Review: SNUG by Catana Chetwynd

SNUG: a collection of comics about dating your best friend

by Catana Chetwynd

Publication Date: February 4, 2020

Pages: 136

Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing

Source: Netgalley | Library

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Synopsis

Why bother getting out of bed when you could stay bundled up with that special someone and a book of cozy, cute comics. From the author of the bestselling Little Moments of Love comes Snug, a collection of comics that perfectly captures the honest, playful, and relatable snapshots of romantic life.

Catana Chetwynd’s second book has the same charming and inviting style as her first and includes 50 percent new, never-before-shared comics. Snug is a celebration of the quirks and peculiarities of every one of us—and the magic that happens when we find our matching puzzle piece.

My Thoughts

I just adore the comics created by Catana Chetwynd. They've brought me such joy and this collection in SNUG makes me feel just warm and fuzzy just as the title implies. Her comics bring a smile to my face and can make me literally laugh out loud. She really captures those small moments of falling and living in love.

With her book, LITTLE MOMENTS OF LOVE, I would share my favorite comics with my husband because I thought they were "totally us". I would turn to him, show him a comic, and tell him, "Oh my gosh, THIS IS US!" It happened with comic after comic.

Even though he's no longer here for me to share SNUG with him, it made me feel good to read it because I still saw us in the comics. I could hear his laugh and him agreeing, "Yes, this is us."

And, if I'm being honest, there were times that it made me cry too.

SNUG came out in February of this year and I've read it a few times. Chetwynd's new book IN LOVE AND PAJAMAS will be available in February 2021.

If you don't have a chance to check out her books any time soon, you can follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catanacomics/

Disclaimer:  I requested this e-ARC from Netgalley for review consideration.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mini-Reviews: FIX HER UP, THE PROPOSAL, and 5,331 MILES

A collection of mini-reviews, quick thoughts, and books worth mentioning. Check them out!

FIX HER UP by Tessa Bailey

Publication Date: June 11, 2019

Pages: 400

Source: Library

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis (link to Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I enjoyed this book for all of the laughs. I'd read some heavy emotional reads prior to reading FIX HER UP and I was in the need for a good laugh and this book did it. 

Family dinners, inconvenient/convenient small towels, and heated kisses made for some memorable moments. I loved the women supporting each other in their Just Us League - we all need friends to depend on. This fake relationship turned real romance is oh so hot and oh so good. ❤❤

THE PROPOSAL by Jasmine Guillory

Publication Date: October 30, 2018

Pages: 325

Source: Netgalley | Purchased

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis (link to Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I love the “Friends to More” or “Friends with Benefits to More” trope. And when it’s served up with a huge dose of humor, it makes it even better. THE PROPOSAL is sexy and fun and great follow-up to Jasmine Guillory’s THE WEDDING DATE.

The entire time I read THE PROPOSAL, I kept thinking “Y’all are totally in a relationship.”  Just because Nik and Carlos say what they’re doing isn’t a relationship, doesn’t mean that it’s not a relationship. They didn’t want to claim to be in a relationship because of what that would mean, but their friendship developed into something more. They were intuitive of the other’s needs and didn’t recognize that what they were feeling for each other was love. Sometimes it happens just like that. 

And if the love story isn’t enough, this book had me craving all the yummy food - risotto, tacos, pancakes - I wanted it all. And cooking for comfort or as a way to relax is always a plus in my book. 

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Thank goodness I already have a copy on my shelf.

5,331 Miles by Willow Aster

Publication Date: March 1, 2019

Pages: 288

Source: Kindle Unlimited | Purchased

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis (link to Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I first heard of this book when someone chose to receive it from a giveaway I’d hosted. Willow Aster was an author who was on my radar to read, and after reading the description for 5,331 MILES, I thought this was the perfect book to start with. First love, second chances, young adult - YES, YES, YES! This is the book for me.

