TART Challenge2 - Bookin' It (17)

[Katelyn]

Changing my book, of course. The book I chose was just going to be a bit too much for my mental health right now, so we are changing it up. I think I am going to do

[Busy Right Meow]

Just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing. I think notifications are still broken which is a bummer.

[Katelyn]

I am about halfway through mine. I should have it done tomorrow.

[Hayde]

I didn’t realized notifications were down. I should be done tonight. I’m loving Pepper and Legend.

[Hayde]

Busy Right Meow wrote: "Task 7 Completion Post

Task: Read over 750 pages in books about the same profession, teams decide which profession.
Profession: Athlete
Book/cover link: Hot as Puck
Page numbers w..."


Hookers for the homeless! 🤣🤣 Just like the pink flamingos, this makes me want to read the book.

[Busy Right Meow]

Hayde wrote: "I didn’t realized notifications were down. I should be done tonight. I’m loving Pepper and Legend."

I do appreciate the story buildup from Erik to Legend and seeing their relationship evolve. :) Now we just need to get Jans to read Legend and we'll have all read it for this challenge. LOL

@Katelyn Hope you're enjoying your new pick better than your last one!

[Katelyn]

Hey,

I was going to try and have my book done tonight, but I had to go to the urgent care for an ear infection. I will have it done tomorrow.

[Busy Right Meow]

@Katelyn Oh my gosh! Take care; don't worry about the reading!

[Hayde]

Finished Legend! I’m still processing the book and trying to determine how I feel about it. On one hand, I loved the relationship development between Legend and Pepper, on the other hand, idk how I feel about the Lida story arc was handled.

[Hayde]

Task: Read over 750 pages in books about the same profession, teams decide which profession.
Profession: Athlete
Book/cover link: Legend
Page numbers with source: Kindle Edition, 227 pages
How book qualified, with links or cover as necessary: Hero is a professional hockey player
Date Completed: Oct 7, 2020
Rating/Review: 3.5 Stars

Just like Kitty, I went into Legend thinking I was going to get an Enemies to Lover book. I know she mentioned it want but honestly thought there would be at least a chapter or two of banter. I was thrown off by Legend’s “surprise”. I guess I can see how that connected Pepper and Legend but I still remind skeptical.

I won’t summarize what the book is about as 3/4 of us have read it, I’ll focus on what I liked and didn’t.

Pros:
-Legend stepping up
-Pepper. Such a strong, independent, quirky character. This might come as a surprise but I actually love that we didn’t get a backstory of her. Her decisions were in the past, she made them, doesn’t regret them or have to explain them. I like that she didn’t have to develop, and it mostly fell on Legend to do the growth.
-tidbits we get from Tacker, although I’m a bit worried on how Sawyer will handle his book.

Cons:
-The couple being setup as enemies to lovers in previous books and this being a friends to lovers book instead. Felt a bit lied too.
-The Lida story arc. It’s almost felt like Nanette’s story arc in Bishop. Just added in because angst was needed. There was so much potential to discuss Lisa’s mental issues but instead Lida was just used as the villain.

I would go on more on what I like and don’t but it would be full of spoilers.

[Hayde]

@Katelyn, hope you are fine! As Kitty said, don’t worry about reading, focus on getting better. 😉

[Busy Right Meow]

@Hayde Yeah, I do feel like Sawyer Bennett did a bait and switch on us. I hadn't thought that much into Lida's storyline but you're so right about the Nanette storyline too! It was a few months from when I read Bishop to Legend and I completely forgot how WTF? I was about Nanette's storyline and how it got just conveniently brushed aside after. It does feel a little bit of Sawyer's formula which isn't very satisfying for the reader.

[Hayde]

@Kitty, yeah, that’s the problem of reading books back to back, you start seeing true issues and repeat plot lines. 😔 I do want to read Tackers book. So I might take a break from Saywer.

[J]

Task: Read over 750 pages in books about the same profession, teams decide which profession.
Profession: Athlete
Book/cover link: It Had to Be You
Page numbers with source: Kindle Edition, 384 pages
How book qualified, with links or cover as necessary: Hero is the Coach of the football team and the heroine is the owner of the team
Date Completed: Oct 8, 2020
Rating/Review: 3 Stars

I kept breaking up with Phillips and then patched up because I am a self-hurting moron.

Once again, Philipps wrote a book with a chauvinistic male and goody-good female. Her characters are an exact replication of the same Daisy and Alex from Kiss an Angel. Unlike the respecting animals being the central theme in the last book, this book centers around women's body objectification to win over a deal.

There was a great portion of the book which approves and even justifies Pheobe objectifying her body to become a respectable leader, even though she is strong-minded and an intelligent girl.

