I Otter Be Reading

Overall:  This book is a modern retelling of a Hades and Persephone story.  It is set in an ultra modern city of Olympus.  It is supposed to be in the modern world, but obviously, we never know exactly where.  There is a fun map, that I referred to a lot, at the front of the book that explains the lay-out of the city.  The city is run by it’s leader Zeus, and the rest of the powerful Thirteen.  At yet another glitzy party
that socialite Persephone and her sisters have to attend, their mother Demeter
and Zeus suddenly announce Zeus’s engagement to Persephone.  This forced engagement is a shock to Persephone and she flees the party, running for her life.  All of Zeus’s other wives have eventually ended up dead, and Persephone is determined not to become the next one.   She keeps running, not really knowing where she can go, while being chased down by Zeus’s men, who are not going to let her get away.  She has no choice but to cross the bridge over the River Styx, into the forbidden lower city, the territory of Hades.  Hades himself is a myth in
Olympus…. not supposed to actually exist.  But, the mysterious man that helps her to safety turns out to be Hades himself.  Persephone and Hades agree to make
a deal that will benefit them both.  He offers her refuge and safety from Zeus for 3 months, until she turns 25, gets her trust fund, and can leave Olympus forever. 
She offers him the revenge that he has been wanting for so many years, a way to finally get back at Zeus.       

Ovations:  I like that this is a modern retelling of the Gods of Greek Mythology.  Many Gods are in this book, but only in a vague way.  It is really a love story between Hades and Persephone.  I love that is a romance book, but so different from the usual, predictable storylines.  Hades and Persephone are a very opposites-attract type of pairing.  But, that said, even though they are opposites, I do enjoy how the relationship is a balanced one, in terms of a power dynamic.  He is rescuing her but she is rescuing him right back.  They are both strong, smart, sexy, confident, brave, kind, beautiful, appreciative, and caring people.  Also, the two of them are mutually very hot for eachother.  So, I have to mention that there are a lot of spicy sex scenes between them in this book.  I enjoyed them and that is why I put it in the “Ovations” section.  If you don’t like a lot of hot sex scenes in your romance books, this book is definitely not for you! 

Oh Well:  This book does use Greek Mythology in it’s storyline.  However, it was not really the main focus of the book.  But, I would have liked more of it.  For example, they live in Olympus but it is not talked about in very much detail.  I would have liked to have much more information on that world.  Also, the other Thirteen are mentioned, but we really get no other information on the purposes and personalities of the other Gods.  ( I know there are more books in this series that do go into the other characters, so that will help.)  Also, they are called Gods, but they don’t have any supernatural powers.  It would have been a much more interesting book if they did.  I just feel like the whole Greek Gods / Mythology aspect was not used to the advantage that it could have been.       

Opinion:  If you want to read a very hot & steamy love story between 2 well matched people, then this book is for you.  The plot being set in the Greek Mythology world adds a fun and unique storyline to this book.  It is so much more interesting than your normal romance book setting.  This book is the first of a series that goes on to tell stories about other members of the Gods of Olympus.  I really liked this book and am definitely going to read the next books as they come out.  I want to keep finding out more about this world and these characters.  Rating 9 out of 10   

Overall:  The book starts out with Fallon and her father having a difficult discussion at a diner, and Ben, a total stranger to them, sits down next to Fallon.  He pretends to be her boyfriend, and proceeds to defend Fallon in the disagreement and also tell-off her father.  This is how Fallon and Ben first meet, on November 9^th.  Fallon is moving across the country from L.A. to New York the next day.  She and her new found fake-boyfriend decide to spend the rest of that day together before she moves away.  They find out that they have a strong connection and really love spending that time together, however, she is moving away to start a new life.  So, they decide to not exchange numbers, and they block each other on social media so they can’t be in contact.  But, they really want to see eachother again, so they decide to meet up at the same place next year on the same date, November 9^th.  They are young.  She is only 18 years old, and they go on with their respective lives for that next year.  She is trying to break into becoming a Broadway actress, and he is going to write a novel.  Even though they have the whole country between them, and no contact with eachother, they are always in each other’s thoughts.  They do meet up again the next year.  They stick to their agreement though, and only spend the one day together.   They give eachother assignments for the next year to try and help themselves grow as separate people and make the most of their time apart.  But, all they want to do is be together!  They realize that they are falling in love.  But then, the plot twists start coming!  There are several… and they are shocking!  Obviously, I am not going to spoil anything for you here.  But, the two of them have a lot to overcome if they really want to have their Happily Ever After.      

