Book Review: Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer

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Title: Magical Meet Cute
Author: Jean Meltzer
Publisher: Mira
Publication date: August 27, 2024
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Is he the real deal…or did she truly summon a golem?

Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy.

Not that she needs one. She’s definitely happy alone.

That is, until she finds her town papered with anti-Semitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right?

When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be true—if you ignore the fact that Faye hit him with her bike. And that he subsequently lost his memory…

But otherwise, the man checks Every. Single. Box. Causing Faye to wonder if Greg’s sudden and spicy appearance might be anything but a coincidence.

In this Jewish-themed romance, Faye Kaplan enjoys her life in the close-knit community of Woodstock, New York. After her fiance dumped her several years earlier, she sold her Manhattan legal practice, moved to a quiet town, and rediscovered her love of ceramics and creating.

A self-described “Jewitch”, she also discovered Jewish magical rituals, which she imbues with her own sense of creativity and spirituality. She’s still hurt and lonely after her break-up, and carries deeper pain stemming from growing up with an abusive mother, who eventually injured her in such a way that her dreams of pursuing her artwork professionally were shattered. Mostly, though, Faye is happy with her circle of close friends and a supportive community.

Her sense of safety is shattered when anti-Semitic flyers appear in town. Suddenly, Faye feels targeted, even in her own home. After a night of self-soothing via wine and magical rituals, she’s ready to reengage with the town’s rally against hate — and then hits a stranger with her bike, landing him in the hospital.

The stranger is tall, muscular, gorgeous, and red-haired, and due to the accident, has a head injury and amnesia. His speech functions are impaired, and he doesn’t know who he is, nor does he have any ID on him. As the hospital prepares to send him to a shelter upon discharge, Faye feels it’s her responsibility to take care of the man she injured, and against the advice of everyone who cares for her, she decided to bring him back to her home until he recovers.

Somewhat randomly, he chooses the name Greg, and as he regains his powers of speech, he and Faye get to know one another. He seems to be the perfect man — he helps her with anything she needs, he plays Scrabble with her, he reads her books, he likes her temperamental dog. But as Faye realizes just how perfectly he matches everything she might want in a man, she thinks back to that wine-soaked night of magic… and wonders if Greg is actually real, or whether she accidentally created a golem, a mythical protector of Jewish legend, called forth to protect the Jewish community in times of need.

As the plot moves forward, we see a growing connection between Faye and Greg, increasing threats from the anti-Semitic element hidden within the town, and Faye’s confusion about who (or what) Greg really is. There’s a lot to like about this quirky romance, but I think the author is trying to do too much, and Faye’s belief that Greg is truly a golem strains all credulity.

The sense of community in Magical Meet Cute is lovely. It’s easy to see why this town has become a refuge and a place of safety for Faye, a woman not truly recovered from childhood trauma and heartbreak. I enjoyed seeing her close friends and the way the people of the town come together in a crisis.

The storyline about anti-Semitism has the potential to be powerful, but shoe-horned into a romance, it feels a bit discordant, especially once Greg decides that the best way to protect Faye is to infiltrate the local cell of anti-Semites and figure out who’s responsible for their threats and violence. Greg’s investigatory scenes are tonally a mismatch for the rest of the book, where the romantic and mystical elements are emphasized.

Faye’s belief that Greg is not a real person, but is in fact a golem… well, it’s just so out-there that I couldn’t help engaging in some heavy-duty eye-rolling. There’s a scene of Faye trying to banish the golem that’s perhaps intended to be funny… but just made me cringe. Hard.

This is now the 3rd book I’ve read by Jean Meltzer, and while all three have been enjoyable in many ways, I’ve realized that the author’s approach to humor just isn’t a good match for me. In each of the books, there are scenes that are clearly meant to be funny, usually involving some slapstick or physical comedy, but they fall flat and feel embarrassing, not silly or cute.

The writing itself is also a mixed bag. It feels to me that the author is trying too hard to incorporate Jewish bits. It’s nice to have the cultural flavor, but there are times in Magical Meet Cute where it’s over the top and doesn’t make sense. For example:

Goddess give her strength. The man was built like a challah.

What does that even mean? Are his muscles braided? Because that sounds like it would hurt.

