Current Mood: Freaking Out.Erin McAvoy is living her best life. A lover of tacos, witty T-shirts, and Pinterest, Erin is always ready to tell you about her favorite thing—the animals she tends to at one of the nation’s best zoos. But then there’s that other thing she doesn’t like to talk about: how a supposedly-for-fun DNA test revealed that Erin has a strong genetic predisposition to breast and … predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer. She’d like to conveniently ignore that elephant in the room, except for the fact that unless she does something soon, Erin will miss out on her only chance to have a baby.
Up to this point, the only guy she’s needed in her life was a sloth—the animal kind, not the lazy kind—named Barry. Turns out, if you want to have a baby, a sloth is not the right man for the job. Growing up in a conservative family, Erin’s never even considered any other options, until now. She doesn’t have a lot of time to wait, and online dating isn’t for the faint heart.
When co-worker Xander Barnes—foe—or friend?—or maybe even more?—comes up with a plausible solution to give her the baby she wants, Erin realizes this may be her last chance to grab the tiger by the tail. Her family may not agree with her choices, but Erin knows that if one leopard can change his spots, then she can too. And maybe, just maybe, this will be everything she’s ever wanted.
Plus tacos.
more
Fun and witty, despite heroine Erin’s internal ticking timebomb
The acerbic wit that gets this heroine zookeeper through the day really made this a fun read. Erin has life and death decisions to make, but she’s always got time for tacos and a witty, play-on-words t-shirt. She deals with opinionated relatives, irksome colleagues and her beloved animal charges Barry and Bonnie sloth while her life roller coasters through health-worry lows and hormonal highs as she focuses on getting the most out of life while keeping the big C at bay. The sweet romance was like a bit of icing on the cake!. Erin is the low maintenance gal who would be a great friend if her life was not so fraught.
A delightful story with an affirming conclusion; I thoroughly enjoyed Erin’s journey
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
I enjoyed this book so much and not just because the heroine wore funny t-shirts and loved tacos. This book is all about being yourself and doing what you need to do. I can not praise it high enough!
Erin and I could easily be BFFs! I really enjoyed this read. Seize the Day isn’t your typical romance or romcom as there is definitely some heavy subject matter. However, the main character, Erin, will have you chuckling throughout with relatable (or maybe it’s just me?), very human moments. Her journey is not an easy one, but you’ll be rooting for her and turning the pages to see what happens next. Definitely recommend it.
Loved this book! I purposely waited until I needed a pick-me-up to listen to this book. Kathryn Biel’s books always have a way of amusing me. This is the second book in the series about women with the BRCA mutation. It did not disappoint. The characters were funny and relatable. I highly recommend this book to help ease the funk of being quarantined.
Kathryn R. Biel, ‘Seize the Day’
The UnBRACable Women Series, #2.
(BRCA: a genetic mutation which makes women susceptible to cancer in the breast or ovary).
As a Hidden Gems ARC reader I received a free copy and promised an honest review. Here it is.
Rating: 4 stars (of 5).
In general: Carpe Diem, from enemies to lovers.
Main characters:
– Erin (32).
She’s a Zookeeper who loves animals and is very happy in her job. She thinks that she has no time for boyfriends. But at her age the biological clock starts ticking and the discovery of BRCA makes it more urging.
– Xander Barnes.
Colleague of Erin. He’s looking good and has a ‘bad boy’ reputation so Erin loathes him and they bicker a lot. But she has to admit that he’s good with animals.
Erin and Xander both get a promotion at the Zoo and more often have to work together. Erin’s dislike for him reduces when she sees that he may have a sharp tongue, but also is a person who cares for her. And in a weak moment she informs him about her BRCA problem and confesses that she ‘s looking for an (affordable) way to get an artificial pregnancy before the cancer strikes and without hurting the feelings of her conservative mother too much.
Then the author, Kathryn R. Biel, describes how Xander helps Erin to achieve her dream. It includes a lot of technical info about artificial insemination (for this reader not the most interesting subject), but also many sassy dialogues and scenes in which women with the same problems try to help each other. An original plot with a foreseeable ending; for me a pleasure to read.
R. Huiszoon.
Fantastic book! The characters are funny, likeable and different. The story moves forward quickly; and the background zoo setting is fascinating and enjoyable. Couldn’t put the book down once I started it. An important and fitting follow up to Ready for Whatever!!