Title: The Storyteller Author: Kathryn Williams Genre: Young Adult, Mystery Publisher: HarperTeen Source: Once Upon a Book Club Box Format: Hardcover Release Date: January 11, 2022 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
This story follows a teenage girl’s quest to uncover the truth behind her secretive great aunt Anna, who just might be the long lost Russian princess Anastasia.
It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna.
For Jess Morgan, who is growing tired of living her life to please everyone else, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. But was her aunt truly a Romanov princess? Or is this some elaborate hoax?
With the help of a supremely dorky, but undeniably cute, local college student named Evan, Jess digs into the century-old mystery.
But soon Jess realizes there’s another, bigger truth waiting to be revealed: Jess Morgan. Because if she’s learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story.
Review:
In 2007, while Jess Morgan is helping her mom clean out her great-great aunt’s house a couple of years after she died, she finds an old trunk full of diaries. They’re all written in Russian, so she has to find a translator. Evan, a local college student accepts the job of translating them. However, they soon discover that the journals were written by Anastasia Romanov, who was supposedly killed with her family in 1918. Jess has to know if her aunt really was the Russian Princess, so she must do her own research to figure this out. Meanwhile, she has drama with her best friend, her boyfriend, and her parents. Jess uses her investigation into her great-great aunt to distract herself from the other problems in her life.
The story about Anastasia Romanov is fascinating. For some reason, throughout the 20th century, there have been many women who claimed to be her. One popular impersonator, Anna Anderson, was mentioned in this story. The main question in this story is whether Jess’s great-great aunt Anna really was Anastasia Romanov.
The setting of 2007 is important to this story. There was a key discovery made in the Romanov mystery in that year. I won’t give it away in case it spoils the story. It cleared up a lot of questions I had about the story. I was worried the ending would be completely made up, but it followed the facts of the true story of Anastasia Romanov quite faithfully.
The Storyteller is a great YA mystery!
What to read next:
Romanov by Nadine Brandes
Have you read The Storyteller? What did you think of it?
Title: How to High Tea with a Hyena (And Not Get Eaten) Author: Rachel Poliquin, Kathryn Durst (illustator) Genre: Children’s, Picture Book Publisher: Tundra Books Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: April 5, 2022 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Celeste is a cockroach, and everyone knows that cockroaches are survivors, so who better to give advice on surviving an encounter with a polite predator? High teas are dainty meals with pretty teacups: you nibble tiny cakes, sip milky tea, and chit-chat about not-so important things like why doughnuts have holes and if fish have eyebrows. But Ruby the hyena is loud, ferocious, and tends to slobber. High-speed gobbling makes good sense in the wild, but it is a definite no-no in the tearoom! And Ruby just happens to be Queen of a very large clan of hungry hyenas. Will high tea be ruined by uninvited guests? Is Ruby peckish for something other than Celeste’s famous cream buns? Using her vast knowledge of hyenas, Celeste comes up with lots of strategies to get through high tea in one piece. Many of her suggestions are dangerous, most are absurd, but all are based on true hyena biology and hunting behavior.
Review:
In this book, Celeste the cockroach teaches how to survive having high tea with a hyena. She explains how to politely eat snacks and drink tea while having time to gossip. However, hyenas can’t learn these skills very well. Celeste has some strategies on how to interact with these polite predators.
This was an adorable and funny story. I learned a lot about hyenas that I didn’t know before. I’d never heard of an aardwolf (a type of hyena) or that hyenas can’t climb so other predators hide their food in trees, away from hyenas.
This story was funny in the way the hyena couldn’t behave politely during the high tea, but it was also a good teaching tool. The hyena shows how we shouldn’t behave in polite situations, so that will teach children what’s right and wrong during events like having high tea. It’s ironic that a cockroach, an insect associated with being dirty, was the one teaching about polite behaviour.
How to High Tea with a Hyena is a fun children’s book!
Thank you Tundra Books for providing a copy of this book.
What to read next:
How to Promenade with a Python (And Not Get Eaten) by Rachel Poliquin, Kathryn Durst (illustrator)
The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and LeUyen Pham (illustrator)
Other books in the series:
How to Promenade with a Python (And Not Get Eaten)
Have you read How to High Tea with a Hyena? What did you think of it?
