The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House/The Dial Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

It’s been over two years since Effie’s beloved parents got divorced, destroying the image of the happy, loving childhood she thought she had. Since then, she’s become estranged from her father and embarked on a feud with his hot (and much younger) girlfriend, Krista. And now, more earth-shattering news: Greenoaks, the rambling Victorian country house Effie called home her whole life, has been sold.

When Krista decides to throw a grand “house cooling” party, Effie is originally left off the guest list—and then receives a last-minute “anti-invitation” (maybe it’s because she called Krista a gold-digger, but Krista totally deserved it, and it was mostly a joke anyway). Effie declines, but then remembers a beloved childhood treasure is still hidden in the house. Her only chance to retrieve it is to break into Greenoaks while everyone is busy celebrating. As Effie sneaks around the house, hiding under tables and peeping through trapdoors, she realizes the secrets Greenoaks holds aren’t just in the dusty passageways and hidden attics she grew up exploring. Watching how her sister, brother, and dad behave when they think no one is looking, Effie overhears conversations, makes discoveries, and begins to see her family in a new light. Then she runs into Joe—the love of her life, who long ago broke her heart, and who’s still as handsome and funny as ever—and even more truths emerge.

 But will Effie act on these revelations? Will she stay hidden or step out into the party and take her place with her family? And truthfully, what did she really come back to Greenoaks for? Over the course of one blowout party, Effie realizes that she must be honest with herself and confront her past before she’ll ever be able to face her future.

With its light and fun premise, The Party Crasher strikes the right balance between being serious and using humour. Crashing a family party and being privy to what people are saying about you is the perfect premise for a rom-com. 

Once again, Kinsella's supporting cast is just as strong as her main characters. Effie is a bit clueless at times, but she is far from frustrating—she is endearing and enchanting. Although Effie overhears some hard truths and shocking secrets, she ultimately learns the most about herself. 

If you are looking for an adorable rom-com, look no further. The Party Crasher is a humorous and heartwarming novel about family, set against the backdrop of the most fabulous party you’ve ever snuck into. Thank you, Sophie, for another gem!

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SOPHIE KINSELLA is the author of the bestselling Shopaholic series as well as the standalone novels Can You Keep a Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, I’ve Got Your Number, Wedding Night, My Not So Perfect Life, Surprise Me, I Owe You One and Love Your Life.

She lives between London and the country.

The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry

A special thank you to Libro.fm Audiobooks and Simon & Schuster Audio for an audiobook listening copy.

The Roxy Letters is a series of letters that are penned to our heroine's dud ex-boyfriend, Everett. He also happens to be her roommate because of her financial straits. At first, Roxy is using the notes to establish rules and remind Everett of his overdue rent payments. But as time goes on, her letters become less about the rent and more about the shambles of her life—how did things get so messy?

Fed up with being a deli maid at Whole Foods, her dismal love life, and the corporatization of her beloved Austin, Roxy decides that it is time to become the heroine of her own story. Enlisting the help of her two best friends, Anna and Artemis, she sets her sights on taking down Lululemon. And on top of that, she also trying to stay employed, spark a romance with Patrick from Beer Alley, and keep her dog safe from her meth head neighbours.

Will Roxy ever figure out her life's purpose and get her groove back?

Epistolary novels are usually my bag—I love the format and find them a refreshing change—but I struggled with The Roxy Letters. At first I thought Roxy was hilarious and had this book pegged as my new favourite, but then it started to become rather ridiculous. The letters were sometimes rant-y, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes completely cringe-worthy. Ahem, the sex cult. Not being judgemental, and I'm certainly no prude, but this was weird. And so not necessary.

Lowry is a great writer, she's engaging and funny, but ultimately lost the plot on several occasions when things became overly manic with Roxy.

This is no Bridget Jones' Diary. Bridge is completely relatable and you are rooting so hard for her whereas Roxy is a rambling hot mess—I mean how many ridiculous situations can she get herself into?

I know like it sounds like I didn't like this book, but I did, and would rate it a solid three stars. If Lowry had tightened up the rambling speech, cut out the sex cult stuff, and injected more Artemus and Annie, this would have easily been four stars.

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MARY PAULINE LOWRY received her MFA from Boise State University. She is the author of the novels The Roxy Letters and Wildfire, she’s also a regular contributor to O, The Oprah Magazine. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Millions, and other publications.

