The Sunday Post | February 14, 2021

    

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's a chance to share news: a post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books,
 and share what's coming up on your blog in the week ahead. 
Happy Sunday, friends. I'm in the midst of a four-day weekend so life is good. :) I'm actually a little bummed because it was supposed to rain All. Day. Long. today (it's Saturday evening as I write this) and it didn't happen. A few random raindrops here and there but otherwise... nada. I feel cheated! I want my dreary, gloomy, rainy day! Better luck tomorrow...

Both The Husband and my mom have had their second doses of the COVID vaccine. I have such a major feeling of relief - and gratitude - that they are taken care of and are now that much safer. Neither of them had significant side effects with either dose. A sore arm both times - the same as with any other vaccination - and that was it.

We ordered new furniture this weekend (living room and dining room) and I'm excited about redecorating. The orders probably won't be in until sometime in April, but I'm already scouring  my home décor boards on Pinterest, browsing online for new rugs, and generally getting itchy for new decorating projects. I'll totally be in my happy zone when the time comes to start pulling it all together.

This week's 80's music fix is Two of Hearts (1968) by Stacey Q. Bonus points if you remember her guest-starring on Facts of Life! :)


Tuesday, February 9

WHAT I COMPLETED IN THE LAST WEEK

     

Read:
This one floored me. My favorite by Yarros to date. And it will, without a doubt, be among my favorites of the year. Oh, and my first 5-star read of the year.

Listened to:
I knew very little about this one when I borrowed it from Hoopla but it ended up being a solid read. It was surprisingly heavy at times (dealing a lot with grief) and there were some tricky family dynamics, while also focusing on two people who were so accepting of one another. 


WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING

     

Reading:
At 100 pages in, I still feel like I'm struggling a bit to connect with the main characters, but I am enjoying it. I'm really curious to know more about Will's background, though.

Listening:
I picked this one up after a Booktuber's recommendation. It's an age-gap romance and I'm pretty impressed with the the way it's being handled. There's nothing salacious about it, and I like the way the author has both characters really examining their decisions and the possible outcomes before they act.

PHYSICAL BOOKS:

The Four Winds - Kristin Hannah

KINDLE BOOKS:

     

Southern Chance - Natasha Madison
The Wedding Game - Meghan Quinn


AUDIO BOOKS

     

The Theory of Second Best (Cake #2) - J. Bengtsson
Missing in Action - Kate Canterbary


eARC FOR REVIEW:


Return To Us - Corinne Michaels 




How was your week? Any new books? Any news to share?
I'd love to hear about it!
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Top Ten Tuesday: Love Is the Answer

   
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

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Review: Always Only You by Chloe Liese

ALWAYS ONLY YOU

Chloe Liese
Series: Berman Brothers #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: July 25, 2020
Source: Hoopla Audiobook
Rating: 4.25 stars

Ren

The moment I met her, I knew Frankie Zeferino was someone worth waiting for. Deadpan delivery, secret heart of gold, and a rare one-dimpled smile that makes my knees weak, Frankie has been forbidden since the day she and I became coworkers, meaning waiting has been the name of my game—besides, hockey, that is.

I’m a player on the team, she’s on staff, and as long as we work together, dating is off-limits. But patience has always been my virtue. Frankie won’t be here forever—she’s headed for bigger, better things. I just hope that when she leaves the team and I tell her how I feel, she won’t want to leave me behind, too.

Frankie

I’ve had a problem at work since the day Ren Bergman joined the team: a six foot three hunk of happy with a sunshine smile. I’m a grumbly grump and his ridiculously good nature drives me nuts, but even I can’t entirely ignore that hot tamale of a ginger with icy eyes, the perfect playoff beard, and a body built for sin that he’s annoyingly modest about.

Before I got wise, I would have tripped over myself to get a guy like Ren, but with my diagnosis, I’ve learned what I am to most people in my life—a problem, not a person. Now, opening my heart to anyone, no matter how sweet, is the last thing I’m prepared to do.

