad. There were little chunks thrown in towards the end as well which felt really random and totally irrelevant to the story, and by the time I got to the end, I didn't care about the love story anymore. I probably stopped shipping them at about 30%. On the whole, it was a disjointed mash-up of a fantasy-turned-love-story and which only deserves two stars for the quirky heroine, and a realistic insight into toxic relationships which really hit home. I guess whilst all else failed, it had that going for it.
I fell in love with Tarryn Fisher's writing when I read the Never Never trilogy that she co-wrote with Colleen Hoover (review here) and when I saw the blurb for F*ck Love (and it's gorgeous cover), I was hoping it would be just as addictive, keep-me-on-my-toes kind of crazy - but expectations will forever be the bane of my existence.
Helena is in love with her best friend's boyfriend. Not without reason, of course. But when she gets a glimpse into the life that she and Kit could have, she can't let it go. Suddenly, Kit, who is reckless, mysterious and an artist with words - the exact opposite of her - becomes the only guy she can envision herself with. Seeing him in a new light, Helena is slowly but surely falling head over heels for the one person she shouldn't be falling for. But he's falling for her too. Isn't he? She can't be imagining the sparks, or the way he seems to see her in ways that no one has seen her before, or how he brings out a lighter, more exciting side of her. Then again, the mathematician in her tells her that she's breaking all the rules and taking a miscalculated risk. She could keep quiet and play it safe, pretend that this thing between her and Kit doesn't exist and that it's a fanciful dream, or she could throw caution to the wind in the hope that the beautiful future that she's seen unfold with Kit is one that she's destined for - but in the case of the latter, she hurts her best friend. And she may hurt herself in ways that are beyond what she bargained for, The question is, how far do you go in the name of following your heart?
| “Let people feel the weight of who you really are, and let them fucking deal with it” - F*ck Love, Tarryn Fisher
I'll give her this; Tarryn Fisher started off strong. The first half of the book is equal parts wacky and weird, yet intriguing. Helena is a quirky but instantly likeable character and her narrative, whilst different shades of funny and ridiculous, was engaging and almost relatable. That little snapshot of her future with Kit had me hooked; it was so lovely, I wanted to root for the two of them just based on that. And initially, Kit himself had me hooked too. Mysterious and flirty, I wanted so much more between him and Helena. But we just never got it. Whilst the relationship heats up, after a while, it just becomes all kinds of hot-and-cold and I got tired of the constant angst and will-they-won't-they drama that was going on. It's like every time they were borderline making progress, I'd think "about time!", and then the author would throw something in just to make them swerve the corner and their friendship/relationship would be back at square one. After about the 40% mark, I was tiring of Kit. He lacked depth and intrigue and as the story progressed, he became more of a coward who, ironically, would (or should) make a girl say f*ck love. He was pretty much just a good looking guy who Helena had a thing for, and I could no longer understand why she did. The actual reason for why she does pine for him (which I can't give away because it's kind of spoilery), the one thing that is driving this plot, eventually amounts to nothing. It's a mute point when we get to the end of the book and I was left questioning what happened to this unexplained, mysterious plot device which is the only thing I was hanging on to throughout the remainder mediocre 60%.
Also, the sheer drama or "plot twists" that were meant to act as curve balls were so ridiculous and unbelievable, it made the book almost comical. There's only so much coincidence that I can buy into, after which point it needs to stop. Drama for the sake of drama never works. Ever. It was rolling-my-eyes level of bad. There were little chunks thrown in towards the end as well which felt really random and totally irrelevant to the story, and by the time I got to the end, I didn't care about the love story anymore. I probably stopped shipping them at about 30%. On the whole, it was a disjointed mash-up of a fantasy-turned-love-story and which only deserves two stars for the quirky heroine, and a realistic insight into toxic relationships which really hit home. I guess whilst all else failed, it had that going for it.
