12 Days till Dating: By Yours Truly!

12 Days till Dating: By Yours Truly
Genre: Chick Lit
Published online: 2018
Pages (in the digital version): 116

Lauren Cohen was born with a round face, wide blue eyes, slightly chubby cheeks, stick-thin body, and short stature. Maybe that's why she's 24 and still forever single. So she's ecstatic when she finally has a shot with her cute coworker at her hometown's quirkiest holiday confectionery. She's liked Austin from the moment she began training at the bakery, and he's the perfect guy to talk to- he's super nice, likes to write just like Lauren, and best of all- actually seems to enjoy talking with her. Then she finds out that he's been given a great professional opportunity and may be moving in two weeks...if he accepts the position. Now Lauren's at crunch time to land not just a friendship, but maybe a relationship as well. Will she get the Christmas miracle she's hoping for?




I'm sorry. I'm going to have to bother you all with a shameless plug today.

This is a novella project I've been working on for a while now. I'm not into the novel-writing thing quite yet, but I'd really love to share it with people, including my lovely readers. Here are several reasons you should read it:

1. Because hey, free books. Which is essentially what this is, right?
2. To support your fellow writers who aren't yet published.
3. Because it's based around CHRISTMAS! In July!
4. There's a recipe hiding in there.



But where can you find it, anyway?

Wattpad. One of the reasons I'm putting this out there is because I just don't have the time or energy to put half my life into reading and commenting on stories in this community to earn views. Still, it's there, and anyone is welcome to take a look at it.

My website (digital download). Simply click the links to either read the Wattpad work or download a PDF. It should go without saying...please don't try to get away with selling it. Not that any of you would, right?

Check it out if you have nothing better to do!

Adulting: How To Become A Grown-Up in 535 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown

Adulting: How To Become a Grown-Up in 535 Easy(ish) Steps
Genre: Self-Help/Humor
Published: 2018 (updated version)
Pages: 316
Snagged from the "For Graduates" table at Barnes and Noble

An Adventures By The Page 2018 Best Book Nominee
2018 Best Non-Fiction Winner 

Sometimes being an adult is hard. Or even just being a human. Never fear, Kelly Williams Brown is here! She's the one who invented the term "adulting" and she's here to give her suggestions on how to act like one. From party etiquette to basic cooking to dealing with difficult situations, this guide will tell you all you need to know about being a functional adult. Flowcharts and illustrations included. 


I know what some of you are thinking.

"ADULTING? Are millennials now so INCOMPETENT that they need to make very basic life skills an ART FORM? One that's KITSCHY and TRENDY? Give me a break! We were self-sufficient when we were kids. And that's how it should be done!"

But if you would kindly put aside your snobbish, I-am-the-best attitude for a second, you'd realize we all need these skills. Where did you learn how to cook? Do you know every secret to keeping house or knowing ahead of time when your car might need maintenance? Do you always remember to send a thank you note? Really? Anyhoo, I really doubt that you woke up one day and magically learned everything you needed to know.

(And I don't want to hear it about your generation being the best. Can't we all learn how to get along and not butt heads because these people aren't you?)

We've all learned how to be an adult from somewhere. Usually that's our parents. But for those of us who aren't so lucky, there are books like this one.

So this book is split into chapters, or subsections. They include: getting into the right mindset, domesticity, job stuff, money, how to talk to people, maintaining things that need maintenance, dealing with tough times, dealing with family, friendships, and relationships. All worthy categories. Kelly lists the tip, which is then followed by an explanation of various amounts of paragraphs. Sometimes they're accompanied by flowcharts or cutesy graphics. The flowcharts are funny because they're true and actually work. What I could have done without were some of the information boxes; some of them existed for no other reason than humor and tried too hard.

