One of my goals this year is to start using my time to do more creatively stimulating activities.
I’ve noticed the last few months (maybe even in some ways, the last few years) that I haven’t been doing much for myself. I’ve been traveling (which is AMAZING and I wouldn’t trade it for anything) and I’ve been spending time with my friends and loved ones, but in the little down time I have, I feel like I’ve been completely wasting my time.
Lately, I’ve been spending my free time watching tv or scrolling online and I feel like I need to start doing things I enjoy and things that make me feel GOOD when I’m done with them.
That’s part of why I’ve been opening myself back up to drawing and painting. I’ve been trying to find my own niche with drawing and I’ve been focusing on fandoms and music that I like and creating pieces around those.
I did my first painting last fall – I painted a How I Met Your Mother themed piece to have Josh Radnor sign at Rhode Island Comic Con – and then I painted a picture of myself and Nathaniel Buzolic and had him sign it in December at a Vampire Diaries convention.
Then, in March, I took on my biggest project yet and painted the Dawson’s Creek cast to have Kerr Smith and James Van Der Beek sign at 90s Con.
I was so nervous going into it, but I’m so proud of how the final product came out and both Kerr and James were so excited and impressed when they saw it.
Last month, I decided to take on a few more projects. One for my friend’s birthday and two for Chord Overstreet to sign.
The first one was for my friend Kayla’s birthday. She and her mom are both so creative and own Superstar Designs where they create a TON of fandom merch including clothing, lanterns, keychains, hats, and blankets. They’ve shared so many products with me in the past and I wanted to give Kayla something special for her birthday.
So, I found a photo of Kayla, her mom, our friend Danielle, and I and I drew it and then painted it.
Then, I surprised my friend Nicole with a little 5×7 painting of Chord Overstreet from when he was on Glee. She’s a huge fan of Glee and loves Trouty Mouth, so I decided to take some creative liberty and paint a Trouty Mouth painting for her.
Lastly, the one I’m the most proud of!
When I found out Chord Overstreet was going to be a guest at The Vampire Diaries convention I was going to in Covington, GA, I immediately bought an autograph and a photo with him. I’ve also been a fan of his since he was on Glee, so I was psyched to meet him, but I had nothing in mind for him to sign.
His brother is in the band Hot Chelle Rae – my favorite band – so part of me wanted whatever it was he was signing to be Hot Chelle Rae themed, but I also wanted it to be centralized around him as well and not just his brother.
And then… it HIT ME. One of my favorite Hot Chelle Rae songs – and favorite songs in general – is called Do the Damn Thing and Chord is featured on it, and so began a search for a cd or vinyl of Do the Damn Thing. But after searching and searching, I couldn’t find one that I thought was suitable for him to sign.
Instead, I found a 12×12 canvas, I drew the album cover, and then I painted it!
This was by far and away the most difficult painting I’ve ever painted, but I’m also beyond proud of how it came out and I was SO excited to have Chord sign it. Check it out below!
If you have any suggestions on what I should paint next, send them my way!
My friends and I packed up and headed to Chicago for a few days!
At the end of March, Kayla, Shelly, Danielle and I all took a trip to Windy City! The four of us met through the convention circuit and since we met, we’ve attended as many events together as we can. Our most recent convention was Epic Cons Chicago at Navy Pier.
The Convention
The con was hosted by Epic Cons and if you’re a fan of Roswell New Mexico, Twilight, Teen Wolf, Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, One Tree Hill, John Tucker Must Die, or Arrow, this was the place for you!
Throughout the weekend, there were opportunities to get photo ops, selfies, autographs, and meet and greets with the actors and actresses and almost all of the celebrities sat on at least one panel as well where fans could ask questions.
