 Author: E. Lockhart Pages: 242 Overall: 5/5 Setting: 5/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 5/5 Cheers Factor: 4/5 Pairing: Keep it Classy This is for sure something the Sinclair family would drink in one of their many houses on the island. You cannot convince me otherwise. It’s not super boozy but anything in a champagne flute is an obvious win. Fair warning there are 2 ways to make this cocktail. I would have done the former, but there’s the lighter way and the boozier way. Take that as you will. Ingredients -Sparkling Lemonade - 1 1/2oz Empress Gin (it has the coloring otherwise everything is the same color) -For more boozy lemonade -Prosecco Instructions -Add sparkling lemonade to a glass. If you're doing it boozy add 2 oz lemonade and add prosecco leaving enough room for gin in flute -Using a stirring spoon carefully layer the gin on top diffusing the liquid so they layer -Enjoy responsibly  “This island of ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.”
Take a Shot: Cady comes from a wealthy family. And not just any kind of wealthy family, the kind of old Succession type money. Every summer the Sinclair daughters bring their families to the island to spend time together and with patriarch Harris Sinclair. That is until a disaster Cady can’t remember causes her to have horrible headaches and other physical imparities after she was found in the water near one of the homes a previous summer. This summer she gets to go back and finally see her friends, the Liars and maybe get some answers as to what happened. “You do not wish you were dead. Don’t say that.” Setting Something about a nice Hamptons style Martha’s VIneyard style house island deal really sells me. I think it’s overall very intriguing concept of their isolation on the island for the majority of the story which I think only highlights the important aspect of the story and plot. Characters Cady is an annoying and unreliable narrator and that’s the point. I don’t love stories with this type of trope, but I find I’m not mad about this one and its execution. I actually quite enjoyed it tbh. The set up of Cady being unreliable is incredibly important to the plot. I also love the other characters. I think they are all done in a great way. I like the dichotomy we get to see wight all the characters during their time on the island and as the story progresses how they feel the more they are together. I also believe that the parents are often forgotten characters, but I think they are actually some of the most interesting characters. More on this in the spoiler section cause this is spoiler free. Plots and Themes This book is still one of my favorite twists in a book from this era. I did not anticipate the twist and in retrospect I should have the first read, but forgive me as I was literally 14. 23 year old Ashlyn would catch it now, but I deeply appreciated it when I originally read it and it’s my selling point when convincing other people to read this book. I still think about it nearly 10 years later and that’s how you know the book was done well. Overall I love this book and would put it into the same category as In Five Years which is also another one of my favorite. Short and sweet but rotten on the inside trying to keep its secrets hidden that it has to tell you in less than 400 pages. Huge kudos to the author. I recently picked up b ook two that was recently published and it spurred the reread and i’m incredibly happy that I did end up picking it up and reading it this summer in the park. “It’s clear you want everyone to feel sorry for you. And we would, I would, but you have no idea how lucky you are.” Reasons to Raise a Glass - PLOT TWIST, rotten rich and spoiled Too Strong - I’d love to see this in a non YA context to be honest. It’s not really a critique just a desire to have the adult version of this book and wish it could go more along those lines given the adult content. Like a reboot. Maybe book 2 is that way so stay tuned “Be sad, be sorry - but don’t shoulder it.” Warning spoilers ahead if you read more. Proceed at your own risk!
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 Author: Julia Quinn Pages: 354 Overall: 5/5 Setting: 4/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 5/5 Cheers Factor: 4/5 Pairing: Say You love Me I think this drink is sweet and innocent and just the way that young love should be. I think it feels representative of the love that our protagonists eventually share in the novel and how it’s naive, precious and innocent before it becomes all consuming and a whirlwind affair that is true love and romance. Ingredients -2oz Gin -1 1/2oz lemon juice -1/2oz raspberry syrup -½ cup equal parts water and sugar with half a cult of raspberries bring to boil until fully combined strain out solids and voila raspberry simple -egg white -ice Instructions -Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice -Shake well -Strain into Coupe glass or glass of choice -Enjoy responsibly  Take a Shot: Anthony Bridgerton is the eldest of the Bridgerton siblings making him Viscount Bridgerton as his father died many years ago. Anthony took his fathers death quite hard and was barely able to watch his mother and her grief over the loss of the love of her life. Henceforth, Anthony has sworn off finding love in marriage and he’s now wanting to choose a suitable woman that checks his boxes so that he may fulfill his duty as Viscount by marrying and starting a family and dying young just like his father. However, love may just be right around the corner in the most unlikely of places.