I did like a lot about Magical Meet Cute, but as with some of the author’s other books, the balance between light and serious seems off. Anti-Semitism and childhood abuse that results in a permanent disability are heavy subjects… and mixing them into a story where (among other things) an octogenarian delights in showing off her stun gun, someone uses kosher salami as a weapon, and there’s a running gag about Faye’s dog leaving… um… surprises on the floor makes this feel as though the author couldn’t quite decide what story she was trying to tell.

It pains me to not be able to rave about this book (and the others I’ve read by Jean Meltzer), as I love the idea of incorporating Jewish elements in a romance novel, and want to support writers who create strong Jewish women as central characters. Something about the writing style and approach makes Magical Meet Cute a mixed experience for me, and at this point, I’m on the fence about reading future books by this author.

Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 anticipated 5 star reads

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It’s another fun topic for Top 5 Tuesday! This weekly meme is hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.

This week’s topic is Top 5 anticipated 5 star reads, and the prompt is: What books on your TBR do you think might make your top 5 books of the year, or will get that coveted five-star rating?

I have high hopes for so many of my upcoming reads! Sticking to books to read (or being released) in 2024, my top five are:

  1. Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
  2. So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
  3. The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
  4. The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
  5. I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

What are your 5-star predictions for the rest of 2024?

The Monday Check-In ~ 09/09/2024

Posted in The Monday Check-In by

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My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

I worked from home all of last week, mainly so I could be around to lend a hand as my husband bounced back from eye surgery. As of now, he’s back to his usual active self — driving, going to the gym, running around town — so apparently, my services are no longer needed!

We had a puppy visitor:

But the kitty was not impressed:

Bookish stuff:

I’m giving away some books! I’m trying to reorganize my shelves and weed out the books I no longer feel the need to keep — and that includes a bunch of ARCs that have come my way over the years. Feeling lucky? You can enter my Rafflercopter giveaway here.

And… drumroll, please…

I just set my up my very own Little Free Library! I’m so excited — I’ve been wanting one for years!

It’s only been one day, so I’m a little overeager still, and I keep checking to see if anyone has taken a book yet!

What did I read during the last (two) weeks?

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover: I read this the previous week, but just got around to posting a review, here.

And after the messy drama of the CoHo book, I needed some lighter reading — so my next three books were all contemporary romances that were sweet and enjoyable:

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine: Deliciously silly fun. My review is here.

Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon: A great contemporary romance set in New Orleans… and with oodles of doggy cuteness. My review is here.

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer: Romance between a self-described “Jewitch” and the man she thinks might possibly be a golem she created. Review to follow.

I also read a few (very different) graphic novels this week:

Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang: Sweet YA graphic novel by the author of The Prince & the Dressmaker. It was an enjoyable read, but not something I found all that compelling.

Snowpiercer, volume 1: The Escape by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette: It’s interesting to see the origin of the TV series (which I think is awesome). The artwork is not great, it’s very difficult to identify characters, and the storytelling is confusing… but I’m continuing the series anyway. (Fortunately, my library had volumes 1 – 3 available, so this is a low-commitment reading experiment).

Snowpiercer, volume 2: The Explorers: More of the same. The story goes in a different direction than the TV series, but it’s still hard to figure out who the characters are and what’s happening. There’s only one more book in the original trilogy, so I’ll at least read that one, and then see if I feel like reading the two-volume prequel as well.

Pop culture & TV:

I caught up with the available episodes of season 2 of The Rings of Power. This season has some good moments for sure… but overall, it’s so slow. Or is it just me?

Over on Netflix, I started watching Kaos, the new series about Greek gods in a modern setting. Anyone else watching this? It’s uneven, but really entertaining, and has a terrific cast.

Fresh Catch:

No new books!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Wedding People by Alison Espach: My library hold for this book just came in, and I’m still in the early chapters. After a slow and somewhat depressing start, it seems to be be picking up.

Now playing via audiobook:

Close Knit by Jenny Colgan: This author’s audiobooks are always the best sort of escape! I’m still in the early chapters, but love getting swept away to Scotland…

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

  • Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 69%. Coming up this week: Chapter 19, “In Sickness or in Health”
  • Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse: My book group’s classic read! Such silly fun. Progress: 13%. Coming up this week: Chapters 5 and 6.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

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Dreams really do come true! (Or, welcome to my Little Free Library!)

