NEW ADULT BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ

I've been an avid reader since I was a kid, there's just something about the way a book can draw you into it's world, make you connect with the characters and their lives and emotions and have you laughing, crying and reeling with every word. While I don't read as often as I used to or would like to, the growing popularity of the 'new adult' genre - which is perfect for people like myself who are in their 20's and not quite ready for classic adult novels, but have outgrown YA - has been refreshing and exciting, and has really caught my attention and made me want to read more again!

I made a resolution to myself earlier this year to start reading more, and while I didn't quite keep that resolution at first, a recent work injury that's had me holed up recovering at home was the perfect opportunity to finally get to all the books I've been wanting to read! And believe me when I tell you, you NEED to check these out (if you haven't already). 

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

While Colleen Hoover has been trending for a while now (and yes, I did end up reading her bestseller 'It Ends With Us'), I'd been umm'ing and ahh'ing about grabbing one of her novels - that is, until I saw Ugly Love. I didn't even check out any reviews or anything, I was drawn to the cover, picked it up to read the blurb, and I was sold. I don't know about you, but I love a brooding, mysterious, sexy male lead, and Miles was definitely all that! The secrecy of Tate and Miles' non-relationship and all the back and forth and indecisiveness was frustrating but exciting, and there were definitely some great saucy scenes thrown in there *wink*. This book was honestly amazing, and it's up their as one of my all-time favourite reads! 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

I actually read this book maybe a year or two ago now for the first time, and I fell in love. Yeah, it's a little (okay, very) cheesy, but it was such a cute story with so much tension between Lucy and Joshua - which always makes for a great romance novel, in my opinion! The little games they would play, the bickering, the competition, the way they so clearly liked each other despite acting like they hated each other - I'd be constantly thinking to myself 'JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY'! Overall, a great read - and while there's mixed opinions on the movie (and it definitely differs a lot from the book, which was of course better), I'd say it's also worth a watch!

Confess by Colleen Hoover

This was my second Colleen Hoover read (I'd gone to buy It Ends With Us but it was sold out, and I needed another fix - this one stood out)! I feel like this one is super underrated compared to her other novels, because it's honestly one of my favourites! It's got tragedy, romance, drama, mystery - as well as a major element of domestic abuse so be warned if that may trigger you - but it was just such a well-written book with an interesting storyline, loveable main characters, and I loved the ending so much! This one's definitely worth reading, trust me!

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

The bestselling novel that people can't stop talking about - I'll admit, it caught my attention, but I didn't buy into the hype until I'd finished Ugly Love and was like, 'okay, that was amazing, I need more of this author'! And she delivered! While it still doesn't compare to Ugly Love (imho), I can certainly understand the hype! I couldn't put this book down, I was so invested in Lily's story, her past, her and Ryle's relationship, and learning more about Atlas and their story along the way. There's definitely romance in this book but I'd say it's more heavily about domestic violence - so a trigger warning to readers who may not be up for that! I actually had to put the book down after a certain part towards the end as it was too much for me, but I skipped ahead (bad reader habit, I know) and will definitely be sure to finish it before the release of 'It Starts With Us' later this month. While it's an emotional AF read, I definitely recommend checking this one out!

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

An office romance between a well-loved, intelligent assistant and her (beautiful) bastard of a boss? It's a classic storyline, albeit cheesy as hell - but that's why I love it! Chloe and Bennett have that lust/hate, push/pull tension going on from the start, and while there isn't really much going on outside of their office antics and hot hookups, this one's definitely very steamy and x-rated, which is part of what makes it a great guilty pleasure kind of read! Plus, it's just the first in a series of steamy romance novels from the author!

xx Chontelle Louise

TE AMO, BARCELONA

 

Back in May, after being unable to travel for so long due to Covid, I finally got to visit the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain. I've done my fair share of travelling, Europe as a whole being my favourite part of the world to explore - which is, of course, why I keep going back for more!

Barcelona is a city my mother has always wanted to visit, and one I've had on my list for some time now too.

If you're visiting Barcelona, there's one place you absolutely must visit - Park Guell. This UNESCO World Heritage Listed park was designed by famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, and honestly, as stunning as it is in photographs, getting to visit and explore it in person was just incredible. 