I especially enjoyed the specific suggestions. Kelly provides lists of things like lists of spices to get, everything you need for your kitchen, or what to look for in an apartment. I.e. you might not want one next to where there is a practicing high school marching band. This was a very good point-- when I read that, I realized that one I was considering just so happened to be near a practicing high school marching band, and now I should reconsider. Thanks Kelly! Case in point, a lot of the advice is practical, but other helpful hints are also things you never would have considered.

This is especially true in chapter 4, which has a ton of insight on talking to people. I found some real gems here. One that stood out to me was that you shouldn't comment on what people are, but instead what they do. I couldn't agree more. I get so many inappropriate comments on what I act or look like and I'm glad Kelly agreed with me on that one. Readers should also pay attention to her tips on how to talk politics- very few adults act like adults in that area. She is a liberal who tries to be respectful of other points of view or at least understand both sides of an issue. You go, girl!

Of course you might not use all of her advice. I'm a Christian, and I don't feel like I'm going to take her advice of "you'll never know if you like one night stands until you try them!" Similarly, she goes into detail about how to find dating online, yet doesn't really say a whole lot about how you meet people in the real world. I would have liked a few hints on that, especially since I don't really believe in online dating. To me, dating should be organic. But hey, if that's your thing, then there's great advice for you in here.

Most of Kelly's advice is very helpful for adults, although she may also point you in other directions. For example, she provides a list of cookbooks you should buy, which falls into the category of advice you can take or leave. I wish she wasn't afraid to get even more specific about how to do things sometimes. My general thoughts? It's fun and quirky and not necessarily a straight-up guide. Rather, it's fun and might make you realize some things you haven't thought of. Why not have a little fun with your life and make adulting into an art form? And ignore the naysayers; if they don't want to make it interesting, they're not worth talking to anyway.

4.5 stars

Top 6 Things I See Too Much of In Stories

You all know I hate the obligatory love triangle and romances in every book. But there are other things too that, for me, are hard to look past. Writers! If you're writing a book, try doing something new with the cliches listed below.

#1: Minorities in starring roles whose story centers around racism

I'm not saying these books should be done away with. But why do authors need to employ the race card every time their story is about someone who isn't white? To truly have diverse books, minority characters shouldn't just exist for political messages. Authors should consider writing stories about Muslim girls or black boys that don't have anything to do with race. They're just there, living their lives. Writing stories that just happen to feature underutilized groups might even send a stronger message. Kids' shows do this a lot. They didn't often discuss race, but they did something better: simply showing that we are all human by being inclusive. 

#2: A love story 

Not all stories call for the main character to fall in love with someone. I've seen many a potential good book get ruined by a time-consuming love story that didn't need to happen and took away from the story as a whole. This is especially true for YA novels where every story seems to be a carbon copy of the other lately. Ditch the love triangles and have something else happen.

Think of the last time you read a fictional book where the main character was single throughout the course of the novel. Can you remember any? Maybe not. That's probably a sign they're occurring too much.

#3: Stale scenarios

Chick lit novels often take place in New York City. Or London. Or LA. Usually the character is working in a bookstore, magazine, or opening their own shop. Mostly it's because they're bored with their office job. Their love interest is usually someone who is taken or they can't stand. Would it kill anyone to deviate from this scenario? How about a chick lit novel about a farmer? Or a tomboy? Or from the perspective of someone famous? Hmm, that would be interesting.

#4: Vague Endings

For some reason this has become somewhat of a trend. In these books, the author usually likes to leave some unanswered questions or even why the character chose to do what they did. Sometimes they'll even end the story at a random point in some badly written books, like the YA novel Tiny Pretty Things, without ever going into explanation as to the "who" or even the "why." Writers should always make sure that the motivations are explored enough so that the story ends in a satisfying way, and that the culprit is revealed. Otherwise I just wasted my time reading their book.

#5: Abuse of the nice character that never does anything wrong

This is more applicable to TV shows, but they're stories in themselves, so I'm including it here. 

I'm thinking of Meg from Family Guy. Sue from The Middle. And probably some others. Basically, these characters have an idea in common: they either succeed in very little, deal with a constant stream of rude remarks on a regular basis, or are disliked for no reason at all. This is despite the fact they have done nothing to earn this kind of behavior. 