There were also a handful of vendors selling fandom-related merch. Two of my favorites were my friends Kayla and Shelly at Superstar Designs and my friends Bob and Dena with Somerhalder Productions. Some of the guests – like Michael Vlamis, Riley Voelkel, Michael Trevino, Kayla Ewell, Tanner Novlan, Madison McLaughlin, Dylan Sprayberry, and Carina MacKenzie – also worked with Merch by Blank Clo to create some unique designs for the event.
One of my all time favorite shows is Roswell New Mexico, and on Saturday, Kayla and I got a photo with a ton of people from the Roswell cast!
From left to right, we met Madison McLaughlin, Carina MacKenzie (the show’s creator), Lily Cowles, Michael Vlamis, Michael Trevino, Riley Voelkel, Kayla Ewell, and Tanner Novlan.
I also was able to talk one on one with each of them during other parts of the weekend, everyone except for Madison (which means I just have to make sure I meet her again next time!). Here are some of the photos:
Another highlight of the event was getting to go to a Tyler Posey concert. Posey played the lead on MTV’s drama Teen Wolf and Danielle is a HUGE fan of his music and convinced all of us to get VIP tickets to his concert.
With the VIP, we were able to sit in on soundcheck, get a photo with Tyler and his wife Phem who opened the concert, and were able to get right in the front for the show.
Unfortunately, at the time, I didn’t know any of Tyler’s (or Phem’s music) but now, I can’t stop listening! I LOVE the songs Runnin‘, Sober, and Happy.
On Saturday, we also met tons of people from the Teen Wolf cast including Keahu Kahuanui, Colton Haynes, JR Bourne, Shelly Hennig, and Orny Adams.
Kayla and I also got a photo with Keegan Allen, Troian Bellisario, Ashely Benson, and Torrey DeVitto from Pretty Little Liars.
I got to meet Ashley Greene from Twilight as well, and the highlight of the day was reuniting with Kat Graham from Vampire Diaries.
The only time we had the entire weekend to leave Navy Pier was dinner Saturday night, so we tried to make the most of our time.
Neither Danielle or I had ever been to Chicago, so we went to Pizzeria Due for dinner so we could try deep dish pizza. I personally didn’t love it and ordered pasta instead, but they all LOVED it. Check out what one of their pizzas looked like.
Then we took a walk through the city (in the bitter cold!) and I was surprised when the city reminded me a lot of Manhattan.
Then we grabbed Cheesecake to-go from Cheesecake Factory and headed back to the hotel to hang out for the night.
On Sunday, we were back at the Convention and got to meet some more of the Twilight cast members. Meeting Nikki Reed was absolutely surreal and we got to meet Jackson Rathbone and Kellan Lutz too.
The Pretty Little Liars cast was also there on Sunday, so we got to meet Ashely Benson and Tyler Blackburn.
One of the other highlights of the weekend was getting to reunite with Kayla Ewell and to get an EPIC photo with Kat Graham and Ian Somerhalder.
The last two people we met were Sophia Bush and Linden Ashby from One Tree Hill and Teen Wolf.
I’ve attended tons of conventions over the years and this one was by far one of the best ones I’ve been to. It was so well organized, I loved the venue, and the cast members they had in attendance were absolutely incredible. Being able to see so much of the Roswell cast together as amazing and I grew up on Twilight and never expected to be able to meet the cast.
On Monday, before Danielle and I flew home, we did some sight seeing on Navy Pier and grabbed a quick lunch at Margaritaville before heading to the airport.
I loved the convention, but I also can’t wait to go back to Chicago and spend some time in the city and exploring what else Chicago has to offer!
I don’t think you realize how much your home has to offer until someone visits and you fall into the role of tour guide.
Back in April, my cousin Jocelyn took a trip over here to Massachusetts from LA. At first, it was exciting trying to plan what we were going to do. Jocelyn is like my mini me, so I knew no matter what I picked, we were going to have fun, but it reached a point in the planning process where I was like oh shit, there’s nothing to do over here!
We’re used to LA where there is always something to do. Over here, in comparison, it feels like there’s nothing, especially when it’s not warm yet.
