2021, Week the Thirty Eighth: Give Me Your Romance, Your Swoons, Your Feisty Heroines Yearning to Find Love Without Sacrificing Their Professional Ambitions!

Greetings Bookworms,

We’ve got soe big things on the horizon this week. Sammy will be going on his very first field trip! I will be chaperoning, because I too want to go to the pumpkin patch. Plus, seventeen four-year-olds really cannot have enough adult supervision. Let’s hope this whole endeavor runs smoothly, because frankly, I have concerns. At the very least I can make sure my child does not end up lost in a corn maze. That aside, I read some more books. (I know, something new and different for me!)

Anne of Manhattan by Brina Starler- Be still my heart. An Anne of Green Gables retelling. With the swooniest of Gilbert Blythes. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. Technically, it’s more an Anne of the Island/Anne of Windy Poplars retelling… I think? I can’t remember in which books all the things happen exactly. The point is that Anne and Gilbert are adults in grad school, and while there are quite a few lovely flashbacks and anecdotes relating to beloved scenes in their childhoods, it’s not at all creepy when they hook up. Which they do. Because Gilbert has been head over heels for Anne since they were 12, and will remain so for the rest of their days. OBVIOUSLY. Anyway, the settings have been swapped out- rather than Prince Edward Island, the duo grow up in The Hamptons. This book takes place in NYC, so we get to see grad school experience play out in the big city, complete with hipster bars. Is it realistic? I mean, no, but who cares? The payoff of seeing Anne and Gilbert paired together to write their thesis (which I think isn’t really a thing? But I only have a Bachelor’s so I wouldn’t know for sure) is delicious and so reminiscent of the slate over the head that one cannot help but sigh contentedly. Definitely one of my favorite adaptations of a classic. I adore Jane Austen retellings, but it’s refreshing to see a different old favorite get an update.

Pretty Face by Lucy Parker- After listening to Act Like It (review) I thought I’d carry on reading the London Celebrities series by Lucy Parker. The second installment is Pretty Face, featuring an under appreciated actress and a gruff theater producer. Lily Lamprey has been starring on a TV drama that utilizes her character purely for sex appeal, but she dreams of the West End stage. Luc Savage is a well respected theater producer. He reluctantly casts Lily in his latest production, a role that could be her Big Break. The only problem? Despite Luc being like 15 years older than Lily AND being her boss, the two are super into each other. Their attempts to ignore their chemistry haven’t been working out particularly well. I typically do not do well with age gap romances, ESPECIALLY when the age gap is accompanied by a big power imbalance. Somehow, against my own inclinations, Lily and Luc won me over. Perhaps it’s that they both went into the relationship with their eyes open to the complexities and potential fallout? Hard to say, but Lucy Parker made it work.

Making Up by Lucy Parker- We met both Trix and Leo in earlier installments of the series. He remains extremely hunky. Trix is besties with Lily (of Pretty Face) and stayed with Lily for a while after her horrendous break-up with an emotionally abusive ex. (Has there ever been a character as vile as Dan? Well, yes I can think of a few, but he is up there with the worst of them.) Leo was introduced as a super hunky makeup artist, but he was mostly presented as a bit of eye candy in earlier books. Now he has a whole story and it is delightful. The two totally have a Gilbert and Anne vibe, now that I think about it. They met as kids and spent their lives sparring any time they met, but they were both secretly in love with each other. Now that Leo has been hired on to do the makeup in Trix’s show (she’s an acrobat, arealist, and spitfire) the two give in to their undeniable chemistry. But Trix still has baggage over awful Dan and Leo’s little sister has been an absolute nightmare to deal with lately… It isn’t all smooth sailing, but it is a lot of fun. This one may be my favorite of the series so far. It makes me happy when adolescent crushes find each other again and make it work, OKAY? It’s a trope that’s been steadily charming me. Before we know it, it’ll be right up there with Fake Dating and Only One Bed.

Alright, Bookworms. That’ll be it for me this week. I’ll be sure to update you on any shenanigans that take place at the pumpkin patch. Be safe, my darlings.

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