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, The Reading Life by

Consider this an early “happy birthday to me” present! I’ve been wanting to set up a Little Free Library for years, and finally made it happen!

My husband did the assembly, I added the flowers — and then, the moment I’d been waiting for: Adding my first batch of books!

Our street doesn’t get a huge amount of foot traffic, but we’re right around the corner from coffee shops, some small stores, and a few small eateries. I’m excited to see our first visitors!

For now, we’ve just had a few nice comments from people on the street. Meanwhile, there are books and bookmarks ready to be taken home.

I hope someone finds just what they’re looking for!

Book Review: Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon

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Title: Pardon My Frenchie
Author: Farrah Rochon
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: June 4, 2024
Length: 384 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley; audiobook via Boundless download (library loan)
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The New York Times  bestselling author of  Almost There  delivers the start of a new rom-com series with an enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for readers of Abby Jimenez and Jasmine Guillory.

Ashanti Wright is ecstatic over the success of her dog boarding business, Barkingham Palace. In fact, it has become so successful that Ashanti has plans to expand her empire with a doggie bake shop. There’s just one problem, the building she’s had her eye on has just been sold to the surly grandson of one of her favorite customers. 

Thaddeus Sims is not a dog person. He’s barely a person’s person. But when his grandmother is transferred to a senior living facility that doesn’t accept pets, the former army officer agrees to care for her annoying Standard Poodle, Puddin’. After all, it was with his grandmother’s help that Thad was able to buy the building that will soon house The PX, a sports bar/all-around hangout space for former servicemen that he plans to open.

Puddin’ and Ashanti’s French Bulldog, Duchess, have become a bit of a sensation on Barkingham Palace’s livestream because of their budding romance. When a video of the dogs sharing a doggy treat Lady and the Tramp-style goes viral, their owners are sucked into a media frenzy that captures the nation by storm…and creates some sparks for their owners too.

After loving Farrah Rochon’s The Boyfriend Project trilogy, I was really excited to see that she has a new contemporary romance series kicking off. The fact that it features adorable doggos and a business called Barkingham Palace is icing on the cake!

In Pardon My Frenchie (yes, that title is totally adorable), Ashanti Wright is a small business owner who works nonstop to keep her doggy day care going while also raising her twin teen-aged younger sisters. Ashanti’s business, Barkingham Palace, is very successful, but their small space means growth is limited. Meanwhile, Ashanti’s side business, home-baked doggy treats called Duchess Delights, is ready to take off — but there’s only so many treats she can produce in her home kitchen. Between that, and keeping an eye on her sisters’ school attendance, she more than has her hands full.

Ashanti’s dream is to buy a house she’s had an eye on, with a great location and room for her to expand both the day care and the baking — but she misses the opportunity when the grandson of one of her favorite customers arrives in New Orleans and buys it before she can even get an offer in. Thad is caring for his grandmother’s poodle Puddin’ and is skeptical of dogs in general and Ashanti’s business in particular, and the fact that she calls him out for buying “her” house doesn’t help them get off on the right foot.

However… Puddin’ and Ashanti’s French bulldog Duchess are in doggy love, and they’re a viral sensation thanks to getting caught in a super cute moment on the doggy cam. Puddin’ and Duchess’s wild popularity can be a huge boost to both Thad and Ashanti’s businesses, if they can get past their initial disagreements and work together. Of course, their immediate sense of attraction doesn’t hurt one bit.

Ashanti and Thad have great chemistry (just like Duchess and Puddin’), and despite complications, there’s no doubt that they’ll end up together — but it’s really sweet and enjoyable to watch them get there.

Farrah Rochon once again creates a compelling romance where the love story is just one piece of the greater story. Both Ashanti and Thad have really interesting businesses and backstories, and their family histories are well-developed too. They’re also surrounded by friends, coworkers, and family, providing them with much more in their lives beyond the will-they-won’t-they romantic entanglement.

I enjoyed Ashanti and Thad very much as people on their own, and appreciated each of them having a strong sense of commitment to their responsibilities, to the communities they serve, and to their families. Ashanti’s doggy business is adorable of course, and it’s really fun to see the ups and down of a day in the life of Barkingham Palace.

