Helloooo everyone! How are you? I hope you’re doing well.
The end of the month means another ‘Books I Read in…’ post so here it is.
DISCLAIMER: May include SPOILERS! Read at your own risk! I am not trying to claim any of these books as my own. All rights go to the authors.
1) ‘Chasing Lucky’ by Jenn Bennett.
Budding photographer Josie has spent half her life moving across the country with her mother, so when they return to their hometown, Josie knows it’s not forever. All she needs to do is keep to herself, dreaming of the day she can leave. But after a disasterous summer party, a poorly executed act of revenge lands Josie in deep trouble alongside the last person she’d want to share a mugshot with: Lucky Karras. Outsider, rebel… and her former childhood best friend. Over the summer, the easy friendship they once shared grows into something deeper and more complicated. Josie realises that Lucky isn’t the brooding bad boy everyone thinks he is. But what if chasing Lucky means losing out on her future dreams.
Started: 26/05/2021. Finished: 03/06/2021. Rating: 5/5.
Wow! I opened this book not expecting to like it. It felt quite cheesy to begin with (even for me). The whole former childhood best friends who fall in love trope isn’t usually one I go for but I was pleasantly surprised. This has now become a new favourite of mine. There are so many feel-good, sweet moments (mostly between Josie and Lucky but also between Josie and her family – especially towards the end when her aunt and grandmother Deirdre return from Napal) and also mystery throughout which was unveiled at the end. I like a book that keeps me in some sort of suspense and the secrets just kept coming with this book. I can’t wait to add more of Jenn Bennett’s books to my shelf.
I thought the name of the town ‘Beauty’ was quite ironic given that Josie’s mum, Winona, doesn’t seem to happy to be there. Also ironic because the way Josie describes it, ‘Beauty’ does actually sound beautiful. ’Summers and Co.’ reminds me of something from ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley. I also like the names of some of the places in ‘Beauty’ like ‘Lamplighter Lane’ and ‘Redemption Beach’. It adds a bit of fun to it… in a weird way.
My Marked Pages:
- Chapter 2, Page 29 – if you want him to talk to you, Josie, why don’t you just strike up a conversation yourself?
- Chapter 11, Page 166 – I think the thing he (Lucky) wants her to understand is that he needs her. All of his acting up basically started after she left. I think he feels lonely. Did pull at my heart strings a little.
- Chapter 13, Page 219 – They kissed!!
- Chapter 14, Page 247 – Cute Lucky and Josie moments.
- Chapter 22, Page 354 – Very quickly warming up to Grandma Deirdre.
2) ‘Just Like You’ by Nick Hornby.
Lucy and Joseph meet in a butcher’s shop in North London, on opposite sides of the counter. She is a teacher and mother of two, who is quite happy to put romance behind her. He is an aspiring music producer who has never been in a serious relationship. Lucy and Joseph are opposites in almost all ways. Can something life-changing grow from uncommon ground?
Started: 03/06/2021. Finished: 17/06/2021. Rating: 3/5.
This was my first Nick Hornby book. I liked that it dealt with issues of race and politics and age. I found that sometimes it was a little too focused on the politics (i.e. Brexit) which made me quite bored and put me off track of the story line… it was like the politics outweighed the romance etc. I felt that we didn’t really get to much of an insight to the characters and it all felt quite rushed. Joseph never really seemed to have much to offer to anything and neither did Lucy.
My Marked Pages:
- Chapter 7, Page 136 – Joseph, I’m not entirely sure somebody saying that you probably know many singers has anything to do with your race. Could it not be to do with the fact you are into music? And of course she knows tons of singers. She’s a teacher. The singers could be any race.
- Chater 9, Page 180 – Lucy and Joseph need to be more truthful with one another. I think they both like each other more than they’re letting on and they really need to tell each other that…
- Chapter 14, Page 246 – Jaz is such a Drama Queen. Jut get on with it and sing the lyrics.
3) ‘Alex, Approximately’ by Jenn Bennett.
Bailey Rydell has found the boy of her dreams. ‘Alex’ is smart and sweet and loves the same movies as her. The only problem? They haven’t actually met… So when Bailey moves to California to be with her dad, who happens to live in the same town as her online crush, she decides to use all her detective skills to track him down. Turns out, it’s not easy finding someone when you don’t even know their real name. And with the irritating but charismatic local surfer distracting her at every turn, will she ever get to meet the mysterious ‘Alex’?
Date Started: 25/06/2021. Date Finished: 01/07/2021. Rating: 4/5.
Wow. All the feels. OMG!!!!
Porter Roth (a.k.a ‘Alex’ – spoiler or kind of saw it coming? Personally I saw it coming from the off) now has my heart. I can see why Bailey found him annoying at first but he’s also cute and I liked his flirty banter.
I loved getting to know Bailey. She seems like such a cute, fun person. Someone I’d like to befriend.
I love how both Bailey and Porter found eachother both online through their shared interest in classic movies and in real life when Bailey moves to California to live with her dad. Originally on a quest to find ‘Alex’, Bailey bumps into Porter and helplessly falls in love with him – missing vital signs of him being ‘Alex’ along the way.
The ending kind of ripped my heart into two when Porter figured out that Bailey was ‘Mink’ after a fly away comment from her dad, and Bailey still didn’t know Porter was ‘Alex’ until she did figure it out… I almost cried! Everyone else seemed to have figured it out before Bailey did, including her dad.
The gunshot thing? I did not figure that out until what actually happened was revealed… Maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention to that part of the story. I like that even though this is a YA contemporary chick-lit, it still touched on some real world matters (i.e. shooting and stalking). I figured something traumatic had happened as Bailey kept mentioning it but never told us to much about it until she opened up to Porter about it.
Very well done to Jenn Bennett for writing yet another one of my favourite books!!!! I’m going to be broke after buying all of her others.
My Marked Pages
I didn’t mark any pages this time though I wish I had. There were so many moments where I was like ‘Wait! Does that mean…’
What books did you read in June? Which was your favourite? Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear!
I hope you have a great July!
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Thank you for reading,
Paige.
Paige’s Blog 