I received an unsolicited copy of this book for review and it was such a pleasant surprise. Look at that cover! Lila Reyes loses her grandmother, her best friend and her boyfriend in a short period of time. When it is clear that Lila is unable to cope with her grief, her parents send her away to England for 3 months. I remember hearing someone on BookTube mention once that kids who are forced to go on vacation and hate it, are plot devices that make no sense. In this case however, I really did feel for Lila. It is clear that she has suffered tremendously and she is genuinely hurt. Like Lila, from the get-go, I wanted her back home with her family. Orion took a painfully long time to appear. Orion has some family issues of his own but when he meets Lila he offers to be her tour guide. It isn’t long between something starts to build between them (and I mean it really isn’t long. From their first few meetings, these two have an instant connection. IT’S ADORABLE!) In terms of plot I feel like this was a story that we have seen before. But I loved it nonetheless. I enjoyed every second of this book and even took it with me to work so that I didn’t miss out on any reading time.
A co-worker lent me this book and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it (actually I am still surprised since it has been a while since I enjoyed a book that wasn’t a romance). “Norse Mythology is a collection of stories about the Norse Gods and their lives. I went in just for Thor and Loki however this isn’t the story that I knew (i.e Marvel). In fact the first few pages were tough on me because my mind kept disagreeing with Gaiman’s series of events and I desperately wanted to follow along the way I would have if this was following the characters we knew from Marvel. Once I managed to shut my brain off however, I enjoyed this book immensely. It moves quickly and you finish a story without even realizing it. I devoured this book in one sitting and it was such an amazing experience. If you are a fan of fantasy or mythology, GIVE THIS A GO!
It’s the most awful time of the year (Sorry, not a fan of January. It is the Monday of the year) and for those who are unemployed or actively looking for a job, January could be the start of a year that brings with it a brand-new career.
But are you really ready? Before you start sending out applications, here are a few things to check.
1. How are your Google results looking?
Before applying for a job, Google your full name and see what comes up. It is also a good idea to Google your full name and your title. You never know what you might find and it helps if you are aware of exactly what pops up when you’re Google’d. For me, I have never found anything besides my social media profiles but I do have an issue where family and friends keep finding me and my blog on Google. Yes I want readers but not people who know me. That just feels weird. Google yourself on your browser and even a friend or family member’s just to ensure that there are no nasty surprises if prospective employers decide to do the same (Trust me, this is a thing).
2. Are your social media profiles okay?
Similar to Google, your social media profiles can tell A LOT about you. Be sure to go through all of your accounts and make sure there is nothing inappropriate such as pictures of you getting drunk/high or wearing something unprofessional. Yes, animal onesies are adorable but is that picture something you want your future employer and co-workers to see? This would also be a good time to set your profiles on private.
3. Are all your documents updated?
This one…is pretty obvious. But do check to ensure that you have the latest copy of your resume. Back when our company was hiring for a Marketing Intern, I was horrified when my former manager told me that one of the staff didn’t update their resume with their latest role (i.e the current role that they were occupying in the company at that time) and Recruitment emailed them back to decline their application. This is a tiny error and it upset me that something so minor cost her.
4. Do you have a cover letter?
Yes, cover letters are not mandatory for all applications. But it feels so good when you can explain to the company more about you and why they should hire you. Try to have a cover letter tailored to each of the jobs you apply for. Hack- have a cover letter template for each industry you are applying in and then simply edit your cover letter for each application.
5. How is your elevator pitch?
“Tell me about yourself” is the ABSOLUTE worse interview question ever. And yet every time it feels like you do not know who you are. Prepare yourself for this by coming up with an elevator pitch- a one or two minute speech about who you are, what your background is (again this is to show why you are the best candidate so make sure you focus on skills you have that will be an asset in your prospective new role) and what you are looking for in a job.
Working on an elevator pitch for yourself is also great for when you start a new job and need to introduce yourself to others.
The Spanish Love Deception tells the story of Catalina Martín who is forced to take her work nemesis, Aaron Blackford to her sister’s wedding as a date. Cat lied to her parents that she was in a relationship and now, desperate to not have her family look at her with pity (and left with no other choice), Aaron is her only choice. At the surface this seems like such a cliche trope. But the book makes it clear why Catalina lied, why her family is so worried about her and why she cannot take anyone else but Aaron to this wedding. Catalina is against the idea 110% but, left with no other option, takes Aaron to meet her family. This book was incredibly well-written and gave me all the feels. I thought Aaron was insufferable but did eventually grow to like him. This was a wonderful and heartwarming read that I recommend to anyone who is looking for a romance novel.
I made the mistake of reading other reviews before posting mine just so I could get the female main character’s name right and now I have mixed feelings about my review. I see the obvious problems pointed out by other readers but for me personally I loved this book. This was a light read that I did not take too seriously which is probably why I cannot personally find faults with it. I did hate how the cruel people went along with life as normal because it just felt like everyone was a a##hole to Tenesse. “Bad Cruz” is the story of Tenesse, who is the town’s bad girl simply because she made the mistake of getting pregnant at 16 (Did she make the child on her own???). Tenesse’s sister is getting married to the brother of the town’s golden boy (and Tenesse’s enemy) Dr Cruz Costello. The families are getting together to go on a cruise before the wedding but due to a mix-up, Dr Cruz Costello and Tenesse end up together on the wrong cruise ship. I liked this book because I felt like it was a fun read. The relationship between Cruz and Tenesse was cute and I was rooting for them the entire way. My only issue was that I wished that they had just left their entire ridiculous small town and moved away
I always say that while I still work in a call center, the Marketing department is a totally different world from Customer Care. And never was this made more clear to me than when we had a discussion on questions you CANNOT be asked in an interview.
I was appalled. I had been asked (and had been answering) these questions throughout my career whenever I interviewed anywhere. I found them uncomfortable and invasive but assumed that that was the way it went for all interviews. It wasn’t.
So to save you from the mistakes of my youth, here are 4 questions you cannot be asked in an interview:
Marital Status (Do you have children? Are you single or married?)
This has no bearing on how well you do the job yet interestingly enough this came up in every single one of my interviews. The way it was asked was “Any children?” followed by “Married?”. Looking back I feel like it was a way to judge how available I would be to work extra hours (something that occurs often in call centers)
How old are you?
This question is forbidden since it could lead to discrimination based on age. Say, for example if you are a young person with no family who is expected to work late. It sounds like I am being paranoid but a significant chunk of the first few years in my career was spent in overtime. If I refused to work extra hours, I was questioned as to why and I was told I had “no excuse” because I had no husband or children.
Do you have a car?
This one blows my mind because the question that is relevant is “do you have reliable transport” not “do you have a car”. Unless it’s necessary for the job, a car does not affect your ability to work.
Where do you live?
Honestly I think this is just asked to ensure that there are no issues with you getting to work on time however this can also be seen as a form of discrimination. Also, let us not forget that one time I waited three hours for a job interview (which never took place) simply because I made the mistake of informing the hiring manager that I lived close to the call center.
If you get any of these questions, just be wary. NONE of these questions were asked in any of my Marketing or Journalism interviews (except for that one failed freelancing attempt that I had). These questions are a huge red flag and should be a sign to proceed with caution.
