Review: The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson

The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: April 2021

Norman is a 12-year-old boy who has a five-year plan with his best friend Jax, to do their comedy routine at the Edinburgh Fringe. When Jax dies unexpectedly, Norman has to forge his own way without Jax. He revises the five-year plan to go to the festival this year. With the help of his mother, Sadie, and family friend, Leonard, he is on a quest to find his father and perform a comedy routine. The journey will not be easy for any involved, but hopefully, it will bring them something that they all need.

Thank you to Mira/Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Norman is covered in psoriasis and keeps mostly to himself. But he and Jax are "the bloody Rolls-bloody-Royce of bloody best friends." They look out for each other. Jax's death is not only hard on Norman, but also on Sadie. She's not used to having to entertain Norman and Jax always kept her up to date of what was going on with them when Norman would forget his phone.

Norman is a loveable character. You instantly feel for him and want to take him under your wing. Leonard is another loveable character. He's the grandpa we all wish we had. Sadie has a lot going on in her head which doesn't help with her mothering. She has her own hangups with her father which has transferred to fear for her son.

Will they be able to accomplish the goal of finding Norman's father and having Norman perform at the Fringe?

View all my reviews

To learn more about this book, or to order a copy, click the links below(affiliate links):

Amazon

Books A Million

Review: Claimed by a Steele by Brenda Jackson

Claimed by a Steele by Brenda Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: May 2020
 

Gannon Steele is the last of the Steele brothers to be single. He has decided, he's not going to get married for another 10 years. When Delphine Ryland comes into his life, he might just change his mind. Delphine has been hurt in the past and the last thing she is looking for is a relationship. But these Steele men are hard to resist. Will Delphine and Gannon both be able to stand by the rules that they have made for themselves?

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

I'm really upset that I didn't know about this series before. I read this book in two days, it was hard to put down. I think I would have given it more stars if I would have read the rest of the series and had more background information on the family as a whole. The book is about the Steele family and these brothers are hot, sexy and intelligent.

This book in the series is about the youngest Steele brother. The story starts at another brother's wedding where Gannon vows he's going to wait another 10 years before he decides to settle down. He is being groomed to take over the family business, but he doesn't just want to sit behind a desk, he wants to be out in the field with his employees so that he can know how to make their job easier and in turn making his company better. Delphine is in town to write and article about Gannon and his practices. What better way to get to know him better than by going on the road with him. They will learn a lot about each other on this trip and maybe give up plans and go with the flow.

I have read only a few of Brenda Jackson's books, but I can't wait to read about the other Steele brothers.


View all my reviews


To learn more about this book, or to order a copy, click the book cover below:

Review: Hairpin Curves by Elia Winters

Hairpin Curves by Elia Winters
My rating: 3 of 5 star
Published: July 2020
 

Meghan and Scarlet have been friend for a long time. Right after high school, they had a falling out, but they haven't really spoken since. When one of their close friends is getting married in Quebec, they make a choice to drive there together. Meghan has never left Florida and Scarlet hasn't seen much of the country either, so this will be an adventure for them both. They will find out more about each other than ever before. But will they be able to rekindle their friendship?

Thank you to Carina Press/Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When Scarlet didn't show up to be roommates with Meghan, Meghan was devastated. But Scarlet is hiding a few secrets about why she chose not to go with Meghan. To top that off, they both have more than friendly feelings for each other.

This isn't the typical type of romance that I normally read, but it kept me entertained. This is a LGQBT+ book.

When I was in college, I loved taking road trips with my friends. Going to school in Texas, it's not hard to drive all day and still be in the same state. Making tapes or CDs for the journey, and planning out snacks and stops. That part of this book I could relate too very much.

For those of you who are interested in a frenemies to lovers book that includes a Female/Female romance, I think you will enjoy this book.

Author Bio
RITA™ Award-winning author Elia Winters is a fat, tattooed, polyamorous bisexual who loves
petting cats and fighting the patriarchy. She holds a Master’s degree in English Literature and
teaches at a small rural high school, where she also runs the drama club. In her spare time, she
is equally likely to be found playing tabletop games, kneading bread, cross-stitching, or binge-
watching Marie Kondo. A sex educator and kink-positive feminist, Elia reviews sex toys, speaks
at kink conventions, and writes geeky, kinky, cozy erotic romance. She currently lives in western
Massachusetts with her loving husband and their weird pets.





