Love On Spruce Island by Daisy Landish

From Goodreads:

Anna Dawson is a divorced, single mother who works too hard and claims she has no time for a love life. The truth is, at 48 years old, she’s still bitter about her ex-husband. When she’s sent on assignment on a dreamy island, she meets a man that may very well rearrange her priorities.

Tyler Marshall is a charming, African American, 50-year-old ex-military man who never even considered having a committed relationship. But a streak of odd situations puts Anna Dawson on his path. Will he take the hint and give love chance?

My Take:

I give this novella 3/3.5 stars because it felt more like the outline of a story to me. There is a lot of potential here, but the story is so short that I never really got a feel for the characters, and the timeline felt strange. Maybe more time passed than I thought during the story? It felt like he proposed to her on the fourth time they were together.

For my clean reads only followers--there is some innuendo and the f-word is used once but nothing other than kisses happens.

I received a copy from storyorigin in exchange for an honest review.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Visitor by Wayne Meyers

From Goodreads 

Professor Douglas Keller meets extraterrestrial Aldrea, a beautiful Quenterian scientist stranded on Earth, while hiking in the Adirondack Mountains. Hunted by the FBI and a warring faction of Aldrea’s people called the Radicals, she turns to Doug for help. Doug is no hero, but after Aldrea used her telepathic abilities to heal him from a lethal wound, a psychic bond formed between them that opened their minds to each other in ways Doug cannot understand and Aldrea cannot explain. 

In a nightmarish turn for the worst, Doug, Aldrea, and the FBI agents find themselves very far from Earth in the middle of a violent galactic coup engineered by the ruthless Radical leader, Veera, who aspires to dominate the galaxy. They must defeat Veera before Earth is enslaved—or destroyed. Out of their league and out of time, only the bond between Doug and Aldrea might prevent disaster, if they can figure out how to use it to defeat Veera before it’s too late.

My Take: 

I received a free copy from StoryOrigin in exchange for an honest review.

First, the concept and plot are good. Everything is there to make a great story. The characters have potential, but I wanted more depth from them. For instance, the CIA and FBI agents acted like a bunch of middle schoolers vying for importance. I never felt they were actually smart enough to pull off what they do in the book. 

The prologue was too long and made me think of the Incredibles movie where they talk about the bad guy monologuing. I believe the book would have had more mystery without the info dump at the start. Otherwise, this was an okay read. I did find myself skimming A LOT and I don't feel like I missed anything important. These were some super lucky characters in my opinion.

I give Visitor 3.5 stars and a Clean rating. There might have been language, but I don't remember it.

Stranded For The Holidays

From Goodreads:

Stranded for the Holidays is a collection of clean romance novellas where the Hero and Heroine are stuck together!

The Yuletide Thief by Daisy Landish

A Clean Historical Holiday Romance

As a vicar’s daughter, Emily Hawthorne has few marriage prospects in the country. She loves children and has resigned herself to becoming a governess. Before leaving for London to seek employment, she decides to arrange a proper Christmas for the orphans of their church. But she’ll have to compete with Robin of Sussex, a highwayman who fancies himself the next Robin Hood.

Stranded with a Shifter by Marie-Hélène Lebeault

Stranded Together: A YA Holiday Romance

When Kayla stops in Jessie’s Café after a day of Christmas shopping, a cute guy offers to buy her coffee. But when they’re about to sit down, he makes up some excuse and bolts in a panic. Next thing she knows, Kayla is stuck in the department store elevator with him and everything changes.

Clueless at Christmas by Peyton Lawson

A Sweet Contemporary Holiday Romance

When a beautiful woman knocks on his cabin door in the middle of a blizzard on Christmas eve, Jacob can’t believe his luck. From the looks of it, Santa sent him an angel in the snowstorm.
But things are never as they seem...

Grounded for Christmas by Daisy Landish

A Classic Grumpy/Sunshine Sapphic Holiday Romance!

