Monday, May 28, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews - The Broken Hearts Edition

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights. I am calling this one "the broken hearts edition", because each of the narrators in these three books had their hearts broken. They all dealt with this heartache in very different ways, but in the end, they gained some clarity and insight into themselves.


Dating Disasters of Emma Nash
Chloe Seager
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Don’t miss the laugh-out-loud novel of the year!

Online, you can choose who you want to be. If only real life were so easy…


Emma Nash may be down, but after months of wallowing, stalking her ex online and avoiding showering—because, really, who’s going to care?—Emma’s ready to own her newly single status, get out with her friends and chronicle her dating adventures on her private blog.

But life online doesn’t always run smoothly. Stumbling upon her mother’s Tinder dating profile, getting catfished and accidentally telling the entire world why her ex-boyfriend Leon’s not worth any girl’s…um…time… Okay, those were disasters.

But surely nothing else can go wrong?

Filled with fun, flirty encounters and heartwarming friendships, Dating Disasters of Emma Nash will shock and delight scores of readers looking for something fresh.
How her heart was broken: Ghosted by her boyfriend.

Emma thought she had a boyfriend, but then learned her was "in a relationship" via social media. After wallowing in self-pity for some time, she decided to "move on" by finding someone to replace Leon. These dating disasters were quite hilarious for me and quite enlightening for Emma.
  • Pro: Emma was a hilarious protagonist. I did get a little bit of a Georgia Nicholson vibe from her, because she was funny, honest, witty, and a little angsty just like Georgia, but she was also her own character in many other ways, and I loved her. 
  • Pro: The story was quite humorous, but nestled in the jokes were some really frank thoughts about feminism, sex, sexuality, friendship, and romantic relationships. 
  • Pro: Female friendship for the win! There are multiple examples of Emma and her friends supporting and being there for each other. They often had many sincere discussions with each other, which I think many could relate to. 
  • Pro: Emma and her mom was quite the pair. They weren't perfect, but there was a lot of affection between the two. There were even moments where Emma admitted how wonderful her mother was, and showed her how much she appreciated her. 
  • Con: I understand why the author went in the direction she did for the ending, but I was hoping for that AND something else. I wanted a little more closure for one of the "dating disasters". 
  • Pro: The blogging format worked better than I anticipated. Seager did a great job with each post, blending in dialog, text messages, and tweets with the narrative. And, well, I loved Emma, and really enjoyed reading her thoughts. 
  • Pro: This was a journey for Emma to get over Leon, but it ended up being a journey of self discovery. She learned a lot from her broken heart and breaking hearts, and was a better version of herself in the end. 
Overall:  A hilarious book, which had substance and even warmed my heart.


My So-Called Bollywood Life
Nisha Sharma
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Crown Books
Rating:  5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soulmate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her 18th birthday, and Raj meets all of the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked to return from her summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. Worse, Raj is crowned chair of the student film festival, a spot Winnie was counting on for her film school applications. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is scripted.

Then there’s Dev, a fellow film geek, and one of the few people Winnie can count on to help her reclaim control of her story. Dev is smart charming, and challenges Winnie to look beyond her horoscope to find someone she’d pick for herself. But does falling for Dev mean giving up on her prophecy, and her chance to live happily ever after? To get her Bollywood-like life on track, Winnie will need a little bit of help from fate, family, and of course, a Bollywood movie star.

Like an expertly choreographed Bollywood dance scene, Nisha Sharma’s off-beat love story dazzles in the lime light.
How her heart was broken: Her boyfriend, and supposed soulmate, started dating another girl while they were on a break.

