#BookReview Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

 

Crazy Rich Asians is a fun, comedic romance that opened my eyes to a whole new world!

Before anyone asks, yes, I read this book because I saw the movie and loved it. Was the movie identical to the book? No. Was it still super cute and a great adaption? Yes. So, now that we’re past the point that the movie introduced me to the book, onto my book review!

I found this book to be the perfect mix of romance, comedy and knowledge! I absolutely loved being introduced to a variety of Asian words and concepts in this book. There aren’t many books out there (that I have read, anyways) that make me feel like I’ve learned so much while having a good time!

The book did feel soap opera-y, but I loved every second of it! I’m at the point that I’m desperate for the sequel, and can’t wait to get my hands on it! The characters were interesting and all had crazy backgrounds, the drama was high, and the family values were intriguing.

I have no idea how honest/true the Asian side of the story is, but it did make me more interested in Asian cultures. I love when books can open your eyes to a world you haven’t thought about looking at before, so I give lots of praise to Kevin Kwan! Books like these truly deserve attention, because not only are they well written but they pull the minorities out of the background. Even if it’s not totally accurate, I’m sure at least a few more readers can appreciate the Asian culture!

This book could easily be binged (if you have time to read a 500+ page book). I seriously wanted to continue reading it, but I just didn’t have time! That being said, every chance I got I was instantly glued to the pages.

I loved Nick and Rachel, I loved Kerry, I loved Peik Lin, I loved Astrid and I loved every little description that Kevin Kwan had woven into this tale. I seriously felt for these characters all along the way (even the “bad guys”…sometimes…). I really hope the drama between certain characters (like Astrid’s story) are expanded in the next books, because they were all so interesting! There wasn’t enough pages to really see all of the characters! Luckily there are at least two more books to devour to learn a little bit more about my fave characters…

There are some cons about this book, but for me it wasn’t to hard to fly past them. The story jumps a lot between chapters (point of view, time changes, etc.). Also, some of the characters felt very… stereotypical (that’s the best word I have for them right now). Is that necessarily a bad thing? No. But many other reviewers are complaining about parts of this book. To me, I didn’t really care. It didn’t take away from the fun of the story.

Would I recommend this book to other readers? HECK YES! If you love romance, a splash of comedy, and Asian representation, then get on it! The movie just makes this book more in the spotlight, which should help it’s sales. The book is dramatic, but it’s a fun and wild ride!

Also, I loved the cover. It’s simplistic and yet perfectly summarizes the story in a weird way.

Five out of five stars!

 

Check out this book on:

Goodreads

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca

Kobo

Coles/Indigo/Chapters

Barnes & Noble

 

Find out more about the author, Kevin Kwan, on:

http://www.kevinkwanbooks.com/

Goodreads – Kevin Kwan

 

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#BookReview Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini

 

Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule is a riveting drama that follows the lives of Julia, a young and wealthy woman, and Jule, her slave.

If I had to limit this book’s description to two words, I would call it a historical drama. Typically, I am not a fan of books like this but somehow Jennifer Chiaverini made me feel attached to these characters. I lost my drive partway through this novel, but I couldn’t help myself to jump back in to know the ending of this story.

I felt this book followed Julia more than Jule, but somehow it felt right that there was one star of the show. I would have liked to follow Jule and Gabriel’s story a lot more (because I truly felt more attached to those characters than Mr. and Mrs. Grant), but Jennifer decided to follow Julia and her life more actively in the novel. Julia definitely had her flaws since Jennifer made sure to have the character not be the perfect, rich girl. I did appreciate that sentiment, because I’m a little tired of historical novels where the leads are utterly perfect and do no wrong. At times, I did find Julia to be the antagonist more than the protagonist, but that’s merely because of her view of the world (which was very typical of the time).

I did not have much background on this book, so it amazed me that Julia and Ulysses Grant were real people! This story is a fictionalized version of their life, but it felt almost real. Due to this book being as interesting as it was, I decided to look up more about Julia and Ulysses Grant. To me, as a reader, I love when a book can open my eyes to a world I didn’t realize existed or happened. I am not well versed in American history (since I am Canadian, and my schooling did not involve much of the USA’s history), so I’m glad a book like this exists! In my opinion, this book does what I want a book to do – make readers more interested in the topic.

