Adult Contemporary

Review: Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties #2) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

~ megs14malloy

Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties #2)Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Four Aunties and a Wedding is the follow up to Jesse Q. Sutanto’s hilariously over-the-top 2021-release, Dial A for Aunties.

In this second installment, Meddy and her fantastic Ma and Aunties are back, doing what they do best; getting into trouble, causing chaos and steadfastly supporting one another through it all.

Meddy’s Ma and Aunties are wedding planner extraordinaires, but when it’s Meddy’s turn to take the walk down the aisle, she wants them to attend as her most valued guests, not as the planners.

Therefore, they decide to hire out the jobs they would normally handle. They’re pleasantly surprised when they are able to find another Chinese-Indonesian family-run wedding planning business to help them. What are the odds?

Meddy can’t believe her luck. That is until she catches the wedding photographer, Staphanie, who she has grown close to over the months of planning, discussing taking a hit out on someone at the blessed event.

Oh yeah, this seems more like Meddy’s luck; terrible. As it turns out, the whole family of wedding planners they hired are part of the Mafia and plan to use Meddy’s wedding as the backdrop to their next assassination, but who is their target?

Now it is up to Meddy, her Ma and Aunties to protect all of their guests, while simultaneously taking the mafioso down and keeping everyone else, including the groom, in the dark.

If this sounds like the wackiest set-up to you, you’re not wrong. It is wacky, wildly outrageous and an absolute blast to read!

I love Meddy and her relationships with her family, especially with her Ma.

All the Aunties and Ma love Meddy so much, she’s almost drowning in their support. Sometimes their best intentions overshoot the mark a bit, but what are families for, if not to embarrass you every now and again.

This had some adorably played out drama, however, I will say that I wished there had been a bit more mystery to it. I know it isn’t necessarily a Cozy Mystery, but it feels like it wants to be.

There’s so much about this to love, but I didn’t really feel like their were any stakes involved. I know there was the hit they were preventing but, that almost seemed back burner compared to the slapstick hijinks.

With this said, I still found this to be super cute and fun. For me, this is the ideal type of book to bring on vacation, or to binge in a weekend when you want to forget about real life for a while.

I love these characters so much and hope there’s more to this series. From the ending of this one, it sounds like there definitely could be. I would 100% be on board.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m definitely a Sutanto fan!!

View all my reviews

Review: One Night on the Island by Josie Silver

~ megs14malloy

One Night on the IslandOne Night on the Island by Josie Silver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On the cusp of her 30th-birthday, Cleo Wilder, a dating columnist for a Woman’s publication in London, is given a special assignment by her editor.

She is being sent to Salvation, a remote Irish island, on a self-coupling retreat. There she will marry herself and write about it. Cleo accepts the assignment with grace, looking at it as a chance to get away and re-energize herself, as well as her writing.

Mac Sullivan is a photographer from Boston with familial ties to Salvation island and the very lodge in which Cleo will be staying.

The twist, Mac is planning to stay at the lodge himself. The very tiny, fit for one person, or a couple lodge. When the two discover the double-booking, they also discover there’s no place else on the island for one of them to stay and the next ferry doesn’t leave for days.

Short on options, they decide to suck it up and share the lodge until the next boat. They’re both adults. Neither one seems like a psycho-killer, so how bad could it be?

Therefore, they do what any consenting adults would do and draw an imaginary line. He has his space, she has her space and they are only allowed to meet and talk in the common areas. After all, they’re in a gorgeous location, full of warm and friendly people, it could be worse.

Due to their circumstances, and a bit of whiskey, Cleo and Mac get to know each other fairly quickly. They’re both impressed with what they see, soon discovering they’re compatible as well, but it’s complicated.

The remote location and separation from their regular lives provides both characters ample time for self-reflection as well. I enjoyed those quieter moments with each character as much as I enjoyed their witty banter.

There were so many aspects of this story that I loved actually. The whole thing. It was a complete package for me.

What surprised me the most was the found family element that was created involving the locals.