First Star I See Tonight
- by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
3.0/5.0 stars
~
Piper Dove's career is playing detective and her current client has her trailing former Chicago Stars quarterback, Cooper Graham. First rule of playing detective? Don't be spotted. But she has been spotted. By Cooper Graham himself. Demanding to know why she's been following him, Piper pretends to be an unhinged stalker, a fan-girl out of control. But Cooper's not buying it. When the truth comes out, the tables turn and Piper finds herself working for the man of the hour in his exclusive nightclub, scouring out employees who may be conducting dodgy dealings on the side and bleeding out his business. Whilst her night job leads to bleary-eyed mornings and the occasional fist fight or two, she has her hands full during the day as she chauffeurs a Middle Eastern royal family around Chicago, dealing with their spoilt princesses and seedy prince, and at the same time, she's trying to help their Pakistani servant girl escape their clutches and flee to Canada, and search for the very dead husband of her elderly neighbour who firmly believes he's still alive. And then there's the attempt on Cooper Graham's life, and suddenly Piper's life takes on stakes more dangerous than what she's ever encountered before. As she tries to unravel the mysterious enemy who seems to want Cooper out of the picture, she has to battle her tough-cookie persona as her feelings for him make themselves known. As for Cooper Graham? He's spell-bound by the girl who's loyal to him to the core and who will protect him whatever the cost. Her tough-cookie persona draws him to her but it also means that he may just have found his match...
This is going to sound out-of-the-realms crazy, but First Star I Saw Tonight reminded me of Zootopia. DON'T EVEN ASK. It could just be that I imagined Piper as Judy Hopps (she makes a cute cop okay) but Cooper Graham is also totally Nick from that film and I felt the same vibes that I got from watching it. Sidenote: if you haven't watched Zootopia, you're missing out in life. Go watch it and thank me later.
Anyway. Crazy visions aside. I quite liked this book! Everything from plot to characters to writing style and dialogue was handled well and I liked the air of suspense that carried through till the end. It was a light, easy read that had a lukewarm feel to it but was still good enough for me to want to finish it. I have to admit though, the epilogue was my favourite part. These are the kind of epilogues I need in my life. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic - sue me.
Piper Dove's career is playing detective and her current client has her trailing former Chicago Stars quarterback, Cooper Graham. First rule of playing detective? Don't be spotted. But she has been spotted. By Cooper Graham himself. Demanding to know why she's been following him, Piper pretends to be an unhinged stalker, a fan-girl out of control. But Cooper's not buying it. When the truth comes out, the tables turn and Piper finds herself working for the man of the hour in his exclusive nightclub, scouring out employees who may be conducting dodgy dealings on the side and bleeding out his business. Whilst her night job leads to bleary-eyed mornings and the occasional fist fight or two, she has her hands full during the day as she chauffeurs a Middle Eastern royal family around Chicago, dealing with their spoilt princesses and seedy prince, and at the same time, she's trying to help their Pakistani servant girl escape their clutches and flee to Canada, and search for the very dead husband of her elderly neighbour who firmly believes he's still alive. And then there's the attempt on Cooper Graham's life, and suddenly Piper's life takes on stakes more dangerous than what she's ever encountered before. As she tries to unravel the mysterious enemy who seems to want Cooper out of the picture, she has to battle her tough-cookie persona as her feelings for him make themselves known. As for Cooper Graham? He's spell-bound by the girl who's loyal to him to the core and who will protect him whatever the cost. Her tough-cookie persona draws him to her but it also means that he may just have found his match...
This is going to sound out-of-the-realms crazy, but First Star I Saw Tonight reminded me of Zootopia. DON'T EVEN ASK. It could just be that I imagined Piper as Judy Hopps (she makes a cute cop okay) but Cooper Graham is also totally Nick from that film and I felt the same vibes that I got from watching it. Sidenote: if you haven't watched Zootopia, you're missing out in life. Go watch it and thank me later.
Anyway. Crazy visions aside. I quite liked this book! Everything from plot to characters to writing style and dialogue was handled well and I liked the air of suspense that carried through till the end. It was a light, easy read that had a lukewarm feel to it but was still good enough for me to want to finish it. I have to admit though, the epilogue was my favourite part. These are the kind of epilogues I need in my life. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic - sue me.
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