AWKWARD in print: Book Review

 

I've started following a lot more book bloggers over the last few months and I must admit that I have been enjoying their posts thoroughly. So much so, that I have decided to do a few book reviews of my own. I have been reading for as long as I can remember and, as you can imagine, by now I have got quite the book collection. Needless to say, I was not sure where to begin with my reviews. Do I start with new books or do I review the ones that I have enjoyed reading the most? The latter won and I figured I could always work my way up to my new books or alternate between the two. In today's post I will reviewing one of my favourite short stories AWKWARD IN PRINT by Rachel Rhodes.

PLOT...

"Hollywood megastar, Jojo Hudson has a secret. One that, if ever revealed, could destroy her reputation, her career and her engagement to billionaire, Alex Masters. Fortunately the only person who knows the truth has been absent for over six years.

Unfortunately, now he is back.

When Ace walks back into her life, threatening to reveal her scandalous secret to the world, Jojo finds herself in an impossible situation- succumb to Ace's blackmail or lose Alex?

Or, defy Ace and lose everything?

As her life enters a frenetic downward spiral, Jojo must find a way to turn the tables on her old flame, all the while fighting the same law of attraction which landed her in trouble in the first place."

Let me tell you I was pleasantly suprised by this book from start to finish. It was well written, witty and had me wanting to finish it in one sitting. The book was filled with both angst and humour which made for a really easy read. The character of Jojo was relatable and down to earth even though she is a famous movie star.

There were several elements that made me want to keep reading. I have been known to abandon books halfway if I was bored.  The friendship between Jojo and her bestie, Jude, was one of them. It seemed really genuine and honest. I loved seeing how the friendship developed over the course of the book and how they navigated some really embarrassing incidents. Although it is short story, a ton of characters are introduced but, they all fit into the narrative seamlessly. I was never confused or distracted.

The biggest shocker for me was Ace and the type of person he eventually ended up being. Without giving away too much, let's just say you wouldn't have been able to guess the ending even if you tried. At the end of each chapter I literally could not wait to dive into the next.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the book. The chapters are short and easy to keep track of and you come to genuinely be interested in the characters. I loved how quickly the story develops. Lastly, I was fascinated by the idea that no matter how famous you are, life can always humble you.

What are you currently reading?

TILL LATER, LAUREN!

DON'T get over it!

These last few weeks have been a lot for me. I've been going through some changes. Some growing pains that I was initially so excited about. These changes were going to make life as it was better for me. Was I thankful? Of course! But somehow I didn't anticipate just how the change would impact my mental health. I thrive when I am on a routine and, whenever that routine is disturbed, I spiral. That's why I make lists, I don't like last minute plans and I am very particular about how I spend my days.

Ultimately, I felt like  I was being a little ungrateful. Maybe I was. This amazing thing just happened to my family and I was grumpy and struggling to adjust. I didn't want to be ungrateful but, somehow I could not control these feelings. That's just it. I needed to feel exactly what I was feeling and acknowledge that it was there to stay. I needed to understand the reason behind my feelings. You see, for the last couple of years I have been advocating really hard for being positive in every situation. That was for my own benefit. Whenever I feel myself slipping back into that abyss of depression I immediately break out the old bag of happy tricks. I "self care" the feeling away until it is nothing but a memory.

Lately, that hasn't been working quite as brilliantly as it used to. This was not one of those emotions I could not cover up with gratitude lists and motivational quotes. This required me to get honest and uncomfortable. It would seem that I needed to switch up my form of self care again. Now I am not saying that keeping a positive mind about situations is no longer helping but, in this instance it wasn't the best solution for me.

I didn't want to simply get over it. I wanted to get through and never re-visit the feeling again. I felt like I was well within my rights for wanting to wallow in my sorrows for a bit. As long as you do not let it consume your life, feel what you need to feel. Do not pay attention to people saying that your problems are minor in comparison to others. This year alone has been more than any of us bargained for so I say you don't need to get over it. Not right away anyway .

 I've taken the last few days to really filter through what I was actually feeling and it turns out I wasn't ungrateful. I was just scared of the change. I have been forced into making changes for the last two years and it had taken its toll on me. After admitting that I wasn't sure I wanted more changes, I could start to embrace it.  I'm taking it one day at a time but, I'm really happy that I was able to be honest with myself. Do you need to have the same awkward conversation with yourself?

TILL LATER, LAUREN!