So, I decided, the best way to go about planning what we can do is to pretend I’m coming here for the first time. Plymouth, check. Boston, check. Cape Cod (even though it’s not summer yet), check. New York City day trip double check.
But…. Mother Nature had other plans. So here’s what we ended up doing in the end 🙂
Monday
I headed to Logan bright and early so I could pick up Jocelyn – this was her first solo flight and first time in Boston without the rest of our family, so I was SO EXCITED to have her
If you’re local and have never been, definitely give it a try! Their food and their pastries are so tasty and it’s a quick, easy meal! They have locations in Kingston, Plymouth, and Pembroke.
Spent the morning catching up (and gossiping about our love lives of course) and then Jocelyn took a nap
If there’s one thing to know about our family, it’s that we LOVE food and we LOOOVE sweets. It was like heaven in there.
Went SHOPPING at Derby Street Shops
Let me just say… Jocelyn and I should not be allowed to shop together. We are TERRIBLE influences on each other
Met the family at Cancun for dinner – my favorite local restaurant!
Hung out for the night and just relaxed. Jocelyn finally got to see my dad too – she hadn’t seen him in close to five years!
Tuesday
I spent the morning getting some work done and in the afternoon, we headed to Walpole to get afternoon tea at Fancy That
Fancy That is one of my favorite places in the entire world and Jocelyn absolutely LOVES tea, so there was no better place to take her than Fancy That. Just look how cute everything is!
Later that night, we ordered dinner, made popcorn, and watched Waitress the Musical
Both of us love musicals and Jocelyn had never seen Waitress (which is my All Time favorite show!) so it was so special to share it with her and have someone appreciate the show as much as I do.
Wednesday
We had plans to drive to NYC, but Mother Nature had other plans 😦
Instead, I took Jocelyn into the radio station where I work so she could see my office and see what the inside of a radio station looks like and she met all of my coworkers
Then we headed to Providence, where I went to college
We started off our day in the city at LaSalle, one of my FAVORITE places in the city. Their pasties are amazing, their breakfast sandwiches are to die for, and I absolutely LOVE their raspberry iced tea
Pro-tip: the Admiral Street location doesn’t always have raspberry iced tea, but I’ve always been able to get it at the Smith Street location!
Then I drove Jocelyn around PC, where I went to school. So much has changed on campus in the three short years since I left, but I loved being able to share one of my happy places with her.
Afterwards, we went to the Providence Place Mall before heading to Thayer Street for dinner. One of mine and my friends’ favorite places to go in Providence was Den Den Koran Fried Chicken, so I wanted Jocelyn to be able to try
My favorite things on the menu: Pan Fried Pork Gyoza and Boneless Den Den Korean Fried Chicken with Dark (Soy Garlic ) Sauce
Thursday
Again, Mother Nature derailed our plans to drive to NYC, so instead, we started out our day getting pedicures with my mom
I went here for the first time back in February and I am OBSESSED with their food. I am so quick to lay claim that my area has no good restaurants, but this place is INCREDIBLE
My favorite things on the menu: the Salmon (!!!) and the Trip Dip. I’m a tough critic when it comes to salmon, but they cook this dish to absolute perfection, and I don’t like queso at all, but the queso that comes with the trip dip is absolutely delicious. They also make great guacamole and great cocktails!
Afterwards, my dad and I took Jocelyn for a long drive by the beaches. We started at Duxbury Beach, then made our way into Marshfield and to Brant Rock
We ended our night with a light dinner at The Anchor in Duxbury, another one of my favorite restaurants in the area
Friday
Jocelyn’s last day in town 😦
Another thing that Jocelyn loves is candles and I found this really cool place in Boston earlier this year called Lifebloom where you can make your own candles
I discovered Lifebloom by chance on Tiktok and I’m so grateful that I did! If you book an experience there, you’re able to handcraft your very own candle. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve done in Boston and their prices are really great!
