Make My Wish Come True
Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick
Arden James left her small town to make it big in LA – leaving everything and everyone behind without a goodbye. Caroline Beckett was one of those left behind without an explanation and she’s done her best to move on with life and support Arden’s family as best she can. When Arden rocks back into town with the request for fake-dating 12 times, Caroline can’t say no.
She Gets the Girl was very good and I therefore jumped at the chance of an ARC of this novel. Unfortunately, Make My Wish Come True was a letdown. It was very predictable and also similar in nature to Finding my Elf. As a probably demisexual, I can’t imagine holding onto the idea of loving someone for four years when they’ve left you. Caroline is finally moving on for someone else, and Arden just waltzes back in and expects her to jump. And she does!
How many teenagers really relate to a popstar/celebrity relocation to LA? I can tell you that today’s teenagers (that I know) couldn’t care less, because tiktok and other social media has made it possible to be famous without moving. On the other hand, Caroline’s dreams of journalism are achievable, if a bit typical of teenage novels. I think that young lesbians could still love this novel, particularly if they like seasonal reading (and snow).
I think I’m allowed to be picky with the #queer novels that come across my path now because there are so many great ones out there! I don’t love Christmas either. That being said, I did recently read another ARC of a Christmas novel (barista/artist/fake-engagement) that I did enjoy. So it’s not just that. 3 stars for this novel from me for a protagonist who seems to be missing a backbone and a storyline that’s a little too predictable.
Simon & Schuster | 2nd October 2024 | AU$22.99 | ebook (ARC)
This book could have done with some ruthless editing. It takes FOREVER for anything to happen, and there’s a fair few things that don’t add anything to the plot line. I don’t find Arjun’s business trip to be relevant, nor is his boss’ somewhat insensitive behaviour. Did I honestly care about how many choc chip scones he bought? No.
Woah. The character development in this novel is exceptional. I’m actually ok with both of them acting like teenagers initially because there’s a lot of background to their behaviour. Logan goes from being an ass to being a bit less of an ass, and Rosemary goes from being tortured to being a little less tortured. Also, the final scenes of this novel almost made me cry. Joe buddy! I love you!
Many reviewers hated this book for the same reason I liked it! Thankfully, a lot of the text was dedicated to how the venture capitalists could support Stella’s Signature Scent start-up. There aren’t too many loooonnnngggg sex scenes that have them going at it like bunnies all night (and getting a blow by blow of the action). Does anyone read those $3X scenes and actually enjoy them? I’m also very over people saying ‘is it spicy?’ No, there’s no delicious cooking in this novel, just home-made mac’n’cheese.
This book lives up to its title by effectively condensing an MBA into a single volume. It provides a concise overview of many essential business topics. While it doesn’t delve deeply into each subject, it serves as an excellent starting point if you want to read just one business book on MBA concepts. This book is a valuable guide for beginners and equips you with the necessary information and tools to further your business education.
Sooo, it’s kind of like Hunger Games but a little less predictable because it’s not always obvious who needs to be the survivor, and who is going to win. I enjoyed the various powers that Kai got to play with, and I think more could have been done with it. Also, as if you’d fall for the illusionist twice…
This book offers an insightful look into the inner workings of the FBI, narrated through the lens of an experienced agent. It demonstrates how the following principles are fundamental not only to FBI operations but also to broader applications in business and personal life. The author delves into the Bureau’s adherence to the seven C’s:
I had high expectations for this book, hoping to find compelling case studies and valuable insights about women in the tech industry. While it does touch on those aspects, I found the book to be disorganized and lacking a clear structure. It begins with a captivating short story about GoldieBlox, which instantly grabbed my attention. However, this story is only briefly explored and not revisited until the very end, which left me eagerly waiting for more throughout but left me disappointed.
I approached this book with a sense of uncertainty, unsure whether it would be exceptionally good or disappointingly bad. To my delight, it turned out to be a truly commendable read, deserving a solid four stars. I was concerned that it might be overly centered on Navy SEAL anecdotes at the expense of practical business applications, but I found the abundance of such stories surprisingly captivating. Despite my initial reservations, the author successfully bridged the gap between the SEAL experiences and their relevance to the business world to create a compelling narrative.
This book hooked me right from the start with its engaging storytelling. The first section, “Misconceptions about the Real Work,” was packed with interesting studies, statistics, and stories that highlighted the importance of behavioral design. However, I didn’t really learn anything new from that section. Things went downhill from there, with less exciting sections that didn’t hold my attention. The ending was a bit of a letdown. It seemed like it was building up to a solution, but then it shifted focus to testing and case studies, which weren’t anything groundbreaking since they had already been discussed throughout the book. So, it felt like we circled back to the solutions section was the real end earlier on, which was anticlimactic.