I know this book is written in the '90s, and I can understand that women weren't welcomed in boys' club, so I was trying to understand the Pheobe grabs everything in her way to move forward. But I couldn't offer pity to Pheobe. This book didn't bring out that phenomenon of pity, rather anger at her for doing things wrong.

I don't even want to get into Dan. So many cruel moments in the book. He tries to play rape foreplay on Pheobe who was already a rape victim. And she literally goes into hysterics because of that. He does it twice, and they end up kissing with consent. He keeps thinking he will just fuck a 'bimbo', and end up marrying a 'good girl'- who will be the mother of his children. Could there be anything worse than seeing a woman as just a mere womb? When Pheobe confronts how big an asshole he was to double date two women with such malice intent, he storms out on her. And in the end, with so much unbelievable drama, she forgives him.

WoW! Why do I do this to myself?

Maybe it is time for me to break up once and for all with Phillips. The only thing that kept me sparing was, this wasn't a book of today. It was written when O.J.Simpson interviewed the leads, and Donald Trump tried to joke with the leads. This was written in '94. So, I am just being judgemental, and I should read about the history of the USA before I jump to a random conclusion. Maybe knowing how things were, would make me understand why the author chose to portray her leads in her time. I could understand her viewpoints better when I understand the timeline and culture better.

[J]

@Hayde Totally true. I too feel the same with Phillips books. She writes almost the same characterization on her leads. The first time it is awesome, the second time, it becomes "meh".

@Kitty I am glad you read a strong female lead. What would I give to have that?

[Busy Right Meow]

@Jans Yikes! I feel like you knew you probably wouldn't like the book based on your selection post but reading your review it sounds way worse than imagined! I don't know how you even kept reading. Kudos for powering through it; I don't know if I would have been able to. It's also just such a long book?!?!

[J]

Kitty: The author already wrote the male lead is sexist in her preface. I was ready for a few boys' group bullying with sexist troupe but never for this shock treatment.
I torment myself.

[Katelyn]

Completion Post

Task: Read over 750 pages in books about the same profession, teams decide which profession.

Profession: Athlete

Book/cover link: Coasting

Page numbers with source: Kindle Edition, 232 pages

How book qualified, with links or cover as necessary: Hero is a professional hockey player and the heroine is the assistant coach of the team.

Date Completed: Oct 8, 2020

Rating/Review: 3 Stars

I was really hoping to like this book and I was in the beginning, The pacing started to get a little off at about the halfway point. They didn't even get together until the like 66 percent mark and jumped right into the I love yous. I usually do not mind insta love, but the pacing was just really off here.

[J]

Katelyn: We both haven't been lucky this time. We ll hope the next challenge will make it better.

[Busy Right Meow]

Hope you're feeling better Katelyn!

[MountainKat, Moderator]

Here is Task 8:

9. Each player reads a book in the same series, teams decide. No pass for this task.

As a team, select a series listed on GR and everyone reads a book from that series. You can read the same or different books for this task. Please include the selected series in your completion posts.

[Busy Right Meow]

Yay new task! So when we initially gathered responses I think we agreed to do the Big Rock series by Lauren Blakely.

Just wanted to confirm everyone was still good with it and can get access to a book in the series. If not we can decide on a different. I have access to the series so I am good.

[Katelyn]

Could we decide on something different? I mean I am willing to do this if this is what we want to do still. I am just in a weird mood and I don't think that series will help any.

[Busy Right Meow]

No worries, I am fine to do something else. Is there a series you have in mind?

[Hayde]

Do we want to do Sawyer Bennet, Arizona Vengeance? Since the majority of us have read the series. And are in different sections?

[Katelyn]

Wait with Me by Amy Daws
The Dogmothers by Roxanne St Claire
The Whiskeys by Melissa Foster
Sugar Lake by Melissa Foster
Aspen Cove by Kelly Collins
Wishing Well, Texas by Melanie Shawn

These are just a few I can think of. Do these sound good to anyone else? Or anyone else have suggestions?

[Katelyn]

Or we can do the Arizona Vengeance

[Busy Right Meow]

I am fine with any of the above that Katelyn suggested or Arizona Vengeance. We can see what Jans thinks as well since I don’t think she actually started the Vengeance series?

[Katelyn]

I am going to start reading the first book in the Dogmothers series for my other challenge that I am now a week behind in, of course. But I can read whichever for this. I am just going to try and squeeze it in. The new theme gets announced tonight on that one and I may just try and take a pass so I can catch up. Now I know, I can only do 1 challenge at a time since I am back full time at work.

[Hayde]

My library has book 4 of the dog mother series. So I can do that series.

