Humorous Fiction

Review of Blind Date with a Book by Emily Kerr

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Synopsis:
A brand new Oxford-set summer romance inspired by Pride and Prejudice from award-winning author Emily Kerr.

For fans of enemies to lovers, forced proximity and book lovers!

Molly Bramble thought running a bookshop on a narrowboat would be a dream come true – until her biggest challenge turned out to be her new neighbour, Jack, a former city trader with a penchant for crashing boats and hearts.

When a “Blind Date with a Book” night goes awry, Molly finds herself reluctantly paired with Jack and his lack of literary knowledge. Will their rivalry over mooring fees and a missing sign lead to a sinking ship – or a love story with a plot twist?

As Molly and Jack navigate the choppy waters of romance, sabotage, and the occasional dog rescue, will their blossoming romance prove that sometimes the best stories are the ones we never see coming?

Review:
“It’s a truth universally acknowledged that first impressions shouldn’t necessarily be trusted.” (Page 355)

This was a perfect book to read as a few friends and I decided to read Pride and Prejudice this summer. The connections made throughout the book with Pride and Prejudice are absolutely fantastic, especially as they are meta. Molly and Jack are both easy to care about and want to see succeed, even if we spend most of the time looking from Molly’s perspective. Molly does come across as quite immature and lacking business sense/a business plan in a way that makes the reader, while wanting her to succeed, wonder if perhaps she isn’t cut out for being an entrepreneur. Hilda is absolutely lovely and the star of the show; I loved how much she matters to Molly, and how much others care for her as well. Liam definitely was infuriating and I was glad there was no true Lydia situation. While the female protagonists often seem to be very in need of saving and not stable on their own, I do quite like Kerr’s works.

All in all, I thought this was a delightful cozy romance retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and even gifted this to a friend for her birthday.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Frogkisser! by Garth Nix

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Synopsis:
Poor Princess Anya. Stuck living with her evil stepmother’s new husband, her evil step-stepfather. Plagued with an unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss. And forced to go on the run when her step-stepfather decides to make the kingdom entirely his own.

Aided by a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some extraordinarily mischievous wizards, Anya sets off on a Quest that, if she plays it right, will ultimately free her land—and teach her a thing or two about the use of power, the effectiveness of a well-placed pucker, and the finding of friends in places both high and low.

Review:
Now this book sounds like a true fairytale, meant for everyone, and it is! The book is humorous and yet has a princess that has to work to keep herself safe and learn to do things on her own, while also learning to ask for help in the right way, at the right time, and who to trust. While there are quite humorous bits, there are also many characters that have very serious consequences or situations thrust upon them that both show that one cannot always control what happens, but also that making smart choices results in better futures. There is a moral and lesson for everyone who reads this story; it’s fun, it’s sweet, it’s cute.

It’s very much not what one thinks of when they would think of a Garth Nix book, especially if they had read the Abhorsen trilogy because this book is very much written for a younger audience. While Garth Nix had previously stated that he wouldn’t write down for younger readers, it would take a certain type of reader/person to read said trilogy because the depth involved. While these character all have good backstories, it’s written in a way that younger people could easily connect, understand, and resonate with what’s going on.

I immediately handed this book off to a good friend when I was finished because it’s a nice, sweet, fairy tale, light read for an adult, and I think it’s something that most younger people would enjoy and everyone would get something out of. I highly recommend this book, as I likely would all Garth Nix works.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