What do you think?
Rate this book
Books, Blogs, & Reality
Life can suck…
When reality becomes overwhelming, seeking comfort in fictional fantasies keeps hope alive. And while this escape may be a little delusional, it’s also therapeutic.
Sharing secrets is daunting, but virtual friends don’t often judge and they are always ready to share a glass of wine…or three…while typing out life’s latest endeavors.
Brooke believes obstacles only add to romance, not detract. Rachael longs for a more intense relationship, or so she thinks. Lizzie misses the excitement in her life, but sometimes new situations find you when you’re not even looking. And Jess believes a tiger can change his stripes. It can’t.
Bound by a shared passion for blogging about happily ever afters, these four young women use keyboard therapy to work through their expectations, anxieties, and inadequacies, all with the hopes of achieving the perfection found in romance novels.
Completely blinded by what they think life should be, they navigate their unique paths in search of what they envision is right. But when reality taunts them with persistent curve balls, will they be strong enough to choose wisely? Or will their happy endings escape them?
When reality becomes overwhelming, seeking comfort in fictional fantasies keeps hope alive. And while this escape may be a little delusional, it’s also therapeutic.
Sharing secrets is daunting, but virtual friends don’t often judge and they are always ready to share a glass of wine…or three…while typing out life’s latest endeavors.
Brooke believes obstacles only add to romance, not detract. Rachael longs for a more intense relationship, or so she thinks. Lizzie misses the excitement in her life, but sometimes new situations find you when you’re not even looking. And Jess believes a tiger can change his stripes. It can’t.
Bound by a shared passion for blogging about happily ever afters, these four young women use keyboard therapy to work through their expectations, anxieties, and inadequacies, all with the hopes of achieving the perfection found in romance novels.
Completely blinded by what they think life should be, they navigate their unique paths in search of what they envision is right. But when reality taunts them with persistent curve balls, will they be strong enough to choose wisely? Or will their happy endings escape them?
202 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
51 people are currently reading
1192 people want to read
About the author
Ryan Ringbloom
20 books400 followersHi, I’m Ryan Ringbloom, a Jersey girl who doesn’t write Alphas. I couldn’t if I tried. Social Media stresses me the frick out, yet I can’t seem to walk away from it. I love to binge watch TV. I think cats are awesome. I’m obsessed with coffee and Fireball. But never together. I am counting down the days until self-driving cars are the norm. And if there is ever a zombie apocalypse, I won’t even try to run. I will let the first one I see eat my brain and get it over with.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
August 22, 2019
I am on a big mission to clean my Netgalley shelf by the end of the year, and rise my ratio to at least 95%.
Therefore, I read all the books I was putting on a side for the time “when I’ll feel like reading them” (I realized it was rude of me to have some titles on my tbr for 2+ years and it was about time to read them).
Books, Blogs, & Reality is one of those books that were my victims, and although there are no good excuses why I procrastinated reading it for so long, I am happy I finally got around to it, because I enjoyed it so much!
The story follows four women who share their love for books and talk to each other every day in their chat group.
I have a feeling this book was written with so much love for book bloggers, and I am sure book bloggers will relate with it on many levels: from sharing love for books and the need to talk about them with other fellow readers, to having blogger friends you talk with on regular basis, not just about books, but also about personal life as well (Hello Amanda!), and also, having blog schedule and writing book reviews on time, participating in blog tours…
The books is pretty short and it is easy to read, so it can easily be read in one sitting.
It is written in third person following all four main characters: Lizzie, Rachael, Brooke and Jess. Each one of them had an interesting story that had good lesson.
There are also chat inserts through the book.
I liked all of the stories, but I was the most interested in Jess‘.
Even though I expected it to end differently, I really liked how it finished.
I also really enjoyed Lizzie’s tale, even though I found it to be predictable, and I only wish Brooke’s story got at least one more chapter, because it felt rushed.
Overall, I am so glad I finally read Books, Blogs, and Reality because I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it to book bloggers and those who’d like to read what it’s like to be one.
Read this and more reviews on my blog https://bookdustmagic.com
Therefore, I read all the books I was putting on a side for the time “when I’ll feel like reading them” (I realized it was rude of me to have some titles on my tbr for 2+ years and it was about time to read them).
Books, Blogs, & Reality is one of those books that were my victims, and although there are no good excuses why I procrastinated reading it for so long, I am happy I finally got around to it, because I enjoyed it so much!
The story follows four women who share their love for books and talk to each other every day in their chat group.
I have a feeling this book was written with so much love for book bloggers, and I am sure book bloggers will relate with it on many levels: from sharing love for books and the need to talk about them with other fellow readers, to having blogger friends you talk with on regular basis, not just about books, but also about personal life as well (Hello Amanda!), and also, having blog schedule and writing book reviews on time, participating in blog tours…
The books is pretty short and it is easy to read, so it can easily be read in one sitting.
It is written in third person following all four main characters: Lizzie, Rachael, Brooke and Jess. Each one of them had an interesting story that had good lesson.
There are also chat inserts through the book.
I liked all of the stories, but I was the most interested in Jess‘.
Even though I expected it to end differently, I really liked how it finished.
I also really enjoyed Lizzie’s tale, even though I found it to be predictable, and I only wish Brooke’s story got at least one more chapter, because it felt rushed.
Overall, I am so glad I finally read Books, Blogs, and Reality because I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it to book bloggers and those who’d like to read what it’s like to be one.
Read this and more reviews on my blog https://bookdustmagic.com
July 30, 2015
5 Words: Books, romance, new adult, blogging.
I think I set my own expectations too high for this one, I expected much more. Shame.
Mention a book about book bloggers to a book blogger and it's likely they'll just about rip your arm off to get it. Because secretly everyone loves reading about themselves. And I've read some pretty good books about book bloggers in the past. It's just a shame this wasn't one of them.
I think with this book it was mostly down to the writing style. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I couldn't really tell the characters apart and because of this I was getting a little confused. Was I reading about the one who wanted to kink it up in the bedroom or the one who was having trouble with their marriage? The one who fell for the dickhead or the one who was a bartender? Or hang on, is it all the same person? Heeeellllllp.
I did like the parts where the four main characters were chatting away online. Hello, book talk! But at the same time I'm disappointed that this is what I liked best, because it was practically reading a script. I wanted more depth, more characterisation, more story.
Although I liked that the characters discovered a little about themselves by the end, I wish I'd actually cared enough for it to matter. But with four characters that I could barely tell apart, it was difficult to get involved enough.
I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.
I think I set my own expectations too high for this one, I expected much more. Shame.
Mention a book about book bloggers to a book blogger and it's likely they'll just about rip your arm off to get it. Because secretly everyone loves reading about themselves. And I've read some pretty good books about book bloggers in the past. It's just a shame this wasn't one of them.
I think with this book it was mostly down to the writing style. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I couldn't really tell the characters apart and because of this I was getting a little confused. Was I reading about the one who wanted to kink it up in the bedroom or the one who was having trouble with their marriage? The one who fell for the dickhead or the one who was a bartender? Or hang on, is it all the same person? Heeeellllllp.
I did like the parts where the four main characters were chatting away online. Hello, book talk! But at the same time I'm disappointed that this is what I liked best, because it was practically reading a script. I wanted more depth, more characterisation, more story.
Although I liked that the characters discovered a little about themselves by the end, I wish I'd actually cared enough for it to matter. But with four characters that I could barely tell apart, it was difficult to get involved enough.
I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.
August 16, 2015
Short and sweet, this story truly made me smile. I do wish it had been longer, especially since it's about more than one life, but I think it ended nicely.
I really liked the girls' friendship and how they tell each other everything. I completely understand how easy it can be to confide to someone when you're typing, instead of when you're face to face. Their love for romance made me smile, especially when they get into explicit conversations about fictional characters (and sometime not so fictional). I liked how different they are, because they live for away from each other and they live completely different lives.
Lizzie's story is the one that made me want to finish the book as soon as possible, because her life is more serious than the others' and her story is more complicated, too. I liked what she got out of everything, just like the other girls did, because they're still young and they have a lot to learn, even though it was hard to believe it with Lizzie, who has experienced much more things.
I liked this story and I think people who love making friends on the internet and romance novels would enjoy reading this book.
(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
(You can find this review on my review blog: http://lauromantique.blogspot.ca/2015... )
I really liked the girls' friendship and how they tell each other everything. I completely understand how easy it can be to confide to someone when you're typing, instead of when you're face to face. Their love for romance made me smile, especially when they get into explicit conversations about fictional characters (and sometime not so fictional). I liked how different they are, because they live for away from each other and they live completely different lives.
Lizzie's story is the one that made me want to finish the book as soon as possible, because her life is more serious than the others' and her story is more complicated, too. I liked what she got out of everything, just like the other girls did, because they're still young and they have a lot to learn, even though it was hard to believe it with Lizzie, who has experienced much more things.
I liked this story and I think people who love making friends on the internet and romance novels would enjoy reading this book.
(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
(You can find this review on my review blog: http://lauromantique.blogspot.ca/2015... )
October 24, 2014
Where do I even begin !!! I can't even formulate words to describe this book. The author was able to grasp me from the first page until the very last, leaving me shook up and wanting more. Much much more !!!!!
In her story, Ryan Ringbloom has created 4 very different characters who, through the love of books and blogging, have formed a stronger bond than the friendships in their real lives. She has done a fantastic job in letting the world get a glimpse into the reality of bloggers and book lovers alike, which leaves you with more appreciation for them than before. Her amazing writing and descriptions of Rachael, Jess, Lizzie and Brooke makes it so easy to connect to each and every one of them as they take you on an emotional roller coaster of highs and lows. I'm positive, NO...MORE than positive, that everyone will be able to relate to at least one or two of the wonderful characters mentioned.
Providing just the right dose of quirky, sexy, romantic and emotional, this book is a PERFECT read for anyone in just about any mood. I HIGHLY recommend this to everyone, as I am sure that it will be one of those stories that sinks so deep into your heart that it leaves a scar FOREVER !!
