the espressologist

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie.

Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte.

But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers."

4 hours. I only needed 4 hours to finish this book. Frankly, the book was quite thin for a hardcover book and the font was big with nice spaces. I consider this book a relief after a heavy reading - both from work and also the romance novels and adults novel that I was trying to finish over the weekend:)

Strangely, even though the book was simple and considered a quicky, I enjoyed it tremendously. Perhaps it was because I was a barista myself or because I was watching 10 Thing I Hate About You and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai while I was watching it, I was not totally sure.

But here to simple book with lots and lots of coffee in it. Lazy weekend would never be too boring:)

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savor the moment

Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts cordially invites you to meet childhood friends Parker, Emma, Laurel, and Mac — the founders of Vows, one of Connecticut’s premier wedding planning companies. Laurel McBane has always relied on her friends for support, especially when her dream of attending culinary school was almost ruined by her parents’ financial problems.

Now Laurel is repaying the kindness of her friends by creating extravagantly luscious tiers of cakes and other confectionary delights that add the perfect touch to their clients’ weddings. As for romance, Laurel believes in it — in theory. But she’s too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that other women seem to long for.

What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man just like Parker’s older brother, Delaney Brown, on whom Laurel has had a mega crush since childhood. But some infatuations last longer than others, and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her, or so she thinks. When Laurel’s quick- silver moods get the better of her — leading to an angry, hot, altogether mind-blowing kiss with Del — she’ll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever… Adult Fiction."

I'm not going to comment much about Savor the Moment except that it is the best of Bride Quartet's so far. I mean, I have not read Book 4, Happy Ever After yet (reading it but have not finished it), so I can tell that I enjoy this book more than the other books.

It's just that I can't help feeling that this book is almost similar with Bed of Roses which is Book 2. From the part where both Emma and Laurel had feelings towards the men they adore for years and let it spill after a moment (with sexual attraction, of course) to the part where they eventually understand each other better (especially each other's job). Naturally, both have this scene of gifts which are related with the girls' job.

The only good part of this book is the involvement of Mrs. G and how independent Laurel character is compared to Emma. And Del seems to be practical - not too nerdy like Carter or too masculine like Jack. He is just fine. Yet he is the richest - so that minus some of my points. I don't like rich heroes.

And if you're expecting that this book will be all about desserts or cakes, you're wrong. It's more into cake decoration and design and this is where Nora Roberts' good spot. She is good in making drool over sexy chracter but not over cakes.

Other than that...the book is fine and is currently leading me to the last book of the Bride Queartet:)

p/s: it was quite disappointing that this book is coming from a different version. I wish I could get the big pages from Berkeley (like the one I had for Book 1 & 2) instead of the normal paperback from Jove something..

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the peach keeper

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Chased the Moon welcomes you to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog from the town’s famous waterfalls, and the stuff of superstition is just as real as you want it to be.

It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots.

But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood—of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it.

For the bones—those of charismatic traveling salesman Tucker Devlin, who worked his dark charms on Walls of Water seventy-five years ago—are not all that lay hidden out of sight and mind. Long-kept secrets surrounding the troubling remains have also come to light, seemingly heralded by a spate of sudden strange occurrences throughout the town.

Now, thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover truths of the long-dead that have transcended time and defied the grave to touch the hearts and souls of the living.

Resonant with insight into the deep and lasting power of friendship, love, and tradition, The Peach Keeper is a portrait of the unshakable bonds that—in good times and bad, from one generation to the next—endure forever."
-Goodreads

This book met all my expectation. Why? Because I have read ALL Sarah Addison Allen's books and when you read an authors book, the book will speak to you back. The Peach Keeper was that book. It was a combination of everything - a fruit is concerned, with touch of coffee and its meaning as one of the main thing in the book.

But it also has the similarity towards where sweet tooth was an adorable character, friendship was beyond boundaries where you could never guessed who was going to be your friend, and a guy didn't have to be good looking and popular for you to admire.

In other words, the imperfection made the book perfect; just like the other books before this.

This book had also made me glued to the sofa and eventually forgotten my dinner. Well, we had one of my favourite dish (asam pedas) but since the book was too hot for me to stop, I ate the "peaches" out of the book first before I enjoyed what was in the precious platter.

It was also a good thing to read about my favourite character called Bay in Garden Spell. It made me wanted to read Garden Spell again. Well, Garden Spell actually brought me towards this high interest. I bought all three of Sarah Addison Allen's books from Kak Ida of BoooksofCharity. When Kak Ida was telling me that it would take some time for the book to reach Malaysia and for it to be sold at a cheaper price, I had actually given up hope.