Title: The Tsarina’s Daughter Author: Ellen Alpsten Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: March 15, 2022 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Born into the House of Romanov to the all-powerful Peter the Great and his wife, Catherine, a former serf, beautiful Tsarevna Elizabeth is the envy of the Russian empire. She is insulated by luxury and spoiled by her father, who dreams for her to marry King Louis XV of France and rule in Versailles. But when a woodland creature gives her a Delphic prophecy, her life is turned upside down. Her volatile father suddenly dies, her only brother has been executed and her mother takes the throne of Russia.
As friends turn to foes in the dangerous atmosphere of the Court, the princess must fear for her freedom and her life. Fate deals her blow after blow, and even loving her becomes a crime that warrants cruel torture and capital punishment: Elizabeth matures from suffering victim to strong and savvy survivor. But only her true love and their burning passion finally help her become who she is. When the Imperial Crown is left to an infant Tsarevich, Elizabeth finds herself in mortal danger and must confront a terrible dilemma–seize the reins of power and harm an innocent child, or find herself following in the footsteps of her murdered brother.
Hidden behind a gorgeous, wildly decadent façade, the Russian Imperial Court is a viper’s den of intrigue and ambition. Only a woman possessed of boundless courage and cunning can prove herself worthy to sit on the throne of Peter the Great.
Ellen Alpsten’s stunning new novel, The Tsarina’s Daughter, is the dramatic story of Elizabeth, daughter of Catherine I and Peter the Great, who ruled Russia during an extraordinary life marked by love, danger, passion and scandal.
Review:
Tsarevna Elizabeth is the daughter of Peter the Great and his wife Catherine. She lives a luxurious life with dreams of marrying the French King. However, after receiving a prophecy from a woodland creature, everything in her life goes wrong. Her relatives die one by one and the future she imagined for herself disappears. Elizabeth must use the lessons she’s learned from these hardships to become a strong and determined woman.
This was an epic story about love, scandal, and determination. It felt like this story took place over many decades because so much happened, but it was just a few years. This was the kind of story that had me looking up the true history to find out what actually happened and what was fiction because it was hard to believe it was true. This history made a great story.
I was glad that this story wasn’t as graphic as the first one about Catherine, Elizabeth’s mother, called Tsarina. This one focused more on the scandal and drama between people and their relationships, rather than the brutality they experienced.
The Tsarina’s Daughter is a thrilling historical story.
Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin for providing a copy of this book.
What to read next:
The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
About the author:
ELLEN ALPSTEN was born and raised in the Kenyan highlands. Upon graduating from L’Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, she worked as a news anchor for Bloomberg TV London. Whilst working gruesome night shifts on breakfast TV, she started to write in earnest, every day, after work and a nap. Today, Ellen works as an author and as a journalist for international publications such as Vogue, Standpoint and CN Traveller. She lives in London with her husband, three sons and a moody fox red Labrador. She is the author of Tsarina.
Have you read The Tsarina’s Daughter? What did you think of it?
Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for.
The War of Two Queens, the stunning continuation in the Blood and Ash series from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout is available now!
War is only the beginning…
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book four in her Blood and Ash series.
From the desperation of golden crowns…
Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable.
And born of mortal flesh…
Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way—because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace.
A great primal power rises…
Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most.