Jamie hates Christmas, and is less than looking forward to spending it with her mum, whose drinking problem always seems to worsen come the holidays.
But the arrival of Emma brings an unexpected twist to the season. Will she manage to raise a little holiday cheer out of her new friend?

My Take:

This was a super quick read. I liked that there were different romance genres in this set of short stories. They are cute, wholesome stories that will make you smile. They did feel a bit rushed to me though, and I wished the stories were longer. There just wasn't time to flesh out the characters with depth other than the romance thread. The one about the reindeer shifter had me laughing at the thought of a reindeer shifter. All the stories were in good fun.

All in all I'll give this 3.5 stars and a clean rating.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"
PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door
PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.
PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy
R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

British Invasion of the Heart by Carollyne Lairie

From Goodreads:

While searching for his missing aunt, a British entrepreneur unearths family secrets and discovers the key to opening his heart.

Years ago, in Canada, Sally was kidnapped as a young teen.

Decades later, it’s vital that British Owen Fleming find Aunt Sally before her younger sister (Owen's aunt) dies. He’s willing to move heaven and earth to locate the mysterious woman.

Why? Sally's sister urgently needs to tell her something of great import that only she knows.

Owen hopes to find Sally and return to England in time to save his floundering company. The last complication he needs is a long-distance romance.

But the enchanting, impetuous Ginny Thompson won’t give up. After the hot Brit saves her from disaster on the freeway, she insists on repaying the favor. Owen Paul Fleming is everything she wants in a man. There’s only one problem--he returns to Britain in a few days. With the loss of her job and her father crippled in an accident, Ginny already has plenty to contend with - never mind figuring out how to snag this mysterious man.

The challenges and adventures ramp up when she leaves her hometown and heads to Vancouver, Canada, to join Owen in pursuit of Sally, a stranger he's never met.

My Take: 

I really wanted to like this book, and it has lots of good things going for it, but I have mixed feelings all in all. First, the writing is good. There weren't any glaring typos or issues there. The pacing is good, continually moving forward with events and situations to keep the story going. Both characters are likable, and I was able to finish the book. However, the story fell a short for me in two places. The characters' personalities seemed to be all over the place. A lot of what they said, did, and thought didn't make any sense and then would change for no reason. Because of this, I never "felt" their connection to each other. I really want to feel that connection in a romance.

There were also some instances where the author didn't seem to know what she said earlier. For instance, at one point, Ginny and Owen call the police to help his aunt. Owen clearly tells the police that his aunt is in the apartment and to please proceed with caution. A few pages later, he's arrested because their background check on him shows he's related to one of the accused.

All in all, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't the best book I've read either. I give it a 3.5 and a Clean rating.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:

Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"

PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door

PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.

PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy

R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

Dating Do Over by Sally Rose

There isn't a Goodreads page for this yet since I picked up an Advanced Reader Copy on Booksprout.
Here's the blurb:

Two friends. One disastrous date. Is it too late for a do-over?

Emily Phillips is an aspiring artist, but she’s barely had time to put brush to canvas since inheriting the pottery painting shop in scenic Gold Creek.

Emily’s long hours and hard work are finally paying off. She’s turned the shop from a sleepy pottery studio into a thriving party destination. When she’s not hosting birthday parties for the kiddie crowd, her shop is filled with the squeals, laughter and love stories that accompany bridal showers. As much as she enjoys making each soon-to-be bride’s party special, the gatherings are a constant reminder that Emily’s own happily ever after is nowhere in sight.

When an offer to buy her shop arrives unexpectedly, Emily decides it’s time to give up on dreams of love, and take a chance on the dream she’d all but forgotten.

Ben Nichols, an outdoor adventure guide, hasn’t taken his eyes off Emily since the day they met. Unfortunately, a disastrous date two years ago plunged him deep into the friend zone. When he learns about Emily’s plan to sell her shop and study art in Paris, Ben realizes he’s not ready to say goodbye—and that his feelings go much deeper than friendship.

With time running out before Emily packs her bags, can Ben win a second-chance date and convince Emily that everything she’s dreamed about is in Gold Creek.

