The accidental countess by Emma Hart

Series: Book 3, Aristocrat Diaries

Release date: 06-30-22

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Categories: Romance

From: Storytel.fi

I jumped at an audiobooksite promo again. It seems last time I was there I was reading this author so I followed it up with book 3.

Evangeline and Matthew has a no strings deal going on. Until he proposes cos he is the Earl and needs an heir. Ok but like Matthew just find a woman you like and marry her. Instead they enter this deal how she will marry him, give him and heir and then later they will divorce cos neither believes in marriage. LOL, oh you guys crack me up. Like that will work. I mean they already have hot smex.

So their fake marriage starts and obvi they will start to have real feelings because being married is kind of nice. Life on the island is nice. Everything is actually working out well.

It was a nice story. They already liked each other so love was not far away.

Good narration. Two people narrating and it worked well. He did his part and she did hers.  We get both their views better this way

My name is Evangeline Astley, and the only thing you need to know about me is that I never imagined this was how my life would go. I was supposed to devote all my time to painting gorgeous things to eventually open my own art gallery. Instead, I spent it all trying to sell my art to save my parents’ hotel.Cue the Earl of Anglesey and his not-so-stunning idea. Matthew Bennett needs an heir to the earldom, but for an heir, he needs a wife. And I’m the one the extremely eligible bachelor has chosen. Except I’m just as marriage-phobic as he is, so naturally, I refused—until he gives me an offer that I couldn’t resist. If I agreed to marry him, provide an heir, and divorce him amicably in due course, he would save The Fox and Hound hotel that I love so much. That, ladies and gents, is how I became the Countess of Anglesey. The one thing I didn’t count on? Falling in love with my husband.

Best of November

 

Here are our bests from November!!!! 

Best Book of the Month:

Blodeuedd - This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong

"Such a great series."

Carole - The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

"This was chaos but great!"

Best Movie of the Month:

Carole - Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

"Didn't watch anything new that I can even remember. But I rewatched this gem TWICE. So yes. It is the best."

Blodeuedd - Inside Out 2 (2024)

"I watched this one when kiddo was sick and demanded Disney+."

Best TV show of the Month:

Blodeuedd - The Lincoln Lawyer, Will Trent, Heartstopper, & Our Flag Means Death

"I had a lot of series to finish!! Been busy."

Carole - Catching Killers & Fallout

"Gah. Both were so good for COMPLETELY different reason."

Best Cover of the Month:

B's pick

C's pick

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

12/3/2024 What is your favorite breakfast food?

Favorite and favorite, I like a good porridge. I am very Nordic. I have been trying overnight oats now since that goes faster. But I want it simple, healthy and lasting.

When we visited the capital in October we had more like an early brunch, and sure it was delish to just dive into everything. But for every day, just porridge.

12/10/2024 What are your favorite books/audiobooks that you read in 2024? 

12/17/2024 Do you enjoy reading holiday-themed books at the holidays or year-round?

12/24/2024 Taking a break (no question)

12/31/2024 How do you celebrate New Year's Eve/the new year?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday: Poirot Investigates

Author: Agatha Christie

Narrator: Richard Armitage

Title: Poirot Investigates

Series: Hercule Poirot #3

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Classic, Short stories, Anthology

Format: Audiobook

Published: March 1, 1924

Where I got It: Audible 

Summary: 

First there was the mystery of the film star and the diamond... then came the “suicide” that was murder... the mystery of the absurdly cheap flat...a suspicious death in a locked gun room... a million dollar bond robbery... the curse of a pharaoh’s tomb... a jewel robbery by the sea... the abduction of a prime minister... the disappearance of a banker... a phone call from a dying man... and, finally, the mystery of the missing will.

What links these fascinating cases? Only the brilliant deductive powers of Hercule Poirot!

Review: 

This is a collection of mini mysteries that Poirot takes on. I remember reading a couple of these years and years ago, but it'll be fun to re-read those and to read some of the others!

We'll divide and conquer these. 

1) The Adventure of 'The Western Star'

I had read this little one years ago. So I remembered, slightly, what happened. The mystery was slightly obvious, but it is good. I think I liked this more than when I first read it. 4 stars. 

2) The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor

The ending and resolution of this one was clever!!!! Loved it. Such a nice mystery and it feels that Poirot is coming into his own. This should be made into a movie (or at least a part of the movie). 5 stars. 

