{Weekend Reads: 09/10-09/13} Catching Up on eARCs, audioARCs, and Buddy Reads!

 

Hey, guys!

I used to update you all via Goodreads and blog updates on what I was reading, but I decided to start it back up this weekend to touch base with you all and push out some books that I definitely recommend.

A weekend doesn't usually include a Thursday, but I'm being quarantined for the next couple of days, so I'm including it because who knows when I'll be cleared to go back to work.

I've been attempting to get used to a new work schedule, so my reading time has been considerably cut and it's been a process to get used to working full time. The past four years were taken up by school, working 2 part-time jobs, and attempting to keep up with social obligations. Being in quarantine from March to Jun was such a weird change, but going back to a regular schedule is just as strange. 

This (long) weekend, I plan on catching up on the four books that I've started in the past couple of weeks before diving into two buddy reads that start on Monday.

#1] The Switch by Beth O'Leary, 

performed by Daisy Edgar-Jones & Alison Steadman

Current Reading position: 80% (2 hours left)

-audioARC provided by NetGalley & Macmillan Audio-

Synopsis:

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some long-overdue rest.

Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She'd like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen.

So they decide to try a two-month swap.

Eileen will live in London and look for love. She’ll take Leena’s flat, and learn all about casual dating, swiping right, and city neighbors. Meanwhile, Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire: Eileen’s sweet cottage and garden, her idyllic, quiet village, and her little neighborhood projects.

But stepping into one another's shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected. Will swapping lives help Eileen and Leena find themselves…and maybe even find true love? In Beth O'Leary's The Switch, it's never too late to change everything....or to find yourself.

My Thoughts So Far:

- This is an excellent audio experience. I love the narrators and the quality of this production. 

- I love Leena and Eileen. They're so similar, yet so different and bring so much to the story. 

- I think I prefer Eileen's half of the story to Leena's. That isn't to say that Leena's is bad, but Eileen is so hilarious and lovely. I'm just drawn to her story more. 

- The romances in this story do not take up the majority of this story. It's more a story of healing and growth, which I adore. I cannot wait to see how this story ends. However, I'm not the biggest fan of Leena's love story. It hasn't come to its climax, but I know how it's going to go. It's been done before and it isn't anything new. Eileen, however -- I hope it turns out how I'm envisioning. 

- This is my first Beth O'Leary novel, but I'm eager to listen to or read The Flatshare soon. 

Anticipated rating: 4 stars

#2] Blood & Honey (Serpent & Dove #2) by Shelby Mahurin

Current Reading position: page 110/528

-personally pre-ordered-

I'm so behind on this buddy read! I was supposed to have this finished on Thursday, the 10th, but it definitely hasn't happened. This past weekend and this week have just been odd. I'm not sure why I haven't finished this book because the first 110 pages were fantastic. I just need to pick it back up. I've been carrying it around the house? But I haven't opened the book? Just odd.

Synopsis: 

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.

First Thoughts:

- Wow, I already love this so much and I cannot wait to read more.

- Witchy goodness right off the bat? Hello, yes, please!

- Lou and Reid are just going to go right for it, huh? Geez, I love love.  Let's go.

- I know that I'm going to be hurt by this book... is that why I haven't picked it back up yet?

Anticipated rating: 5 stars

[Serpent & Dove mini review]

#3] All Scot and Bothered (Devil You Know #2) by Kerrigan Byrne

Current Reading position: 5% (loc. 256/4928)

-eARC provided by NetGalley & St. Martin's Press-

Synopsis:

They are a dangerous duke, a fierce lord, and an infamous earl—dark, bold, brave men who know exactly what they want. And there is only one woman who can bring them to their knees...

He is first and foremost—at everything. A man who's made his own way in the world through ruthless cunning and sheer force of will. A strong and imposing Scot who can turn on the charm but does not suffer fools. His title: Lord Chief Justice of the High Court. His name: Cassius Gerard Ramsay. His mission: To investigate the goings-on at London's most notorious gaming hell, owned and operated by one of the most intriguing and desirable women he's ever met.

IN THIS GAME OF LOVE, THE RULES DO NOT APPLY

Cecelia Teague was an orphan facing a rather dire future—until a secret benefactor from her mother's scandalous past swept into her life. Sent to a prestigious boarding school and later to university, Cecelia believed high society was at her fingertips...Then, from out of nowhere, she became the inheritor of a gambling establishment. Now Cecelia must live two lives: one as a proper lady who finds herself undeniably drawn to Lord Ramsay and the other as a savvy gaming hell owner trying to save her business from the very same man. He has no idea she is both women...and Cecelia would like to keep it that way. But what happens when consuming passion and escalating danger threaten to reveal the truth?

First Thoughts:

- I've never read a Kerrigan Byrne novel before, but I'm already invested and enjoying her style of writing and the way she's developed her characters. 