My Take:
First, I might be in a reading vortex because nothing lately has been a "knocked it out of the ballpark" read for me. So, take this with a grain of salt.

There were things I liked about this story, but I found myself skimming to get to the end. I felt the story could have been improved with a lower word count and less, um stupidity on both character's part. From the very beginning, I knew the problem between these two was Ben's inability to open his mouth and say what he thought and felt. Emily wasn't any better though. The man waited two years after their first disastrous date to try again, while Emily ignored the fact she thought there was a connection between them but dated another man instead.

The entire book was filled with them not talking about the important things. Ben tried so hard to be supportive and not keep Emily from her dreams that he never talked about his hopes, dreams, plans, or the surprise bombshell that affected both of them. Ben felt like he had to have all the answers before talking to Emily about major life changes.

Now, this sadly is true to real life for many men, but I don't want it to drag on for so long in a story that's meant to help me forget day to day issues. Women who know their men have this problem call them on it and remind them they need to talk. Emily is all too willing to let it go and let him go. Then we get to the end and when he apologizes and spills the beans all is forgiven with very little effort or heartache on either part. At least I didn't feel it. In real life, these two would be doomed to repeating these same mistakes and they'd both be miserable.

BUT, here's what worked in the story. Ben was a good guy who wanted Emily to be happy. He was always there to help no matter what even before they started dating. I also liked that he didn't waver at all when the ex-girlfriend shows up with her manipulative ways. He was stupid for eating dinner with her, but other than that he sent her packing right away.

I really liked that Emily grew stronger in her confidence as the book went along. She felt she was taking a back seat in her own life even though she wasn't. As time passed she started to recognize her own accomplishments and the joy it had brought to her life.

The cast of supporting characters was good. It's easy to see where the next books in the series might come from.

All in all, the writing was clean, there was no bad language and no smut. I give Dating Do Over a 3.75. It falls short of the 4 only because I felt annoyed most of the time. Granted this could be me and not the actual story.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:

Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no sex on or off "screen"

PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, sex is all closed door

PG-13--some language (swear words not related to sex), more talk about sex, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but sex is closed door.

PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen sex

R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” sex, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the sex and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

The Paramedics Second Chance by Elana Johnson

Looks like it might have been renamed Love in Lavender (which makes more sense actually). It is still searchable by The Paramedics Second Chance as well.

From Goodreads:
A widowed florist, her ten-year-old daughter, and the paramedic who delivered the girl a decade earlier... Love's second chance on the beach!

Paramedic Andrew Herrin delivered Gretchen Samuels's daughter on the side of the road when she and her husband couldn't make it to the hospital in time. When their paths cross again in small-town Hawthorn Harbor, she's a widow and the baby is ten-year-old Dixie.

Dixie gets along great with Drew, and Gretchen finds herself falling in love with the man who's rescued her twice now. But when Drew's ex-girlfriend comes back to town, Gretchen's trust issues rear their ugly head. Can she and Drew find their way toward finding love in the lavender?

This is a full-length sweet/clean contemporary beach romance in the vein of your favorite Hallmark movie by USA Today bestselling author Elana Johnson.

My Take:
This is a sweet read filled with lots of emotion as Gretchen tries to figure out what she wants, what she can handle, and how it will affect her daughter. Drew has his own issues to work out which makes this feel like real life.

I did get frustrated with Gretchen. She took not asking for help to the beyond ridiculous level making the grand gesture at the end necessary. In a way, it kind of ruined the real-life feel of the story for me. I wish she had given in more gradually and accepted Drew's love naturally. After all, he let her help him. Thank goodness for Dixie and her wish making!

I give this story something between a 3.5 and a 4. I enjoyed it while reading, finished, moved on and sort of forgot about it.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:

Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no sex on or off "screen"

PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, sex is all closed door

PG-13--some language (swear words not related to sex), more talk about sex, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but sex is closed door.

PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen sex

R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” sex, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the sex and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

The Librarian and Her Beast by Laura Ann

From Goodreads:

Welcome to Middleton Prep, a place where fairy tales and modern day collide. Where fair maidens spend their time developing lesson plans and valiant knights do battle with unreliable wifi signals; all in the hopes of finding True Love.

Librarian Piper Belmont’s world turns topsy turvy when new football coach Nash Wilde joins the staff at her school. Tall, dark and handsome, he’s every girl’s dream...until Piper realizes he only speaks in grunts and nods. Determined not to judge a book by its cover, Piper agrees to go out with him.

Just as they are getting to know each other, a family emergency forces Piper to leave town. Will she ever get the chance to learn the secrets behind Nash’s silence? Or will the staff’s reigning beauty queen catch Nash’s interest before Piper gets back?

The Librarian and Her Beast is the first book in the Middleton Prep series. Each book is a stand alone story, but the series is best read in order. Every installment is a loosely based, contemporary retelling of a favorite fairy tale, full of swoon worthy kisses and, of course, a Happily Ever After.

My Take:
It's been a while since I read this one. I really should start reviewing right away but I'll do my best. I remember this one to be cute. A good modernization of Beauty and the Beast. Laura Ann set this series in a school with teacher, which I love! There's even a character that sort of acts as the fairy godmother to all these couples (I think she's an office secretary?) Anyway, she's an awesome character that I kept wanting to learn more about.

Piper and Nash are cute together. I do think Nash should have started talking more as they dated. Real relationships require more than nonverbal communication, even if the nonverbal is wonderful. There is a good reason why Nash doesn't talk a lot but this never would have worked in real life. Good thing I read to escape from real life. ;)

I give this one a Clean and 3.5 rating because I've read other B&B stories that worked better for me. This was still a well written story, just too fantastic for a contemporary retelling.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:

Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no sex on or off "screen"

PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, sex is all closed door

PG-13--some language (swear words not related to sex), more talk about sex, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but sex is closed door.

PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen sex

R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” sex, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the sex and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

The Southern Bride by Lenora Worth

From Goodreads:

Melissa Sonnier is desperate to find her own happily ever after as she helps her sister celebrate her beach wedding in Driftwood Bay, but it’s difficult to move on and find love when she can’t let go of Judson Duvall, a boy she’s loved since middle school, even after their last break up in their on again, off again relationship. But as she watches her sister exchange her sacred vows, she sees Judson, waiting for her asking for one last chance. He vows he’s changed. Can she risk her heart one last time?

After his latest rodeo related injury, Judson Duvall is ready to hang up his spurs and always a man of action, defies doctors and drives all night to reach the only woman he’s ever loved. He begs for one last chance and is prepared to do anything to win back Melissa’s love. He claims he’s changed, but is it enough or is it too late?

My Take:
This one's been sitting in my kindle for a long time. It was a short read, and I think that hurt the storyline for me. I wanted more from the characters and their journey to their happy ever after. It felt too much like a summary. There were missed opportunities to build on this painful history that Melissa and Judson shared. It would have been really good to see them working harder to build trust and love but they just decided to do it and then months have passed and they're engaged again.

I really wanted to like this and give it a higher rating. The writing was good, but I didn't feel the emotional payoff at the end.

I give it a 3.5 and Clean rating.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no sex on or off "screen"
PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, sex is all closed door
PG-13--some language (swear words not related to sex), more talk about sex, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but sex is closed door.
PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen sex
R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” sex, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the sex and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken

From Goodreads:
Christmas represents everything Andi Williams is supposed to have, and doesn't. Running away to a remote mountain lodge in the Canadian Rockies, sounds like the perfect way to escape, until a mix-up finds her sharing a villa with sexy, rough around the edges, Colin Hartford.

Colin's determination to enjoy the holiday he’s missed for the last five years, sweeps Andi into a season of joy that she’s not sure she’s ready for. Can Andi open herself up to everything the holidays have to offer... including love?