I loved the storytelling of the past and present, the then and the now, as a way of  learning about the characters history and everything that they’ve experienced together and apart.

A favorite quote:

     “This -- kissing you, finally saying how I feel and hearing you say it back -- it’s a thousand times better than any time I’ve played it out in my head,” he whispered, placing one more kiss on my nose.”

     I grinned, amazed that he’d been imagining the same things I had.

This was a great book to introduce me to Willow Aster’s writing. Since reading 5,331 MILES, I’ve read her follow-up MILES AHEAD and have added some of her other books to my collection. Now I just need to decide which one to read next.

Review: SEASON OF JOY by Annie Rains

 

SEASON OF JOY

Sweetwater Springs #6

by Annie Rains

Publication Date: October 13, 2020

Pages: 432

Published by Forever

Source: Publisher | Purchased

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Synopsis

Fall in love with this heartfelt holiday romance between a down-on-his-luck Christmas tree farmer and a woman with plans to bring the merriment back to their town.


Tis the season for love

For single father Granger Fields, Christmas is his busiest and most profitable time of the year. But when a fire devastates the Merry Mountain Tree Farm, he fears the season won't be holly or jolly unless he can convince free spirit Joy Benson to care for his two rambunctious daughters. Yet while Granger wants to focus on saving his business, Joy seems determined to shake up his family's Christmas with her festive ideas and merry making.

Joy is counting down the days until she can open her own art gallery. Babysitting Abby and Willow will help her reach her goal, and when inspiration strikes, Joy convinces Granger that her craft classes can bring even more holiday cheer to the farm. As crowds return and Joy's creative side flourishes, life with Granger and his girls begins to feel like home. But with Christmas coming nearer, can Joy convince Granger to open his heart again? Or will their newfound happiness be as fleeting as the newly fallen snow?

My Thoughts

Reading books like SEASON OF JOY make it easy to get into the holiday spirit. I loved reading this small town romance while listening to Christmas music playing in the background. 

After reading just a few chapters, I embraced the characters - Joy, Granger, and his daughters - and cared about their happiness. Joy had a sweet and special relationship with Abby and Willow and took care with their emotions. And I loved how the sisters took ownership of their friendship with Joy, not wanting to share her with their dad. They are adorable and precocious and I looked forward to every scene with them.

Some favorite things about SEASON OF JOY:

• Merry Mountain Farms - I want to go there! And experience the magic of the wonderland that Granger created
• Granger and Joy giving in to their impulses to kiss each other  
• Learning a new way to make a PB&J which was so YUMMY
•  "Meeting" the other people of Sweetwater Springs - giving me a reason to read more books from this series

SEASON OF JOY is a cozy holiday romance and exactly what I needed right now. Granger and Joy's relationship made my heart feel full. It's a story about family, creating memories, following your dreams, and accepting the love you didn't know you were looking for. It was wonderful!

Disclaimer:  I received a promotional copy of this title from the publisher for review consideration. I've purchased a finished copy for my personal library. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mini-Reviews: HEIDI'S GUIDE TO FOUR LETTER WORDS, THE WIVES, and I LEFT THE HOUSE TODAY

 A collection of mini-reviews, quick thoughts, and books worth mentioning. Check them out!

HEIDI'S GUIDE TO FOUR LETTER WORDS

by Tara Sivec and Andi Arndt 

Pages: 254

Source: Audible | Won in an Author Giveaway

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis (link to Goodreads)

Originally posted on other review outlets 12/14/2019

It's absolutely what I needed - a fun and hilarious romantic comedy. I highly recommend the audiobook - co-author and narrator Andi Arndt brings out the humor that just never stops. I'm so happy that I own this book and can listen to it again and again. And I think anyone who reads it will want to too.

THE WIVES

by Tarryn Fisher

Pages: 256

Source: Netgalley | Purchased

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis (link to Goodreads)

Originally posted on other review outlets 12/20/2019

This is the PERFECT book club selection. There's a reason why my book club continues to read Tarryn's books. We all need someone to talk us down, someone to talk us through, someone who'll be there lift our jaws up from the floor, and someone you can share the same awe and mystification right along with you.