Ovations:  The way that the author, Colleen Hoover, writes is just beautiful.  She puts in so many quotable lines, my book is all underlined in pen!  I never do that, but I couldn’t help it! There is so much good writing in this story.  I liked both the main characters of Fallon and Ben.  They both are flawed characters with lots of growing up and learning to do.  They are trying to do that separately, but also together.  It is a beautiful story filled with heart.  There is a lot of fun book-talk
about romance books and rom-coms in this book.  There is some witty banter between Fallon and Ben, but this book is not a humorous rom-com.  It is a contemporary love story with some tragic twists.  I have never read a book like this one before.  I really loved this touching and memorable story. 

Oh Well:  One thing that bugged me was when Ben called her Baby.  I know it was supposed to be a term of endearment, but it just really annoyed me.  Also, he could be a bit too controlling at times, which I did not like either.       

Opinion:  I originally bought this book because I knew it was a romance, and it was called November 9.  My Grandparent’s Wedding Anniversary is November 9, 1939, so that made me interested in reading this romance.  I am so glad I did, because this is a beautiful book!  It will run you through all of your emotions.  It is so interesting, heartbreaking, romantic, devastating, hopeful, and so well written.  I know this author has written many books, and I am going to be buying more of them!  Rating 9 out of 10.   

Overall:  This book is by a Minnesota author, about a group of women who don’t have much in common except that they all live in the same suburban Minnesota neighborhood.  They decide to start a book club together.  The beginning of each chapter is the new book chosen by a book club member to read for the month, and reason why she chose that particular book.  Their book club was named, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons (AHEB for short), because one of the husbands wouldn’t “allow” his wife to join a book club.  He said it would probably just be a bunch of angry housewives sitting around bitching about their husbands and eating bon bons.  That wife did in fact join the book club, and they named it that as a joke on her husband.   This book covers the lives of the book club ladies over the next 30 years, from the late 1960’s through the late 1990’s.  As the book goes on through all the years, you get to learn all about the happenings in the lives of the book club members.  The marriages, divorces, them having children, getting jobs, deaths, dating, and becoming empty nesters.  The ladies, their husbands, and children all live in the same neighborhood and all know eachother socially.  You get to learn their backstories to learn a little about why the ladies turned out the way that they did.  But, the core of the book is really about the friendship and amazingly strong 30 year bond between these ladies who, at first, had little in common but their address.  Through this book club, they become lifelong best friends and help eachother get through all of life’s ups and downs together.     

Ovations:  I loved that this book had a Minnesota connection.  It is written by a Minnesota author and is set in a Minnesota suburban neighborhood.  But, the best part of the book was it’s storyline.  The life stories of all of these ladies was told in such a realistic and honest way.  This book will run you through a full range of emotions…. from happy, joyful, and excited, to sad, confused and outraged.  You will laugh and you will cry.  You will become very invested in the lives of these women and their families because the writing is so authentic and absorbing. 

Oh Well:  This book is over 400 pages and has a very slow pace.  It has 30 years and many characters to cover and it takes it’s time.  So, this is not a quick, light read.  You need to know that going in. 

Opinion:  I enjoyed that this book was about a book club.  I liked that each chapter named the book they were reading in book club, who selected it, and why.  The books were real books that came out during those 30 years that this book follows the events of.  So, you can go out and find some of these old books if they are something you would like to actually read now.  Each month these ladies got together to discuss a book, have some snacks, cocktails, and good conversation.  But what they got was so much more than that.  They formed such strong and lasting friendships that would sustain them through the toughest times in their lives.  Everyone deserves a group of friends like this!  I know I wish I was in a book club like this one!  I especially recommend this book to any woman in a book club, or any woman over 40.  (I believe that being over 40 will be the age group who would relate best to this book.  I am 53.)  Rating  7 out of 10  

I can’t believe how fast this year is going!  It’s half over already!  I have read over 60 books so far in 2022, so you don’t have to.  I thought in case you are looking for a good book or two to read this summer, I would let you know what my favorite reads for the first half of this year have been so far.  I highly recommend these books.  All of these books earned a 10 out of 10 in my ratings!  I am just writing a quick synopsis of the book here, but if you want to find out more about any of them, just click on the title, and it will send you to my full-length review of the book.  Hopefully you can find one or two here that you will enjoy reading!  They are listed in no particular order:

THE KIND WORTH KILLING:  A thriller full of twist and turns about a man who makes plans with a stranger he meets on a plane to kill his wife, who he believes is having an affair.  Things do not go how you think they will.   

