This is Not the End - Book Review

 

This is Not the End by Sidney Bell
Publication date: January 11, 2021
Pages: 216 pages
Genre: Non-traditional relationship; Polyamorous romance
Rating: 3/5 stars ☆☆☆
Strengths: Steamy sex scenes
Weaknesses: Characters felt like stereotypes

Zac and Anya are a unique couple. He's a rockstar, and she's a former model turned photographer. They got married when she got pregnant, but marriage didn't change much about their hedonistic lifestyle. They still like to bring an extra male pick-up to their bedroom from time to time, but it doesn't change who they are and their love for each other.

As a birthday present for Zac, Anya wants to invite his best friend and bandmate, Cal, to their bed. She's sure there's some chemistry there, but Cal isn't one to open himself to personal conversations, so she really doesn't know much about him. She's quickly able to determine that he is attracted to her, but somehow even Zac isn't sure if Cal is bisexual. But when we're reading a polyamorous love story, we can be pretty sure all three of them will end up getting along.

The sex scenes were steamy (or I'm just old and out of practice). But Anya's prowess as a brilliant, ultra-mature communicator felt a little forced. Her biggest role in the store seemed to be facilitating understanding and navigating all secrets and conflicts for Zac and Cal. Oh, and every once in a while we were reminded that they had a child together, so they were a real family.

I can overlook a lot just to enjoy a happy ending. Because 'end' was in the title, I kept expecting the final chapters of the book to not be happy. Without offering too much of a spoiler, I thought the ending of the book, and how the book ended up with its title, just perfect. Overall I'd give this book 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for those who enjoy reading about non-traditional relationships.

Thank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for my copy of the book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

The Boiling Season - Book Review

 

The Boiling Season by Christopher Herbert
Publication date: February 28, 2012
Genre: Literary fiction
Rating: 3.5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Beautiful writing and descriptions
Weaknesses: No sense of urgency, just slow realization

What a beautiful story, about a not-so-beautiful time. 

Alexandre isn’t really trying to ignore the poor village where he grew up and those who still live there. He just wants to rise above, and doesn’t understand why anyone else wouldn’t want the same for him and for themself. While others see Alexandre as being meek and doing what his rich bosses order without question, he only sees the material comforts and luxuries he gets by playing along. Who wouldn’t want less struggles, right? He fails to see how his playing along impedes the revolution or keeps his former acquaintances living in sad shacks and squalor.

The graphic descriptions of the opulent homes and places the rich people visited were clearly presented in extreme contrast to the shanty towns and barely functioning structures where so much of the rest of the people lived. Without spoiling the story, Alexandre’s determination and life experiences save him from much exposure to those who struggle early in the book. Observing his evolution to gain more understanding of the world around him was both rewarding and sad.

Overall, I’d give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. The telling of it was gorgeous, even when the actual story progressing became more and more about conflict, violence, and personal desperation. It could be recommended to those who enjoy literary fiction and historical fiction.

Dear Santa - Book Review

 

Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle
Publication date: October 16, 2018
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Christmas
Rating: 3/5 stars ☆☆☆
Strengths: Cute story, fun 'history'
Weaknesses: Completely predictable (not entirely a bad thing)

This was a Hallmark/Netflix Christmas movie in book form :) Angela Carson owns the quaint Heart of Christmas store in Pleasant Sands, North Carolina. It's been in her family for generations, and her great-great-grandparents were the lighthouse keepers of the building before it became the store. Unfortunately, sales have been declining in the past couple years, and with the arrival of mass-retailer Christmas Galore, the end of the legacy is looming large.

Angela has no idea what she'll do next, and her adorable niece encourages her to write to Santa for help. When she writes to Santa (assuming any response she gets will be an auto-responder), they develop a correspondence where Santa insists he's a real person, and his encouragement makes her feel better about the inevitable closing of her business. She puts aside her initial doubts about the Dear Santa app is sponsored by Christmas Galore and just takes the comfort where she finds it.

We all know what will happen between the Christmas Galore owner and Angela, don't we?  While predictable, this book would have just made me mad if it was ended any other way. The setting of Pleasant Sands and the Heart of Christmas store sounded so appealing and cozy. Overall, I'd give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It would be a fun read for anyone who enjoys Hallmark movies in print, holiday stories, and simple happy endings.

A Princess by Christmas AND A California Christmas - Book Reviews

 

Thank you so much to Harlequin and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review these two fun holiday books. Receiving them for free did not influence my reviews.

I loved being invited to check out a couple of the Harlequin Christmas tales, since I'd previously reviewed books from the same authors and series before (A Royal Kiss and Tell last June, and Christmas in Silver Springs a little more than a year ago). There's something altogether comforting about returning to familiar book settings and characters when real life is so unpredictable, you know?

A Princess by Christmas by Julia London - This is the third book in the Royal Wedding series. I read the first one where Eliza and her prince got together, but didn't review all the details of the courtship between Caroline and her prince. 

This charming Christmas story finds us with Hollis Honeycutt and her so fun Ladies Gazette. I loved the excerpts and gossip from her gazette that have been shared in the books in the series. The outspoken widow has been doing just fine in the four years since her husband's death, and hasn't even noticed anything missing from her busy life, until she meets a man who gives her thoughts and feelings she doesn't remember having since she was with her first husband.

