Winding down from a Winter’s Respite of reading

 It not only happens to be the last day of the Winter’s Respite  readathon (courtesy of Seasons of Reading and Michelle Miller) but also the first major snowfall of this entire winter season!

After waiting so long for a decent bit of snow, this does feel like a good reason to celebrate by doing my wrap up post a day or two early. I am also pleased to report that I finished all three of the books on my TBR for this challenge-yah me!

The newest book on this list is Kayla Olson’s The Reunion , which brings two former TV actors back together to film a reunion episode of their teen hit series Girl on the Verge.

Since those days, leading lady Liv Latimer has made a quiet acting career in various indie films while her male co-star Ransom Joel has become an action movie hero. Working together again doesn’t just bring up fun memories of the past however; Liv and Ransom came close to declaring their mutual love for one another but certain issues got in the way.

Now with the possibility of reconnecting in more ways than one, Liv and Ransom have to decide if the media scrutiny they both face from such a pairing is worth it or was theirs a love never meant to be?

Olson’s novel is a nice slow burn romance set against a modern Hollywood backdrop, complete with social media commentary and heartfelt scenes of emotional depth.

 While I do wish that there was a little more interaction between some of the other cast members (such as the ambitious Sasha-Kate) with Liv, the intimate moments between her and Ransom definitely make you want to turn the page and tune in for more:

As per my usual, a cozy mystery was added to the mix and I went with Donut Disturb, the next to latest entry in Ellie Alexander‘a Bakeshop Mystery series.

For baker Juliet “Jules” Capshaw, things are going well in her beloved town of Ashland, especially for her good friend Thomas who is about to marry Kerry, his partner in crime fighting as well as life.

When Kerry’s ex-con father shows up just before the wedding, Jules hopes that his unexpected presence won’t ruin the day for all involved. That surprise turns out to be the least of anyone’s worries when the bassist from the jazz trio to perform at the reception is found dead under the bandstand. 

Worst of all, Kerry’s dad may be a prime suspect due to an unfortunate link between the two men. Can Jules help the newlyweds find a happily ever after here or is this case the ultimate wedding jinx? 

Alexander gives us another charming entertainment here with lively characters and tasty descriptions of the treats prepared at her restaurant Torte. Oddly enough, I had just finished her most recent release, Muffin but the Truth, before this one yet that didn’t get in my way of devouring this delicious read down to the last storytelling morsel:

My final read was the second volume in The School for Good and Evil trilogy, A World Without Princes, by Soman Chainani.

Agatha and Sophie, the two “Readers” thrust into the fairytale school in the first book, are trying to adjust to life back home but that magical realm isn’t quite done with them just yet.

When each girl makes a wish regarding their past, the door between worlds is opened again and both of them are forced to return or face dire consequences.

However, they are still not safe as the twin training facilities are now divided into either all boys or all girls with both sides determined to destroy each other. Will Agatha and Sophie be able to claim a true happy ending or is this the beginning of the end?

This twist upon fairytale tropes and gender roles is incredibly engaging to say the least. The Netflix adaptation was fun(part two is supposed to under way as we speak) but the books have much more depth to them and I hope the full trilogy will be done well onscreen.

In the meantime, I do have to read the third book, The Last Ever After, soon as stopping at this book would be like ending Star Wars at The Empires Strikes Back. It’s so good to have a new take on old school notions of heroes and villains indeed:

My thanks to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for a great bookish start to another year of reading. I do hope everyone who joined in had a great time and plan to sign up for Spring Into Horror this upcoming April.

For my TBR this time around, I’m planning a bit of old fashioned murder mystery fun that has an Agatha Christie flair. At least one of my picks will be a Miss Marple worth checking into for a brief visit at a certain hotel…: