Discussion + Short Take Reviews: Ever After Always & With You Forever by Chloe Liese

So here's the thing: I've read all four books in Chloe Liese's Bergman Brothers series, with varying degrees of success. And after four books I'm still on the fence if I actually enjoy her writing. Her books fall into the good-not-great range for me and there are some elements of her writing style that just don't work for me. 

My main issue are the lengthy monologues (both internal and spoken) that Liese gives her characters. This is the most emo group of people I have ever read about and they all talk, ad nauseum, about their every feeling and emotion and want and need in a way that just doesn't ring true. I find most of the characters likable, but every time one of them starts spilling their guts with another long-winded speech I feeling like rolling my eyes and checking out. I love romance, but this oh-so-introspective kind of dialogue (can dialogue be introspective?) does not work for me. People do not engage like that (at least no one I know!) and reading it is consistently jarring and pulls me out of the story. (The #1 culprit is Viggo and, while he is seemingly good-intentioned, if/when he gets his book I know I'll have to skip it. I can't take a whole book of him.)

Then there are all the ISSUES. Every single character seems to have An Issue to be addressed. I mean, everyone. (Well, maybe not Ren. He seemed to be getting along okay.) It's like, no one in the family (including their partners) are just chugging along, doing life, and generally okay. Yes, I get that there needs to be conflict to have a story, but conflict can be created in many ways. It doesn't always have to be with physical and/or mental health. But I feel with Liese it has become a check-the-box laundry list of physical/mental health issues throughout the series. Anxiety, hearing impairment, arthritis, autism (at least three characters that I can think of), IBS... it's a lot.  I do believe that representation is important, but each book feels riddled with representation in a way that feels forced with the sheer amount of it. I feel like I'm going to get some push-back on this and that's okay, please do share your thoughts.

I know this sounds like a lot of hating on Liese's writing, but there are plenty of aspects I enjoy. I mean, I've stuck with the series through four books so obviously there's more positive than negative, right? But I am left with this dilemma: Do I continue to invest time in a series/author that usually falls in the "okay" range, or do I move on and devote my reading time to other books/authors than are better suited to my particular taste? (Spoiler: if I have to ask I probably already know the answer.)

Have you ever come across characters that felt "too emo?"

Have you ever quit an author/series due to an issue with the writing style?

Let me know in the comments! And now on to the reviews...

EVER AFTER ALWAYS
Chloe Liese

Series: Bergman Brothers #3

Aiden

I’ve spent twelve years loving Freya Bergman and twelve lifetimes won’t be enough to give her everything she deserves. She’s my passionate, tender-hearted wife, my best friend, and all I want is to make her happy. But the one thing that will make her happiest is the one thing I’m not sure I can give her: a baby.

With the pressure of providing and planning for a family, my anxiety’s at an all-time high, and I find myself pulling away, terrified to tell my wife how I’m struggling. But when Freya kicks me out, I realize that pulling back has turned into pushing too far. Now it’s the fight of a lifetime to save our marriage.

Freya

I love my cautious, hard-working husband. He’s my partner and best friend, the person I know I can count on most. Until one day I realize the man I married is nowhere to be found. Now Aiden is quiet and withdrawn, and as the months wear on, the pain of our growing distance becomes too much. 

As if weathering marriage counseling wasn’t enough, we’re thrown together for an island getaway to celebrate my parents’ many years of perfect marriage while ours is on the brink of collapse. Despite my meddling siblings and a week in each other’s constant company, this trip somehow gets us working through the trouble in paradise. I just can’t help worrying, when we leave paradise and return to the real world, will trouble find us again?

*****

What I Liked:

·      The Bergman clan en masse is great. The parents are wonderful and I enjoy the family dynamics. The love and respect they all have for each other is remarkable.

·      Aiden was likable and the descriptions of his anxiety felt realistic and made him empathetic.

·      I enjoy a marriage in crisis story since it delves into what happens after the happily ever after. Also since it typically means the characters are a bit older.

·      Slow burn. It seems odd to consider a story about a married couple as a slow burn, but circumstances ensured it was just that. And it was done so well.

·      More Ziggy. I really love this girl and feel a kinship with her.

·      The Axel-Rooney teaser!

