Book Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

3.5 stars. 

I’m surprised by how much I ended up enjoying what is essentially a gender reversed ‘Pretty Woman’ with an autistic female protagonist. I’m not a romance fan. And I’m certainly not a contemporary romance fan. So I went into this with a lot of trepidation but an open mind following some very favourable reviews. And for the most part it was really fun. 

Stella is the main driving force behind why I enjoyed this so much. She comes across as such a genuine individual who’s perhaps not your stereotypical romance character. She’s flawed, seen as a bit ‘odd’, with an obsession for statistics and maths. She struggles with social interactions and hates large social gatherings. Yet she’s also quirky, kind and giving. She’s described as ‘pretty’ by Michael, but more because that’s his type rather than because she’s stunningly beautiful. It’s his growing affection for Stella that drives his lust, rather than it merely being about looks. Their relationship feels open and honest, and very real. Nothing feels forced (rather the opposite, as Michael is very determined to endure Stella never feels pressurised) and is always respectful. Both of them feel so inadequate compared to the other, and I found this incredibly endearing. 

The sex scenes are also really full on, but never felt cringy or smutty (I’m looking at you Maas). Granted, this isn’t something I’d want read aloud to my mother, and reading it while sat in Costa Coffee with my 5 month old baby was an experience (I’m a total book prude, who knew?!). But, it felt necessary to the story. There’s clear boundaries with Stella, and lines that cannot be crossed at first, so it was kind of sexy to see Michael work around them in order to show her what love and sex should be rather than what she’s been subjected to in the past. I wouldn’t say it’s a slow burner by any means, but the romance is there, and it was believable. This was also helped by the plethora of supporting characters from Michael’s family, as they added a degree of warmth and understanding to his character and his personal insecurities that without would have made him feel very unattainable and unrealistic. 

The writing isn’t amazing. Some plot lines seemed a little too convenient or far fetched (ie everything involving Phillip and Aliza) and the ending was a little too contrived for my tastes but I think that’s my main issues with romance novels anyway. There’s not enough ‘grit’ for my personal preferences. But as far as romance novels go, this is the first I’ve really enjoyed for a long time.

Book Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

I’m a slave for fads and those ‘most talked about’ lists, so obviously I had to read this. Especially as I watched the Netflix movie first (granted I haven’t watched all of it yet) and I admit it was cute. I’m not normally a fan of anything contemporary, especially YA, but this I enjoyed.

I think I liked the overall feel the most. It’s like a toasty ham and cheese sandwich. It’s comforting, friendly, with no nasty after tastes. Everything is kept sweet and innocent with lots of lovely family moments, and I enjoyed experiencing them all with Lara Jean. Yes, at times her personality was a little grating. She’s ‘too’ nice sometimes, and comes across as a pushover but then I see a lot of myself at her age reflected in her character. She’s an introvert who loves to read. I’m sure a lot of people on Goodreads can relate to that. I also liked that this isn’t so much a typical YA contemporary. The story feels like it’s as much about Lara Jeans family as it is about friends, and these important boys, in her life.

The romance elements, although obvious, are also well thought out and develop reasonably well over the course of the book. You can see the relationships grow over the course of the story and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I grew to enjoy Peter in particular. He’s charismatic and likeable. The ying to Lara Jean’s yang.

At times I did find the plot a little meandering, with a slow pace. Not much happens between Lara Jean, Peter and Josh for a long time and although I can appreciate that this was to build up various relationships, I would have liked a bit of drama or excitement along the way. Because of this, it took me longer than normal to read as I found I couldn’t invest myself in the story. I’m glad I stuck it out though, as the last third of the story really comes into its own to a rather satisfying (although very much a cliffhanger) conclusion.

It was cute, and I didn’t hate it, which is always a bonus. However, I don’t think I’ll be reading the other books in the series.

 - 3 stars

Book Review: China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan

I’m really enjoying this series. It’s fun, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is over the top entertaining.

In China Rich Girlfriend, we follow Nick and Rachel two years after the events of [book:Crazy Rich Asians|18158562]. Nick is estranged from his family, and on the brink of marrying Rachel while still helping her in the search for her long lost father. A chance encounter between Nick’s mother and a Chinese playboy soon thrusts Rachel back into the lives of the Chinese ultra rich, and the opportunity to become embroiled in the scandals and dramas that surround these often strange and eccentric individuals.