Another must-see when visiting Barcelona is no doubt La Sagrada Familia. Designed by Gaudi with construction starting back in 1882, this is the largest unfinished Roman Catholic Church (currently set to be completed in 2026), and it was absolutely breathtaking.

We stayed in a lovely hotel in a central location in the heart of the city's Gothic Quarter, Hotel Barcelona Catedral. The staff were lovely, the room was clean and spacious with a great view, the bed was incredibly comfortable, and we got to enjoy some down time in the sun at the rooftop pool. Plus, the hotel has a restaurant and bar downstairs, and while I usually prefer exploring and finding local spots to eat, I can honestly say the tapas here were delicious and had us coming back a fair few times during our stay!

We were in the perfect location for exploring the city, with "The World Begins With Every Kiss" Mural literally right outside our hotel, and the Barcelona Catedral right around the corner! We spent a lot of time wandering the streets and alleyways, and even got to see a Flamenco Show on our last night!

Of course, I can't forget to mention to food. I think I ate more in the short time we were in Barcelona than the majority of the rest of our Euro/Uk trip! Barcelona is filled with Tapas bars, which was perfect because we could always find somewhere to stop and get something tasty to fuel up on and enjoy some Sangria to wash it all down (because when in Barcelona, right)! 

And the bakeries are next-level - I can honestly say that the pastries and sweet treats I tried in Barcelona are the best I've ever had (yes, even better than anything I've tried in Paris)! You've also got to grab a Spanish hot chocolate if you're here!

This visit to Barcelona was short and sweet, but I can already say this city is up there (alongside Rome) as one of my favourite cities I've visited, and I'll definitely be returning one day!

xx Chontelle Louise

A DAY TRIP TO PARIS

 

One of the most beautiful cities I've visited, Paris is one of those ultimate must-see, bucket list places to visit at some point in your life. I first visited back in 2014 as part of my first ever trip to Europe, and instantly fell in love. So of course, while visiting family in London in May, I had to organise a day trip to see the city again (even if only for a few hours).

I did all of the main touristy things the first time round, and had been back for the day since a few years earlier, so with the short timeframe we really just wanted to relax and enjoy being in this beautiful city. Arriving around lunch time, we caught a taxi from Gare du Nord over to the famous Les Deux Magots, where we enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine and a tasty cheese platter while we soaked in the sun (of course, we'd arrived during an unexpected Spring heatwave) and the Parisian atmosphere.

We then spent a few hours strolling around the Latin Quarter and then past Notre Dame (which is still as stunning as always from the front, despite being closed for extensive repairs - I'm grateful we were able to visit it before the fire) and along the Seine. Literally just walking around and taking in this beautiful city, the architecture and the atmosphere, stopping to grab a crepe or check out the quaint little side streets along the way.

And of course, no trip to Paris is complete without seeing the main attraction - The Eiffel Tower. It's honestly just magical to see, this is the third time I've visited Paris and it's still just as breathtaking each and every time. By the time we'd made it here, we'd been walking around the city for hours and the temperature was around 35* (we were not prepared), but it was so worth it. We grabbed a crepe from one of the little stands near the tower and then made our way over to the Trocadero Gardens to get the best view and some photos - enjoy the photo another tourist took of mum and I below (that angle though)!

While our time in Paris was short and sweet, I'm glad we got to visit again and just enjoy being in this beautiful city! Next time though, it'll have to be a proper stay for sure.

xx Chontelle Louise

Moving Out for the First Time

 

Moving out of home for the first time is both an exciting and nerve-inducing part of life. There's no correct time or way to do it - but when you do, it's an amazing experience that'll give you an overwhelming feeling of achievement and independence.

I recently moved out for the first time with one of my best friends and her partner, and I've really been loving it. I've always been pretty independent so it's been great for me, but having a friend around has also meant it still feels like home and I've always got someone to hang out with in down time - which we've had a fair bit of lately with the whole Queensland lockdown we've just had. 

Sure, you'll have your challenges - missing home, adapting to new routines and motivating yourself to do things for yourself, bills, and working out how to live with people with different habits to your own for those of you who are sharing - but it's honestly all worth it in the end!

Here's some of my favourite things about moving out of home:

The Sense of Independence

As I mentioned, moving out of home gives you a real sense of independence. You're out on your own (even with housemates), you buy your own groceries, plan your own meals, can set things up to reflect your personality, can have who you want over when you want - there's a real freedom to it. 

