Book Review: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Kate Rorick and Benie Su

Summary (GoodReads)

Twenty four year old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and still living at home along with her two sisters, beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet sisters into internet celebrities seemingly overnight.

When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets and for Lizzie's viewers. But not everything happens on screen. Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet takes readers deep inside Lizzie's world and well beyond the confines of her camera, from the wedding where she first meets William Darcy to the local hangout of Carter's bar, and much more. Lizzie's private musings are filled with revealing details about the Bennet household, including her growing suspicions about her parents unstable financial situation, her sister's budding relationship with Bing Lee, the perils of her unexpected fame, and her uncertainty over her future, and whom she wants to share it with.

Featuring plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the web series phenomenon that captivated a generation and re-imagines the Pride and Prejudice story like never before. 

My Thoughts:

Okay, so I admit I was a big fan of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and I love Pride and Prejudice and I was so excited to read this book, I really was - particularly because I had heard it was really good. 

Sadly, I had issues with The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet, I think Lizzie's personality didn't always translate well to the book format, she often came off a little wooden and, dare I say it, not quite likable. And I also felt like a lot of her 'personal' diary feel like a research log: informative notes rather than a private, intimate narrative - and let me tell you, I've written both research logs and private diaries, so the difference jumped at me.

As I said, the writing was wooden, like she had sat down and done draft after draft before settling on what was on the page, rather than a more immediate "I'm just pouring my heart out here" style.

That could just be my personal taste though.

Also, I didn't feel like it added to the Vlog's experience because, well, I already knew the source material, I already knew whom Jane, Lizzie and Lydia were supposed to be, so... well, there you go.

On the other hand, I did like Charlotte Wu here, felt like I got to know her a little better. The rest? well, I'm looking forward to the Lydia book coming out this year and all, but for this book in particular...it kind of confirmed that Lizzie doesn't particularly get more interesting the more you get to know her.

I guess I mean to say she didn't surprise me.
1/2

The Nightingale Girls by Donna Douglas

At First Sight: After seeing the nurses from the Nightingale Hospital run about in their uniforms and smart capes, Dora began to dream about becoming one of those nurses herself. Not an easy task as she comes from an improvised family in the East End, but she sees no other way to escape an awful situation at home.

When she gets her chance, Dora is amazed but the world of the Nightingale isn't exactly as she imagined, something that becomes obvious when she starts sharing a room with Helen and Millie.

Helen's mother is in the board of trustees of the hospital and likes to control everything that Helen does  - from how long her hair is to how starchy her uniform should be - and, as a result, Helen is extremely reserved and none of the other girls in the nursing program like her.

Millie - or Lady Camilla - left her aristocratic home and matchmaking grandmother behind to become a nurse, but she's constantly having trouble in her clases as the instructors don't like her rebellious and carefree attitude.

But, agains the odds, they start forming a friendship between them.

Second Glance: The Nightingale Girls sounded plenty fun when I first read the official burb, and it said that people who liked Call the Midwife (and we all know I do) would like this series. So I went in thinking it would be something like that.

But it really wasn't, I mean, it had similar elements to it but I have always found the over all tone of Call the Midwife to be overwhelmingly positive and hopeful, and there were times when Nightingale Girls was a little too dour and sad and, lets face it, depressing.

The writing was good and I grew to like all the girls eventually, they all had their demons to face, and I even liked the director of the nursing program. I just wish there had been a bit more fun in the story.

It did bring the 1930's hospital environment to life so that was a plus. 

Bottom Line: The Nightingale Girls was okay. I won't be rushing to buy the next one in the series but I'm glad I read this book all in all. 

Book Review: The Friendship Pact by Tara Taylor Quinn

At First Sight: Koralynn and Bailey have been best friends since they were 5 years old, and have gone through life's milestones together with Bailey often staying at Kora's house as her mom's life imploded over and over again with the comings and goings of her stepfathers, and later with them rooming together in college.

