Holding the Dream by Nora Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Kate meets an old friend of her father and learns about her father’s shady past. Still reeling from this discovery, Kate is even more shocked when she is fired for suspected embezzlement. She has put her whole life into her career and now she is left out in the cold.
Kate decides to join Margo and Laura at their store, “Pretenses.” But as her stress levels slowly rise with everything happening around her, so does her attraction to Byron, the Templeton’s new employee.
Kate drove me crazy in this novel. While I loved her relationship with Byron it drove me crazy that she just accepted the embezzlement charges.
From the get-go it was clear who was behind everything but Kate was busy with her life (no Kate, you worked hard for this career, dammit) and unable to see it.
Besides that small but annoying itch, I enjoyed this book. I love seeing the Templetons together. I almost feel jealous of their beautiful home and luxurious lifestyle (Actually I probably do).
The embezzlement plot is probably my least favorite part of this novel but I really did like seeing how Byron and Kate came together.
View all my reviews
Month: July 2020
25 Life Lessons I’ve Learnt in 25 Years
categories: Welcome to The Real World
On the 1st of July 2020, I unfortunately turned 25. I saw it coming but it was still a shock. When I imagined 25, I saw my life in a completely different direction. Nonetheless here we are. The damage has been done. The 25 years may not be what I expected but it has been a great learning experience.
Here are 25 life lessons that I learnt:
1) DO NOT tie your identity to your job
2) Money is important but it is not the MOST important
3) Surround yourself with those that you love
4) Network. You never know where it may take you
5) Also- always try something new. You never know where that might take you
6) Always carry a spare tire in your car
7) Ensure you have savings- for a rainy day, for retirement. Just make sure you have money available.
8) No matter your best intentions, life rarely ever goes as planned
9) Do NOT make decisions when you are emotional (unless those decisions are food-related like what to buy to make yourself feel better)
10) Also, do not make purchasing decisions when you are emotional
11) Leave work at work. There’s a reason you have “working hours”. And leave the office on time
12) If it doesn’t affect your pay, don’t let it affect your day
13) No, you do not need more books (but buying a few more doesn’t hurt anyone)
14) You don’t go to the gym to go to the gym. You go to the gym for the feeling you get after the gym
15) Take time out for yourself no matter how busy life gets
16) Keep moving forward (thank you, Disney)
17) Tea is always a good idea. So is any warm beverage
18) Live within your means. Live below your means if possible. This is especially relevant in the Corona era
19) Time is the most valuable resource and it’s one you can never get back. Use it wisely
20) Stressing about something accomplishes nothing (though in my case, it keeps my brain occupied so I allow it within reason).
21) It is always a good idea to learn a new skill be it work-related or personal
22) Not everyone is going to like you. You are not R100. Some people don’t even like R100 (I am one of these people. R100 disappears too quickly. R1000 is a good amount).
24) A car is a deprecating asset (and a damn expensive one) so there’s no need to pay a ton of money on an expensive model especially if you don’t have that money.
25) Spend more on quality in the first place so you don’t end up having to pay more to replace something cheap (like when it comes to repairs for the above deprecating asset)
What lessons have you learnt in your time on Earth? I’d love to know below!
Fiction Friday: Book Review- Daring to Dream (Dream Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts
Daring To Dream by Nora Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Margo, Kate and Laura grew up in Templeton House together. The three girls were as close as sisters.
The daughter of the Templeton’s housekeeper, Margo always wanted more. So as soon as she graduated she took the first opportunity to leave their small town to become a model.
She had fame, success and money. Until it all came crashing down with a scandal.
Forced to return home and try to make something of her life, Margo decides to open a store and sell the last pieces of her pampered life.
I’m not sure why I picked up this book because there isn’t much that appealed to me in terms of plot. I guess it was just an impulse because of the pretty butterfly on the cover?
Surprisingly I loved this book. There’s a legend, close-knit friends and family. This is a feel-good novel though and though which I really enjoyed.
The relationship between Kate, Laura and Margo was beautiful to watch especially seeing how they were so different in personalities.
If you’re looking for a romance book with a lot of heart, I strongly recommend you start this series.
View all my reviews
Fiction Friday: The Places I’ve Cried in Public by Holly Bourne
The Places I’ve Cried in Public by Holly Bourne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was the first book I read by Holly Bourne and wow, IT IS ONE HELL OF A BOOK!