Casteel The click and drag of claws drew closer as the weak flame above the lone candle sputtered and then went out, pitching the cell into darkness. A thicker mass of shadows appeared in the open archway—a misshapen form on its hands and knees. It halted, sniffing as loudly as a godsdamn barrat, scenting blood. My blood. The smooth bands of shadowstone tightened around my throat and ankles as I shifted, bracing myself. The damn stone was unbreakable, but it did come in handy. A low-pitched wail came from the creature. “Mother—” The thing exploded out of the archway, scurrying forward, its keening moan becoming an ear-piercing screech. “—fucker.” I waited until its stench of decay reached me and then pressed my back against the wall, lifting my legs. The length of the chain between my ankles was only about half a foot, and the shackles wouldn’t give an inch, but it was enough. Planting my bare feet into the creature’s shoulders, I got a good, most unfortunate look at the thing as its foul breath blasted me in the face. Man, the Craven was not a fresh one. Patches of gray flesh clung to its hairless skull, and half of its nose was gone. One entire cheekbone was exposed, eyes burning like hot coals. Lips torn and mangled— The Craven twisted its head down, sinking its fangs into my calf. Its teeth tore through the breeches and into flesh and muscle. Air hissed between my gritted teeth as fiery pain burned its way up my leg. Worth it. The pain was more than worth it. I would spend an eternity taking these bites if that meant she was safe. That it wasn’t her in this cell. That she wasn’t the one in pain. Shaking the Craven free, I dragged the short chain over the thing’s neck as I crossed my feet. I twisted at the waist, pulling the dull bone chain tight across its throat, ending the Craven’s screams. The shackle clamped down on my throat as I kept turning, cutting off my air as the chain dug into the Craven’s neck. Its arms flailed on the floor as I jerked my legs in the opposite direction, snapping the creature’s spine. The spasming became more of a twitching as I hauled it within reach of my bound hands. The chain between my wrists, connected to the shackle at my throat, was much shorter—but long enough. I grasped the Craven’s cold, clammy jowls and brought its head down hard, slamming it against the stone floor by my knees. Flesh gave way, spraying rotting blood over my stomach and chest. Bone split open with a wet-sounding crack. The Craven went limp. I knew it wouldn’t stay down, but it bought me some time. Lungs burning, I unwound the chain and kicked the creature away from me. It landed by the archway in a tangled mess of limbs as I relaxed my muscles. The band around my neck was slow to loosen, eventually allowing air into my burning lungs. I stared at the Craven’s body. At any other time, I would’ve kicked the bastard into the hall like usual, but I was weakening. I was losing too much blood. Already. Not a good sign. Breathing heavily, I looked down. Just below the shadowstone bands, shallow slices ran up the insides of my arms, past both elbows and over the veins. I counted them. Again. Just to be sure. Thirteen. Thirteen days had passed since the first time the Handmaidens swarmed this cell, dressed in black and as quiet as a tomb. They came once a day to cut into my flesh, siphoning my blood as if I were a damn barrel of fine wine. A tight, savage smile twisted my mouth. I’d managed to take out three of them in the beginning. Ripped their throats out when they got too close, which was why they’d shortened the chain between my wrists. Only one of them actually stayed dead, though. The damn throats of the other two had stitched themselves closed within minutes—impressive and also infuriating to witness. Learned something valuable, though. Not all of the Blood Queen’s Handmaidens were Revenants. I wasn’t sure how I could use that information yet, but I guessed they were using my blood to make brand-spanking-new Revs. Or using it as a dessert for the lucky. Tipping back my head against the wall, I tried not to breathe too deeply. If the stench of the downed Craven didn’t choke me, the damn shadowstone around my throat would. I closed my eyes. There had been more days before the Handmaidens showed the first time. How many? I wasn’t exactly sure. Two days? A week? Or—? I stopped myself there. Shut it the fuck down. I couldn’t go down that road. I wouldn’t. I’d done that the last time, trying to clock the days and weeks until there came a point when time simply ceased to move. Hours became days. Weeks became years. And my mind became as rotten as the blood seeping from the Craven’s ruined head. But things were different in the here and now. The cell was larger, with no barred entrance. Not that there needed to be one with the shadowstone and the chains. They were a mix of iron and deity bone, connected to a hook in the wall and then to a pulley system to lengthen or shorten them. I could sit up and move a little, but that was about it. However, the cell was windowless like before, and the dank, musty smell told me they once again held me underground. The freely roaming Craven were also a new addition. My eyes opened to thin slits. The fuck by the archway had to be the sixth or seventh one that had found its way into the cell, drawn by the scent of blood. Their appearance made me think there was one hell of a Craven problem aboveground. I’d heard of Craven attacks inside the Rise surrounding Carsodonia before. Something the Blood Crown blamed on Atlantia and angry gods. I’d always assumed it was due to an Ascended getting greedy and leaving mortals they’d fed on to turn. Now, I was beginning to think the Craven were possibly being kept down here. Wherever here was. And if that were the case, and they could get out and get aboveground, so could I. If only I could get these damn chains to loosen. I’d spent an ungodly amount of time pulling on the hook. In all those attempts, it may have slipped a half-inch from the wall—if that. But that wasn’t the only thing different about this time. Other than the Craven, I’d only seen the Handmaidens. I didn’t know what to think about that. I’d figured it’d be like the last time. Too-frequent visits from the Blood Crown and their cronies, where they spent their time taunting and inflicting pain, feeding, and doing whatever they wanted. Of course, my last go-around with this captivity bullshit hadn’t started that way. The Blood Queen had tried to open my eyes first, coax me to her side. Turn me against my family and my kingdom. When that hadn’t worked, the real fun had begun.
