![Virgin River by Robyn Carr – A book review]()
review, Romance |
Virgin River by Robyn Carr is the book chosen for the month of Aug’20 by Maureen’s book club and it is the first book of the club too. The Netflix series adaptation is already out and I hear it is good. Let’s see how the book turned out for me, alright?
About the book
Book Name: Virgin River
Series: Virgin River #01
Author: Robyn Carr
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Jack Sheridan, Melinda Monroe, Preacher Joey, Mark, Doc Mullins, Joy, Connie
Setting: Virgin River, California, The USA
The plot
Melinda Monroe devastated by the sudden death of her husband, uproots her entire life and career as nurse/midwife in LA and moves to Virgin River, California. When she first arrives, she has been duped by old Mrs McCrea about the town and doesn’t even have a decent place to sleep.
She understands that her move was a huge mistake and can’t wait to leave the town. But an abandoned baby, local women who definitely would love her expertise and a particular ex-marine turned bar owner change her mind.
Jack Sheridan is not one for long term commitments, well until he meets Mel. But how much is he willing to give up for a woman who is still in love with her late husband? Whose baby was it and the rest forms the story of Virgin River by Robyn Carr.
My initial thoughts
I have not seen the Netflix series but I have heard lot of good things about the author and have been meaning to pick one of hers soon.
I love books with a small town set up with zany people with their eccentricities, so Virgin River was a good choice for me. And I really liked the small town characters like the Doc and the friendship between Joy and Connie.
Jack was a great guy, who genuinely liked helping people and contributes to the town and they love him back.
I am not a huge fan of the love at first sight trope, so I had a hard time understanding why and how Jack started falling for Mel.
On the other hand, I loved the way the Ms Carr had handled Mel’s grief and trauma over her loss, and how she overcomes them. I am glad that Mel and Mark had a happy backstory and that had a huge impact on her relationship with Jack.
What worked for me
- I liked the small town scene and I wish I had met more people. But I guess that should be happening in the other books in the series.
- It is always a pleasure reading about men who genuinely want to help others and be good to the society. Undoubtedly, I liked Jack, despite having issues with the “insta love” trope.
- To be honest there are not many conflicts in the plot and it is a book that is straight sweet romance.
What may have been better
- The graphic teen age sex scene between a 14 and 16 year old was completely unnecessary to the story and should turn off anyone who reads.
- Motherhood, pregnancy and men “loving” pregnant women form a huge part in Virgin River. While I understand that Mel is a midwife and thus it makes sense, consider this as a warning if it were something you would avoid reading.
Bottom line
If you are looking for a small town romance that has a very few conflicts and is quite fun to read, Virgin River by Robyn Carr should be your pick. Maybe check the Netflix adaptation which I heard was better.
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Have you read Virgin River by Robyn Carr? What other books from Ms Carr have you liked and which one would you recommend? Let us talk.
![Virgin River by Robyn Carr – A book review]()
review, Romance |
You know I loved The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang last year and I knew I was gonna love The bride test too, given the raving reviews it has been getting from all around. Can we get on with the review?
About the book
Book Name: The bride test (The Kiss Quotient #2)
Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Khai Diep, Quan and their mother, Esme Tran, Michael
Setting: San Francisco, The USA
The plot
Esme Tran is a self made woman, a single mother from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, who has been recruited by a rich lady to meet her son and win his heart, in a year. And in return, she gets a chance to the USA to look for her American father and help her family financially, if things go well.
Khai Diep leads a perfectly efficient life and he is not big on emotions. He usually ignores his mother’s nagging to get married as harmless, but when she brings in a woman to stay with him at his house, he is completely taken aback.
Did his mother’s plan work? Can Esme win Khai’s heart and more importantly, understand why he is not like everyone else? Is he really not like everyone else? Read The bride test by Helen Hoang to find out more.
My initial thoughts
I LOVED The bride test and I am going ahead to say I am gonna pick any book by Helen Hoang in the near future. She knows how to write characters that are fully developed and complex. Here is Khai who has made his mind up that he is above emotions and Esme can marry him only if he feels what she feels for him.
And both the families are rooting for them. His brother Quan goes a step ahead and even tries to speed things between them in his own way. I don’t remember the last time I laughed out loud reading a book.
