Title: Lessons in Chemistry

Author: Bonnie Garmus

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

I’ve heard that this is a marmite book, you either hate it or love it and I was the latter – loved it!

I must admit that I did not expect what happened very early on in this book so please note the trigger warnings.

I also admit that this book pulled so many emotions from me! The treatment of Elizabeth made my blood boil, it was pure injustice! I literally had to put the book down at one point because I was so utterly mad! How did we live like this?

So….this is basically the tale of Elizabeth’s life and everything she needed to fight for.

It was dark, endearing and Six Thirty owns my heart!

I was thinking about the book ages after I’d finished it, it just kept popping back in my head! The mark of a good book!

‘Far up in the deep blue sky, Great white clouds are floating by; All the world is dressed in green; Many happy birds are seen, Roses bright and sunshine clear Show that lovely June is here.’ ~ F. G. Sanders

‘In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.’ ~ John Steinbeck

Happy June!

Have a great month!

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Things That Make Me Instantly NOT Want to Read a Book

Just want to say that these are my opinions, if you like some of these, please don’t hate me (it’s my birthday!) They just aren’t for me!

These all get on my nerves so probably won’t read……in no particular order….(and no books mentioned so not to offend!!!):

Love triangles 🤢
Billionaire romance 😫
Erotica 🥴
Horror 😨
Marketed as ‘The Next Big Thing’ 😒
Violence against children ❌️
Bad editing ❌️
Lots of filler 😕
Over flowery writing 😒

What would you have picked?

Title: Ink Blood Sister Scribe

Author: Emma Torsz

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements–books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna’s isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they’ll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . .

I don’t know where to start! I want to express my deep and utter love for this book! I’m a bit speechless which is not like me at all!

Joanna and Esther are half sisters who are connected by more than blood. Joanna looks after a collection of magical books and Esther travels the world, never staying in one place for too long, under the threat of something she doesn’t really know about.

This book had:
~ A book about magical books!
~ A magical library,
~ An utterly fab magic system,
~The dastardly villain,
~ The unassuming heroes,
~ Characters who were relatable and loveable.

What this book also had was everything I love about a book. A scoop of fantasy, a dash of thriller, a dollop of dark academia with a tiny splash of romance. All woven together to make it a tome that is worthy of all the stars!

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

I feel like I say this all the time but it was a run of the mill week, work, an office day, school for my son – oh and a haircut but we both have this coming week off and I can’t wait!!!

It was also another slow reading week with audio saving me! But I am reading a physical copy of Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare and it’s over 600 pages – I’m savouring every moment!

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What I’ve Read

🎧 Painted Devils by Margaret Owen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 The Love Wager by Lynn Painter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

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New arrivals

None again this week but I have 3 book boxes due!!!!!

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You might have missed…..

Review – Ambrosia by CN Crawford
Review – The Love Wager by Lynn Painter
Review – Unbroken Bonds by J Bree

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What have you read lately?

Title: Unbroken Bonds

Series: Bonds That Tie #6

Author: J Bree

I’m so happy because I’ve finished a series!!!!!

The Bonds That Tie is a 6 book series and was recommended by the Flickerwix Glitterati Girls and I have really enjoyed it!

My reviews for the other books are here, here and here.

The gods live among us.

They’ve woken up hungry.

All of the research in the world couldn’t have prepared us for what’s to come, enemies and wars fought over millennia. Now we’re being forced to act, but this time, we have the advantage.

This time, we’re Bonded.

Are we strong enough to survive the gods and their plans? Will we ever live in the peaceful world we’ve fought so hard for, or is history doomed to repeat itself?

The conclusion for the Draven Bonded Group!

Oli, North, Nox, Gryphon, Gabe and Atlas. Now all with their woken gods ready to take on the other gods.

I love it when a plan comes together and their plans are fabulous…..’Don’t die, stay close, and try not to get in anyone’s way.’

If I’m honest, this book felt a bit long and drawn out and the ending a bit rushed but I’m so invested in this series that I had to see what happened!

Nox is still my favourite and Atlas my least favourite, funny how things work out!!!!

Here are a couple of my favourite quotes:

‘There is no use being here unless we’re together. There is no me without you.’

‘Burn it all to the ground, Oleander. Burn it, and let’s be done with it.’

Title: The Love Wager

Series: Mr Wrong Number #2

Author: Lynn Painter

Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it’s time to become a full-on adult.

She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs into the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she’d snuck out of.

Through the app, and after the joint agreement that they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie become partners in their respective searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don’t go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.

Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together.

Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off.

As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they each struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.

A one night stand, a dating app, a signed baseball and some air miles is the start of a bet – who can fall in love first!

Hallie and Jack made my life! Such enjoyable, real characters.

This book had so many tropes, it was utterly delish and fun (and hot!!!)

~ One night stand
~ A bet
~ Friends to lovers
~ Fake dating
~ One bed

Of course it had the third act drama but it wasn’t drawn out which I totally appreciated!

If you want a cute, hot summer read then this is the book for you!

Title: Ambrosia

Series: Frost and Nectar #2

Author: CN Crawford

Back in October last year I read book 1, Frost and loved it….here’s a snippet of my review.

Ava, a fae raised in the human world, gets embroiled in a plan to be the next Queen of the Fae in a marriage of convenience deal…..but first she has to survive the competition!

This was a brilliant fantasy romance with beautiful, descriptive writing of the world and I almost felt like I was there!

The chemistry! The tension! Torvin was absolutely delish!

Now we are back with Torvin and Ava and here’s my review for book 2, Ambrosia!

We left on the highest of cliffies and I wondered where this book was going to go……and can confirm I loved it! This was a solid conclusion!

Love Torin so much! Reading about what he wanted from his ‘phantom life’ around 40% bought a lump to my throat!

Here’s some quotes to seal the deal:

‘But my thoughts about Ava were their own kind of madness, and she’d already rendered me senseless.’


‘He leaned in close, whispering, In Faerie, I will freeze anyone that I love, Ava. I will kill anyone that I love. That’s what Queen Mab cursed me with. And that’s why you can’t come with me, my changeling.’

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book

When I started writing this list, a theme emerged!!!

When my book friends say a book:
~ is spicy
~ is dark
~ they couldn’t put it down
~ is a must-read

~ Insta love – love it!
~ If it hasn’t got a HEA – yes I’m one of those!
~ my auto-buy authors
~ When ‘some’ people gun for a book/author for rubbish/potentially untrue reasons – I’ll make up my own mind thanks!

What about you?