Someone please tell me there is a sequel to this and if not, at least a short story giving us a peak into their future. I NEED IT !!
In her story, Ryan Ringbloom has created 4 very different characters who, through the love of books and blogging, have formed a stronger bond than the friendships in their real lives. She has done a fantastic job in letting the world get a glimpse into the reality of bloggers and book lovers alike, which leaves you with more appreciation for them than before. Her amazing writing and descriptions of Rachael, Jess, Lizzie and Brooke makes it so easy to connect to each and every one of them as they take you on an emotional roller coaster of highs and lows. I'm positive, NO...MORE than positive, that everyone will be able to relate to at least one or two of the wonderful characters mentioned.
Providing just the right dose of quirky, sexy, romantic and emotional, this book is a PERFECT read for anyone in just about any mood. I HIGHLY recommend this to everyone, as I am sure that it will be one of those stories that sinks so deep into your heart that it leaves a scar FOREVER !!
Someone please tell me there is a sequel to this and if not, at least a short story giving us a peak into their future. I NEED IT !!
October 27, 2014
If you’ve read any books previously by Ryan Ringbloom, you’re aware of her talent for writing well written romance stories in both of the young adult realm as well ones that borderline into the new adult category. What you don’t realize is that she’s one of those authors that doesn’t quite stay in one specific place with her writing, which had me eagerly anticipating this book because it was a step away from her previous four books in terms of content, but with the writing style I’m come to love and respect.
This book while different, did not disappoint. In fact I would have to go out on a limb here and say that up until this point, this is my favorite book by her and now that I’ve said that I’ll explain why.
Fictional writing is supposed to be an escape from the realities of life, but with the way I read (and I suppose the way I write as well lol), I tend to need something to grasp onto in terms of realism in a story in order to keep me planted. Ryan delivered that here, four times, even though one of those times, I wanted to take my boot off and smack the girl with it (sorry Ryan hahaha)
There are four women here and taking their blog reading and writing (and their very unique and real friendship) out of it, their lives hooked me. The issues Rachael, Lizzie, Jess and Brooke faced when they stepped away from their computers were very REAL and very well written. I empathized and sympathized with all of them (minus Jess) even though I “understood” her too. These real life issues, with relationships and just life in general all came together to create one hell of a book.
I’m also going to go out on a limb and say that it all came together to create a book I have yet to read in my reading travels. So to Ryan Ringbloom, thank you for creating something that strays from the same old same old and also for all the laughs because this book was chalked full of them.
If you’re looking for a book that doesn’t follow a “romance” norm, and that will keep you in stitches for a good part of it, while at the same time making you feel like one of the “girls”, then this is the book for you. It was worth every second I spent with it, sometimes even killing time when I should have been asleep because I couldn’t stop laughing long enough to put it down.
Definite 5* read and a must read by all.
This book while different, did not disappoint. In fact I would have to go out on a limb here and say that up until this point, this is my favorite book by her and now that I’ve said that I’ll explain why.
Fictional writing is supposed to be an escape from the realities of life, but with the way I read (and I suppose the way I write as well lol), I tend to need something to grasp onto in terms of realism in a story in order to keep me planted. Ryan delivered that here, four times, even though one of those times, I wanted to take my boot off and smack the girl with it (sorry Ryan hahaha)
There are four women here and taking their blog reading and writing (and their very unique and real friendship) out of it, their lives hooked me. The issues Rachael, Lizzie, Jess and Brooke faced when they stepped away from their computers were very REAL and very well written. I empathized and sympathized with all of them (minus Jess) even though I “understood” her too. These real life issues, with relationships and just life in general all came together to create one hell of a book.
I’m also going to go out on a limb and say that it all came together to create a book I have yet to read in my reading travels. So to Ryan Ringbloom, thank you for creating something that strays from the same old same old and also for all the laughs because this book was chalked full of them.
If you’re looking for a book that doesn’t follow a “romance” norm, and that will keep you in stitches for a good part of it, while at the same time making you feel like one of the “girls”, then this is the book for you. It was worth every second I spent with it, sometimes even killing time when I should have been asleep because I couldn’t stop laughing long enough to put it down.
Definite 5* read and a must read by all.
May 10, 2015
When I stumbled across this book on Goodreads I was absolutely ecstatic. You may be asking why? What about this book is so exciting? Well for starters, it’s about loving books and blogging about them. Two things I definitely love to do. What really drove me to buy this book right away was that it was also about 4 friends who had met online through their book blogs and became extremely close. These four girls tell each other everything, the good, the bad, the ugly and of course the smutty. They had forged a friendship that paled in comparison to their “real life” friendships. It reminded me SO much of my friendship with buttermybooks, bookphile, and iprefertoread. THESE CHARACTERS WERE SO US! I had to get it!
Within the first page I was smiling and sending screen caps to the girls because the chat messages I was reading sounded just like the conversations that we have all the time. Books, boys, and blogs. This book was like reading the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” but instead of sharing pants, they shared books. As the story progressed it came less about our own friendship and more about the character’s relationships. Each of these four girls had some sort of romantic struggle in their life. Jess wanted to change the bad boy on campus. Brooke had a forbidden romance with her boss. At only 24 years old Lizzie and her husband were on the brink of divorce. Lastly there was Rachel who thought the passionate BDSM lifestyle she read in books is what she wanted in real life. As I continued reading I could see less of myself and my friends in these characters but the message of the novel rang loud and clear. It’s nice to read about these earth shaking romances but the reality is that they just aren’t realistic. This book is about those inbetween moments, it’s about real life, those moments that you don’t read about in books. I really enjoyed this book because it was so different. Books, Blogs & Reality was about how books not only create friendships but how they can change your expectations of reality. It is worth the read!
Within the first page I was smiling and sending screen caps to the girls because the chat messages I was reading sounded just like the conversations that we have all the time. Books, boys, and blogs. This book was like reading the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” but instead of sharing pants, they shared books. As the story progressed it came less about our own friendship and more about the character’s relationships. Each of these four girls had some sort of romantic struggle in their life. Jess wanted to change the bad boy on campus. Brooke had a forbidden romance with her boss. At only 24 years old Lizzie and her husband were on the brink of divorce. Lastly there was Rachel who thought the passionate BDSM lifestyle she read in books is what she wanted in real life. As I continued reading I could see less of myself and my friends in these characters but the message of the novel rang loud and clear. It’s nice to read about these earth shaking romances but the reality is that they just aren’t realistic. This book is about those inbetween moments, it’s about real life, those moments that you don’t read about in books. I really enjoyed this book because it was so different. Books, Blogs & Reality was about how books not only create friendships but how they can change your expectations of reality. It is worth the read!
September 13, 2016
5 Books, Blogs, & Reality Stars
I loved it! What a different take on a romance book. Have no words. I need to wrap my mind around this for a second.
Ok here goes…..This book is unlike anything I have read yet I couldn’t put it down. I think because I can relate so well to a lot of it.
No I don’t have a blog but I do review books. I have a few friends we chit chat about books and our day to day life and yes sometimes the books I read can get jumbled up in to whatever day life is really like. It was so neat to read about a romance book that really was more reality. Does that make any sense?? Haha
You have 4 friends from all walks of life. Jess collage girl, Rachael bartender, Lizzie stay at home momma, and Brooke new to a working job. All have bloggers and all chat together about their lives and the books they read.
I think what I genuinely liked was it wasn’t just about one of them each had a story and each had to work through life but with the help of their girls and books.
I was rooting for Lizzie and her hubby the hardest, marriage isn’t easy and sometimes the fantasy of that can be the hardest to understand.
But it was oddly enough Jess is who I wanted to get the guy. I hope she gets the one she needs and will treat her like she deserves to be treated.
Rachael I think had the most growth in this story, she thought the BDSM lifestyle was for her and she has an amazing boyfriend who was willing to try it out with her.
Brooke starts to fall for her boss, I think he was falling for her too but he was the one that needed to see what was right in front of him.
But things are not the same as they are in books and each woman has to come to terms with that.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion and I am allowed to have it.*
I loved it! What a different take on a romance book. Have no words. I need to wrap my mind around this for a second.
Ok here goes…..This book is unlike anything I have read yet I couldn’t put it down. I think because I can relate so well to a lot of it.
No I don’t have a blog but I do review books. I have a few friends we chit chat about books and our day to day life and yes sometimes the books I read can get jumbled up in to whatever day life is really like. It was so neat to read about a romance book that really was more reality. Does that make any sense?? Haha
You have 4 friends from all walks of life. Jess collage girl, Rachael bartender, Lizzie stay at home momma, and Brooke new to a working job. All have bloggers and all chat together about their lives and the books they read.
I think what I genuinely liked was it wasn’t just about one of them each had a story and each had to work through life but with the help of their girls and books.
I was rooting for Lizzie and her hubby the hardest, marriage isn’t easy and sometimes the fantasy of that can be the hardest to understand.
But it was oddly enough Jess is who I wanted to get the guy. I hope she gets the one she needs and will treat her like she deserves to be treated.
Rachael I think had the most growth in this story, she thought the BDSM lifestyle was for her and she has an amazing boyfriend who was willing to try it out with her.
Brooke starts to fall for her boss, I think he was falling for her too but he was the one that needed to see what was right in front of him.
But things are not the same as they are in books and each woman has to come to terms with that.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion and I am allowed to have it.*
October 22, 2014
Reality never quite measures up to our favorite romance novels, does it?
Books, Blogs & Reality is a fun and clever set of tales told from the perspectives of four friends - romance bloggers who have never met in person but still developed close ties through their pursuit of happily ever afters.
They all think they know what they want out of life, but when faced with their own personal circumstances, they have to make the difficult choices and deal with consequences of their actions when they realize the grass is always greener on the other side.
Brooke, Jess, Rachel and Lizzie are so relatable and fun! I wanted them to find their way, to be happy and fulfilled and to realize that perfection is what you make it. Cute and unexpected twists kept me guessing and I absolutely loved the very end!
Books, Blogs & Reality is a fun and clever set of tales told from the perspectives of four friends - romance bloggers who have never met in person but still developed close ties through their pursuit of happily ever afters.