But Not So Much:

·      Both Aiden and Freya were suuuper introspective and it was a lot of being in the heads of two people who were unhappy.

·      The reconciliation felt very one-sided. Freya seemed to hold none of the responsibility for their issues and Aiden was the one who had to make all the effort.

·      The final conflict concerning Aiden’s father was so unnecessary. And it’s not as if the foreshadowing was subtle. (I mean, who didn’t see that coming a mile away?)

·      All the intense, heartfelt/emo talks between Aiden and the brothers did not ring true. They didn’t feel plausible or realistic to me.

·      The oh-so-meta aspect of Viggo pushing the romance novels. *cringe*

·      All the pranks. *more cringe*

Rating: 3.5

WITH YOU FOREVER

Chloe Liese

Series: Bergman Brothers #4

Axel

Rooney Sullivan is sunshine incarnate. Warm, bright, always smiling, she’s everything I’m not and the last person I have any business desiring. Desperate to hide a hopeless attraction, I’ve done everything possible to keep my distance...until a charades game gone wrong brought that to a grinding halt. 

Since then, steering clear of Rooney has been impossible. In a matter of months, she’s kissed me speechless, commandeered my art career, and infiltrated not only my dreams but my home. The woman who was once avoidable has become the last thing I needed: temptingly within reach.

Rooney

Axel Bergman is a gorgeous grump who doesn’t have the time of day for me. Thankfully, I’ve kept my crush under wraps...well, until I kissed him. Charades got away from me, okay? It was an accident! I haven’t seen him since, which is for the best. My life is a mess, and the last thing I need is to embarrass myself further with the man who avoids me like that’s his job rather than painting modern masterpieces.

It seems the universe, however, has a different plan. When Axel and I unexpectedly find our paths—and problems—converging, a marriage of convenience proves the perfect solution. At least, until I’m facing my most serious problem yet: a once-loveless marriage of convenience that’s inconveniently become a love match, after all.

*****

What I Liked:

·      Grumpy-sunshine romance

·      Mutual pining ♥

·      Character-driven story. Not a lot happened – it’s basically Axel and Rooney together in the woods – but I was totally okay with that. I always choose characters over plot.

·      Axel and Rooney were so likable and easy to pull for. Axel, in particular really stood out for me. He loved his family but showed it in quiet ways he was comfortable with. And seeing that extend to Rooney warmed my heart.

·      This was such a tender-hearted romance and it gave me all the feels.

·      Loved the fall vibes, the PNW setting, the cozy cabin in the woods, the holidays.

But Not So Much:

·      There was a marriage-of-convenience, which is usually fun, but nothing came of it. They never had to pretend to be married, none of the family ever found out, so there were no stakes. It made the marriage-of-convenience feel like nothing more than a handy plot device.

·      It was just a little too perfect – the oh-so-open and healthy discussions about sexual consent and boundaries, the adorable animals that brought them closer together – it made the story feel very aware of itself.

·      The uncle’s letter at the end was not necessary. It was too coincidental how his story mirrored Axel’s. 

Rating: 4

HAVE YOU READ EITHER OF THESE BOOKS?

Discussion: The Curse of the Three Star Review

 

So here's a topic that has been on my mind for quite a while. 

In a nutshell, why is a three star review seen in a negative light?

Obviously, any book review in nothing more than a personal opinion. So by their very nature, a review or rating is totally subjective.  Some readers will give five stars to every book they really enjoyed, while for others a five star review is given out sparingly. Not to mention the fact that reviews and ratings are a product of an individual reader's experience and can be colored by the reader's mood, personal views/beliefs, past experiences, and on and on.

So I have no intention of taking a deep dive into rating systems and what they mean, if there is (or should be) a standardized metric... blah blah blah. No, I want to talk specifically to the three star rating - and why it has such a bad rap.

My perception is that three star reviews have a mostly negative connotation for both readers and authors. Books with combined average ratings below four stars are often overlooked and dismissed. Even though, objectively, when using a five star scale, three stars fall above the middle. Goodreads labels three stars as "I liked it" (and even two stars isn't outright negative, labeled as "It was okay"). 

