Amy is in her late 20s and rather lost in life. Her job as a preschool teacher is going nowhere, her boyfriend dumps her on their anniversary, and theAmy is in her late 20s and rather lost in life. Her job as a preschool teacher is going nowhere, her boyfriend dumps her on their anniversary, and the chocolate cake she was planning as a surprise literally blows up in her face. Just when things seem hopeless enough to make her consider moving back in with her parents, her father's estranged cousin invites Amy to help her run a hotel in the Argentinian Pampas.
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This book was just... soooo painfully superficial, that it more or less SUBMERGED me into a reading slump. All of Amy's character development takes place as a result of unexpected (and quite possibly traumatic) events. We never see her struggle with the lack of parental guidance, even though her mother had supposedly been running her life up until then.
And what's with the protagonist's lack of cultural knowledge of Argentina? Sure, she was born abroad and her parents were set on properly acclimating to their new environment, but are you SERIOUSLY telling me that all they "kept" from their Argentinian heritage was the tendency to fight in Spanish at home?! Has Jana Portas never watched a SINGLE documentary on immigrants and how much they all miss their homeland?!
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And the romance... oooooh boy I can't believe I'm seriously going to suggest this, but: go watch some South American telenovelas. Sure, they might be cringey and melodramatic as heck, but no one can accuse them of lacking passion. Amy and Nicolás' antics were just so dull! Every single one of their kisses came as a surprise, as if someone had suddenly remembered that they were supposed to end up liking each other, rather than an organic reaction.
About the only good things here were the picturesque settings, whose descriptions are really and truly well researched, and the baby alpacas. Well, that ONE specific baby alpaca, which may as well have been a kitten or a dog, as it never really gets described much past its cuddling tendencies.
Score: 2/5 stars
I used to be a HUGE fan of the chicklit genre, as the purest form of escapism. It was the thing that helped me get through those horrifying days at work where nothing turned out the way I wanted. Unfortunately, it seems that even for me there comes a day when messing things up out of sheer naiveté just doesn't cut it anymore. Maybe I need to get into competence-porn now.
Ileana is a young journalist, trying to make a life for herself in contemporary Bucharest. Occasionally sharing a flat with her bestie, steadily avoidIleana is a young journalist, trying to make a life for herself in contemporary Bucharest. Occasionally sharing a flat with her bestie, steadily avoiding her own family, she somehow manages to involve herself in an insane amount of charity work. Some of it as part of her day job, but mostly out of a chronic inability to say no.
All in all, her life is fairly uneventful and predictable until Alex, the prodigal boyfriend, returns after a year of no-show, ready to continue their relationship where they left off. Ileana is understandably upset, but only in private, because in person they guy is just soooo dreamy. And then there is also Ilona, her attention-seeking evil step-sister, whose no. 1 hobby is gaslighting our intrepid heroine.
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If you've ever wanted to see a classic Romanian folk tale come to life in modern day, this is your chance. You get to admire the protagonist as she's constantly persecuted by her older sister, while simultaneously being gaslighted into feeling guilty for being the cause of said bullying. As an adult, missing a talking oven, tree or well, our protagonist immerses herself into raising awareness for orphaned children and teens... which basically makes her a saint.
Before you start mock-vomiting about all this niceness, let me reassure you that for those in the know, Ileana is a shopping-obsessed bimbo, who can't even bother to name her cat, drinks herself into oblivion far too often, and lets her ex sweep her off her feet despite all her misgivings.
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To be fair, the story is clearly meant to be a parody of an old folk tale ( The daughter of the old biddy and the daughter of the old codger), so some of Ileana's more clichéd behavior is "forgivable" to some extent. Her doormat impressions however, are harder to swallow.
I know that logically they are just meant to be a standard part of the classic mysoginistic folk tales, where good women were supposed to clean and cook the whole day long, knowing that God (or some other magical fairytale entity) would eventually reward their effort. In the author's defense, this modern variation does allow for the occasional rant-fest... followed by a not-so-occasional hangover. And it's all very funny, fast-paced and sometimes extremely satisfying, when Ileana finally gets back at her evil step-sister.
Score: 3.3/5 stars
I loved the writing style, the pace, and the almost effortless way the author picks up on current slang. I'm not very happy with Ileana's lack of a backbone in her relationship with Alex, even less so when the ending makes it look like a good thing. On the other hand, this novella is clearly meant to be a satire and yet I'm taking it all way too seriously....more
Luc O'Donnell needs to clean up his public image ASAP if he doesn't want to lose his job. Despite having a boss is several miles removed from the gossLuc O'Donnell needs to clean up his public image ASAP if he doesn't want to lose his job. Despite having a boss is several miles removed from the gossip rags, even she gets annoyed when her fundraiser's antics causes donors pull their monetary support.