About Jennifer L. Armentrout #1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. She spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Border Jack Apollo. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was an Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins. She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over a hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.
Title: Killing Time Author: Brenna Ehrlich Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary Publisher: Inkyard Press Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: March 8, 2022 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Summer in Ferry, Connecticut, has always meant long, lazy days at the beach and wild nights partying in the abandoned mansions on the edge of town. Until now, that is.
Natalie Temple, who’s never been one for beaches or parties in the first place, is reeling from the murder of her favorite teacher, and there’s no way this true-crime-obsessed girl is going to sit back and let the rumor mill churn out lie after lie—even if she has to hide her investigation from her disapproving mom and team up with the new boy in town…
But the more Natalie uncovers, the more she realizes some secrets were never meant to be told.
Expertly-plotted and brimming with suspense, Killing Time is more than just a mystery. It’s a thoughtful novel about true crime stories and how we tell them.
Review:
Natalie Temple is obsessed with true crime. When her favourite teacher is murdered, Natalie wants to investigate it herself to put on her podcast. Her mom disapproves of Natalie’s true crime obsession because she has a secret history with a criminal investigation. Natalie sneaks around, behind her mother’s and her best friend’s backs, to get the story, but she ends up getting more tangled up in the murder investigation.
This was a very suspenseful story about a teenage girl investigating a murder in her small town. Natalie’s mom seemed a little extreme in the way she controlled everything Natalie did, but she had her own reasons which were told through some flashback chapters. Though her mom was overprotective, there were a few moments where Natalie was able to sneak around without getting caught. If her mom was as protective as she said she was, I don’t think Natalie would have been able to get away with so many things. She did get into some very dangerous situations so I can’t blame her mom for trying to protect her.
There were some potentially triggering scenes. There was murder, suicide, assault, and a couple of non-consensual kisses. The non-consensual kisses were kind of brushed off. Since it was clear that Natalie didn’t want them to happen, I would have liked that to be addressed more to make it clear that she didn’t want it and that it wasn’t a good situation.
I figured out some of the twists before they happened. The murderer was in my top two suspects, but I still enjoyed this story.
Killing Time was a suspenseful thriller!
Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book.
What to read next:
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh
About the author:
Brenna Ehrlich is a journalist, YA author, and editor who has worked everywhere from MTV News to Rolling Stone. She resides in New Jersey with her husband Morgan and their two cats, Nimbus and Hazel. She enjoys horror movies and romcoms in equal measure.
Have you read KillingTime? What did you think of it?
Title: Chef’s Kiss Author: Jarrett Melendez, Danica Brine Genre: Graphic Novel, LGBT, Contemporary Publisher: Oni Press Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: March 1, 2022 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Watch things start to really heat up in the kitchen in this sweet, queer, new adult graphic novel!
Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn’t even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he’s got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it’s only temporary…right?
When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear.
Review:
Ben Cook is a recent college graduate with an English degree. When he can’t find a job in publishing after weeks of interviews, he finds a restaurant that is hiring with no experience necessary. It doesn’t hurt that Ben also likes the cute sous chef who interviews him. Ben must do a series of challenges to prove to a tough critic that he has the skills to work there full-time.
I loved the quirky characters in this story. All of them, even the minor characters, had distinct personalities. There was also a pig, named Watson, who was just adorable.
The one thing I didn’t understand was why Ben had to do weeks worth of challenges for this job. He didn’t spend time actually working in the restaurant. He had to work on one dish a week to perfect it, but it seemed more like a training program or school rather than a job.
