The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read “The Belles” when it first came back way back when and somehow never got around to reading the sequel.
I had my doubts going in. Firstly I couldn’t remember the plot of the first book and I was too lazy to try and track down my copy in my huge hoard of books. Secondly I wasn’t sure if I would still be able to connect with the characters after such a long wait.
But I gave it a go and it was worth it.
Instantly we are given a recap of what happened and why Camille, Edel and Remy are on the run.
They are trying to locate Princess Charlotte, the real heir to the throne. They also come across a rebel group called “The Iron Ladies” (who really deserved a bigger role in this book). They are sort of just there.
Throughout the book, the reader is reminded of significant events in the first one which makes reading this after a long wait easy.
Even after all this time, the worldbuilding was amazing and the writing drew me in immediately.
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Life Update: 2020 Won
categories: Uncategorized
So it has been a while since I posted.
Long story short, my dad caught the Coronavirus and it was a whole big thing. He caught it in December and is still recovering. I am hopeful that things are back to normal now that he is finally out of hospital and life seems to be going back to normal.
On that note guys, please please PLEASE STAY at home as much as possible and stay safe!
Fiction Friday: Book Review- Tempting Fate by Nora Roberts
Tempting Fate by Nora Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When Diana Blade receives an invite from her sister-in-law to meet her brother after several years, she accepts it albeit reluctantly.
But while she is trying to reconcile the man her brother is with the boy she knew growing up, she gets to know his best friend and brother-in-law, Caine MacGregor.
Caine’s reputation precedes him- both personally and professionally.
Diana has heard all about Caine and his conquests and has no desire to be another one of them. But when Caine decides to expand his practice, he picks Diana to be his partner.
It isn’t long before the two have to start juggle their professional relationship with whatever is brewing between them romantically.
I loved having another look at the MacGregor family. Daniel is hilarious as always with his constant demands of marriage and grandchildren. I don’t remember Caine that well from the first book but it was great seeing the family again and getting to know the characters of future books.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy, I definitely recommend this book.
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Tips for A Stress-Free Black Friday
It’s the second most wonderful time of the year (or atleast it is, to me). Black Friday is approaching and with all the deals popping up on my social media feeds, I’m pretty excited. Lots of retailers have extended their specials to week-long or even month-long. But with great promotions come great responsibility and it’s easy to get carried away. Here are a few tips to make your Black Friday shopping a bit easier.
- Make a List- Take note of what you actually DO need/want for Black Friday to avoid accidental splurges on items you do not need. Yes, that big screen TV from Game is a necessity.
- Check your budget- Can you actually afford the items on your list? While sales are great, it defeats the purpose if you’re going to be paying off your credit card for months after Black Friday. Even if you did manage to get the new cellphone you were eyeing for months.
- Plan your method of attack- Will you be shopping in-store or online? Almost everyone is having online specials as well which means you don’t have to worry about queues or Covid. As someone who hates crowds, this is absolutely perfect. (Also if you ARE going in-store, make sure to wear comfortable shoes and carry a snack just in case you get hungry).
- Create accounts for online stores in advance- If you plan on shopping online, make sure that you already signed up for an account on those shopping platforms. Nothing is more annoying than signing up for an account ON Black Friday only to realise afterwards that the items you picked out are now sold. This sounds like a basic tip but sometimes people get excited and forget. It’s me. I am people. And while we are discussing accounts, make sure you are logged in before you start shopping.
- Start early- If you know that there is limited stock of the item you’re after or that the offer is for a certain amount of people, be sure to set an alarm so that you’re ready as soon as the sale starts. ‘Ready’ in this case means that you are logged in and ready to start shopping before midnight.
What items are you looking forward to purchasing for Black Friday? Do you have any other tips to make shopping easier? I’d love to know below.
Happy Two Year Work Anniversary
categories: Welcome to The Real World
Today marks exactly two years since I started working in Customer Care. Fun fact, I will be moving to a different department soon and I absolutely CANNOT WAIT.
But what I want to talk about is my move to Customer Care two years ago. Basically my manager at the time had me assisting the Inbound Customer Care line and when an opening came up, I immediately asked to apply.
However originally when I started my career, there was nothing more terrifying to me than speaking to customers on the phone.
In fact that was the main reason why I didn’t want a job in the call center. But my manager who knew that I was scared of the phone pushed me and eventually it became one of my favorite things.