Now obviously you want your main character to encounter obstacles, especially if it's someone who's being bullied. But you don't want to overdo it with your side characters, or if it's an ensemble cast. The nice character shouldn't always play a double role as the punching bag, if at all. Maybe it's because we relate to characters we like and want them to do well, but this is really, really annoying.

**Bonus** #6: Missing parents

I get that divorce is an issue, and it's common. But estranged fathers are almost as common as romances now. You know the type...the father hasn't been in the protagonist's life for a long time, if at all, and suddenly they're wanting to learn more about their missing parent and trying to find them. Like the unnecessary romances, this subplot can often take over the book's original purpose. It's starting to become trite and I wish authors would do something different with estranged parents should they want to include them.

Did I miss anything else? What do you want to see less of?

Good YA-Friendly Novels About College Students

As much as I used to enjoy YA novels before they were all about stale love triangles, they were all about middle and high school kids. Then books went straight on to books about forty year old women, or if you picked chick lit, probably thirties. And twenty somethings? Forget about it. Where was my age group? It was so hard to find interesting books during that period. Many college students still enjoy YA but are woefully unrepresented in literature; most YA tending to fall in favor of public high school students instead.

Still, there are some great books out there for those that have moved on from high school drama but don't really want ladies' book club books either. These books take you beyond the secondary school hallways. Pick up one of these before it's time to head back to campus.

Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell

Cath can best be described as an introvert, but she's very close to her family and prefers to spend her time writing Simon Snow fan fiction anyway. But when she's in college, her sister says that she wants to spread her wings a little, leaving Cath to her own devices. She is forced out of her comfort zone when her writing professor doesn't like fanfiction and when her roommate forces her to attend social events. I don't think it needed the subplot about the estranged mother, especially because it vanishes halfway through the book, but it's fun for self-proclaimed fangirls. It's also fun picking out the Harry Potter references. 3 stars

Finding Alice, Melody Carlson

Alice's life hasn't always been easy under the regime of her super-religious mother. It doesn't get easier when her own mind turns on her. Embarking on a mission to rewrite the Bible with imaginary friend Amelia in tow, her life begins falling apart. Her church members believe that she is possessed by demons, and the local mental health care facility has their own methods of "treating" Alice's problems. Eventually she runs away and is rescued from homelessness by an older woman, and it's then that her life will start to turn around. I did find that Alice found herself in the right place at the right time too often, and that's not usually how life works. I also couldn't determine when, exactly, this book took place; there are so many references to times past that I had absolutely no clue if we were in the 60s or 2000s.  But its a nice story with a little redemption for everyone in the end. 3 stars

Kisses from Katie, Katie Davis

Have you ever wondered if college wasn't right for you, but maybe something bigger? Katie Davis felt the same way. Instead of going to college (after 1 semester to please her parents), she traveled to Uganda to start a new life: one where she adopted many children and taught them the word of God. Throughout challenges such as poverty, illness, and sometimes speaking different languages, Katie might not have her luxurious life anymore. But she found something bigger: a purpose. This book is going to make you feel really super inadequate and really give you a wake-up call as to how you spend your life. So obviously, you should read it. 5 stars 

The Opposite of Loneliness, Marina Keegan

I'm not totally at liberty to review this book, because I haven't yet read the whole thing. The premise is basically that a promising writing student tragically passed away days after graduation. Her works, fiction and nonfiction, are compiled here. I find the expository-style writing to be most interesting- we need more of those stories-but the short stories will interest you too. 