They all think they know what they want out of life, but when faced with their own personal circumstances, they have to make the difficult choices and deal with consequences of their actions when they realize the grass is always greener on the other side.
Brooke, Jess, Rachel and Lizzie are so relatable and fun! I wanted them to find their way, to be happy and fulfilled and to realize that perfection is what you make it. Cute and unexpected twists kept me guessing and I absolutely loved the very end!
October 27, 2014
Author Ryan Ringbloom has done it again! Another fabulous read! From the very start of the book, she held my grasp until the very last page. Taking a look inside the lives of four friends--Jess, Rachel, Brook and Lizzie--who connect over their love of books and blogging--finding in each other a friend that despite their lives outside of passionate book blogging--totally relate to each other unlike any other. Throughout their friendships, they discover just who they truly are, overcoming struggles of personal convictions and desires, realizing that fiction is one place they can get lost in, reality is...not.
I loved this book beyond any others that Ryan has written. I connected with it on a different level--as a book blogger and a fan of fiction, I found myself laughing alongside them and understanding their struggles as they realized just how important these friendships they bonded together really were in their daily lives outside of their e-readers and blogging sites. Often times, it's the friendships that we overlook when life gets messy, but no matter what--their friendship pulled them through even the roughest of times.
It's a fresh and amazing read that will have you adoring it's every twist and turn! Anyone who is a lover of fiction, romance, and quirky characters, will adore this book! A must read!
I loved this book beyond any others that Ryan has written. I connected with it on a different level--as a book blogger and a fan of fiction, I found myself laughing alongside them and understanding their struggles as they realized just how important these friendships they bonded together really were in their daily lives outside of their e-readers and blogging sites. Often times, it's the friendships that we overlook when life gets messy, but no matter what--their friendship pulled them through even the roughest of times.
It's a fresh and amazing read that will have you adoring it's every twist and turn! Anyone who is a lover of fiction, romance, and quirky characters, will adore this book! A must read!
November 7, 2014
A short review:
5 stars! Every romance reader and blogger should read this book. I know for a fact many females get into this tunnel vision of what the perfect man should be and a lot of that has to do with...lets face it our love for romance. This book was awesome so funny and real.
It is about four bloggers that all have formed a close “virtual” friendship, they chat almost daily and talk about the books they are reading as well as there personal lives. All four bloggers have it in their head that they want the perfect H from the books they’ve read.
The bad boy/man whore turned good for his love.
The perfect HEA with marriage and children.
The hot broody boss that can’t deny his love for his employee.
The BDSM relationship that brings a much deeper love and need for the other person.
This was a clever way to write a romance. I loved it.
Will these four woman get their HEA?
I highly recommend.
http://triciaciak.blogspot.com/
5 stars! Every romance reader and blogger should read this book. I know for a fact many females get into this tunnel vision of what the perfect man should be and a lot of that has to do with...lets face it our love for romance. This book was awesome so funny and real.
It is about four bloggers that all have formed a close “virtual” friendship, they chat almost daily and talk about the books they are reading as well as there personal lives. All four bloggers have it in their head that they want the perfect H from the books they’ve read.
The bad boy/man whore turned good for his love.
The perfect HEA with marriage and children.
The hot broody boss that can’t deny his love for his employee.
The BDSM relationship that brings a much deeper love and need for the other person.
This was a clever way to write a romance. I loved it.
Will these four woman get their HEA?
I highly recommend.
http://triciaciak.blogspot.com/
April 2, 2015
This review can originally be found at Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
This was definitely my guilty pleasure book. I don’t usually read books that are too explicit, or simply romance, or have hints of BDSM in it. And um, this book had them all! But Tika @ Fangirl Confessions suggested it to me, and when I saw the opportunity to review it, I decided to give it a shot in the dark.
And I loved it!
At first, the beginning was a bit rocky for me. I found it annoying that I was reading some actual book reviews in the book and the characters weren’t gripping me. But it was okay because soon those reviews disappear as we dig into the story and things start to improve. We have four different girls with different issues and each going through something different. One girl is determined to try out the BDSM she reads in books, one is married and not loving the married life, another is a teen determined to be the girl who changes the bad boy like in the books, and the last is falling for her work boss.
I am not going to tell you the solutions to these problems, but what I loved most about the solutions were that they were not the typical ones. They were quietly different, and that was refreshing. As well as that, not everything gets 100% better by the end of the book. It isn’t the ideal perfect ending, but one that will content the reader, and makes this a lot less predictable.
I liked how much we could relate to this in a way. As readers, it had the strong idea of actually acting out in reality what we read, and how the words can affect us. I liked that theme throughout the book, and I know readers will too. As bloggers though, it was also easy to relate to, even if I am not a romance blogger like they all were!
I did like the online conversations the girls all shared. I know this was a romance book, but I would like once if the conversation wasn’t about boys, or indirectly have something to do something with boys. Sometimes I just wanted a bit more.
And of course, there were some explicit scenes, as mentioned in the synopsis. So be mindful of that!
This was surprisingly good read, and definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. I recommend it to romance readers, and also those who like the theme of friendship and like a bit more uniqueness to their romance.
This was definitely my guilty pleasure book. I don’t usually read books that are too explicit, or simply romance, or have hints of BDSM in it. And um, this book had them all! But Tika @ Fangirl Confessions suggested it to me, and when I saw the opportunity to review it, I decided to give it a shot in the dark.
And I loved it!
At first, the beginning was a bit rocky for me. I found it annoying that I was reading some actual book reviews in the book and the characters weren’t gripping me. But it was okay because soon those reviews disappear as we dig into the story and things start to improve. We have four different girls with different issues and each going through something different. One girl is determined to try out the BDSM she reads in books, one is married and not loving the married life, another is a teen determined to be the girl who changes the bad boy like in the books, and the last is falling for her work boss.
I am not going to tell you the solutions to these problems, but what I loved most about the solutions were that they were not the typical ones. They were quietly different, and that was refreshing. As well as that, not everything gets 100% better by the end of the book. It isn’t the ideal perfect ending, but one that will content the reader, and makes this a lot less predictable.
I liked how much we could relate to this in a way. As readers, it had the strong idea of actually acting out in reality what we read, and how the words can affect us. I liked that theme throughout the book, and I know readers will too. As bloggers though, it was also easy to relate to, even if I am not a romance blogger like they all were!
I did like the online conversations the girls all shared. I know this was a romance book, but I would like once if the conversation wasn’t about boys, or indirectly have something to do something with boys. Sometimes I just wanted a bit more.
And of course, there were some explicit scenes, as mentioned in the synopsis. So be mindful of that!
This was surprisingly good read, and definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. I recommend it to romance readers, and also those who like the theme of friendship and like a bit more uniqueness to their romance.
October 29, 2014
For all you Ryan Ringbloom fans and those who have yet to discover her excellence this book is a definite must read. I had the pleasure of beta reading this novel and I loved it so much that the minute it was released I had to one click and dive back in for a second helping.
I loved this story and I found my self relating to all of these women in different ways. There will always be one that I thought was my favourite and I'm sure everyone will have their own favourite for different reasons. This story made me laugh out loud ( Fernando) get mad as hell and even shed a tear.
Its very now and very real to Morden day women who find friends in their love of reading. Its these women who you share your deepest darkest desires with in the knowledge that you might never meet but you will always be there for one another. This is a truly fantastic read and I would highly recommended it to anyone who is looking for a good story to get lost in.
I loved this story and I found my self relating to all of these women in different ways. There will always be one that I thought was my favourite and I'm sure everyone will have their own favourite for different reasons. This story made me laugh out loud ( Fernando) get mad as hell and even shed a tear.
Its very now and very real to Morden day women who find friends in their love of reading. Its these women who you share your deepest darkest desires with in the knowledge that you might never meet but you will always be there for one another. This is a truly fantastic read and I would highly recommended it to anyone who is looking for a good story to get lost in.
December 5, 2015
5 'Real Life' Stars
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Books, Blogs & Reality
Series: Stand-alone
Author: Ryan Ringbloom
Release Date: October 24th 2014
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Cliffhanger: No
Writing Style: Third Person, Multiple POV
HEA:
MY REVIEW
This is a story about 4 young women who met on internet because of their same interest –books and blogging. They’re all book bloggers. Although they live in different places and never really meet in person, their friendship is really strong. But they also have their own problems in real life, and this book is telling you about their stories.
Brooke, Rachael, Lizzie, and Jess, they are all bookworms. They love to read romance books. And they all have fantasies about the happily ever after in those books and wish that it will happen in reality too.
Brooke – who fell for her broody boss
Rachael – who always adores kinky sex
Lizzie – who struggles with her marriage with her high school sweet heart
Jess – who thinks she can change a bad boy
They always think that all those clichés in romance books they read will happen in their real life too. Until a big problem hit them and they have to face it…
Do their fantasies really happen in reality?
I’m sure if you’re a bookworm you really familiar with their situation: reading romance books, writing reviews, blogging, discussing about the books with fellow bookworms. Because that’s all what we do, right?
Honestly I always have fantasies about all romance books I read and always hoping they will happen in real life too. I think we all do. LOL
But in the end we have to face the reality that is not all rainbows and butterflies like what we read in the books.
To be honest, in the first half of the book, all the main characters were really pissed me off!
They were so stupid and naïve because they kept fantasizing about the romance books they read and didn’t want to see the real problem in reality. And when I thought the story was going to be worse, it just turned out to be something really, really good!!
I really love how strong the friendship the girls built although it was just through computer screen. They support each other and always there for each other although they never meet in person before
I have the same experience too. Sometimes online friends are indeed more ‘friendly’ and really care about you than people you’ve known for your entire life in person.