The book synopsis describes Pardon My Frenchie as the start of a new series, and while I don’t see anything online yet about a next book, I can imagine that Ashanti’s two best friends are likely to be the main characters in upcoming books, and I’ll be there to read them!

Pardon My Frenchie has terrific human interest elements, in addition to very cute dogs, and is sure to please readers who love a bit of canine fun mixed in with their romance.

A note on my reading experience: Although I had an e-ARC of the book, I ended up waiting for the audiobook to become available through the library, and really liked it. The dual narrators provide chapters from both Ashanti and Thad’s points-of-view, and give them each very warm, evocative voices. Highly recommended.

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It’s a giveaway!

Posted in Blogging, Bookish Thoughts, Giveaways by

Guess what?

It’s a Saturday, just an ordinary weekend, nothing in particular to celebrate… except I feel like giving away some books!

I’m working on downsizing my stacks (and stacks and stacks) of books and getting my shelves in order. In addition to setting up a Pango store to try selling some of my used books, I thought I’d spread the joy around a bit by giving away some books too!

I have a stack of ARCs that have piled up over the years — some I’ve read, some not; some were Goodreads giveaway books, some came through other sources. In any case, I’m ready to part with them, and what could be better than passing them along to another reader?

Here are the books up for grabs:

  • The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner
  • The Girl Explorers by Jayne Zanglein
  • Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
  • Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
  • Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
  • The Magician’s Daughter by H. G. Parry
  • Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash

The giveaway closed September 15, 2024.

One lucky winner will be chosen! The winner will have their choice of one of the books shown.

Restrictions: Open to US entries only. No overseas/international shipping available.

To enter, simply participate at the Rafflecopter link below!

Click here to enter!

Good luck, and thanks for playing!

Book Review: My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

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Title: My Vampire Plus-One
Author: Jenna Levine
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: September 17, 2024
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance/fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Nothing sucks more than fake dating a vampire in this paranormal romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire.

Amelia Collins is by definition successful. She would even go so far as to say successfully single. But not according to her family, and she’s tired of the constant questions about her nonexistent dating life. When an invitation to yet another family wedding arrives, she decides to get everyone off her back once and for all by finding someone–anyone–to pose as her date.

After a chance encounter with Reginald Cleaves, Amelia decides he’s perfect for her purposes. He’s a bit strange, but that’s fine; it’ll discourage tough questions from her family. (And it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s very handsome.) For centuries-old vampire Reggie, posing as her plus-one sounds like the ultimate fun. And if it helps his ruse of pretending to be human, so much the better.

As Amelia and Reggie practice their fauxmance, it becomes clear that Reggie is as loyal to her as the day is long, and that Amelia’s first impressions could not have been more wrong. Suddenly, being in a real relationship with Reggie sounds pretty fang-tastic.

My Vampire Plus-One is the follow-up to last year’s My Roommate Is A Vampire — and if anything, it’s even cuter and sillier than the first book.

In My Vampire Plus-One, Amelia is a successful, hardworking accountant, whose large family seems to constantly have weddings — at which Amelia is on the nonstop receiving end of questions about why she’s single. She’d love to ditch the next wedding, but her parents would be so disappointed!

When Amelia has an unexpected, literal run-in with a good-looking but decidedly weird guy (he runs right into her as she’s leaving her office one day), he definitely leaves an impression, and when she sees him again at a coffee shop, they strike up a conversation. Reginald is a guy who is always up for a good practical joke, and he thinks the idea of posing as Amelia’s special someone at family events sounds hilarious. Also, he finds accountants incredibly hot (or maybe just a certain accountant named Amelia…), so that’s added incentive.

Amelia doesn’t know that Reggie (she refuses to call him Reginald) is a vampire, although she does clue in to the fact that he’s odd right from the start — both because of his interesting approach to style and the fact that he has absolutely no internet presence. But when he tells her straight-up that he’s a vampire during a middle-of-the-night phone call, she assumes it’s yet another of his jokes. A running stream of misunderstandings ensues, as he’s sure she knows something that she doesn’t actually know. You can imagine.

