Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Goodreads blurb: A traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers, suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified in the brutal reality of 1805—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.
My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.
Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the Republican equivalent of a Kennedy? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.
Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a brutal reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.
A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, Yesteryear is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood.
My take: 3.5 out of 5 – I do not know if I loved or hated this book. One that is interesting to read and ripe for discussion but what in the craziness was going on and why are all these people so toxic. And a lot of people I talked to had the same feeling. The concept is smart and it should work, I just did not believe in the twists, it was a bit much. But I feel it should be read, and its the perfect book club book, there is so much to talk about, discuss, disagree and try to collectively put together.
Married With Benefits by Ellie Palmer
Goodreads blurb: A trope-filled delight of a rom com about two strangers who enter into a marriage of convenience that becomes anything but convenient.
Lainey Davis can’t wait for the day she’ll be able to escape her tiny Wisconsin town. But she’s not even close to covering her health insurance premiums and pricey migraine medication, let alone saving up enough to start over some place new. That is, until Lainey receives some news that might upend her unlucky streak. Through the archaic legal doctrine of adverse possession, Lainey has inadvertently squatted her way into owning one of the most notorious houses in modern architectural history.
But Lainey owns only the house. The surrounding property, a lakeside money pit the previous owner used as a front to deal illegal reptiles, has been willed to newcomer Elliot Hodges, a D.C. architect who wants to rent the place to fellow architecture lovers. Neither can rent or sell without reaching an agreement.
Desperate to rent out the only valuable house on the property, Elliot proposes an unconventional marry him for health insurance and in exchange, she’ll allow him to rent the house as part of his resort until he’s saved enough to buy her out. It’s a win-win Lainey will finally have a way out of her small town, and he’ll own the house designed by his architectural idol. But when the end date looms and their connection grows, Lainey’s no longer sure what’s more leaving Elliot behind or letting him in.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher.
my take: 3 out of 5. A sweet romance, I just didn’t fall head over heels for it. There is a really strong banter, and the marriage of convenience actually makes total sense, unlike most of them. However, although that trope makes sense there are a lot of other things that are far fetched, and a bit too whimsical. Its fun, just not my favorite romance of the season.
The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren
Goodreads blurb: The instant New York Times bestselling authors of The Paradise Problem and The Unhoneymooners return with an unforgettable novel in which one fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory—and love gets one extraordinary do-over.
Three years ago, Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.
But now, Emery is consumed by her top-secret job, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge research comes to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.
Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule to bring him back. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together…all of it is gone.
It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher.
my take: 3 out of 5. I love a Christina Lauren book and could not have been more excited for this one. It didnt live up to my other Christina Lauren favorites sadly. It’s still good and a I devoured it in one sitting, its just not a easy a read as some of their other books. The concept is crazy, like actually batshit crazy. I do not want to say more so not to spoil and although the execution was pretty good, the premise still boggled and somewhat cringed me. Like, I don’t want to spoil too much away, but its a tad sci fi and the mix is strange. In a funny way it feels like CL delving into Ali Hazelwood territory, with the main character being a kick ass science person. It is a lovely romance if you suspend your science disbelief.
Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry
Goodreads blurb: Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.
I’m lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe. It’s my turn to become the Guardian.
Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength.
Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm?
What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love?
For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make.
It’s time to discover the monster within.
My take: 3.5 out of 5. The second book of the series, it took a while to get some of the action going, as there is a lot of world building and not a lot happening. Also the man’s voice in the audiobook is hard to understand (i had to come down from my 2.0 because i wasn’t understanding half of what he said). I was really into it by the end, but I just really wish these fantasy series were more two books and not three, I have another cliffhanger on my hands and a year to waste.
The Missed Connection by Tia Williams
Goodreads blurb: New York Times bestselling author Tia Williams returns with an intensely romantic, deliciously sexy tale about a woman searching for her handsome seatmate on a European flight—and the unexpected places her hunt for love leads her.
Sasha Cruz knows types. As a booked-and-busy casting agent, she’s always casting — at happy hour, the post office, the grocery store, everywhere. She’s all about finding the perfect person to slot into the perfect role. What she doesn’t do, however, are relationships. Too much energy, not enough time. Men find her intimidating, and she likes it that way.
But when Sasha’s seated next to a mysterious, broodingly handsome Italian man on the way to a work trip in Paris, sparks fly – but they miss the chance to exchange contact information. Now, convinced that she’s lost out on her soulmate, Sasha is on a manhunt to find Seat F.
Sasha enlists her work friend for help in the search, but when she accidentally emails the entire global company, colleagues around the world begin looking for Seat F, too – with some finding love along the way. Meanwhile, Sasha takes matters into her own hands, hiring a smoldering detective who complicates matters in unforeseen ways.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher.
my take: 4 out of 5. A romance that you really don’t know how its going to end up, with just such good buildup. Both male characters feel like a great possibility and the whole development as beautiful. I am also very partial and completely love an airport or airplane meet cute so with this one they had me at hello. A perfect book to read in a plane on the way to someplace fabulous.
Tati's Tidbits 