I don’t usually like third person POV books. And honestly, although I love multiple POV, I still prefer it written in first person, not third person. But this book was really easy to get into
I didn’t find too many dramas in this book too. It’s a light, entertaining and pretty quick read for me. I really recommend it to everyone who loves romance books as much as I do
And I love how so true this book is. Now I won’t see romance books the same way again. LOL
And I love how the author resolved the problems in the end. This book really teaches us how to divide our fantasies and reality. Because after all, reality is totally different with romance books
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Books, Blogs & Reality
Series: Stand-alone
Author: Ryan Ringbloom
Release Date: October 24th 2014
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Cliffhanger: No
Writing Style: Third Person, Multiple POV
HEA:
MY REVIEW
This is a story about 4 young women who met on internet because of their same interest –books and blogging. They’re all book bloggers. Although they live in different places and never really meet in person, their friendship is really strong. But they also have their own problems in real life, and this book is telling you about their stories.
Brooke, Rachael, Lizzie, and Jess, they are all bookworms. They love to read romance books. And they all have fantasies about the happily ever after in those books and wish that it will happen in reality too.
Brooke – who fell for her broody boss
Rachael – who always adores kinky sex
Lizzie – who struggles with her marriage with her high school sweet heart
Jess – who thinks she can change a bad boy
They always think that all those clichés in romance books they read will happen in their real life too. Until a big problem hit them and they have to face it…
Do their fantasies really happen in reality?
I’m sure if you’re a bookworm you really familiar with their situation: reading romance books, writing reviews, blogging, discussing about the books with fellow bookworms. Because that’s all what we do, right?
Honestly I always have fantasies about all romance books I read and always hoping they will happen in real life too. I think we all do. LOL
But in the end we have to face the reality that is not all rainbows and butterflies like what we read in the books.
To be honest, in the first half of the book, all the main characters were really pissed me off!
They were so stupid and naïve because they kept fantasizing about the romance books they read and didn’t want to see the real problem in reality. And when I thought the story was going to be worse, it just turned out to be something really, really good!!
I really love how strong the friendship the girls built although it was just through computer screen. They support each other and always there for each other although they never meet in person before
I have the same experience too. Sometimes online friends are indeed more ‘friendly’ and really care about you than people you’ve known for your entire life in person.
I don’t usually like third person POV books. And honestly, although I love multiple POV, I still prefer it written in first person, not third person. But this book was really easy to get into
I didn’t find too many dramas in this book too. It’s a light, entertaining and pretty quick read for me. I really recommend it to everyone who loves romance books as much as I do
And I love how so true this book is. Now I won’t see romance books the same way again. LOL
And I love how the author resolved the problems in the end. This book really teaches us how to divide our fantasies and reality. Because after all, reality is totally different with romance books
“I can’t live my life like a romance novel.”
December 17, 2014
Full Review www.onceuponabookblog.com/blog/2014/1... <3
Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/onceuponabookblog <3
This story is everything I love in a good romance/chick-lit read. When I sit down to read this type of genre I need to not want to put it down, and this book absolutely had me enthralled from the start. In fact, I started and finished it in just one sitting!
In this story we follow 4 women, all book junkies & bloggers and all part of a tight online friendship foursome. I love how the author captured the intricacies of online relationships. How we can spill some of our most intimate and mundane thoughts and life events to these people we have never met, yet still feel a connection with.
The book was very cleverly broken down so we get a good sense of each woman’s character. They all are clearly very different… different lives & different personalities. The back and forth between the four of them in cyberspace was SO entertaining. It had me giggling a lot of the time! I really enjoyed how their online catch-up were interspaced between what was really going on in each of their lives, things aren’t always so rosy in the real world that’s for sure!
There was a lesson to be learnt for each of the ladies in this book. While sometimes I found myself (good-naturedly) eye-rolling them, I quickly realized I had a soft spot for each one of them as I watched them navigate their romantic issues and dish out advice to each other. I could never pick a favourite, and that for me really proves the amazing job that this author has done in MAKING me love all of her characters. Not an easy feat at all!
This book has everything you need for an entertaining read. I love that I read a book that has variety, that had me laughing pretty much the whole way and that managed to wrap up the storylines so I felt content, something that is definitely not always a sure thing. It was a nice quick read and definitely one of the better books of this genre that I’ve read this year. Definitely a highly recommend for a weekend where you want to sip a hot chocolate and play voyeur…
ARC received in return for an honest review
Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/onceuponabookblog <3
This story is everything I love in a good romance/chick-lit read. When I sit down to read this type of genre I need to not want to put it down, and this book absolutely had me enthralled from the start. In fact, I started and finished it in just one sitting!
In this story we follow 4 women, all book junkies & bloggers and all part of a tight online friendship foursome. I love how the author captured the intricacies of online relationships. How we can spill some of our most intimate and mundane thoughts and life events to these people we have never met, yet still feel a connection with.
The book was very cleverly broken down so we get a good sense of each woman’s character. They all are clearly very different… different lives & different personalities. The back and forth between the four of them in cyberspace was SO entertaining. It had me giggling a lot of the time! I really enjoyed how their online catch-up were interspaced between what was really going on in each of their lives, things aren’t always so rosy in the real world that’s for sure!
There was a lesson to be learnt for each of the ladies in this book. While sometimes I found myself (good-naturedly) eye-rolling them, I quickly realized I had a soft spot for each one of them as I watched them navigate their romantic issues and dish out advice to each other. I could never pick a favourite, and that for me really proves the amazing job that this author has done in MAKING me love all of her characters. Not an easy feat at all!
This book has everything you need for an entertaining read. I love that I read a book that has variety, that had me laughing pretty much the whole way and that managed to wrap up the storylines so I felt content, something that is definitely not always a sure thing. It was a nice quick read and definitely one of the better books of this genre that I’ve read this year. Definitely a highly recommend for a weekend where you want to sip a hot chocolate and play voyeur…
ARC received in return for an honest review
January 5, 2015
My Rating:
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
“Tonight your name is Grant. She flicked the little button on the top of her multiple-speed lover and selected a setting.”
“That’s not surprising, Lizzie, you give every book 5 stars. That’s why your inbox is always loaded with review requests form authors.”
“She might just have to leave here with a big scene after all. Screaming and carrying on while slamming her belongs into a box. She could walk out with her middle finger raised high and shout that he had a small dick as she stormed past her former colleagues. That would certainly make for a vengeful exit.”
“Sex in books is hot, steamy, amazing, and never flawed. In real life it’s never that easy.”
“Life is never boring in books, but that’s only because they skip over those parts.”
“Sometimes it’s hard when you finally realize that you’re not the heroine, and the guy you thought was the hero couldn’t be farther from it.”
My Review:
I adored this book. Being a blogger and avid reader of women’s fiction and… smut, I couldn’t help but smirk the entire way through this book. I enjoyed the characters, story line, humor, and clever insights as the four bloggers bumbled through the contradictions of their on-line and actual lives. I well know the trap they encountered as even though I do know better, at times I have become so invested in a book that I lose track of myself and expect to see/hear/smell the scene that the characters were just in, when I look up from my beloved kindle. This is my first time reading this author and I enjoyed her writing from beginning to end. It was entertaining, smartly written, easy to read, and a delightfully way to spend my afternoon. If all her work is this good, I hope to make my way through her entire listing.
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
“Tonight your name is Grant. She flicked the little button on the top of her multiple-speed lover and selected a setting.”
“That’s not surprising, Lizzie, you give every book 5 stars. That’s why your inbox is always loaded with review requests form authors.”
“She might just have to leave here with a big scene after all. Screaming and carrying on while slamming her belongs into a box. She could walk out with her middle finger raised high and shout that he had a small dick as she stormed past her former colleagues. That would certainly make for a vengeful exit.”
“Sex in books is hot, steamy, amazing, and never flawed. In real life it’s never that easy.”
“Life is never boring in books, but that’s only because they skip over those parts.”
“Sometimes it’s hard when you finally realize that you’re not the heroine, and the guy you thought was the hero couldn’t be farther from it.”
My Review:
I adored this book. Being a blogger and avid reader of women’s fiction and… smut, I couldn’t help but smirk the entire way through this book. I enjoyed the characters, story line, humor, and clever insights as the four bloggers bumbled through the contradictions of their on-line and actual lives. I well know the trap they encountered as even though I do know better, at times I have become so invested in a book that I lose track of myself and expect to see/hear/smell the scene that the characters were just in, when I look up from my beloved kindle. This is my first time reading this author and I enjoyed her writing from beginning to end. It was entertaining, smartly written, easy to read, and a delightfully way to spend my afternoon. If all her work is this good, I hope to make my way through her entire listing.
Read
July 24, 2017This was a super cute read! Can't decide between a 3 or 4, so I decided to bump it up based on the endings of the different stories which I liked in all their own ways!
In the book we follow four different book bloggers who are also best friends online! I really loved each of their stories and perspectives, and how each different woman experiences a different sort of book fantasy vs reality scenario! As a writer and reader, I've definitely struggled with this too, and as a member of the online book community, I loved diving into a world so familiar to me! The blogging, the book love, the reviews, the convos--all of that was spot on and I loved it!
The only problem I had from this book was also what I liked the most about it--the multiple perspectives! It worked so well in some ways, but I also felt a little distance from the characters, like their story was being told to me rather than my living it with them! I was never quite pulled in the way I love to be when reading! Maybe if it was longer and we got to dive deeper into each of their stories, or if there were one less perspective, Idk!
Really enjoyed the read and definitely recommend it, especially to anyone involved in the online book community!! Super adorable with real meaning and sentiment!
Also, loved the "in case you were wondering" at the end -- if you read it you know what I'm talking about! Made me love him in a way the rest of the book didn't!
In the book we follow four different book bloggers who are also best friends online! I really loved each of their stories and perspectives, and how each different woman experiences a different sort of book fantasy vs reality scenario! As a writer and reader, I've definitely struggled with this too, and as a member of the online book community, I loved diving into a world so familiar to me! The blogging, the book love, the reviews, the convos--all of that was spot on and I loved it!
The only problem I had from this book was also what I liked the most about it--the multiple perspectives! It worked so well in some ways, but I also felt a little distance from the characters, like their story was being told to me rather than my living it with them! I was never quite pulled in the way I love to be when reading! Maybe if it was longer and we got to dive deeper into each of their stories, or if there were one less perspective, Idk!