The fake dating trope works in romance because it inevitably leads to real dating, real feelings, real attraction… and yes, it all unfolds that way for Amelia and Reggie. Getting snowed in at an isolated cabin helps move things along — and Reggie listens to and seems to appreciate Amelia, accounting expertise and all, in a way no one else ever has.

“You have an exceptional flair for the dramatic for an accountant.”

“I have a completely average flair for the dramatic for an accountant,” I said, feeling a little unhinged. Talking to this man felt like trying to walk in a straight line on a listing ship. “Which is to say, I don’t have one.”

My Vampire Plus-One is utterly goofy, and that’s really its charm. You cannot for a second take this story seriously, and that’s okay. There’s a storyline that runs throughout about a group of disgruntled (and incompetent) vampires who are out to get Reggie due to a centuries-old grudge, leading to him constantly being on the run — but that’s just all part of the fun. This piece of the story ultimately connects back to Amelia’s work, and there’s an amusing showdown — there’s no real sense of threat or danger, and it’s resolved pretty quickly, but it’s entertaining to see how it all shakes out.

“Do you swear?”

“I swear it on the vows I took when I became a CPA.” There were, of course, no vows you had to take when you became a CPA. But he didn’t need to know that.

The only truly discordant note, from my perspective, is one explicit sex scene that’s way more graphic than it needs to be, and that seems out of place in a novel that’s otherwise full of silly banter and cutesy flirtation. Going a little more closed-door with this scene would have fit the overall tone of the book much better.

That aside, My Vampire Plus-One is goofy and funny, and is a great light read for when you’re in the mood for something fluffy. Reggie first appears in My Roommate is a Vampire as the main love interest’s annoying friend, so it’s fun to see him in a central role here… and having an accountant depicted as the ultimate sexy smart girlfriend is a total win.

Would you bribe your child to read?

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I just came across this New York Times opinion piece about bribing a child to read… and while my initial reaction was pretty strongly negative, I’m trying to back up and think it through.

The piece opens:

This summer, I paid my 12-year-old daughter $100 to read a book. As far as mom maneuvers go, it was definitely last ditch and the size of the payout was certainly excessive. I can’t say I am proud — but I am extremely satisfied. Because the plan worked. It worked so well, I’d suggest other parents of reluctant readers open their wallets and bribe their kids to read, too.

I can relate… to an extent.

My two children (now adults) are polar opposites when it comes to reading. My daughter is an absolute, no-question-about-it, you’ll-pry-my-books-out-of-my-cold-dead-hands book worm. She’s never without a book… often, many books at the same time. Like me, at any given time she’ll have at least one physical or ebook in progress plus an audiobook… and sometimes even more. I’ve never had to push her to read. From the time she first realized she could get through a book on her own, she’s never looked back or slowed down.

On the other hand, my son has never — to the best of my knowledge — picked up a book just for fun. He’s read what he’s had to read for school. And every once in a while, if I’ve placed a book in his hands with just the right timing, he’s considered actually opening it up and reading it… but usually not. The last non-school-related books he read were the first three books of John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series — but that was at least two years ago, and as far as I know, he hasn’t touched a single book since.

And let me point out once more — my kid is an adult. I can’t exactly threaten a 22-year-old with losing screen privileges or putting parental controls on his devices. He’s taking college courses and does the reading necessary for his classes, but that’s it. (He does still live in my house, which is probably why the lack of reading is so apparent to me.)

Reading for fun? He laughs at me and rolls his eyes when I suggest it.

Back to the New York Times essay. The idea of paying a kid $100 to read a book kind of makes my skin crawl. First of all, there’s the obvious element of privilege and financial status — offering this kind of cash to a child is clearly only for those who can shell out $100 without blinking an eye. But my focus today is really more about the bribery concept itself:

Why do we need to monetize reading? Shouldn’t reading be its own reward? Obviously, for book lovers, the answers is a resounding yes.

But how do we get our reluctant readers to pick up a book, for no other reason than to enjoy it? I don’t want to bemoan technology and how it’s destroying the youth of today. I love a good meme or cat video as much as the next person, and my husband routinely comments on my phone never leaving my hands. And yet, it’s also true that someone who loves to read will find the time and the attention to read… and someone who doesn’t have that innate love of reading simply will not.

