This was cute! A reality TV cooking show for teenagers with a bunch of 15 to 18 year olds? That has the makings of a lot of drama. But not terrible, angst-filled drama. Light and funny angst-filled drama! Light on the angst of course. Sophie is a sweet girl who goes on a reality show and quickly learns the hard way that it's not all peaches and cream, or in her case pasta and her mother's tomato sauce recipe. ;) There's her growing feelings for a close friend, cameras following her everywhere, and a cute French student popping up unexpectedly, not to mention having to cook stuff she's not heard of or ever cooked before! But new friendships help balance it all out. A quick and fun story that will make you smile. It even has a few real recipes you can try yourself. :)
Rating: Sophie's Baklava (sugary and a little nutty)
It was fun to return to the lives of this family again. But goodness, these princesses have a hard time staying out of trouble. Petunia is determined to show that while she's the youngest, you should never underestimate her. Unfortunately, in the midst of trying to do that, she acts a bit impetuously and hinders things instead of helping. So she still has a little growing up to do. Oliver is a bit impetuous himself, but I enjoyed the parts with his POV. He kept the story going. The interactions between characters did seem to move a little quick. So quick that I could never quite feel a real connection to any of them. And the romance really wasn't quite believable for me. (Yes, I know it's a fairy tale, but still.) Plus I had a hard time keeping track of the sisters who have never had their own story. It was good to see Rose and Galen again though! And I'd love to have a cape like Petunia. :) This is a pleasurable fairy tale re-telling and I enjoyed it. I will certainly be interested to see what Ms. George writes in the future!
Rating: Doughnuts (sweet and delicious and gobbled up quickly)
This is definitely a romance. But my gracious! Ms. Florand's writing is incredible! Sumptuous and lovely, it sweeps you gently into the story and refuses to let you go. It almost gives a fairy tale feel to the story. (Which, aren't most romances fairy tale-like anyway?) With the little bit of magic (maybe?) that Magalie wishes into her chocolate, and the crazy delicious macaroons that Philippe makes, this story will leave you hungry by the end! (note: it does have a little language and a few other scenes some may not like.) A relatively quick read that had me craving chocolate and more of Ms. Florand's writing. :)
Rating: The Cup of Chocolate Magalie Makes (swirly and luscious and wonderful)
A charming romance with cowboys. What's not to like? ;) Dylan (the cowboy) can certainly make the women swoon, but Annie's a tough nut to crack. She really wants to give in, but lets fear rule her instead. Trying to care for a wayward younger sister and her nephew, Annie's got a lot on her plate. But Dylan is determined and what ensues is lots of banter and denying of obvious attraction. Dylan and Annie are cute and I liked how Dylan seemed like a flirt (which he is) but he's so much more behind that facade. It takes the right cowgirl to rope him in. ;D A minor flaw in the story is Annie's sister Sierra. She never became likeable to me. She kept making bad decisions and wasn't helpful or understanding to Annie at all. I'm glad her story turned out all right, but I wish she had grown up a whole lot more than she did. I guess we're supposed to imagine she did, but she never acted like it. But overall, this is a lovely way to spend a few hours.
Rating: S'mores (yummy and you always want more)
What fun minis and ratings!!! It makes me think of those sweet dessert minis they serve at restaurants.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't Amber at Seasons of Humility use "Snack Sized"?
Juju:I agree - Kara's twist on the "snack-sized" reviews is very fun and clever! And she linked back to me in her first post like this. :) We're all good with sharing ideas and inspiring each other! :D
DeleteKara: Just wanted to say that I enjoyed Oliver's role in Princess of the Silver Woods, as well! Haven't read the first two, but this one was cute. :) And I really enjoyed The Trouble With Cowboys! I actually really appreciated the part with Annie's sister. Didn't necessarily approve of her choices, but I think Annie's growth by the end and her revelations resonated with me. :)
~Amber
Juju, there's your answer! Good catch. :) If I'd missed giving credit to Amber I'd have felt awful, so thanks for mentioning it. And I'm glad you enjoyed my little twist with the snack ratings. :)
DeleteAmber, I'm glad you don't mind! I linked back to my original post thinking that would suffice. But would you prefer I mention you every time (if I do this again that is)? I sure don't mind. Actually, I'll answer for you and just say yes, that's what I'll do.
Also! In reading your thoughts on Sierra, I do agree with you, Amber. Annie's growth wouldn't have happened without her sister. I just wish Sierra had at least apologized to Annie or did something really sweet for her in return for all Annie had done. Granted some of what Annie did was too much holding on and fear of letting go, but am I making sense? Either way, it certainly didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story! :)
DeleteRight on :) gals.
DeleteI know usually concepts are shared but renamed. I think the same name thing threw me off. But if all is good, I'm good. :)
Happy day!
Side note: That first cover has me wanting to sing into a spoon. ;)
You mean you don't normally sing into spoons, Juju? ;D Hee. But I know what you mean. And let's have some dancing while we're singing, how about it? You know. The kind where we need a broom or a partner to swing around with!
DeleteHuh. More books to add to my Amazon list, Kara, how could you!? ;)
ReplyDelete- That first one sounds interesting. *adds to my list*
- 'Princess' was given to me at Christmas and still I need to read it.
- Haven't heard of 'Kiss' however it sounds good!
- LOVED Denise's cute romance. It was the first I'd read by her (about to read her new one) and it left me wanting to read all her "back" titles also.
Heehee! I know. I'm a "terrible" friend, aren't I? ;P
DeleteI'll be interested to hear your thoughts on Princess someday, Rissi. And Denise Hunter's books have been hit and miss with me. I really like a few and others I haven't. But I was sure glad this one ended up in the "really liked" pile! :D One of my absolute fave books ever is her Mending Places. Such a powerful story! I really recommend that one.