[Busy Right Meow]

I can do Dogmothers too especially if it can knock out two challenges for you Katelyn. We will just wait for Jans to confirm before we start.

[Katelyn]

Sounds good! Thanks! This week has been a mess. This ear infection is driving me crazy. I have to do ear drops 4 times a day an my ear just constantly feels like I have water in my ear and everything is echo-y.

[J]

Sorry, I was occupied. I can also do the Dogmother's series.

[Katelyn]

Sounds good! Hopefully it is good since I have never read it before.

[Katelyn]

I did not realize that this was a spinoff of a different series.

[Busy Right Meow]

Yeah I read the book blurb and it was tied with the Dogfather series. I am guessing you haven’t read that either? I was definitely a bit confused with the family tree at first haha

[Katelyn]

haha. I haven't. I am so bad at reading series in order because I have to be in a certain mood for certain storylines. I am still in the prologue and was so confused lol

[Busy Right Meow]

Task: Each player reads a book in the same series, teams decide. No pass for this task.
Series: The Dogmothers by Roxanne St. Claire
Book/cover link: Hot Under the Collar
Page numbers with source: Kindle Edition, 374 pages
How book qualified, with links or cover as necessary: Book 1 of the Dogmothers series.
Date Completed: Oct 10th, 2020
Rating/Review: 4.5 stars

Hot Under the Collar is a sweet small town romance with a lot extra furry love. This is the first book in The Dogmothers series which is a spin-off to The Dogfather series. I didn’t read the original series but didn’t find it detracting from my understanding. It seems Dogfather focused on one patriarch who played matchmaker for his children with the help of some furry friends before finding love himself. Now that the Dogfather is occupied planning his own wedding, two new matchmakers are on the job staring two fabulous grandmas, Gramma Finnie and Yiayia Agnes. This spin-off series involve their attempts to play matchmakers for their grandchildren.

Cassie (h) is Agnes’ granddaughter and she has big aspirations to leave the small town Bitter Bark, move to a big city and become an event planner. Braden (H) is Finnie’s grandson and is a firefighter who wants to expand his role to also becoming a handler of a trained Accelerant Detection Canine, or arson dog. Braden thinks his pup Jelly Bean is the perfect arson dog but JB unfortunately has some olfactory issues. Jelly Bean would need to go to special training to potentially fix the issue. The Dogmothers see this as the perfect opportunity to set up Cassie and Braden by suggesting Braden ask Cassie for help to plan a fundraiser. This sets the stage for the beginning of their relationship and the book continues to explore the development along with some obstacles they faced.

Overall, Cassie frustrated me at times in the books. I think both of them have some unresolved abandonment issues between Cassie losing her father to cancer a few years ago and Braden losing his father, also a firefighter, when he was young. Cassie is so determined to get out of the small town and I felt it wasn’t fully developed why she didn’t just do it earlier beyond just needing to build her resume? As the book went on, the author added some tidbits about her history with her father and I think it was more acceptable for me. Her thing for dating only Greek guys and then “dating” Braden to test Yiayia also just felt a little random. Overall Cassie was fine but I wished the author provided some more backstory earlier. Maybe it is in the original series?

Braden is a solid hero who is very grounded, loyal and crazy smart. He is a commitment phobe given he lost his father in action when he was young. Braden doesn’t want his loved ones to feel the loss he felt when he lost his dad so he basically ends relationships when it gets too serious and focuses his attention on excelling at his job by training Jelly Bean to be an arson dog. I felt Braden’s characterization is very realistic given his history and it was wonderful to see how Cassie inspired and changed him.

Overall it was a sweet small town romance book and honestly the Dogmothers, especially Agnes, and Jelly Bean 🐶 stole the show for me. I am interested to continue the series now that I have the family background and family tree figured out. As the dogmothers said in the epilogue, everyone loves a good frenemies story which was teased next staring Cassie’s brother.

[Katelyn]

These books are so long! lol. I am trying to make my way through it. How is everyone else doing?

[J]

I wasn't well the past two days. I didn't even touch the book. Hope I start today.

[Katelyn]

I'm sorry. I hope you are feeling better. I am still battling this stupid ear infection myself.

[Busy Right Meow]

Hope you two are both feeling better! Yeah, the books are quite long. They cover a lot of background and different characters (at least for book 1).

[Hayde]

Task: Each player reads a book in the same series, teams decide. No pass for this task.
Series: The Dogmothers by Roxanne St. Claire
Book/cover link:Chasing Tail
Page numbers with source: Kindle Edition, 360 pages
How book qualified, with links or cover as necessary: Book 3 of the Dogmothers series.
Date Completed: Oct 13, 2020
Rating/Review: 5 stars

Conner is a local firefighter that is not taken serious by his family. While Sadie has just returned home after a bad breakup in DC. Conner decides to run for office with Frankendog (in other words, with the dog running as the major). The Dogmothers decide that he needs a campaign manager so they enlist Sadie. Or so they think. What follows is actually a funny twist.