After reading the essay, I briefly engaged in a thought exercise about trying to bribe my son. I know that if he’d only step away from his screens and put down the video game controllers, there’d actually be time in his day to spend at least a little while reading a book. To him, this just isn’t something that pulls him, and he has no motivation to do so. But if I dangled a cash incentive in front of him? Well, maybe.

And yet, the idea of actually offering money to get him to read is a huge turn-off.

Where does an incentive cross the line into bribery? We’re all familiar with library reading challenges that offer stickers and prizes for summer reading achievements, and I know many schools have read-a-thons and other competitions that tie reading to some sort of tangible reward. So why does offering cash strike me as a step too far? And yet, for my adult child, it’s really the only thing I could see tempting him. (Stickers will no longer cut it, alas.)

No, I’m not going to do it. But I do have a sneaking suspicion that if I actually did offer him $100, he’d be more than happy to comply.

I’m curious about other people with reluctant readers or non-readers in their lives? Do you offer incentives? Would you offer or have you ever offered cash? What’s your reaction to the NYT article?

I’d love to hear other people’s reactions on this! Please chime in and share your thoughts.

A final note: Upon finishing this post, I found a link to a post of mine from ten years ago about this exact topic — offering cash to my son to get him to read! My incentive plan topped out at $10 at that time… and as far as I recall, had no effect whatsoever. My offer of money for each book he read was not enough to actually tempt him. I’d completely forgotten about this post and the idea itself — probably because it went nowhere. Now, if I’d offered $100 per book… who knows???

Book Review: It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

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Title: It Starts with Us
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Atria
Publication date: October 18, 2022
Length: 323 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Before It Ends with Us, it started with Atlas. Colleen Hoover tells fan favorite Atlas’s side of the story and shares what comes next in this long-anticipated sequel to the “glorious and touching” (USA TODAY) #1 New York Times bestseller It Ends with Us.

Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.

But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.

Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).

OK, I’ve paid my dues! I’ve read TWO Colleen Hoover books, and that’s enough for me.

It Starts with Us is the follow up to the author’s 2016 bestseller It Ends with Us, recently made into a movie and generating quite a bit of online chatter. It Starts with Us picks up immediately after the epilogue of the previous book. Read on to learn more… but note that there will be spoilers for both books.

Let’s start with the most important bit: The synopsis above refers to Ryle as a “jealous ex-husband”. Why doesn’t the promotional material for these books come right out and say what’s really going on? Ryle is abusive, physically and emotionally. In the first book, Lily eventually leaves Ryle after he bites her, pushes her down a flight of stairs, leaves her with a concussion and in need of stitches, and attempts to rape her. There’s no sugar-coating this… so no, “jealous” doesn’t even begin to cut it.

In It Starts with Us, Lily is navigating co-parenting with Ryle. While she retains full custody of their toddler daughter, Ryle has visitation rights. Further complicating matters is the fact that Lily’s best friend Allysa is Ryle’s sister, and she lives in the same building as Ryle.

When Lily runs into her first love Atlas (yes, that’s actually his name), they both know that their connection has never gone away, despite all the years apart. Lily is worried about how Ryle will react to her dating anyone post-divorce, but especially Atlas, the man who seems to trigger all of Ryle’s worst impulses just by existing.

Atlas’s life is also complicated by the introduction of a 12-year-old brother whom he never knew about, thanks to his estranged mother’s manipulations and emotional cruelty. Once Atlas meets Josh, he’s determined to get custody and give him a better life than Atlas had at that age.

And meanwhile, Atlas and Lily begin dating, and reignite all the sparks that ever existed between them.

It Starts with Us goes pretty much as you’d expect it to go. The main storyline is about Lily and Atlas’s romance, with chapters alternating between each of their perspectives. Atlas is, of course, simply too good to be true, patient and devoted and kind, refusing to be angered or driven to violence even when Ryle throws the first punch. He’s gentle, yet fiercely protective of Lily.

Lily is a puzzle, to be honest, and she seems to have gotten poor legal advice, among other problems. She never filed charges against Ryle and did not document his abuse as part of their divorce and custody agreements, so when he lashes out again, there’s no pattern to point to. Sure, she can file new charges, but there’s no documented history, and everyone seems to feel that she would have a hard time proving her case.