“But love was the enemy of a dying man.” Setting I love the way that Quinn romanticizes Regency era London. Do not get me wrong I don’t think my ideal concept is using a chamber pot and having to use candlelight in order to do anything after dark. Truly Edison inventing the lightbulb is one invention I cherish in the modern day. That aside though I do love the way that we get to see the lives of these lovely and wealthy aristocratic characters at these lovely extravagant parties and balls. It makes the era seem like one you want to live in when in reality I would likely have been sleeping in a maid’s quarters instead of sleeping in a feather bed dreaming of the next masquerade. Characters I really do love the chance to get to see more of Anthony and being introduced to Kate. I like their enemies to lovers aspect we have going on. It’s a fun little vibe for them. I think the television adaptation took it and really ran with it, but I do appreciate that the book was a little more romantic in that it was quite clear they really did have feelings that were forming and we got to see them aside from just like huffing and puffing. “And there was Kate Sheffield. The bane of his existence. And the object of all his desires. All at once.” Plots and Themes I love a scandal and having to get married because of that. I think that was the best part of this book. Not to say that it hasn’t happened similarly in this series, but being caught by ones own mother is quite comedic and funny. It’s also nice that they aren’t particularly thrilled about being hitched to one another. I also loved the nuances that were there like Anthony comforting Kate during the thunderstorm. That was left out of the television adaptation for god knows what reason and it’s one of my favorite scenes of the entire book. I also really enjoyed that Edwina was quite literally not interested in the Viscount. In the show it seemed preposterous that sisters who are so close would have one not tell the other she’s in love with the man courting her sister and the other so blithely unaware of their feelings that they waited until they were at the altar to notice? But what do I know? “And it was stunning how he wanted to be the one to make her feel better.” Overall I really liked this book. I’ve said this about Bridgerton books before emphatically out loud and in reviews, but I love a good HEA (Happily Ever After) that you know is an HEA. There’s something really satisfying about reading a 300-400 page book and knowing what you are getting into. As someone who reads a lot of long series with twists and turns it was pleasantly surprising to find myself enjoying the predictability of the story lines. “And Anthony, who’d only just learned what it was to love, learned what it was to die inside. Reasons to Raise a Glass: Smut is good, Anthony is a good protagonist so is Kate, plays well with the series and is a great second novel proving Quinn can produce similar content without feeling repetitive Too Strong: Why are the main characters so silly and won’t admit they love one another? Personal preference it just bothers me Warning spoilers ahead if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk.  Author: Colleen Hoover Pages: 385 Overall: 4/5 Setting: 3/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot and Themes: 3.5/5 Cheers Factor: 4/5 Pairing: Self Love "I love it when the sky makes me feel insignificant." Ingredients -1 oz St. Germain -1/2 oz lemon juice -1 oz Empress Gin - Prosecco -ice Instructions - Combine St. Germain, lemon juice and gin in a shaker with ice -Shake and strain into a coupe glass -Top with prosecco -Enjoy responsibly  Setting
I like the big city setting we get in this novel. I personally have never been to Boston, but I do feel like I romanticize the idea of living in a big city as a young person. I also loved the way it wasn't detracting from the story and it didn’t take away from the quintessential plot line. Characters I think the way that the characters are written is very interesting. The flashbacks to see the old relationship versus the new relationship are very intriguing in the way that time is shown passing between present day and the past. I think it helps to give the characters growth and experiences without having to genuinely witness it. Plots and Themes This is such a deep book that totally hit me out of left field. I did not know anything going in to this book and it did indeed take me by surprise. It felt very similar to when I read In Five Years and it was a hard hitting in the same way. Overall It has taken me a few days to truthfully come around to liking it. And by a few days I mean a couple of weeks. I think at first, this novel felt very triggering for a multitude of reasons and then I began to respect it as I continued to reflect. I think my heart hurt a lot and processing that was very difficult. Too Strong - check trigger warnings before reading Reasons to raise a glass - painful, but in a good way "Just because someone hurts you doesn't mean you can simply stop loving them." Warning spoilers ahead. Proceed at your own risk.  Author: Faridah Abike-Lyimide Pages: 480 Overall: 4.5/5 Setting: 5/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot and Themes: 5/5 Cheers Factor: 4/5 Pairing: Aces This drink has one of my favorite gins. If you have been here for a while you know that's Empress so I naturally had to use it again. Ingredients -2oz Grapefruit Juice -1oz lemon juice -½ oz simple syrup -1 ½ oz Empress Gin -ice -Lemon Wheel for Garnish Instructions -Combine grapefruit juice, lemon juice and simple syrup in a shaker with ice -Shake and strain into glass with fresh ice -if using optional garnish of lemon wheel(s) place in glass with ice before adding gin -Gently layer gin -Enjoy responsibly  “Small, because the smaller the group, the less people know about you - and the more they want to know.”