Roomies, Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando 

Elizabeth and Lauren don't know each other, but they will. They are going to be roommates during their freshman year. They send simple emails to coordinate the basics, but soon they find themselves taking about the problems in their lives when it seems like they have nobody else to go to. But they go a little too far, and arguments happen. Will they go into school hating each other? I liked the themes of change, getting to know another person remotely, and the idea of college students being included, but other issues have been done to death (ENOUGH. ESTRANGED. PARENTS. ALREADY. It's really hard to care about missing fathers when they've, well, never been introduced, and so many novels use this idea anymore.). There was a little more high-school drama than readers may be looking for, however. 3.5 stars

YOLO, Lauren Myracle

Remember Zoe, Angela, and Maddie from the Internet Girls series? They're back, and this time in college. Zoe is struggling with the quintessential high school relationship breakup, Angela is struggling with whether or not she wants to pledge a sorority, and Maddie is having all sorts of wild adventures with her suitemates, in true Maddie style. The whole story is told through their texts, not IMs as the previously published-in-2007 books did. Although they are all having separate experiences, they bond through their texts and help each other through the challenges. It's a seriously fun read, especially seeing how the high school mean girl's life was turning more and more miserable. I only took issue with the sorority subplot...it was woefully outdated and I don't think many behave like that anymore. 4 stars

Zeta or Omega?, Kate Harmon

This is purely fun escapist fiction that will make you look forward to college, and the reading level is simple enough so that I think even middle schoolers could read it easily. However, new college students and late high school kids will enjoy it more since the subject material is more relevant to them.

Three girls end up at a Florida school and end up going for sorority recruitment. Wealthy Roni wants to escape her overbearing parents who like to control her life and do something different. Sassy Lora-Leigh is excited for college, but she is only going through sorority recruitment because her mom is making her. And sweet band geek Jenna hopes to go through the whole process with her roommate. It's one of those books that simply follows the lives of its characters, as they date, make new friends, and butt heads with parents. The ending is predictable, but it's about the journey just as much as the destination. It's also a great example of how books don't need to be great literature to tell good, enriching stories. Also look for The New Sisters and The Formal. 5 stars

What college books have you read? Any you'd add to the list?

Little Beach Street Bakery: Jenny Colgan

Little Beach Street Bakery: Jenny Colgan
Genre: Chick Lit
Published: 2014
Pages: 421 with bonus recipes/material

Polly has had it with her failed business that she started with her boyfriend (and that, too, was failing). So she moves to the old, dreary island of Mount Polbearne to start over completely. Maybe coming here wasn't a good idea after all.

Then she rekindles her hobby of baking bread, and soon she finds herself earning her keep at a local bakery. Everything else falls into place, from new friends to a new love interest who provides the honey for her treats. But Polly's business really starts heating up after disaster strikes. Polly will soon realize that not only is the town changing her, but that she will bring change to the town as well. 



This novel, at first, might mislead you. The bakery isn't necessarily the sole focus on the book, but it is, in many ways, the catalyst for the relationships that Polly forms. Those relationships are actually the heart of the story. Also, I'm not sure there are cupcakes being sold like the cover would imply. But if you're a fan, you'll still recognize typical Colgan elements: a woman starting over, owning a bakery, the bakery bringing a community together, and the ongoing battle between picking an ex and somebody new. And a quirky subplot...in this case, it's a pet puffin. I'm not sure that's how puffins would behave, but he sure was funny.

Readers simply follow Polly as she starts work in a bakery, struggles to maintain a terrible apartment, and starts over. In the meantime, she raises her pet puffin, sneaks bread to her friends on the island, and parties with a wealthy friend of Huckle's. But it's the characters she meets, many of whom know each other in this tiny locale, that make the book memorable. There's old Mrs. Manse, the old woman with a sad past who is running a terrible bakery. There are the fishermen, my personal favorites, who Polly makes bread for. There is a potential love interest who makes honey. (My reaction to his name was pretty much the same as Polly's: "HUCKLE???" Especially weird because nobody is called that in the States, where he's from). But I didn't really warm up to Kerensa, Polly's best friend. She's loud, immature, and really darn insensitive at times. I hoped that Polly would outgrow her. It was especially irksome because I felt that Kerensa's happy ending overshadowed Polly's in the final pages.

