Stuck on You - Portia MacIntosh (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 16/09/2020

Author: Portia MacIntosh

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: September 17, 2020

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 4.5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources) 

About the book:

Could a post-it note really lead to love...?

Sadie doesn't have time for finding love. She's too busy as PA for famous artist Damian Banks. When she's not arranging exhibitions, she's organising his dry cleaning or dumping his never-ending stream of girlfriends.

But when she strikes up an unusual friendship with her desk share buddy, she finds a confidante and a new potential love interest. Problem is, they've never actually met...

With Christmas just around the corner, can Sadie put herself first for a change and find what she's been looking for all along? The brand new romantic comedy from top 10 bestseller Portia MacIntosh. Perfect for fans of Sophie Ranald, Mhairi McFarlane and Zara Stoneley.

Review:

        I figured out the plot from the blurb itself and it went exactly as predicted. No last-minute surprises or sabotages and I absolutely ADORED IT for that exact reason. It may not be Christmas yet, but Portia surely makes wonders in creating a festive spirit throughout. Playful banter, a creepy beginning with a serial killer and Christmas with the family . . . she does prepare a curious mix.

        Unlikely love stories have always held a special charm for me and this is no different. A hated boss and an unusual friendship through post-it notes contribute much to the mystery and then there is the meet the parents part. Don't we love it all the time? (Utterly nerve-racking though it may be in real life). Christmas with Sadie's parents on an island which takes the traditions quite seriously is one the best parts in the story. Competition to post Christmas postcards, Dickens Day, Winter Wonderland and movie night in pyjamas . . . I am tempted to pack my bags right away.

        And the dad jokes (on both sides) are absolutely  . . . hmm, ridiculous and hilarious. It is impossible to talk about the love story without some spoilers so I will let you be the judge of that. Suffice to say, this is, by far my favourite among all these author's works. Trust me, you cannot read this book without an evergrowing smile.

Meet the author:

Portia MacIntosh is a bestselling romantic comedy author of 12 novels, including It's Not You, It's Them and Honeymoon For One. Previously a music journalist, Portia writes hilarious stories, drawing on her real-life experiences.

Love at the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea - Jane Linfoot (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 10/09/2020

Author: Jane Linfoot

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: August 20, 2020

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources)

About the book:

St Aidan: a cosy Cornish village where friendships are made for life and it’s always cocktail hour somewhere…

Return to your favourite little wedding shop by the sea for love, laughter and a romance to sweep you off your feet!

It’s the most romantic day of the year but the girls aren’t just gearing up for Valentine’s Day and a busy wedding season ahead, it’s also the 10 year anniversary of their beloved shop!

Jess is planning the party of the decade and with the champagne and cocktails flowing, sparks are going to fly…and not just from the fireworks display!

Review:

        Even though I have read two of her other works (can't resist those cute covers), this is my first step into the 'Little Wedding Shop by the Sea' series. Surely, it lives up to its name. Though each book can be read as a standalone, we do get to meet a lot of characters from the previous books and the tightly knit group is enough of a temptation to pick the other books in the series. Well, I will have to follow the reverse order now.

        Milla is back in St. Aidan for a working holiday. That's the excuse, but the real reason is that she wants to be away from her ex-fiance and business partner who are now having a baby together. What is a better way to a speedy recovery other than working with her best friends? What she didn't foresee is that her first client will be the handsome stranger she kissed on Valentine's day. But Nic is here for arranging his marriage and so totally off-limits. Can Milla remain professional throughout the ordeal?

        Talk about a messy situation. I was worried in the beginning as snatching someone's fiance is not really a story I want to read. Well, I can't give you any spoilers, but rest assured, all will be well in due time. We could pretty much guess the way it's going but that didn't spoil anything for me. Even if you are not really into weddings, this will really pull you in. The wedding jitters, walking the aisle and the first dance . . . it is hard to keep back the happy tears once you come to know the work in the background.

        All in all, another delightful read from Jane Linfoot where Cornwall works its magic . . . again.

Meet the author:

I write fun, flirty fiction, with feisty heroines, and lots of heart. Writing is fab because I get to wear pretty shoes instead of wellies. I live in a cottage up a mountain road in Derbyshire, where my family and pets are kind enough to ignore the domestic chaos. Happily, we're in walking distance of a supermarket. I love hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage, most things french. When I'm not on Facebook, and can't find an excuse for shopping, I'll be walking, or gardening. On days when I want to be really scared, I ride a tandem.

We Are Not Free - Traci Chee (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 02/09/2020

Author: Traci Chee

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Date of Publication: September 1, 2020

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Colored Pages Bookish Tours)

About the book:

“All around me, my friends are talking, joking, laughing. Outside is the camp, the barbed wire, the guard towers, the city, the country that hates us.

 

We are not free.

 

But we are not alone.” 

From New York Times best-selling and acclaimed author Traci Chee comes We Are Not Free, the collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II.

 

Fourteen teens who have grown up together in Japantown, San Francisco.

 

Fourteen teens who form a community and a family, as interconnected as they are conflicted.

 

Fourteen teens whose lives are turned upside down when over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry are removed from their homes and forced into desolate incarceration camps.

 

In a world that seems determined to hate them, these young Nisei must rally together as racism and injustice threaten to pull them apart.

Review:

        I am not affected by this book. I am not an American and it's not my country which committed these atrocities. Why should I be bothered? Then the nightmares began. And I knew. There is no way to run. I cannot forget this story, even if I try to. That's the power of the written word. Who was I kidding again?

        Fourteen youths. Incarcerated with their families in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbour attack. This is their story. Written in multiple POVs, reading this book felt like looking through a window to peek at the family living inside the room. All the stories are connected yet different. They have their personal woes and also pleasures, like a softball match. Inspired by the author's own family history, these fourteen voices make it known that they cannot be forgotten. 

        Other than the brief understanding, I didn't know much about the US incarceration camps before reading this remarkable work. Stamped as enemies, this San Franciscan Japanese community is forcibly deported from their homes to live in inhuman conditions and this happens in a country which advertises freedom more than anything else. The betrayal, the anger and the confusion that they experience are vividly portrayed by Traci Chee, making it so heartbreaking and real.

        Not many books can't be claimed to have the power to haunt my dreams at night. 'We are not Free' is one of the exceptions and though bittersweet, I am happy to be splashed with some hard realities. 

Favourite Quotes:

"It doesn't matter how good we are, because they see only what they want to see, and when they look at us, all they see are Japs"

"And I get it finally. Gaman. The ability to hold your pain and bitterness inside you and not let them destroy you. To make something beautiful through your anger, or with your anger, and neither erase it nor let it define you. To suffer. And to rage. And to persevere."

"I learned a long time ago that the secret to academic success isn't smarts. It's knowing what they want from you and giving it to them with a smile."

"Sometimes I think it'd be easier to be stupid, because then at least I wouldn't be miserable all the time."

"They say they're here for our safety, but no one feels safe when they've got a gun pointed at them."

Meet the author:

Traci Chee is the New York Times best-selling author of The Reader trilogy. She studied literature and creative writing at UC Santa Cruz and earned a master of arts degree from San Francisco State University. She is Japanese American and was inspired to write We Are Not Free by her family’s experience during World War II. Some of the events she includes in the book are loosely inspired by their stories. She loves books, poetry and papercrafts, as well as bonsai gardening and games. She lives in California.

Author Links: 

Website: http://www.tracichee.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6567825.Traci_Chee 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracicheeauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tracichee

Tumblr: https://tracichee.tumblr.com/