Take a Shot: Chiamaka and Devon are two students at Niveus Private Academy. They are also the only two black students and when a suspicious anonymous online bully by the name of Aces starts spreading the secrets of both Devon and Chiamaka we start to find that it might have more to do with the color of their skin than we originally thought. Setting I loved the private school aspect that we get from this title. I think that the idea of a private school is always illustrious to those of us who never went to one. I also like the combination of a US private school using british private school concepts like Head Prefect and Head Master. Characters I really loved the characters of this with the exception of Chiamaka at most times. I felt her to be wholeheartedly mislead in a lot of her beliefs and I wanted to shake her when it became wildly apparent what was happening. As such an intelligent character it took her far too long to figure it out and discover that her friends would be the first to betray her. Plot and Themes I loved the truth to the story and the authenticity of the plot. I knew it was written so well when I felt angry and frustrated enough to want to put the book down. Kudos to the author for such an enthralling tale of injustice. Conclusion If you like Gossip Girl mixed with the evil A from Pretty Little Liars then this is the book for you. The author even mentions both of those concepts as inspiration for Aces and I had said that before even finishing so it hit the nail on the head. Reasons to Raise a Glass: Stellar writing, easy emotional investment, stand alone, LGBTQ+ BIPOC!!! Too Strong: Chi annoyed me sometimes with her optimism “I lose parts of him constantly. This was bound to happen someday.” Warning spoilers ahead if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk.  Author: Katharine McGee Pages: 374 Overall: 4.5/5 Setting: 4/5 Characters: 4.5/5 Plot and Themes: 5/5 Cheers Factor: 5/5 Pairing: Empress Gin French 75 I know it’s the same drink as the first novel’s pairing, but this book felt like it was such a switch up when really it was the same so it felt fitting to change the flavor profile but keep it relatively the same. Ingredients -1oz Empress Gin -½ oz lemon juice -½ oz simple syrup -prosecco (or whatever sparkling wine you like) -ice -optional lemon peel Instructions -Add ice, gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to shaker -Shake and strain into champagne flute -Top with sparkling wine of choice -Option to garnish with lemon peel twist -Enjoy responsibly  “Facimus quod faciendum est. We do what we must.”
Take a Shot: In an America with Royals and the recent death of the monarch Beatrice must step up and take the throne long before she thought she would. She also must marry because of political instability due to her gender. She’s also marrying the man her sister loves and Sam is not about that. Nina and Jeff are no longer dating because of the way the media harassed her and Daphne sees this as her in. Read along as these characters all navigate their way through heartbreak and back to love. “In real life, no one would make the person they loved social climb to prove their worth.” Setting I said this last time, but I love the setting. I also love the addition of new locations and new names like Orange for what is now the California region. I love the changes that the residence gets too and the more we get to see as wedding preparations begin for the family. Characters Once again the characters are so good and I loved them a lot. I think in this one we see a lot more in depth sides of all characters particularly Daphne and that’s really refreshing to see and a reason to read in and of itself. I still want more of the other characters, particularly Jeff. He’s literally a royal sibling and he’s in like a pitiful amount of chapters. Plots and Themes The flip of the storylines from the first book was great to see how the characters come back. I originally was not a fan, but about halfway through fell in love with the way that the story was working. Each of the characters really changed and grew into themselves and it’s great to see. The theme of the character growth was my favorite part. Conclusion I think I originally was hesitant and didn’t love the book, but kept reading and truly grew to respect a lot of the characters and their decisions. It was truly a great duology. Reasons to Raise a Glass: character growth, realistic relationships Too Strong: WHERE IS MORE JEFF?, it’s hard to get through the beginning until you understand the characters motives Warning spoilers ahead if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk!  Author: Katharine McGee Pages: 448 Overall: 4.5/5 Setting: 4/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 5/5 Cheers Factor: 4/5 Pairing: French 75 This is a very regal drink in my opinion that then goes beyond just being champagne or prosecco so it felt fitting for our cast of royals, tangential royals, and friends. Ingredients -1oz gin (I used Breckenridge) -½ oz lemon juice -champagne/prosecco, really whatever your favorite sparkling wine is you can switch it up and do cava too for my Spanish friends (; -dash simple syrup -lemon peel -ice Instructions -Add ice, gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to shaker -Shake generously -Strain into champagne flute (you could do a coupé glass but for this mix of a cocktail I think a flute is best to keep as much of the bubbles present as possible) -Top with sparkling wine of choice -Garnish with lemon twist -Enjoy responsibly *fun fact: the glass pictured below recently shattered into my dishwasher so this is my memorial to the glass itself  Take a Shot: What would happen if George Washington hadn’t been the President of the United States and instead the Washingtons became the royal family of the United States? Well this book explores that as the three siblings of the royal family are the modern American equivalent of royals. Told from four women’s perspectives it’s a great look into the lives of a royal and those who run in the sphere of the family itself.