I do, however, have to give props because I wasn't sure exactly where the love story was going to go.  Colgan also wasn't afraid of a little shock value. This book is more tragic than you might expect from a chick-lit novel, and that brings some interesting twists to it. However, Polly spends more time with her friends and at the bakery than she does with her love interest. So the suddenly explosive romance in the end comes somewhat from left field. I also didn't love how they handled the obligatory climactic conflict; a very simple misunderstanding leading to months apart followed by a reconciliation taking no work at all was odd. A reconciliation and ending that take place mainly in the USA, might I add...wouldn't it have been better in Mount Polbearne, the heart of the story?

Okay, while we're on that, I had some nitpicks with the writing as well. (Small spoiler alert:) Colgan starts the book with a few paragraphs of Polly telling her story many years after everything has taken place, so basically the whole book is a flashback. That only left more questions than it answered. She is telling someone called Judith (I never learned who that is) about life there and how you used to have to wait for the tide to come out before you could get to the island; now it's presumed you can use a bridge to get across anytime. But the citizens vote against building a bridge at the end of the story. So is there a bridge now, twenty years in the future? Did the people change their minds? That doesn't make sense. Also, how far in the future is this scene taking place? It seems like Polly is no longer living there as she is telling her story. If that's true, why not? The odd thing was that the story never goes forward to that point in time again, so there's no explanation for any of these things. It really should have been cut.

Meanwhile, I know that Colgan often chooses to switch perspectives, but it bothered me more here because it would happen mid-paragraph and I wouldn't be sure who was thinking. Lots of capital letters are used to express shouting. And how many times do I need Polly's hair referred to as "strawberry blonde?"

This book, like Colgan's others about starting over, starts off a bit slow, like The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris. Give it 50 pages. If I had to complain, I would have liked a little more focus because it seemed like that kept changing. Was I reading about love, the lives of fishermen, adopting a pet, or Polly's relationship with an old woman? Maybe all of them. It seems like I complained a bit, but I also enjoy escaping into someone else's life for a while and seeing what their life is like. If that's your thing, pick this one up. It's a fun read, though not necessarily the best by this author.

3 stars

What's wrong with chick lit, anyway?

Think back to the last time you enjoyed a romantic comedy. Many of us have seen and enjoyed them. So why do so many people complain about the genre of chick lit? It's the same thing.

I often hear similar complaints by people who review these types of books.

"The language is simplistic."
                                                                                     "The romance was silly."

     "Nothing is happening here."              "It's not serious."


And all sorts of wacky things that imply you have to be super philosophical to have a good book.

Part of the joy of reading, I think, is that it opens up our eyes to new perspectives and other ways of life. Many others consider reading an escape. Chick lit provides a lot of that escape. Sometimes you just want to be someone else for a while and cheer them on.

Others may say, "Well, there's no message in chick lit. There's no point!" I don't think that could be farther from the truth. Many heroines in chick lit show the power of perseverance when they are forced to start their lives over. In many of Jenny Colgan's books, we see women learn to be successful and self-sufficient by opening their own businesses. Hey, even women who are considering going down a new path might check this out to see what building a business is about. Just because it's not a dude, or taking place in the middle ages, or doesn't involve complex morality questions, doesn't mean it's worthless as a book. It's like when people these days decide to stop liking Cinderella because "it's not feminist enough" and fail to remember that it's meant to be, and is, an entertaining story.

Or they might criticize the lack of themes, and I will also have to disprove that one. A recent chicklit book I read dealt with a death in the community and how everyone responded to it. Others will dislike the romances, but that is a key aspect of many women's books. Romances more often bother me when the author forces one into a book that isn't chick lit, because it takes away from the story and might even dumb it down. Yes, some romances are badly written. But that doesn't mean there are many good ones, too.