Oliver Blackwell's very respectable career is not in any danger, but his romantic life definitely is. Or rather, it will be, should he not find a partner by the time his parents' wedding anniversary rolls around.
With such grim prospects on the horizon, Luc and Oliver are desperate enough agree to a pretend relationship, just enough to help each other out at their respective events. The fact that they both secretly have the hots for one another is completely irrelevant, because they truly can't stand one other otherwise.
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I used to love reading chicklit books in my early 20s. So much so, that I'd instantly hone in on the pinkest and cutesiest cover I could find in a bookstore and still come out with an excellent read. But as I slowly drifted away from the genre, I automatically started to avoid certain types of covers. Like... if something felt too appealing, I just KNEW that its content would disappoint me.
Thankfully, I am lucky enough to have a way less judgemental bestie, whose rom-com recs almost always hit the nail, which is how I found myself speed-reading my way through a 400-page book. I didn't quite manage to squeeze it into the 2023 reading challenge, but I was this close.
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There were tonnes to funny banters, sarcastic come-backs, and clever little jibes that eventually came back to haunt the protagonists... well, Luc mainly, at the most inopportune moments. In his defence, who can keep a straight face when the social media manager starts waxing poetic about updating MySpace? Some 20 years after its hey day.
And then there's Oliver: every romantic hero/heroine's walking wet dream, and then some, with his sexy, kind AND supremely competent self. Occasionally verging on Colin Firth territory, which I'm not that big of a fan. Thankfully he eventually compensates by having a very significant emotional breakdown, complete with tear-stained facial expressions, so I'm willing to give it a pass.
Score: 4/5 stars
As clichéd as it gets, but if you enjoy your Bridget Jones and don't much care about what gender the protagonists are, this is the book for you....more
39-year-old Laura Gazetti is on the brink of depression, because she's unable to hold on to a serious relationship. She has her career down pat, is a 39-year-old Laura Gazetti is on the brink of depression, because she's unable to hold on to a serious relationship. She has her career down pat, is a home owner, and is universally (albeit platonically) loved by friends, family and neighbors alike. However, unless she can cuddle Prince Charming on the couch, life is clearly not worth living.
A heart-to-heart with her girlfriends has Laura visiting all five of her ex-boyfriends in an attempt to figure out what she needs to improve in her relationships. A painfully stupid plan, some might say, but if she figures it all out, she may just find the one in a smoking hot vet with an affinity for cats, courtesy of her friends' meddling.
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I used to love chicklit back in my 20s, so much so that I would devour anything with a lurid pink cover. Yes, the books were cliché as heck, but with the right writing style, I could quickly end up rooting even for the most pitiful protagonist. That saaaaaid the whole "heroine in a dead-end job, who only needs a strong male lead to turn her fortune around" did eventually lose its shine. And not even glamorous movie adaptations could spark my interest again.
Ellen Berg definitely tries to veer away from most of the usual genre tropes. This heroine has a steady job, is a home owner and most guys see her as a legit bombshell. Even some of her ex-boyfriends get... veeeeeery happy to see her. At the same time, after 5 failed relationships in 10+ years, I was expecting Laura's idea of an ideal man to be... more sophisticated than that of a teenager.
Still, living without love was like dancing without music. She sighed deeply. How wonderful would going to sleep in a tight embrace be, knowing you'd never have to wake up alone. Two heads on the pillow, two tooth brushes in the bathroom, two cups on the breakfast table. Finishing each-other's sentences because one knew exactly what the other wanted to say.
I used to add a pack of baby wipes to the condoms in my shopping basket, so I didn't look like such a trollop.
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But worst of all is how Laura actually gets exactly what she wished for: a Prince Charming with a smoking hot body, who knows her inside out and is always willing to literally drop everything in his life to come to Laura's rescue. I mean, it's not that difficult to predict, seeing that she practically starts drooling over his muscles by page 2...
Interestingly enough, he's the only character whose actual name we never learn, as he's only referred to by his high-school nickname. If this was intentional, I honestly don't see the reason, or even the appeal.
Score: 2.4/5 starts
I genuinely enjoyed the whole flirty WhatsApp banter, cringe-y schlager recs included. Some of them have some truly catchy tunes, too. *bops head to rhythm*. The rest of the relationship development was just... bad.