Really enjoyed the read and definitely recommend it, especially to anyone involved in the online book community!! Super adorable with real meaning and sentiment!
Also, loved the "in case you were wondering" at the end -- if you read it you know what I'm talking about! Made me love him in a way the rest of the book didn't!
December 17, 2014
Review Originally Posted Here: http://fangirlavue.blogspot.com/2014/12/books-blogs-reality-by-ryan-ringbloom.html
A Book About . . . Book Bloggers?
That's right, you heard me correctly, a book about book bloggers! I've been jumping up and down, squealing like a horny school girl with anticipation to share this review with you guys. Books, Blogs, and Reality is more than what it's title is presenting to us. We dive into the story of 4 young women, as they take us on a quick journey through their experiences with life, new love, current relationships, online friendships, and of course, their love for books!
Characters That Represent YOU
I can't think of a novel where I related to more than one character. Maybe one or two at the least, but definitely no more than that. One of the best things about this book was that I was able to truly connect and relate to not one, but ALL of the characters.
Brooke was a young businesswoman who found love in the workplace. We follow her story as she embarks on a fast-pace romance with someone who should be completely off limits especially at work . . . her boss. They mesh so well together, and soon we're rooting for the new couple. I can definitely relate to Brooke's situation! 3 years ago I met my bae in the Outside Lawn & Garden Center of Lowes. I was asked to train him on how to receive trucks and drive the forklifts in our department, and he hasn't left me the hell alone since. Romantic story right lol?
We dive into Rachael's story just as she's ready to add some " spice " into her sex life. She's very much into BDSM, (if you don't know what this means, think of 50 Shades of Grey. * shivers *) and wants her boyfriend Kevin to up his ante and get in on the fun.
I will admit that Rachael definitely has my personality! She's wild, fun, and down-right crazy, but was into a whole nother world, that I dare not enter. As I read through her chapters, she really started to remind me of my close blogger friend Blessie from Mischievous Reads. Both have this fire in their personalities, and absolutely love them some smutty reads aka romance novels.
Next we have Lizzie. She's 24 years old, married to her high school sweetheart, and is extremely unhappy. She feels her husband is being distant. They have little to no conversation, and even less intimacy, causing her to have some self-esteem issues.
I was truly able to connect with Lizzie (not completely). We're both stay at home mothers, with boys around the same age. Reading her perspective really shined a light on what it truly means to be a stay at home mom. The constant cooking, cleaning, etc. It can definitely take a toll on your mind, body, and soul, and even though I'm not entirely going through her situation, it was good to know that I could not only sympathize, but completely understand what she was going through.
Last but certainly not least, we have Jessica. Now, Jess was the character I have the least in common with. She was young minded as all out doors, but weren't we all at that age?!! Okay maybe not, because I know I wasn't lol, but I must say I've made some pretty dumb mistakes back then, so yeah we relate somewhat. Jessica was the youngest of all the characters, and it definitely showed. She had a huge crush on some asshole, missing out on an amazing guy who truly had her best interest at heart.
Struggling to realize her self-worth, she continued to make stupid decisions all to appease her crush. Thank goodness she finally opens her eyes to the bs, but sadly it was a bit too late. She didn't end up with who I thought she would, which completely took me by surprise. Shout out to Ms.Ringbloom for not going the predicable route!
The Complete Package
The author brilliantly wrote a realistic story about what it truly means to be a book blogger, while balancing our regular lives and all the issues we may encounter. She displays how blogging becomes an outlet for us, and how our blogger friends become shoulders to lean on, and ears to fill with secrets. Secrets we may not even share with our close in-real-life-friends. She puts so much thought into these stories, mirroring the exact thoughts of a book blogger. For example, for the first 4 chapters, we are presented with brief bios of all the characters, very reminiscent to what our blog bios look like.
But that's not all! Throughout the story, there are actual book reviews on books, that are in correlation with the character's story. So basically, each book that was reviewed has some sort of connection to that particular chapter. Cool right?
In conclusion I absolutely adored this book. It was so fun reading the alternating POV's of the very different characters, and their lives outside of the blogging community. It definitely showed how we all can have so much in common with one another, other than our love for books. I encourage every, and I mean every book blogger to read Books, Blogs, and Reality. It's certainly a must!
A Book About . . . Book Bloggers?
That's right, you heard me correctly, a book about book bloggers! I've been jumping up and down, squealing like a horny school girl with anticipation to share this review with you guys. Books, Blogs, and Reality is more than what it's title is presenting to us. We dive into the story of 4 young women, as they take us on a quick journey through their experiences with life, new love, current relationships, online friendships, and of course, their love for books!
Characters That Represent YOU
I can't think of a novel where I related to more than one character. Maybe one or two at the least, but definitely no more than that. One of the best things about this book was that I was able to truly connect and relate to not one, but ALL of the characters.
Brooke was a young businesswoman who found love in the workplace. We follow her story as she embarks on a fast-pace romance with someone who should be completely off limits especially at work . . . her boss. They mesh so well together, and soon we're rooting for the new couple. I can definitely relate to Brooke's situation! 3 years ago I met my bae in the Outside Lawn & Garden Center of Lowes. I was asked to train him on how to receive trucks and drive the forklifts in our department, and he hasn't left me the hell alone since. Romantic story right lol?
We dive into Rachael's story just as she's ready to add some " spice " into her sex life. She's very much into BDSM, (if you don't know what this means, think of 50 Shades of Grey. * shivers *) and wants her boyfriend Kevin to up his ante and get in on the fun.
I will admit that Rachael definitely has my personality! She's wild, fun, and down-right crazy, but was into a whole nother world, that I dare not enter. As I read through her chapters, she really started to remind me of my close blogger friend Blessie from Mischievous Reads. Both have this fire in their personalities, and absolutely love them some smutty reads aka romance novels.
Next we have Lizzie. She's 24 years old, married to her high school sweetheart, and is extremely unhappy. She feels her husband is being distant. They have little to no conversation, and even less intimacy, causing her to have some self-esteem issues.
I was truly able to connect with Lizzie (not completely). We're both stay at home mothers, with boys around the same age. Reading her perspective really shined a light on what it truly means to be a stay at home mom. The constant cooking, cleaning, etc. It can definitely take a toll on your mind, body, and soul, and even though I'm not entirely going through her situation, it was good to know that I could not only sympathize, but completely understand what she was going through.
Last but certainly not least, we have Jessica. Now, Jess was the character I have the least in common with. She was young minded as all out doors, but weren't we all at that age?!! Okay maybe not, because I know I wasn't lol, but I must say I've made some pretty dumb mistakes back then, so yeah we relate somewhat. Jessica was the youngest of all the characters, and it definitely showed. She had a huge crush on some asshole, missing out on an amazing guy who truly had her best interest at heart.
Struggling to realize her self-worth, she continued to make stupid decisions all to appease her crush. Thank goodness she finally opens her eyes to the bs, but sadly it was a bit too late. She didn't end up with who I thought she would, which completely took me by surprise. Shout out to Ms.Ringbloom for not going the predicable route!
The Complete Package
The author brilliantly wrote a realistic story about what it truly means to be a book blogger, while balancing our regular lives and all the issues we may encounter. She displays how blogging becomes an outlet for us, and how our blogger friends become shoulders to lean on, and ears to fill with secrets. Secrets we may not even share with our close in-real-life-friends. She puts so much thought into these stories, mirroring the exact thoughts of a book blogger. For example, for the first 4 chapters, we are presented with brief bios of all the characters, very reminiscent to what our blog bios look like.
But that's not all! Throughout the story, there are actual book reviews on books, that are in correlation with the character's story. So basically, each book that was reviewed has some sort of connection to that particular chapter. Cool right?
In conclusion I absolutely adored this book. It was so fun reading the alternating POV's of the very different characters, and their lives outside of the blogging community. It definitely showed how we all can have so much in common with one another, other than our love for books. I encourage every, and I mean every book blogger to read Books, Blogs, and Reality. It's certainly a must!
November 8, 2014
Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews
Nichole's Sizzling Reviews
Sizzling Pages @ Facebook
Twitter:@Sizzlingpages
Email: sizzlingpages@gmail.com
This book by Ryan Ringbloom hit me on so many levels that I am left in utter shock and awe. I initially one clicked this cute looking book because it’s about 4 blogging girlfriends that have never met in person and live all over the world. That’s just like me and my girls Steph, Ang, and Cariad from Sizzling Pages.
We talk daily and talk about everything. I think they know more about me than some of the people I see on a daily basis. It’s just easier to open up via email. You can answer when you are ready, and only say what you feel comfortable sharing. There were so many parts of this story that I connected with. Being a married working mom I think that Lizzie’s story just spoke directly to my heart.
Everybody that knows me knows that I read only romance. I mean romance and love stories are just something that makes me feel happy or good. But in the past year I’ve started becoming more and unwavering about what kinds of romance I read. Basically I want the fantasy, the perfect hero and the heroine that just finds her HEA in the end. I even go so far as to avoid the ones that have too much angst.
Why?
Because well , those are just to close to real life. I find that I escape the daily grind and they daily angst when I dive into a sweet or sexy perfect romantic story.
It’s hard to be a romance reader and not sometimes put high expectations on the man that you love. How could our men ever live up to these books heroes? The fact is he can’t compete , because really he doesn’t need to.
He’s just what I need in every way because when I’m at my darkest and things are the worst they can be, he’s simply there and I know that I can go to him any time.
Real life is messy and angsty and romance is hard to find in the daily grind. I loved that this story showed that you can let fantasy stay where it belongs and still find the good in the every day life. I am blessed and I know it.
I also am so lucky to have found 4 friends that will read this and know exactly what I’m talking about and I won’t even have to say anything else.
I find the reasons I give books 5 stars differ in each instance. Always though the one thing that has to be present is that I have to FEEL and FEEL strongly. This one left me feeling a lot but most of all I felt lucky.