Maybe it's not the content that bothers people. Some people are often mistaken that really strong and professional-sounding writing always leads to a better book. Not the case. You Will Know Me (not chick lit) had a good premise but was ruined by the author trying to be fancy with language. Sometimes get-to-the-point wording just works better for fun stories. That's not to say that chick lit is always simplistic. Take Pride and Prejudice (which some argue isn't chick lit, but in this case, I'll say that it is...it has many of those elements). There's nothing simplistic about Austen's language. It might be the time period, but it's still "written well" for most people's standards and it explores some important themes (pride and prejudice among them, but also relationships and interaction in general).

Nevertheless, if it manages to tell a good story, I don't think the language style matters. The author shouldn't feel pressure to sound formal and academic.

The bottom line here is that chick lit is important like every other book. I won't imply that every chick lit book has serious themes or isn't written well. Some are plain corny. But some people might like that sort of thing. But just because it isn't fancy or academic doesn't mean it isn't worth a place on the bookshelf. Reading is supposed to be enjoyable, and chick lit does well of making an enjoyable tale.

Try it and see what you think!


My Not So Perfect Life: considers the challenges of identity and starting over
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris: features family matters and reconciliation
The Hypnotist's Love Story: features the challenges that come from jealousy and moving on

Hyperbole and a Half: Allie Brosh

Hyperbole and a Half: Allie Brosh
Genre: Nonfiction/Humor
Pages: 369
Published: 2013

If you like awkward stories with pictures, you're in for a treat. Have you ever heard about the goose that got stuck in Allie's house? Or her mentally challenged but lovable dog? What about the time the time she ate a whole cake despite her parents' efforts to hide it? Or the infamous toy parrot that could repeat anything she said? Takes straight from her blog, Allie's here to tell us the best of her ridiculous life stories in the way that only she can as she navigates life and the silly and serious challenges that come with it. 


Even if you've never read Allie's blog, you probably recognize this meme:

Straight from Allie herself, this is the type of drawing you can expect. Drawn images are interspersed with text snippets of varying lengths and colorful page backgrounds.

I don't really know how to categorize these stories. Like many memoirs, it's stories from the author's life. In this case, they came from her blog. What makes it stand out, though, are her drawings. Who doesn't love her little people with triangles for hair? Readers will find a lot of scenarios to relate to here also. Whether it's getting lost in the woods and having a parent pass it off as a game as to not frighten the kids, insisting on going to that birthday party, or even doing ridiculous things with your siblings to annoy your parents, it's standard suburban life with a refreshing, sarcastic perspective.

Don't forget the pets! Allie's dogs are a huge part of her life. They're stupid, but we love them, and that's the point she gets across. Readers will follow along as Allie gives her dog an IQ test, adopts another dog in hopes of helping the first dog, and writes them a guide to life. But she gets to know other animals, too. I won't even get started on the goose.

Allie also isn't afraid to get serious in her stories and illustrate thought processes in her illustrations as well as events. One metaphorical story, for example, deals with depression as she explains what it's really like and why sometimes people's helpful efforts fail. But her style of humor shines there, too, as she realizes how to laugh again under ridiculous circumstances (aka finding a piece of corn). Another chapter talks about motivation, but does so in a humorous way. Allie's character, for example, decides she doesn't really want that banana in her grocery cart and examines all the options that don't involve going back to the bananas and putting it back, then judges herself for them. Should she leave it on the nearest shelf? No, that would look ridiculous. Should she just buy the banana to avoid awkwardness altogether? Allie speaks to many of our thought processes here. Or maybe that's just me.  But one of my favorite "serious" chapters must be Identity Part 1, where she questions if she is actually a good person or if she is just doing good things to make herself feel good. Or maybe she just thinks she would be a hero in a given situation when in reality she would shy away if something like that were to happen. It's pretty thought-provoking. I know that other readers will start questioning themselves, too.

A handful of chapters border on the complex when it comes to subject material and drawings. In one story, Allie refers to so many things as the "thing" that I forget which "thing" she's referring to. That's where it lost me a little bit. Otherwise, I liked this book and what it brings to the table. It's hard to categorize these stories and give a coherent summary, but that isn't the point. So many people insist on writing their life story these days, but Allie is one of the few with something new to say and a unique style to do it with.