- Most times when I'm starting a new historical romance novel, I can tell within the first 50 pages if I will enjoy it as intensely as I love my favorites. This has a lot of promise. 

Anticipated rating: (it's honestly too early to tell, but...) 4 stars (probably)

#4] Crazy Stupid Bromance (Bromance Book Club #3) by Lyssa Kay Adams

Current Reading position: 17% (loc. 856/5079)

- eARC provided by NetGalley & Berkley-

Synopsis:

A hacktivist and a cat café owner decode the friend zone in this romantic comedy from the author of Undercover Bromance.

Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan.

Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush.

Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had. 

First Thoughts

- This is so excellent! I was instantly hooked and caught up in where the story left off in Undercover Bromance.

- I honestly forgot about the computer genius, Noah, but I've already fallen in love with him. He's a Whovian (Doctor Who), he's a total sweetheart, and has a rival that's Alexis's cat! How adorable.

- Alexis is peak-bad bitch material. I adore her. She obviously has a lot of trauma to get past after dealing with the events of Undercover Bromance, but even more hardship has been added onto her plate. We will see how this goes. 

- I love that we get to see more from Liv and Mack. Give me all of the happy endings, snark, and groomzilla energy from Mack.

Hopefully, I can finish these books this weekend. I'm aiming to finish The Switch this afternoon and get to the halfway mark of Blood and Honey as well. 

[Bromance Book Club Review]

[Undercover Bromance Review]

Anticipated rating: 5 stars

What are you reading this weekend?

Happy reading!
Olivia
~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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#QuarantineReads: What Am I Reading?

Hey, guys!

I know we are in the middle of a pandemic and it's super stressful, but I'd love to talk about what you're currently reading. As someone who suffers from a form of anxiety, I have to find different ways to cope with the things that bring me stress and all the negative emotions. My most prominent hobby and coping method is to read a butt-ton of books.

Last week, my campus moved all of our classes online, spring break was extended a week, and it's looking nearly all businesses will be shut down (willingly or ordered by the governor). My city is a ghost town and a good majority of the people that are usually bustling around are being told to go home, social distance, and some can work from home. Lots of people are out of jobs for this weird period and a lot of us are freaking out about how we are going to survive and pay the bills.

I'd like to brighten up your feed with a means of escape. I think keeping busy and sticking to a routine is really important. Even if you're staying home and working from home, I firmly believe that getting dressed or changing your clothes, going through your daily morning routine, and being at-hope professional will keep the weird quarantine blues away. These past few days have been really freaky and depressing on my end. I keep taking naps or sleeping in 'til 11am or being anything but productive.

From now on, I'm going to be productive and move around. I can't go out and write in coffee shops, but I can learn how to make my own coffee the way that I like it. I can exercise in my garage or take a walk. I can do things that will keep me accountable.

What do you do to keep yourself busy and away from the depression fog in your brain?

I've said it a few paragraphs up, but my favorite thing to do in my downtime is read. This year my goal is to read what I want to read, to keep up with the books that I buy, and to DNF when I'm not feeling it. Since the COVID-19 was declared to be in my Indiana town, I've definitely read more...or I've at least picked up too many books.

Here is what I've read recently: {click here}. I'll have reviews for some and mini-reviews for them at the end of the month, but if you'd like to chat about a previously read book, feel free to comment below, email me, or DM me on Instagram.

Here are my current reads and immediate TBR!

Current Reads:

• A Court of Thorns of Roses (#1) by Sarah J. Maas
• This is my favorite series of all time and I've been so eager to reread, annotate, and analyze because there is so much depth in the characters and the story. I adore this world so much and I'm having a wonderful time rereading.
• I'm about 120 pages into this reread.
• Docile by KM Szpara
• This was sent to me by Tor for an honest review. I'm 2 chapters in and I'm really enjoying it.
• Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
• This is such a fun read, but it's a little too real right now. I'm about 60% through and I've put it down for a minute. I'm eager to finish it because it's really fun.
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• I started this one recently via audio (Ugh yes! So good!) and I'm so excited to continue on with it. I love TJR so much. She has a fantastic writing style. I haven't met Evelyn Hugo yet in the book, but I love how she develops her characters and fleshes out the story. She's a fantastic storyteller.

My Immediate TBR:

• Well Met by Jen DeLuca
• Seven Endless Forests by April Genevive Tucholke
• A Heart So Fierce & Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
• Lucky Caller by Emma Mills
• The Unfairfolk by Sara Wolf
• Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
• The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
• Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
• Havenfall by Sara Holland

The majority of these books are ARCs that I am either behind on or anticipating getting to. I'm very excited to binge read them as quickly as I can. They all have fascinating premises. 

What will you be reading during this time of quarantine?

Happy reading!

Olivia

~Liv the Book Nerd~

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