Once you’re there, you work in a small group with a Lifebloom employee and you start off by talking about your favorite scents before moving onto sampling each scent that they have to offer. After that, you narrow down your favorite scents and ultimately pick one or two that you want to use for your candle.
Next, you get to pick what vessel you want to put your candle in, you pick what kind of wick you want in your candle, and then you get to hand mix the wax and add in the scent(s) you chose. To finish up, you pour the wax into your vessel, pick any little stones you might want placed on top of your candle once the wax hardens more, and then you get to name your candle!
While we waited to pick up our candles, we went to Wagamama in Fanueil Hall for lunch and also stopped at the Dock Square Parking Garage because the roof of the garage is a really fun place to take pictures!
Then it was off to the airport 😦
My Takeaways
The obvious: I absolutely adore my cousin and getting spend five days just hanging out was so special. Because she lives so far away, we don’t often get time together like that, so I’m so grateful she chose to spend her spring break over here ♡
The South Shore is no LA, but there IS more to do here than I give my area credit for
Jocelyn and I were able to try some of favorite restaurants, get tea at one of my favorite places, and take advantage of some much needed down time and just enjoying each other’s company
I think I was putting so much pressure on myself to think of FUN things we could do and activities we could do that I underestimated how nice it is to just spend time together
I can’t wait for July when we’re getting the whole family together in LA and then heading to San Diego for Comic Con!
Last weekend, Epic Events and Entertainment hosted the Epic June Wedding convention in Covington, Georgia. If you’re a Vampire Diaries fan, you know where this comes from, but if you’re not, check out the clip below!
It was so cool getting to be a part of something so monumental in the Vampire Diaries universe and I’m so grateful I was able to be at the event!
I flew into Atlanta on Thursday morning, my friend picked me up, and we headed straight to Covington! It was a full-blown Georgia summer with high temps and even higher humidity, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
My friend Kayla and I spent the early part of the afternoon in the Covington Square. The Square is where all the main Vampire Diaries tourist spots are like the Mystic Grill, the iconic clocktower plus Scoops, The Alley gift shop, Vampire Stalkers, and Main Street Trolley. It’s also only a short walk away from the Lockwood Mansion and Elena’s and Caroline’s houses.
The Square’s newest attraction is Mystic Mercantile, a shop with a replica of the Salvatore Boarding House living room, including some of the original furniture from set! I didn’t do an official tour of the space, but I had a meet and greet with Chris Brochu in the shop and it’s eery how identical the spaces look! Check out a photo below of Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) and Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore) in the living room.
We spent the later part of the day selling merchandise at pre-registration for the convention and setting up Kayla and her mom’s merch booth at the convention venue. Kayla and her parents started a company called Superstar Designs where they create fandom merch that they sell at conventions. Check out their website! They have clothing, stunning lanterns, keychains, ornaments, and tons more!
I have so much of their clothing and I LOVE every piece that I have. Check out my favorite one I have from them.
Joey and Pacey from Dawson’s Creek.
The convention started on Friday morning and we met Claire Holt (Rebekah Mikaelson), Phoebe Tonkin (Hayley Marshall), Andrew Lees (Lucian Castle), Sebastian Roche (Mikael Mikaelson), Joseph Morgan (Klaus Mikaelson), Persia White (Abby Bennett Wilson), and Jedediah Goodacre (Roman Sienna).
Check out our photos from Friday!
Then I ended my day at Chris Brochu’s meet and greet, one of the highlights of the whole weekend! Chris has always been one of my favorite cast members so being able to just sit and chat for an hour was so fun – not to mention Mystic Mercantile was such a cool place to have a meet and greet AND I made a friend while we were there!
Chris had us go around the circle and say our names and where we were from, saying maybe we’d meet our new best friend, and there was another girl in the group from Massachusetts and we became friends and were coincidentally on the same flight home!
