Welcome to this months #BuddyRead episode. What's a Buddy Read? Co-host Classy and I select a title that we'll either read, listen to, or a combination of both. Afterwards we come together to chat about it on the podcast! This is a candid and spoiler-filled convo.  We also get to talk about this book during a live book club chat, so you'll want to join the group on Facebook or BookClubz for an invitation to the next book club meeting!
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In this episode, we're discussing The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth. Be sure to check out the video version of this pod and watch the exclusive After Show on Patreon.

​This episode is sponsored by Mocha Girls Read ​

Don't miss the latest Shelf Byte episode! You'll hear a spoiler-free book or audiobook review in just a few minutes!
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Today, I'm sharing my thoughts on the The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid​. If you've read it, comment below and let me know what you thought of the book. 

Welcome to another #BuddyReads. What's a Buddy Read? Me and a fellow book nerd select a stand alone title that we'll either read, listen to, or a combination of both, then we chat about it on the podcast! This is a candid and spoiler-filled convo covering women's issues and adult topics, so you've been warned!

Classy Green, friend, fellow book lover, audiobook listener, and Shelf Addiction reviewer joined me on the podcast to discuss The Idea of You, by Robinne Lee. We both listened to the audiobook.

​If you've already read The Idea of You, leave a comment and let us know what you thought about it.

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin/Tantor Audio
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Format: Paperback/MP3 Download
Pages: Paperback: 372 | Audio Length: 11 hrs 55 mins
Narrator: Robinne Lee
Source: Scribd/Audible
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Fiction
Bookmark Rating: 2 - Tamara | 3 - Classy
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Synopsis:​ When Solène Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old owner of a prestigious art gallery in Los Angeles, takes her daughter, Isabelle, to meet her favorite boy band, she does so reluctantly and at her ex-husband’s request. The last thing she expects is to make a connection with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon. But Hayes Campbell is clever, winning, confident, and posh, and the attraction is immediate. That he is all of twenty years old further complicates things.

What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as Solène and Hayes navigate each other’s disparate worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways. And for Solène, it is as much a reclaiming of self, as it is a rediscovery of happiness and love. When their romance becomes a viral sensation, and both she and her daughter become the target of rabid fans and an insatiable media, Solène must face how her new status has impacted not only her life, but the lives of those closest to her.

Publisher: Double Day/Random House Audio
Release Date: June 11, 2013 
Format: Hardcover/MP3 Download
Pages: Hardcover: 403 | Audio Length: 13 hrs 53 mins
Narrator:​ Lynn Chen
Source: Scribd
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4 bookmarks

​Synopsis:  Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

The synopsis is true to the plot of the story. No hidden agenda here, you know going into it what type of book you're going to get. With all of the hoopla from the recent movie release, let's keep it real. You already know this is going to be a mostly light hearted, fun, dramatic, and a bit funny take on the extravagant lives of the "crazy rich" asians of Southeast Asia. If you go in expecting exactly that, you won't be disappointed. Is there vast and memorable character growth and reflection...no, not really. Is there lots of drama, fancy locations, romantic moments, and family drama...YES! Crazy Rich Asians takes you a fun and quick ride through the mega rich lifestyle many of us will never know.

When it comes to the characters, while I liked the main story of Rachel and Nick, I really enjoyed some of the characters that filled the subplot, mostly Astrid. Astrid's character almost steals the show in my opinion. I can't wait to find out what happens with her in the next book.

Publisher: Atria Books/Simon & Schuster Audio
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Format: Hardcover/MP3 Download
Pages: Hardcover: 352 | Audio Length: 13 hrs 6 mins
Narrator:​ Corey Brill, Rebekkah Ross
Source: Booksparks/Audiobook Publisher
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3 bookmarks

Synopsis: Lucy Albright is far from her Long Island upbringing when she arrives on the campus of her small California college, and happy to be hundreds of miles from her mother, whom she’s never forgiven for an act of betrayal in her early teen years. Quickly grasping at her fresh start, Lucy embraces college life and all it has to offer—new friends, wild parties, stimulating classes. And then she meets Stephen DeMarco. Charming. Attractive. Complicated. Devastating.

Confident and cocksure, Stephen sees something in Lucy that no one else has, and she’s quickly seduced by this vision of herself, and the sense of possibility that his attention brings her. Meanwhile, Stephen is determined to forget an incident buried in his past that, if exposed, could ruin him, and his single-minded drive for success extends to winning, and keeping, Lucy’s heart.

Alternating between Lucy’s and Stephen’s voices, Tell Me Lies follows their connection through college and post-college life in New York City. Deep down, Lucy knows she has to acknowledge the truth about Stephen. But before she can free herself from this addicting entanglement, she must confront and heal her relationship with her mother—or risk losing herself in a delusion about what it truly means to love.

*This audiobook was provided by  the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is not a love story. This book is not romantic. This is a story about dangerous and obsessive love with a strong statement about mental health. From lack of empathy to low self-esteem and eating disorders, there is a lot of internal conflicts that feed into this unhealthy relationship from both sides. I'm sure the ongoing drug use didn't help things. Consider this story more a cautionary tale of young and dumb love.

The characters are so realistic that when bad things happened, it promoted an audible reaction from me. Lucy and Stephan have the type of relationship that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Very dysfunctional. If you've ever dated even a mild sociopath, then you will be jarred by some of the things that Stephen does and that Lucy accepts.