I love how this book makes fun of all the romance tropes, with the Dogmothers and a side character discussing what trope would work best with Sadie and Conner...frenemies to lovers, close proximity, fake engagement, etc.

There are a few angst angles used throughout the story but the majority get resolved in subsequent pages so it’s not bad. Overall the book focuses on the election and the couple building their relationship. Who really steal the show are Demi 🐱 and Frank 🐶. The heroine and heroes pets.

As I started with book 3 of a spin-off series there were a lot of characters mentioned that I didn’t have background stories to. They distracted just enough to make me consider going back to read their stories. But you can definitely read this book as a stand alone. Don’t cringe @MountainKat 😉

[Hayde]

Questions I still have:
Why are the grannies called Dogmothers? Why is the uncle called the dog father? I’m assuming it’s a play on godfather/godmother 🤷🏽‍♀️

Is Conner shown as a player in previous books? As not taking things seriously? They kept alluding to it but never gave examples in this book.

Anyone got a family tree because boy did I need it at one point or another.

[Hayde]

Jans wrote: "I wasn't well the past two days. I didn't even touch the book. Hope I start today."

Please take rest. Hope you feel better soon :)

[Hayde]

Katelyn wrote: "These books are so long! lol. I am trying to make my way through it. How is everyone else doing?"

This challenge has made me realize I actually like long books 🙈 of course, as long as I like the story. I feel it helps develop the characters and stories a bit more. Helps me get into the world created.

[Hayde]

Busy Right Meow wrote: "Task: Each player reads a book in the same series, teams decide. No pass for this task.
Series: The Dogmothers by Roxanne St. Claire
Book/cover link: Hot Under the Collar
Page numbe..."

Interesting to see how Braden was affected by his father’s death. Conner is Braden’s brother and also hasn’t had a committed relationship. But for him it’s more that his father always drove him to win. Not lose. So he has commitment phobia as he feels he might lose someone. The book never really shows how he moved past this other than saying it was instalove, which annoyed me a bit. But eventually St. Claire sold Instalove to me.

[Busy Right Meow]

Hayde wrote: "Questions I still have:
Why are the grannies called Dogmothers? Why is the uncle called the dog father? I’m assuming it’s a play on godfather/godmother 🤷🏽‍♀️

Is Conner shown as a player in previo..."

I think it's a play on Daniel (?) who was the Dogfather. I think he runs like a dog sanctuary and training facility and has a lot of dogs....I think we would need to read THAT series to find out. LOL

And yeah, the first book alluded to Connor being a player. There was a scene with a firefighter auction and they kept making fun of him. They said it was going to be hard for him to find a lady to bid on him given he's already dated all of them in town. I think he still got the highest bid haha.

[Hayde]

Busy Right Meow wrote: "Hayde wrote: "Questions I still have:
Why are the grannies called Dogmothers? Why is the uncle called the dog father? I’m assuming it’s a play on godfather/godmother 🤷🏽‍♀️

Is Conner shown as a pl..."

😂 I need to read that scene. It was alude to in this book but mostly as a passing by comment. When he first mentioned he was going to run for office his friend’s said he would have all the female votes.

There was a mayoral debate scene and female attendees kept asking about Conner’s relationship to Sadie, to the annoyance of one of candidates.

[Busy Right Meow]

For the family tree, I think there are three families (Kilcannon kids, Mahoney cousins, Santorini step-kids) but the Dogmothers focuses on the cousins and step kids. The Kilcannons were in the Dogfather series.

Gramma Finnie has a daughter named Colleen and a son named Daniel.

Collen Mahoney has four kids: Declan, Braden, Connor, Ella. The boys are all firefighters like their dad who they lost in action when they were younger. Ella works in a dog treat store (?) I think.

Daniel is the "dogfather" and has grown kids (Kilcannons) and I think those stories are in the original series. In the last book of the original series, Daniel fell back in love (???) with Katie Santorini and they were engaged to be married in the first book.

Yiayia Agnes is Katie Santorini's ex mother in law. Katie's children are Nick (who is actually Daniel's love child from their fling like 40+ years ago or something), Cassie, and twins Alex and John.

First book is about Braden Mahoney and Cassie Santorini
Second book is about Cassie's brother Alex.
Third book is about Braden's brother Connor.
Fourth book is about Cassie's brother/Alex's twin John.
Fifth book is about Braden's oldest brother Declan.

I think the above is generally accurate but I already started a new book so hopefully I remembered it correctly.