Check out our meet and greet photos.
We ended our night on Friday at Lucky Day Taco and then Scoops for ice cream. I had never been to Lucky Day before but it was so!good! Their tacos were delicious and their chips were homemade and to dieeeee for! I also got a Moonstone Margarita which was as pretty as it was delicious. It was the perfect shade of light purple and had triple sec, lime, tequila, lavender, and luster dust.
On Saturday morning, Kayla had a meet and greet in the town square, so she and I got breakfast at Bread and Butter and while she was in her M&G, I hung around Bread and Butter and then found an empty bench in the Square and relaxed until it was time to head to the con.
I’ve been to Covington several times over the years, but those few minutes I had on my own before meting back up with Kayla and before the area was swarmed by crowds were so peaceful and tranquil. I haven’t seen Covington that quiet in years and I can’t even begin to think of how to recreate the bliss I felt while sitting in one of my favorite places in the world with the beautiful backdrop of the clocktower and the Covington Square.
Back at the convention, we got photos with Leo Howard (Ethan Machado), Micah Parker (Adrian), Nathaniel Buzolic (Kol Mikaelson), Michael Trevino (Tyler Lockwood), Melise Jow (Anna), and Chord Overstreet. We also met Omono Okojie (Cleo), Allison Scagliotti (Georgie), Ben Levin (Jed), Courtney Bandeko (Finch), and Kayla Ewell (Vicki Donovan).
Getting to reconnect with Nathaniel meant the world to me and I was so excited to see Trevino, Micah, and Leo again. ALSO – to FINALLY meet Melise was SO COOL. I’ve always wanted to meet her and she was so kind and so happy to be there. I really hope she comes to more cons in the future, I’d love to have the chance to meet her again.
Kayla also remembered me from past events which TOTALLY SURPRISED ME and she got so excited when I told her I had her meet and greet the next morning.
After a long day in the sun, we spent the evening back in the town square for Chord Overstreet’s concert. I’ve been a longtime fan of Chord’s and I’ve met his brother Nash tons of times over the years, so it was super cool to meet him and to be able to hear Hold On – an absolutely ICONIC song on Vampire Diaries – live in the SQUARE was unimaginably cool.
After the show, we got Damon Pancake shots at the Mystic Grill. Even if you don’t like alcohol, I think you’d like this shot. I can’t shoot straight vodka anymore, and even I didn’t have trouble with this one. Plus, you get to take home the shot glass!
Then we went to Social Goat for dinner and we were back up bright and early on Sunday morning for the convention.
I started my morning at @Local for Kayla Ewell’s meet and greet and I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is the thing I was most excited for the entire weekend and it was by far my favorite part of the whole event.
Kayla is one of THE most down to earth, kind humans I have ever met. I’ve met her a few times over the years and she is such a ray of sunshine. Every conversation you have with her feels so special and she’s someone that when you speak to her, it feels like she’s truly present and truly appreciative of the time you’ve dedicated to talking with her.
I attended 9 years worth of conventions before Kayla and I were at the same event, and now, I can’t imagine a convention without seeing her. If you haven’t met Kayla yet, DO IT! Vicki may not be your favorite character, but Kayla will become your new favorite cast member!
After the meet and greet, I met up with (my friend) Kayla and she and I grabbed a quick brunch at the Mystic Grill. Their food is always delicious and being able to sit and eat at a bar that looks nearly identical to the one on the show is so!cool!
When we got to the con, Kayla and I got some of THE MOST ICONIC PHOTOS IN THE WORLD.
We got our photo with Kaylee Kaneshiro, Chris Wood, and Jenny Boyd –
and THEN !!!! We got a Prison World photo op with Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, and Chris Wood!!!
Then we got selfies with Sean Farris and Kaylee.
I also got Chord Overstreet’s autograph and I had him sign a hand painted album cover.
