One of Those Malibu Nights

One of Those Malibu Nights by Elizabeth Adler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A weekend camping trip, and out come the guilty pleasures!

This one is definitely a typical guilty pleasure (or as the BF would say, some good fluff....though he would NEVER call it good, lol!). This book is very lighthearted, even for a mystery, as the the fun, playful human interactions are well balanced with the suspense and intrigue. The interwoven story lines also made this enjoyable, though on a few occasions I felt the number of people who seem to come to the same private investigator, unbeknownst to each other and in relation to the same overall set of problems, was a little over the top and not believable. To the author's credit though, this is fiction so of course there is room for all the creative license one would like to employ, but I am sometimes a bit put off by the moments where I go "really?!" - it just seems to me to be easier to get into a story like this when there is at least some feeling that things going on could actually happen.

The only other thing I didn't love as much about this book was the way the relationship between Mac and Sunny shaped up and played out. We are introduced to Sunny as being Mac's "on again, off again" girlfriend who wanted to get married though Mac is "happy how things are". I won't throw in a spoiler, but will just say that the state of their relationship at the end of the book was a bit disappointing, though not for the normal reasons. This didn't originally bother me when first reading, as I was not aware that this was the first book in a series, but upon realizing that there were additional books, I was bit bummed out. The "on again, off again" and "will they or won't they" scenario is one that has a lot of potential in a series. Yes, it can be somewhat annoying sometimes when the latest book or episode leaves you wondering until the next comes out, but in the end it is one of the great elements that they know will keep readers and viewers coming back, and I think too much happened in this one story that could have been spread out over at least one, if not two, other books that would have added to the desire to read the next one.
Otherwise, a great lazy hammock afternoon read!

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Life's a Beach

Life's a Beach by Claire Cook
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was nice easy read, but definitely not up there in terms of great books.

While I definitely appreciate a great "guilty pleasure", this one was just a bit too simple and predictable, without any great poignant moments or much apparent creativity. One sister is the golden child, one sister has wasted potential and a so-so love life, blah blah blah. This model has been done repeatedly, but can still be great if there is different presentation, message etc. Unfortunately this book has neither. I picked this up from a friend's bookshelf when I was literally out of my own books to read while housesitting, and this is about the only situation I'd recommend it for. If you're stuck in the airport during a snow storm, buy a different one.

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Sunday's at Tiffany's

Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Nothing too monumental to say on either side of the fence, but a nice and easy afternoon lounger. The characters were likeable and made the imaginary plot aspects seem like they could really happen, in that girly and romantic, guilty pleasure sort of way.



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Picture Perfect

Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have only read a few Jodi Picoult books but they never cease to please me. This was a thrift store score that I hadn't heard of and didn't know what it was about, and it did a great job keeping me guessing.

The story centers on Cassie and Alex, an intelligent but naive anthropology professor and a Hollywood star, and their "fairy tale" love and marriage. They seem perfect and say they are "made for each other" but in reality have a troubled and abusive relationship that no one would believe if they actually did tell anyone, without actually seeing the proof.

Through the storytelling, you feel as though it's autobiographical, as it seems so knowing and insightful that you wonder how anyone could make this up. I also found myself cheering for Cassie and Alex to make it, despite him being abusive. You get to know the good in him, the damaged childhood that he truly seems like he wants to overcome, that he truly does love her, and you want to say "give him one more chance, maybe he really won't do it again..." when you know logically that you should be telling her to run for it. Picoult's imagination and formidable skills at weaving an amazing story make you feel as though if, having never been in an abusive relationship, you are given a while new insight and appreciation for the situation, and why even the strongest of woman have had difficulty leaving such situations. It is an eerie feeling - there were so many times that this novel made me incredibly uncomfortable admitting what I was feeling about what was going on but never able to stop reading. I have never hesitated for a moment to help a friend get away from an abusive situation, but also never had nearly so clear and idea of how they may have felt as I do after reading this novel. Once again, Picoult asounded, intrigued and educated me.



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Barefoot

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There are a few things. I would have improved about this book, overall I really liked it.

The three main characters, Vicki, Brenda and Melanie, were great women to get to know in this story. The 3 drastically different worlds they were coming from made for an intriguing dynamic, espcially when you read about the close quarters of the Nantucket cottage they share for the summer. It was heart wrenching to read about Vicki's battle with cancer, exciting to learn about Brenda's fiascos, and saddening to hear about Melanie's recent ordeals, and heartwarming to see their situations change and have happy endings.

That said, I did feel a little lost at times from the jumping around between each woman's internal dialogue, and the abruptness of some of the story lines. Vicki's story is the only one that seems fully realized; Brenda spends the summer going back and forth, and then, just like that, her story seems resolved. Melanie, after coming across early on as a bit whiny and "junior high" ish, seems happy for the first time in what comes across as years and then abruptly takes what I think is the "easy" way in the end. I would have loved to see a more rounded story in the end, rather than what seemed to me was a hurried wrap-up to a story that began with more thought and inspiration.





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