I’ll continue to escape into sweet and even sometimes angsty romance stories but when I close that book I’ll have the love of a man that is my perfect hero in the real world of imperfectness. I'll also have the friendships of 4 ladies who I know that 24/7 I can send one sentence and they'll be there to laugh with, cry with, vent over books with or rave over new heroes we love, but most of all they are gonna be there to just understand.
Buy now for only 99 pennies Amazon US
Nichole's Sizzling Reviews
Sizzling Pages @ Facebook
Twitter:@Sizzlingpages
Email: sizzlingpages@gmail.com
This book by Ryan Ringbloom hit me on so many levels that I am left in utter shock and awe. I initially one clicked this cute looking book because it’s about 4 blogging girlfriends that have never met in person and live all over the world. That’s just like me and my girls Steph, Ang, and Cariad from Sizzling Pages.
We talk daily and talk about everything. I think they know more about me than some of the people I see on a daily basis. It’s just easier to open up via email. You can answer when you are ready, and only say what you feel comfortable sharing. There were so many parts of this story that I connected with. Being a married working mom I think that Lizzie’s story just spoke directly to my heart.
Everybody that knows me knows that I read only romance. I mean romance and love stories are just something that makes me feel happy or good. But in the past year I’ve started becoming more and unwavering about what kinds of romance I read. Basically I want the fantasy, the perfect hero and the heroine that just finds her HEA in the end. I even go so far as to avoid the ones that have too much angst.
Why?
Because well , those are just to close to real life. I find that I escape the daily grind and they daily angst when I dive into a sweet or sexy perfect romantic story.
It’s hard to be a romance reader and not sometimes put high expectations on the man that you love. How could our men ever live up to these books heroes? The fact is he can’t compete , because really he doesn’t need to.
He’s just what I need in every way because when I’m at my darkest and things are the worst they can be, he’s simply there and I know that I can go to him any time.
Real life is messy and angsty and romance is hard to find in the daily grind. I loved that this story showed that you can let fantasy stay where it belongs and still find the good in the every day life. I am blessed and I know it.
I also am so lucky to have found 4 friends that will read this and know exactly what I’m talking about and I won’t even have to say anything else.
I find the reasons I give books 5 stars differ in each instance. Always though the one thing that has to be present is that I have to FEEL and FEEL strongly. This one left me feeling a lot but most of all I felt lucky.
I’ll continue to escape into sweet and even sometimes angsty romance stories but when I close that book I’ll have the love of a man that is my perfect hero in the real world of imperfectness. I'll also have the friendships of 4 ladies who I know that 24/7 I can send one sentence and they'll be there to laugh with, cry with, vent over books with or rave over new heroes we love, but most of all they are gonna be there to just understand.
Buy now for only 99 pennies Amazon US 
December 17, 2014
Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Humor
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: October 21st 2014
Review Date: December 2014
Format: Kindle DRC
Source: via Author for honest review
Length: 153 pages
Overall Rating: 5 STARS
Review:
"It’s funny the things a person will share with people they don’t actually have to face. Like a diary into which they feed their emotions and it types back."
Books, Blogs, and Reality follows four different women, they all share one connection….books. They all love books. Some of them have blogs where they share their opinion on the book they just read, and some just love reading. They all begin to become friends and share their lives with one another.
First we have Rachael, she has a caring boyfriend and their relationship is just plain old vanilla for Rachael. She loves reading BDSM type books, and decides she wants to give it a go in her own life. Armed with only what Rachael knows from the kinky books she reads, and a boyfriend that has no clue what he has gotten himself into they jump into this new sexual side of their relationship head first. What happens when Rachael gets more than she bargained for, and she doesn’t know how to turn back the clock?
Jessica is a collage student that loves reading, and falling for the wrong guys. This guy she is seeing is a total douche nugget and is only using her for sex, but Jess holds out hope that she can be the one to change him. All the while she has the perfect guy waiting in the wings just waiting for her to notice him. What happens when everything goes to shit, and the nice guy in the corner is no longer what waiting to be noticed?
Brooke is the “new girl” at work. Starting a new job she knew she would be starting at the bottom of the food chain doing all the shit jobs. Only Brooke never thought she would be the one falling for her boss. After having a sorted secret relationship he brakes it off because his family expects him to marry a certain kind of women, and Brooke just doesn’t fit into his box as perfect marrying material. How does Brooke continue to work for her boss? What happens when you think the love of your life is letting you go?
And last but not least, my personal favorite character, Elizabeth known as Lizzie. Lizzie is a stay at home mom to a toddler, and is married to a workaholic. Lizzie can feel her relationship slowly slipping away and has no clue how to get back her marriage to how it used to be. When a old friend/ love interest privately messages her on a social site she isn’t sure what she should do, so she decides they used to be friends what can it hurt. What can it hurt? Her marriage? What happens when everything isn’t at all as it seems?
I have to say this was something new and exciting from the talented Ryan Ringbloom. I loved the dynamics between all the women, the witty banter, loved their conversations, and loved how they only shared what they wanted to and never shared the whole truth with one another. They all wanted their personal lives to seem as though they couldn’t have asked for better spouses and partners. Loved how they might have fucked up but they had their girls there to always back them up, and never judge one another. It really is amazing to see what we share with people we don’t really know, compared to what we share with friends and family.
Ryan did a fabulous job with Books, Blogs, and Reality. I would recommend this book to anyone that has a small tight net group of internet friends, bloggers, romance lovers,….so yeah I recommend this book to everyone. lol. It’s a fast, fun, fulfilling read that I couldn’t put down. I for sure wanted more, and couldn’t have loved the characters more. Each lady in BB&R are all relatable in their own aspects. I connected most with Lizzie and loved her dearly. I would love to see more from all of these ladies and how they have continued their friendships, and personal relationships.
Books, Blogs, & Reality gets 5 loving stars from this Book Bitch ♥
"The Books. They brought us together."
booksunhinged.com/books-blogs-reality...
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Humor
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: October 21st 2014
Review Date: December 2014
Format: Kindle DRC
Source: via Author for honest review
Length: 153 pages
Overall Rating: 5 STARS
Review:
"It’s funny the things a person will share with people they don’t actually have to face. Like a diary into which they feed their emotions and it types back."
Books, Blogs, and Reality follows four different women, they all share one connection….books. They all love books. Some of them have blogs where they share their opinion on the book they just read, and some just love reading. They all begin to become friends and share their lives with one another.
First we have Rachael, she has a caring boyfriend and their relationship is just plain old vanilla for Rachael. She loves reading BDSM type books, and decides she wants to give it a go in her own life. Armed with only what Rachael knows from the kinky books she reads, and a boyfriend that has no clue what he has gotten himself into they jump into this new sexual side of their relationship head first. What happens when Rachael gets more than she bargained for, and she doesn’t know how to turn back the clock?
Jessica is a collage student that loves reading, and falling for the wrong guys. This guy she is seeing is a total douche nugget and is only using her for sex, but Jess holds out hope that she can be the one to change him. All the while she has the perfect guy waiting in the wings just waiting for her to notice him. What happens when everything goes to shit, and the nice guy in the corner is no longer what waiting to be noticed?
Brooke is the “new girl” at work. Starting a new job she knew she would be starting at the bottom of the food chain doing all the shit jobs. Only Brooke never thought she would be the one falling for her boss. After having a sorted secret relationship he brakes it off because his family expects him to marry a certain kind of women, and Brooke just doesn’t fit into his box as perfect marrying material. How does Brooke continue to work for her boss? What happens when you think the love of your life is letting you go?
And last but not least, my personal favorite character, Elizabeth known as Lizzie. Lizzie is a stay at home mom to a toddler, and is married to a workaholic. Lizzie can feel her relationship slowly slipping away and has no clue how to get back her marriage to how it used to be. When a old friend/ love interest privately messages her on a social site she isn’t sure what she should do, so she decides they used to be friends what can it hurt. What can it hurt? Her marriage? What happens when everything isn’t at all as it seems?
I have to say this was something new and exciting from the talented Ryan Ringbloom. I loved the dynamics between all the women, the witty banter, loved their conversations, and loved how they only shared what they wanted to and never shared the whole truth with one another. They all wanted their personal lives to seem as though they couldn’t have asked for better spouses and partners. Loved how they might have fucked up but they had their girls there to always back them up, and never judge one another. It really is amazing to see what we share with people we don’t really know, compared to what we share with friends and family.
Ryan did a fabulous job with Books, Blogs, and Reality. I would recommend this book to anyone that has a small tight net group of internet friends, bloggers, romance lovers,….so yeah I recommend this book to everyone. lol. It’s a fast, fun, fulfilling read that I couldn’t put down. I for sure wanted more, and couldn’t have loved the characters more. Each lady in BB&R are all relatable in their own aspects. I connected most with Lizzie and loved her dearly. I would love to see more from all of these ladies and how they have continued their friendships, and personal relationships.
Books, Blogs, & Reality gets 5 loving stars from this Book Bitch ♥
"The Books. They brought us together."
booksunhinged.com/books-blogs-reality...
December 4, 2014
Books, Blogs and reality by Ryan Ringbloom - Reviewed by Klaire Sutherland
"They had built a friendship that existed in a safe zone. Four friends spread out, living lives far away from each other. The time spent together was easy. It was something you could join in or walk away from at any time. You could share as little or as much as you wanted."
Having previously read and enjoyed Ryan's books I was excited for this one. It didn't appear to be written in the same vein as her others (YA, NA) so naturally it had me curious. It's written with so much truth as to what we online folks have when it comes to cyber friendships with others online, so much so that I was intrigued from the start, there's a reality that we are all too aware of, that fits our lives. I think there are many of us that will relate to this book in terms of online communities and friendships forged, I know I most certainly did!
The story centres around fourvery different online blogger buddies, and how Ryan managed to fit four fantastic little romance stories in here is beyond me. It's perfect, absolutely perfect! You get the girls lives seperately and then their online banter with each other. It really does hook you. At the beginning, with the introduction of the characters they all write a book review and each one encompasses that girl's life in some kind of way, how they feel about love and romance. In a way the reviews mimic thir personal lives and this was not lost on me for one second. I liked the way it was set out; bits of online conversations, blog entries, rl happenings. It had it all really.