Back when it was announced that Chord was coming to the convention, I purchased a photo and autograph with him, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I had no idea what I wanted him to sign.
When I started thinking more about it, I remembered that Chord is featured on the song Do The Damn Thing, one of my all time favorite songs by one of my all time favorite bands, Hot Chelle Rae. So naturally, I thought about getting a copy of the single on vinyl, but because it never came out on vinyl, I felt like I had no other option than PAINT IT.
I bought a 12×12 canvas (the same size as a record), I drew the album cover, and then I got to work on painting it. I am beyond proud of how it came out and I was so excited to get Chord to sign it. Take a look at the final product!
I also painted a picture of him from his Glee days and had him sign it for my friend.
At the end of the day, after breaking down the merch booth, me, Kayla, and our friends grabbed dinner at the Mystic Grill again.
The next morning, we packed our things and headed back to the town square for one last meal – yes, at the Mystic Grill again! – before saying a tear filled goodbye 😦
The best thing about conventions is the life long friends you can make at these events. The worst thing is having to say goodbye. We’ve built such a strong friendship from these events, and while meeting the cast of our favorite shows is incredible, the relationships we’ve built is even better.
If you’ve never been to a convention before, GO! You never know the experiences you’re going to have, the friendships you will build, and the connections you could make. If you have any questions about Covington or about conventions, shoot me a message! 🙂
I’ve gotta be honest, May was a bit of a letdown for me in terms of music. I watched so much tv this month (Young Sheldon, Roswell NM, White Lotus, and Vampire Diaries) that I didn’t really have too much time for music.
The one song I did listen to on repeat was Pour Decisions by Ryan and Rory. This song came out at the end of the month and I couldn’t get enough of it. I’ve been a huge fan of Ryan’s since the early Hot Chelle Rae days and this song is so fun and the perfect single to take into summer. You can listen to it here!
Three other songs I had on repeat this month were U.N.I by Ed Sheeran, All On You by Mitchell Tenpenny (the empowerment I feel when I listen to this song is unmatched), and Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts.
Otherwise, I listened mostly to some of the Made For You Spotify mixes, Sara Bareilles, and a playlist I made awhile ago called Chill (creative name, I know). I also went to Boston Calling the night that Ed Sheeran was headlining, so I listened to a lot of Ed’s music too.
Here’s the playlist I made for the month:
Pour Decisions – Ryan and Rory
All On You – Mitchell Tenpenny
U.N.I. – Ed Sheeran
Summer Breeze – Seals and Crofts
All the Time in the World – Stephen Day
In My Head – Ryland James
Oscar – Stephen Day
Pavement – Landon Conrath
4321 – Stephen Day
You can listen to the full playlist here if you’re interested!
A Twisted Love Story is about Wes and Ivy, a couple who are a clearly bad for each other, but still can’t seem to stay away from each other. When Ivy calls the police about a stalking incident, the detective on the case sets her sights on Wes. As the book progresses and further crimes ensue, the detective keeps Wes in the forefront of her vision, trying to pin everything she can on him. Meanwhile, Wes and Ivy remain entwined, no matter how bad they know they are for each other.
This was not my favorite novel, but I still wanted to write about it because I think Samantha Downing did a great job crafting her characters.
I thought the premise of the novel was fantastic. I was totally reeled in by the conflicts that were driving Wes and Ivy’s story and I desperately wanted to know the ins and outs of Wes and Ivy’s relationship and what had happened in the past to bring them to this place.
The two of them were in a completely toxic relationship and it was evident that Wes and Ivy shouldn’t have been in a relationship at all. And while I thought this could be interesting to read about, their actions angered me and I didn’t have trust in either of them, which I found hard as a reader.
