I never got around to writing up my March book reviews (that’s never happened before!). Life seems extra busy right now even though it’s really not. Maybe during the pandemic I just forgot how to multi-task? Anyway, I have a ton of reviews backlogged so it’s a possibility I can write two April book recommendations blog posts if I can get caught up on my to-do list. Here’s part one;
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First of all, I had no idea there used to be a Playboy “family” resort in Wisconsin. What?!!
Shoulder Season centers around a young woman whose mother just passed away. She doesn’t have the money to go to college and renting out her dad’s old storefront is becoming impossible. Her outgoing friend convinces her to come interview to be a bunny at the Playboy resort and she gets the job!
The young woman learns the rules of being a Playboy bunny and decides to live in the dorms at the resort. She loves to party with the other employees and begins experimenting with drugs and drinking heavily. A few men that she meets along the way really showcase her naivete.
The party lifestyle eventually catches up with her and a few of her choices lead to lifelong consequences. The story takes you to when she is a much older woman. It explains how her crazy summer as a bunny eventually leads to her career at a museum in California.
There are a few twists in the book I certainly wasn’t expecting. I appreciate the many Wisconsin references throughout the book. I did keep thinking, How can this girl be so stupid? Yet, we all do really dumb things at that age and she didn’t have any parents to guide her.
I could have skipped this one, The Horsewoman was just okay. Honestly, the audiobook probably made it worse. The voices were not good and the main character is made to seem very ditsy for her age.
A family of women owns a stable and the mother’s goal is to make it to the Olympics in horse jumping and this might be her year. Due to an event, the daughter has to start riding her mom’s horse to qualify for the Olympics and the other owner of the horse isn’t happy about it. He wants a more experienced male rider on his horse but agrees to a trial month.
Will mom and daughter be competing against one another to make it on the Olympic team?
I found the plot a bit ridiculous and unbelievable at times. The romances occurring simultaneously and the drama surrounding them didn’t have to be part of the story. If you end up giving this one a shot I would suggest reading it instead of listening to it like I did.
I would say Eight Dates is a must-read before you get married. I think it would be excellent to take these 8 dates and discuss all the questions before getting married or honestly even moving in together. These exercises could also be good if your marriage has hit a rocky patch.
The Gottmans are a staple in my field of study. All of my college textbooks referenced their marriage studies many times. These authors KNOW THEIR STUFF!
The dates focus on trust, goals/dreams, finances, family, etc. It offers advice for how to approach topics and what NOT to say while providing fun date night ideas. The book emphasizes the importance of date nights and play in your relationships.
Although I didn’t feel that the book is applicable to me currently (I’ve been married for seven years and we are in a great place) it did remind me how important it is to have couple time focusing on your relationship. Not time just spent running errands or talking about necessary life stuff such as bills but to grow together, have fun, and support one another’s dreams.
After reading this book are we going on these 8 dates and completing all the homework? No, but I absolutely want to play more and enjoy time with just my husband away from the kids.
It’s a quick read and I loved the real-life examples they use in the book of common issues in marriages.
I liked The Address better than the author’s other popular book The Lions of Fifth Ave. I highly recommend this one for historical fiction lovers like me. There are many true aspects in the story from the building itself to the press around the mental institution.
A young woman working as a head housekeeper at a hotel in England gets recruited by a guest to work at a brand new apartment building in New York City. The building will be the first of its kind catering to wealthy families.
When she arrives her position changes to be the manager of the entire building. After some time, she falls for the architect who is living there with his family. Events spiral out of control to where she ends up in a mental hospital against her will.
Was she set up by the wife? Will she ever get out? In the regular fashion of the author, the story switches back and forth between past and present. The present features a possible distant relative now working as an interior designer at the very same apartment building trying to solve her own mystery.
Want more book reviews? Take a look at my February Book Reviews and Recommendations!
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