I wasn’t expecting that and because of those connections, this became more than just a romance story for me. I could feel the confidence and self-acceptance in Cleo growing as the story progressed. She was finding her own tribe; it was beautiful.

I loved that for her character arc. It gave the whole self-coupling thing a real boost. I felt that aspect, even though the main focus was the ‘will they-won’t they’ vibe going on between Cleo and Mac.

I think it is safe to say at this point that I am in love with Josie Silver. Seriously, such a fangirl. Sometimes I feel like, the way she writes her stories, we share a brain or something.

I just know we would be best friends!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am so excited to see what Silver comes up with next.

Until then, I need to finally get to The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. I’m really hoping to pick that one up this Spring!

View all my reviews

Review: Payback’s a Witch (The Witches of Thistle Grove #1) by Lana Harper

~ megs14malloy

Payback's a Witch (The Witches of Thistle Grove #1)Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

After she graduated from high school, Emmy Harlow, left her small town of Thistle Grove and moved to Chicago. Since that time, she really hasn’t been back.

She’s forged her own life in the city completely separate from her magical family in Thistle Grove. Perhaps, now is a good time to mention that Emmy is a witch.

During her time in Chicago, she’s felt her powers waning. Apparently, it’s important for her to remain somewhat tied to her magical roots.

With the approach of a traditional spell-casting tournament occurring in Thistle Grove, Emmy finally decides to return for an extended visit. Her parents will be so happy.

Emmy’s family normally acts as the arbiters for the competition and because of where she falls within the family line, it is her turn. She could have passed the duties on to her overzealous cousin, but Emmy feels like it is finally time for her to be involved.

Upon returning to town, it doesn’t take long for Emmy to be right back into the small town circle: gossip, run-ins with ex-boyfriends, flirting with old classmates, amongst other things.

We learn more about the reasons behind Emmy leaving town, more about her and her relationships with her family.

I love the trope of a character returning to their hometown after an extended absence. As someone who moved away from my own hometown as soon as I graduated high school, I can totally relate to those feelings.

When you go back, it’s so mixed. You’re from there, of there, but also, feel like you are out of place. Life moves on without you while you are away and it’s like learning about a whole new place once you finally do go back.

I really enjoyed that aspect of this book. Emmy being reintroduced to her roots and really reconnecting with the people she had left behind.

The tournament was interesting as well, although I could have used more of it. It’s basically like the Triwizard Tournament, but for the founding magical families of this town. I wish there would have been more of that aspect.

Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with the romance. I wanted to be interested, but I just didn’t care either way. It was fine, but I wasn’t sold on how quickly Emmy and Talia fell for one another. Also, I’m not really sure Gareth’s vices were worth the efforts the ladies went to in order to get back at him. Not to be mean but, get over it.

With all of this being said, this was a super cute story overall. I loved the town of Thistle Grove. It felt to me like an Adult version of The Babysitters Coven and I’m not mad about it. I will absolutely be continuing on with this series.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I am looking forward to returning to this town and this great cast of characters when the second book releases in May!

View all my reviews

Review: It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

~ megs14malloy

It Ends with UsIt Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

After graduating college, Lily moves to Boston. It’s a bit of a change from her small hometown in Maine, but that is exactly what she is looking for.

Lily is thriving with her new found independence. She starts her own business and begins to see success with that.

She’s young, gaining confidence and coming into her own.

Then she meets a handsome, slightly arrogant, neurosurgeon, Ryle. He’s sexy as hell and Lily is driven to distraction. She can’t get this guy out of her head.

It appears Ryle feels the same way, but this is a guy who once told her he wasn’t into relationships. Was that just big talk, or was he serious? Do they stand a chance of building an actual future together?

At the same time she is overwhelmed with questions about Ryle, an old flame of Lily’s resurfaces. She’s been thinking of him a lot. A bit of her past she has never forgotten. Will this throw a kink in the works for her and Ryle?

It Ends with Us was my first Buddy Read of 2022 with my fabulous niece, Alyssa.

