Fun Sister Story

West End Girls by Jenny Colgan
Publication Date - January 5, 2021
4 stars 

When I first started reading this book, I thought the characters and the plot were sort of ridiculous but I should have had more faith in Jenny Colgan.  The characters grew in unexpected ways, the side characters were charming and funny and the story ended up being a lot more sweet than I thought it would be.  I really ended up liking this and it was a wonderfully distracting book for a fraught time.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Romantic Comedy

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates by MaryJanice Davidson
Publication Date - December 15, 2020
3.5 stars

Ava is a commercial pilot who loves her job and loves to be on the move even more.  Tom is a super smart medical examiner who has dedicated his life to his job and his family.  They are thrown together as Ava returns to her hometown for the 10 year anniversary of her best friends murder.  This is a creatively written romantic comedy that attempts to celebrate and subvert our favorite tropes.  I liked both of the characters and for the most part enjoyed their humorous banter.  At times, this book tries a little to hard to be funny, often veering into ridiculousness, but I did mostly enjoy this sweet romance.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Underground Dystopia

Escaping Eleven by Jerri Chisholm

Publication Date - December 8, 2020

3 stars

I find the premise of this YA dystopian series extremely interesting.  As planet Earth has become uninhabitable, wealthy corporations have built underground compounds for the rich.  Since the rich obviously need people to do the jobs below them, they created a stratified society where one's worth is determined by what level of the compound the live on.  Eve lives on one of the lower levels and by appearance is training for the life of a fighter, but secretly is planning her escape from compound eleven.  She meets Wren, from the highest floor, and begins an unlikely relationship.  I think that this plot is exciting and even realistic.  I found the relationships, though, to be a tad superficial and I wasn't a huge fan of the romantic aspect.  The ending did leave me wanting to see what happens next, so I will most likely try to read the next in the series.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.