Setting It’s interesting to think about the White House being a palace, but it was definitely very interesting to see the way that the US could end up having royal estates. I loved all the parties that our characters were able to go to and all of the opulence that does exist for the rich and wealthy as well as political figures currently, but it was fun seeing it in a royalty context. Characters I love the way that we get the four different young women to follow in their stories. We get Sam who has a wild side, Nina who just wants to be herself, Beatrice who feels the pressure of the monarchy and Daphne who is manipulative until the end. Truthfully the range of all these lovely characters is the best part of them and it shows the depth of understanding McGee had for her characters. Plot and Themes I think the plot and themes are truly interesting and I love a good royalty novel, but I think it’s really neat to see it in an American context. I also felt that the story moved very well and wove all four of our main characters together quite well. Conclusion This book is really amazing and is great for fans of The Selection by Kiera Cass. It’s really well written and the story follows an entertaining format. Reasons to Raise a Glass: STRONG. FEMALE. CHARACTERS., four perspectives, dystopian but not, fun concept Too Strong: not enough communication between characters, not enough of the brother or other characters outside of our 4 Warning spoilers ahead if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk!  Author: Chris Bohjalian Pages: 499 Overall: 3.5/5 Setting: 4/5 Characters: 3/5 Plot and Themes: 3/5 Cheers Factor: 3/5 Pairing: Not My Vacation This tropical drink fits this book because it’s a great summer travel read. I also like that it’s a tropical inspired drink that someone traveling would be expecting, only Cassie is the one who would be serving said drink because she’s not the one on vacation she just does her job at 35,000 ft. Ingredients -2 ½ oz Empress Gin -2oz Pineapple Juice -2oz Lemon Juice -1oz Orgeat Syrup -Ice -Optional Pineapple Wedge Instructions -Combine pineapple juice, lemon juice and orgeat syrup in a shaker with ice and shake -Strain into a Tom Collins glass over fresh ice -Layer gin on top -Optional Garnish with Pineapple wedge or edible flower (if it’s not edible just don’t eat it) -Enjoy responsibly!  “The truth was, there was nothing casual about casual sex.”
Take a Shot: Cassie is a flight attendant that lives the lifestyle to the fullest. With no ties she finds herself living dangerously and drinking her free time away. That is until she wakes up in the bed of the cute guy from 2C in the first class cabin on her route to Dubai and rolls over to find him dead and herself covered in his blood. To make things worse she has no recollection of the night before due to her blackout and she knows she has to leave or be charged in Dubai for his murder. “In the meantime, she would brace for impact.” Setting I really love the idea of having a flight attendant be the main character because of all the fun places the book can take place. Like I loved that we go from Dubai to New York then to Italy. I also love the travel references of first class cabins and all the joys that come from fun international travel. It reminded me of the fun times that I have had while internationally traveling prior to the pandemic. Characters I hated Cassie. Like really almost the entire time I didn’t feel like I was rooting for her. It pissed me off the way she acted and the way that she was so immature about a lot of serious situations. I did like the depiction of her addiction because that felt real and I guess it influenced her personality and her decision making, but it still made me angry. I really loved Enrico though and he saved it for me. I would love to date a cute Italian bartender who is as sweet as him. Plots and Themes I liked the plot of this book, but it kind of had me bored. I have a feeling that the TV show made it more sensational than the book did. A lot of the investigation made me hesitant to believe that it was accurate. It just felt predictable and slightly boring. Conclusion If you are a fan of The Girl on the Train or anything by Gillian Flynn you will like this. It’s a good thriller type mystery novel that I did really like, but it wasn’t entirely my favorite. It was, however a good vacation read. Reasons to Raise a Glass: Easy travel book, thriller aspects, murder mystery Too Strong: Cassie’s personality, seemingly low stakes despite it being a murder? Warning spoilers ahead if you click read more. Do not click read more unless you want spoilers!  Author: Rebecca Serle Pages: 255 Overall: 4/5 Setting: 4/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot and Themes: 4/5 Cheers Factor: 4/5 Pairing: Bright Side This is a light pairing that’s super tasty and reminds me of our main characters best friend Bella. It also reminds me of my best friend Bella with the light taste and possibilities for cute presentation. Ingredients 1 ½ oz gin (I used Breckenridge) ½ oz Aperol 1 oz lemon juice 1 egg white Aromatic Bitters Lemon wheel Ice  Instructions
