The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch

 

Ezra and Frankie met in college and fell in love but their love story was short lived as they broke up right before graduation. It's been a decade since they last laid eyes on one another. They haven't spoken to one another but have secretly kept tabs one each other. 

Their friends from college are getting married and they each make their way back to celebrate with them hoping that they can avoid each other as much as possible however they wake up in bed together with no memory of the night before. They are back in a college dorm room and each wearing a very important item on their ring fingers. Are they married? Did they get married? Did they sleep sleep together or just sleep together? What happened the night before and can they figure it out before the clock strikes midnight and the year rolls over 2000?

This book is fun and makes for a super fast read.  The characters aren't always likeable but who is?! It's full of a lot of 90s nostalgia and I flipped back and forth on if I wanted them to send up back together.  The story is told from multiple points of view giving insider knowledge to the reader. 

Spare by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex

The Royal Family has always fascinated me. I cried when Princess Diana died. I woke up extra early to watch Prince William getting married and slept in when Prince Harry did. I had no idea who Meghan Markle was and I didn't really care. I was just happy for Harry. Then ----  things started to unravel,  rumours ran about and things got complicated and controversial.  The Queen died and then Harry's book  came out.  

I was given a free copy and found myself intrigued and interested. I feel sympathy for William and Harry and the heavy burdens the have been given in life.  They lead unordinary lives and have always been in the spotlight. They have been hounded by the press and have millions of people making judgments and opinions on them (myself included).

I have a lot of thoughts, feelings and opinions on this book. Harry reveals information but some of it went too far and should have remained unwritten. Some parts of his book are interesting and others not so much. One could even call some sections boring.  I did learn a lot about Harry and about the royal family  (some good and some not so good) but I had to remind myself that there are three sides to every story and this is only one side. 

Harry is human and imperfect just like me and you. To grown up and be known as the "Spare" is brutal but to air your family's dirty laundry for the world to read is brash. 

The Circus Train by Amita Parikh

Lena is a lonely young girl who lives and travels the circus circuit with her father. Her father is one of many eccentric performers. As a young child she got polio and as a result of it is confined to a wheelchair resulting in her father being over protective yet loving. 

This takes place in Europe before and during the start of WWII.  A young orphaned boy with a dark past and a secret that could result in his death because a part of the circus act. He enters Lena's life changing how she views herself,  giving her more confidence and developing her arc.  The character build is slow and so is the storyline. It doesn't really develop and get interesting until half way through the book. The best part is the last quarter of the book. 

Expect betrayals and secret reveals.  My largest complaint is that no matter how much I tried, I could not figure out the layout and logistics of the Circus, which lead to me wasting a lot of unnecessary time trying to figure it out. 

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

 

After reading, Lynn Painter's, The Do Over I had a faint recollection of reading Before I Fall and was compelled to revisit it. This is the REVIEW of it back in 2015.  

Popular girl, Samantha Kingston is doomed to repeat February 12th over and over again.  Each new day is told in a new chapter for a total of seven chapters. Will, Samantha make the right choice or will she be doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Samantha and her group of friends are mean girls and on Cupid's Day, a day that students send one another flowers and each girl wants to be the one who collects the most roses and is thus the most popular. 

This custom brought me back to my High School days in which something similar happened with carnations. I remember the times I got some and the times I didn't. Receiving one created euphoric feelings and not receiving one was brutal. I remember feeling crushed, ugly and unwanted. I don't remember anyone being made fun of for not getting one but maybe that's because more people didn't get one then did. It this something schools still do? I hope not.

Samantha's character undergoes a massive change as the story progresses and turns into someone more likable. The story is heavy and you can feel the emotions of characters bleeding through the pages. This is a book you don't want to miss out on. The movie does not do it justice.

The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

 The Do-Over is such a fun read! It's a cute easy read that makes time fly. Emilie Hornby is stuck in a time loop. She is repeating Valentines Day over and over again. Each day she gets up and goes to school. She eventually decides to make each day different. She makes different choices and has different conversations all in an attempt to get the calendar to change over. 

High School is rough y'all but repeating the same day in which your boyfriend cheats on you even tougher. Emilie has a lot of character and makes each day more interesting the prior which has you flipping the pages and reading the words as fast as you can to see what will happen next!

I enjoyed this book so much - I will be picking up other novels by Painter to read. 

Small Game: A Novel Book by Blair Braverman

 

Five strangers have agreed to partake in a wilderness reality TV show called, Civilization. It will be a six week long adventure in a remote location. The conditions are tough, they will have to fully fend for themselves, forget for good and build shelter. 

One contestant leaves early and 4 are left to compete for the $100,000 prize. Days pass, the contestants  struggle and everyone is hungry, so so hungry. Then one morning the awaken and there is no production crew. They think it's a fluke or a day off but after a few days pass they come to the realization that they are 100% alone and on their own. 

They are truly utterly on their own and survival is no longer game but a reality. This is a fast paced and decent read. 

Forever Hold Your Peace by Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke

Expected publication July 11, 2023

                    Love. Drama. Marriage. Divorce. Drama. Lies. Secrets. The Past. Drama.

Imagine for one moment your daughter has met a man. A stranger while on vacation. They are heads over heels in love and six weeks after meeting get engaged. Now, imagine the same situation but this time it's your son. The families come together to plan a wedding but chaos, drama and the past rears its ugly head.

Oliva and Zack are desperately in love and that want nothing more than to have the support of their family. Some support it. Some don't. When the parents met they discover they were once a part of each other's past. Will this past break or make the wedding day?

Fenton & Steinken's characters are well developed, fun and quirky. They are people you can imagine or even people you know. The story is written in different points of views giving you a lot of insight and understanding to each character. Making you see both points of views and rooting for everyone. 

Sit back, relax and enjoy this fun, charming read. Be prepared to be entertained and maybe reivist parts of your past. 

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.