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diversifyyourreading's reviews
282 reviews
Christmas in the Snow by Karen Swan
5.0
I read Christmas in the Snow in one sitting on my train/plane journey home from Zermatt after a New Years spent skiing and apres skiing at all of my favorite spots. So this review is slightly biased as a result of a) my love for Zermatt, and b) reading this at the perfect time and in the perfect setting.
Now, onto the review...
I LOVE KAREN SWAN! Seriously, this is only the second book of hers that I've read, but both have been so right up my alley. Karen Swan brilliantly weaves together three of my favorite things to read about: historical events, romance, and beautiful destinations. She describes picturesque destinations beautifully, uses real place names (in Christmas in the Snow, she shouted out two of my favorite Zermatt spots - Chez Vrony and the Brown Cow; so, yes, her novels are basically guide books as well), and ties together a historic event and present day happenings so perfectly. I'm not sure if she does this in every book, but she has in the two that I've read and I love her for it.
Christmas in the Snow is about Allegra, a high powered career woman in London working her ass off to excel in a male dominated industry, and working on what is perhaps the biggest deal in her career yet. Enter Sam, a gorgeous and successful guy from the US office that quickly begins to look like a threat to Allegra's career. In the space of a few days, Allegra makes a decision that turns her career upside down, receives a phone call that essentially flips her life upside down, and heads to the Swiss Alps with her sister, Iz, to set everything straight.
This was such an enjoyable read, and so easy to breeze through on my journey. A perfect way to kickstart my 2019 reading. I highly recommend, especially if you've been to Zermatt!
Now, onto the review...
I LOVE KAREN SWAN! Seriously, this is only the second book of hers that I've read, but both have been so right up my alley. Karen Swan brilliantly weaves together three of my favorite things to read about: historical events, romance, and beautiful destinations. She describes picturesque destinations beautifully, uses real place names (in Christmas in the Snow, she shouted out two of my favorite Zermatt spots - Chez Vrony and the Brown Cow; so, yes, her novels are basically guide books as well), and ties together a historic event and present day happenings so perfectly. I'm not sure if she does this in every book, but she has in the two that I've read and I love her for it.
Christmas in the Snow is about Allegra, a high powered career woman in London working her ass off to excel in a male dominated industry, and working on what is perhaps the biggest deal in her career yet. Enter Sam, a gorgeous and successful guy from the US office that quickly begins to look like a threat to Allegra's career. In the space of a few days, Allegra makes a decision that turns her career upside down, receives a phone call that essentially flips her life upside down, and heads to the Swiss Alps with her sister, Iz, to set everything straight.
This was such an enjoyable read, and so easy to breeze through on my journey. A perfect way to kickstart my 2019 reading. I highly recommend, especially if you've been to Zermatt!
All We Could Not Leave Behind by D.R. Graham, Danielle R. Graham
3.0
All We Left Behind follows the story of Hayden and Chidori as they explore their feelings for each other amidst the implications of World War II. Chidori faces the hardships of Japanese Canadians as they are looked down upon and eventually interned. Hayden is desperate to do whatever it takes to hold on to Chidori, which includes volunteering to fight in hopes of ending the war.
This novel spans the time period of 1941-1945 and is told mainly from Hayden's perspective as he goes off to war and eventually becomes a POW, with snippets of Chidori's perspective via her diary entries. The novel jumps back and forth between the time around the Japanese evacuation of 1941 and 1944-45. I think I would've much preferred to hear more of Chidori's perspective, but ultimately found both perspectives quite immature and at times overly dramatic. As a result, I didn't necessarily found myself attached to either character, which took away from the enjoyment of the overall plot.
WWII Historical Fiction is my go to genre and maybe that has made me a bit critical about each new book I read within the genre. I definitely enjoyed the plot here and found it rather unique in a world where many WWII novels feel the same; however, the narrative style puts this at three stars in my mind.
Note: I received an advance digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This novel spans the time period of 1941-1945 and is told mainly from Hayden's perspective as he goes off to war and eventually becomes a POW, with snippets of Chidori's perspective via her diary entries. The novel jumps back and forth between the time around the Japanese evacuation of 1941 and 1944-45. I think I would've much preferred to hear more of Chidori's perspective, but ultimately found both perspectives quite immature and at times overly dramatic. As a result, I didn't necessarily found myself attached to either character, which took away from the enjoyment of the overall plot.
WWII Historical Fiction is my go to genre and maybe that has made me a bit critical about each new book I read within the genre. I definitely enjoyed the plot here and found it rather unique in a world where many WWII novels feel the same; however, the narrative style puts this at three stars in my mind.
Note: I received an advance digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
4.0
After devouring Jasmine Guillory's debut novel, The Wedding Date, in one evening, I was so excited to pick up The Proposal!
Similar to The Wedding Date, I loved the diversity of the characters and the variety of issues explored in The Proposal. However, it wasn't quite as addicting as The Wedding Date. I know this is a standalone novel (though it references The Wedding Date at multiple points), so I shouldn't be comparing the two, but it's nearly impossible to talk about one without talking about the other!
In The Proposal, a proposal goes very, very wrong when Nik's boyfriend pops the question in public at a Dodger's game. And so ensues a knight in shining armor moment when Carlos and his sister step in to save her, followed by a friendship and the inevitable intimacy between the damsel in distress and the knight who saved her. Except Nik isn't a damsel in distress - she is a strong female character that is incredibly easy to like.
I enjoyed watching Carlos and Nik's relationship grow, and completely understood the ups and downs along the way. This isn't a super surface level romance read - it dives into personal histories and you get to know the characters very well beyond their bodies. I also loved the addition of Nik's two friends - Dana and Courtney - who have fantastic personalities of their own. Jasmine Guillory did characters very well in The Wedding Date, and she's done it again in The Proposal.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. I just can't give it the full 5* since I enjoyed The Wedding Date that much more. But I will 100% be reading Guillory's next book the moment I can get my hands on it!
Similar to The Wedding Date, I loved the diversity of the characters and the variety of issues explored in The Proposal. However, it wasn't quite as addicting as The Wedding Date. I know this is a standalone novel (though it references The Wedding Date at multiple points), so I shouldn't be comparing the two, but it's nearly impossible to talk about one without talking about the other!
In The Proposal, a proposal goes very, very wrong when Nik's boyfriend pops the question in public at a Dodger's game. And so ensues a knight in shining armor moment when Carlos and his sister step in to save her, followed by a friendship and the inevitable intimacy between the damsel in distress and the knight who saved her. Except Nik isn't a damsel in distress - she is a strong female character that is incredibly easy to like.
I enjoyed watching Carlos and Nik's relationship grow, and completely understood the ups and downs along the way. This isn't a super surface level romance read - it dives into personal histories and you get to know the characters very well beyond their bodies. I also loved the addition of Nik's two friends - Dana and Courtney - who have fantastic personalities of their own. Jasmine Guillory did characters very well in The Wedding Date, and she's done it again in The Proposal.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. I just can't give it the full 5* since I enjoyed The Wedding Date that much more. But I will 100% be reading Guillory's next book the moment I can get my hands on it!