Here at Chapter Break, we don’t always write a full review of every book we read. Well, now we decided to do these monthly wrap-up posts with roundups of our reviews this month and mini-reviews to fill in the gaps. Enjoy!
Where Do Daddies Come From?This is such a sweet book just in time for Father’s Day! It gives cutesy answers to what makes a Daddy (kind of as a nod to the “What Are Little Boys Made Of?” popular nursery rhyme). It depicts the Dad as big, strong, brave, and wise. I mean, kind of how little kids see their Daddies, right? I picture the Dad from “Man With a Plan” TV show as the inspiration ha. Flanner shirt and all. But yes, adorable, and even has a fart joke that my 6-year-old was delighted to discover. A great “Father’s Day” book to read to children and bigger kids can read on their own.
Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft: 15th Anniversary Edition (Washington Witches Book 1) Cute read. 3.5 stars. I liked the characters, hated the man love interest, and enjoyed the girl power and family bond.
Recipe for Persuasion: Given that Persuasion is one of my fav all time books, this re-telling has A LOT to live up to. I’d call it more of a loosely based on rather than a retelling. There is the palpable yearning, longing, and wanting of a long ago love for sure. But otherwise, I’d say the two books don’t really compare. If you were always wondering what Wentworth was thinking or feeling, Ms. Dev gives us that in Rico’s point of view. I really appreciated that twist. Rico’s agony and hope made my heart flutter. Same audio narrator as Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, which works here. Ms. Nankani could continue with the voices established in the first novel. My honest opinion? I liked it a lot. Especially the last bit of the book, where all the truth and feelings come out. I’m calling this 4.5 stars.
Elements of Chemistry: Attraction: So I downloaded this box set of 11 beach reads. Because it was FREE. But I thought it would be novellas. Not full length novels. Hah! I was wrong. And no way am I going to get through 11 novels any time soon. So I’ll be tracking these by the actual titles in the compilation. This one had me at Penny Reid. She’s definitely correct when she says readers want ‘smart’ romance. I love her books! And this one was no exception. Plus, who knew that Penny Reid wrote NA? Not me, that’s for sure. The chemistry (HAHAHA, see what I did there!) between our two main characters positively sizzles. And like other books by Ms. Reid, the dialog is smart AND funny. Plus it doesn’t hurt that Martin and his rowing crew feature proximately without shirts. Loved everything about this. Except for that dang cliffhanger at the end. Now I’ll have to read the next two books to find out what happens with Kaitlyn and Martin.
Elements of Chemistry: Heat: Oy Vey with the cliff hangers! This one ends with a humdinger. The emotions in this novella are very palpable between Kaitlyn and Martin. Some high. Some low. I missed the usual humor in Ms. Reid’s books. Definitely the middle novel in a trio of stories.
Crave: Days later, and I’m still deciding how I feel about this book. It’s like ice cream. I probably shouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did! I highlighted so many cheesy lines. I don’t know if the author intended this to be nearly as hilarious as I found it. Closer to TWILIGHT than VAMPIRE ACADEMY. Jaxon is certainly one of those broody YA heroes. And very over-protective! But the extra scenes at the end of the novel from his POV clarify his interest in keeping Grace safe. Grace was a fun heroine. Here’s my favorite quote from the novel.
I did switch from ebook to audio book towards the end, as my library loan was expiring. I didn’t enjoy the narrator. At 1.25X, the narration sounded like a chipmunk. I slowed down to 1x to listen. I’d say stick with reading this one. In the end, I’d say read this book, but don’t take it too seriously!
Books we reviewed this month:
- [8 Jun] The Teensy Weensy Virus by Sherri L. Rose ★★★★
- [17 Jun] River, Sing Out by James Wade ★★★★★
- [23 Jun] The Grumpy Frumpy Croissant by Mona K ★★★★½
Thanks for the recommendation for Where Do Daddies Come From–this book will be perfect to get for my husband for his birthday. We are all about the bad Dad jokes and puns here.
Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft sounds good to me! An unlikable love interest can kill the vibe though. Thanks for sharing!
Cheryl @ I Heart Fictional People recently posted…Monthly Wrap-Up: June 2021
Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft sounds like something I would renjoy. I wonder if I would feel the same way about the male love interest. That really does bring down the enjoyment of a book, I think. I am glad you enjoyed Recipe for Persuasion. I read Dev’s Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors last month and loved it. I hope you have a great July in reading!
Where Do Daddies Come From sounds super cute! I love that both you and your 6-year-old enjoyed it, Julie. 🙂