Review: Seven Letters by JP Monninger

Seven Letters by J.P. Monninger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: Oct. 2019
 

Kate Moreton is a professor at Darthmouth. She is writing about her Irish heritage as a part of her doctoral dissertation and decides to take the semester and spend it in Ireland to do the research she needs to do on the Blasket Islands and the people who used to live there. What she isn't expecting is to fall in love with the place as well as a certain American who also lives there, Ozzie Ferriter. Their romance is fast paced. Will their love be able to last over the oceans or will one of them make a sacrifice for them to be together.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was definitely a slow read for me. Overall the story was very bland. Girl does work in Ireland, girl meets boy, boy is mysterious, boy and girl fall in love, what happens next ... The whole story is very slow paced even though it covers a few years. I didn't find myself investing in the characters or the story as a whole. I have read one other book by JP Monninger, a  Map That Leads to You, and that one was a bit more interesting.

What would you do if you met a man who seemed perfect for you, but he lived a world away. Would you give up the life you've known to be with him or would you find a way for you all to be together? That is the dilemma Kate faces when she meets Ozzie. Will she stay in her native land or return to her home? Is Ozzie really the man that she thinks he is or is his past holding him back from being the man he could be? Can you change someone to be the person you want them to be or do you have to accept them for who they are? All of these are questions that will be answered in the book.



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Review: All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: 2018

When Lyla's picture is circulated around, at first, she is humiliated. She can't believe this is happening to her. But when she finds out, Finch Browning, her crush is behind it all, she's not sure if she should be happy that he took notice of her or ashamed that he saw her like that. But Nina, Finch's mom, and Tom, Lyla's dad have a whole different perspective of the situation. Nina is appalled by her son's actions, but also in disbelief that this is something her son actually did. Tom can't believe his daughter just wants to sweep everything under the rug and move on with life. What is going to happen? The entire private school, students as well as parents are aware of the situation, and all eyes are on these two families and how this situation will be handled.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Emily Giffin is definitely one of my favorite authors and I have read everything she has written. This book was a bit different than what I'm used to from her, but I still really enjoyed it.

What would you do if you found out a picture of your daughter, partially nude, was being texted around the school community? To students as well as to parents. What would you do if you were the parent of the child who took that picture? Would you try to push the problem away and move on with life, or would you want to your child to be punished for their actions? These are the questions,
Tom Volpe and Nina Browning are asking themselves.

Tom's daughter Lyla got way too drunk at a party and Finch took some pictures of her and texted it to a friend or two. Those friends passed it along to their friends and some parents got a hold of it as well. For Lyla, she just wants the whole thing to disappear, but her father, wants Finch to be punished for his actions. Nina also believes that Finch should be punished for his actions and it quite concerned about Lyla and how she is handling the whole situation. Finch's father, on the other hand, thinks this is something he can buy his way out of.

Tom and Nina form a friendship during this difficult time and help their children make it through to the other side. Will Finch be punished and his future ruined or will everything work itself out?

I really enjoyed this book and it made me think about what I would do, if placed in that situation. With social media taking over the world and raising young people, it's definitely something I have to keep my eye on. I love the way Emily Giffin tackled this topic, with a few surprises that I didn't expect.

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