-Fill shaker with ice -Add gin, aperol, lemon juice and egg white to shaker -Shake for about a minute -Strain into a glass without ice -Garnish with bitters and lemon wheel -Enjoy “This is the thing she’s wanted forever. This right here. This is love.” Take a Shot: Dannie has it all. The boyfriend, the work ethic, and soon to be the job after her interview. On the night of her engagement she falls asleep only to wake up five years later in a bed that isn’t hers, an apartment she’s never been in, in a neighborhood she detests, wearing a ring that isn’t her engagement ring and with a man who isn’t her fiancé. The catch is, it’s five years later. After an hour in this future time, Dannie returns to herself in present time and can’t shake the thought of her night five years from now. “She is life incarnate. What would happen if we just pretended we’d never heard?” Setting I love the New York setting of this novel and it did a great job of not over explaining to the degree of becoming too minute in the details that I wouldn’t feel lost. Personally, I liked the details we were given and it was fitting Characters I didn’t love the characters individually, but I loved the relationships the characters had with one another. I loved the depth of the relationships that we didn’t see. It was reminiscent of Normal People to me which is beautifully private while still being a book. The friendship between the main character and our best friend is just so sweet and the kind of friendship that I feel like I don’t read frequently enough. I love the love displayed outside of romantic relationships towards other characters. Plot and Themes This one hit me with the We Were Liars kind of feel and I really liked the plot. It was meant to be a quick short novel so it felt somewhat underdeveloped and I don’t entirely love all of the insinuations throughout. However, I think it’s overall very moving and as someone who has experienced a lot of similar experiences to those depicted in the book it felt very real and raw. Conclusion I would recommend this book to anyone who loved We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and Normal People by Sally Rooney. Reasons to Raise a Glass: friendship between main character and best friend, ending tie in Too Strong: the pacing, realistic factors of real life were ignored To read a more of my thoughts including spoilers click read more!  Author: Emma Straub Pages: 356 Overall: 2.5/5 Setting: 3/5 Characters: 2/5 Plot and Themes: 2/5 Cheers Factor: 2/5 Pairing: Dirty Martini Because there isn’t something that seems more adult than basically drinking vodka straight with olive juice. Ingredients -2 ounces Grey Goose Vodka (any good quality works but I personally like Grey Goose the best) -1 ounce dry vermouth -½ ounce olive brine -2 olives -ice -toothpick Instructions -In a shaker combine the vodka, vermouth and olive brine together with ice -Stir together with a stirring spoon -Strain into chilled martini glass -skewer olives on toothpick and use for garnish -Enjoy  Take a Shot: Astrid is a mother to her three grown children with budding families of their own experiences, a life changing event that has her questioning everything about the way she is living her life. In a weird series of events all of her children end up back in their hometown and confront the demons of growing up and the imperfections that life brings about and parenting.
 Author: Adam Silvera Pages: 389 Overall: 3.5/5 Setting: 3/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 4/5 Cheers Factor: 3/5 Pairing: Virgin Lemon Drop Martini I recently found this fun mocktail account that’s inspiring me so here is a mocktail for this book because any alcohol would have made me cry more while reading it. "I wasted all those yesterdays and am completely out of tomorrows." Ingredients -2 oz lemon concentrate -2oz water -1 oz simple syrup -dash of bitters -lemon zest -sugar -ice Instructions -Grate a lemon peel for zest -combine with sugar -dip martini glass in a plate with water so the rim is wet -combine all liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake -strain into glass and enjoy “You definitely don’t need the same blood to lose a part of yourself when someone dies.”  Take a Shot: In this fantasy of the real world a service by the name of Death Cast exists. Death Cast is a service that calls people on the day of their death. On this fateful day strangers Rufus and Mateo both receive their calls. Determined to live out their last day by going out with a bang Rufus and Mateo find each other on Last Friend an app for Deckers (people who are set to die) and those who wish to spend their last days with them.
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Cheers FactorEach book here at Cheers&Chapters is rated based off of certain categories that are genre specific, however every book will get a Cheers Factor. The Cheers Factor is how much we wanted to raise our glass while reading it. So get your glasses ready and cheers! Archives
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