This is the type of genre where I don't mind clichés being bandied about, provided they're heart-warming enough. Instead all we see is Laura remembering the wonderful qualities of her real dream boy, when her ex-boyfriends start complaining about the guy having been too present. On the nose much?!
Charlotte had been living her best life, until she suddenly finds herself without a job, a boyfriend, and a house, with only her dead grandmother's caCharlotte had been living her best life, until she suddenly finds herself without a job, a boyfriend, and a house, with only her dead grandmother's cat to her name. A surprise last minute (secret) inheritance from her grandma sets her up in a dream cottage on Rock Island, where she can start rebuilding her life... and investigating her beloved granny's secret past.
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I used to love Latin American telenovelas and later chicklit novels, but ended up overindulging to the point that I could predict the entire chain of events from page 1. And there's only so many times I can read a good book, no matter how excited I was at first read.
Charlotte's story, seems to be a mix of the two genres, but where the author decided to exagerate everyone's character traits. I suspect this was mainly done in an attempt to easily identify (and root for) the goodies and the badies. Unfortunately, it was also a surefire way to keep everyone strictly one dimensional in their traits.
Charlotte is the painfully kind Cinderella, who can muster up some empathy even for her ex's very pregnant side-piece. The ex-coworkers are so catty, that they all but throw a party the day Charlotte is let go from her job. And her aunt and cousin are just unapologetically channelling the fairytale-like stepmother and stepsister energy. Basically, every bad experience thrown Charlotte's way, felt like an outtake from a high school bullying session.
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In short, I ended up dropping this at the 40% mark, because I just couldn't see the point of the story. A lot of mean things happen to the protagonist, she manages to overcome them (off screen, for some reason), and then she eventually gets a happy ending. Maybe this was only meant to be an overly indulgent story about just deserts. But, somehow the screen time for the dramatic and the happy, character building, moments got mixed up.
Score: 1/5 stars
Think of it as the modern-day story of Cinderella, but with a lot more focus on the painful episodes, interspersed with glimpses of character growth. Not the guilty pleasure I was looking for.
==================================== ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review...more
Carolin's husband has died 4 weeks ago. He was 53, had an unexpected heart-attack, and now his 26-year-old widow is devastated. And I mean that for reCarolin's husband has died 4 weeks ago. He was 53, had an unexpected heart-attack, and now his 26-year-old widow is devastated. And I mean that for real: the guy was our protagonist's great love. The only one who appreciated the woman's 158 IQ, awesome head for numbers, amazing talent for all musical instruments, and of course the mind-blowing sex.
So now all our recently widowed protagonist can do, is sit around her sister's place, alternating crying with drinking, the occasional visit to a therapist in dire need of her own therapy, not to mention sudden rage attacks at her husband's family. Think you have trouble with your in laws? Wait till you meet Carolin's. For all her social ineptitude, the woman had truly outdone herself, by managing to marry her ex-boyfriend's estranged father.
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What the book was expected to be: - a chicklit dealing with a sad topic, - made so funny that people would end up feeling uplifted by it - a happy ending without the tried and true "they lived happily ever after", because that's way too much of a cliche - ... but don't completely exclude the future romance, because you'll be alienating the regular chicklit readers
What the book actually ended up being: - Carolin calling people idiots - a collection of (more or less) funny episodes
And they were decently amusing ones, but... also got old really fast. Somewhere along the lines, this book forgot to tell a story, and decided to just dump a year's worth of comedy into the reader's lap.
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When I said I wanted a seriously amusing novel, looking forward to cackle for minutes on end at every comedic episode, I didn't expect it to be just that... and nothing else. A modicum of storyline was implied by the "novel" part of my requirement.
"What would you like to be called in my book? Lucille the nasty older sister?" "I'm fine with everything except Gertrud. Buy a thick notepad, or rather five of them. [The therapist] will be surprised by how much you'll have to say, once you start." "Lucille trying to staple a daisy crown to my head, will definitely fill several pages. Or was it with a hot-melt gun?" "Puh-leese, it was duct tape!"
"Yesterday someone showed me a medicine capsule and said they wanted the exact same one, only in red. They actually roared! People across the street could hear about me being the most incompetent quack in the entire city." "Sounds like a real dream job." "Oh yes. But it's not just the senior citizens who get ticked off. There's even very young people who do. Last week one got really mad, because we don't sell 100-piece condom packs. I mean, dear Lord, what did they even want with it?!"
Ms. Smartarse
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