I also was frustrated by the detective’s actions. Karen spent the entire novel under the impression that Wes was the bad guy and was emotionally abusing Ivy and Karen desperately wanted to help Ivy get out of the relationship. I understood why she felt that way – it was clear their relationship was not healthy and we learned Karen had been in an emotionally abusive relationship herself – but I felt like she letting her own experiences cloud her vision. I felt her actions were coming from too personal a place and she was searching for ways to solve to case in order to implicate Wes, rather than looking at the investigation objectively.
I 100% agree that Wes did NOT treat Ivy the way she was supposed to be treated, but the detective was treating Ivy as an innocent victim which she absolutely was not. Neither Wes nor Ivy were perfect by any stretch of the imagination and they both treated each other terribly. Unless there was something I missed, I personally felt that Ivy was more of a problem than Wes was and I was irritated the entire novel by how Karen was allowing her own past to cloud her vision.
With that being said, I think Samantha Downing is a great writer because she was able to create characters that elicited such a strong reaction in me. While I may not have liked the ins and outs of the story or its characters, I can’t deny that Samantha Downing wrote a compelling story and should be recognized for crafting such strong characters.
Little Secrets is a suspenseful thriller about Marin and Derek, parents of a young boy who goes missing. After a year, there has been little progress on the investigation to find their son, but secrets start coming to the surface, including the fact that Derek is having an affair. This snaps Marin into action and makes her realize just how badly she needs to get her life back on track, but as she tries to do so, more secrets come to light, including the biggest twist of all.
Little Secrets is one of the most enticing books I’ve read recently; I started listening to the audiobook late one night with the intention of only listening to the beginning, but I ended up finishing the entire thing before going to bed that night.
The characters in this book were so captivating, each of them with layers of secrets I never saw coming. The way that Hillier chose to divulge information about each of her characters and slowly reveal how each one was connected (or not connected) to each other was absolutely brilliant.
The twists had the end of the novel had my jaw steadily resting on the resting on the floor; I was in such shock over the dynamics between each of the characters and those last twists that sent the plot to its resolution.
If you have the chance, I would definitely recommend reading Little Secrets!
Emily Henry did it again! Funny Story is your classic rom-com, following Daphne and Miles after their significant others leave them… for each other! Daphne, with nowhere to go after her fiancé Peter runs into the arms of his best friend just before their wedding, moves in with Miles. The two are an unlikely pair, but forge an unbreakable bond that blossoms into something special.
Emily Henry is one of those authors that before I even read the summary of the book, it’s already preordered on my To Read list. I’ve loved each of Emily’s books that I’ve read, but I’ve noticed that it usually takes me a little while (maybe 50 or so pages) to really feel like I’m engrossed in the story. But not with Funny Story – I was hooked from the very first page!
Daphne was a funny and relatable narrator and I loved watching how much she grew throughout the book. Daphne started out as a closed off individual who lacked a balance between doing things for herself and becoming a person other people wanted her to be.
It was so special watching her friendship with Miles begin and evolve, and their dialogue and dynamics felt realistic and mature. It can be hard to portray a realistic relationship within the romance genre, but I felt like all of the conflicts Daphne and Miles faced were things that could really happen.
Both characters on their own had very real issues they were working through and I loved seeing how they were able to grow together and as individuals. It felt like a privilege to watch Daphne open herself up to new friendships and acknowledge the issues she’d had with her family growing up and it felt the same when Miles opened up about his past with his family as well.
Funny Story had its cushy, cute moments that we know and love in romance novels, but overall, it wasn’t just a mushy romance and I think that’s exactly what I loved about it.
Not Another Love Song is a spicy love story about Gwen and Xander, two musicians who, from the very beginning, have a hard time fighting the chemistry that is working so hard to sizzle between them.
I’ve never read Julie Soto’s work before and boy did this book impress! I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Not Another Love Song (thank you NetGalley!) and from the moment I opened this book, I could.not.put.it.down. I finished the book in a single sitting and I wish I could go back and read it for the first time all over again.
