books on tap: we made it to the end

Okay, is it just me or has December been a little nutty? I mean, it's not like we even have very many people to shop for, and still somehow the month got away from me, with very few books to add to this list. Eh, well...we made it. It's almost a new year, with all the bright shiny blank pages that entails. Thank you, dearly, for being a follower/subscriber this year. I love you all!

xoxo,
E

---

Juliet's Answer*, by Glenn Dixon. An interesting premise for a book - a lovelorn Canadian literature teacher goes to Verona, Italy, to the "Juliet Club" to answer letters from heartbroken people all over the world, in hopes of finding a solution to his own problems. It was told in three separate stories: the students he taught Shakespeare to, the story of his heartbreak, and his present-day adventures in Italy. I definitely preferred the stories of his students, as well as the story of his heartbreak and subsequent redemption, over his time in Italy. Still, it's a good book worth reading. 3/5 stars.

My Not So Perfect Life*, by Sophie Kinsella. I've read plenty of Kinsella's books before, but I'm not sure if I'm just getting old too old for chick-lit (the likely culprit) or this just wasn't wildly well-written. Because I liked it, but it didn't exactly set my world on fire. I liked Cat/Cath/Katie, but her whole name thing was confusing. It all seemed a bit...rushed and skated-over. If she'd gone a little deeper it would have been okay. As it was, it was just another "young girl can't make it in the big city in love or work but something is revealed and things work out in the end." 3/5 stars.

The Secret of the Nightingale Palace, by Dana Sachs. I had bought this at the RGRBRC book sale a few years ago, and it had been languishing on my shelves ever since. It probably could have stayed there - although frankly I'm glad I've read it so I can trade it in and not feel bad. It was just...blah. I didn't really like any of the characters. It had some decent writing here and there, but it wasn't gripping enough to make me really want to devour it. Instead, I kind of nibbled it as fast as I could, hoping it would be over soon. 3/5 stars.

How to Make a French Family*, by Samantha Verant. I'd read Verant's first book, Seven Letters from Paris, her story of rekindling a romance with a Frechman she met for one night 20 years prior after her marriage and career blew up. That book was good, but this one seems a bit more erratic. Topics vary wildly from paragraph to paragraph, and it's a little hard to follow. Although her stories are good, the organization of this book is on the poor side. Also, I think the "recipe" for making a family is a little hackneyed. An okay book, but I wouldn't read it unless you read the first. 3/5 stars.

---

*Disclaimer: The titles notated with a star (*) above were given to me for free by either NetGalley, BookLook Bloggers, or Blogging For Books, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
**Also - the books linked in this post are affiliate links, meaning that if you click on any of the book links and order one (or any) of them through Amazon, I may earn a small commission. B thanks you in advance for helping to support my psychotic book-buying habits.