3) The Adventure of the Cheap Flat

Eh. I feel like this was the weakest of them all. It was still intriguing in its own way, but meh. I found my attention drifting during this one. What even happened at the end? I can't remember.....*googles* oh, yes. Okay. 2 stars. 

4) The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge

Shoot. I didn't right down my thoughts about this (or type it up). Mmmm. Forgettable I guess. I don't remember a thing. Shouldn't I remember SOMETHING even though I didn't write any notes?1 star

5) The Million Dollar Bond Robbery

Oooooo Hercule. So clever. So NOT humble. I love it. This was a fun one. The ending and solution was a little on the nose. 4 stars

6) The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb

I think this is one of my favorites of the whole collection. Cool location, neat crime, great solution....5 stars yes

7) The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan

A cute gem! I liked this one a lot. 5 stars as well. 

8) The Kidnapped Prime Minister

Eh. This started of great but the solution was meh. Sort of anti-climatic. And honestly? Predictable in one way. It was still enjoyable for the majority of the time.  3 stars

9) The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim

Oh!!!! I remember this one! I struggled a little bit back then but I liked this one much more now. 4 stars. 

10) The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman

This was okay. I just wish it was longer. The solution seemed easily resolved. 3 stars

11) The Case of the Missing Will

Fun. I enjoyed this one. A nice conclusion. 4 stars. 

12) The Veiled Lady

Mmmmmm. I barely remember this one and I was just listening to it. 2 stars

13) The Lost Mine

Another just okay one. I think it needed more time to marinate. 3 stars 

14) The Chocolate Box

Awwww I liked this one. It was a nice ending to this collection. It went back to when our boy was a...well....boy. He was young and just getting into being a detective. The ending was great. 5 stars. 

Overall/Narrator

This was overall a lot of fun. The narrator is fantastic of course. Some greats...some misses. Overall it was totally worth it if you like Hercule and his mysteries. 

*does complicated math* I'll give this 3 stars. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Entertaining

Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #52

Murder in Highbury - Vanessa Kelly

An Emma Knightley Mystery, Book 1

By: Vanessa Kelly

Narrated by: Polly Lee

Series: Emma Knightley Mysteries, Book 1

Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins

Release date: 10-22-24

Historical mystery/crime

I can¨t say too much here. It is a Emma variation story. She and Knigthley are happily married and life is good. Until Emma comes across a murdered Mrs Elton in the church.

This is a crime/detective story. Emma being the investigator behind the scenes. There is a cop, a coroner and Mr Knightley as the magistrate doing their job. Trying to solve this murder, but it is not going so well.

Someone local will be blamed. Someone well known. And All while Emma is trying to put the pieces together. Who wanted Mrs Elton dead? (I mean she was not the kindest of people.) A thief? Someone she knew?

Pieces are coming together and then not. So many things comes to light.

Quite the mystery. Things are not always as they seem,

Good narration. I could see the people and their voices, she did well.

Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .    But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .    As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.

The Gargoyle Grinch by Lilith Stone

By: Lilith Stone

Narrated by: Rachel Leblang

Series: Motham City Monsters, Book 2

Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins

Release date: 11-19-24

I listened to book 1 and wanted more. And this one was just as fun.

It is Xmas time and Maisie gets a temp job as a housekeeper. Working for a grumpy gargoyle named Grayson who spends all his time being stone and watching the city as he owns a security company.

But she will melt his stony heart.

It was sweet and very passionate too. They work close to each other and feelings are there. But he has ptsd, and she has her own issues. But they will work it out and live happily ever after. As much as a human and gargoyle can. I mean he can turn to flesh and not being all stone. Gotta love a monster story.

A fun holiday story.

I like the narrator. Her alphamale voices were pretty similar, but then this is mostly just Maisie and Grayson so that does not matter at all. She works for this story. A good pleasant voice

Can her sunshine melt his frozen heart this Christmas?

Gargoyle security guard Grayson Lightfoot never celebrates Christmas. It brings back too many bad memories. Besides he’s got a job to do—watching over Motham City 24/7 from his rooftop.

Maisie doesn’t celebrate Christmas either. Orphaned at an early age, she’s a sensible human with a mission—to earn enough money to open up a drop-in center for street kids in Motham. So naturally she jumps at a lucrative holiday contract to work as a housekeeper for Grayson.