I think that who ever you are, when you read this book you will most certainly feel a kinship to at least one of the characters. For me that was Lizzie, I find myself sympathising very much with her character as I often share those feelings. So for me, Lizzie's parts pulled the emotion right from me.
We, as readers, live in utter fantasyland, and this book manages to capture that right off the bat. Their are so many callouts on the ridiculous things that we read within the pages of our books, some things we would never dare question but sit their at the back of our minds. Yet, these are books that we love. Then you have the online conversations where people know that really they can say what they like, I mean, who's to know right? That again is addressed with great accuracy. The quote "but sometimes....the braggers are the ones hiding the biggest secrets" has never been truer than here.
There was one little twist that I never saw coming, so thank you for that, it was unexpected but ultimately made my heart sing when it was revealed. Go Dragonfly23!
Definitely give this a read, it's absolutely wonderful. A book I think that as readers, bloggers, reviewers....whatever, it needs to be on your kindle. You'll love it, I promise. U huge big hearty 5 stars from me :)
"They had built a friendship that existed in a safe zone. Four friends spread out, living lives far away from each other. The time spent together was easy. It was something you could join in or walk away from at any time. You could share as little or as much as you wanted."
Having previously read and enjoyed Ryan's books I was excited for this one. It didn't appear to be written in the same vein as her others (YA, NA) so naturally it had me curious. It's written with so much truth as to what we online folks have when it comes to cyber friendships with others online, so much so that I was intrigued from the start, there's a reality that we are all too aware of, that fits our lives. I think there are many of us that will relate to this book in terms of online communities and friendships forged, I know I most certainly did!
The story centres around fourvery different online blogger buddies, and how Ryan managed to fit four fantastic little romance stories in here is beyond me. It's perfect, absolutely perfect! You get the girls lives seperately and then their online banter with each other. It really does hook you. At the beginning, with the introduction of the characters they all write a book review and each one encompasses that girl's life in some kind of way, how they feel about love and romance. In a way the reviews mimic thir personal lives and this was not lost on me for one second. I liked the way it was set out; bits of online conversations, blog entries, rl happenings. It had it all really.
I think that who ever you are, when you read this book you will most certainly feel a kinship to at least one of the characters. For me that was Lizzie, I find myself sympathising very much with her character as I often share those feelings. So for me, Lizzie's parts pulled the emotion right from me.
We, as readers, live in utter fantasyland, and this book manages to capture that right off the bat. Their are so many callouts on the ridiculous things that we read within the pages of our books, some things we would never dare question but sit their at the back of our minds. Yet, these are books that we love. Then you have the online conversations where people know that really they can say what they like, I mean, who's to know right? That again is addressed with great accuracy. The quote "but sometimes....the braggers are the ones hiding the biggest secrets" has never been truer than here.
There was one little twist that I never saw coming, so thank you for that, it was unexpected but ultimately made my heart sing when it was revealed. Go Dragonfly23!
Definitely give this a read, it's absolutely wonderful. A book I think that as readers, bloggers, reviewers....whatever, it needs to be on your kindle. You'll love it, I promise. U huge big hearty 5 stars from me :)
January 20, 2015
This review was originally posted on Between My Lines
Hah, well I bet you can guess just what drew me to this book! What book blogger could resist? Not I! And the use of the Oxford comma in the title was an added bonus :)
First Line of Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom:
"It's not uncommon for people to have two sets of friends."
My Thoughts on Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom:
When I picked this up, I was in the mood for a light, engaging read and that's what I got. I adored the blogging setting. Making friends on-line, chatting about books and beyond. This I get! All my blogging friends have a special place in my heart and there are a few that have become more than blogging friends, they are friends full stop. So the theme felt familiar and heart-warming.
I also loved that we saw reviews written by each of the four main characters. Especially as their reviews showed little glimpses of their real life personalities and situations. I think that's true. We do reveal a lot in our reviews and I like that the book captured that. It also captured though that we only reveal what we want others to see and that is true too.
So I loved the setting. The characters though....were a bit...daft! They are all making crazy decisions and I wanted eye roll at every one of them. I'd like to think that most bloggers I know are a little more savvy than this! But despite all their dubious decisions, I was engrossed while reading.
It is predictable. But I found the book moved along briskly and I was amused by the various (self-inflicted mostly!) dilemmas that the girls found themselves in. I thought the format really worked; it included reviews, chat forums, blogger profiles and alternative pov's which meant I just flew though it.
Overall, it's a light-hearted read with a snappy pace. And I did laugh and get a lot of pleasure from the book while reading it.
Who should read Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom?
I'd recommend this to book bloggers (more so those that read/review romance books) or fans of romantic contemporary fiction that like on-line settings and a fun storyline.
PS - at the moment it's only $0.99 in amazon (double-check before you buy), it's definitely worth picking it up at that price and saving for when you want a light, fun read!
Hah, well I bet you can guess just what drew me to this book! What book blogger could resist? Not I! And the use of the Oxford comma in the title was an added bonus :)
First Line of Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom:
"It's not uncommon for people to have two sets of friends."
My Thoughts on Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom:
When I picked this up, I was in the mood for a light, engaging read and that's what I got. I adored the blogging setting. Making friends on-line, chatting about books and beyond. This I get! All my blogging friends have a special place in my heart and there are a few that have become more than blogging friends, they are friends full stop. So the theme felt familiar and heart-warming.
I also loved that we saw reviews written by each of the four main characters. Especially as their reviews showed little glimpses of their real life personalities and situations. I think that's true. We do reveal a lot in our reviews and I like that the book captured that. It also captured though that we only reveal what we want others to see and that is true too.
So I loved the setting. The characters though....were a bit...daft! They are all making crazy decisions and I wanted eye roll at every one of them. I'd like to think that most bloggers I know are a little more savvy than this! But despite all their dubious decisions, I was engrossed while reading.
It is predictable. But I found the book moved along briskly and I was amused by the various (self-inflicted mostly!) dilemmas that the girls found themselves in. I thought the format really worked; it included reviews, chat forums, blogger profiles and alternative pov's which meant I just flew though it.
Overall, it's a light-hearted read with a snappy pace. And I did laugh and get a lot of pleasure from the book while reading it.
Who should read Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom?
I'd recommend this to book bloggers (more so those that read/review romance books) or fans of romantic contemporary fiction that like on-line settings and a fun storyline.
PS - at the moment it's only $0.99 in amazon (double-check before you buy), it's definitely worth picking it up at that price and saving for when you want a light, fun read!
December 1, 2014
~~~Katheryn's Review~~~
When I first started reading this book, I was not sure if I was going to like it. About the second chapter in I was really starting to get into. I like the way the ladies were able to help each other with their different situations. I caught my self a couple of times wanting to join in the conversation, lol. I really got into this book and could relate to a couple of the ladies issues. This would make for a fun and very interesting movie. It was fun reading their reactions to each other situations. The author did a great job with these characters. I really enjoyed this book, sometimes I will go back and re-read books and this is one I would definitely re-read. Love how much they all cared about each other. I would give this book 5 Stars.
*ARC provided for an honest review.
When I first started reading this book, I was not sure if I was going to like it. About the second chapter in I was really starting to get into. I like the way the ladies were able to help each other with their different situations. I caught my self a couple of times wanting to join in the conversation, lol. I really got into this book and could relate to a couple of the ladies issues. This would make for a fun and very interesting movie. It was fun reading their reactions to each other situations. The author did a great job with these characters. I really enjoyed this book, sometimes I will go back and re-read books and this is one I would definitely re-read. Love how much they all cared about each other. I would give this book 5 Stars.
*ARC provided for an honest review.
January 14, 2016
I love reading about books and blogs and anything social media so I knew I had to read this. I found this book to be very realistic, and dealt with the emotions of the women very well. There are four girls, and the girl that was with the bad boy but wanted to change him annoyed me. Like it’s never going to happen! The BDSM was a bit much for me but otherwise I really enjoyed this book. I hope there is more to come from these characters as I enjoyed hearing about their blogs and books they read and how they coped with life outside of all of it
I would like to thank Net galley and the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to thank Net galley and the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 15, 2014
5 Crazy Ass Stars!!!!!
I'm just floored! This is not what I was expecting at all. It was soooo good! This is a must read!
I'm just floored! This is not what I was expecting at all. It was soooo good! This is a must read!
February 24, 2015
Disclaimer: I won this book
And I am so lucky that I did - what a sweet & sexy read. Loved the characters and how supportive they were of each other.
And I am so lucky that I did - what a sweet & sexy read. Loved the characters and how supportive they were of each other.
May 19, 2017
Such a fun read! I loved the whole premise of the story. If you're an author or blogger, you will really enjoy this one. I found myself laughing out loud at some parts, and that's something that doesn't come easy to me when reading. These four girls learn that life in the pages of a romance novel is nothing like real life, and I had so much fun spending time with them while they learned that
lesson! This one will definitely put a smile on your face.
lesson! This one will definitely put a smile on your face.
December 18, 2014
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Books, Blogs and Reality follows four romance book bloggers. It was an interesting setup for a book. It was like reading a high school diary or watching a reality show about my contemporaries. Being a book blogger myself, a lot of the stuff were things and situations that I could directly relate with, but there were also parts of the book that made me want that kind of friendship with fellow bloggers. The four ladies became friends through their similar reading tastes. They commented on the same reviews and started up discussions, which led to a group chat. And they get online and talk to each other every night, about everything. I want that. I have always been a little jealous of the bloggers that make insta friends with other bloggers and become so close and talk all the time. So while I was reading Books, Blogs and Reality, it was really easy to imagine that these were a group of four real bloggers just chatting about books and their lives. It felt more scandalous for me that way. I liked it. :)
What struck me the most was how much these girls lied to each other at first. It shouldn't have surprised me. People do it all the time on facebook and instagram. They only post super happy pictures, and fabulous events and all the great things going on in their lives to make things seem better than they might be. But these four girls were supposed to be really good friends, so I thought they would be more honest with each other. So that kind of bummed me out a bit at first, but the cool part about the book was because it jumps back and forth between each of the girls "real lives" and then their conversations online, you could watch them start to open up more and more with each other as the story went on. That made me happier with their friendships.
