Amy Lane does family like few others do. There's the family you're given and the family you make. Sometimes you got to love and keep both but often times it's the one you make that nourishes your soul.

 

I really enjoyed this one. It was a bit of a slow burn on but worth the wait when things finally came together. As always Ms Lane knew what she was doing and I was left with a short, sweet romance that came together beautifully. 

 

Philip Alces was the narrator for this book and I quite enjoyed his voices for both Emmett and Keegan and was given an enjoyable narration that enhanced a really sweet story.

 

This one definitely worked for me so far it's my favorite from these stories. But I've still got 2 stories to go...so we'll see what happens.

Initial reaction: I started reading this book back in 2012 as a galley and ended up finally picking it back up and finished this past year (2015). It expands upon some interesting topics in the realm of healthcare. Granted, while this was written before the execution of the Affordable Care Act, I would say this is a valuable read in terms of highlighting the problems that the health care system has and how those problems can grow if left unaddressed. It definitely made me think about such issues in more ways than one.

Full review:

I'll start this review with an anecdote on the importance of health care in the U.S. and how it's failing the people it's supposed to be serving. My sister and I were watching a segment on the news about a woman who had breast cancer. She lost her job because she was too sick to work and couldn't be covered under her employer's insurance. Because she didn't have a job, she couldn't afford health insurance. She tried signing up for Open Enrollment, but didn't qualify. She tried signing up for Medicare, but was denied because the state she lived in chose not to expand Medicare/Medicaid coverage. As a result, no doctors could/would see her, she hasn't been for a screening since 2012, and she's barely making ends meet after losing her father to cancer and taking care of a sick mother even when her own health isn't in the best of shape (though she is certainly willing to try to go back to work - she's since been contacted by a non-profit organization and she's trying to earn certification to work from home).

Cases like this drive me up the wall as someone who's passionate about and whose educational background are linked with the medical/healthcare field. I ended up picking up this book as food for thought and I thought it did an excellent job highlighting some of the major problems in the healthcare industry in the United States - from the shortage of doctors to the importance of lifestyle and environmental changes, to attitudes about genetic influences on health, to the roles of several key players in the healthcare system and overarching government roles. It touches on these issues in meaningful and expanded ways, though it is by no means an all-inclusive resource (and this is addressed in the preface as being a bit beyond the scope of the narrative, but I applaud that they touch bases on important points to consider).

I'd definitely say this is a good book to pick up as a resource in terms of looking at issues within the healthcare system - whether it be funding, processes, personnel, attitudes, and the overarching system in general. I found it a fascinating read, and will refer to it for future reference.

Overall score: 4/5 stars

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Dorsam Publishing/PRbytheBook.

Well that was rather lovely. Amy Lane could potentially be more book crack. I will be on the streets if this continues.

Little warning for those who don't like this kind of thing. Emmett does have a girlfriend for a portion of the book, I suppose that what happens could be seen as cheating but how he handles it was pretty perfect for me and made me fall a little in love with him.
"This is not your fault. You weren't being stupid, or blind, or even cheated on, at least not until this afternoon. I wanted to want you. You're terrific. You're beautiful and awesome and amazing. And I thought that if I was going to settle down with a girl, it would have to be you, because you are really wonderful."

I'm now fascinated with the idea of Beet Porridge and after a google I found that Amy Lane has published a recipe on her blog so this is getting made at some stage in the near future. We don't have chipotle chile bullion cubes over here though so I'll have to look into making a broth from scratch so that will be nice and toxic!!

Oh and an honorable mention goes out to George. The cat on the cover meant I had to read this and George was cranky and cool!

Food For Thought. It happens every time I read Amy Lane I'm impressed that she can make me feel so much. There was a moment so honest I misted up because that was spot-on how I felt when I realized the parental units were gone. This is a quirky tale about two dudes. I like the it-is-what-it-is quality to their relationship and the story. I think I’ll check out some of the other in this ‘CookBook’ series.

Emmett and Keegan are easily likable characters and I liked reading the banter between the two. The sense of ease they had even with the sexual tension. The sexual cooking/baking session could have set the book on fire, it was that hot.

The sense of empathy I had towards Emmett made it easy to forgive for hurting Christine like he did. Surprisingly I wasn't at all made when she found him cheating on her with Keegan mainly because their relationship seemed more like a very close friendship.

It was sweet how Emmett wanted to show Keegan how special he was with the date and whatnot.