DISCLAIMER: The closest I have come to watching a Bollywood film was Bride & Prejudice, which is a Bollywood style adaptation of Pride & Prejudice (and quite wonderful, if I do say so myself). However, I do not believe one must be well versed in Bollywood films to enjoy this book, and I think it may inspire you to check a few out.
  • Pro: Winnie was wonderful! How I could I not love a girl, who was so fierce and feisty, that she stole back her DVDs and held a burial in the woods for them? This girl had dreams, this girl had goals, and no boy was going to keep her from attaining them. 
  • Pro: Dev, just writing his name brought a smile to my face. He was a good son, a good friend, and an absolutely swoon worthy romantic interest. There were so many things he said and did, which made me all warm and fuzzy and heart-eyed. Add him to the list of superior book boyfriends!
  • Pro: I may be the only person who loved this, but the setting. You have to understand, there were scenes, which took place walking distance from where I live. It's sort of cool to know every place they went in a book. In fact, I think Sharma fictionalized one of my favorite ice cream places in the book, and now I can't stop thinking about their blend-ins. 
  • Pro: Three cheers for a fantastic bestie. I adored Bridget, and thought she was a pretty spectacular friend. 
  • Pro: The book was so much fun! I know people were staring at me and the stupid grin I was wearing as I read this book. 
  • Pro: I want the Mehta family to adopt me. Seriously, Winnie's parents and her grandmother were so nurturing and loving, and who wouldn't want to be part of an awesome family like that? 
  • Pro: Lots of great bits of Indian culture woven into this tale. We got to sample the food and dress, and even attend an event via this book, and I always love learning more about different cultures. 
  • Pro: The romance was so sweet and adorable, and I had no problem shipping Dev and Winnie. 
Overall: A fantastic rom-com with a Bollywood touch, which didn't cease to delight me and left me floating on cloud of happiness.

I came across this article about Five Distinct Characteristics of Bollywood Movies, and I think this book embodied most of those characteristics.


Airports, Exes, and Other Things I'm Over
Shani Petroff
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
A bad storm, two canceled flights, stuck in an airport with a hot stranger and the guy who broke her heart... what could go wrong?

After Sari caught her boyfriend Zev cheating on her, their romantic Florida vacation was ruined. She can't get back to NYC soon enough. Unfortunately, mother nature may have different plans. A huge storm is brewing in the Northeast, and flights all over the country are getting canceled—including Sari's. She winds up stuck at the airport for hours. With Zev!

When another stranded passenger (a hot NYU guy) suggests a connecting flight to Boston, Sari jumps at the chance. But when her mom freaks out about her traveling alone, she has no choice—she has to include Zev, and somehow survive being trapped with the guy who broke her heart!
How her heart was broken: Caught her boyfriend kissing his ex.

I was all heart-eyes for Petroff's last book, My New Crush Gave to Me, and was eager to read more of her work. She has a knack for creating a story that is fun, humorous, and heartwarming with just the right amount of drama to keep it interesting, and she has done so once again with Airports, Exes, and Other Things I'm Over.
  • Pro: I liked Sari a lot. I didn't necessarily always agree with her avoidance tactics, but when she listened to her heart and her conscience, she made some good choices. 
  • Pro: I found the anxiety and frustration of being stranded at the airport so relatable. I've totally been there, more than once, and just like our protagonist, I was trapped in the subpar terminal with no good food options. 
  • Pro: The connection between Sari and Zev was undeniable, and I know I was rooting for these two to work it out. There were definitely things revealed, which made me doubt Zev, but I at least wanted to hear him out. 
  • Pro: Believe it or not, I really liked Zev. He would do all these little things, which showed how much he cared for Sari, and she would relate things he had done for her in the past, and I found myself really wanting Sari to let him explain. He was also willing to fight for her, and as a hopeless romantic, I love seeing someone fight to save their relationship. 
  • Con: This story was told via Sari, who had a great voice and all, but I would have liked to have had a little look inside Zev's head at times.  I feel like that addition POV may have pushed this one over the top for me. 
  • Pro: Dylan and Fitz were fun additions. They diffused some of the tension, and Fitz was just all sorts of Captain America awesome. I would have loved to get to know them better. 
  • Pro: Sari was someone to be jealous of, because she had a fabulous grandma, great and caring parents, and a friend who put the "best" in best friend. It was wonderful the way they all rallied for her in her time of need, and she was lucky to have them all. 
  • Pro: The ending actually elicited a few tears from my eyes. I liked it a lot, but would have liked it to have been a little longer. 
  • Pro: This story deals with relationship drama, so it had its weightier moments, but Pertroff kept it on the lighter side by injecting lots of humor, heartfelt interactions, and fun antics. 
Overall:  A light hearted story about following your heart and fighting for the things that matter with rom-coms bits which made me laugh, heartfelt bits which made me smile, and even some tender bits which made me swoon. 

** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.









Have you read any of these books?
Let us know in the comments!

24 comments:

  1. I am definitely going to have to check out My So-Called Bollywood Life. Sounds great. I have Airports, Exes, and Other Things I'm Over on my TBR but still need to read My New Crush Gave to Me. Glad you enjoyed these - great reviews!

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    1. I liked New Crush better -- it was way fluffier, but I also enjoyed Airports, and I know people don't agree with me, but I liked the ending.

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  2. Both My So-Called Bollywood Life and Airports are on my TBR, and I'm SO glad you liked them!!! I love the sound of the hero and the best friend in MSCBL. I'll have to add Dating Disasters of Emma Nash on my TBR too, since I wasn't familiar with it before. Awesome reviews, Sam!

    - Aimee @ Aimee, Always

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    1. MSCBL was so fabulous! I am looking forward to more from Sharma.

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  3. Ooh some very cute-looking books! I'm glad you liked My So-Called Bollywood Life. It made me so so happy. I was curious about the Airports book. Sari's grandma sounds awesome!

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    1. Bollywood Life was all about the heart explosion. I loved like every second of it.

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  4. Dating Disasters looks fun! I’m glad you enjoyed them all.

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    1. It was a lot of fun. Emma had a great voice, and there were some really interesting and frank discussions in there as well.

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  5. I'm looking forward to Dating Disasters of Emma Nash by Chloe Seager and Airports, Exes, and Other Things I'm Over by Shani Petroff. So happy to see high ratings for them <3

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    1. I enjoyed them both a lot. Emma was hilarious, and Exes was very Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and filled with lots of great characters.

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  6. My So-Called Bollywood Life sounds so cute! I love a great family in YA, and I like the tid-bits of Indian culture, it's not one I know a lot about.

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    1. I feel like we cannot complain about YA families these days, because a majority of the books I read feature fabulous families. I have always been a fan of books, where the author shares their culture with me, and Sharma gives us the perfect amount in her book.

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  7. Dating Disasters and My So called Bollywood life sound adorable! (Emma might be my favourite though)!

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    1. Emma was hilarious! Her inner monologues were fabulous. Bollywood Life was my fave of the week. It just had all my favorite ingredients mixed in the the perfect proportions.

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  8. These are all reads I have been curious about for myself, especially My So Called Bollywood Life so I'm happy to see you enjoyed them so.

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    1. I really enjoyed them all, since they all leaned to the lighter side and were cute and fun.

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  9. I am almost done listening to Bollywood Life, and I am liking all the things you mentioned in your review. The family dynamics are wonderful. I have the Petroff book sitting on my Kindle, can’t wait to read it after reading your review.

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    1. How good is Bollywood Life!!! So cute! And I actually ate at the place she talks about on Oak Tree Road. >.<

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  10. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on My So-Called Bollywood Life. You made so much more excited about it, Sam. I need to get my hands on this gem with a fierce leading lady, swoon-worthy male character and lots of bits of Indian culture.

    Happy readings, Sam!
    Tânia @MyLovelySecret

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    1. That book exceeded my expectations, and it's such a fantastic happy-feels book.

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  11. All 3 of these look great! I love that Dating Disasters of Emma Nash has a little bit of female friendship and fun antics in it. Also, I am interested in the blog format. Great reviews!

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    1. Emma just had a great voice. I loved her humor and the way she looked at the world. It was super honest too.

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  12. Dating Disasters sounds awesome and the Georgia Nicholson comparison makes me want to read it even more. It sounds like a fun read and yay female friendship for the win!
    My So Called Bollywood Life sounds another fantastic read too. I've seen it on a couple of blogs I knew I wanted to check it out anyway but your review makes me want to read it even more. I'm glad you don't have to be well versed in bollywood films as well, I'm like you, Bride & Prejudice is about as close as I've gotten too.
    Airports, Exes and Other Things I'm Over sounds interesting. I like the idea of being stuck in an airport together but I'm still not sure how I feel about that one. I kind of want to read but also don't. I think it's a lazy Sunday book for me.

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    1. Bollywood Life was such a fun and fabulous read. So fun and heartwarming and lovely. All were good, but this was the best of the bunch for me.

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