THE INHERITANCE GAMES:  A fast-paced, family inheritance mystery full of riddles, puzzles, and secrets about a girl who suddenly inherits billions from a man she has never met and does not even know.                       

THE GUEST LIST:  The “It Couple” plans a lavish, expensive wedding on a secluded island and someone winds up dead.  A unique murder mystery where you don’t know who the killer is, or who dies either.  

BETTER THAN THE MOVIES:  A sweet and funny High School contemporary romance filled with all the romance novel tropes we love.  As a bonus, it is all about the 80’s classic rom-coms!

THE PARIS APARTMENT:  A mysterious, atmospheric thriller about a woman trying to find her missing brother in a strange old Paris apartment building with highly suspicious tenants. 

NO EXIT:  An exciting, action packed thriller about being stranded at a roadside Rest Stop during a mountain blizzard with strangers, some of whom are child kidnappers and murders.  

BOYFRIEND MATERIAL:  A sweet, LGBTQ, fake-dating romance set in England that is full of heart, romance, and hilarious, witty dialogue and banter.  

A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER:  A girl decides to do her senior project about the murder of another girl from her High School who was killed a few years ago.  It was ruled a murder / suicide, but she does not believe that is actually what happened.  

Overall:  Rosaline Palmer is chosen to be on a British baking reality show called, “Bake Expectations”.  She is a bisexual, single mom of a spunky, precocious, 8 year old daughter, Amelie.  Rosaline is barely making ends meet working at a stationery shop after dropping out of medical school when she became pregnant.  Her parents are both wealthy, workaholic doctors who disapprove of Rosaline’s life choices.  This book is structured in chapters through the weeks of the baking competition.  It is about all the interesting things they have to bake, what it’s really like to be on a tv reality baking show, and all the unique people she meets there. 
She meets two totally different men in the competition who are interested in her.  There is Alain who is posh, handsome, accomplished, and her parents will love him.  Then there also is Harry, who is sweet, hot, thoughtful, and a bit rough around the edges.  She becomes involved in a love triangle of sorts between these two men.  While this book is a romance, it is also about Rosalie learning about herself, and what she wants out of her life.  She is in her late 20’s and is not sure if she wants to go back to school and finish her medical degree, or if that is just what her parents want her to do.  She is a people pleaser and has not really learned to stand up for herself and decide what she wants her life to look like yet.  Through the trials of the baking competition and the people she meets there, she starts to figure out herself and her life, and what her own road to happiness looks like.    

Ovations:  This book is very funny!  Alexis Hall writes wonderfully witty dialogue
and snappy humor very well.  I was laughing out loud many times!  (There is a lot of swearing in the book, so if that is not your cup of tea, this book won’t be either.)  I like the setting being back and forth between going to the mansion where they taped the baking “reality show” and then also back at her small house with her daughter in her “real life” world.  Rosaline’s young daughter, Amelie, is smart, sassy, funny, and fantastic!  Rosaline’s ex-girlfriend Lauren, is honest, hilarious, and fun.  I love that they are exe’s but are still able to be best friends.  I liked that the plot has a love triangle for romance, I love a good love triangle!  I appreciate the way that this book is so well written that you get a very funny book, but also a romance book, but also a thoughtful book about a woman in her 20’s who is growing up and finding both her voice and her own direction for her life.   

Oh Well:  There are several parts in the book where it gets sort of preachy, over explaining bisexuality and lesbian issues…..and also other gender and consent issues.  I am all for treating people with equality and respect, but I don’t need it constantly brought up in this book so much.  I feel it detracted from the story more than it added anything to it.

Opinion:  This book was about a young woman gets chosen to be on tv in a British baking show.  It is fun to read about the competition, what they are baking, and about all the quirky people she meets and interacts with on the show.  There is plenty of hilarious dialogue and witty banter to make the book enjoyable.  But this book also dives into some deeper issues that Rosaline is dealing with in her life.  Plus, Rosaline is involved in a love triangle (two actually!).  There are a lot of things going on in this book all at once, it is not a short book.  If you love watching baking shows, or are a baker yourself, or love British books about life in England, or like LGBTQ books with bisexual female main characters, I think you will especially enjoy this entertaining book.  Rating 8 out of 10