Seriously, if you don't have a book club - join one, form one, get a friend to read this with you. THE WIVES is not safe to read alone.

I LEFT THE HOUSE TODAY

by Cassandra Calin

Pages: 144

Source: Netgalley 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis (link to Goodreads)

Originally posted on other review outlets 6/14/2020

I really enjoyed this fun and quirky comic. The cover and title are what drew me to the book. Some days it' really is an accomplishment to leave the house and this book highlights that in a humorous and relatable way. It had me nodding in recognition and laughing and smiling while reading it. This would be a fun gift book for a friend or for yourself when you want a pick me up.

Cover Reveal: IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER by Tessa Bailey

It Happened One Summer 

by Tessa Bailey

Publication Date: July 13, 2021

368 Pages

Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood “It Girl” who’s cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town... where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn’t belong. 

Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar... in Washington.

Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.

Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart. 

PRE-ORDER LINKS:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HTB6SJ

Apple Books: https://apple.co/3kOc7yq

Kobo: https://bit.ly/368WUC7

Google: https://bit.ly/3jOvTsn

Review: FORESHADOW edited by Emily X.R.Pan and Nova Ren Suma

 

FORESHADOW

Stories to Celebrate the Magic of

Reading and Writing to Y.A.

edited by Emily X.R. Pan & Nova Ren Suma

Publication Date: Octobe 20, 2020

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

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Synopsis

Thirteen Short Stories from Bold New YA Voices & Writing Advice from YA Icons

Created by New York Times bestselling authors Emily X. R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma, Foreshadow is so much more than a short story collection. A trove of unforgettable fiction makes up the beating heart of this book, and the accompanying essays offer an ode to young adult literature, as well as practical advice to writers.

Featured in print for the first time, the thirteen stories anthologized here were originally released via the buzzed-about online platform Foreshadow. Ranging from contemporary romance to mind-bending fantasy, the Foreshadow stories showcase underrepresented voices and highlight the beauty and power of YA fiction. Each piece is selected and introduced by a YA luminary, among them Gayle Forman, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jason Reynolds, and Sabaa Tahir.

What makes these memorable stories tick? What sparked them? How do authors build a world or refine a voice or weave in that deliciously creepy atmosphere to bring their writing to the next level? Addressing these questions and many more are essays and discussions on craft and process by Nova Ren Suma and Emily X. R. Pan.

This unique compilation reveals and celebrates the magic of reading and writing for young adults.

My Thoughts

FORESHADOW is an wonderful anthology for readers and writers who want take a closer look at writing methods and techniques for some encouragement or ways to improve upon what they already have written. And FORESHADOW is for those who dream of becoming a writer and are just beginning to craft their thoughts into stories. The short stories are introduced by notable authors, then followed by Author's Notes, and then the editors essays. I enjoyed this format and it can serve as a guidebook for writers. 

Readers can enjoy the short stories just as they are written, or they can take it a step further and evaluate and consider the process writing. We are given the opportunity to explore the many elements of creating an impactful and memorable story. Readers gain knowledge thorugh the essays about the use of voice, mood, emotions, and the ideas of imagery and the suspension of disbelief. As someone who wants to improve their skills, I like the writing prompts for inspiration and motivation.

I appreciated the Author's Notes - while each story is open to interpretation, I like to idea of knowing the intention of why author writes the way they do, why they felt it was necessary to share specific scenes, their choice of words, their use of characters, and then reevaluate what I took from my reading the story compared to what the author intended. Do those ideas match the intent? How do they differ? Did I get it?

I was surprised when flipped though the pages to find stories from YA authors like Becky Albertalli, Gayle Forman, Jason Reynolds, and Adam Silvera. I guess I should have read the book discription (and cover) more closely. Then I would have known that these authors Introduced with writings of underrepresented voices. That's all on me. But I'm glad to discover these new-to-me writers, and will definitely be on the look out for more of their works. 