Is this book perfect? No. I felt there was some really slow parts of the book that drove me away from it. That being said, I like constant movement of the plot so the book isn’t intended for an audience like me. It’s a slow paced book that is about history. I also would have liked to see Julia and Jule interacting more as adults, since the book suggests it is about their relationship. If anything, the misleading title and synopsis are the worst parts of this book. Although, it’s a fantastic read and I’d highly recommend it if you love historical fiction, fictionalized stories of real life events, a heartfelt drama, a splash of romance, civil war era books, or American history.

Overall, this book is well written and a nice story. I’d love to read more by Jennifer Chiaverini just to see if she can open my eyes to more historical stories.

Three out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

 

 

 

Find out more about the author, Jennifer Chiaverini, on her website:

http://jenniferchiaverini.com/

Or check her out on Goodreads: Goodreads – Jennifer Chiaverini

 

Find Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule on:

Goodreads

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca

 

If you read this review, give me a shout out on Twitter @ReviewAlholic and recommend a book for me to read!

Also, if you enjoyed this review, why not check out another book you might enjoy? Quick Book Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

 

#BookReview Tempting Faith by Susan Mallery

 

This novel by Susan Mallery seems to be a hidden treasure! Most of Susan Mallery’s books have thousands of reviews on them, and this one has barely been touched on most platforms!

Tempting Faith is an absolutely adorable story about Faith and Cort. Faith runs a sanctuary for large cats (which is the BEST job I’ve ever heard in any book I’ve ever read) and Cort is an ex-agent who has memory loss about his last mission. These two fall for each other over the length of the novel, all the while Cort is protecting Faith and her sanctuary from some evil men who want her super cute, white tiger cubs.

This book is super sweet and hits all of my musts for romances. Sexy characters, awesome side characters (who doesn’t want a giant cat as their house cat?) and a demanding plot. Sure, Faith and Cort had some moments where they complained a fair bit about how their lives weren’t fair, but they were still fun characters! I think they were meant for each other, in some strange way. I did think some decisions were changed rather rapidly, and without explanation, but I liked how it all turned out.

I think this book is more of a binge-worthy book. It’s fast paced and relatively short. I’d definitely recommend this book if you like romance or a unique spin on the genre! I haven’t read many books regarding big cats and taking care of them, so I really liked that aspect of it! That being said, it’s not very complex so if you want a big, demanding plot full of mystery and expansive plots then this book won’t be for you!

Overall, I loved this book! I want to read more by Susan Mallery and I’m glad I found this book first. It’s a hidden gem that most readers don’t seem to realize exists!

Five out of five stars!

 

Find this book on Goodreads.

Purchase this book on: Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.

Find out more about this author on the Goodreads Author Page for Susan Mallery. Or on her website, http://www.susanmallery.com/ , or on Twitter @SusanMallery.

 

If you read this review, give me a shout out on Twitter! @ReviewAlholic

And if you liked this review, check out another you might enjoy! #BookReview Saving the CEO by Jenny Holiday

#BookReview The Gaucho’s Lady by Genevieve Turner

 

The Guacho’s Lady was the cutest, sweetest, most adorable historical romance I’ve read this year!

I won’t lie, when I first started this book I was a little wary. Historical romances have been hit or miss for me, but somehow Genevieve Turner craved a beautifully written tale that really had me hooked. Seriously, I couldn’t put the book down. I had to for about twenty minutes to drive home and it was absolute torture! I managed to find time to binge the rest of this super cute book so I didn’t have to wait to know how my new fave characters ended up.

So, onto the good part!

This is a historical romance following Eliana and Juan. Juan is a Gaucho, who Eliana enlists to help “kidnap” her and whisk her away from a potentially horrible marriage. As she runs away from her Father and this wicked husband-to-be, the pair begin to grow on each other. Juan has his own difficult past, with a deceased wife and child that are haunting his thoughts. The pure, innocent Eliana has her eyes open to a new world with Juan! And, of course, there’s a little bit of an adventure along the way!

