Book Chat: Spring
It’s time for the latest book chat. I literally can’t believe that I barely posted in March and that this is my first book chat since the beginning of February. Book chats are one of my most favorite to write. However, I will say that I’ve been struggling with time management and accomplishing things.
I’ve been reading a lot as my form of stress relief, working on my UVA grad class, and studying for my Praxis test I need for my teaching license endorsement to become a Reading Specialist. I honestly feel so much better when I read every day. My books app on my iPad has a tracker for reaching a daily goal (5 minutes of reading) and also tracks how many books I finish. I cannot recommend the books app enough (what used to be iBooks). There are so many books to read on it, and you can constantly find free ones. I also love the Libby app. Now let’s get to the books I’ve finished…
The Book Chat
Royal Catch | Kylie Gilmore | Gabriel needs to find a wife to secure the kingdom. The King’s health isn’t great, and his mom has an idea to secure a wife for her son. Anna pretends to be a princess. Except, Anna isn’t very princess-ey. Gabriel is also grumpy. He’s upset about his father, trying to hold together a kingdom, and is being forced to find a wife. Will the competition of a lifetime help both Gabriel and Anna?
Rating 4/5 stars. Such a great idea for a plotline that mixes fairytale (the pauper marrying the prince) with a survival of the fittest competition. The two main characters are relatable (even if you’re not a prince), and the story keeps you intrigued.
Daring to Fall | Shannon Stults | Harper is back from medical school to pack up her grandmother’s house. She’s keeping secrets like she didn’t just take a leave from medical school. Harper grew up in the town’s B&B. Now, instead of following what she thought was her passion, she might find a new dream along with an old love.
3.5/5 stars. I read another Willow Creek novel and loved it. I’m sad that Cowboy wasn’t more developed as a character. I also think the storyline ends up being very predictable after reading the first one, Keeping Score.
Dating Games | T. K. Leigh | I’m a journalist. I have a job to do: find the world’s most aloof male escort. Except, he’s not really an escort. He makes women feel good. At least, that’s what his dates claim. He’s there to be a support and to help you find your confidence.
4.5/5 stars. I loved this book. The one thing that I wish was that it wasn’t so predictable. I loved the characters, the storyline, everything. I dreamed of being a journalist in high school, so I loved how this book was focused on someone trying to get a story, but finding something else out.
Southern Chance | Natasha Madison | Kallie is back in town. Someone is after her though. Her childhood love is now the town’s sheriff. However, his job might not be enough to protect her and her best friend.
5/5 stars. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I loved how the story developed. Madison really set up this book to lead nicely into the next book, which leads me to be very excited for the next one. I also love how the characters were already so intertwined but became even closer and connected as the story went on.
Hiding from the Sheriff | Palmer Jones | The town sheriff has to bail out his childhood friend from jail. He was not expecting Addie to be so…grown up. Addie is an incredible human being, who is smarter than most people think. It’s easy to think she’s just pretty. Addie wants to be on the right side of the law, but it isn’t so easy to make the switch. Plus, the sheriff might not be able to overlook her behavior.
5/5 stars. I loved Addie’s character. Addie definitely knows who she is, even if it’s hidden. She’s her kindness and good-heartedness is hidden at first. I loved seeing Addie develop as a character. This entire story is one you can easily fall in love with and I guarantee you won’t want to put it down.
Born to Protect | Christina Tetreault | Connor Anderson had his life ripped out from under him. His father was arrested, and the elite society of the northeast. He’s now working in security, trying to separate himself from his family issues. Then he runs into Becca Andre. Becca is in danger, but no one knows why. It’s up to Connor to protect her.
4/5 stars. I really liked this book! I think it ended up being slightly predictable. However, I loved the backstory between the two main characters, and how they both had to overcome different obstacles.