Although this starts out by centering on Nick and Rachel, the story soon diverges to include Rachel’s extended family and friends in China. As such, we don’t see much of Nicks family, who I fell so in love with in the previous novel. In addition, the story is based almost entirely in mainland China. The introduction of so many colourful characters, after I had just got to know all of the ones in the first novel, did get a little confusing at times and I missed all of Nick’s aunties and uncles and their eccentricities. However, Carlton and Kitty Pong in particular brought enough intrigue and angst to the story to keep me entertained. Yes, some of the story is completely unrealistic and self indulgent, but I knew going into the story that it would be like this, and it’s one of the things I love about it.

In particular, I loved the slow developing relationship between Astrid, the one relative of Nick’s we do follow, Charlie and Astrid’s deteriorating marriage to Michael. Touched upon in the first book, we get an intimate look into their marriage and the rather obvious failings into a relationship that cannot be saved by throwing money at it. I think Astrid is my favourite character. She tries so desperately to mold her life around what her husband wants - sometimes at the cost of loosing a part of herself in the process, when to the outside world she comes across as effortlessly chic. She’s clearly not the right person for Michael, who has developed into a mean spirited and bitter money making businessman. He’s the perfect example of what money can do to an individual when they haven’t been taught to respect it or aren’t so casually use to having billions at their disposal.

The conclusion really ramped up the tension too, and took a plot twist I wasn’t expecting but became completely wrapped up in. I actually wish that there’d been a bit more direction and structure earlier on in the novel to take more advantage of the ending. This felt much more of an exploratory novel, introducing China to the reader much in the same way that Singapore and Hong Kong is shown to use in the first book.

That said, I can’t wait for the next book, if only to get reacquainted with Ah Ma.

 - 4 stars

Book Review: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

4.5 stars. Easily.

This was pure escapism at its finest. Charting the lives of the Chinese super rich through the eyes of newcomer Rachel, boyfriend Nick and his various family members, this was a wonderful bit of writing that instantly transported me into another world. With backdrops such as Singapore mansions, private islands, luxury chartered planes and the wedding of the century, everything felt so over the top and luxurious. It’s a world I cannot begin to imagine inhabiting, but I really felt as though I was there experiencing everything for the first time with Rachel.

At times it felt like I was reading a gossip magazine, with the various scandals and dramas wrapped up in haute couture. It’s a wonderful guilty pleasure. All of the characters are colourful and eccentric, either steeped in the cliched ‘old money’ traditions or dripping in ostentatious over the top displays of wealth, yet they’re also unique enough to carry and support the overall story arc. In particular I liked the secondary characters Astrid, ‘the goddess’ with her not-from-money husband and Alistair, the son marrying a Taiwanese soap opera actress known as ‘Kitty Pong’. I also really liked Nick’s Ah Ma, the typical matriarch running everything behind the scenes, while displaying at outward appearance of class and icy coolness.

Nick and Rachel are supported really well with all of these secondary characters, and really it’s because of them that I continued with the story, as I found Nick and Rachel by themselves to be quite dull. There’s no real drama involved between the two, other than a predictable storyline that reaches a climax too late in the plot. However, throwing the extended family into the mix really makes them shine for their ‘ordinary’-ness. Their lack of drama highlights the absurdities of their family, and makes their love story seem quite sweet and simple by comparison. However, we all known it’s the drama and bitchiness that bring this to life.

If anything, I found the ending rather abrupt after a slow build. Some things are not concluded to my satisfaction, and above all I wanted more. However, that said I can now devour the next instalment and immerse myself back in this fabulous world.

 - 4 stars

Book Review: The November Girl by Lydia Kang

What starts as an unusual romance develops into something wild and untamed in this unique tale of a girl, a boy, and the November storms. Hector is running from his home life, ending up on the deserted Isle Royale, when he meets Anda - born of the lake and the maker of November storms. Known as the November Witch, she's more inhuman than mortal. But Hector's made from violence too, and somehow the two collide - but Anda cannot hide from her fate forever.