EXCERPT
Megan hadn’t brought a lot of clothing on this trip, anticipating getting to do laundry at some
hotel along the way, but she had a couple of nice outfits in addition to the dress she planned to
wear for the wedding. She selected an emerald green sweater dress from her suitcase. She was
normally more of a jeans kind of girl, but this dress made her feel cute, and it felt very Nashville
when she paired it with some knee-high boots. She gathered up her clothes and undergarments
and headed for the bathroom.
When she left the bathroom, Scarlett was pinning up her curls into two buns up near the top of
her head. It was one of the cutest hairstyles she wore, and one that always made Megan wish for
something other than her own super-straight brown hair. Scarlett looked away from her hair
when Megan entered the room, her gaze skimming down Megan’s body in a way that made
Megan burn up inside.
Before Scarlett could say something, whether it was going to be a compliment or not, Megan
blurted out, “I don’t know what to do with my hair.”
Scarlett tapped her lips, studying her like she was an interesting painting. “You want me to
curl it?” Scarlett asked.
“My hair doesn’t curl.” Megan had never had any luck with that. “It’s too fine.”
Scarlett tucked the final bobby pin into her own style and walked over to Megan, running her
hand through Megan’s hair. The contact sent a chill all down Megan’s spine. Oh, she wanted
Scarlett to keep touching her like that.
“It’s pretty fine.” Scarlett gathered up a bunch of Megan’s hair in her hands. Megan shivered.
Hopefully Scarlett wouldn’t notice the shiver. “It would curl if you didn’t wash it so much. You
need it to get dirty.”
Megan laughed, and it sounded breathless coming out. “I don’t really do dirty.”
Scarlett still had the hold on her hair, and she tipped Megan’s head back to look at her. “You
sure about that?”
The unspoken after last night hung in the air between them. Megan sucked in a breath, her lips
parting, and their gazes locked. Then it was like Scarlett had suddenly realized what she said,
and she slid her hands out of Megan’s hair and backed away. “Your hair is cute just like it is.
You don’t need to do anything to it.” She turned toward the mirror again and fumbled with her
makeup bag. Was it Megan’s imagination, or were Scarlett’s hands shaking? “You, uh, ever
think about cutting it?” Scarlett asked.
Megan was still rattled and warm all over. It took her a moment to process Scarlett’s words.
“Oh. Yeah, actually. Sometimes I think about a pixie cut. Cutting all of it off. But I get nervous.”
“It’s a big step. But you’ve got the perfect heart-shaped face for it.” Scarlett glanced over, then
back at the mirror. “If you ever want to do it, there’s probably a million great salons along our
road trip. Could be a fun change. And it grows back.”
She was talking fast. Megan was having a hard time thinking. “Yeah. Maybe. I’ll…do my
makeup.”
She had the new makeup from Sephora to try, and while it wasn’t her area of expertise, she put
together what she hoped was a good look—not super fancy, but she didn’t end up looking like a
clown, either. When she returned from the bathroom, Scarlett was done.
“What about lipstick?” Scarlett asked.
“I’m wearing some.” Megan resisted the urge to touch her lips in reflex.
Scarlett frowned. “Nude?”
“It’s light pink.”
“You need a bold lip. Something really red. It would bring the whole look together.”
“I don’t have anything really red.” Megan stuck with all light pinks whenever she got makeup,
which wasn’t very often. Red was showy and ostentatious, and she wasn’t the type of person to
try to get noticed.
Scarlett rummaged in her bag and pulled out a lipstick. “Here. Let me.” She touched Megan’s
chin, gently tilting her head back, and then began to apply the lipstick with focused precision.
Megan tried not to shiver as Scarlett held her face perfectly still, her attention locked onto
Megan’s lips. When she finished, they held that pose, and desire flared up in Megan like a
flashover. She wanted to lean forward and ruin that perfect lipstick against Scarlett’s berry-red
mouth.

Copyright © 2020 by Elia Winters

View all my reviews

To learn more about this book or to order a copy, click the book cover below:

Review-Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"I suppose I never found boredom very boring"

Quentin is a senior in high school. Graduation is right around the corner and then he's off to Duke. When his next door neighbor, Margo knocks on his bedroom window late one night, he's reminded of a time when they were younger and used to truly be friends. Margo is extremely upset about the current status of her relationship with her boyfriend and is looking for someone to help her pull of the ultimate revenge. When Margo goes "missing" the next day, Quentin will stop at nothing to use her breadcrumbs and find her.

I decided to read this book for two reasons. Reason 1: It was coming on HBO and of course I had to read the book before I could watch the movie. Reason 2: I loved The Fault in Our Stars and when I enjoy a book by a particular author, I like to read everything they have written. Now I'm looking forward to watching the movie.

This whole book is based around a group of high school seniors who are out searching for their quirky friend, Margo. I liked the book because it was a quick easy read. It kept my attention throughout and I had to know how it was going to end. The book brought me back to my high school years(especially with my 20 year reunion coming up) with the references to poetry and prose I read during that time. During my 11th grade year we read a lot of poetry and classic literature. Interpreting poetry either as the author intended or by your own life experiences. Also this book made me thing about how far I would go to help someone else. Quentin and Margo are neighbors, but as time has gone on and their lives have changed, they aren't close friends, more like acquaintances. So when she disappears for yet another time, why does he feel it's his duty to be the one to find her?

This is a good YA book that may make some more interested in the poetry and classic literature featured in this and other John Green books.


View all my reviews