There is nothing to test their friendship, not even Kora's husband Danny- her high school sweetheart -  who never warmed toward Bailey, even though he has known her just as long as he has known Kora - partially because Bailey keeps on breaking Danny's best friend Jack's heart time and again.

Bailey thinks she's not built for relationships, not the way Kora is anyway, and after ending things with Jack, Bailey realizes that she really doesn't want a husband - much as she does love Jack, she's terrified of being married to him - but she definitely wants a child; and, much to Kora's displeasure, she wants to try IVF.

Kora herself is trying to get pregnant, and she's so happy with her life that she wants Bailey's life to be just like hers - with a nuclear, traditional family at the center - so she's dead set against Bailey being a single mother. Bailey hates fighting with Kora and not being able to share this with her, but she finds an unexpected ally in Danny, who gets why Bailey wants to go it alone (after seeing his own parents go through a nasty divorce years before). In fact, someone like Danny would be the perfect donor for Bailey... if he weren't married to her best friend.

Second Glance: The Friendship Pact is not my usual cup of coffee (I don't drink tea), it's not even like the Cosmo I drink once in a while when I crave alcohol but don't wanna get drunk. It's some strange mix, like when you decide to try all the flavors at the soda machine at once. It's strange, can't say is GOOD, but it's oddly addictive.

That's pretty much how I felt about this story - and let me tell you that what I said above is barely but one half of the Bailey and Kora's journey. It's strange, it's a bit "everything and the sink" yet, I couldn't put it down, I HAD TO KNOW where everything ended (and I found myself a little sad when it was over, like I needed an epilogue or something).

Like I said it's a complex story that has at it's center, a deep, deep bond of friendship. Kora and Bailey have this little phase between them: "I would give you my kidney" / "I would give you two", and they really mean it, that's how much they love each other, but their lives are very, very different. And they get tested, a lot, through the course of this book.

Jack and Danny are important players too. Jack is very in love with Bailey but can't handle that she doesn't want to marry him, and Danny is often in the middle between his loyalty to Jack and Kora's displeasure that he's not nice to her best friend. 

Bottom Line: The Friendship Pact is a very messy, tangled web of things. Sometimes it felt like too much but it was very addictive and, in the end, I guess I did care about these people a lot. It was a very interesting exercise 

1/2

Book Review: Hidden by Catherine McKenzie

The Deal: Three lives collide when Jeff Manning decides to walk home from work after having to fire his mentor from the company they both worked for. Jeff is distracted, reflecting about his life when he's blindsided by a car and dies. 

At home, his wife Claire waits for him, and is shocked when police officers come to her door to let her know about the accident.

She now has to comfort their grieving son and deal with the neighbors and with the sudden reappearance of Jeff's older brother whom she used to date back in college, and with the many unresolved feelings she still has about the Manning brothers and the turns her life has taken. 

Miles away and in another city entirely, Tish's world is rocked by the news of Jeff's passing. As far as anyone knows, they have only talked to each other once or twice at company-wide events. But unbeknown to everyone, even their spouses, Tish and Jeff talked every day, several times in fact, sustaining a complex long distance relationship.

My Thoughts: Told in alternating points of view between Tish, Jeff and Claire, Hidden tells a very complicated story that goes back and forth between past and present of these characters and how they related to each other.

Catherine McKenzie is an author that writes unusual stories and I've always enjoyed that about her books, but I'll admit that I had to go on faith a little with Hidden because it took me a while to get into the story.

While Claire, Tish and Jeff's voices were distinctive, I found it hard to connect with any of them, as they often tended to reminisce about the past - how Jeff met both Claire and Tish, the trials of Claire's marriage - and Tish often sounded whiny and... unappreciative of the life she did have (with a husband and kid who loved her).

But as the story unfolded and the layers began to be peeled back, I was intrigued by the links between these people and the choices they had made.

While not my favorite Catherine McKenzie book (That would be Forgotten); Hidden is interesting and made for a good read at the end, though it had a slow start.

