Holly Bourne's "Pretending"

 

You can find this book here.

April is kind, pretty, and relatively normal - yet she can't seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she's found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry. If only April could be more like Gretel. Gretel is exactly what men want - she's a Regular Everyday Manic Pixie Dream Girl Next Door With No Problems. The problem is, Gretel isn't real. And April is now claiming to be her. As soon as April starts 'being' Gretel, dating becomes much more fun - especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua. Finally, April is the one in control, but can she control her own feelings? And as she and Joshua grow closer, how long will she be able to keep pretending?

This introduction is from the blurb at the back of the book. The reason I am giving you this as the introduction and not my own take is that this book is very emotional, raw and possibly confronting and so I have not much else to say in how to explain it well. 

The main reason for this type of explanation is that April is a rape victim. This doesn't give away anything in the book; but the emotional and mental aspects of the character are very strong; which keeps everything heightened. The way a character deals, or not deals, with trauma feels very real in this book and gives any reader the ability to see what it is like for anyone who has dealt with sexual assault. 

This is also the main point to this novel. Sharing that understanding of this one character. Whilst experiences, trauma and dealing with trauma is different for every individual; a perspective on something like this for readers shows how important an issue this is in the Western world.

The character is very real and the book focusses on her point-of-view. This does mean that everyone else is viewed through this light; but isn't that life? Seeing the world only through our own eyes? But this book also allows readers to see what it is like to be April. And this is the point of the novel.

There is romance in this book, in part. So whilst it is romance fiction, it is backgrounded. Maybe it should be classed as relationship fiction, as this is very important to April as a character in general. So, if you are looking for a romance-first book, this is not for you. If you would like to have an idea of what it could be like for a woman in London to live and relate in London, give this book a go.

Links for you

Bourne books in the Library:

The places I've cried in public

How do you like me now?

Bourne books in CloudLibrary:

Are we all lemmings and snowflakes?

It only happens in the movies

Nora Roberts' "Dark witch"

 

This book can be found here.

Roberts has written a plethora of novels. So, I expect you to have heard of her. In libraries, she takes up a lot of shelf space, and a lot of the romance fiction 😀

'Dark witch' is of course a book full of romance, but there is some supernatural/fantastical elements to it. This could pique your interest.

This book centres around Iona Sheehan, who travels to Ireland to learn more about her family’s history and legacy of magic. Her cousins Branna and Connor O’Dwyer welcome her well, particularly when she tells them about the dark dreams she has about an evil sorcerer named Cabhan, who has sought revenge against the family for hundreds of years since the first Dark Witch, Sorcha, stopped him from stealing her powers. That's the supernatural side. The romance? This comes in the form of a cranky but incredibly sexy stable owner, Boyle McGrath. And there may be a happily ever after for them together if the cousins O'Dwyer are able to find a way to defeat Cabhan. 

As far as the plot goes, it follows the traditional romance genre. However; it is a trilogy so the overarching Dark Witch story continues on. Something to know about the trilogy: each book comes from the perspective of a different cousin. So you will receive a different romantic focus each time whilst trying to find out just how to defeat Cabhan. This part may seem therefore like it drags (but maybe it builds as you progress through the books). 

The characters are okay. Again, I felt they were rather set-up as romantic characters, so they fit that mould. The sections about Sorcha were probably my favourite; and depending on your reading of Iona you may find her slightly frustrating because of how she is written. In terms of Cabhan, there doesn't seem to be a lot there. Just remember the focus is the romance, so you won't have any strong opinions of the big bad without more of his perspective. 

The best part of the novel I found, was the description of the settings and the atmosphere of the characters' surroundings. This was very strong and made the book feel more romantic. 

Overall, if you like romance you will probably like this book. If you have never read another Roberts' book, this might be a good place to start (especially as we have the entire trilogy in the library to be read!).

Links for you

Cousins O'Dwyer trilogy:

Shadow spell (book 2)

Blood magick (book 3)

As she has written over 200 novels (!), I have made a list of some of her most recent here:

Awakening (2020, it is book 1)

Hideaway

Under currents

This particular book is not a romance, but a thriller. So maybe something different for you to try?

Lauren Ho's "Last Tang Standing"

                                                          

This book can be found here.

Ho's novel is contemporary romance / chick lit. That's right, I went there and read one of these. 

Anyway, the book is well-written. The language is tight and witty. But that's also not what you are going to focus on in this review ...

So, the story. Andrea Tang is a successful lawyer (hoping to make partner), owns a posh condo and has a strong group of friends who always know the best places in Singapore to go. It sounds like she has everything (or will). But as Andrea is a dutiful Chinese-Malaysian daughter, the weight of familial expectations to marry and bear children is hard to ignore, particularly as she is thirty-three and almost last in the family to be married. 

Andrea is therefore struggling between the tensions of the life she has, the life her family (and possibly she herself) wants, and what Andrea hopes for or really desires. Andrea is realistic and relatable (even with all the drinking and partying that may or may not be relatable to your personal life). The fact that there are parts of Andrea that are contrasting and almost incompatible at times show the depth of humanness to her in the book. The fact that the book deals with very successful and rich characters could challenge easy connections readers make with Ho's book; but the themes of identity, singleness and purpose are universal and will still speak to any reader. 

The characters, too, are strongly written and well-rounded. The characters can be seen as diverse within Malaysia/Singapore, but also highlights some of the ways the dominant cultures and communities view diversity. Ho has explained why the writing is the way it is here, if you find those moments difficult to read or understand. Whether this helps or hinders you reading this book, let me know. 

The pace also may be slower for some. However, given this is contemporary romance / chick lit, I didn't foresee it as action-packed and ever going to be moving at a speedy pace. However, it may be slow even for some readers who live for this genre. 

For her first novel, it was very strong and it should be a full and enjoyable read.

Links for you

Title read-a-likes in the Library: 

Bridget Jones's baby: the diaries

Helen Fielding

(Be aware, this is not the first of Bridget Jones's stories). This novel was chosen because of the familial pressures placed on its characters, the diary fiction-style of writing and the similar snarkiness of its protagonist.

Crazy rich Asians

Kevin Kwan

This novel is chosen for the culturally diverse cast, the same setting and similar wit.

First comes love

Emily Giffin

Author read-a-likes in the Library:

Unmarriageable: Pride and prejudice in Pakistan

Soniah Kamal

This author was chosen as they write in the same genre, the author uses their own voice and a strong sense of place.

Not that kind of guy

Andie J. Christopher

This author writes in the same genre and has characters that are culturally diverse, flawed and likeable.