Except Maisie hasn’t factored in what a total grinch Grayson is. And sure, he may be handsome, but when her cheery presence meets with stony silence and a granite stare, Maisie’s good nature is tested. But when Maisie suddenly gets sick and Grayson flies down from the roof to nurse her, she gets to see a very different side to the grumpy gargoyle.

As for Grayson… could Maisie be the Christmas gift he’s always secretly longed for?

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

11/26/2024 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Winter? (Dec-Feb)

You know me, as for books coming out. I have no idea what is coming and when. I do know the new Sanderson is out? But hey I might wish for it as a bday pressie next year.

I will focus on my own books, I have quite the pile

12/3/2024 What is your favorite breakfast food?

12/10/2024 What are your favorite books/audiobooks that you read in 2024? 

12/17/2024 Do you enjoy reading holiday-themed books at the holidays or year-round?

12/24/2024 Taking a break (no question)

12/31/2024 How do you celebrate New Year's Eve/the new year?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday: Mr Cavendish, I presume

Author: Julia Quinn

Title: Mr. Cavendish, I Presume

Series: Two Dukes of Wyndham #2

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 383

Published: September 30, 2008

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

There went the bride...

Amelia Willoughby has been engaged to the Duke of Wyndham for as long as she can remember. Literally. A mere six months old when the contracts were signed, she has spent the rest of her life waiting. And waiting. And waiting... for Thomas Cavendish, the oh-so-lofty duke, to finally get around to marrying her. But as she watches him from afar, she has a sneaking suspicion that he never thinks about her at all...

It's true. He doesn't. Thomas rather likes having a fiancée—all the better to keep the husband-hunters at bay—and he does intend to marry her... eventually. But just when he begins to realize that his bride might be something more than convenient, Thomas's world is rocked by the arrival of his long-lost cousin, who may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham. And if Thomas is not the duke, then he's not engaged to Amelia. Which is the cruelest joke of all, because this arrogant and illustrious duke has made the mistake of falling in love... with his own fiancée!

Review:

I waited a while before reading this one after book 1. This one overlaps a lot and is told in Amelia's  and Thomas' POV (they were sides in book 1). 

Amelia and Thomas have been engaged since they were pretty much babes. Amelia has been waiting all her life to marry him. Even when they reached the appropriate age for marriage she was told to wait....and wait. Does he intend to marry her? He does....eventually. When he starts to realize that Amelia is more than just a convenient step in life, his long-lost cousin arrives. His long-lost cousin could take his role as Duke away. If Thomas is NOT the duke....then he is not actually engaged to the Amelia. 

I hate Thomas. I really do. He's boring and annoying and dumb. He only truly realized he "loved" Amelia because another man might be the actual duke and want to marry her instead. GAH. Amelia is an angel and deserves far better than Thomas. 

Now here you would expect me to say that I warmed up to Thomas? Right? NOPE. Big fat NOOOO for me. I still hold true that Amelia deserves better. 

I did enjoy the switch of POV but bleh. Thomas sucks. 

All-in-all, it was entertaining but Amelia deserved a better person. 

3 stars. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Okay

Reading Challenges: 

- Library Love #32

Marriage and Masti by Nisha Sharma

By: Nisha Sharma

Narrated by: Vikas Adam, Soneela Nankani

Series: If Shakespeare Were an Auntie, Book 3

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Release date: 08-27-24

Contemporary romance/from bookbeat.fi

Veera and Deepak used to be friends. Then their companies merged, her dad fired her, Deepak became CEO and well a whole mess. So now she has been travelling with her sister. Her dad is toxic and Deepak is to marry someone just to secure the company. Oh and she likes him.

But then things goes south and oops suddenly Veera and Deepak are married. Obvi they fall madly in love too.

Veera was nice and trying to find out what she wanted to do with her life. Deepak was a sweetie and he truly needed her in his life. Her sister was rather judgmental, and her dad evil. Deepak had a nice family though.

I have read the other two books and this one was just as fun.

And the audiobook has Vikas Adam narrating and I do love him. Soneela Nankaani is always great too so this was a nice mix

Veera Mathur has been through a lot in the past year. Both of her friends found soul mates, the man she fell in love with got engaged to another woman, and her father fired her before selling the family company. When her twin sister, Sana, tells her there is no way of getting her old life back, Veera feels lost at a single, unemployed mess with a bad tattoo and tons of talent, but nowhere to go.

Deepak Datta hasn’t had the best luck either. To secure enough board votes for the CEO position at his family's company, Illyria Media, he’s ready to marry board member and famous beauty influencer, Olivia Gupta. That is until he wakes up to a get ready with me video announcing their separation. Despite his immediate relief, Deepak needs to do something fast to repair his image.