This was so atmospheric. The prose really transported me into the Autumnal stormy weather, and the descriptions of the lake and the storms in particular were wonderful as we are transported to the scene of a shipwreck through Anda's eyes. A lot of the plot takes place on the water, and my favourite scene involves Anda and Hector traversing the lake to an old shipwreck where 'Mother' makes her presence known. The Isle Royale itself is haunting in it's stillness and devoid of life - which I felt echoed Hector's personality as a boy on the verge of adulthood who's deeply lonely and without any outlets for his pain.

Anda as the other main character is just as complex and unique. Wild yet giving. naive yet dangerous, a creature of chaos who is constantly struggling with her 'true nature'. She's a character quite unlike any I've seen before. Hector is her companion completely in this respect too. Hurt by a past too painful to confront, damaged and angry like Anda - she can see herself reflected in him. Their relationship is different to a typical 'romance' too. Anda is not out to be 'rescued' by Hector, although she does try to suppress the murderous side of her nature for him (understandable). She knows what she is, and what she can do. There's an obvious spark between them on first meeting, which felt natural as the story progressed.

The plot is possibly slow to start, as we see Hector struggle to thrive on the island, and there's lots of time spent dithering about food and fishing and tip toeing around each other. I found myself wanting Anda and Hector to interact quicker than they did, to the point where I was getting frustrated - but in reality I think this was just a reflection on their personalities. One has never interacted with humans before (other than her father), and the other is afraid too. As the story progressed, I found myself enjoying the story more.

I actually think that Hector's past is addressed relatively sensitively. It's never thrust on the reader, rather we are given glimpses of what happened to Hector as he's allowed to tell his story in his own way to Anda. The subject matter is also dealt with delicately, and is rather an extension of why Hector behaves the way he does, rather than let it define his character.

I thought the ending was very fitting for the story, and works perfectly as a stand alone novel. A wonderful read, perfect for Autumn, and fans of magical realism with a splash of winter storms.

 - 4 stars

Book Review - The Canary Club by Sherry D. Ficklin

A very YA look into the world of prohibition era New York, with a dash of gangsters and a frothy romance thrown in.

Canary Club follows 'Bad Luck' Benny - fresh out of jail, and Maisie, daughter of the local 'mob' boss who Benny ends up working for. Maisie is head strong, like her father, yet vows not to follow in his footsteps. Benny is determined to keep on the right side of the law, yet is drawn into a murky underworld in order to provide for his ailing family. With Maisie facing trouble as the pawn in her families fight for control of the city, she turns to the one person she thinks will be able to help her. But can love win over business?

I enjoyed the author's descriptions of prohibition New York. It's an area of history I know little about, and I adsorbed every little morsel of description that was written about it.The slang used is also rather delightful, and for the most part the story itself is well written.

However, this is where it sort of all starts to fall apart for me as I really didn't like either of the main characters. Maisie is rather one dimensional, naive and doesn't really have much going for her. At times I found her boring and shallow. She also comes across as too modern for her era. One of my gripes in historical fiction is making a female character appear to be so brazen in her 'repressed woman' status for her time period, which Maisie frequently laments. It seems really out of character for a woman of her era to express herself in such a way, and it irritates me. 

Benny, as Maisie's love interest, doesn't seem very realistic - he's a mash up of every 'down on his luck' 'jack of the lad' character that's been done before, and far better. Again, he's very one dimensional with no emotional depth and little development throughout the novel.

The plot itself is very centred around the romance elements, and unfortunately it's a case of instalove at its finest. There's no build up to Benny and Maisie falling in love etc. or even any courtship - it's just instantaneous infatuation and it all feels a little bit too 'sweet'. You'd expect a bit of grit for a gangster book. Speaking of 'grit; the 'big bad' is also extremely one dimensional, with little input from the author with regards to making him appear more human and less a simple plot device to provide a problem to the main characters. 

I think that's one of the biggest issues with the book - there's just no depth to any of the characters.