My Take:

Good story, PG-13 This story had lots of nice moments. Andi's pain is believable, and yet it has been long enough that she's ready to move on and experience love again. Even if she didn't know it. I loved how Colin wanted to help her enjoy Christmas again as well. However, like one of the last books I read, I wish he had decked the ex when he had the chance. There isn't much else to say. :)

Note for cautious readers:

Although they never did the deed, clothes came off at one point. I only had to skip half a page to get pack to the story though.

I give this one a 3.5 (mostly because I had to skim to remember the story for this review) with a PG to PG-13 rating.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:

Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no sex on or off "screen"

PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, sex is all closed door

PG-13--some language (swear words not related to sex), more talk about sex, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but sex is closed door.

 R--swearing (can be related to sex), feels like the whole story is about the sex and not the relationship or some other plot

Of Love and Magic

Originally Read and Reviewed February 2015

Amazon * B&N * Kobo* iTunes

I'll put my notes in italics below the Goodreads blurb.

From Goodreads:
Five intriguing romances wrapped in love and magic

Angel in a Black Fedora, by Sherry Gammon

Ciel Björk died a tragic death...but she got over it. Now she works as an undercover angel, answering people's prayers. She's sent to the sleepy little town of Port Fare, New York to help turn Chloe's dreams into a reality. As secrets are revealed, Ciel soon learns that things are not as simple as they seem.

This was an okay story, but it was hard to get into. Probably me? There was nothing wrong, I just didn't get the perfect girl in the fedora. Yes, she's an angel, but ?? Chloe is so tunnel visioned on this perfect guy that she never sees the love that's in front of her. I did like the twist at the end. You assume you know who's prayer Ciel is there to answer, but like the blurb says, nothing is as simple as it seems. I give this story a 3.5

A Wish in Her Hand, by Amberlee Day

Professor Miri Keeler's life is perfect, and she knows just the sort of man she wants to share it with. When she meets a genie who's willing to grant her a favor, she uses her wish to get the attention of her crush, poet Jamison Arbor. But has the genie's magic missed its target? Miri suddenly has the attention of not only Jamison, but also of Alex, an attractive maintenance man. How will she know which is the right match for her, or what's real and what's magic?

I liked this story better than the first, but here is another woman with a set idea of who Mr. Perfect is. Luckily, she at least gives another guy a chance while she's waiting for Mr. Right. I give this story a 3.5

Reality Ever After, by Cami Checketts

Pregnant at eighteen, Sydney Richland's happily ever after is in serious peril. Her grandmother's ghost can work miracles, but she also might ruin Sydney's chances with the man of her dreams.

This might have been my favorite because it was different. It wasn't all hearts and roses. There is real heartache and real choices to be made. I love when stories hurt because life hurts. I give this one a 4 

Prom Diaries, by Taylor Hart

Sixteen-year-old Lacy O'Donnell discovers her best friend has cast a spell, putting everyone in a time loop, forcing them to relive the same four days before prom over and over. The good thing--Lacy doesn't remember the loop. The bad thing--Drake Davis, the guy she's been stalking, does. Only true love's kiss can break the spell, but true love's kiss has to happen at a precise moment. It's not exact science...it's exact magic.

This one felt like Twilight emotionally. Two people that have to be kept apart for the greater good until the exact right moment. It did have a nice twist at the end though. I give this one a 3.5.

What If Wish, by Lucy McConnell

Morana is doomed to a life cataloging spells deep below the palace unless she can make her magic bloom. If her deepest wish comes true, it would open up all sorts of possibilities. The whispers that she was a fluke of nature would hush. The King would stop stalking her. Her parents would no longer live under a cloud of shame. And, Adam could look at her as more than a friend. Despite the promises magic holds, Morana will quickly learn that the thing she wishes for most, could quickly be her undoing.

This is the beginning of a larger story. It's more of a traditional fairy story, meaning it has fairies. :) I did enjoy the way McConnell built the world--when and how magic blooms. I also loved the romance part. It's bittersweet and although it's a typical romance trope it didn't feel stale. I give this one a 4. 


All in all this was a nice read. It didn't suck me in though, so I'm going to give it a 3.5 for Like, not Love.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure