22 | April | 2022 | Hit or Miss Books

It is quite rare I read a story that features 1) a whole lot of food discussions that made me very hungry and 2) a soft and sensitive male main protagonist that was so loveable that he made me question why there aren’t more characters like him in the Young Adult Romance book world.

This author does romance pretty well, because she understands that it’s not realistic to make her lovey-dovey characters spend all of their energy either thinking about each other or being with each other. Both Penelope (Pen) and Xander have stuff going on in their lives: Pen is trying to make it on her own in the adult world, without the financial support of her family, and Xander is trying to find his father who left him when he was a kid without having his grandfather know about it.

But of course, the closer these sweethearts get, the more involved they are in each other’s lives, and the more they help each other with their respective goals and support one another. Props to the author for managing to make Penelope both soft and hard, lost and determined, loving and guarded. And props for normalizing having the girl make the first move, asking the guy out and encouraging him to get closer to her. It was quite empowering to read those scenes.

Where this story fell short for me was when it came to Pen’s father. He was far more one-dimensional than three-dimensional. Even though I kept hearing from so many characters that he’s an incredible man, with a big heart, and all, what I cared about was how he treated Pen and his treatment of her did not seem quite fair, so my feelings are rather mixed when it comes to him. The other thing is the neighbourhood’s ‘‘villain,’’ who just took advantage of a lot of people in the neighbourhood and was after Pen’s family’s restaurant itself. Here once again there is a one-dimensional character. It’s okay in the sense that not all villains need to be understood by the reader, but it did add a significant cliché aspect to the story.

Overall, though, it is a story with main characters worth getting to know and a lovely, evocative writing.

Thank you Hachette Book Group Canada for the book in exchange for a review.

I did not finish this book. It is one of a few titles that I have no regret about not finishing and, on top of that, kind of wish I never started it to begin with.

It is, quite frankly, a depressing read, so my review will be short because I do not want to spend too much time thinking about it. It is not exactly a ‘‘bad’’ book, unless your definition of a ‘‘bad’’ book is a book that sucks all of your energy and leaves you feeling a little hopeless about the world.

In that case, yes, it is a pretty bad book. I have read before quite a few stories with heavy themes and hard scenes, so I’m not one to shy away from those kinds of tales. But I am one to stay away from stories that are not balanced. HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE is not one of those balanced books. There are five times as many bad, negative, unfortunate scenes than there are positive, good, uplifting ones, and I think I am being a bit generous here.

Lala is part of a multi-generational cycle of violence and abuse and even worse within her own family. Sadly, she did not break this cycle herself because she married an abusive and manipulative man, who blames her for everything, especially the death of their child.

These stories are tough. There are so many moments of violence and disrespect and unfairness that it not only drove me crazy and made me sad, but it also made me quite anxious. It is not one of those books that made me want to turn the next page. Actually, I was really eager to get it done and over with, but alas I could not take more violence as it was affecting my mood quite a bit.

So goodbye, farewell.

Thank you Hachette Book Group Canada for the book in exchange for a review.