TART Challenge - Round 5 - Fast Like Molasses (7)

[Courtney]

Courtney's Recommendations

1. - Dark Omegaverse

2. - Space Alien Mafia

3. - Fake relationship sports contemporary

4. - Shifter suspense

5. - Smutty stripper contemporary

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

I'll say Busy bean and Vino then so theres a bit of variety .

I'm also good with friends to lovers

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

I'm changing one of my recommendations to because I just finished it and was surprised by how much I liked it.

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Friends to lovers works better for me too...I like them both, but I don't think I have any fake relationship books on my radar right now.

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Well, I just got home from my annual total loss of control at the Fuchsia Saturday sale. I'm either going to have a very pretty (and hopefully productive) patio this summer, or I'm going to kill a lot of plants - could easily go either way! 🤣🤣🤣

[Courtney]

I kill every plant I touch. It's like they see me coming and lose the will to live 🤣

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Courtney wrote: "I kill every plant I touch. It's like they see me coming and lose the will to live 🤣"

I'm not quite that bad, but close sometimes. And this year I have a new space and not sure what's going where, but I can't resist trying. I have more sun here, so my tomatoes should do better, and I think I'm going to try a couple of other veggies in pots, too. And even if I manage to kill all of those, over the years I've found a few flowering annuals that seem to be able to resist even my semi-black thumb, so hopefully I can at least keep some of the pretty stuff alive...

[Courtney]

Good luck! I'd love to have space for a garden someday...but living in the middle of the city makes it hard 🤣. We'll probably move at some point, though.

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Yeah, I'm in an apartment, so this is all just pots on the patio. I've done tomatoes in pots for years, sometimes with pretty good results and sometimes a total flop, but the only place I had to put them at my old house didn't get quite enough sun for them to be completely happy, so I've got my fingers crossed that they'll do better here. Of course, we need to get through the stretch of cold, crappy weather we've got coming up before I can actually get anything planted outside...

[Courtney]

OMG I need summer to start like yesterday! The weather here has been so cold, rainy, and gross this year. Between January and March, we literally had 10 days with no rain. I'm dying!

[Chan]

Courtney wrote: "omg I started last night so I'd have a frame of reference if we do Busy Bean, and Griff Shipley is

"

I read that one end of last year. it was good!

[Chan]

~KarenH~ wrote: "Well, I just got home from my annual total loss of control at the Fuchsia Saturday sale. I'm either going to have a very pretty (and hopefully productive) patio this summer, or I'm going to kill a ..."

crossing my fingers for very pretty this summer lol

[Chan]

Courtney wrote: "I kill every plant I touch. It's like they see me coming and lose the will to live 🤣"

OMGosh that is so sad, but I'm laughing so hard.

[Chan]

Courtney wrote: "OMG I need summer to start like yesterday! The weather here has been so cold, rainy, and gross this year. Between January and March, we literally had 10 days with no rain. I'm dying!"

Yeah it's chilly here too. We're in the 40s, but it's sunny so it's pretty outside.

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

I'm just ready to be done with the typical spring weather whiplash. We had 70 degrees Thursday, and a chance of snow overnight tonight and tomorrow!

[Chan]

whoa that is really odd weather.
70s then snow the next day 🤪

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Chan wrote: "whoa that is really odd weather.
70s then snow the next day 🤪"

Well, there were actually a couple of days in between, but it's still annoying!

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

We've had the sMe sort of weather here. Able to wear a tshirt one day then 3 days later it's snowing. Madness.

I forgot to say, I'm moving soon so I may be slower then but it should fall just after we've finished the challenge, fingers crossed.

[Courtney]

No worries! Are you moving far?

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

Just over 2 hours away from where I am now , but we're getting movers so I'm hoping that will make it easier

[Courtney]

Oh that's good., I have to use movers. Way too much work otherwise!

[Chan]

Yes. movers are the way to go. those days of lifting everything ourselves are over!

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

I actually like moving, though it's not usually so far but the thought of travelling with so many pets is making me sweat. Especially when one cat literally poops himself in his carrier.

Only 1 more day til our first task!

[Chan]

that might be a rough move with all the pets. Is there something that can make them drowsy?

[Chan]

WOOHOO! 1st call is tomorrow

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

Chan wrote: "that might be a rough move with all the pets. Is there something that can make them drowsy?"

I'm going to speak to the vet or get someone else to take him and not tell them his issue :D

[Courtney]

Yay! So excited. I've got a bunch of books ready.

[Chan]

Tink Magoo is bad at reviews wrote: "Chan wrote: "that might be a rough move with all the pets. Is there something that can make them drowsy?"

I'm going to speak to the vet or get someone else to take him and not tell them his issue :D"

🤣🤣

[Chan]

Hey. I believe the call is at 6PM EST. I won't be around, so if the call requires a decision, please decide without me.

I'll be looking on my phone to start reading, but I won't be near my computer until much, much later this evening.

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

The same goes for me if a decision needs making as it's currently 21:36pm here so I'll likely be asleep when the first task is announced

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

First Task - All Teams!

0. Read a book with either blue or yellow on the cover, teams decide which. No pass for this task.

I am sure we are all aware of the nightmare taking place in Ukraine over the past month and a half. To honor the Ukrainians’ strength and sorrow, the first task is to read a book with a color from the Ukrainian flag. Teams decide which color, blue or yellow. The selected book need to be primarily the selected color. No pass for this task.

[Courtney]

First Task!


