theresidentbookworm's reviews
3256 reviews

10 Things I Loved About Back to You

1. Flashbacks are intercepted between chapters. I love it when I'm told a story in a flashback. I'm not really sure why, but my favorite stories have always alternated timelines. I guess I just like seeing how the past and the present always intermingle in ways we don't expect.

2. Lauren was just enough of a good girl for me to believe it would be shocking for her to befriend Michael, but she also has the necessary amount of humor and attitude to keep up with him (and even keep him on his toes).

3. I never started to believe that Michael was a complete asshole. I got to know enough of his background early on so that I could see why his actions made sense to him. Sometimes I thought he'd made an asshole move, but never more than Lauren herself thought. She very much influenced how I thought of Michael.

4. Erin was the cutest kid ever, and I enjoyed how she was a driving force in the plot. Without Erin, a lot of what I loved about the story wouldn't be there. Plus, I love Michael as a dad.

5. There was no complicated love triangle. Lauren does date her chiropractor briefly, but she's honest about her feelings. When Lauren starts to feel something for Michael again, she doesn't keep hanging onto Adam. Lauren's relationships function like normal healthy adult relationships should.

6. Lauren and Micheal's banter is funny both as teenagers and as adults. Their chemistry just jumped off the page.

7. The way Michael allows himself to be very vulnerable with Lauren when he says, "I always knew I would fall in love with you... but you were never supposed to love me back". Michael is not your typical alpha in need of control. He is willing to hand the reigns over to Lauren because he does trust her more than anyone.

8. The smut was kept to a tasteful and enjoyable minimum and mostly occurred behind closed doors.

9. The epilogue was exceptionally sweet and satisfying to anyone who just wants a happily ever after. Lauren and Michael make such a cute family. *not so subtle spoiler*

10. Even though I'd like a bonus scene or two, I do appreciate that Priscilla Glenn said what she wanted to say in this novel and felt like she'd done a good enough job not to have three more sequels. I probably would read those sequels, but it's nice to read a NA novel, get the happy ending, and move on.

This is definitely not the most original take on This Time Around. In fact, I actually read it in another review first but it is so freaking true.

The Notebook



+

Sweet Home Alabama



=

This Time Around



Let's recap, shall we?

We have a couple madly in love



Who are forced apart



Add in some meddling parents



And then the girl comes home back South from the big city



And sparks fly once again





Could certain obstacles keep them apart?





Or will they get their happy ending?





Oh, and don't forget the house he built for her



And his visit to the big city that makes him decide to be better for her



And her unhappiness with her current life





And the meddling parent's emotional revelation



Admit it. You love these two movies as much as I do. They're well loved, and while nothing in This Time Around will truly surprise, you'll love it as much as I love these two movies.

Okay, I've developed a weakness for these "marriage of convenience" stories where the woman only agree because she's pregnant. It's weird, I know, and I can't explain it but I love it. I especially liked the premise of this one. I found it interesting that took place in my state (which is entirely too cold) and had references to places I know (which was kind of cool). And before anyone complains, yes, this would totally never happen in real life, but it's called fiction for a reason. If I wanted my fiction to be real-life, I wouldn't read it.

That being said, I'm going to contradict myself by saying that I liked how the romance between Jess and Dan progressed. It was realistic within a non-realistic situation. Jess' grief for her husband was real, but at the same time her recovery made sense. They really hadn't known each other that long. The Daddy Pact kept me sucked in, and I didn't stop reading until I was done. (Even though it was four in the morning and I had to leave the house at 7:30 to do something at school on Saturday.) I wish I could find a guy as decent and good-hearted as Dan, but I think they've discontinued that model. Somebody call me if it's re-continued.

Overall, good if not entirely believable plot, sympathetic heroine, awesome male lead, nice supporting characters (if a little underfleshed), and a nice ending wrapped in a pretty bow. What more could you ask for?

Well... My only real problem (and thus the lack of five stars) was the interference of Jess's father in law. It didn't make much sense to me and only seemed to serve as a plot device since you only heard from him again at the very end of the novel. I guess without him Jess and Dan don't end up together, but still.

I definitely recommend! You can get it for free on your Kindle! (You're welcome for the advice!)

I have to admit that I knew very little about the Grimke sisters when I started reading The Invention of Wings. I had read Angelina Grimke's An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South and found it to be well-argued and convincing. I haven't read anything by Sarah Grimke, but now I feel like I know both sisters very well. They are officially my favorite pre-20th century suffragettes (sorry, Susan B. Antony!).

What I loved about The Invention of Wings was how it truly showed the struggle of the Grimke sisters to not just be abolitionists in a family of slave owners but also women in a movement filled with men. They end up being more notorious than anything, and they are bared from returning to their hometown of Charleston. It is not an easy life for either Sarah or Angelina, but it is still a life they pursue. Though the novel is centered around Sarah and Hetty, Angelina ended up being my favorite character. She was bolder than Sarah, less scared of herself, and relentlessly pursued what is right. I liked Hetty's narrative, but it didn't seem to stick with me. I think Hetty serves as a catalyst for Sarah's abolitionism more than anything.

