eyreibreathe's reviews
369 reviews

Synopsis:⁣⁣
Claire is desperate to flee from her abusive husband.  When she randomly bumps into Eva, who is also on the run, at the airport, the two women make the quick decision to swap plane tickets - Claire will take Eva's ticket to Oakland, and Eva will take Claire's ticket to Puerto Rico.  It's the perfect plan.  When the plane to Puerto Rico crashes, however, Claire has no choice but to assume Eva's identity along with whatever secrets she was running from. ⁣⁣
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My thoughts:⁣⁣
This was a compelling read, you guys!  A woman fleeing her abusive husband, a covert identity swap, a plane crash... such a creative mix of ingredients, serving up a uniquely addictive thriller.  I also liked that there were a few elements of mystery at play in this book, making it that much more intriguing.  I couldn't wait to see how it would  all turn out, and I found myself flying through the pages to get to the big reveal.  One thing I personally found unexpected was how attached I grew to one of the characters. I don't want to say too much because this is a spoiler free zone, but I found myself rooting for her even if I didn't always agree with her. ⁣⁣
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⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beach Read was the funnest, you guys!  And fitting with the title, it is the perfect toes-in-the-sand read.  I will say it was a little steamier than I personally like my romances to be - I tend to like richness and sweetness over steam, though that's a personal preference obviously.  That said, it definitely had the sweetness to go along with it. My very favorite thing about this book is how it made me laugh out loud time and again. And, you guys, I can't tell you how much I vitally NEEDED to laugh out loud. (2020. Phew...am I right, or am I right?

⭐⭐

Late last year, I read The Giver of Stars, and (unpopular opinion) I didn't love it. I felt like it lacked depth, the characters were more like caricatures, and it seemed a little soap opera-ish.  It was a 3-star read for me.  I'm happy to say I liked Book Woman so much more!  I felt immersed in the setting and connected with the characters I was reading about. It's hard not to fall in love with Cussy, and I found myself seething at the way she was treated and cheering her on from start to finish.  I did a lot of Googling while reading this book...was anyone else fascinated by both The Pack Horse Libraian Project and the blue people of Kentucky?!  Such interesting pieces of history! 

Let's talk book hype for a sec, friends. I have a love-hate relationship with hype.  On the one hand, it gets me seriously stoked to read a book, and that's always oodles of fun.  (Does anyone even use that word anymore? 

This book sat on my shelf for years, you guys, and now I'm kicking myself.  It was wonderful!  As a newer classic in the historical fiction genre, first published in 1987, it has the rare balance of feeling like a step back in time while also feeling like a book ahead of its time in some of its themes. Fannie Flagg writes with heart and humor, so the reading of FGT felt like a well-rounded experience. Her characters are written with such a strong voice that I felt like I was having a conversation with an old friend. As odd as it might sound, I could so clearly hear my great-grandmother's voice narrating Ninny.  She and I were exceptionally close, and she's been gone now for 11 years, so that was pretty special.  If you enjoy quirky, heartwarming Southern fiction, this might just be a win for you. ⁣⁣
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My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⁣⁣