She also seems to worry a lot about Ryle’s reactions, how to talk to him about her dating life, and how he’ll feel about Atlas being back in her life. And why exactly is this his business? Since when does an ex get to have an opinion on who someone dates?

I’m stuck dealing with Ryle’s feelings forever, and frankly, I’m growing tired of always feeling sorry for him, worried for him, fearful of him, considerate of his feelings.

Lily can’t avoid Ryle, because she’s constantly over at Allysa’s house… but why continue to go there when confrontations seem inevitable? And why on earth would she agree to closed-door, isolated conversations with Ryle when she is fully aware of who he is and how easily his anger erupts?

Late in the book, she insists that he starts working on anger management… but why did no one push him in that direction years earlier?

Lily’s overall take on abuse is really concerning:

I realize in this moment that the hardest part about ending an abusive relationship is that you aren’t necessarily putting an end to the bad moments. The bad moments still rear their ugly heads every now and then. When you end an abusive relationship, it’s the good moments you put an end to.

In the world of these books, the abuse seems to be portrayed as especially awful because there’s so much love in the relationship. So if he was just nasty all the time, it would be easier? I’m not sure what message the author is trying to send here, but I don’t feel it’s a healthy one.

I could go on. There’s so much about this plot that bothers or frustrates me, and it’s not helped by shoddy writing and poor grammar. I suppose you could argue that the first-person narratives are reflecting how Lily and Atlas speak, rather than following grammar rules, but really, is it that hard to say “between Ryle and me”, rather than “between Ryle and I”, which is what actually appears in the book?

There are so many ridiculous elements — here are just a few more:

  • Lily gives Atlas her teen journals to read, to let him see what she felt and experienced when they were together all those years ago. Who on earth would actually do this?
  • Ryle’s sister, brother-in-law, and mother all seem to love and support him, are sad that his marriage failed, but place no restrictions on his role in their lives. His violence seems to be a feature, not a bug.
  • It takes Lily over a year post-divorce to get her house key back from Ryle.
  • Atlas talks to his friend’s 13-year-old son about his personal life and jokingly refers to him as his “therapist”.
  • Ryle continues in his work as a super-successful neurosurgeon… and I still think it strains credulity that he would work in such a high-stress profession and not have his anger issues leak out into his work life.

By the end of the book, Lily at least places restrictions on Ryle’s interactions with their daughter, pending his participation in anger management sessions… but the fact that it took her that long to do so also seems incredible. How does she know that his violence will only affect Lily herself and not their child? She places a degree of trust in him that’s unwarranted, to say the least.

That’s it for my rambles. Both of these books, while highly readable, are also problematic in so many ways. They’re fast reads, and I stuck with them — I did want to see where the author takes the characters and how I’d feel about the wrap-up.

However, I can now safely say that my curiosity about Colleen Hoover’s books has been more than satisfied, and I feel no need to explore further. I know her books are wildly popular… but she just isn’t an author for me.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Involving Food (That are Not Cookbooks)

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Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books Involving Food (That are Not Cookbooks). Yummmmm.

Here are ten (mostly) recent reads that feature food… and which left me hungry!

1. Songs for the Broken-Hearted by Ayelet Tsabari: So many wonderful descriptions of Yemenite Jewish food! (review)

2. The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais: About restaurants and family, and filled with mouth-watering dishes. (review)

3. Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev: Love on a cooking reality show! (review)

4. The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan: You could really include most Jenny Colgan books on this list! So many of her books center around bakeries or sweetshops, and even include recipes! (review)

5. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki: I just finished this book over the weekend, and it left me with huge cravings for donuts. Especially cake donuts… (review)

6. Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau: Speaking of donuts… (review)

7. The Vintage Village Bake Off by Judy Leigh: Among other delights, this book includes a scone-baking competition. Delish… (review)

8. A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey: A YA book with a main character whose cooking is central to her journey. (review)

9. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: Throughout this YA trilogy, the main character bakes and bakes and bakes.

10. A Twist of Fate by Kelley Armstong: In this timeslip romance, the main character supports herself and her sisters by opening a bakery, and thanks to her time-traveling ways, introduces chocolate chip cookies to her Victorian-era family. (review)

What books have you read recently that feature amazing food? If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!

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