Overall, The Invention of Wings was an excellent novel with the exception of the unnecessary romantic subplot. I felt like it diminished Sarah as a character and made me like her less. I feel so strongly about this that I got into an argument about it with my English teacher. She said it was a subplot intended to show what Sarah had to give up to live the life she chose. I still think that it's stupid, but I guess that's my prerogative. Definitely a novel I'd recommend!

A General Breakdown of Shattered's (And Nearly Every Other New Adult Novel Of Its Ilk) Plotline

1. Boy and girl are best friends and/or lovers in high school.
2. Tragic circumstances force boy and girl apart.
3. One of them (girl or boy, but I've seen more boy recently) leaves town seemingly never to return.
4. The other wallows in self-pity, possible drug/alcohol addiction, and try to erase everything that has happened with a new life.
5. The person who left returns to town after a period of 1-2 years to right their wrongs and win their boyfriend/girlfriend back.
6. Person who was left resists.
7. Short wooing period.
8. Mutual frustrations spurred by general misunderstandings/interpretations of body language and/or actions and/or conversation.
9. The couple reconciles (sometimes where the best sex scene occurs).
10. Short honeymoon period.
11. Sex.
12. Relationship once again interrupted by some huge drama (ex-boyfriend, family issues, tragedy, etc).
13. One of them runs away, needing space.
14. Said person realizes they're truly in love.
15. Actual happily ever after.

Why is this awful story arc what writers think we should wish for? Why can't there be romances where two people meet and fall in love, and that's the easy part? I would like to see a romance where two people meet and fall in love and have to work to sustain it. There would be some issues because there always are, but it wouldn't have to be something dramatic like a fire or a threatening ex-boyfriend. It could differing religions, political opinions, or just misunderstandings that actually do drive couples apart. I am tired of happily ever afters. I want actual afters, and I want to read about what real love would look like. It seems like even new adult romances are clueless to what that is.

I can't recommend Shattered, and I'm so burnt out when it comes to romance right now. If anyone can recommend something like I've described, please let me know.

Ah, please bring on on all the horrible cliches. Let's make a list of some of the ones used in Just One Song, shall we?

1. Broken heroine (possibly due to dead spouse and/or child or trauma)
2. Random meet with famous love interest (rock star, athlete, movie star, etc.)
3. Instant-love on both sides
4. A bunch of unnecessary angst (will they, won't they and so forth)
5. Sassy best friend convinces heroine to take the chance.
6. Gooey romantic for a while
7. Some kind of drama (haunted past, exs, family problems, etc.)
8. Heroine withdraws from relationship (maybe runs away)
9. Big romantic gesture
10. Happily ever after

Okay, so not all of these are committed by Just One Song, but the story follows this basic formula that all new adult/romance writers seem to be handed when they decide to start publishing. Definitely not recommended! Please give me something new.

A Review in Pictures

My reaction to Jess's almost rape



My reaction to Jack



My frustration to Jack's refusal to give in to Jess



My face at the end of Before



My face when I found out this was just a prequel



My recommendation

A Review in Little Words (With A Headache)

Like Andrea. Liked Parker. Cancer stuff was not watered down, very well done. Friend and sister were awesome. The whole secret plotline? Totally lame. Nice happy ending. Have already started the sequel (not nearly as good). Nothing super remarkable. Just another nondescript NA romance (except for the cancer stuff. That was pretty good.). Not recommended.

A Review in Pictures

My reaction during the first chapter



My reaction to Amber and Liam's fighting/flirting



My reaction when they're dancing at the party



My reaction during all the smutty scenes



My reaction to Amber and Jake's dad being back



My reaction to everything after the huge fight



My reaction to the very end



My thoughts on The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window

An Open Letter to Therapists

Dear Therapists,

Hello. I have never been to therapy myself, but I am immensely grateful for the things you've done for my family members and friends over the years. I think you are the unsung heroes in many stories, and I salute you. You clearly worked hard and went to medical school, and you all have skin thick enough to deal with the worst of everyone else's problems without losing your own mind. In short, you rock.

In fact, therapists rock so much it is interesting new adult protagonists rarely go to see them. If you want examples, see Hopeless, Wait for You, and this novel Stubborn Love. All three works have issues that most people would definitely see a counselor for: abuse, sexual assault, grief, etc. Do any of those characters seek professional help? No. Instead they rely heavily on the men in their lives to help them fix their problems. Not only is this unrealistic, it is also troubling.

New adult novels support the false idea that being in a relationship ship can fix emotional and psychological wounds. I don't doubt having that kind of support system is helpful, but dependence on a significant other to fix you is a dangerous path to go down. A therapist is an impartial listener. Your boyfriend or girlfriend is heavily involved in your life. They can't be objective to your problems or issues.

I do have to say the lack of therapy particularly bothered me in Stubborn Love. Why didn't anyone ever suggest grief counseling for Emmie? Why didn't her mother suggest it? Why is running away to a new city the standard form of dealing with emotional baggage in every single one of these books? Your demons follow you no matter where you go. It's dealing with them that makes them go away, and the best way to deal with them is not by throwing yourself into a relationship with a man you barely know.

In short, I wish more new adult heroines would just go to therapy. It would save us (and them) all a lot of time and pain.

Best wishes,
Lola