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Welcome to day two of book club week! Yesterday we talked about The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, so hopefully you enjoyed it. And please- If you have read any of these books, dm me, message me, and/or comment about your thoughts! I would love to read them and discuss! Today’s books are all about destiny, opposites attract, taking control of life, and preconceived notions. Each were a fun read in their own way. From summer nostalgia to fated romances. Enjoy today’s book reviews!
Bee Königswasser is a Neural Engineer who is offered a chance of a lifetime to work with NASA on a secret new project. The only problem? Her arch nemesis Levi Ward is also co-leading the project. And Levi Ward made his feelings pretty clear to Bee in grad school that he detest her. As Bee fights to prove herself worthy of her new position, she is convinced Levi is out to sabotage her. Bee can only help but think, what would Marie Curie do? Love On The Brain is about second chances. I give this a 4/5 stars
Review
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It’s a fun, easy romcom to sit back and relax to. This is the second book of Ali Hazelwood’s that I have read– the first being The Love Hypothesis. I love her ability to merge science with romance. It was fun to see the nerdy side of the characters; rooting for their groundbreaking project, learning about neuroscience, while also getting all of the romcom feels. It was predictable in terms of Bee and Levi’s relationship, but there were some twist and turns I wasn’t expecting. It was so painfully obvious that Levi was in love with Bee, you just wanted to scream at her to open her eyes and see this perfect man standing in front of you! Overall I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more of Ali Hazelwood’s work.
Joe Kingsley comes from an American dynasty. A well respected military and political family with wealth, connections, and pedigree. Cate Cooper on the other hand grew up with a single mother, an abusive stepfather, and little to no means. Cate leaves home at a young age after a model scout discovers her. Now Cate is traveling the world, on the cover of magazines, and is living life beyond her dreams. One unexpected day Joe and Cate cross paths. It’s obvious that their connection is intense but can they survive against all odds? Meant To Be is about making your own choices and being in charge of your destiny. It’s about accepting people and loving them for who they are and fighting for what you want. I give this book a 5/5 stars.
Review
Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint. I loved the opposites attract trope. How two people with different backgrounds and upbringings are really not that different at all. I loved the theme of living life by your own rules and choices. To not care about what others may think or what your family may think. You do what you want to do because it or they make you happy. The entirety of the book I was thinking of Joe as JFK, and I guess in a way his family was probably based off of the Kennedy’s. I loved how Joe was so ready to stand up for Cate because he truly loved her. And I completely understood Cate’s hesitancy of diving into this relationship because she feels like she doesn’t belong. We all feel like we are not good enough at some point in our lives, so it was very relatable. I enjoyed following along this destined romance.
It’s the summer of 1995 and 4 complete strangers find themselves roommates in an old hotel in Nantucket. Ariel, an aspiring writer, is using the summer for inspiration. Sheila, a naive religious girl from Ohio, wants adventure but may need a little push to do so. Wyatt, a smart but shy guy, is using the last summer of freedom before following in his father’s scientific footsteps. Nick, an ambitious dreamer, is in Nantucket to emulate and learn from high society. The 4 of them take the summer by storm; determined to have the best summer of their lives. 26 years later the group decides to meet again in Nantucket to reminisce about the old times. And to show their children what was once a place they called Sand Palace. A place that completely changed their lives. But of course, this gathering unravels some ugly truths. Summer Love is about the unexpected bonds of friendship, the lies we tell ourselves and others, and the importance of taking the reins of our lives. I give this a 4/5
Review
Summer Love was the perfect read for the season. It had everything I wanted summer to be; young, adventurous, carefree, and full of possibilities. I loved how 4 complete strangers bonded with each other in a way only young adults, fresh out of college, can do. The world really was their oyster and I envied their experiences. It made me wish I had done something similar– worked at a small job in Nantucket or such a place like it. I also enjoyed following the 4 of them as adults and seeing how some things changed and some things that didn’t. In a way I could relate to all the characters; ambitions, naiveness, filled with dreams and loss of dreams. It’s a beautiful story of how time changes us, yet we still long for the hopes and dreams we had when we were younger. How we see those dreams in our children. How we run from the past and do not want our children to make the same mistakes or do want them to make mistakes. I will say that some parts were hard to get through and some parts I couldn’t put the book down. Overall I enjoyed the carefree feel of summer.