I would highly recommend this book if you love romance books that aren’t just purely romance (but are mostly romance). The world building and little side adventures that happen along the way were a nice touch! Juan and Eliana’s romantic story is a little typical (fearless hero with a tragic back story and a pure, innocent lady who needs to be shown the world) but it worked so well! Seeing both characters change and grow within the story made that trope turn into a fabulous plot point instead of a ‘con’.

Another nice point about this book is that it talks about Argentina. I don’t know about other readers, but that’s not a setting I read about very often! While it’s a small little thing to notice about a book, I like it when books open up new worlds and introduce us to other cultures. I don’t know if the book is wildly accurate, but it may open some readers up to learning more!

To sum of some of the ‘touchy’ points for some readers, here’s an attempted spoiler free list:
1. Marriage of convenience
2. Death of wife/unborn child (don’t worry, it’s not graphic or described – it’s just in passing, but it’s still sad)
3. Super, sheltered, innocent virgin

To me, those points weren’t necessarily a bad part – but I’ve seen many readers out there who despise those tropes. So, if you’re one of those readers, you’ve been warned!

If I had to list the best parts of this book, it would be as followed:
1. A man who knows consent! OMG Juan cares about his lady and wants to only have sexy time when they both want it AND wants to consider her feelings. Do you know how nice that is to see in literature?! 10 stars for that alone!
2. Headstrong, ‘feminist’ woman. She knows what she wants and doesn’t necessarily want to be submissive. I like that she had her own mind and was willing to learn, change and adapt.

My two cons are as followed:
1. The word “mound”. Yes, an entire word is one of my two cons. That’s my version of “moist”. Is it a con for the story? No. But I just don’t like the sound of it. What can I say? I’m picky.
2. Juan teaching Eliana the ways of ‘sexy time’ was a little cheesey. I understand why it happened and it was cute and silly, but I found it to be just past the amount of cheese I wanted. It also didn’t take away from the story, but for me…well, I don’t know what would have been better.

My overall opinion on this book is that it’s amazing! It was fun, cute and absolutely lovely! I love a good romance story that whisks me away to another world and has a lovely, fulfilled ending. If I get the chance, I absolutely am picking up more stories by Genevieve Turner.

I 100% recommend this book to those who love romance, historical romances, light-hearted and fun stories (even though there is some “darker” content suggested), and who want a bingable story.

Five out of five stars!!

I do owe a GIANT thank you to the author Emma Barry who recommended this book to me and gave me the opportunity to read it. Without her, I wouldn’t have realized how amazing this book was!

 

Check out this book on:

Goodreads

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca

Kobo

Barnes & Nobles

Coles/Indigo/Chapters

 

Check out the author, Genevieve Turner, on:

Goodreads – Author Page

Twitter – @GenTurner5

 

Leave me a comment below, give me a shout out on Twitter – @reviewalholic or tell me on Facebook – Briar’s Reviews to let me know if you read this review and what I should read next!

#BookReview Light My Fire by Katie MacAlister

 

Aisling Grey is by far my favourite of all of the women in this dragon universe by Katie MacAlister! She is cute, sassy and the perfect female lead for this comedic, fantastical romance!

Drake and Aisling are definitely the “perfect” pair, at least in my eyes. Their relationship is definitely not “normal” by any means, but they work well together! As characters, they have the perfect mix of getting along, sexiness, and generalized drama and sassiness. I honestly couldn’t see this pair with anybody else! However Katie made this pair, she did really well!

Aisling is becoming a Guardian, while her lover is a dragon. They have since “mated”, so the story builds and gets more interesting from here. This is the second last book in the series for now, but I do hope we get more! Since I’ve read most of the dragon books, I can say she appears in future books but she isn’t the lead.

The comedy in this book is spot on and amps it up from the last book. It definitely keeps the plot moving forward with lots of funny quirks, mixed in with the sexy Drake, super cute romance scenes and drama thrown in throughout. While the story does leave off in a place that feels like it doesn’t need to be continued, I wish it would! These characters bond way too well together for this to be the absolute end. Maybe, if we’re lucky, Katie will one day continue this series. So, cross your fingers!

I would definitely recommend this book to readers who love romance with a lot of comedy in it. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously, with an abundance of jokes (and a lot of Jim, the main source of comedy, present again) throughout the book. The book has many fantasy elements (obviously – dragons), but isn’t a purely dramatized novel. It’s very fun, is borderline PG-13, and has ooey, gooey romance that makes you squirm and giggle along the way.