The rest of the plot is also rather flat and predictable. I guessed what was going to happen constantly, and I was never surprised by anything in the plot. Because of this, I did unfortunately find myself getting bored. The whole story line just felt a little underwhelming and rushed - especially the ending. I would have preferred it if more time was spent developing and delving deeper into the characters emotions. Because it was so lacking, I just couldn't get emotionally invested in anything that was happening.

Unfortunately underwhelming for me, but I think this will definitely appeal to those looking for a heavy dose of romance mixed with a sprinkling of history.

2 stars

Book Review - The Goblins Of Bellwater by Molly Ringle

Can we just take a minute to appreciate that cover...gorgeous.

Anyway. I thought this was an interesting concept, mixing contemporary fiction with fantasy. I know the author has done this previously with Greek mythology, so I was looking forward to a good blend of fae and magic in a modern setting. From the start I liked the goblins, they're just on the right side on sinister. However, I wished Kit was more engaging. He wasn't particularly charismatic enough to carry the story. I found the first part of the story quite whimsical and entertaining, and just on the right side of creepy. This soon descended into a more traditional romance however. I'm not a romance novel fan.

It felt a bit like instalove with Skye and Grady. I know it's suppose to be explained by this goblin mating pull, but I thought it was an easy way out of giving them a history or some sort of reason as to why they should just suddenly be kissing in the forest. I never did quite find the love story believable.

I guess I was expecting a bit more of the fantasy and less of the romance, which unfortunately didn't really materialise. I think if this was marketed more as a contemporary romance novel instead of fantasy it may gain the right readers.

- 3 Stars

Book Review - The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee

There's no denying this series is my guilty pleasure (the first book in the series review can be found here). It's not high brow, or the most imaginative, but it's definitely addictive.

The story continues pretty much straight where it was left after the events of 'The Thousandth Floor'. All our main characters are still coming to terms with what happened on that night on the roof, and we see how each of them is struggling to cope. Of all the characters this time round, Leda was the most believable and complex. I loved her development and story line and thought it was a big improvement from the previous book. I loved  the tension between her and Watt. However, I did find that a lot of Leda's issues were skimmed over or trivialised. She just suddenly stops her addiction and moves on without any problems, and the issue with Eris being her sister is never really addressed.

We find Avery still continuing to struggle with her relationship with Atlas. I found her storyline the least appealing, as a lot of it was the same as in the previous novel but without a lot of the tension. However, I did like her interactions with Cord as it tried to add another dimension to her, as she's basically just a beautiful doll with not much of a personality. I was disappointed this was explored further, and ended with Avery mainly mooning over Atlas all the time.

Rylin had the most far fetched storyline. She's somehow picked on a scholarship to join the highliers at their school, where a Hollywood director with a ridiculous name makes her his film assistant. And it seems she's also naturally gifted at producing films (or 'holograms'). All the stuff with her ex from the previous book is conveniently forgotten. I thought the story may have picked up slightly when she goes to LA, but the peak of her storyline was a big let down as nothing really happens except her pining for Cord.

I liked the introduction of Calliope and her mother. It brought a fresh story and different characters to the tower. Calliope is an interesting character, I liked that she basically had the same opinion about Avery as I did (ie dull but beautiful) but somehow I couldn't really connect with her. I think this was mainly because for most of the story she's a bit of an enigma with no backstory other than the con artist shtick which has been done before.

Eris is spoken about, but it feels almost as if it's a different person with a completely different personality to the Eris we saw in the last novel. I didn't think she came across as 'different' or 'a magpie for anything sparkly', and it was weird to see her friends describe her like this. The scene at the graveyard is also a little strange, and cringy and felt out of place within the rest of the book. Girlfriend Mariel, who has such a predominant role previously, is also glossed over with her only having two chapters - the first and last.

As with the previous novel, there still wasn't much world building, and what there wasn't didn't make much sense. LA for some reason is in a giant bubble that displays adverts. There are weird candles that release endorphins as it melts. I would love to have seen more of an effort given to explain exactly what on earth has happened to the world and why. The climax of the novel also doesn't really feel climactic, with no proper conclusion to many of the issues raised in the novel.

