I’ve been thinking about writing this post since October 2016. Rebekah Weatherspoon sent me an ARC of So For Real on October 16, 2016. I read it shortly thereafter. I’d think everyone in the US remembers we were gearing up for a major election … and … welp. So there was a lot going on, and I remember reading So For Real – I had loved So Sweet. I believe I wrote a “First Look” (a review) of that book and for So Right at Heroes & Heartbreakers. (Remember that site?) I’m even blurbed in So Right because I loved it so much! But I remember reading So For Real and – it’s definitely real. Kayla Bradbury née Davis goes through a lot. From what I recall, she’s struggling with newly married life, with friends, with her new business, with life. I meant to review it, but was putting it off because I wanted to love it more than I did … and I just so strongly associate it with the election cycle. I haven’t gone back to re-read it for that very reason. (Unfortunately low key the whole series…) I’m definitely a “mood reader,” which is also why I comfort re-read recent favorites, and sometimes avoid “old favorites” because I’m scared they won’t stand the test of time. Or my bad mood.

I have a highly developed sense of guilt. Not only do I feel bad for not reviewing So For Real (and others) since 2016 … I still feel guilty for agreeing to review a book in like 2005 or 2006 and not getting around to it. (I think I started reviewing books online in ~02-03?) There was a lot of school … and life kicking my ass. Not just the election but a massive cycle of doctors (when I talk about “surgeon #12” sometimes it’s because I literally had to consult with more than 12 orthopedic surgeons across the country. I’m up to at least 14 now…) Then there were the major surgeries… I was thinking the other day that I was pretty much drugged and out of it for a good chunk of the dumpster administration. (Silver linings?) Anesthesia brain is very real too. Unfortunately, that’s also just part of it. Let’s not get into the rest though. Continue reading →