Sugarcoated | Erin Nichols | Zoe has to run the family bakery. It’s her legacy. She’s got to protect it against all competition. Even other companies that aren’t real competition. But, there might be a small complication by the name of Aiden. Aiden wants to buy said competition. Obviously, he can’t tell Zoe until everything is a done deal. However, will this mean their relationship can’t last?
3/5 stars. This story ended up being extremely predictable. I did like how it brought in multiple passions; however the predictability really killed this story for me. I do love the premise, though.
Mad About Matt | Theresa Paolo | Matt is the town sheriff. He makes sure his hometown is safe. Then, in walks Shay. His first love, and someone who has been the target of multiple break ins. Matt will need to separate his personal feelings for Shay. This is a small town and everyone talks. Small town gossip is everywhere, specifically about Matt and Shay. True love might win, but they have their past to contend with.
3/5 stars. I did like this book even though it was very predictable. I loved how the two main characters had to overcome their pasts and misconceptions.
Weekend Wife | Erin McCarthy | Grant Caldwell the Third has a serious problem. More like a seriously fake problem. Grant has all the money in the world, but he does not have true love. However, a fiance is needed, so of course the answer is to find a fake one. But, fake might be more real.
4/5 stars. I truly loved how cute this storyline was. It definitely drew me in and made me think I was part of the story. I would say that again, the story was very predictable, which I just can’t get over. I do feel like predictable books are a theme of this particular book chat. That was definitely not my intention!
Love Block | SM West | Avoid Pippa at all cost. She’s my best friend’s sister after all. I just bought a cottage on the lake and I have to clean it up. Unfortunately, Pippa comes up with my sister, Paige. I have to keep my distance from Pippa. Then, Paige leaves. And, my best friend shows up, after I finally made my move. Will everything end? Can friendship survive?
4/5 stars. I loved the angle of this book and how the characters interacted. I felt like the story line was very stereotypical: don’t date the best friend’s sister. Also, there needs to be a disclaimer with this book-there is one part in the book where it talks about crimes toward a child. It’s not very descriptive, but I would rather put the warning out there before you read it.
The Billionaire’s Email-Order Date | Vivi Holt | It’s the case of mistaken identity. Kate is there to be a singing Christmas surprise-you know like in Elf. Kate needs money. For her, it’s the life of the struggling artist after all. Chris does not want his mom to set him up again. He’s not ready for love after the death of his beloved wife, Mia. Especially since the accident was his fault. Chris offers $10,000 for the Christmas date to his family’s Montana anch. But, is $10,000 enough?
5/5 stars. This was by far one of the cutest books that I read. I love how their story develops and continues. Kate is such a relatable main character. I also love Chris’s family. They’re all adorable!
Love, Lacey Donovan | Jill Brashear | Lacey reviews books and moves around a lot. She likes the nomadic lifestyle. However, she’s getting to the point where she wants to settle down a bit. Nothing crazy-just a more permanent stop. Moving every year gets tough. Lacey has a great job in the bookstore and walking dogs. Her favorite things. Then, she makes a new friend while out dog walking. This new little friend will change the course of Lacey’s life. Well, Uncle Kit changes it more. Lacey is completely fine with only having a book boyfriend (they’re the best after all). However, Beckett might just change her mind.
5/5. I love how this book was predictable, yet kept you guessing the whole time. When you think you have something figured out Brashear throws something in to make you double guess yourself. This is my kind of book! Beckett is such an intriguing character. I felt like I could never really tell what he would do next, which I loved. This is by far one of my favorite books that I’ve read recently.
The Wrap Up
Overall, you’ll probably notice this book chat does not have any review below a 3/5. That’s because there were a lot of books I couldn’t finish. I hate not finishing a book. It literally makes me so sad. However, this time there were at least a dozen books that I just couldn’t get into.
There is also the noticeable theme of books being very predictable. I get the free books from the Apple Bookstore, so I know that there is a higher chance of getting more predictable books. However, there were so many books that were glaringly obvious.
Do you have any books I should read?
xx,
Lindsey
