Eloise and the Grump Next Door by Emma St. Clair iand Jenny Proctor
An island setting. (Love it!) Quirky characters. (Always fun.) Several humorous mishaps. (Lo's a bit accident prone.) Chemistry and spark. (Necessary in a romance.) A predictably happy ending. (Because that's why I read these books.) And a very sweet romance between Eloise and Jake. This one charmed me. (Especially Jake's love letters to Lo.)
The Maid by Nita Prose
This book is as good as everyone says it is. Molly's a very unique and interesting character. Her inability to pick up on or understand everyday social cues made her an easy target; I felt bad that she couldn't always tell when people were lying to her, making fun of her, or using her for their own selfish purposes. Because despite all her awkward peculiarities, I liked her. Which made me like this book even more.
Happy Reading!
Like the sound of both of these, especially the first one. Where is the island?
ReplyDeleteIt's one of the barrier islands off the coast of Georgia; I think they call it Oakley Island in the book. :D
DeleteI liked Molly as well, but the book fell flat for me. Eloise and the Grump sounds charming.
ReplyDeleteThe Maid surprised me a little because I was under the wrong impression that Molly did some detecting in this book to solve the mystery, which she doesn't. But once I got over that I just enjoyed the book. :)
DeleteEloise and the Grump Next Door was such a fun read. I've become a big fan of Emma St. Clair lately. Her books are perfect for when I need a good laugh. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of Emma St. Clair, too! And I've read and loved some of Jenny Proctor's other books now, too. I think you'd like her romances. :D
DeleteI've seen nothing but positive reviews for The Maid. Molly sounds like a character that is easy to sympathize with.
ReplyDeleteI had a lot of sympathy for her because it wasn't her fault that she didn't fit in or understand how other people were using her.
DeleteI love the grump trope. I'll have to add it to the list.
ReplyDeleteThe grump trope is so fun; definitely one of my favs. :D
DeleteThe Maid is definitely moving up my Need-to-Read-NOW list. Thanks for reminding me!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one, even though I was expecting Molly to do more sleuthing, which she doesn't. But she's an interesting and memorable character for sure. :D
DeleteBoth of those are new to me.
ReplyDeleteI saw them recommended a lot on other blogs, which is what made me want to give them a try.
DeleteI haven't read either of these, but would like to read The Maid. Molly sounds like a fascinating character.
ReplyDeleteShe's very socially awkward and has her quirks, but I liked her. But don't expect any sleuthing on her part. She gets involved in the mystery, but not because she's trying to solve it.
DeleteI hadn't heard of that first one, but it looks fun. Thanks for putting it on my radar, Lark!
ReplyDeleteIt's lighthearted, and a little silly, but a lot of fun. And I loved the ending.
DeleteI'm glad you read and enjoyed "The Maid" as I did. I haven't met Eloise yet but maybe I should get to know her.
ReplyDeleteShe made me laugh. :D
DeleteI loved the Maid and I like Emma St Clair, so I'll have to check out Eloise and the Grump Next Door
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those books that made me smile at the end. :D
DeleteEloise and the Grump Next Door sounds like my kind of romance! I'll have to check out The Maid too. It does sound interesting. Thanks for the recommends, Lark! You're always adding to my TBR. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, you're always adding to mine! ;D
DeleteI am so happy to see that you enjoyed The Maid. I have that one on my shelf just waiting for me to pick it up.
ReplyDeleteI did like it. It's not quite what I was expecting, but Molly kept me reading. :)
DeleteAdding Eloise and the Grump Next Door to my TBR. Sounds fantastic! I tried listening to The Maid but couldn't get into it. I was super stressed out and teetering on the edge of a reading slump at the time so there's a very real chance my mood affected my enjoyment. I need to give this another try.
ReplyDeleteIt would definitely be hard to get into a book like The Maid when you're feeling tired or super stressed!
DeleteI love Jenny Proctor’s books. Regine
ReplyDeleteI love the humor in them! :D
DeleteI always want a happy ending in books. It is a failure of mine. But it is a must in a romance.
ReplyDeleteI am very glad you liked The Maid. I have been wanting to read it but keep reading mixed reactions.
The older I get the more happy endings I want! And if you don't expect The Maid to be a typical mystery, with Molly doing the sleuthing, but just read it as a book about this interesting character who has all these social difficulties I think you'll enjoy it.
DeleteI started The Maid last night, and at about a quarter of the way through, I am liking it very much.
DeleteEverything that happens to Molly just filled me with sympathy for her. And the friends who come to her aid at the end are all so great. I'm glad you're liking it!
DeleteLove the title of the first one! And I do have a copy of The Maid that I just haven't gotten to you -- glad to hear you recommend it!
ReplyDeleteI did like The Maid...Molly is such a different kind of character. I just wanted things to work out for her.
DeleteAt some point I really need to read The Maid. It has been on my TBR all year.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it so hard to get certain books read? I have a whole list of books I was for sure going to read this year, and I haven't managed it.Maybe next year? ;D
DeleteI enjoyed reading The Maid. Molly is quite a character, isn't she?
ReplyDeleteEloise and the Grump Next Door sounds like a fun read!
Molly is quite the character! I kind of hope the author writes another book about her. :D
DeleteI like The Maid too -- Molly took some getting used to, but sticking with the book paid off in the end.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I'm really glad I stuck with The Maid. The ending was so good.
DeleteI've definitely heard a lot about The Maid (and it's on my TBR) but Eloise & the Grump sounds delightful.
ReplyDeleteIt was light-hearted and humorous and a lot of fun.
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