As I share this review, it should be known that I'm still in the process of reading FORESHADOW and discovering these wonderful stories. That's one thing I enjoy about anthologies, you can read a story whenever you want, skip around from story to story and find one that is most appealing to you, or you can read it cover to cover and enjoy it all at once.

I know that I'll turn to FORESHADOW time and again as I continue to work on my craft as a writer. And now I want to check out the site where this anthology originated from for even more short stories.  

My In-Progress Rating  

Review: SORROW by Tiffanie DeBartolo

SORROW

by Tiffanie DeBartolo

Publication Date: October 20, 2020

Pages: 270

Published by Woodhall Press Llp

Source: Author | Publisher

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Synopsis

From Tiffanie DeBartolo, author of God Shaped Hole, How to Kill a Rock Star, and Grace: The Jeff Buckley Story, comes Sorrow, a poignant story about friendship and love, art and music, and how these pursuits can save us from ourselves.

Joe Harper has backpedaled throughout his life. A once-promising guitar prodigy, he’s been living without direction since abandoning his musical dreams. Now into his thirties, having retreated from every opportunity he’s had to level up, he has lost his family, his best friend, and his self-respect.

But Joe finds an unlikely path to redemption when he starts working as a carpenter for the bohemian conceptual artist October Danko. The job returns him to his hometown, loaded with bittersweet reminders of his former life, in the shadows of his beloved redwood trees. As Joe’s relationship with October develops, he yearns to take a daring step toward a bold future but struggles to escape the craven decisions of his past.

Sorrow is a stunning, moving novel that explores masculinity and suspended adolescence, all the while begging the questions: Can courage be learned? And is it ever too late to follow your heart?

My Thoughts

I'M READY TO FEEL IT ALL. That was my immediate reaction after hearing that Tiffanie Debartolo was writing a new book. I'd just finished reading GOD SHAPED HOLE (a book that I hadn't read until just last year - I don't know what was wrong with me) and I was in a state of awe. I'm very lucky to have won an ARC and had the opportunity to read it early. No waiting around this time. I've marked up my copy noting some of my favorite quotes and moments that I know I'll want to revisit. And I've already ordered a finished copy for my personal home library. 

SORROW is moving and thoughtful and inspiring. Each word written and each scene shared is with notable intention. And the descriptions of art, the descriptions of creating art, creating music, and the love between the characters - it's all so mesmerizing. I could see October in the studio and could see her during her exhibits of living art. I could hear and feel the music Joe played in his bare feet. You can't help but immerse yourself in it. To fold within the pages and become a part of it.

 

One of my favorite moments is when Joe talks about playing his friend's guitars:

" . . I can't say that playing Cal's guitars made my loneliness go away. But I could make those guitars feel what I was feeling, and that made me less lonely. I could transfer my longing to whatever instrument was in my hands, and I could turn it into beautiful sounds. It didn't heal me, but it comforted me, and I needed comfort more than anything." (page 128)

I really felt this.

After reading just a few chapters, I texted my sister and told her that I was reading a book that SHE needed to read. I knew that she would connect with both Joe and October, and then when I finished it and shared my thoughts about it with my sister, it was a moment of connection. We both had chills. I love when you know just the right person to recommend a book to, because they will find it just as special as you do.

SORROW is uniquely profound. It is completely different from anything I've read in a really long time. The moment I turned to the first page, I knew I was going to read magic - something that was going to open my mind and even my heart. And it wasn't even an expectation, I just knew it. And I loved it.

Disclaimer:  I won a physical ARC from the author through an Instagram giveaway. Previously, I'd requested a copy of this title for review consideration and received an e-ARC from the publisher but found that format difficult to read. This review is of the physical copy I received. I was not compensated in any way other than the ARCs provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.