4.5 stars

The Perfect Neighbors: Sarah Pekkanen

The Perfect Neighbors: Sarah Pekkanen
Genre: Chick Lit/Suspense
Published: 2016
Pages: 339

Newport Cove comes off as an idyllic American suburb, but in this community, not everyone is who they seem. Kellie is jumping back into her real estate career only to find herself attracted to a coworker who isn't her husband. Susan is already a successful businesswoman, helping the elderly in their daily tasks, but is struggling to move on from her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi has different problems altogether, with her husband running for office and a daughter who seemingly hates her- and a potential political career probably won't help matters. Then Tessa moves into the neighborhood. Nervous and staying out of the way, she seems to be hiding the biggest secrets of all. 


I know there has been a trend of these types of books recently, though this was the first one that caught my eye. A woman hiding a terrible secret? A woman stalking her ex-husband? A married woman with a crush on another man? Many of them worrying they're not doing well as parents. There is plenty of domestic drama here. Some of the drama is good for a laugh, too. The discussions of the online community between chapters, particularly the dog poop mystery, are authentic. We all know a Frank. ;)

And so the story follows each of these women as they deal with their individual struggles in a seemingly "perfect" neighborhood. Meanwhile, the events leading up to Tessa's secret are told in flashbacks. The problem is that these characters' stories never really intertwine with one another's. We see Tessa behaving erratically around the others because she is so anxious about what happens if her reason for moving is revealed. Actually,  her problems are pretty much pushed under the rug after all that worrying about the "what ifs." That was disappointing. Actually, none of the women's problems really affect the others. So why are they all a part of the same book?

There was plenty of room for other drama that never quite sufficed. I was hoping for lots of drama with Susan following her ex-husband, according to the summary. She never really does follow him. Her ending is disappointing too, like she was inspired by Tessa to suddenly throw her problems away and forget about them. I also wish that Pekkanen spent less time on the subplot starring the elderly man that Susan is helping out. It never really adds anything to the story at hand. And then there's Gigi. I found that Pekkanen spends the most time on Gigi's story, one filled with political drama as her husband runs for office. It clearly takes a toll on her family. Mostly, though, she wants to repair the relationship with her teenage daughter. I really liked the adult perspective on this. In so many teen stories I used to read, it's the angsty teen who feels like they're always right. Now I liked seeing how it affected Gigi and how sad she was over the conflict. It would be tough, as a parent, to think that your child hated you.

I have to say that I found the most exciting drama to be with Kellie. Whenever the book switched to a different POV, this was who I looked forward to reading next because there was a lot more tension and interest than with the other women. (Even Tessa's story only flips between flashbacks and just worrying.) I wanted to feel for her because she couldn't help her feelings, which were exciting and different. And yet she has a lovely family at home, but their life is a little dull. So you wonder..

Despite all this tension, there is a lack of action. There is a lot of time spent worrying and not doing, if you get my drift. Why couldn't there have been a bit more confrontation, giving everything that the women were dealing with? Sure, there were some fakeout moments, like Tessa and her husband thinking their kid has gone missing. My biggest issue with this book was that it wasn't the thriller it said it was, nor was it truly a solid story. I spent a lot of time expecting things to happen, and nothing happened.

Part of it was probably marketing. But the rest was a lack of action that should have happened. And, okay, Tessa's secret is interesting. But it's somewhat obvious what she does, especially as the flashbacks unfold. I still would have liked to see more action and the women getting involved in each other's lives so there was a real storyline. With some action and some consequences (especially for Tessa) this would have been  better.