It may not be my dream job but when time comes for me to leave, I will definitely cry like a baby.
Moving to Customer Care was one of the best decisions in my life and so I leave you with this quote which should be words to live by:
Book Review: Playing With Fire by L.J Shen
Playing with Fire by L.J. Shen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It took me a while to get into this novel but it was a nice sort of slow burn- sort of like West and Grace’s relationship.
West is running away from his past traumas and his method of escape involves drugs, alcohol and fighting for money.
Grace is trying to hide away from her past where she was involved in a fire that ruined her beauty. Her method of escape involves isolation, baseball caps and hoodies.
When West signs up to work with Grace at her best friend’s food truck, no one expects anything to happen between them. The town’s hottie bad boy and the girl burned so badly she looks like toast? Highly unlikely.
But the two strike up a friendship and the more time they spend together, the more they start to realize that they might not be that different after all.
“Playing with Fire” was a book I looked forward to for a while but was reluctant to approach because it seemed too angsty.
There is a whole lot of angst which is why I couldn’t binge read it the way I wanted to but I enjoyed reading this nonetheless.
This is one of L.J Shen’s finest work and if you want to cry and feel good thereafter, this is the book for you.
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Happy NaNoWriMo
categories: Uncategorized
So normally I get really excited for NaNoWriMo. A month dedicated to writing? No pressure? Yes please.
And I was excited way back when I was planning out my study schedule and pushing to finish before November began.
But now that it’s here I have a half-assed story concept, no plot outline and definitely no plan.
I’m still taking part because I feel like I should and at this stage it’s a tradition. If you can’t write a novel after the craziness of 2020 WHEN can you?
Are you taking part in NaNoWriMo? Let me know below.
Fiction Friday: Book Review- Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Finding Audrey” is the story of Audrey who is unable to leave her house or take off her sunglasses- even inside her own house.
Something traumatic happened to her leaving Audrey scarred and unable to trust people.
But then she meets Linus who decides to write Audrey little notes in order to help her get used to him.
The two of them strike up a friendship and eventually with him at her side, Audrey is able to slowly face the world again.
So I had a family member recommend this book to me because I don’t like leaving the house and I was annoyed with them so I never read this book at the time.
Now that I have read it, I wish I had done so sooner (Story of my life).
It is hard not to feel compassion for Audrey and while she never goes into the story of what happened to her, I was rooting for her throughout the book.
Audrey makes me feel seen and reading this book calmed down my anxiety.
100 stars!
(P.S feel free to send more recommendations like this my way)
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I’m BACK!!!
categories: Uncategorized
I cannot believe it has been an entire month since I last posted. I’ve been busy with a Project Management module and now I can add Marketing Management and Digital Copywriting to my list of ever-growing certifications.
So while I didn’t really enjoy the studying this time (Covid=increased working hours+ less breaks+ less available study time), I was pretty sad when it ended. In fact it’s been two weeks and all I did was spring clean my room and watch two episodes of “Friends”. I’m pretty disappointed in myself but I figured after the year I had, I deserved a break.
I have scheduled a few book reviews and while I look for my next project, I’m going to focus on tackling that large bookshelf that somehow keeps growing. I swear I’m not buying books. I don’t know how they keep multiplying.
Fiction Friday: Book Review- The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers #1)
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
So I bought this book for R10 at Readers Warehouse Black Friday sale like three years ago. I didn’t pick it up as I was still missing the remaining books.
I got the remaining books last March and still didn’t start the series because I am a bad reader.
In honor of how much things have changed (and also because my brain keeps thinking we are still in March, thanks Corona) I finally started reading and all I can say is WOW!
Chloe’s first period comes with the startling side effects of her seeing dead people. When she has a very public mental breakdown, screaming at ghosts in her high school, she is moved to a group home with other “ill” students.
However the more time that Chloe spends with her housemates, the more she starts to suspect that something sinister is going on.
It certainly doesn’t help matters that even with her medication, ghosts are STILL trying to talk to her.
I loved the idea of a group home with magically gifted teenagers. It isn’t something that I ever read before so I definitely enjoyed this book immensely.
Kinda sad that it was just sitting there on my shelf for so long and I missed finding this series sooner but that’s the story of my life.
If you like paranormal fantasy, definitely give this a try.
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