0. Read a book with either blue or yellow on the cover, teams decide which. No pass for this task.

I am sure we are all aware of the nightmare taking place in Ukraine over the past month and a half. To honor the Ukrainians’ strength and sorrow, the first task is to read a book with a color from the Ukrainian flag. Teams decide which color, blue or yellow. The selected book need to be primarily the selected color. No pass for this task.

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Wow, I didn't make the connection until I read Kat's post, but this is what I'm slowly working my way through (in between other books):

[Courtney]

I literally woke up, checked my phone, and the task had just gone up 🤣. Must be on the same wavelength or something.

Any preference? I have a blue already that I didn't get to at Christmas, but I can look for a yellow too.

Edit: Actually 2 blues so I'd need to decide 🤔

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Courtney wrote: "I literally woke up, checked my phone, and the task had just gone up 🤣. Must be on the same wavelength or something.

Any preference? I have a blue already [bookcover:A Partridge and a Pregnancy|58..."

I actually have both, but I think overall blue is probably easier to find, so if it's up to the two of us to decide I think I'd go that direction (and hope I'm not wrong).

[Courtney]

I think my connection must be slow today. I didn't see your post before mine. Always something with GR....

I'm great with blue. I think it'll be easier too. I tried going through my shelves and anything that looked yellow was actually orange or pink on tineye. Might be hard to find actual yellow.

[Courtney]

~KarenH~ wrote: "Wow, I didn't make the connection until I read Kat's post, but this is what I'm slowly working my way through (in between other books):

"

I had to give up on Outlander. It was getting too depressing. And (controversial opinion) I never felt like Claire loved Jamie as much as he loved her and it irked me.

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Courtney wrote: "I had to give up on Outlander. It was getting too depressing. And (controversial opinion) I never felt like Claire loved Jamie as much as he loved her and it irked me."

Yeah, we talked a bit about it last round. They're definitely not for everyone but I mostly enjoy them, especially since the narrator is amazing (which doesn't help you at all, I know). I'd be happier if there was less focus on the specifics of the battles and strategies surrounding them and more on the people, but I deal with it.

Oh, and I disagree with you about Claire, although I do agree it took her longer to get there than it did him. Of course, she was also dealing with the guilt of having another husband, so there's that... 😁

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Courtney wrote: "I'm great with blue. I think it'll be easier too. I tried going through my shelves and anything that looked yellow was actually orange or pink on tineye. Might be hard to find actual yellow."

Yeah, both of them can tend to bleed into other colors to where you have to make a judgement call as to whether it's "blue enough" or "yellow enough", but I think there's just more blue out there in general, so a bigger selection to choose from.

[Courtney]

~KarenH~ wrote: "Oh, and I disagree with you about Claire, although I do agree it took her longer to get there than it did him. Of course, she was also dealing with the guilt of having another husband, so there's that... 😁

I think it's because I felt like her first husband was such a jerk, especially compared to Jamie. I would have happily moved on from a cheater to a hot Scot.



I love the research that goes into them though. You can tell the author really spends time making sure it's accurate.

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Yeah, the only thing is, he was basically a good guy before she disappeared. He wasn't perfect and definitely had his flaws, but only really turned into a major jerk after she showed up back home, pregnant.

I agree completely about the research though. The detail she comes up with is just amazing, and among other things really brings to life the "ick factor" of living back then.

[Courtney]

I thought in the first book it was implied that he cheated during the war. Like, he was surprised that she hadn't while they were separated for so long. That's why I didn't like him from the beginning. Maybe I was making assumptions.

[Courtney]

I hope I'm not jinxing it, but is so cute so far. Lots of funny bits ❤️ .

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

I'm starting with . It's a reread so I know what to expect...light and fun, but nothing earth-shattering.

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

I'm going with

[Courtney]

Completion Post - Task #1

0. Read a book with either blue or yellow on the cover, teams decide which. No pass for this task.
Team chose blue


A Partridge and a Pregnancy

Pages: 170
Completed: 4/13
How it Qualifies: Cover is blue

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review:

This was another cute installment in the Holiday Brothers series. Tobias and Eva dated in college and were madly in love, until Tobias found out that Eva had plans to move to New York after graduation without telling him...on the night he proposed.



This story opens six weeks after the couple had a one-night stand years later while Eva was visiting family in their hometown, and Eva needs to share the news with Tobias that she's pregnant.

There are some really cute bits in here and a good amount of angst. Honestly, this is probably one of the most satisfying novella length books I've read. It feels really fleshed out and complete, which is usually an issue with shorter books. The only thing that kind of bugged me was Eva's lack of communication. She wouldn't have gone to New York after graduation if Tobias had asked her to stay?



Was the ring and marriage proposal not a sufficient indication that he wanted her around? Seems like she could have asked him to do whatever it is that she needed him to do since he was obviously all in at that point.

But overall, it's a nice little read.

[Chan]

#1 | 0. Read a book with either blue or yellow on the cover, teams decide which
Team chose blue
Book: One to Watch
Pages: 424
Qualifies: 72.4% blue per Tineye
Rating: 💍💍💍💍
Completed: April 13, 2022

[Chan]

Courtney, that series sounds cute. I just added book 1 to my tbr.

[Courtney]

It really is! They're kind of like Hallmark movies sweetness-wise with much better dialogue 🤣.

[Chan]

lol hallmark can be so corny, but to their credit, i watched something last year and it wasn't too bad. i can't remember the name of it though. The female lead's acting was a little stilted but not too bad.