Gwen’s and Xander’s chemistry was so beautifully written; they both just wanted each other so.bad. and as a reader, it was so fun to see how everything played out. These two were falling for each from the moment the story began and I loved seeing them fall harder and harder until they couldn’t fight the chemistry anymore.
I think the way in which this novel was written was genius and helped up-play their chemistry. The story was told primarily through Gwen’s point of view, but Soto sprinkled in moments of Xander’s perspective and I LOVED the parallels between how both characters were feeling, especially when one didn’t know the other was feeling the same way. They said so many of the same things in their narration and did so many of the same things as they fought the way they were feeling for each other and I think they were just such well written and realistic characters.
With that being said, I think Soto is a phenomenal storyteller. She knew exactly the right moments to divulge pieces of information about the dynamics of Gwen’s and Xander’s relationships and their relationships with the side characters as well. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book to see how all of the pieces were going to come together and once they did, there was a moment of such satisfaction.
Something else I think Soto did extremely well in this book was show how critical Gwen and Xander’s careers were; I don’t think this is something every author can convey on the page. In this novel, Gwen and Xander’s passion for music was at the heart of their every move, even their love and attraction for each other at times.
Music played such a crucial role in the story overall and I love how much music and the characters’ chemistry seemed to go hand in hand. I know I couldn’t actually hear the music as I read, but it felt like the spicy scenes got spicier as the music built up and as their chemistry overall intensified and I think Soto was genius for being able to achieve this.
Can’t wait to grab a physical copy of the book once it’s released in July!
I’ve lived in the South Shore in Massachusetts my entire life, and I’m trying to make an effort to try new places around here. Over the weekend, my friend and I went to High Limb Cider in Plymouth and I can’t recommend it enough!
If you’ve never been, High Limb is located inside Plymouth GPub. When you walk into GPub, there’s a taproom located in the back right corner and that’s where High Limb is.
I’m not well versed when it comes to ciders, but I loved everything I tried while I was there. My friend and I split a flight and the two ciders that I got were the Pineapple Upside Down Cake and the Chocolate Dipped Strawberry.
Of the two, the pineapple was my favorite, but when I say that they got the chocolate dipped strawberry taste completely spot on, they got it completely. spot. on. You know how when you walk into a chocolate or a candy shop, the chocolate has a very distinct, delicious smell? That’s EXACTLY what the cider tasted like. I took my first sip and I was in complete shock at how closely they matched the tastes.
We also tried small samples of some of their other ciders like Peach Rings, Peach Raspberry, Cape Daze and they were all so good I almost wished I’d gotten my own flight so I could’ve gotten more of a taste than just the sample. Something else we tried was a Peach Raspberry Lime seltzer which I absolutely LOVED.
I was stunned (and highly impressed) at how many different types of ciders High Limb had and how good each of them were. The flavors were so unique and there are so many that I still want to try like the Blueberry and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.
Beyond the ciders though, I think what stood out to me most was how kind everyone was. I had some questions when I got there and the woman I was talking to was so helpful and generous. I wish I could remember her name because she was kind enough to let me try some of the ciders before I decided what I actually wanted, she asked me if I wanted to taste some drinks she was working on, and she was great at checking in to make sure everything was as we wanted and seeing if there were any other samples we wanted.
With grad season coming up, my friend also wanted to buy a couple bottles before we left and she was so helpful in assisting him on what he should buy. And if I’m not mistaken, the owner came out to help us as well and gave us some of the company’s backstory and also helped in recommending what we should buy and gave us some samples to try at home.
I was astounded by their kindness and generosity, and even though I hadn’t heard of the company before Saturday, I’ve been telling friends about it left and right and already have plans to go back.
It’s also nice because it’s attached to GPub, so you can order food from GPub while you’re at High Limb, and GPub also has an arcade if you want to stay awhile. I didn’t spend too much time in GPub, but looking at their website now, I see they also have tons of events and live music throughout the week as well, so definitely check it out!