Lowry is a native of Austin, Texas.

Better Believe It by Fern Ronay

A special thank you to the author, Fern Ronay, for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

On social media, Jada Marlone is living the perfect life. She has a loving husband, a beautiful little boy, and a successful career. But her real life is far from being Instagram worthy—she is disconnected from her husband, motherhood is not what she expected, she has a strained relationship with her mother (if it's not one thing, it's your mother), and she's barely keeping it together at work.

Thinking that her lot in life is already set by the choices she's made, she has a chance encounter with her ex and wonders if this is the universe giving her a sign. But then Jada's dead cousin, Gina, starts appearing in her dreams to help her figure out why she's made some of the choices in her life. When things start to unravel, will she learn from Gina's lessons, or will she continue to make the same mistakes and live miserably ever after?

This story had the right amount of sass and smarts, and was purely entertaining. Jada is a complex character—on the surface she seems to have it all together, but she is simply trying to hold it together. I'm sure that there are many women that will be able to see parts of themselves in her and be able to relate on some level. My favourite scene was Ethan's fourth birthday party. Pure comedic gold. And I do love characters that cuss. There are loads of us that are well educated that curse like the proverbial drunken sailor.

For those of you that regularly read my blog, you know that I don't like comparisons. But Fern's writing is comparable to a Sophie Kinsella novel in that there is the same sharpness and humour. Once again, Ronay strikes the right balance of lightheartedness and purpose, and I devoured this in one sitting.

Congratulations, Fern, on another fab novel!

FERN RONAY is the author of two novels: Better in the Morning and Better Believe It. She also is the host of the podcast Signs from the Other Side.

Ronay has lived in NYC, Chicago, and now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, but she will always consider herself a Jersey girl. 

Twenty-one Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks

A special thank you to Edelweiss, NetGalley, Macmillan, and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dan is an obsessive list maker—he tries to solve all of his problems by making lists.

This story unfolds entirely through Dan's lists where he uses them almost like journal entries in his hopes of saving his family, his bookstore, and ultimately himself.

I devoured this book in one sitting.

I'm not going to lie, at first I was disappointed when I discovered that the whole book was made up of lists, I mean...who wants to read lists? Well, when they are written by Matthew Dicks you do.

Dan is completely overwhelmed with life and is suffering from anxiety. It was suggested to him by his former therapist that he log his feelings—this is where the lists come in. And he pretty much records everything from the day-to-day mundane, to what is plaguing him.

Having left his career as a teacher to open a bookstore, Dan is feeling tremendous pressure to succeed. He has yet to turn a profit and this is causing him anxiety and guilt since he hasn't disclosed this information to his wife, Jill. Not only does she thinks that everything is going swimmingly, she's also basking in the glow of pregnancy—having a baby is another source of stress for Dan.

Jill was a widow when they met, and Dan has always felt competition with her dead husband, Peter. He feels like he can never measure up and is incredibly insecure where Peter is concerned because he wouldn't be married to Jill if Peter was still alive.

We learn so much about what it is like to be flawed and human through Dicks' unique book. This narrative style could have easily failed, but instead, readers will be utterly enchanted by the raw beauty of Twenty-on Truths About Love. It was moving, funny, and incredibly real.

MATTHEW DICKS is a writer and elementary school teacher whose novels have been translated into more than 25 languages worldwide.

Dicks lives in Newington, Connecticut, with his wife, Elysha, and their children, Clara and Charlie.

The Floating Feldmans by Elyssa Friedland

A special thank you to Penguin First to Read for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The matriarch of the family Annette Feldman decides she wants to do something for her milestone 70th birthday, so she organizes a cruise for her family.

But between sibling rivalries that keep rearing their ugly head, family secrets, and her teenage grandkids, Annette’s birthday vacation is looking like it is going to capsize. Sailing on the open seas, the Feldmans are forced to face the truths they’ve been ignoring all while learning that the people they once thought most likely to sink them are actually the ones who help them stay afloat.

I thought that the ship was an interesting vehicle for the story because it forced all of the characters to not only be in the same vicinity as one another, but it really pushed some of the family dynamics front and centre and created some interesting situations.

