Review: The Twelve Dates of Christmas

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Kate gets signed up with a dating agency that promises to find someone to love before the Holidays.  And so the 12 dates start.  

The person she would end up with was obvious (it's a friends to lovers), so much of this was just unnecessary.  It's overly descriptive at times.  I was bored frankly.  

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Review: While It Was Snowing

While It Was Snowing by Julia London
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amy works in HR and has always wanted to be an artist (paint).  But motherhood and family obligations put that dream on hold.  See, Amy is a doormat for her family.  Her kids, Jonah (17) and Ethan (13) expect her to wait on them for everything, her 48 year old brother sleeps on her couch (quit his job and broke up with one of many girlfriends), her ex-husband not only cheated on her, but now wants her back, her parents visit her numerous times unannounced, and she is expected to drop everything to fix everyone else's problems.  

Harrison is a pro golfer coming back from injury (car accident).  He turns 50 soon and recovery is slow.  Plus, he doesn't know what he wants to do after golf.  He is an only child and his parents are always busy, so he rarely sees them.

When Amy's friend Julie offers her her family's lake home for 2 weeks, she jumps at the chance to have 2 weeks to herself to paint and paint some more.  There is a contest she wants to enter.  But Julie's sister Sam rented the house to Harrison, so Amy (and Harrison) get a surprise.  Since the house if a big one, they decide to share.                          

While I was prepared to not like the book when I started, because really, I hated her family.  But then, a crazy thing happened.  I got invested in Amy and Harrison's love story.  While the Bossy Posse ignores boundaries, they are a close-knit group of friends that love and support each other.  Her family does love and support her, but they (the adults anyway) realize they count on her too much.  And even better Amy, realizes she has been a doormat and makes changes.  And Harrison figures out what he really wants and is able to do things on his own terms. I had a hard time putting the book down.  

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Review: Merry Inkmas

Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Both Bailey and Cash has father issues.  Neither want to fall in love; Bailey feels love is a weapon and Cash worries he would become his father.  They first met when Cash comes to her cafe to order a coffee.  And repeats.  He offers her a job when she is fired for helping a homeless guy.  Cash is famous for his tattoos and owns his own tattoo parlor.

Nicely paced for a book on the shorter side (around 200 pages).  I thought they got to know each other and while their attraction was lusty at first, I could see them together.  Even better is this has an epilogue!

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Review: The Sword Dancer

The Sword Dancer by Jeannie Lin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wen Li Feng is on a mission to find out what happened to her parents.  She has been traveling with an acrobatic group and uses her skills as a sword dancer (she can also defend herself).  She gets linked to a theft of jade which sets thief catcher (think bounty hunter) Zheng Hao Han on her tail.  Something about her strikes him.  He catches her and she escapes.  Repeat.  

They gradually learn each other's stories and Han vows to help her, realizing that sometimes things aren't always black and white.  They also gradually fall for each other.  I liked that she is capable of saving herself. Great action.  She does find out what happened with her parents and that was satisfying in happy and sad ways.  

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Review: Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World

Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World by Jessica Valenti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A good variety of personal stories and viewpoints dealing with sexual assault, harassment,  racism, etc.  Pretty heavy topics, but ones that effect many people.  At the end of the day, believe women.  The world would be so much better.  

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Review: The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy

The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy by James Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Living in Idaho, we couldn't escape hearing about this case.  More so once it was moved to Ada County (Boise) for the larger jury pool.  

This focused more on the victims and their friends and families.  This does a nice job of "showing" how they were as people.  

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Review: You Better Not Pout

You Better Not Pout by Mia Sosa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Juliana and Eric were engaged and broke up right before the holidays.  They decide to fake their relationship for the sake of Juliana's family.  

Not a big fan of 2nd chance, but this wasn't too bad.  I liked both characters and their main problem wasn't that they didn't love and care for the other, but rather a lack of communication.  With Juliana's mom's help (she and Eric had a conversation), they give things a second chance.  Nicely paced.

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