I loved Quan and I can’t wait to read a book about his story. Interesting fact: If you have read The Kiss Quotient, you might remember Quan, the protagonist Michael’s cousin, who recognizes that Stella is autistic, because he had an autistic brother. That brother is our protagonist, Khai Diep. And Michael plays a cameo too.
The only problem I had was with dishonesty and omission.
Esme and Khai’s mother explicitly hide the fact that she was doing the whole arranged marriage for her own gains and the fact that she has a child back home in Vietnam. In fact, they agree to wait for him to fall for her, before telling him the truth.
And again, his mother omits telling her that Khai is autistic. I understand Esme turned out to be a great support to him and all. To be fair, doesn’t she have the right to know before agreeing to the deal? Go figure.
What worked for me
- I loved the OWN VOICE representations, as the author being autistic and a Vietnamese herself
- Oh the romance and chemistry! And it has been a while since I felt this invested in any fictional romance. Again, great writing.
- The humorous and witty dialogues help the the Bride Test from being a steamy or sappy romance. Stellar combo!
- I loved that all the characters, not just the protagonists, are full developed, with emotional depth.
What may have been better
- Some people may find all the deception and disregard to Khai’s feelings off putting.
Bottom line
If you are looking for a steamy, happily-ever-after with great Own voice representations, The bride test by Helen Hoang is your go to choice. You will not regret it. It comes close to being The Kiss Quotient !
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Have you read The bride test by Helen Hoang or The Kiss Quotient? Does deception and omission hinder your liking of a romance? What are your main no go’s when it comes to romance? Let us talk.
![Virgin River by Robyn Carr – A book review]()
review, Romance |
What kinda books pull you out of a reading slump? A while ago, I read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren when I was in a kinda slump and believe me, it worked. So let us get on with the review of The Unhoneymooners, shall we?
About the book
Book Name: The Unhoneymooners
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Olive and Ami Torres, Ethan Thomas
Setting: Minnesota, Maui, Hawaii, The USA
The plot
When her identical twin Ami, her husband and her entire party gets food poisoning, Olive is given a chance to use her all expenses paid honeymoon package. It sounds great except for the fact that she would have to share it with Ethan, her nemesis and brother of the groom.
To complicate matters, Olive bumps into her future ex boss and Ethan’s ex and they decide to pretend to be the married couple. They stop pretending after a while, but do they ever get back together after their unhoneymoon ends? Read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren to know what happens next.
My initial thoughts
The Unhoneymooners is my first book by the duo Christina Lauren and I should say I am sold. If their other books are any similar, I would definitely read them. I loved the hilarious writing, especially in the first half. I liked the protagonists, even though I felt Ethan was not really developed deep enough.
And maybe it had to do with the entire plot being written only from Olive’s POV. That is different from the usual ‘enemies to lovers’ trope writing style, where we usually see the feelings of both the protagonists. But again, that is not a big negative on my radar.
Things that worked for me
- I love the deeper parts beyond the romance and the fluff (which I enjoyed too).
- The family/friendship bonding was well written.
- The writing is hilarious and witty and is perfect for a fun read.
Things that didn’t work for me
- I expected a little more groveling in the end. She forgave them too quickly, in my opinion.
- I wish we had a bit more about Ethan than his facial expressions.
Bottom-line
It is a perfect book to pick out of a slump or brighten your dull afternoon, which are incidentally what happened to me.
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Have you read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren? How did you like it? What are you currently reading? Let us talk
![Virgin River by Robyn Carr – A book review]()
review |
What turns a book good to great? I would love reading a predictable story if it has awesome, well developed characters. Is that what happened with Yes no maybe so? I am not hinting anything! Read on to find out more.
About the book
Book Name: Yes no maybe so
Author: Becky Albertalli, Aisha Saeed
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Jamie and Sophie Goldberg, Maya Rehman, Sara, Gabe.
Setting: Atlanta, Georgia, The United States of America
The plot
Jamie is a shy, awkward teen who wants to do everything in his might to help his favorite congressman win. He has aspirations to be a politician himself one day, if he can survive his toast at his sister’s bat mitzvah. To make things worse, his mom is pushing him to try out door to door canvassing.