Book Review: The Heiresses by Sarah Shepard

The Deal: They Saybrook family made it's fortune in diamonds, and they are Upper East Side royalty, with their good looks and pots of money. Their lives are charmed (or maybe cursed). And all that before a clause in the patriarch's will says that only his granddaughters can inherit the massive fortune. 

Corrine, Rowan, Aster and Poppy are the heiresses (and each other's cousins), each with their own secrets and longings, and their own role to play within the diamond empire. There is also Natasha, the black sheep of the family who "disinherited" herself recently. 

But when Poppy, she of the perfect life and wonderful husband, is killed, the remaining heiresses are drawn together to figure out who killed Poppy and why, before one of them becomes the next victim.

My Thoughts: The Heiresses is like a grown up version of Gossip Girl with a dash of Shepard's own Pretty Little Liars thrown in. There are secrets and scandals and all type of inappropriate behavior that we all seem to find (morbidly) fascinating when it involves the beautiful and rich.

The book in general was dishy and trashy and somewhat fun... but it also had several issues. For starters, you're introduced to tons of characters all at once in the first couple of chapters, it was really hard to keep track - or even care about any of them. It was easier to keep the cousins straight by remembering who was the party girl, or the ugly duckling or the lawyer, than anything else, because their voices didn't sound that distinct to me. 

So, if you're looking for a Gossip Girl for grown ups type of book, this might work well for you (though I think the too large cast of characters might still be a problem for some). Otherwise, stay clear. 

1/2

Book Review: Heartbreak Cake by Cindy Arora

At First Sight: Life should be sweet for pastry chef Indira Aguilar: she and her best friend Pedro own and run Cake Pan Shoppe - a small but trendy cake story that is quickly becoming a staple of the Laguna Beach community - and they are becoming a hit with the less traditional brides.

They even got in on the biggest wedding of the year, which is quite the coup even if the bride keeps changing her mind on the theme for the wedding.

But there is another side to Indira's life that isn't going so well: everything that has to do with Josh Oliver, her former boss at the Crystal Cover Resort, where Indira used to work.

With the return of Josh absentee wife Valentina a few months prior, and the end of Indira's affair with him, rumors start running wild in the community, threatening to take Indira's shop and pull it under, unless she can keep it together.

In the midst of all of it, she meets Noah, the hot new chef at Crystal Cove, who might be interested on being more than just friends.

Second Glance: I really loved Heartbreak Cake mostly because I really loved Indira. She's in her mid-thirties and striking out on her own professionally, confident in her skills set yet always trying to improve, she's smart and driven and has lots of talent. But she has also made lots of bad choices in her personal life. Her relationship with Josh was complicated as they come; and things weren't black and white at all. Plus, she recognizes she made a big mistake and ends things and deals with the fall out.

I respected her for it, in a way I rarely respect or even put-up with characters that indulge in wildly misguided love or romantic naiveté. Indira was one tough cookie and a decent one at that; and for me this book was really all about her and how she healed her own broken heart with the support of her family and her true friends, and the thing she loves doing the most: baking.

Yes, there is a very strong romantic element to the story - and Noah was a very nice and swoony love interest, I really liked him, even in his imperfections (like his stubbornness and bit of hot-headedness) - but Heartbreak Cake was about more than that, and definitely more chick lit than a straight romance.

Also, I loved how they book showed the curative power of baking, of creating, or just doing something that you really, really love. 

Bottom Line: Thumbs up for Heartbreak Cake. It's a charming debut novel with a very strong central character, a delightful cast of secondary characters - I particularly loved Simon and Pedro - and lots of baked goods (warning, though, this book will make you super hungry). And, in conclusion: croissants!

Favorite Quote: "One always needs hope after a break up, I think, as I remove the foil from the milk chocolate bar and begin to chop it. A beacon to remind you that you will survive and eventually, thrive" 

  (Kissy Bear Likes Baked Goods!)

Love, 

This review is part of the Heartbreak Cake Blog Tour hosted by Fictionella. Click here for past and future tour stops. 

Book Review: Two of a Kind by Yona Zeldis McDonough

At First Sight: When they first met at a wedding, Christina Connolly and Andy Stern weren't off to the best start. Christina thought Andy rude and brusque, and Andy thought Christina was very reserved and icy.

But Christina, an interior decorator, couldn't turn her nose up at the opportunity to work for Andy - a very successful obi/gyn doctor - on his Upper East Side apartment.

Both are widowers (Christina for 10 years, Andy for about 2), and don't seem to have much in common, each struggling with careers and single-parenthood; but little by little they are drawn to each other, building on a physical attraction they can't help but to explore.

In the background are both their children, Christina's 14 year old Jordan who is an aspiring ballerina who puts too much pressure on herself; and Andy's 16 year old Oliver, who is using drugs to cope with his Mom's death and Andy's workaholic ways.

To Andy's surprise, Oliver likes Christina almost instantly and is happy to spend time with her, but Jordan is another story entirely as she can't seem to stand him; making their blending of their families seem impossible. 

Second Glance: Two of a Kind was a pleasant surprise. I hoped I would like it, but I wasn't sure as I hadn't tried this author before and the beginning was a little slow - it takes Christina and Andy a while to get together.

But I loved this book for it's realism, even though they are vaguely attracted to each other at first, Andy and Christina don't jump in bed together, they become friends first and they have many fights - Christina is a bit oversensitive as a result of a childhood spent with a volatile parent; and Andy is used to let his mouth run off and has little tact when dealing with people other than his patients - yet they try to make it work, even when real life keeps intruding.

You also get to see a lot of their life apart, with Christina's struggling business and Andy's practice, and it's nice to see that they have real problems. I even liked Oliver and Jordan, even if Oliver was a bit of aimless and Jordan was a bit of a brat.

My one complaint about the book is that I would have liked to see Andy and Christina spend more time together. 

Bottom Line: Two of a Kind was a very enjoyable read, full of characters that right true and sound normal. It's not exactly a romance novel, but it has a very strong romantic element and it had some very sweet moments - my favorite is when Andy tells Oliver that Christina is his girlfriend and Oliver has the best reaction ever.

Book Review: The Bride Work Size 12 by Meg Cabot

At First Sight: With less than a month to go before her wedding to P.I. Cooper Cartwright, Heather Wells is super busy, but not with wedding preparations as one would guess, but with the check-in process at Fischer Hall, the dorm where she works.

There is the usual suspects to deal with: RA's who get sick, over-zealous parents trying to get special treatment for her very special awesome kids... and a Very Important Resident in the form of Prince Rashid from a middle eastern kingdom who comes complete with two even more over-zealous bodyguards than any parent Heather has ever dealt with.

Which is stressful enough - more so now that Fischer Hall, formerly known as Death Dorm, is currently the It Place To Live in Campus - but on top of that: Heather's mom dropped by for a surprise visit, people she's sure she didn't invite to her wedding keep thanking her for the invite and one of the RA's was just found dead... and Heather has gotten to her head that another student might be the one to blame. 

Second Glance: It's not secret that I love Meg Cabot's books, and that I love Heather Wells. She has has a special place in my heart mostly because I love her personality, things haven't always gone great for Heather - even if she was a pop star once - but she doesn't let that bring her down, she's honest to God one of the most optimistic characters ever, without getting annoying.

Other than that, this is a pretty good mystery thought the plot line is fairly simple. It does have a couple of sub plots that show up and then are dropped rather suddenly, and I would have liked more resolution on that. The book is, however, very fun.

Heather is hilarious and I love seeing her with Cooper and her friends. Like I said, I genuinely like her and she's one fictional girl that I would love to have as a friend, so I enjoy spending time with her. 

Bottom Line: I liked The Bride Wore Size 12 quite a bit (and quite a bit more than Size 12 and Ready to Rock). I had a good time hanging out with Heather. I'll be happy to read another one of her adventures, and I would be okay if this was the end since things do get nicely wrapped up. The Bride Wore Size 12 is a self contained, funny mystery and it comes out September 24. 

 

Book Review: Stay by Allie Larkin

At First Sight: For the last six years, Savannah "Van" Leone has been in love with Peter Clarke, whom she meet during her first class at university... problem is that for about four of those years he has been in love with Van's best friend Janie and the two of them just got married. 

After having to serve as maid of honor in the blessed event, and after a row with Janie's mom Diane - for whom Van's mother worked - Van finds herself in possession of a sizable amount of money and trying to drown her pain in a few too many cocktails... which is how she ends up buying a dog on ebay.

But what she thought was a puppy turns out to be a huge, year old giant named Joe who only understands Slovak and has to have special food made for him. 

With entirely too much on her plate - including lingering, unresolved business and resentments with both Janie and Diane, and Peter suddenly needing to call her and talk to her all the time, even while at his honeymoon - Van does not want a giant mess of a dog... but, over time, she comes to realize that Joe might be just what she needed. That and Joe's handsome veterinarian.

Second Glance: I've had Stay in my TBR pile for almost two years and now I feel bad I didn't read it sooner because it was a really sweet story. Van was very likable - even if she needed to learn to say "No" when people where pushing her around - and I LOVED seeing her develop her relationship with Joe. I'm a dog person and the bond that grows between them made my dog-loving heart happy. 

And I loved Joe's vet, sure he could be a little thick headed sometimes but he was very nice and once his whole story was out in the open I went "Aww" a few times. 

Peter and Janie were very hard to like most of the time but even there, the author managed to pull things together in the end, in a way that felt really organic and appropriate as the two of them and Van had to re-learn how to be friends with each other again and find a more balanced relationship rather than just the two of them leaning on Van all the time. 

Peter's aunt - whom Van befriends - was a delight too.

Bottom Line: I really liked Stay. It had it's slow parts and sometimes the characters really pushed my buttons but I liked Ms Larkin's narrative and the story she told. It is more Chick Lit than Contemporary Romance, though, and the big love story here is between Van and Joe. 

Speed Date: Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich

The Plot: If it weren't because he was desperate to get back home, Logan Montgomery wouldn't have found himself seating in Coach next to Holly Brennan. Never a skinny girl - and having gained a lot of weight in the last couple of years - Holly isn't happy to be seating next to a man who would give Adonis a run for his money.

But they get talking a little on the flight from Toronto to New Jersey and Logan decides he's going to help her lose the extra weight; since he is a really famous personal trainer to various pro athletes, after all. Holly isn't sure at first, but soon decides that it's time she started moving on and gaining her life back, starting with losing all the extra weight she put on while taking care of her late husband Bruce.

Soon enough, Logan and Holly strike an easy friendship, as they throw themselves into Holly's fitness quest. And, as time passes, their friendship deepens and they become something of a fixture in each other's lives. But neither of them is quite prepared for the attraction that grows beween them as Holly's weight begins to drop bit by bit, and they spend more and more time together. 

First Date: Oh, Logan! You're a bit of a jerk but at least you're honest. I like that. Holly you're determined, I like that too. And I kind of like the stuff Logan says about fitness and wellness, he's very professional about his work as a personal trainer. 

Second Date: Finally! It took you forever to get it together, Holly and Logan!!! *Sigh* Also, I like Chase and Amanda, but I don't see the point of going so in detail about their sex lives, and relationship they got absolutely no conflict between them, it's distracting. 

Third Date: And now, y'all start acting silly. Still I enjoyed getting to know you guys. 

Relationship Status: On Probation.

I really liked the book over all, but the third date was a bit of a bust. It felt like the author wasn't sure how or where to end the story, so the ending felt both a little abrupt and a little long-winded, if that's possible.

But, as I said, I did like the book a lot, it was so much fun to read. 

2/3

What's a Book Speed Date, you ask? It's a quickie review--about 150 words or so--of any genre book (variety is the spice of life, after all).

If you want to join in or just read other speed date reviews, check out The Book Swarm

PS -Sorry, I'm a day late.
PSS - Thanks to the publisher for the review copy via Edelweiss