The exposition and build up were painfully long. Once Friedland's cast is finally assembled, I expected more by way of confrontations and satire. She did redeem herself with the ending, readers will be satisfied as they disembark.

All-in-all a fun read that's perfect for summer, or cruising. Told from multiple points of view, The Floating Feldmans really brings out the fun in dysfunctional.

ELYSSA FRIEDLAND attended Yale University, where she served as managing editor of the Yale Daily News. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School and subsequently worked as an associate at a major firm. Recently, she has written for The Washington Post, McSweeney’s, POPSUGAR, RealSimple.com and Bustle.

Elyssa grew up in New Jersey and currently lives in New York City with her husband and three young children. 

My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie Kemper is a comedian and star of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and appeared on the US The Office series.  Her other written work includes writing for GQ, Esquire, The New York Times, McSweeney’s, and The Onion. In this collection of essays, Kemper delivers some funny bits about her journey from the suburbs to Hollywood, and becoming a full-fledged New Yorker.

My Squirrel Days is a heartfelt compilation with nods to nature, Kemper's upbringing, her career, her short stint in field hockey, and adulting.  And because we are all a bit celebrity obsessed, she carefully name drops a select few.

Let me preface this by saying I did enjoy parts of the book; Ellie is charming and you can't help but associate her with that infectious smile, but I feel like her life is not overly interesting.  The "Hysteric" essay was the worst in the collection (total and unnecessary filler).  That being said, it is a quick read—she is so likable and endearing.

My recommendation would be to listen to the audiobook rather than reading it because you would get to experience Kemper's fabulous personality and humour that was lost on the page.  

Better in the Morning by Fern Ronay

A special thank you to the author, Fern Ronay, for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Veronica Buccino thinks the man of her dreams, John DelMonico, is going to propose and she can quit her soul-sucking job as a lawyer. When John says he has 'big news,' Veronica is certain he is going to ask her to marry him, but instead of John getting down on one knee, John's only proposal is for her to drop everything and move to London where he will be starting a new job. 

She is absolutely heartbroken as her visions of the perfect ring and the perfect wedding are shattered. There will be no happily ever after with John and she will be stuck in a job with an incredibly demanding boss. Being a lawyer sounded glamorous, but in fact it is anything but.  It's long hours, low pay, and little appreciation. Veronica is distracted by a high-profile case—the attempted murder of a doctor's wife.  Apparently the doctor was involved, yet the wife is standing by him. Veronica is fascinated with the case and it becomes her only escape from her mundane job.    

Feeling lost, Veronica starts dreaming of her deceased grandparents who offer her their wisdom and guidance to steer her in the right direction. At their suggestion, Veronica takes a class in news reporting and covers the high-profile conspiracy trial she's so interested in as her first assignment. She also starts dating an unlikely match in Syd Blackman after her friends insist she put herself out there.   

Just when her love life and career seem to be looking up, she is thrown for a huge loop that makes her start to doubt herself and question her recent choices.

Can I tell you how much I loved this book? This story was absolutely delightful! For those of you that regularly read my blog, you know that I don't like comparisons, but the writing is just as sharp and humourous as a Sophie Kinsella novel. Ronay strikes the right balance of lightheartedness and purpose, and quite simply captured my heart. There were so many little nuances that I adored (especially the pennies) and the supporting cast of characters were just as engaging as the main characters, which is no small feat. Admittedly, I was initially confused in the beginning with Veronica talking to her deceased grandparents (were they ghosts/was this a dream?) but once I got in the grove and realized what was going on, I came to really look forward to these exchanges—they were so endearing.

Congratulations, Fern, on this fab novel. I can't wait to read what you publish next!  

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FERN RONAY is the host of the podcast Signs from the Other Side. Better in the Morning is her fist novel.

Ronay has lived in NYC, Chicago, and now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, but she will always consider herself a Jersey girl.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

A special thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well colour me surprised!  I actually enjoyed The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo way more than I thought I would.  There were things that made me laugh, and things that moved me too.  I could have done without the lists, and most certainly done without the chapter on her stuffed animals, but other than that, I felt she was incredibly honest, and real.