After a series of convenient mishaps bring them together again—including a literal shipwreck, way too many drinks, and a sunset elopement on the beach—Deepak and Veera realize their accidental wedding might be the solution to their career aspirations. Together, they plot against the very company that ruined their lives in the first place.

As they try to convince the world their friendship was a ruse for romance they’ve felt all along, the line between fake and real begins to blur. Now Veera and Deepak must ask themselves the terrifying question that has haunted them since the first time they will love ruin everything?

Carole´s Review: Apprentice to the Villain

Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Title: Apprentice to the Villain

Series: Assistant to the Villain #2

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 368

Published: August 8, 2024

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism of late. Please resume your former dark, ominous terrors at your earliest convenience. ―Mgmt

Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs―Kingsley’s included―point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies...including their nemesis, the king.

Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so…so…delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?

Review:

When I finished book 1 I HAD to get book 2 read. I was on the waitlist and I was 7th in line. To my surprise it came WAY quicker than I thought. Weeeeee!

We continue where we left off. Things happen and Evie and the Villain are back at it. Evie has never been happier in her life as being an assistant to the Villain. She also can't get him out of her head. Romance will have to wait since Rennedawn and all of magic is in grave trouble. Evie, her boss, and her co-workers will have to step out of their comfort zones and be the heroes. 

The end of the last book had me so upset! Such a cliffie! Luckily I got this and I'm a happy bean. The ending for this one was slightly cliff-hanger-ish....but not as bad so I'm amused. I still want to get my hands on book 3 asap but I can wait a bit. 

The romance is sooooo slow but it works for them. They have issues and there is a LOT going on. All of magic and Rennedawn need help. 

Lots of twists and turns here. I didn't want to stop reading but life gets busy so it took longer than I wanted to finish this. 

I enjoyed this much more than book 1. Surprising I know!!! Book 2s are so 50/50. Sophomore curse and all. 

There were a couple of cringey moments but it a slight YA so it comes with the category. 

But yes. I'm enjoying this series and I recommend it if you like fantasy, comedy, and a splash of romance. 4 stars from me. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Better

Reading Challenges: 

- Library Love #31

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

11/19/2024 Have you ever met someone famous? Tell us!

Nope, no one famous at all. Not even someone semi famous. Not even someone Finnish famous

11/26/2024 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Winter? (Dec-Feb)

12/3/2024 What is your favorite breakfast food?

12/10/2024 What are your favorite books/audiobooks that you read in 2024? 

12/17/2024 Do you enjoy reading holiday-themed books at the holidays or year-round?

12/24/2024 Taking a break (no question)

12/31/2024 How do you celebrate New Year's Eve/the new year?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Gods of Jade and Shadow

Format: 338 pages, Hardcover

Published: July 23, 2019 by Del Rey

Historical fantasy/own

I am having conflicting feelings. I always enjoyed the book while reading, but the minute I put it down I forgot about it, I started something else. So it took me 2 months to finish. And I do not know why.

The story was interesting, Cassiopeia lives with her crappy family and then she goes on an adventure with a Mayan god of death who is a prisoner. Maybe that was the problem. Things works out so well. No true blood sweat and tears. I feel his evil brother could have worked a little harder. The book was soft. Which is not a bad thing, but then Casiopeia and the God starts having feelings too. And I like nice books, I do not needs violence and blood...but, being Mayan Gods and all. Maybe a bit more

It was good. Do not get me wrong. But I struggled too. Nothing bad happens

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

This fallen prey by Kelley Armstrong

Series: Rockton/Casey Duncan (#3)

Format: 359 pages, Hardcover

Published: February 6, 2018 by Minotaur Book

Crime mystery thriller /own

Omg, like can this town get any worse? YES it can. 

The stupid council that loves money sends a serial killer to Rockton. His family has enough money to pay. And all they say is try to keep him contained. This place is not working.

And again, outside the town is wilderness with dangerous animals, dangerous hostiles, and settlers that can be pretty crazy too. Remind me never to go to Canada.

But what a thrill. Is the guy actually guilty? And then he escapes and all hell breaks loose. And I kept guessing. Did he do it. I am sure he did. Then I was maybe not. Then I was hell yes. Shoot him. And then...well she sure kept me guessing. No one is so be trusted here.