Chef’s Kiss is a cute queer graphic novel!
Thank you Oni Press for providing a copy of this book.
What to read next:
Giant Days by John Allison, Lissa Treiman
Heartstopper, Vol. 1 by Alice Oseman
Have you read Chef’s Kiss? What did you think of it?
Title: A Lady’s Formula for Love (The Secret Scientists of London #1) Author: Elizabeth Everett Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Berkley Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: February 9, 2021 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
What is a Victorian lady’s formula for love? Mix one brilliant noblewoman and her enigmatic protection officer. Add in a measure of danger and attraction. Heat over the warmth of humor and friendship, and the result is more than simple chemistry—it’s elemental.
Lady Violet Hughes is keeping secrets. First, she founded a clandestine sanctuary for England’s most brilliant female scientists. Second, she is using her genius on a confidential mission for the Crown. But the biggest secret of all? Her feelings for protection officer Arthur Kneland.
Solitary and reserved, Arthur learned the hard way to put duty first. But the more time he spends in the company of Violet and the eccentric club members, the more his best intentions go up in flames. Literally.
When a shadowy threat infiltrates Violet’s laboratories, endangering her life and her work, scientist and bodyguard will find all their theories put to the test—and learn that the most important discoveries are those of the heart.
Review:
Lady Violet Hughes is a young widow who used her status to form a society for female scientists. It’s a secret society because the rest of the population wouldn’t approve of women being scientists. Violet is able to use her secret talents on a mission for the Queen. However, things start going wrong at the society. Fires are started, things blow up, and someone is trying to steal her work. Her stepson hires counter-assassin Arthur Kneland to protect Violet from these attacks. Arthur has his own secret history that has affected the way he looks at his job and his life. He wants to get through this last job of protecting Violet and then he can retire to the country. Neither of them were expecting to fall for each other, which throws off their plans for the future.
In this story, Violet organizes a secret society of female scientists. It’s difficult to imagine a world where women have to hide their intelligence. There were some female scientists during the Victorian era, but they weren’t common.
This book explored gender conformities and relationships. Since the women wanted to practice science, they had to do it in secret. They had strained relationships with the men in their lives because of their desire to do more in life. One woman was oppressed and abused by her father. Violet felt like she couldn’t be the true person she was when she was married to her much older husband. Luckily, they did have some men, like Arthur and Violet’s stepson, who encouraged the women to pursue their dreams.
A Lady’s Formula for Love is a great Victorian romance.
Thank you Berkley for providing a copy of this book.
What to read next:
A Perfect Equation by Elizabeth Everett
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
Other books in the series:
The Perfect Equation
Have you read A Lady’s Formula for Love? What did you think of it?
Title: The Unhoneymooners Author: Christina Lauren Genre: Romance, Contemporary Publisher: Gallery Books Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: May 14, 2019 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.
Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.
Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of… lucky.
Review:
Olive Torres has always had bad luck, but her twin sister Ami is the luckiest person in the world. Ami is getting married to her dream guy and is getting her wedding practically for free because of all the sweepstakes she won. However, Ami’s lucky streak runs out when everyone who ate the seafood buffet at her wedding gets sick with food poisoning. Olive and Ami’s new brother-in-law Ethan are the only two who didn’t eat the buffet and didn’t get sick. Since Olive and Ethan are the only ones who didn’t get sick, Ami insists that they use the Hawaiian honeymoon that she had won so that it doesn’t go to waste. The problem is that Olive and Ethan have hated each other since the moment they met. They plan to do their own things on the vacation, until they run into people they know and end up pretending that they just got married. Olive and Ethan pretend to be newly weds on the trip, and as they get closer and closer, Olive begins to wonder if her luck is finally changing for the better.
This was such a fun romance. I wish I had read it sooner. It had laugh out loud moments, and also some awkward moments. There was love and devastating heartbreak, but I really enjoyed it.
This story features some of my favourite romance tropes: fake dating/engagement/marriage and enemies to lovers. These two tropes give lots of space for tense moments and there was loads of tension throughout this story. The story was very well plotted and everything happened for a reason.
The Unhoneymooners is a fun romcom!
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book.
What to read next:
The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren
Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
Have you read The Unhoneymooners? What did you think of it?
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