Tag Archive for: Contemporary

Sunset Beach

Sunset BeachTitle: Sunset Beach
Author(s): Mary Kay Andrews
Genre(s): Contemporary
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 433
Length: 14h 31m
Narrator(s): Kathleen McInerney
Source: Library
Reason(s): None
Rating:
Spice: 2 Flames

My Thoughts

This is my first Mary Kay Andrews book and it won’t be my last. I mostly chose to read this because other reviews said it was romantic suspense. If you go into it thinking there’s a healthy dose of romance, you’ll be disappointed. It’s very light on the romance. The romance doesn’t even show up until 70% or more into the story. Even though I was a bit disappointed due to the lack of romance, I still really enjoyed the story, characters, and setting, and the mystery aspect kept me guessing until the end.

Beartown

BeartownTitle: Beartown
Author(s): Fredrik Backman
Series: Beartown #1
Genre(s): Contemporary
Format(s): Kindle
Pages: 496
Source: Library
Reason(s): Book Club
Rating:
Spice: 0.5 Flames

My Thoughts

BEARTOWN is an emotionally thought-provoking story that deals with hard subjects like toxic masculinity, winning at all costs, and consent. The story’s sad but hopeful, and extremely maddening. At times, it was difficult to keep reading. Even though my heart hurts, it was worth the pain and sorrow. I absolutely had no idea that a book about hockey (but not really) would make me feel the way I did.

Backman’s books are as good as they are because of his characters. Not only is he a master at writing emotionally charged stories, he’s also a master at writing a whole cast of round, complicated characters that are easy to connect with because they feel like real people with real lives.

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Remarkably Bright CreaturesTitle: Remarkably Bright Creatures
Author(s): Shelby Van Pelt
Genre(s): Contemporary
Format(s): Hard Cover
Pages: 360
Source: Library
Reason(s): Book Club
Rating:
Spice: 0.5 Flames

My Thoughts

I absolutely adored this book REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES. As soon as I started reading it, I could tell it was going to suck me right in. I laughed, I cried, and I mostly smiled as I read this heart-warming story of love, loss, grief, and resilience. I adored Marcellus, the smart, snarky, a little bit cranky, delightful octopus narrator. I especially loved his friendship with Tova, the main human character.