The Reading Rush: Wrap-up ~ What Laura's Reading

This has been an awesome week for reading. Did I complete all the prompts? Did I stick to my TBR? Keep reading to find out! Also, at the end I will have my page count and rating average.

If you read my TBR post, then you'll know that I am an April baby, and my birthstone is a Diamond. You'll also know that I selected the color white to represent that stone.

This prompt worked out perfectly. You see Winning My Best Friend's Girl just released this past week. So it was only fitting that it had a white cover. Okay fine, I just really wanted to read the book because I love the Bailey family and all things that happen in Lake Starlight. This book follows Kingston and his long time crush Stella. She had recently moved back to Alaska, but she was avoiding Kingston (and really all the Baileys) as she didn't want to dredge up the past. Well that was all fine and dandy, but it didn't work. Can they (Kingston and Stella) work through the issues of their past to reconnect? Do they make things work or do they walk away? Also, who is writing that freaking blog?!?

Rating: 4⭐️

I went into The Family journal not knowing much about the story. That was fine with me. I have to admit that I did have a slightly different expectation, but overall I was happy with the book.

Lily Anderson has made up her mind. She is relocating back to her hometown of Comfort Texas along with her two kids. Her kids, well they are not happy with this news. At all. They like it perfectly fine in Austin, and do not see why they have to leave their home just because they made a few questionable choices. Mom knows best though, and so they are off. Once they are settled in to Lily's childhood home, Lily discovers a journal stuffed into her mom's desk. At first glance she thought it was just a random book, but upon opening it up, she discovered a treasure. This book was not a book, but rather a journal that was handed down from Mom to daughter when the time was right. I really want to tell you more, but I can't without ruining the story. So you'll just have to accept that it was a cute story, and it might make you want to start a family journal of your own.

Rating: 4⭐️

I debated with myself about keeping this book for this prompt. It feels like cheating in a way. However now that I've read the book, I can say that it does have Cinderella vibes. So I'll continue to count it.

As for Stealing Cinderella, wow, I was not prepared for how things happened. I mean, I know it's a sinister fairy tale, but dang! Also I want to read more from this collection so I can see what happens to other popular fairy tale characters.

Rating: 4⭐️

When I initially selected my TBR, I had a different book slotted for this prompt. However as the week progressed, I decided to just go with the flow. So when I finished The Royal Treatment (book 1), I decided to just move on to The Royal Wedding (book 2). After all, The Royal Treatment was cute, and it made me laugh, so I was curious as to what the next book would be like. I wasn't disappointed. I laughed a few times, I shook my head at the characters a few times, and had my HEA.

Rating: 3⭐️

Full disclosure: I totally did not read this outside. I sat on the couch, by the window, and devoured it that way. After all had I been outside, my kids would not have left me alone to actually read the book. Either that or I would have been eaten alive by mosquitos. (I am their favorite meal after all)

Bet Me by Lila Monroe was so freaking good. Lizzie and Jake had met at a bar on New Years Eve. Lizzie was getting over a recent breakup, and after a few too many drinks, she decided to get back at her ex. She ended up leaving her purse behind, but Jake ran out after her to give it to her. One thing led to another, and suddenly they are both at her ex's condo. Lizzie has her revenge moment, and they runaway into the night. Okay really they went back to Jake's place. Things happen, or rather don't fully happen, and Lizzie leaves. Years pass, and suddenly they are brought back together to work on an art exhibit together. One night Lizzie thinks she's sending a video message to her sister, but in the morning she finds out otherwise. She is now a proud owner of a viral video. What is that video about? Well you'll have to read the book to find out.

Rating: 4⭐️

I had so many genre options for this challenge, but I wanted something "simple", and also a quick read. I've enjoyed bits of poetry in the past, so The Sun and Her Flowers seemed like a good choice.

There were many poems in this book that I related to, and then there were others that while meaningful did not relate to my life. A few that I enjoyed were:

when snow falls i long for grass when grass grows i walk all over it when leaves change color i beg for flowers when flowers bloom i pick them

i hear a thousand kind words about me and it makes no difference yet i hear one insult and all confidence shatters

borders are man-made they only divide us physically don’t let them make us turn on each other - we are not enemies

Have you read a lot of poetry? If so, who do you recommend?

Rating: 4⭐️

The Royal Treatment was such a cute story! The story moved along at a good pace, and I found myself laughing out loud a few times. Picture yourself being a blogger, who has chosen the niche of writing about the Royal family. Not only do you write about them, but you're actually their worst critic. You think they should just disappear, and that there should be no royals. Meanwhile Prince Arthur is in a bit of pickle. There is a referendum coming up that could strip the family of their power. So Arthur invites Tessa to move into the palace, and into their day to day lives. This way she can see what the family truly does, and how it is beneficial to the community. Can he change Tessa's mind? Or is the Royal family about to lose their titles?

Rating: 3⭐️

I also had a bonus book this readathon! I know, I was shocked as well. It really shouldn't surprise you as to who the book was by, as I already read the first two books in the Crown Jewels series. So my bonus book was The Royal Delivery. This is the third book in the Crown Jewels series, in which Tessa and Arthur are starting a family. Of course there are issues. There is miscommunication. There is a scene in the throne room. There is a coming together of the family. I may have gasped a time or two, and I also loved the message that Tessa was trying to get across through her new foundation. It was definitely worth finishing up the series.