Having Your Own Space

Living at home with family, boundaries are definitely a little more lax. Especially for me as someone quite private and independent, I feel more comfortable having more personal space and boundaries. Of course the boundaries are still a little less strict as I'm with a good friend, but I feel like I can have a private conversation, not be walked in on, or be questioned on what I'm doing so much. There's nothing wrong with that of course but for me personally it just gets a bit frustrating.

Valuing Your Family Time More

Going off the previous point, not having family on top of you all the time and being in each others space not only means you're going to be less frustrated with one another, but you're going to value and better enjoy the time you do spend with your family.

Open Communication

While this isn't present in all share households, it should be and enhances the whole experience. At home, even if you're paying rent, you've still got that parent and child dynamic going on. Out of home, you're all equals which means you all get to have your say in day to day life. It's great to be able to openly communicate your boundaries, expectations and interests for the household, and to work together to create a place that's comfortable and homely for everyone.

xx Chontelle

The Worst Experience

 

I'm a seasoned cat lady, I've had cats ever since I was little and I've had amazing moments, sad losses, and everything in-between. Currently I have two kitties - Jasmine and baby Misty, three including my mum's kitty Angel (Jasmine's daughter). I've had Jasmine literally since she was born - the runt of my previous cat Tiger's litter. She's 16 years old - 17 in September, so I've had her almost my whole life, and that's a strong bond. 

Three years ago Jasmine was diagnosed with Diabetes, which is a serious but manageable condition for cats. She requires insulin morning and night and eats a special diet for her condition. Recently, she hadn't been eating or drinking much and was more lethargic than usual, so I got her to the vet where she was put on fluids for dehydration and had some tests done. The vets were worried about her kidneys and her glucose being quite high, so we took her for a second day of being on fluids which finally had her improving and getting back to normal. Her bloods came back fine and it was really her kidneys she was having issues with likely due to her diabetes. This is where while it seemed like we were in the clear, things were going to go wrong. I bought a fresh vial of insulin as I was concerned the insulin she'd been taking had gone off and wasn't effective anymore. Getting fresh insulin would on almost all levels seem the perfect solution.

Jasmine was active and meowing and getting back to normal, so she came home and I gave her the fresh insulin as usual and fed her like normal around 7pm. Again, it seemed like everything was normal. Around 1am while I was laying in bed watching tiktoks, Jasmine laying next to me, I noticed that she was randomly twitching. At first I thought she may be having a nightmare, then thought she may be trying to move her arm that had a bandage on it constricting her a bit. I petted her and she was still twitching, and as I pulled her to me I realised something wasn't right. I quickly took her to mums room asking for the emergency vets number, and as I placed her down she fell onto her side no longer able to stand. This sent me from panicked to absolutely freaking out and distressed. I quickly got the vets number, called them and they said to bring her in.

It was maybe 2 minutes from the start of the twitching to her being unable to stand/move. The drive to the emergency vet took just under 10 minutes, and she'd begun seizing just before we turned into the vet. That's how fast it happened. She had to be resuscitated and I honestly thought I'd lost her, it was just awful. 

When the vet finally came in and said she was stable I was shocked but so relieved. Her glucose had dropped too low (2.2) and she'd gone into hypoglycaemia - diabetic shock. If I'd been asleep, or been a few minutes later, it could've been too late. In retrospect, and speaking to the vet about it, it seems like the old insulin had gone off and was ineffective for so long, that purchasing and using the fresh and effective insulin was too much for her and dropped her sugars right down. 

Thankfully, she was able to be stabilised and is alert and able to move again. She'll be at the emergency vet all night and I'll be up until I literally cannot stay awake because I'm still incredibly shaken and concerned, but at least I know she's currently doing well and receiving the care she needs.

This has been such a scary and stressful experience, and while this isn't the usual content I'd be writing on my blog I first of all needed to get it all out and do something as I try to calm down and process everything, and secondly wanted to share this in the hopes that it helps someone else to know the signs to watch out for and how quickly things can take a turn for the worse with a diabetic kitty.

I'm just grateful she is doing okay for now and we are going to hopefully get answers to what we can do to get my precious baby girl back under control and well again.

xx Chontelle