<![CDATA[DOUGHS, DINES & DREAMS - Book Besties Blog]]>Mon, 11 May 2026 18:38:50 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[ON Schedule | Book Review]]>Wed, 09 Feb 2022 23:47:11 GMThttps://www.thekentkrew.com/bookobsessedbestie/on-schedule-book-review
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Romcom mixed with a tad of Hallmark!

disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links, which may provide a small amount of income to The Kent Krew, if a purchase is made, at no extra cost to you, the consumer!

review

Release Date: February 17th!

This sweet romcom by Summer Dowell was the exact easy going, witty bantered read that I needed! The first chapter had me at the mention of ‘Hallmark Christmas movies’- my comfort movies, year round. I could tell after a couple of chapters that I wasn’t going to be able to put this book down, as it was refreshing, comical and I needed to see what happened between the handsome, opinionated wedding photographer and one of the hardest working wedding planners around. They are forced to work together as their mutual client wants Tyler, the wedding photographer, is asked to shoot things like cake testing, wine testing and they begin to develop feelings for each other. Tyler and Avery share quick witted responses that quickly turn into flirting and strong feelings for each other.

Tyler and Avery’s working relationship comes to an end, Dowel leaves us hanging for a chapter or two wondering if they will end up back together. The book ended slightly quickly, but exactly how I wanted!

RATING: FOUR STARS/ FIVE!

I was given this ARC in exchange for a review from NetGalley and Summer Dowell ! Thank you so much for gifting me the chance to read and share this book!
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Would I recommend this book?

ABSOLUTELY!
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Shop This Book & MOre

]]><![CDATA[Lucy Checks In]]>Sun, 23 Jan 2022 15:50:02 GMThttps://www.thekentkrew.com/bookobsessedbestie/lucy-checks-in
netgalley, dee ernst, netgalley arc, ARC, dee ernst author, lucy checks in, lucy checks in book review, lucy checks in reviews, dee ernst reviews, bookstagram, book lover, book obsessed bestie, book obsessed
and finds so much more than a new job!

*DISCLAIMER: this post may contain affiliate links and etsy links. Affiliate links may provide a small amount of income to the kent krew if a purchase were to occur, at no extra cost to you. etsy purchases result in full income for TKK.
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summary

Author: Dee Ernst
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After a bad break up with the owner of the a beautiful hotel Lucy managed, she was left not only with a broken heart, but with a mess of legal troubles. The owner of the hotel, also known as Lucy's long term boyfriend, stole huge amounts of not only her money, their employees' money. He left Lucy with potentially being charged with being in cohorts with the hotel manager on more than a romantic relationship. The government and many of the employees believed that Lucy had every intention of running off with the hotel owner and all the money. 

Two years later, she is gifted a chance to start over. After all of the questioning, trials, and insane lawyer fees, which cleared out the savings her ex was not able to steal from her, Lucy was deemed innocent. She had nothing to do with all the money stolen; she had no clue that her ex was up to. Though she was proven innocent, her name and image in the hotel world was ruined. Lucy accepts a job as a general manager for a hotel in Rennes, France called Hotel Paradis, which was built in the early 1700s! 

Lucy arrives in Rennes and is overwhelmed by all that her new hotel needs from her. She learns the true meaning of "elbow grease", while developing relationships with the owner of the hotel, the unique and wonderful people that live on the property, including artist and author, Bing. 

Lucy gets a new start at life with these characters of Hotel Paradis, they accept her as their own, and genuinely care about Lucy. They help Lucy learn to let go of the past, of the hurt from her past; they help her learn to love herself, trust herself and her own judgement again, especially when it comes to love. 

Lucy is not the only character that gets a chance at a new start, all the residents that have worked or invested in the hotel get a chance at new things with the opening of the hotel. Even her family in the states get new starts, although the new starts are results of heartbreak. 

Lucy learns to make decisions that bring her heart joy, that allows her to follow her heart for love, not her career. 

Order your
copy here:

My thoughts

​Lucy Checks In was one of those books that took me on a trip, I felt like I was walking and living with the main character, Lucia! And it was a wonderful trip!

The book was a delightful read, that I hated to see end. I wanted more of the French life, the French food, the hotel, the characters! The book ended exactly as I hoped it would with an unfortunate family sadness, but happy endings for Lucy, the hotel staff, and more!
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I love reading on my kindle, but there are some books I wish I had read as a real book, because they are so good; this is one!

All in all: 5/5 ⭐️
Book Release Date: August 16, 2022

A huge thank you to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read Lucy Checks In as an advanced reader copy. It was definitely a great book and Dee Ernst did a wonderful job transporting me to France for a couple of days!

Have YOu Read Lucy Checks in yet? DOes this sound like something you want to read?

More Book Bestie Posts:

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See what else I read in January 2022!
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Check out this review on Lucky!
]]><![CDATA[This is The Story of a Girl (nick) Named, "Lucky"]]>Sat, 22 Jan 2022 19:24:53 GMThttps://www.thekentkrew.com/bookobsessedbestie/this-is-the-story-of-a-girl-nick-named-lucky
lucky by marissa stapley, lucky, reeses book club pick, reeses book club, bookstagram, book obsessed bestie, kindle books
...or so we thought!

*Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links and etsy links. affiliate links may provide a small amount of income to The Kent Krew, if a purchase occurs, at no extra cost to the consumer. Etsy shop purchase provide full income to TKK.
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Summary

Lucky is a super enjoyable book about a young girl, her chance to start her life over and her search for finding her true family; family that would stand with her, love her.

The slightly suspenseful story line, bounces back and forth between two story lines. One story line wouldn't make sense without the other. The author, Marissa Stapley tells you about the childhood Lucky, and her longing to know her mother, her desire to be a "normal" child and a "normal" family, that didn't con their way around the country. You read about childhood Lucky, as you follow Lucky around the country as an adult, trying to evade arrest, looking for her birth mom, attempting to figure out a way to cash a winning lottery ticket, and honestly, not be un-a-lived, all at the same time. Stapley takes readers on this both story lines at once, so that we understand why adult Lucky is the way she is, so we see all her eyes have seen and her heart has experienced, so that we can see the good heart under Lucky's hardened life as a con-woman. 

Although Lucky was taught from an early age how to con people, make them trust you and take what she pleased from them; Lucky was no less a victim than her own victims. That doesn't make it right, of course. My point is that Lucky seemed naive, although very intelligent, and I blame that a lot on the fact that she hoped and longed for, in the end, a true family and to be in one place permanently. This desire to be normal and have normal things, lead Lucky to trust people that were out to use her, to con her, and to get her into really deep trouble with the wrong people. From her own father to her boyfriend and his mother. With a few twists and turns, Lucky puts things together and begins to truly see what the boyfriend, Cary was all bout, his true colors. 

A long series of events, at the end of the book, lead to Lucky not only finding out who her birth mother was, she found true family in the people who truly wanted good for Lucky.

I can't give anymore on the ending, no spoilers, here!
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my overall thoughts

Overall, despite some harsh reviews on Goodreads, I thoroughly enjoyed this pick!

Lucky was easy to read, and not quiet a "can't put down" book, but a book I had to know what happened to Lucky. I needed to know if the story ended how I hoped for. It did, but in more ways than I expected. I rooted for Lucky, not because she was the main character, but because I saw the good that she could be, I saw that she was remorseful sometimes for her actions. I felt sorry for how she grew up, for how her father though he loved her deeply, used her as a pawn in his carefree life as a grifter. 

I actually would loved one more chapter, maybe like five or ten years later, to really seal the deal for me! 

I would recommend this book, for sure; four and a half stars for me! 

Have you read lucky?
​What did you think?

]]><![CDATA[January 2022 READs]]>Fri, 21 Jan 2022 18:18:09 GMThttps://www.thekentkrew.com/bookobsessedbestie/january-2022-reads
bookstagram, bookish, book lover, bookstagrammer, book obsessed, book reviews, raunchy romance, book obsessed bestie, reese's book club, booktok

*disCLAIMER: LINKS ON THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS OR LINKS TO OUR ETSY SHOP, KENT & CO DESIGNS. AFFILIATE LINKS MAY PROVIDE SOME INCOME (NO EXTRA COST TO YOU) IF A PURCHASE IS MADE. ETSY LINKS WILL PROVIDE FULL INCOME, IF A PURCHASE IS MADE. 

I went crazy at the beginning of 2022 at set out on a journey to read, more and more! 

My goal is twenty five for the year! 

I joined Goodreads, to help me keep track of all that I have read, either on Kindle, paperback or even audible! 

It has honestly been a blessing to my mental health; and no, I have not read personal development books only! While I do love a good PD book, it's not what I have read much here of late. 

January was filled with an assortment of genres, a little raunchy romance, novels, and more. 

Where do I get my book-spirations? Where do I grow a large TBR list? (TBR- to be read)
  • friends and family! (my aunt is an avid reader, a couple of friends at work, and a few of my social media friends)
  • Instagram! the #bookstagram community is hugeee, and I am loving it!
  • Goodreads! the great thing about Goodreads is my Kindle links to it, I can not only keep track of my books, I can see what other friends are reading!
  • Reese's Book Club. Yep, I said it! I have enjoyed a lot of her book recommendations, so far! 

I am excited to show you the books I read, and will link all of their reviews (if any) as I bring them live on this website!
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January's books


MORE

I adore real, paper books (hard or paperbacks)! The problem is, I have been reading so much, it does not financially make sense to NOT read on my Kindle app when possible! I am currently using my daughter's old Kindle Fire, but I want to upgrade to a Paperwhite, eventually. 

Amazon/Kindle makes it possible to find a lot of great titles under your Prime subscription (if you don't have prime, grab it here!), but if you are serious about stepping up your reading game, I strongly suggest upgrading to the Kindle Unlimited plan (get it here, there are different plans to choose from!). You wont regret it at all, mine has more than paid for itself, in the first month! 

Another option, I just recently began using Audible. I never thought I would like it, but.. I love podcasts, so I gave this a try! I have been listening to one book I read last year, and it honestly hits differently as an audible! If you are busy (who isn't?) this is perfect for you! Click here to give it a try, this trial comes with two free books!
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What Books are you reading right now?

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