theresidentbookworm's reviews
3256 reviews

I enjoyed Forever You more than Forever Black for three reasons:

1. Connor Black was much easier to like and understand when I got inside his head. I still wanted to hit him at times for being a horny SOB, but I definitely understood his demons more and got a look at his soft side.

2. Watching him take care of Ellery made me swoon. It made me swoon a little in Forever Black, but hearing his concern and worry here made me love him even more.

3. There is additional material here when Ellery is pregnant. I am such a sucker for that kind of stuff.

Forever You still has a lot of the same problems its predecessor does and definitely needs the sharp eye of an editor one more time, but overall it is a much more pleasant read than Forever Black.

If there is a time-era I truly can't stand, it is the 1950s. All of it makes me want to cringe: the etiquette, the fashion, the gender roles... Whenever I think of a 1950s housewife, my mind immediately flashes to an image of Donna Reed perfectly down up and in high heel with a shackle around her ankle chaining her to the stove. Need I say more? With this being said, I was shocked that I loved The Perfume Collector as much as I did.

Perhaps my disdain of the book's time era was nullified by Grace's own zest for life outside of the strict social circles of 1950s England. I truly adore Grace. To me, she is the embodiment of what I imagine so many of those housewives were like: lonely, unhappy, smart and vivacious in their own right but unable to expression that. Grace was a woman who could take the world by storm, but her world wasn't a place where she could do that. Until, that is, Eva D'Orsay's inheritance arrives.

Eva and Grace's stories were interwoven seamlessly, and though they were set in completely different time eras, they both dealt with the same issues: relationships, independence, happiness... I could not tell you which story I enjoyed more. I enjoyed being by Grace's side as she discovered Paris and hunted for answers about Eva, but I also relished in being by Eva's side as a maid in the '20s or as a hustler in the casino at Monte Carlo or even as a muse and partner to a famous perfumer. I might have guessed at the connection a while before it was actually revealed, but the mystery wasn't what made the novel interesting to me. These two women were.

The detail put into every decade indicts very good research on Tessaro's part, and I tip my hat off to her. The descriptions alone are gorgeous but not odious (see Atonement by Ian McEwan if you're wondering what I'm talking about). It was thrilling to step into so many glamorous places if only for a moment. I could practically smell the perfumes being described, and this has made me especially excited for my upcoming Paris trip! *dance of happiness*

My only true problem with The Perfume Collector is that, like any reader, I want more. I wanted to see where Grace was heading with her life: what would she do with the perfume recipes, the potential romance in the cards for her, etc. An epilogue a year or two in the future would be nice. Otherwise, a five star read all the way! Definitely recommended!

I never thought I would be reviewing the sequel to Bully. In fact, I was pretty sure I would never read anything else by Penelope Douglas again. I did not enjoy Bully. In fact, I wrote a pretty scathing review of it a couple of years ago. I've since changed my opinion and my rating of Bully, but I've left the review there to remind myself that my opinions of certain books can change upon rereads.

There are certain things that make sense to you at 19 but befuddle you at 16. I'm not really sure why that is. Maybe it's a wisdom with age thing, but I find myself rolling my eyes sometimes and thinking, "That's so sixteen." I side with King Triton in his fight with Ariel now. It's a little unnerving but sometimes helpful. It made me able to understand and sympathize with Jared. How he treated Tate is not okay, and she acknowledges that. She also realizes that Jared being a bully to her ultimately had nothing to do with her. Sometimes we take our own issues out on the people closest to us because we know they won't leave us. We think they can handle it, but sometimes they can't.

Jared's side of the story is painful and sexy. He is so much more attractive to me in his own point of view. I loved how protective he was of Tate and his little brother. Jared's relationship with his brother was one of my favorite parts of the book. Watching Jared come back to Tate and wanting to feel again was like watching someone stitch their heart back together. Until You made me root for him. I really wanted Jared to be okay, and I wanted him and Tate together. I can't wait for the next installment of their story. Recommended!