So, this book is completely ridiculous, predictable, unbelievable and yet it knows it is. That's what makes it so fun. It's main purpose is to entertain, and it does exactly what it sets out to do. It's so much like a soap opera and if anything I could have done with more scandals, and more secrets. I'm looking forward to the next one.

- 3 Stars

Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz

Alex and Eliza follows the love story of two characters from American history - Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. Set during the American Revolution, the novel opens on the Schuyler ball, as Catherine Schuyler schemes to get her three eldest children (all girls) a husband before their financial ruin is uncovered. During the ball, Eliza - the middle of the girls, catches the attention of the handsome Alex Hamilton. Although a Colonel and right-hand man to George Washington himself, he comes with no family name or money, and as such can only admire Eliza from afar. But when fortune forces the pair together two years later, will they be able to resist their growing attraction?

I want to state first before writing this review that I have no idea what 'Hamilton' is, and have no real inclination to find out. All I know is that it is a musical of some kind. I also know very little about American history - being British I'm obviously much more interested in European history, and as such most of the place names and battles mentioned went right over my head. This possibly meant I didn't get as much enjoyment out of this novel as someone who is interested in this aspect of history will.

I initially picked this up because I thought it would be a YA equivalent to Gone With The Wind, or Little Women - which is perhaps unfair to this novel, as these are two great American classics to live up to. The plot, and the romance itself, is sweet and well written - if a little bland. Alex and Eliza seem to spend more time mooning over each other than actually physically getting to know each other. In fact, Alex admits he's infatuated with this women before he's even met her. At times I also found the declarations of love a little cloying - especially from Alex, who is suppose to be a respected Colonel, but came across as a lovesick teenager.

The strongest aspect of this novel was definitely the relationship between the sisters: Angelica, Peggy and Eliza. I could see similarities and influences from Pride and Prejudice in their conversations about suitors, especially in Kitty's story line, and the love they share for each is palpable. I also would have loved to have had more time devoted to the other men in the Schuyler sister's lives - especially the enigmatic British arms dealer. However, I do believe all three girls came across as rather naive and at times I thought the author was trying to force Eliza's 'progressiveness' on the reader too much. She's described as being intelligent and 'strong willed' - her father's favourite, even over his sons (again, I should mirroring of Pride and Prejudice here) but most of the time I felt this behaviour was rather forced and out of character for a female in this time period.

Some of the wording used in this is also odd. Alex uses the phrase 'alas and alack' at one point. I'm all for using phrases commonly banded about in a specific time period, however this was never consistent and rather jarring to the text.

The conclusion was wrapped up well, if a little cliche and what was expected. I would have preferred a few surprises.

I think this novel is aimed more at people who enjoy their American history with a liberal sprinkling of romance. Unfortunately, that's not really me.

Alex and Eliza is available on Amazon now.

 - 3 stars

Book Review - The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

The Thousandth Floor opens with a beautiful girl falling to her death from the roof of a thousandth floor building, and what follows is a wonderful mash up of every American high school drama I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

This was a complete guilty read for me. I was drawn really easily into all the characters lives, and quickly got caught up in all the secrets and dramas. Avery, beautiful and perfect living in the penthouse, but hiding a dark secret. Eris, who suddenly finds herself having to leave the dizzying heights of the upTowers. Leda, freshly out of rehab and trying to get back on track after her night with Avery's brother Atlas. Watt, hacking expert and quant builder. Rylin, down and out maid who finds an unlikely friendship with her employer. I thought the overall ideas were great, and I enjoyed the fact that the setting was a dystopian type future. If anything I would have liked to have read a little bit more about this world - there was hardly any world building involved in the development of the story, with no explanation as to why there as a thousand storey high building in New York.

If anything there were also maybe too many characters. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a massive fan of multiple points of view, and I found I would skim chapters to get to the more interesting characters - such as Eris and Avery. I also found the characters lacked a great amount of depth to them. Most seemed very one dimensional, and the writing at times seemed very lacking in any real emotion. The ending also left too many things unanswered for me. However, having said all this I still found the book highly enjoyable. I couldn't put it down. A bit like all those American dramas I watch on Netflix. If you love Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl you'll love this.

Was it high brow or intellectual? No. But was it fun and entertaining? Hell yes.

- 3 Stars