My 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge: January - February

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple - except they broke up six months ago. And they still haven't told anyone. Which is how they end up sharing a bedroom at the cottage that has been their yearly getaway with their best friends for the past decade. The cottage is for sale so this is the last time they'll all be together here and they can't bear to break their friends' hearts. So, they'll fake it for one more week. It's a flawless plan (if you look at it through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). But how can you pretend to be in love with someone - and get away with it - in front of the people who know you best?

I really enjoyed seeing Harriet and Wyn fall in love during the flashback chapters, as well as seeing how the group came to be, with those scenes being contrasted to the present day. We also have some of my favourite tropes, such as fake dating and there only being one bed, which are two that I always appreciate seeing. Add in the frustrated back and forth but genuine longing between Harriet and Wyn and Happy Place is now my happy place. And this isn't just a story about the love and lost love between two characters. It's about family and creating your own family of friends, as well as how we all grow and change as we get older.

Publication date: 25th April 2023

Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter

Liz gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar - and maybe snag him as a prom date - even befriend Wes, the annoyingly attractive next-door neighbour. But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love. And rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like.

I really wish that this book had been around when I was a teenager. Seeing Liz attempt to live out the idealised teenage experience had my attention the whole way through. We've got fake dating, frenemies-to-lovers and a whole lot of great references to some of my favourite movies and songs. I also loved Wes. Like I could not get over how nice he was. There was a little bit too much teenage angst for me, especially when it came to how Liz treated her stepmom. And then the whole miscommunication issue rears its head near the end, which always annoys me a bit. But I liked seeing Liz grow. And this was just really just such a delightful story that I didn't want to end.

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

Escaping her seemingly perfect wedding, Naomi arrives in Virginia, running to the rescue of her estranged twin, Tina. Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn't changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi's car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected: the 11-year-old niece she didn't know she had. Now she's stuck in town with no job, no plan, no home and a whole lot of extra responsibility. There's a reason Knox doesn't do complications or high-maintenance women. But since Naomi's life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. At least that's the plan, until their lives begin to entwine in ways they never imagined.

Let me just start by saying, this did not need to be 600 pages long. Some of the steamy scenes were good and it leaned in to that small town setting trope that I so often enjoy, as well as the classic grumpy/sunshine one. But then you have to remind yourself that these characters are 36 and 43 years old respectively and not in their teens. Tina was also completely one dimensional. Then we have the town being called Knockemout. I know there are some strange and quirky place names out there but Knockemout? And don't get me started on the names Waylay and Waylon. Did we need a kidnapping ending either? But somehow I couldn't put this down so I'm not sure what that says either.

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

Misha: In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed. It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake. For the next seven years, it was us. We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it? Ryen: He hasn’t written in three months. Something’s wrong. He could be gone forever. Or right under my nose, and I wouldn’t even know it.

If you think Colleen Hoover is problematic, let me introduce you to this. There's sexism, misogyny and so many cliches. Then you've got two teenagers having sexual experiences, that I'm guessing 99.9% of the high school population won't be having. And they get together after bullying one another. I honestly don't know how many times I rolled my eyes when reading this. This book is trash and I think I may need to do some serious research before selecting another book to read on Kindle Unlimited after reading this book and the one before it.

Undoctored by Adam Kay

Adam Kay's secret diary from his time as a junior doctor This is Going to Hurt was read by millions, translated into 37 languages, and adapted into a major BBC television series. But that was only part of the story. Now, he returns with his most honest and incisive book yet. He reflects on what's happened since hanging up his scrubs and examines a life inextricably bound up with medicine. Battered and bruised from his time on the NHS frontline, Kay looks back, moves forwards and opens up some old wounds.

This is a brutally honest and much more personal account than Kay's previous two books. Sometimes it may veer on being OTT, in terms of what he is sharing. And yet, I think this is actually my favourite of his three books. It does deal with some heavy topics. However, there were a few lines that had me laughing out loud, while I chuckled through a lot of it. I liked the flashback chapters but it is frustrating seeing someone who is clearly intelligent and trained to look out for symptoms completely ignore what is going on and actively avoid seeking medical help. It does feel like a collection of essays rather than a linear story, so some chapters may work better for you than others. But overall, I found it pretty riveting.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Sam and Sadie meet in a hospital in 1987. Sadie is visiting her sister, Sam is recovering from a car crash. The days and months are long there, but playing together brings joy, escape, fierce competition -- and a special friendship. Then that time is over, and they return to their normal lives. When the pair spot each other eight years later in a crowded train station, the spark is immediate, and together they get to work on what they love - creating virtual worlds that end up making them superstars. This is the story of the perfect worlds Sadie and Sam build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.