Overall, I love this book! I’ve read it way too many times to count and I’ll keep reading it! It’s one of those books I like to read when I’m having a bad day because it’s just so much fun! Katie MacAlister is the QUEEN of dragon books!

Five out of five stars!

 

 

Check out this book on:

Goodreads

Amazon.com – Light My Fire

Amazon.ca – Light My Fire

 

Check out the entire Aisling Grey series (which is apart of the Dragon Sept series): on Goodreads.

Or find out more about Katie MacAlister, one of my fave authors, on:

Goodreads – Katie MacAlister

http://www.katiemacalister.com/

Twitter – @katiemacalister

 

If you enjoyed this review, check out more of my reviews of Katie MacAlister books:

#BookReview Men in Kilts by Katie MacAlister

#BookReview In The Company of Vampires by Katie MacAlister

#BookReview You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister

Comment below – what is your favourite type of fantasy books?

And if you enjoyed this review, check out my twitter for urgent updates! @ReviewAlholic

 

 

 

#BookReview Hardwired by Meredith Wild

Hardwired by Meredith Wild was a fantastic romance novel that had me addicted to each and every word.

When reading the back synopsis of this novel, it may appear to be similar to Fifty Shades of Grey, but this novel is far better! Not only does the plot build up and create conflict, but there is character development, romance and a little bit of suspense! It’s a great read for someone wanting a little splash of everything.

Erica, our main character, has a strong personality and does not seem like a wash-out type of character. Her story is slowly released throughout the novel and her relationships with characters seemed real and not forced.

There were not many issues I had with the novel. If anything, I would have preferred it to be just a few more chapters longer to tie up a few loose ends, but this novel is part of a series so that isn’t a big issue.

Overall, I loved this novel. I want to read the rest of the books in this series!

Five out of five stars for this addicting novel.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

 

Have you read Meredith Wild’s books before? Which one if your favourite? Comment below!
If you love Meredith Wild, you might enjoy this book too: Quick Review – Personal Geography by Tamsen Parker

Use the hashtags #BriarsReviews and #HackerSeries on twitter if you read this review! @ReviewAlholic

#BookReview Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts

 

Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts is one of my favourite romances!

I love wedding themed works – movies, books, art, pictures, clothing, dresses, make-up, hair, etc! I love all of it and I am totally obsessed with the beauty! At the time of reading this book, I was OBSESSED with wedding dress shows, so it was only fitting that I binged all four book in this fantabulous series!

Nora writes a beautiful contemporary romance novel that fits well within the series. It moves as a steady pace and is full of super sweet drama and romance that will make your heart melt. The plot is simple, yet it works so elegantly. Normally I’d get bored with a book like this, but this series just hit me the right way.

What really shines in this book is not the romance, but the friendship and companionship of the four women! While I do love the ooey gooey romance Nora provides, I love that the female friendship was such an integral part of the story. It’s something that I feel is missing from literature these days! Good, quality friendships!

Nora has won me over and I definitely want to read more by her! I also hope to find more books like this, because it totally wow-ed my socks off! The cover was also stunning, which added to feel of this book.

If there is a negative about this book, it’s that it is so simple and a relatively “typical” plot for a romance novel. To me, I loved it! Yes it’s not mind blowing, but it was well written and was a lovely binge read. Additionally, the reader is bound to find certain girls more interesting than the others in this four part series. I definitely related to two of the girls more than the others, but all readers are different!

I’d definitely recommend this series if you want a super cute romance novel that isn’t going to make you think hard. It’s soft, sweet and fun! Plus, it’s closer to a PG or PG-13 rating, so it’s nice and calm!

Five out of five stars!

 

Check out this book on:

Goodreads – Bed of Roses

Amazon.com – Bed of Roses

Amazon.ca – Bed of Roses

 

Find out more about Nora Roberts on:

Goodreads – Nora Roberts

http://www.noraroberts.com/

 

Did you enjoy this review? Check out another you might enjoy! #BookReview Driving on the Left by Gail Ward Olmsted

Also, give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! @ReviewAlholic

And comment below – have you read any books by Nora Roberts?