Move over all you other book boyfriends, there’s a new man in town. Ren Bergman might very well top the list when it comes to sweet, sexy, humble, swoony, cinnamon rolls. Ren delivered the goods in Always Only You and I was so there for it.

This slow burn romance gave me all the feels. Ren was an absolute sweetheart. A guy from a big family, who still felt the scars from his nerdy high school years, and had been secretly pining for Frankie for three years. Past experience had Frankie keeping most people at a distance but she was far from cold or unfeeling. Frankie was on the autism spectrum and also dealt with chronic arthritis. It was interesting to see through Frankie’s filter, but this was not a story about an autistic character. It was about two people falling in love and one of them just happened to be autistic.   

These characters had such heart and, even when I didn’t agree with their choices, I pulled hard for them and wanted to see them get what they wanted and deserved. I loved the way Ren looked out for Frankie and tried to help without being overbearing. I loved the way Frankie called Ren Zenzero. I laughed every time Ren came up with another pet name for Frankie. I got teary over Frankie’s scenes with Ren’s sister, Ziggy. And I loved every minute with the big, boisterous Bergman clan.


HAVE YOU READ THE BERGMAN BROTHERS SERIES?


YOU CAN FIND ALWAYS ONLY YOU HERE:

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Monthly Wrap Up | January 2021

 

 
WHAT HAPPENED IN JANUARY
  • A new year kicked off and things did not magically improve just because 2020 was in the rearview mirror. So there was that.
  • A (virtual) meeting with my boss, the CEO, revealed that it is highly unlikely we will return to the office before summer. And there's that.
  • An act of insurrection at the Capitol left me (most of us) shocked and dismayed. And feeling more discouraged than ever by the state of the country. 
  • The inauguration on the 20th helped turn those feelings around somewhat. The overall message of unity and positivity had me feeling an inkling of hope.
  • Both The Husband and my mother received their first COVID vaccinations. I felt such relief knowing they will both be better protected.
  • The NHL season started. This brought me joy.
  • I set up a new workspace in my home library, complete with white desk, pink chair, sparkly lamp, and all the pretty things. This brought me more joy.

WHAT I READ IN JANUARY


4.5 STARS
Roommate - Sarina Bowen

4 STARS
That Swoony Feeling - Meghan Quinn
Always Only You - Chloe Liese
The Awakening - Nora Roberts
Heartstopper Vol. 2 - Alice Oseman

3.5 STARS
Only When It's Us - Chloe Liese

3 STARS
Mackenzie's Mountain - Linda Howard
Parental Guidance - Avery Flynn

1 STAR
Until the Last Breath - Shanora Williams


FORMATS
Total Read: 9
2 physical books
3 Kindle/e-books
4 audiobooks


TOP OF THE HEAP
Roommate
No great shock that my favorite of the month is from Sarina Bowen. The woman just does not disappoint. I loved being back in the True North world and Sarina created two main characters that I adored. I hardcore loved Roderick and Kieran. Both of them were dealing with issues that shaped who they were and how they lived. I was pulling so hard for these guys and the payoff was... *chef's kiss*

THE BIG DISAPPINTMENT
Until the Last Breath
I'm not going to spend a lot of time rehashing this one (check my review if you want the full rant), but suffice it to say that this was not the way I wanted to start my reading in 2021. The main character was genuinely unlikable and I couldn't work up a shred of empathy for someone who was so shallow and selfish.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BLOG

I had eight blog posts in October and shared four reviews: 


WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING

     


Reading: I'm really enjoying the ARC of The Things We Leave Unfinished. The dual timeline has me completely invested in all the characters even though I know there's some serious heartache coming.

Listening to: The grief these characters are dealing with in Without You is impactful without being overly heavy. Julian is such a good guy but I'm wondering what he was like before his boyfriend's death. Because I'm only seeing him through his grief right now. Deacon is awfully broody (as Julian likes to tell him) and I'm curious to see how their relationship is going to progress and play out.   



WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE READ IN JANUARY? 
WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW?
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