Looking at it in the simplest of terms, if the very "worst" book is given one star, and the very "best" book is given five stars, then surely that means that a vast number of books are going to fall in the middle. And that would mean - yes, you guess it - in the three star range. 

Despite that, some recent three star reviews that I shared have garnered curious comments. 

Things along the lines of:

• Sorry you didn't enjoy it.

• Too bad it didn't work for you. 

• Hope your next read is better. 

Those left me puzzled because, while the book may not have been a favorite, it was still enjoyable. And hopefully my review reflected that. In a review, I may point out what didn't work for me in a story - a trope I didn't like, a character I didn't care for - but I can find certain aspects of a story not to my taste while still enjoying it overall. 

For me, a three star read most definitely falls into the "good" range. I didn't love it, and there might have been aspects that I didn't care for, but it was still a good read. I don't go into every book expecting a five star experience. Those are few and far between for me. Three and four stars are the norm - good and very good. And Goodreads seems to agree, with three stars equating to liked it and four stars meaning really liked it.

Here are some things a three star rating means to me (when I rate a book three stars):

• This book was totally fine.

• I didn't dislike this book.

• I don't regret reading this book.

• Some things in this book were good, some were not.

 • The good outweighed the bad and there is nothing terribly wrong with it.

• Maybe other readers would enjoy this more than me.

• I would recommend it to readers who enjoy the tropes/themes it employs.

So why isn't a three star review looked upon more favorably?

What does a three star review mean to you?

When you see a three star review, do you automatically 

relegate the book to the meh pile?

Discussion: The Blogging Conundrum

In the past two weeks I've shared exactly two blog posts. Was I too busy to post? No. Was I on vacation? No. Was I trapped under something heavy and couldn't reach the computer? Nice guess, but again, no.

The simple answer is: I haven't felt like blogging.

The more complicated answer is... well, a little more complicated.

The real answer is what I have come to think of as The Blogging Conundrum. 

I started blogging for the same reason as most book bloggers: I wanted to have an outlet to share my love of books and reading with others. A way to discuss all things bookish. Easy enough, right?

But blogging is a time-consuming beast. There's drafting the post, proofing the post, finding or creating graphics, formatting, creating hyperlinks, replying to comments. And on it goes. 

Of course it doesn't stop there. Naturally, I want to visit my book blogger friends and read their posts and see what they're up to. And all the reading and commenting takes a lot of time.

But whether I'm blogging on my own blog, or blog-hopping and commenting on other blogs, I'm not reading. 

And I miss it.

So I can spend my time reading (and maybe even *gasp!* write a review now and then). Or I can spend my time blogging. There are several elements involved here: reading, reviewing, creating blog posts, replying to comments, and visiting/commenting on other blogs. I can do one of those things... I can even do two... but I simply can't keep all of it going all the time. 

So what to do?

I've managed to keep up a (semi) consistent schedule of posting for the last five years. But over the last couple weeks I just didn't worry about it. I shared a review last week of a lovely book (Broken Rebel by Lora Richardson) but otherwise all the time I would have spent blogging has been spent reading. I've read three books in the first week of September and I'm in the middle of two others. That's a lot for me. And I've loved it.  

Do I actually have a point? *shrugs* I'm not looking for advice on how to balance it all. Frankly, I'm tired of trying to balance it all. Blogging has always been a hobby (it's not like any of us are getting paid for this, right?), but if I'm spending the majority of my time blogging instead of reading, then what am I even blogging about? 

If there is a point, it's this: I miss reading. I miss picking up whatever book captures my attention and reading it without giving a single thought to getting a post up. I miss not having to make the choice between reading and blogging. 

So for now, I'm going back to what I love and miss: reading. And I'll post when I feel like posting. That may still be 2-3 times a week, it may be once a week, or maybe another two weeks will go by before I feel like writing a post. But the end result is that I want to be intentional about how I spend my time.

Have you ever faced The Blogging Conundrum? Do you find it easy to fit it all in - blogging and commenting and reading and visiting other blogs? Do you have a schedule, set aside a certain amount of time each day for things, or just fly by the seat of your pants? :) Let's chat in the comments... I'd love to hear about your own experience.

Discussion Post: My Fear of Discussion Posts

Confession time:

In 3+ years of blogging, I have never written a dedicated discussion post.