It was also my first Colleen Hoover book. I was so uncertain going in, as it falls way outside of my comfort zone.

I was so nervous that I wouldn’t like it, or worse, that I would hate it and people would get ticked off by my review. This was such a good book though. I had absolutely nothing to be worried about.

I became so involved in this story, I forgot I was reading a book. It covers a few difficult topics, including domestic abuse. Alyssa and I had some great discussions stemming from these more hard-hitting aspects.

Lily isn’t a perfect character and I appreciated that about her. She makes mistakes and often second guesses herself. Sometimes she would waffle back and forth on decisions and I felt like that made her extremely realistic.

It’s easy to read her story and judge; to say or think what you would do in her place, but I think it is impossible to really know unless you’ve walked a day in Lily’s shoes.

I was surprised at how moved I was. I read via the audiobook and listened to the last chapter and maybe an epilogue (I can’t quite recall) on my morning commute. I ended the drive with tears just streaming down my face.

The lines where you discover where the title comes from. OMG!!!! That hit me like a freight train. If you’ve read this, you know exactly what I mean.

Overall, I would say my first CoHo experience was a fantastic success. I can’t wait to pick up more from her to see if they can garner the same emotional reaction.

Everybody needs a good cry once in a while!

View all my reviews

Review: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

~ megs14malloy

One Last StopOne Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Casey McQuiston!!!

I’m going to find it close to impossible to write this review without swooning like a fangirl, but I’ll give it my best shot.

In One Lost Stop, we follow 23-year old college student, August, who has recently moved to New York City.

Amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, August is on a journey of self-discovery. She’s on her own for the first time and is a little desperate to find her place.

Securing a room in an apartment with three other people and taking a job at a 24-hour pancake diner seem like steps in the right direction.

August is establishing herself as a functioning adult, no matter how meager her resources, yet she still feels alone.

The stars align one day, however, as she meets a girl on the Q. The sexy and mysterious, Jane, gives August a scarf in her hour of need. After that, August cannot get her out of her mind.

Subsequently, she runs into Jane every time she is on the train and a relationship develops. It very quickly becomes clear that something about Jane is a little off.

Jane’s not just a random punk rocker, razorblade girl with a cotton candy heart, taking her style inspiration from the 1970s. She’s actually from the 1970s, and somehow, someway, finds herself trapped on the Q-line.

I know this seems like a bit of a trippy idea, but it was such a phenomenally fun and creative way to frame this story.

August coming to the revelation that Jane cannot leave the train and trying to figure out what exactly that means and why; it was bloody fantastic and so incredibly entertaining.

August’s roommates, Myla, Niko and Wes, all become involved in the relationship, as well as their neighbor, Annie. Together this vastly diverse group of souls evolve into one of the most beautiful found-families that I have ever read.

Each person had their own unique story, voice, personality and contribution to August’s growth and maturation. I absolutely adored the way they interacted and supported one another.

Friendship goals, for sure. McQuiston packed so much into this book and watching the evolution of August’s character was immensely satisfying.

There were so many moments when I laughed, a few when I felt my heart-breaking and times where I was just left contemplating this thing we call life.

The release date for this book coinciding with the 1st day of Pride month, couldn’t be more perfect!

The representation includes a plethora of Queer identities and romances. I particularly enjoyed how OLS is just a story of Queer individuals living their lives in the way they choose.

It didn’t really have individuals having to hide who they were, or having to come out to anyone in a dramatic way.

They all just were living their day-to-day lives in New York City; dealing with family, work, relationships, LIFE. There was a certain sense of peace to be found in that, even when the narrative got a little crazy!

I think August learned a lot from her new friends. Particularly how to open up, be herself and allow herself to need other people in her life.

That it was okay if things were complicated, what with her love interest being trapped in time and all.

Jane was a fascinating character as well. I loved how her life was pieced together through her continual interactions with August.