Overall:  Jess needs to get out of London, so she asks her half-brother if she can crash with him for a while.  He is not excited about this unexpected visit, but agrees anyway and leaves her a voicemail with his address in Paris.  But, when Ben’s sister Jess arrives to the address he told her, she is first very surprised by the fact that her brother can afford to live in such a beautiful French apartment in Paris.  Secondly, she is surprised to find out that her brother is not home.  He is not there to buzz her in, and once she does get into his apartment on her own after picking the lock, Ben is not there at all.  However, oddly his keys and wallet are still there.  Also there, broken on the floor, is his St. Christopher medal necklace, that matches her own, that their mother gave them, and that they never take off. 
Jess goes around the building to talk to the other tenants to ask if any of them know where her brother Ben is.  The tenants range from indifferent to hostile in response to her asking questions about his disappearance.  Strangely, not many of them seem surprised by the fact that he is missing.  She does not speak French, and has no choice but to start looking into his disappearance on her own.  All of the people who live in his building are suspicious, and most are not at all friendly to her.  The apartment building itself is very old and has hidden passageways and strange attic rooms no one goes into or tells her about.  The more she investigates, the more the other residents of the building want her to leave.  Only one of them is at all friendly towards her, supposedly a friend of her brother, and says he will help her look for Ben.  However, Jess soon discovers that he may just be helping her to get close and find out what she is doing.  She does not know if her brother is just missing, or kidnapped, or alive, or dead.   The more she uncovers, the deeper and more tangled the mysteries get.  Despite the increasing dangers, Jess is determined to find out what happened to her brother.    

Ovations:  I loved the Paris setting of the book!  I love almost any book set in Paris!  The beautiful, old, Paris apartment building where they all lived was like its own character in the book.  I liked the strong, brave, tough, resourceful, independent, able-to-take-care-of-herself, female, lead character Jess. I liked that each chapter was from a different character’s point of view.  It kept switching back and forth in each of the short chapters to a different person’s point of view.  It was not confusing because there were not that many characters.  It helps you really get to know the characters better and what they are thinking and what their motivations are.  It really helped me get involved in the plot more.  The plot is well paced, keeps you guessing with lots of new clues and information.  The story was complex and entertaining.  I always wanted to keep reading to find out
what happens next.  It kept me guessing and I could not figure out how it was going to end at all. 

Oh Well:  The only thing I can think of about this book that could have been better is that most of the book takes place in the apartment building itself and you don’t  get to enjoy the magical and romantic atmosphere of the beautiful city of Paris in the book at all really.

Opinion:  This is a wonderful, atmospheric, mystery / thriller set in Paris.  It is interesting, complex, and full of twists and turns that will keep you on your toes.  There is a nice surprise ending that you will not guess.  I recommend this book, as well as Lucy Foley’s last mystery/ thriller book too called, The Guest List, which I also rated  a 10.  The rating for this book is also a 10 out of 10    

If you are interested in this book and want to buy it now so you don’t forget, as I often do, you can click on this safe Amazon link that will bring you directly to the books page where you can buy it.  Click Here:  The Paris Apartment

Overall:  A 10 year college graduation reunion celebration is about to be happening for “The East House 7” of Duquette University.  It would be a fun occasion, except for the fact that one of their group, a popular girl named Heather was brutally murdered their senior year of college.  One of them was accused of the murder, but there was not enough evidence and the charges were dropped.  Since then, they have all been staying away from that horrible crime, and from Duquette, and trying to just forget and move on.  They are all protecting their own secrets.  Jessica Miller, one member of the group, is excited to go back to the reunion to finally show everyone how beautiful and successful and perfect she turned out.  The story is told mostly through her point of view.  It goes back and forth in time
between their college days and the present time at the reunion.  Heather’s brother is at the reunion too, and has been obsessing over his sister’s murder for the past 10 years.  He is there to question the group of “friends” and get to the bottom of things once and for all.  He knows that one of them had to be the one who killed Heather. He is there to solve his sister’s murder and finally bring her killer to justice.  

Ovations:  The thing I liked best about his book was that it kept me guessing the whole time.  I did not know who the killer was until it was revealed at the very end.  There were lots of twists and turns and things you did not know were going to be revealed by the characters. Also, there was a romantic love triangle with the main character Jessica, and I always enjoy a good love triangle.  

Oh Well:  The books goes back and forth in time every chapter and it gets very confusing what time you are in.  There are also a lot of characters at the beginning and you have to try and remember who is who because you have just met them at that point.  So, for a while you don’t know who is who really.  Also, almost none of the characters are likeable, so I found it hard to really get invested in caring about them.  It’s hard when the main narrator is not a good person.  Also, I found it moves quite slowly, and most of the book is backstory that you have to read through to get to the present day situation that is actually the exciting part. 