2.5 stars

Lilac Girls: Martha Hall Kelly

Lilac Girls: Martha Hall Kelly
Genre: Historical
Published: 2016
Pages: 476 plus bonus material

In WWII and beyond, three different women's lives intertwine. At the heart of their circle is Caroline, a former Broadway actress working for the French consulate in the USA, struggling to help French orphans while maintaining a new relationship. Kasia is enjoying her life in Poland until she begins working for a resistance movement and is captured. There is also Herta, an aspiring doctor who ends up taking a position at one of the women's camps. 

Life only gets harder for Kasia when she is subjected to one of Herta's brutal medical experiments. She finds herself bonding with other women in the camp then, including her own mother and sister, as well as other girls who are victims of cruel experiments who will become knows as the Rabbits. Once she is out in the real world, it seems like life will never return to normal after war has affected much of Europe. Then Caroline's story about the experimental subjects gets out and Kasia has the opportunity to find justice against those who have hurt her. 



This story is supposed to be based on a true one. Going into it, I wasn't sure how that could be the case. Kasia alone was based on two historical figures, plus hundreds more. The people and events are based on real ones, yes, though some aspects of the actual story are fictional. Most importantly, the things that Caroline did are not.

I had heard many complaints of the inclusion of a love story that was ridiculous. My first thought was, oh no. If there's anything that I don't like in books, it's a love story that brings focus away from the story itself. This time it may have been necessary. Caroline's story takes a long time to intertwine with the other women's. And I can see why the author didn't just want to wait to introduce her in the last 1/3 of the book when it finally does, either. She had to tell some story about Caroline in the meantime. Its a traditionally classic and fancy love story, a story that one's grandmother might recount in her old age. Fortunately, it sets up her background well. The reason that Caroline gets together with Paul in the first place is because she recruits him for a charity event. From there, they struggle with their love (Paul has a wife) amongst the backdrop of war. (Though, I didn't understand why Caroline was so irritated after his wife came back in the picture. It's not like she was worried about the affair before she disappeared...)  At least this love story not corny and doesn't ruin the narrative like another Holocaust book I read recently. Maybe that's why I was fine with Kelly including it.

My one complaint about Caroline's story will actually be about the long, drawn-out gala scenes. These people are rich. We get it. And how many descriptions of fancy French clothing can one take? Of course, there were the necessary scenes of Caroline dissing her fancy, snooty acquaintances and realizing how shallow they really are as she goes on to champion her cause. I could have done without some of those.

Moving on. In telling their stories, Kelly reveals aspects of World War II that many readers might not be as familiar with. Kasia actually attended Catholic school and was punished for working for an underground resistance movement, rather then being Jewish- though she had her heritage. She was also part of a group of women used for terrible medical experiments, known as the Rabbits, that readers learn more about. From a personal perspective, Kasia struggles with the loss of her mother well into adulthood, and maintaining the relationship with her sister. Not many of these books touch on the post-WWII struggles like Lilac Girls does. Once escaping from the camp, life continues to offer hardships. Loss and living in postwar Poland are among those challenges, and so is mild PTSD. Kasia sometimes wakes in the night thinking she is back in camp.

Then again there's Herta's story, one perspective that isn't often heard from...one of the camp authorities. One of the reasons I originally looked at this book was because I was interested in her perspective and what went on with the medical experiments. You can see that she wants to say no to the job that she takes at first, and then eventually becomes brainwashed by her patriotism and need to make money. You almost want to sympathize with her at points, especially her original longing to be a doctor and help others. Although she'd done some terrible things, Kelly makes her human in that way.

And then in part 3 of the novel is when Caroline comes into play again. She does a great job of bringing their story to the States, and eventually a trip to the States for some of the women. It wasn't quite as intertwined as I'd expected with a three-narrator style, but it worked better that way, and told the real story.

Obviously this book contains some tough material. But readers will find reason to be inspired as well. The way the Rabbits supported each other and made sacrifices was an incredible testament to girl power everywhere. Even the girls walking to their execution displayed bravery. This is a must-read for any historical fiction fan. Not just because it's a well-done story, but because it provides fresh perspective on times that are often written about.

4.5 stars