It was particularly clever how McQuiston used Jane’s character, in a way, as a plot device to compare the experiences Jane had, as a Queer woman, in the 1970s, versus the experiences that August and her friends have in the present time. It felt like a subtle, respectful nod to those who came before.

At the end of the day, this book has it all. If you enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue, you should love One Last Stop. It’s next level. This book made me overflow with feeling!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I greatly appreciate the opportunity!

A new favorite!!!

View all my reviews

Review: Make Up Break Up by Lily Menon

~ megs14malloy

Make Up Break UpMake Up Break Up by Lily Menon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Make Up Break Up is Sandhya Menon’s Adult Romance debut; here writing as Lily Menon.

Most people know Sandhya Menon from her cutesy YA Contemporary novels, When Dimple Met Rishi, From Twinkle, with Love and There’s Something About Sweetie.

In this novel, we follow Annika Dev, the creator of a relationship app, Make Up. Even though the app is floundering a bit at the moment, Annika believes she can make her ‘Google translate for failing relationships’ work.

When a rival app, Break Up, created by the admittedly charming, Hudson Craft, moves into the office space next to Make Up, Annika is rattled.

Since their short fling in Las Vegas the previous year, Annika has watched Hudson’s star rise using an idea she feels he stole from her.

He took her Make Up, flipped it on its head, and Break Up was born. Most infuriating of all, he seems to be having an easier time getting his app off the ground than she is.

Now that their offices are next door to one another, they bump into each other all the time. He clearly isn’t as offended by her presence, however, as she is by his.

In fact, he seems to be trying to charm her. Either that, or get under her skin. He’s devious, it’s tough to figure out his intentions, but Annika’s head is swimming because of it.

Making matters worse, the two companies are set to compete against one another at the prestigious EPIC investment pitch contest. Make Up needs to win in order to continue. Annika must put her head down and focus, but Hudson is making that really difficult.

I like stories set in the tech world, so this definitely checked that box. Plus, having women in tech is always nice to see.

The flow of the narrative was smooth and it did have some solid, dramatic moments, as well as some light humor.

With this being said, I was never sold on the romance. Annika and Hudson, I just didn’t buy it. I knew I was supposed to be rooting for them to get together, but I wasn’t. I didn’t feel anything for either of them.

I’m sort of ambivalent about the whole thing. It didn’t really impact me one way, or another.

It also seemed to end rather abruptly, after a long-slow build-up. We finally begin to get some resolution and the credits start to roll. That’s it.

Overall, I think this is a good story, it just wasn’t one that I personally connected with. I am sure a lot of people will, however, and I hope Menon continues expanding into this space.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate it.

View all my reviews

Review: Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan

~ megs14malloy

Ten Rules for Faking ItTen Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Everly Dean is a producer of a radio show, working alongside her best friend, Stacey, the DJ.

On Everly’s 30th-birthday, she catches her boyfriend, Simon, with another woman. Not a great way to start a day.

Arriving at work, she proceeds to rant to Stacey about it. Unfortunately, the microphone was on and now all of their listeners know of the problems with Everly’s love life.

Trying to spin a negative into a positive, Everly agrees to participate in a Bachelorette-style dating show hosted by the station. Their numbers have been struggling and it may boost their ratings just enough to keep them going.

This is a really tough sell for Everly. She suffers from severe social anxiety, so even the thought of going out on a series of random dates with a bunch of strangers causes her to hyperventilate.

Her cute boss, Chris, the one who doesn’t seem to like her at all, thinks it is a great idea though; as does Stacey. She’ll give it a shot. What’s the worst that could happen?

As it turns out, the dates aren’t too bad, but Everly can’t stop thinking about her boss.

Alternating between Chris and Everly’s perspective, the Reader gets a front row seat to all of their pinings, doubts and insecurities, as an adorable friendship develops.

The first half of this book, I was pretty into it. I liked the characters and although not super romance heavy, I enjoyed reading about their friendships and issues.

Everly’s anxieties were relatable and I thought she was doing a great job getting outside of her comfort zone and working at lowering her walls.