And that end. Brutal.

I need more. I have more :D

Casey Duncan is about to face her toughest job as police detective in Rockton yet. When Casey first arrived at the off-the-grid town, an isolated community built as a haven for people running from their pasts, she had no idea what to expect, with no cell phones, no internet, no mail, and no way of getting in or out without the town councils approval. She certainly didn't expect to be the homicide detective on two separate cases or to begin a romantic relationship with her boss. But the very last thing she expected was for the council to drop a dangerous criminal into their midst without a plan to keep him imprisoned and to keep others safe. Of course, Oliver Brady claims he's being set up. But the longer Brady stays in town, the more things start to go wrong. When evidence comes to light that someone inside Rockton might be working as his accomplice, helping him to escape, Casey races to figure out who exactly Brady is and what crimes he's truly responsible for committing. In the next page-turning entry in Kelley Armstrong's gripping series, life in Rockton is about to get even more dangerous.

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

11/12/2024 Which types of reviews help you decide what books to read?

Not 5 stars one if I am honest. I saw these posts on threads where people talked about how 4 star reviews are bad and negative and I was all wtf?! Sure I read 5 star ones, but I do not buy books from them. Some people are real, but then there are those fake 5s.

4s are great. They tell it. 2s are also great. Oh you did not like that? Well good for me, I love that. I really need the full spectrum. I could never get a book if it only had glowing reviews. I need the bad too. I need everything.

11/19/2024 Have you ever met someone famous? Tell us!

11/26/2024 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Winter? (Dec-Feb)

12/3/2024 What is your favorite breakfast food?

12/10/2024 What are your favorite books/audiobooks that you read in 2024? 

12/17/2024 Do you enjoy reading holiday-themed books at the holidays or year-round?

12/24/2024 Taking a break (no question)

12/31/2024 How do you celebrate New Year's Eve/the new year?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday: Daisy Jones and the Six

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Daisy Jones and the Six

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: ebook

Pages: 369

Published: March 5, 2019

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous break up.

Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the real reason why they split at the absolute height of their popularity...until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go-Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it's the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she's twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Another band getting noticed is The Six, led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she's pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

Review:

I've eyeballed this one and funnily enough this was picked for Book Club soooooooooo sure why not. 

Told in the format of an interview we get to the heart of the raise and fall of Daisy Jones & The Six. We'll get the behind-the-scenes that everyone has wanted. 

First thing first.....the format was wildly different. You know those documentaries where they interview people to tell the story? The author attempts this here. We get multiple people telling us the story of the band. It was interesting and refreshing. It was done alright. I do wish we had more descriptives of HOW the people were talking and feeling and looking. You could assume. There were some instances of the author putting a few descriptives like "[pauses]", but there should have been more instances and more descriptives. I'm sure if I had done the audiobook, the narrator would've taken liberties and it might've helped. But yes, more would've been a great benefit, because the reader is left to pretty much assume.

The beginning had me curious...and then it lost me for a few, but after a certain scene it had me in it's grasps again. I could only read small chunks at a time, but I was hooked. I had to know what the final straw to break the camel's back was. There was SOOOO much drama in this band. It was bound to erupt, but it was just waiting for that last straw to fall. 

I hated everyone BUT I was enraptured with them all. They are all selfish, emotional, and immature. But you gotta remember....they are young and they are "stars". LOTS of ego in the room. 

The ending felt...rushed in a way. And I don't agree with a certain email. Gah. I'm just going to say it.......no I'm not.....I am. EEE. Okay [SPOILER ALERT] Billy's wife passes and pretty much gives the AOK for Billy and Daisy to reconnect and make another "song". Which YOU KNOW was her giving them permission to finally be together. Gag. They are so toxic for each other. Billy being Billy, though, he'll do it. :S Plus it felt so reductive of the characters. You can love someone but it doesn't mean that you should be together. SIGHS. Plus....I feel like Camila would've NEVER wanted that. IDK. It just didn't vibe with the whole story [SPOILER END]

Other then that ending and how I wanted more from the format.....I did like this. It was different and entertaining. Toxic characters doing toxic things in the 60s and 70s. What more can you ask for?

All-in-all, I did find myself liking this. I had some issues especially the ending little curveball. Bleh. Other than that I liked it. I can't wait to discuss this one. I'm sure we will have a lot to talk about. Rating???? Mmmmm. This has been a struggle for sure. 3....yes....3 stars seems fine. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Conflicting