Let that sink in a minute. In over three and a half years there has been not one single discussion post on this blog. Sure there have been countless Top Ten Tuesdays when I might have briefly chatted about that week's theme. But to come up with a topic on my own and generate a post delving into my own thoughts and feelings about a particular subject? Nope, never happened.

So that naturally leads to the question: Why?

Glad you asked. And there's a simple answer.

It's because I fear the discussion post!

And we're not talking a mild nervousness. Or a slight skittishness.

No ma'am. We're talking outright fear.

Dread.

Horror.

Alarm.

Panic.

*insert further synonyms at will*

So why this reaction to the mere thought of a discussion post? I have reasons. 

So... let's discuss shall we? (yeah, I went there)

EVERY POSSIBLE TOPIC HAS ALREADY BEEN COVERED

Okay, this one is bogus on two accounts. Because one, I see bloggers discuss new and interesting topics all the time. Sam @ We Live and Breathe Books is great at this! Whether it's a broad subject or a very specific thing, she often posts interesting discussions that are unique and generate discussion in the comments.

And secondly, just because a topic has been covered doesn't mean there's nothing more to say. Or that I might not have my own perspective or opinion. Goodness knows no one I know, including me, has a shortage of opinions. :)

I HAVE NOTHING OF VALUE TO ADD/NO ONE WILL AGREE WITH MY OPINION

Alright, another lame excuse that I can easily shoot down. Thinking I might not have anything of value to add kind of goes hand in hand with the aforementioned "everything's been covered and there's nothing left to say" b.s. 

And no one agreeing with my opinion? Well, for starters that's highly unlikely. It's not like I'm that controversial or extreme. And secondly, who cares if they don't? I mean, seriously - it's my blog, my opinion, and my right to throw out my little thoughts and feelings into the void. If no one agree with me... okay. *shrugs* At the end of the day does it really matter? And do I really care? (Answer: not really, no.)

I WON'T BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH ANY NEW TOPICS

Oh puhleeze. I'm rolling my eyes even as I type it. I've told myself this so many times but the fact is that I often find myself wondering if others do the same thing (like picking a bookmark based on the book), experience the same thing (wondering what fictional characters are doing when I'm not reading the book), etc. There are ideas all around, just in day to day life, so having nothing to talk about is pretty ridiculous.

So it would seem that none of my excuses reasons are all that valid. And that maybe I should get over myself and just do it. I mean, hey, I just proved that I can write a discussion post... even if it's about my fear of discussion posts. That counts, right? :)

So how about you?

Do you enjoy discussion posts? Fear them like me?

Do you struggle with topics?

Let's chat it up!

Discussion: ARC Overload

So I currently find myself in a position I've not been in before. One that I'm sure is familiar to many of you. Let's call it... ARC OVERLOAD. Do I see you nodding your head already?

It's not like this is some new phenomenon. It happens all the time. I know this because I see some of you post about it. But - it's new to ME.

Here's the thing: I'm not one to request a lot of ARC's. Typically it has to be a book by one of the handful of my favorite authors or one with a synopsis so amazing that I just have to have it. This doesn't happen often. Sometimes a couple months can pass without me requesting a single title. And when I do request a book and get denied... well, it happens. I never view it as a personal slight, to me or my blog (I've never understood that particular reaction), and all it means is that I'll get the book on its release date along with most everyone else.

But (there's always a but), there seems to have been a perfect storm of circumstances that now have me experiencing ARC OVERLOAD.

1) I was in a blissed-out book haze one recent afternoon and had a field day at Edelweiss. And requested eight books. Yes, eight. And, so far, have been approved for at least half of those.

2) Those emails direct from the publishers who tell me that since I previously requested Book X I'll probably enjoy Book Z and I can download it now from NetGalley. Yeah, the emails must have been sprinkled with book crack because I was all over those.

3) A direct request from an author for a book that sounded so right up my alley and, despite all the other ARC's already pending, I couldn't help myself.

4) Blog tours that I had previously signed up for are coming up soon and, because I typically choose to do review posts... yeah, the ARC's for those are coming in as well.