I went to Kinokuniya several times and was dissapointed with RM99.50 for a price of the hardcover version. But things were redeemed once I surfed Kinokuniya's website again. It was sold at RM31.90 with 20% discount. So, it only cost me around RM25; which was quite cheap.

I started 2 days after buying the book but I managed to finish it in time; and with a smile on my face:)

It was a good thing. So please read.

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bed of roses

Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Since she was a little girl, Emma Grant has always loved romance. So it’s really no surprise that she has found her calling as a wedding florist. She gets to play with flowers every day and work with her three best friends in the process. She couldn’t ask for a better job…

And on the surface, Emma’s love life seems to be thriving. Slim and sultry, she brings color into every room she enters, just like the arrangements she creates. Though men swarm around her, she still hasn’t found Mr. Right. And the last place she’s looking is right under her nose.

But that’s just where Jack Cooke is. He’s been best friends with Parker’s brother for years, which makes him practically family. But the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship. And when Emma returns his passion—kiss for blistering kiss—things start to get complicated at Vows.

Jack has never been big on commitment. Emma yearns for a lifelong love affair. And if the two are to find common ground, they must trust in their history—and in their hearts…"
-Goodreads

One of my closest friends made a comment in Facebook,"Aku baru habis baca Born in Ice by Nora Roberts. Terasa seperti zaman baca Judith McNaught je :D"

Yes, borned in 80s and been introduced to romance novel in the 90s, I would give the same opinion. Reading Nora Roberts books made me feel like a teenager again; the difference was the scenario and era whereby McNaught was going over tycoons and NR was showing a new, fresh millennium environment.

It did not stopped me, however, to think that both authors were almost perfectionist. I mean, romance novels, like it or not would definitely matched the bold with the beautiful. We would rarely read that an ugly girl ended up with someone Brad Pittish, Aaron Azizish, or even Gerrard Butlerish.

But then again, what was the fun part of romance novel when you already knew your expectation? Well, I would say that despite having a typical way of showing the flow of romance, there were elements like flowers, friendship and professionalism which made it more digestible and interesting and worth reading.

Maybe I was into flowers too much. Therefore, reading Bed of Roses was better than reading Bride Quartet #1, Vision in White. Perhaps, this book was lighter and Jack was more like my favourite character compared to Carter. Or perhaps the name Jack, with the attitude, made it alluring and kept me grinning.

Overall, the book was not too bad. Something for me to consider reading Bride Quartet #3, Savour the Moment.

Let's just say that this book qualified as a good book - the cover was excellent, the price was reasonable, thanks to BookXcess. And the story had flowers, and wedding, and work, and friends. And...a hot guy named Jack who...was patient enough with a girly girl.

The girl who shared everything including what happened on the bed.

Could Nora Robert made him more alluring?



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something borrowed

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"The smash-hit debut novel for every woman who has ever had a complicated love-hate friendship.

Now A Major Motion Picture - In Theaters May 6th

Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself."

-Goodreads

I do not know how to rank this book.

First and foremost, I bought this book out of curiousity since most people were dying to purchase this book at BooksforCharity several months ago. It was as if this book was really a must-buy. I would say the cover played the important role towards my attraction. I was a firm believer that "less-is-more". I also believed that I was not the only person who perceived that. My visits to book stores have proved that most of the pink books were sold out and that left the next buyer with the cover from the movie.

If I would judged the book by only its cover, I would be totally unfair. Let's talk about the language. As a person who only spoke English to those who would want to speak in English (meaning to say that I was not an English speaker), I would give five stars for using a simple and standard English. Well, of course we had to consider certain culture barriers - like how Manhattan and Kuala Lumpur differed in every aspect of the book. But hey, looking at it positively, understanding this book is just like understanding Gossip Girl in a form of writing and in a more matured way.

That left me to the characters. Okay. This was the hardest part to describe. I loved the fact that I was a person who loved antagonist than the protagonist. But I also hated the fact that in this book, the antagonist was a bit shallow. Or should I say, empty headed?

Darcy was in every sense limited her judgment towards beauty, shopping and being a leader. It was like reading Blair Waldorf in a book. But then again, I had always adored leaders. The heroine character, despite how intelligent she was, had skeletons in her closet. I mean, she was smart on paper but a dumb when it came to men. Rachel in my opinion, was a decent girl yet would not get my high five for being a role model character. She was just a plain hypocrite and a coward for me.

So, two stupid girls were chasing for a typical guy and you got a story. I might be too early to judge; so let's read Something Blue so that I'll get a different perspective.

So three stars (for now). We'll see whether that will change:)

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