Maya is a Pakistani-American Muslim who is not having the best summer. Her parents are splitting up and her best friend is moving away and has been too busy to hang out lately. When her parents offer to buy her a car in return for canvassing for Rossum, she is not thrilled.
By luck and their mothers’ will, Jamie and Maya begin their canvassing with different goals in their mind. But a bill that was passed recently targeting Muslims and anti Semitic against Rossum’s supporters get them both rallied up.
Will the slow burn chemistry between them derail them from their political campaigns? Or is it the opposite? You might have to read Yes no maybe so to know more.
My initial thoughts
Yes no maybe so is a cute YA contemporary romance with a liberal dose of politics. It takes a strong stand on their political leaning towards a particular side. So if you had strong opinions about it or that will stop you from enjoying this YA romance, you might have to watch out.
Even as someone who is not from the USA, I am not totally devoid of any opinions about it and such a law against covering the head would be against personal freedom, something that the USA boasts of quite often.
The one thing that did not sit right with me Maya’s sudden change of opinion towards kissing Jamie, given that she was not allowed to date non Muslim guys or to be physically intimate with a buy before marriage. Sure she was missing him and in love with him, but kissing (or any kinda physical intimacy) was explicitly forbidden. What made her make that leap?
This might sound too weird for others, but “no physical intimacy before marriage” is a real thing with desi families, and I am sure it would have been more strict in a Muslim household. #RepresentationMatters.
I loved Jamie’s cool grandmother and Sophie was a diva. I would love to read a spin off or fan fiction with them as main characters. It has been a while since I loved the sub plots so much.
Things that worked for me
- I loved the fact that the romance takes a back seat (for a tiny bit) for family and politics.
- Jamie was perfect. His awkwardness and mishaps kept me laughing!
- The side characters were extremely well developed and I loved Sophie, especially.
- And Yes no maybe so is based on a true story!
Things that didn’t work for me
- We could have seen a bit more of Maya’s faith and her community.
- Maya changing her belief and value for a white guy, may come off as a “white savior” thing to some.
- And yes, the book takes a political stand. If you don’t like politics mixing with pleasure reading, that might be turn off for you.
Bottom-line
Yes no maybe so is cute and perfect for a summer read, or you know, for just staying in due to the lock down. It has well developed and likeable characters and takes a political stand.
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Have you read Yes No Maybe So? What makes a good book great for you? What do you think about contemporary books that take a stand on social issues? Let us talk.
![Virgin River by Robyn Carr – A book review]()
review, Romance |
I know the times are hard and troubling and we bookworms are trying to escape the pressure of the real world. And so I am here help you do that with a great recommendation. Let us review Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, shall we?
About the book
Book Name: Red, White & Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Alex Claremont-Diaz and his sister June, Nora Holleran (Alex’s best friend), Prince Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, his sister Bea and Pez (Henry’s best friend)
Setting: Washington DC, The United States of America
The plot
The sons of the first families of The USA and the UK hate each other dislike each other and the world knows it. The first families and their PRs decide to intervene and stage a fake Instagram relationship.
What starts as a fake friendship between Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry blossoms into something more. But is coming out as gay worth all the drama in the royal family? And more importantly is their love worth causing a political derailment around the world? You will have to read Red, White & Royal Blue to know more.
My initial thoughts
Red, White & Royal Blue was highly addictive and hilarious that you cannot put it down once you start. The banter between the leads is witty and adorable. The writing is top notch and Casey McQuiston knows to keep the readers hooked until the end.
Above all, what struck close to me was the lead characters and how much life like they both were. And the sub plots and side characters especially June, Bea and Nora, were as deep as they can be. Oh I loved them all.
Things that worked for me
- The writing is fast paced and quite an easy flow.
- I loved the characters and seriously appreciate how deep their arcs were.
- The witty banter and the chemistry between the leads is adorable.
- An extra brownie point for the very diverse cast.
Things that didn’t work for me
Red, White & Royal Blue is not going to be your gateway to learn every bit of the politics of USA. You get what you see!
Bottom-line
Red, White & Royal Blue is such a cute, sweet and funny LGBTQA romance that will definitely keep your lock down sorrows go away. You need this in your life!
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Have you read this hyped up book? How did you like it? What are you reading to keep you distracted from the reality? Let us talk.