I liked the flow of Books, Blogs and Reality. It alternated between each of the four girls, and in between each girls section, there was a nightly group chat between all of the women. It made the book a very quick and easy read and kept you engaged the whole time. I liked some of the girls more than others. Brooke and Lizzie were my favorites and it is very easy for me to say that Rachel was my least favorite. I thought she was a freakin' idiot. And I don't hate on characters too much, but I couldn't stand her. If you have read the book, please let me know because I would love to have a good rant session about her, but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.
If you are a book blogger, you will get a kick out of this book. The romances are all cute and each have their own issues. They are a little predictable, but when thrown together with the friendship of the bloggers and all of the blog terminology it is a fun read. It felt like I was watching a book blogger reality romance show.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Books, Blogs and Reality follows four romance book bloggers. It was an interesting setup for a book. It was like reading a high school diary or watching a reality show about my contemporaries. Being a book blogger myself, a lot of the stuff were things and situations that I could directly relate with, but there were also parts of the book that made me want that kind of friendship with fellow bloggers. The four ladies became friends through their similar reading tastes. They commented on the same reviews and started up discussions, which led to a group chat. And they get online and talk to each other every night, about everything. I want that. I have always been a little jealous of the bloggers that make insta friends with other bloggers and become so close and talk all the time. So while I was reading Books, Blogs and Reality, it was really easy to imagine that these were a group of four real bloggers just chatting about books and their lives. It felt more scandalous for me that way. I liked it. :)
What struck me the most was how much these girls lied to each other at first. It shouldn't have surprised me. People do it all the time on facebook and instagram. They only post super happy pictures, and fabulous events and all the great things going on in their lives to make things seem better than they might be. But these four girls were supposed to be really good friends, so I thought they would be more honest with each other. So that kind of bummed me out a bit at first, but the cool part about the book was because it jumps back and forth between each of the girls "real lives" and then their conversations online, you could watch them start to open up more and more with each other as the story went on. That made me happier with their friendships.
I liked the flow of Books, Blogs and Reality. It alternated between each of the four girls, and in between each girls section, there was a nightly group chat between all of the women. It made the book a very quick and easy read and kept you engaged the whole time. I liked some of the girls more than others. Brooke and Lizzie were my favorites and it is very easy for me to say that Rachel was my least favorite. I thought she was a freakin' idiot. And I don't hate on characters too much, but I couldn't stand her. If you have read the book, please let me know because I would love to have a good rant session about her, but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.
If you are a book blogger, you will get a kick out of this book. The romances are all cute and each have their own issues. They are a little predictable, but when thrown together with the friendship of the bloggers and all of the blog terminology it is a fun read. It felt like I was watching a book blogger reality romance show.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
November 23, 2014
Great read! I was interested when I read the synopsis for Books, Blogs, & Reality, especially since I am a romance lover and write reviews myself.
It's an intriguing story about four women who have come to share a special bond through their online reviewing and blogging. Each one of the women are different from one another. Brooke is involved in an office relationship, but it has become bumpy when her boyfriend, Jag, tells her his family wouldn't approve of her. Lizzie is a young mother who married her high school sweetheart and thought life would always be perfect, but realizes married life and being a mother isn't as sexy as the books she reads depict. She feels like she and her husband, Edward are drifting apart. Rachael has a sweet, sexy boyfriend, Kevin, but she wants to try to liven up the relationship in the bedroom. She wants to experiment with some of the things she has read in her favorite BDSM books. But, will this help or harm their relationship? Finally, Jess is involved bad boy, Riley, who she hopes will change his man-whoring ways for her. One thing the ladies have in common is their love of romance novels and believing that their love lives should mirror what they read. When real life issues affect each of their relationships, chaos ensues. Will each woman be able to save their relationships with the men in their lives? Are some even worth saving?
This book was very unique in that it was written from the four women's POVs, and almost every chapter began with their daily online chats with each other. These two things really helped move the story along quickly and kept my interest. Each lady found a place in my heart. Yes, there were times that I wanted to yell at them that life isn't a romance novel, but each endeared themselves to me. While I loved all the characters, my favorite couple was Lizzie and Edward. Sweet, sweet love story.
In addition, it was a great inside look at bloggers' lives and the friendship that develops between people online. It also reiterates the reality that daily life is very different than what you read in a novel. I loved, loved this book!!! It was the very first book I have read by Ryan Ringbloom, but it will definitely not be my last. It made me cherish the friendships that I have developed with several ladies I have met online. I truly cherish these women and look forward to chatting with them every day. Thank, Ryan, for a wonderful read!
It's an intriguing story about four women who have come to share a special bond through their online reviewing and blogging. Each one of the women are different from one another. Brooke is involved in an office relationship, but it has become bumpy when her boyfriend, Jag, tells her his family wouldn't approve of her. Lizzie is a young mother who married her high school sweetheart and thought life would always be perfect, but realizes married life and being a mother isn't as sexy as the books she reads depict. She feels like she and her husband, Edward are drifting apart. Rachael has a sweet, sexy boyfriend, Kevin, but she wants to try to liven up the relationship in the bedroom. She wants to experiment with some of the things she has read in her favorite BDSM books. But, will this help or harm their relationship? Finally, Jess is involved bad boy, Riley, who she hopes will change his man-whoring ways for her. One thing the ladies have in common is their love of romance novels and believing that their love lives should mirror what they read. When real life issues affect each of their relationships, chaos ensues. Will each woman be able to save their relationships with the men in their lives? Are some even worth saving?
This book was very unique in that it was written from the four women's POVs, and almost every chapter began with their daily online chats with each other. These two things really helped move the story along quickly and kept my interest. Each lady found a place in my heart. Yes, there were times that I wanted to yell at them that life isn't a romance novel, but each endeared themselves to me. While I loved all the characters, my favorite couple was Lizzie and Edward. Sweet, sweet love story.
In addition, it was a great inside look at bloggers' lives and the friendship that develops between people online. It also reiterates the reality that daily life is very different than what you read in a novel. I loved, loved this book!!! It was the very first book I have read by Ryan Ringbloom, but it will definitely not be my last. It made me cherish the friendships that I have developed with several ladies I have met online. I truly cherish these women and look forward to chatting with them every day. Thank, Ryan, for a wonderful read!
December 22, 2014
Have you ever read a book that has reflected your actual life and as you read through it , you are like OMG I do that and that is so true and you can relate to the whole story. For me , that was Books, Blogs and Reality by Ryan Ringbloom. As a fellow book blogger, I have found that I have made so many facebook friends whom I can chat about anything with not just books but that's how we met. More often than not, I also find myself talking to them more than my "real" friends . This book introduces us to four book blogger friends who love romance reads - all sorts of romance and they chat about the books they have read, rate them and write their reviews which some are featured in the book. As well as their book chatting, we read about their "real lives" and how they have incorporated what they have read into their reality and discovered that reality is not like life in books. We have Brooke who has an office romance with her boss , only to discover that forbidden romances aren't what they are cracked up to be and that more often than not - feelings do get hurt and they don't end well. Rachel has always been a fan of the BDSM type novel and the sluttier and sexier the better, so when she adds that element to her romance - she discovers it's not like in the books and leads more to pain than pleasure. Jess is in love with bad boy player Riley, who sleeps around but can she make him fall in love with her and will he stop his player ways to be with her just like what happens in the majority of New Adult novels or will she discover that it only happens between the pages ? Last ,but not least Lisa - she got married straight out of high school and now she is wondering whether she did the right thing as the spark between her marriage has disappeared and her old what if ?? flame has gotten back in contact ?
This is one of those books where you have to read it if you love Books and Blogs as you won't be disappointed and readers this is one of my choice for the Best Books of 2014.
This is one of those books where you have to read it if you love Books and Blogs as you won't be disappointed and readers this is one of my choice for the Best Books of 2014.
January 22, 2015
I absolutely LOVED this book!!!!! When I began reading it, I thought I was reading a different book for review (the covers were extremely similar) and after I started I sat there thinking about how it was so much different from what I thought it would be, but in a good way!!!
Books, Blogs, & Reality had POVs from four different people, each were book bloggers that met online. I honestly didn’t think that I would be able to connect to all four since the book was only 200 pages, boy was I wrong. I think Ryan Ringbloom was able to form that connection for the reader. I also love how there was their online conversation and book reviews added in the book. There were sometimes that I was so engrossed in the character’s story that I didn’t want to change to read the next characters story, but the missing parts were filled in by some of their online conversations. I also love that the genre each character enjoyed is the reflected how they saw their love life. Rachel was into kinky stories and mixed that into her own love life. Jessica liked bad boy novels and had one of her very own that she thought she could change. Brooke just wanted to meet someone dark and handsome and enjoyed novels where the leads fell for each other. Then Lizzie loved romance as a whole and thought she was missing it in her own life.
I think readers will be able to relate to one of these characters if not more!!! I cannot wait to read more from Ryan Ringbloom!!
Books, Blogs, & Reality had POVs from four different people, each were book bloggers that met online. I honestly didn’t think that I would be able to connect to all four since the book was only 200 pages, boy was I wrong. I think Ryan Ringbloom was able to form that connection for the reader. I also love how there was their online conversation and book reviews added in the book. There were sometimes that I was so engrossed in the character’s story that I didn’t want to change to read the next characters story, but the missing parts were filled in by some of their online conversations. I also love that the genre each character enjoyed is the reflected how they saw their love life. Rachel was into kinky stories and mixed that into her own love life. Jessica liked bad boy novels and had one of her very own that she thought she could change. Brooke just wanted to meet someone dark and handsome and enjoyed novels where the leads fell for each other. Then Lizzie loved romance as a whole and thought she was missing it in her own life.
I think readers will be able to relate to one of these characters if not more!!! I cannot wait to read more from Ryan Ringbloom!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews