Went on a holiday recently and have to admit I may have went a little crazy book shopping ... I have no regrets though 😆
📚 Book Haul 📚
Tag: book blog
Watery Books 💦
It’s Top Ten Tuesday time once again friends and this week the prompt is something to do with water! I went the easy route and just went with books I’ve read over the last year or so that have water on the cover…
Happy Place Review
Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t. They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends. Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts.
I hate miscommunication as the main barrier in a romance book which was what this was all about. Had Wyn and Harriet simply sat down and had an open and honest conversation with each other instead of just trying to make the other person ‘happy’ this book would of been maybe 10 pages instead of 400.
Harriet should of just told her friends when it happened. I understand how embarrassing it is and how much this was going to change the dynamic of their friend group but this is a pretty huge life event and these girls are supposed to be your family.
The fact that Wyn thought it was ok to just end their relationship over text and then be confused as to why Harriet doesn’t want to speak to him and is angry that he showed up grated me. The way he just felt so entitled to pull that stunt despite not speaking to Harriet in 6 months and without giving her a heads up was when I knew I probably wasn’t going to like this book very much.
The present timeline with all the friends at the Maine cottage was fun. I enjoyed learning about their friendships and how they are came to be so close. All of the side characters were easy to distinguish and were quite multifaceted. I liked the fact that you could feel tension between them all and they weren’t just one sided, though again this is all because they stopped communicating with each other.
⭐️2/5 stars The amount of times they keep asking each other if they’re happy really got on my nerves!
5 Favourite Audiobooks 🎧
Audio books have taken over my life! I love the convenience of listening to a book whilst not being relegated to bed or the couch for hours at a time (though I love doing that). I love when there are fun little sounds, a podcast element or it’s read by the author, it really makes my experience more enjoyable and I wanted to share a couple of my favourites with you!
Something in the Water Review
*SOME SPOILERS BELOW*
Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . . Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .
The start of this book didn’t really grab my attention in any way. I didn’t really care for Erin or Mark as we learn about their history, meeting each other and the kind of relationship they have. The first half of this book did drag a little in terms of establishing the storyline but once you overcome that hurdle the second half is worth it I think!
Erin is very impulsive and consistently acts without thinking of the repercussions even though she know how dangerous it can be. Her reasonings are a bit wishy washy and once an idea has formed in her mind she needs to see it through despite the outcome. I feel as though she shouldn’t of been as surprised by who was responsible for them being found as what she was. There are countless times where she will say something that she has noticed but shrugs it away every single time and it gets a bit obvious in the end.
I liked the format of the book a lot. Starting off knowing that Mark is dead and then the lead up to that day and figuring out all the details along the way was very entertaining and kept me highly engaged in the story. There is just this overwhelming build up of tension throughout the book as Erin gets more and more manic and terrified of the idea of being found by these mystery people. The ending is a little bit rushed for me though, I felt the anticipation was dragged out so much I would of appreciated a slower and more dramatic ending however I really enjoyed this book and was very surprised at the end!
⭐️4/5 stars Kept me on the edge of my seat throughout!
Amy Leigh Reads 