Now for the real irony? And the real reason I rarely request ARC's? Because my reading philosophy has long been: I read what I want to read - when I want to read it. I try not to get my head turned by all the shiny new releases, the latest book that everyone is reading/talking about, or (you guessed it) ARC's. I love the freedom of reading whatever my heart desires at any given moment. A book that's been on my shelf for 3 years, a series that I want to binge, a book I picked up at the library. I'm a total mood reader and I never know what I'm going to pick up one book to the next.

And yet here I am, currently buried under a pile of ARC's, knowing I'm on a timeline, and ignoring all the books that I really, really want to be reading. You see the irony, right? That I did this to myself? Yeah, me too.

So. My current plan? Get through these ARC's (without requesting more!) and consider this a lesson learned. And then I can get back to my bookish happy zone: reading exactly what I want to read. Again.

Do you ever experience ARC OVERLOAD? Is that your usual

state of being or do you prefer to keep a handle on it?

Let's discuss!

#ShelfLove Quarterly Topic (March): Oldest Unread Books on My Shelf aka The Bookshelf of Shame

For the second year in a row, I'm taking part in the #ShelfLove Challenge. 

The focus is on reading the books you already own - and I'm all about that!

The discussion topic for this quarter: 

What are the top books (unread) on your shelf 
that have been there the longest?

Don't you just cringe reading that? Being forced to think about some of the books that have been lingering on your bookshelves for ages. Are we all hanging our heads in shame? Well it's time to 'fess up and share those books that are unread (but not unloved!) and just patiently waiting for their turn.

Note: These are all books that are physically on my shelves, not just on my TBR. All dates gathered from when I added the book to my GoodReads To-Read shelf.

ON MY SHELF SINCE 2014

ON MY SHELF SINCE 2013

ON MY SHELF SINCE 2012

ON MY SHELF SINCE 2011

ON MY SHELF SINCE 2010

My #ShelfLove Challenge Progress:

What unread book has been 

on your bookshelf the longest?

A Traitor in the Midst: Or, Why I Won't Be Reading the New Harry Potter Book

Today's post is brought to you by the letter S. S is for Sick. Which, in case anyone has noticed my absence, is the reason I haven't been around for the past week. On the plus side, I'm finally vertical which is a step in the right direction. Baby steps, y'know.

All that time spent horizontal gave me plenty of time to ponder. Because (hold on to something now) I felt so poorly I didn't even want to read. 

Yeah, yeah, I know. It happens. But back to my pondering. Once I was able to get semi-vertical (propped up in bed) I noticed that my email inbox and Bloglovin' feed were blowing up with posts about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Posts about its release, posts about going to midnight HP events, posts about expectations, posts about the sheer excitement over a new entry into the world of Harry Potter. And as I took all that in, my own feelings were... meh. 

See what I did there? ;)

Now before anyone gets all up in arms and puts a curse on me, let me explain: I loved Harry Potter. I read all the books, I saw all the movies. I was thoroughly captivated by the epic story. I even remember the thrill of the release of the final book and the excitement of finally having it in my hands. 

But, no matter how much I enjoyed it all, my feelings about the series will never match those who grew up with Harry Potter. When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone came out I was already 29 years old. (And by the time the Deathly Hallows released ten years later... well, you can do the math.) Reading any book as an adult will guarantee a different experience than if the book was read in childhood. And I think that goes tenfold for a series as beloved as Harry Potter.

There's something magical about experiencing a special book in childhood. Especially a story as amazing as Harry Potter. It becomes part of the fabric of your childhood. Memories of reading the books for the first time in elementary school, or receiving one of the books for Christmas... they're woven into a special time of life that is filled with nostalgia. 

So when I see readers/bloggers of a certain age gushing with excitement over Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I'm happy for them. I know that for them this is an epic event. An addition to a series they have known and loved their entire lives. But for me it's different. My childhood did not include Harry Potter. It was a series that I read and loved as an adult and... that's it. For me, it's over. It was over when I read the Deathly Hallows in 2007. And it was over (again) when I saw the final movie in 2011. It's not something I feel any need to revisit. 

So, as happy as I am for my friends who are beside themselves with the release of the new book, I'll be sitting this one out. Enjoy, my Harry Potter-loving friends!

Will you be reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?

Do you have a different sort of love for the books you read as a child?