#TNReads is a regular feature here at That’s Normal where our writers and voracious readers very quickly give you their impression and opinions about the books they’ve recently finished. They know you don’t want to go scouring every book blog out there for lengthy reviews just to find something new. You want it fast and dirty. That’s #TNReads.
Dirty Book Club
Written by: Lisi Harrison
Released on: 10/10/17
Reviewed by: Leanne*
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5 Provocative Publications
Recommended for: Ladies with a great group of friends, ladies in a book club, women in general
M.J. Stark has worked night and day as a story editor for a successful magazine and is ready for her much deserved big promotion. Her boyfriend, Dr. Dan Hartwell, is loving, compassionate and gorgeous. Life is good, but family tragedy and workaholic tendencies have made M.J. lonelier than she realizes. When she is betrayed at work, everything changes. M.J. decides to regroup at Dan’s new beach cottage in a small California town. There she meets Gloria, an elderly woman poised to leave the country to honor a pact made between friends in the 1960’s.
As M.J. navigates life in a new town with no job and a traveling boyfriend, she finds herself drawn into an intriguing proposition with three other women and stacks of erotic books. Can inheriting a dirty book club help M.J. forge friendships, recapture her professional passion and move on from past pain?
Less salacious than the title suggests, Lisi Harrison’s first adult fiction novel is funny, touching and beautifully written, with descriptions and cultural references that will make you smile. Best known for her young adult series, The Clique and Alphas, Harrison captures the importance of women’s friendships and highlights “dirty books” old and new you may want to pick up after enjoying this novel. Buy it.
*arc provided by publisher in exchange for honest review
Seven Days of Us
Written by: Francesca Hornak
Released on: TODAY! 10/17/17
Reviewed by: Janna*
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 Hazmat Suits
Recommended for: Fans of British family drama
A heartwarming tale of the struggles and bonds of family. After doctor and family black sheep Olivia Birch returns home to England from plague-stricken Africa, she and her family are under house-bound quarantine for seven days over Christmas. During this week of imposed togetherness, each must face their individual secrets as well as their strained relationships with each other. The author does a great job of bringing this quirky British family to life. A quick, perfect read for a rainy day, a snuggly blanket, and a steep cup of Earl Grey. Seven Days of Us is out today – perfect time to call your library for a hold or click here to buy it.
*arc provided by publisher in exchange for honest review
Irresistible You
Written by: Kate Meader
Released on: 8/14/17
Reviewed by: Heidi*
Genre: Sports Romance
Rating: 4 Willing Puck Bunnies
I really couldn’t care less about Hockey in general, but Kate Meader’s newest series has me signing up for skating lessons and embracing future puck bunny status. No shame here. Irresistible You takes the current trend of hockey sports romances and does it better than anyone else. That’s saying something.
Harper Chase is the most powerful woman in professional hockey as the new owner and general manager of the Chicago Rebels. There’s a huge target on her back as a woman in a male dominated field and that says nothing about the strings her dad placed in his will regarding the future of the team. The last thing she needs, or maybe the thing she needs most, is fire hot chemistry with the veteran player, Remy Dupre, whom she hired to turn the failing Rebels around. Irresistible You has everything I like in a contemporary sports romance. A strong, independent, female lead, a touch of girl power, and a confident male lead with rock hard abs and deep family values. And that cover! Buy it.
*arc provided by publisher in exchange for honest review
Adorkable
Written by: Cookie O’Gorman
Released on: 9/20/16
Reviewed by: Bea
Genre: YA Romance
Rating: 3 Gryffindor Jerseys
Recommended for: Readers who need a sweet break
This is not Hemingway. (Thank goodness.) I’m trying to work my way through a fat nonfiction ARC and this was the perfect breather. I started after dinner and was done by 9:30 with plenty of space to put the kids to bed in there. (Kid: “Was that book really written by someone named Cookie?? I don’t think that’s really her name.” [Its not.])
The plot was nothing new– best friends are obviously in love but can’t admit it. The characters were sweet– Sal is, as the title tells us, adorkable, and Becks is a high quality book boyfriend. It had a few editing problems that tipped me off that it was self-published, but it was easy and made me happy enough that I’m looking forward to the follow-up book featuring the rejected suitor. Read it next time you want to veg with a rom-com. Buy it.
Select
Written by: Marit Weisenberg
Released on: 10/3/2017
Reviewed by: Brooke
Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 Lost Kids
Recommended for: Anyone with an evolved sense of adventure and forbidden romance
Hiding in plain sight, Julia belongs to a tribe of evolved humans. Better sight, better memory, faster reflexes—mostly just excelling at life. But when her sister almost dies at a lake resort, Julia must reveal her abilities in order to save her sister. Unfortunately, this exposes her family and tribe in the process. Consequently, Julia must switch high schools and suppress her abilities to prove to her tribe she is willing to protect them. At first, Julia has no problem putting her head down and doing her part until the FBI shows up—offering information on her real mother, whom she’s never met.
Completely entertaining, Select is a first book in new series. When Julia meets a normal guy at the new school, their relationship turns into forbidden fruit and that’s when I really got sucked in. Julia has to decide what’s more important: being with her family or finding true love? Select is a satisfying romance with a touch of contemporary fantasy. Sorta like Twilight but nobody craves blood or rips each other to shreds. Buy it if you’re in the mood for a fast, fun read.
There you have it! Real quick reviews for books we loved … real quick because we lazy. Hope you find something new to read. But in the meantime, tell us what you are reading in the comments or on twitter using #TNReads.