Amelie and Reese were in love. Or so she thought. But now that they are over, Amelie is beginning to see the cracks in their relationship. She is starting to see that maybe, just maybe whatever it is that they had was not love.
“The Places I’ve Cried in Public” paints a pretty accurate picture of what it’s like to fall into a toxic relationship. Ever so slowly that you don’t even know its wrong until you’re too far gone and then wondering what happened.
I knew a Reese in high school and this book really took me back to that time. I had to keep putting the book down to cry and then I sat and bawled my eyes out when this book was finished. I felt seen. I felt heard. I felt understood.
This book is so important and so relevant.
It is realistic and well-written and just sheer, utter perfection.
View all my reviews
Learn to Give Yourself a Break
categories: Welcome to The Real World
Back when I was a young, naïve college student I wrote a blog post about the importance of taking a mental health day. It’s funny because looking back, I was under the impression that all jobs allowed a mental health day. After all how could you be expected to function at a job if you’re not at your best? However, this is the real world and sometimes mental health days are just not an option.
A few days ago (a week to be accurate), I came home from work with a headache. This wasn’t unusual as I normally have headaches during the weekend (it’s my blog/study/writing time).
However by the time Monday rolled around, I didn’t feel any better. Plus I had my sinus acting up. By Wednesday, the pain was too bad and I eventually started crying before begging to be taken to the doctor.
I had a feeling I knew what the cause was but I hoped he could help. Nope. He decided it was a tension headache. From what little I knew, I knew tension headaches were stress-related. I didn’t know how not to stress. But I was in horrible pain and I was already behind on my studying.
I took medication and went to sleep, hoping to return to work on Thursday. No such luck. I woke up with an awful sore throat and my head still hurt. I dosed myself with large quantities of flu medication, home remedies and spent most of the day asleep. In fact I was only awake for 4 hours.
I felt horribly guilty and ashamed. I was behind on all of my work all because of a stupid headache.
I managed to rest enough that it was fine for me to return to work on Friday.
My head still occasionally hurts like hell but I’m trying to make a concentrated effort to remain calm and not stress (a difficult feat for someone with anxiety).
So the point of me sharing this story is simple. Learn to take a break. You don’t want your body deciding all of a sudden that it needs a break. Because trust me, your body will definitely pick the most inconvenient time possible/
Fiction Friday: Red Lily (In the Garden #3) by Nora Roberts
Red Lily by Nora Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Red Lily” is the final book in the “In The Garden” trilogy and oh how it breaks my heart to see these characters go (which is odd coz I barely remembered them in “Black Rose” but I guess I’ve gotten attached to them).
“Red Lily” follows Harper and Hayley as they try to start a relationship together. The two of them have had feelings for each other for a while which they’ve been pushing back.
However a short while after their first kiss, the Harper Bride has a temper tantrum and her violent behaviour starts to escalate. She then starts possessing poor Hayley who is no longer sure what is her and what is the Harper Bride.
I found it incredibly sickeningly that the Harper Bride would go after Harper as he is technically her family (insert vomit emoji here) however I was also moved by how she was clearly losing her sanity.
This was a great read that I devoured in one sitting (although it WAS lockdown so it could have been that too). I loved watching the entire family come together and I was glad to finally see the Harper Bride put to rest.
View all my reviews
Book Review: Black Rose by Nora Roberts (In the Garden #2)
Black Rose by Nora Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read “Blue Dahlia” about a year or two ago so I’m not sure why I decided to pick this up when I barely remembered the first book.
All I did remember was the ghost of the Harper Bride and I was curious to know more about her.
So I picked this up with a vague recollection of book one but surprisingly I enjoyed this book.
Roz Harper is a single mother and businesswoman, running “In the Garden”. She has hired Dr Mitchell Carnegie to help her discover who the Harper Bride really was.
The first time I picked up this book, a year or so ago, I couldn’t see anything of interest between Roz and Dr Mitch which is why I didn’t bother reading this book.
But I pushed through and sure enough, a cute story came through.
Roz is reluctant to give in to another relationship especially after two marriages. But when her creepy, gold-digging ex-husband returns to torment her, it is easy to see how different Mitch is from him.
But as Roz considers the possibility of starting anew with Mitch, the Harper Bride is determined to stop her.
I thought we would learn more about the Harper Bride and her history and I was left feeling pretty disappointed. What does she want? What would it take to free her? And why is her behaviour escalating?
I’m hoping those questions would be answered in the last book.
This was a fun read that had me up till the early hours of the morning
View all my reviews