Opinion:  Many people on Bookstagram loved this book.  That is why I bought and read it.  However, as thrillers go, I found it rather slow.  It also did not help that most of the characters are very unlikeable.  However, on the plus side, there are lots of surprising things revealed throughout the book… good twists, and I could not guess the ending at all.  But, I can’t recommend this book, when there are others that are so much better.  Rating 6 out of 10  

If you are interested in this book and want to buy it now so you don’t forget, as I often do, you can click on this safe Amazon link that will bring you directly to the books page where you can buy it.  Click Here:  In My Dreams I Hold A Knife

Overall:  This book is a seductive, twisting, turning, psychological thriller where you think you know what is going to happen, but you are always surprisingly wrong.  In the bar, while waiting for the flight from London to Boston, the wealthy Ted Severson meets the beautiful Lily Kintner.  They chat in the bar and switch
seats on the plane to be able to keep talking on the long flight back to Boston.  After many martinis, Ted tells Lily about his marriage to Miranda, how they are complete opposites as people.  She married him for his money and he married
her for her looks.  But, now Ted thinks she is cheating on him.  Venting to Lily, he tells her that if his wife is in fact cheating, we wishes he could kill her.  Instead of believing that it was just the martinis and Ted’s frustrations talking, Lily calmly agrees to help Ted kill his wife.  Once they get back to Boston, they make secret plans to meet again, but go their separate ways until the meeting.  In the meantime, Ted finds out for sure that his wife Miranda is in fact cheating on him with their contractor.  Then him and Lily secretly meet up and start making solid plans on how to go about killing Ted’s wife.  They want everything to go perfectly so they do not get caught.  They don’t even want anyone to find out they even know eachother, so they are very careful.  Why would Lily even help Ted with this crime you might be wondering?  Well, I won’t give too much away, but Lily has lots of dark secrets from her past that make her a willing participant in committing
this murder of Miranda.  There are lots of surprises in this book that you won’t see coming.  You may think you know where things are going, but you will be dead wrong.  

Ovations:  The author, Peter Swanson, has written a book full of unlikeable characters, but because it is so well written, you get invested in the characters, understand them, and even care about what happens to them.  The chapters are written from alternating character’s points of view.  So that really helps you understand each character and what they are like because you get to know what they are thinking and seeing.  The smart author knew that writing it this way is key to you caring about these characters and getting invested into this storyline, which you really do.  While this book does have many shocking major twists and turns, they are very well written and totally make sense in the overall plot of the book.  

Oh Well:  The only issue I had with this book was the very end.  While I can’t go into details of course, I can say that it is somewhat open-ended.  It’s not a cliff hanger or anything.  There is no sequel, it does actually end.  However, you really don’t
know for sure the exact ending.  It is not all tied up in a neat bow for you.  I personally do not love unclear endings. 

Opinion:  This is a fast paced, smartly written, psychological thriller.  It is a roller coaster ride full of surprising twists and turns.  You believe that the book is going to be about one thing, but it turns into something else.  It is suspenseful and interesting and a book you don’t want to stop reading, because you need to know what happens next.  The Kind Worth Killing is definitely a book worth reading!  Rating 10 out of 10.  

If you are interested in this book and want to buy it now so you don’t forget, as I often do, you can click on this safe Amazon link that will bring you directly to the books page where you can buy it.  Click Here:  The Kind Worth Killing

Overall:  June Jones is a thirty year old librarian who is painfully shy and prefers books to people.  She lives in Chalcot, a small village in England.  She lives alone, in the home her and her mom shared with their disapproving cat, Alan Bennett.  She had big dreams to leave the small town and go away to college to become a writer.  But, her Mom got sick and she gave up her dreams to help her mom, who was the town librarian.  June got a job as a library assistant during that time, and is still doing that today, many years later.  She does not realize it, but she is very lonely, stuck in a rut, and living in a bubble of memories from when her mother was still alive.  But, when budget cuts threaten to shut down her town library and several others, June wants to do something to help keep her job and keep the library full of memories where her mother worked alive too.  So, when a group of regulars from the library form a protest group to try and save the library, June wants to join them, but her boss tells her she can’t or she will be fired.  This makes June think about her life, and everything that is important to her.  Fighting to save the library is the wake-up call that June has been needing in her life. She decides to help the group of protesters secretly at first.  But, then, eventually, she has to break out of her comfort zone of shyness and stand up for herself and the friends she has made at the library, and do everything she can to try to help save it.  

Ovations:  I love the small, English village setting.  And of course I love books about libraries, librarians,  and books!  I enjoyed all the quirky library patrons that June sees, and helps everyday.  They all have nothing in common, except that the library is important in their lives.  I admire June for giving up her dreams to help her sick mother.  But, then she gets stuck in her grief.  So, I love at the end how she gets through it and does move on with her life, lets people into her heart, and starts enjoying things again.  It is a sweet, charming story written with humor, emotion, depth, and heart. 

Oh Well:  The romance element in this book is very minimal.  It does follow along the lines of June’s character being super shy and having social anxiety.  But, it might have been nice to have more of a romance between Alex and June blossoming throughout the book.  Also, the book in general is just a slow- moving story of small- town life, so you have to know that going in. 

Opinion:  This is a sweet, charming book about libraries, books, librarians, and patrons in a small village in England.  It is about their real, day-to-day lives.  So sometimes it is sad and heartbreaking.  But, there are lots of humorous happenings, quirky characters, personal growth, brave moments, and life lessons throughout the book too.  All that is woven together into this delightful book full of hope.  Rating 6 out of 10         

If you are interested in this book and want to buy it now so you don’t forget, as I often do, you can click on this safe Amazon link that will bring you directly to the books page where you can buy it.  Click Here:  The Last Chance Library

Overall:  Olive Smith is a PHD student in Biology at Stanford, studying pancreatic cancer.  She went on a couple dates with another student named Jeremy.  She was not into him, but she sees that her best friend, Anh is. So, to convince her best friend that she has moved-on to dating someone else, she randomly chooses a guy to kiss when her friend Anh is watching.  However, the guy she spontaneously chooses to lock-lips with is a hot, young, professor that everyone is scared of.  He is brutally and unflinchingly honest when reviewing his student’s work, and if it is not perfect, it is not acceptable.  All his students despise him for being so demanding.  Luckily, Olive is not one of his students.  Olive and Dr. Adam Carlsen meet later to discuss the kissing incident.  Once he hears why she did it, they mutually decide to start fake-dating because they both need something.  Olive needs her best friend Anh to stop worrying about “girl code” and know it’s ok to start dating Jeremy.  Adam needs the department to believe that he has no plans to leave for another institution.  They froze some of his research funds to try and ensure that he not leave Stanford.  If he had a girlfriend, it would help the department believe that he had a reason to stay put at Stanford, and they could release his funding.  So, the two of them agree to fake-date eachother to both accomplish their goals.  But, as we all know, fake-dating situations can lead to real romantic feelings becoming involved.  However, in this case, one or both of them might have already had some feelings for the other one, before the random kiss even happened!                                                                   

Ovations: I love that this book was about the science world, and smart women in STEM.  I like that it talked about what a dedicated and intelligent scientist Olive was, but that she still faced lots of issues due to it being a male dominated career area.  I also think that the lack of communications between Olive and Adam can
easily be explained by the fact that they are academics used to being alone and
focusing on their work.  In other rom-coms there are always misunderstands that you think, “why did they not just have a conversation about this and clear it up?”  But, in the world of science academia, they are not used to having to communicate their feeling about anything.  Feelings are not part of their science, data is.   Also, I have to add how much I loved Adam.  He is a wonderful book boyfriend…. tall, handsome, brilliant, humble, funny, sarcastic, perfectionistic, muscular, protective, loyal, sweet, caring, mysterious… you get the picture.   I also loved the witty banter between Olive and Adam.  It was very flirty and adorable how they teased eachother for their differences, but with absolute acceptance. 

Oh Well:  There are lots of things in this book that don’t seem all that realistic.  The very first being the Prologue, and what it has to do with the book.  I can’t explain more, because I don’t want to spoil things, but right from the start there are things that you kind of just have to go with as reasonable, that maybe are not.  Also, I do have to mention that while there is only one sex scene in the book, is sort of awkward, and weirdly written.

Opinion:  I love the academic setting of the book and that the main character is a smart, scientist female out to help rid the world of pancreatic cancer.  The storyline is entertaining, and the characters are well written.  I did like the relationship between Olive and Adam.  It was very sweet and romantic.  I enjoyed all their private-joke banter together.  But, there were some issues I had with some of the stuff being not too believable.  However, If you like rom-coms, you will like this book too.  Rating 7 out of 10         

If you are interested in this book and want to buy it now so you don’t forget, as I often do, you can click on this safe Amazon link that will bring you directly to the books page where you can buy it.  Click Here:  The Love Hypothesis