I really liked Chris as well. He was in a difficult position. His father owns the radio station, but he didn’t want any of the employees to know. He wanted to be judged on his own merit, not because of the fact that his father is super rich.

Chis has a huge crush on Everly, but doesn’t feel like he is in a position to make a move considering he is her boss. That makes sense. I get that.

Everything was going along nicely, but then somewhere around the 80% mark, it just went off the rails for me.

It got beyond frustrating. I actually started to get angry with the characters and the way things were going. I was yelling at them. Literally exclaiming things randomly while reading.

Everly ended up turning into one of my least favorite characters ever. She was so rigid. Holding everyone to these impossibly high standards. It was so freaking aggravating.

It was like she had never made a mistake before. She’s a 30-year old woman, judging people based upon decisions they made when they were 20-freaking years old.

I don’t know, something about that just rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn’t get over that distaste once it was in my head and the rest of the story suffered for it.

I rounded up to 3-stars, because I feel like this has the workings to be a good story, and if you don’t have the same issues with Everly that I did, this could work for you. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t a great fit for me.

I did adore Chris though. He deserves better, in my opinion, than the end of this book.

Also, although this didn’t have an impact on my rating, I know for a lot of Romance Readers it might, there is zero steam in this story. There is more steam in a Hallmark movie than in this book, so if that is what you are looking for, look elsewhere.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I do appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion.

While this didn’t knock it out of the park for me, I would definitely try more from Sophie Sullivan.

View all my reviews

Review: Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia

~ megs14malloy

Tuesday Mooney Talks to GhostsTuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tuesday Mooney, a 30-something researcher, living in Boston is about to have the adventure of a lifetime following the clues on a dead billionaire’s treasure hunt.

She is just the sort of character I love, independent, funny, smart, quirky and a bit of a loner; I was happy to go along for the ride.

Full of hilarious hijinks and engrossing twists and turns, this story grabbed me by the heart and never let up. I was a big fan of Racculia’s work going in and it certainly didn’t disappoint!

Every page is full of intelligent writing and witty banter, I am seriously addicted to her style. I could absolutely see myself reading this story again. There was a great cast of side characters that brought humor and depth.

The setting of the city of Boston, a place where I have lived, made it even more exciting. Tie in the fact that she kept mentioning my hometown of Nantucket, felt like I was reading about a friend or neighbor!

As always, Racculia weaves some fairly serious topics into her otherwise humorous narrative. There is an examination of grief, guilt, the loss of a friend, loss of a family member, loss of a job, questioning of self-worth, intimacy, adult friendships and the presence of an afterlife, to name a few.

I think she always handles such topics with grace. It was all really well done here.

If you are looking for a fun, fast-paced, fantastical adult novel, you should definitely give this one a try. If you do and you enjoy it, be sure to check out Bellweather Rhapsody as well!

Finally, thank you to my friend, Tucker, for sending me his copy. I will cherish it forever!!

View all my reviews

Review: Daisy Jones & the Six

~ megs14malloy

Daisy Jones & The SixDaisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The 1970’s was an amazing decade for music. The rock genre began taking the world by storm, selling out large arenas and gathering unheard of crowds of obsessed fans.

Groups such as The Who, Led Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult, Boston, and Queen were living large with lifestyles infused with sex, drugs and rock and roll. This is the profile of one such band, Daisy Jones & the Six.

Told via a highly creative interview format, Daisy Jones & The Six is an exceptional example of that format done wisely. This felt like an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music on steroids!

I started my read of this switching back and forth between my hard copy and the audiobook. Roughly 35% in, it was clear the audiobook is absolutely the best way to inhale this story.

The full cast truly draws you in. I felt like these people were real. I wanted to hear their songs, buy their album and hang their posters on my wall. Billy had me fangirling like I was in Junior High all over again.

This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid and I was definitely impressed. She writes with such skill. I cannot wait to pick up some of her other books. Obviously, Evelyn Hugo will be next. I just hope the hype for that holds up as well as this one did!

View all my reviews