Ten Lessons Learned From True Love Story

1. If you're stuck next to your old ex-boyfriend/ex-fiance who broke your heart on a flight (which is highly unlikely), pay somebody fifty bucks to switch seats. It will be worth it. Otherwise, be prepared to rehash out your relationship.

2. Don't flirt with an older handsome musician when you're out to dinner with your family and your boyfriend. It's just in a bit of bad taste.

3. No one wants to become a preacher's wife at 19. Go to college in New York instead.

4. DO NOT pursue a flirtation/relationship with aforementioned handsome older musician. It's just not going to lead anywhere good.

5. When you ignore #4, don't keep your expectations too high. Sometimes he'll text and call, and sometimes he won't. Sometimes he will make plans with you and not follow through. Try not to be too disappointed.

6. Do not let him whisk you off your feet in NYC as an apology for breaking his promises. Even if he is ridiculously earnest and adorable.

7.

Spoiler

Try not to be too devastated when your relationship is going great and you're planning to get married when you discover he's cheated on you multiple times during your relationship. Remember that you can do so much better than him.

8. The best way to get over someone IS NOT to get under someone else. Let your heart heal before pursuing any more meaningful relationships.

9. Ignore his attempts to reach out (even as they get increasingly love-dovey and desperate). Do not let yourself miss him or soften towards him in any way.

10.

Spoiler

If you chose to let this guy back in, make sure that you have sorted out your pasts issues. Make him earn your trust. Don't hold on to any of the old hurt.

There are many things I love about my Kindle. It is small, easily fitted into a purse, capable of holding hundreds of books, etc. What I love most (and what 13 year old me did not understand when she shamelessly trashed the Kindle and promised she would never own one) is that I can have my pretty bookshelves filled with classics and good literature and then turn to Jillian's Best Friend (which is what I have named my Kindle; sorry to any of my friends reading this review. I love you guys a lot though!) for my guilty pleasures. Romance novels, new adult novels, basically anything I would feel uncomfortable buying in front of my dad, is safely hidden away on my Kindle. I'm thankful for this because I don't really want Waking Up Pregnant to have a place on my bookshelf.

Waking Up Pregnant follows the typical accidental pregnancy romance cliches, but I think it does most of them well. Kelly is a good writer, and Darcy and Jeff do have serious chemistry. That chemistry pushes most of the plot forward. I am a little tired of these straight laced good girls making one mistake and getting pregnant after having sex once. I know it happens, but why do I have to read it about it in every single pregnancy romance story? Just once, I would like the girl to have a healthy sex life with different partners. Isn't that more interesting (and a little more based in reality)? I might be wrong about this (and I totally admit that), but someone, please, breathe some life into these cliches. Okay, rant over. I really only bought this because I needed a quick romance pick me up. It did the trick, but I wouldn't recommend it for more than that.

A Review In Five Words.

Perfectly enjoyable. Perfectly forgettable. Done.

A Guide to Writing a Completely Predictable Romance Novel

1. Start with a down-on-her-luck woman, preferably with a kid or two that has a deadbeat dad. Make sure this woman hasn't been on a date or treated well in years by a man.

2. For extra support, add in a wise, all-knowing mom who gives unsolicited advice all the time. A sassy but ultimately background best friend who is there for the girl to vent to.

3. Have the woman meet the love interest of the story in a completely unlikely but cutesy way, preferably in her place of work.

4. The love interest is a handsome, down-to-earth, extremely wealthy professional athlete of some sort. Also, he has never really had a serious romantic relationship.

5. The love interest woos her in a completely unsubtle way (some might even say stalkerish and unrelenting). He also bonds with her children and becomes a pseudo father-figure (because of course there are never involved fathers in this stories).

6. Unnecessary drama revolving around a past fling is vital. Otherwise, don't even bother.

7. Cliff-hanger happily ever after (with potential past love interest/baby daddy coming on the scene).

Been there, done that, don't want to do it again. Enough said.

Interesting, solid biography on Annie Oakley. She was a kickass lady, and this book does her justice. Recommended!

I remember reading this as a kid, I think. I don't remember much of it. It must not have made an impression. Read it if you want.