While I loved the journey that this book takes you on and that it is essentially a love letter to games and how they can bond people, I did have a few issues with this book. Firstly, both Sam and Sadie are pretty unlikeable. Their friendship isn't one that I would romanticise either. Instead, it's pretty toxic, even from the very beginning. Marx was one of the few characters that I actually liked, which is what made his story arc so heartbreaking for me. It's also at least 100 pages too long, with the 'Pioneers' section being my least favourite part. But this was a fully immersive read that I struggled to put down.

The Last Passenger by Will Dean

My phone has no reception and my stomach feels uneasy. Maybe it's the motion of the waves or maybe it's the fact that Pete didn't leave a note or a text. I pull on jeans and a jumper and take my key card and step out into the corridor. All the other cabin doors are wedged open. Every single one is unoccupied and unlocked. My heart starts beating harder. I break out into a run. There's nobody here. The RMS Atlantica is steaming out into the ocean and I am the only person on board. This was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime for Caz. Now she just needs to survive.

Let's just say that I won't be going on a cruise anytime soon/ever. I was immediately hooked and felt like I was truly in Caz's shoes. The tension that was built in certain scenes, such as Daniel and Caz's tasks had me almost feeling sick with nerves. I loved the concept of being trapped on one of the most luxurious places only for there to be no food, water, heat, electricity, lighting or control. I was a bit suspicious of Frannie, particularly when she was so knowledgeable about almost everything. But I did not anticipate the final twists, with the very last one almost feeling like the end of a great horror movie.

Publication date: 11th May 2023

Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane

When Joe and Roisin join their group of friends for a weekend away, it’s a triple celebration. A birthday, an engagement and the launch of Joe’s new crime drama on TV. But when Roisin sees secrets she shared with Joe play out on the TV screen, she knows that between us means nothing at all. Roisin finds herself searching for clues to the truth. About her life, their history, and the man she thought she loved. And it’s then that Roisin finds the most unexpected plot twist of them all. Among those same old friends, there’s a surprising potential for new beginnings.

I could not put this down, even though I knew that I would be sad when it was over. I particularly enjoyed seeing Roisin (and Matt) return to where she had grown up, while helping out in the pub and interacting with her mum. The scenes at the school were great too. Having the friend group meet while working in Waterstones was also such a nice touch, as a book lover. My heart warmed anytime that Matt was with Roisin. And then you had Joe, with his being a TV writer who apparently seemed to be taking inspiration from life as Roisin didn't know it, which made for a great plotline.

Publication date: 11th May 2023

Don't Swipe Right by L.M. Chilton

Reeling from a disastrous break-up with her long-term boyfriend, Gwen is on a mission to move on, as fast as possible. The only problem? Each man she meets on new dating app Connector is even more toxic than the last. Luckily for Gwen, she can simply unmatch and never have to think about them again. That is, until she swipes right on a serial killer who is intent on murdering all the men she's previously dated. As Gwen tracks down her terrible dates in an attempt to catch the killer, she realises that anyone could be a murderer. She just hasn't found the right one yet.

This was a super quick and engaging read that has some brilliant commentary on dating apps and modern dating, more generally. Seeing Gwen deal with each of her terrible dates was both a little bleak, as someone single myself. But also incredibly relatable. And that's what worked so well about Gwen, she felt like a real person. There were about 5 different people that I thought could potentially be the killer. So the final reveal was a bit of a shock to me as I had never even considered them. If you're looking for a modern murder mystery with some great dark humour and a female main character that you can get behind, this is it.

Publication date: 22nd June 2023

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend. Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig - until it comes crashing down. Because Jack, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

I feel like Hazelwood has found a formula for success that she isn't willing to deviate from even in the slightest when it comes to her writing. The fake dating agency storyline was actually an interesting one that I would have liked to see explored. However, it turns out almost identically to The Love Hypothesis and Love On The Brain. There were some cute moments between Elsie and Jack but it was a bit of a frustrating slow burn, with the amount of physics/academic jargon becoming off putting as well. And why is every single male love interest in Hazelwood's books huge, with basically zero personality?

Publication date: 13th June 2023