Schumer shares with readers some truly painful experiences.  The way she lost her virginity was sad, horrific, and painful.  She was also in an abusive relationship that resulted in a few terrifying ordeals that left me feeling incredibly sad for her, but optimistic in that maybe by sharing her story, she gave someone else the courage to leave an abusive relationship.  My heart went out to her when she spoke of her father's MS, but she did take things a bit too far (poop story) and this was not necessary.  I could empathize when she wrote about her mother, and their volatile relationship—she has had to establish some pretty tough and firm boundaries.  Many mothers and daughters walk a fine line, and I really struggle to understand why women are so cruel to other women, oftentimes this starts out with criticisms from one's own mother.

I love that she is unabashedly a feminist.  She is also kind, smart, and doesn't make apologies for any of her failures or shortcomings.  Schumer works hard, and is of course funny.

"I know my worth.  I embrace my power.  I say if I'm beautiful.  I say if I'm strong.  You will not determine my story.  I will.  I'll speak and share and fuck and love, and I will never apologize for it.  I am amazing for you, not because of you.  I am not who I sleep with.  I am not my weight.  I am not my mother.  I am myself.  And I am all of you."

The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a fan of Fannie Flagg's writing and have read most of her books.  Her books are like comfort food, like tea and a duvet on a rainy day, or like a hug from an old friend.

The book started out delightful and charming, typical of Flagg, with (mostly) likeable characters with lots of appeal and just the right amount of quirkiness, but then it got silly...  I like the premise of the book, the birth of a town in the 1800s right through to 2021, but I could have done without the subplot in the cemetery—this was corny and unnecessary.

All-in-all, a fun read.

Not Working by Lisa Owens

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Claire Flannery has just quit her office job, hoping to take some time to discover her real passion. The problem is, she's not exactly sure how to go about finding it. Without the distractions of a regular routine, Claire confronts the best and worst parts of herself: the generous, attentive part that visits her grandmother for tea and cooks special meals for her boyfriend, Luke, and the part that she feels will never measure up and makes regrettable comments after too many glasses of wine. What emerges is a candid, moving portrait of a clear-eyed heroine trying to forge her own way, a wholly relatable character whose imperfections and uncanny observations highlight what makes us all different and yet inescapably linked.

Okay, so maybe it is because I'm a Gen-Xer, or maybe it is because this book was pitched as being in the same vein as Bridget Jones's Diary and I Don't Know How She Does It, but I found it incredibly manic and I didn't enjoy it.

Our narrator, Claire Flannery, is in her late 20s and lives with her boyfriend in London.  She quits her job in the hopes that she will discover what she wants to do with/in her life.  There really wasn't much of a story here, and the small choppy sub-titled sections didn't do the narrative any favours - this staccato rhythm was distracting and didn't help me engage with the characters.  Claire comes off as selfish, shallow, and spoiled.  She is unlikable, and to be frank, rather dull.  There were some funny bits, but all-in-all, there was really nothing there character-wise and plot-wise. 

The Scam (Fox and O'Hare, #4) by Janet Evanovich

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Being a Stephanie Plum fan, I was really looking forward to reading this book.  Okay, so I didn't read the others in the series, but have since skimmed through them.  This series is a bit of a train wreck...  Evanovich's previous series were a breeze to read and so much fun!  Not this book/series.  We all need mindless reads from time to time, which is what I thought when I picked this book for review.  This really didn't work for me, is it because it is co-authored?  Is it because she takes some potshots at Canadians?  Maybe.  I think I will stick with books in my usual vein and leave the Evanovich series alone - my reading list is too long to waste my time on mediocre books.

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour was just okay for me. I wasn't laughing out loud like other reviewers, perhaps it was the genre that didn't appeal to me. Nonetheless, I found the subject matter interesting, we live in a time where the social media drives our identity and the internet responsible for our thought process (Wikipedia is a credible source, really?). I'm sure this book I'm sure will strike a chord with many readers.

Paul O'Rourke is the novel's first person narrator. Is he unlikable? For me, yes. He's a bit on the dull side, and I couldn't really relate to him or buy into his character. But was that the point, to come up with a character that was so self-absorbed and uninteresting that becomes a target for identity theft when he really doesn't have much of one? The most interesting part of the story for me was how Paul is so intrigued by himself, or who he is perceived to be. Ferris really does well with this angle.

The ending left me wanting. Again, why did this man choose Paul to impersonate, he's not even interesting? The book ends rather abruptly even though Paul seems better off for what he has experienced. All-in-all, the book left me flat.

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