The characters and their fancy lives in and around the old Victorian Christmas season were a fun escape and quite entertaining. I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for those who enjoy this time period, or historical romances in general. ⭐⭐⭐

A California Christmas by Brenda Novak - This was the seventh book in the Silver Springs series. I've only read the one from last Christmas (book 6) and this one. The small town of Silver Springs has its share of troubled characters, especially those involved with the New Horizons school specifically for youth with sketchy pasts. Most of the residents, of course, are completely lovable once you get to know them.

Emery Bliss was from the rich school in town, but after high school she moved to LA to be a famous news anchor. It's going well, til revenge porn is posted by her co-anchor, and she comes back home to nurse her emotional wounds and hide from those who want to talk about her fall from grace. Unfortunately, her parents have left town and are focused on their own bitter divorce. Emery stays with Aiyana's house (just off the campus of New Horizons) and ends up meeting one of Aiyana's adopted sons (Dallas Turner, now an adult) who is just home for the holidays, and to help with Aiyana's wedding. I think we can see where this is going, right? ;)

Dallas wants to save those who have suffered injustice, mostly in private tribute to his inability to save his own sister. But he'll need to learn this before he can work through his own commitment issues and really move on with his life.

There's a lot of trouble in the world, but in Silver Springs we know there will be a happy ending within a few hundred pages, right? I'd give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for readers who like contemporary romance stories. ⭐⭐⭐

As corny as it sounds, my time away from the tv (which for this month is all cheezy Hallmark/Netflix holiday stories) is the same stories in book form. Hahahaha.... 

What books do you enjoy reading to warm your heart for the holiday season?

Breath Like Water - Book Review

 

Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab
Publication date: May 19, 2020
Pages: 416 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Young adult

Rating: 3.5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Dealt with deeper issues (mental health), nice storytelling, consistent pacing
Weaknesses: No big 'ah-ha'

Susannah Ramos was once a world champion swimmer. But as puberty hit and her body changed, she lost the speed that once came so naturally. A new coach could help her turn it back around. Or a romance with a new team member could distract her and steal the focus she needs to finally win again. 

This book was a real roller coaster of emotions. The good and the bad kept rolling at Susannah. Every time she seemed to be conquering one challenge, another would rear its ugly head. The success of the book, however, comes from watching Susannah's character develop and mature in spite of (or because of?) all the tough decisions she needs to make and act on.

Overall, I'd give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. Susannah wasn't a very likable character, but she tried. Her romantic interest was also hit or miss for me. The storyline was believable and teen angst-y. The swimming competition parts also felt sincere.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

The Ten Thousand Doors of January - Book Review

 

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Publication date: September 10, 2019
Pages: 374 pages
Genre: Literary fiction, Fantasy
Rating: 5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Beautiful prose, unique story, complex characters
Weaknesses: Hard to 'rush'

I really loved this book. After a brief intro to what is January Scaller's current life, the story breaks off into another 'book' about the same Doors that January has mysteriously experienced. The stories eventually converge to a beautiful, multi-dimensional adventure.

It's hard to say too much about this book without spoiling what evolves. Essentially the whole book is about January's life and history. While the Doors do lead to other worlds with different creatures in some cases, the fantasy aspect of the book doesn't usually extend to realities much different from those we know. While it's definitely a fantasy novel, I think readers who are not usually fans of fantasy can find it enjoyable as well.

Overall, I am so happy my book club picked this as our book to read together and discuss. I gave it 5/5 stars and would definitly list it as one of my favorite books and recommend it to a wide variety of adult readers. 

A Wild Winter Swan - Book Review

 

A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire
Publication date: October 6, 2020
Pages: 256 pages
Genre: Literary fiction, fantasy
Rating: 4/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Beautifully told, interesting adaptation of The Wild Swans
Weaknesses: Lack of urgency

Laura lives with her paternal grandparents in New York City. Her father died before she was born, and then when her brother died a few years after that, her mom became unable to care for her. Her grandparents are old-school Italians who own a grocery store they've built to be more successful over the years. 

As they approach Christmas, Laura's grandparents are trying to give the impression of even more success so they can get her grandma's rich brother-in-law to invest in the store and help them keep going. In the midst of all this, Laura gets expelled from her private school for lashing out at the girls who have bullied her for years. To further complicate matters, the day after Laura reads Hans Christian Anderson's story of The Wild Swans to the first graders she reads to after school, a boy with one swan arm lands on the roof outside her window.

Most of the story comes together as Laura tries to help her grandmother and their housekeeper put on an impressive Christmas dinner while hiding and trying to figure out how to help the swan/boy. The story of the immigrants life in the city in the early 1960s is charming and engaging. I enjoyed watching Laura try to meet all the expectations made of her for her behavior and responsibilities, while she tried to write her own story and decide what she really wanted. 

Overall, I liked the story more in retrospect than I did as I read it, if that makes sense. While the half swan boy was probably just a fantasy, all of the story was easy to imagine as Laura's real life, and that of her grandparents. I'd give the book 4 out of 5 stories and recommend it as a pleasant, non-traditional Christmas read.

The Lost Orphan - Book Review

 

The Lost Orphan: A Novel by Stacey Halls
Publication date: April 7, 2020
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 3.5/5 stars ☆☆☆
Strengths: Story, characters, background
Weaknesses: Could have used more historical details

Bess Bright gives birth to her daughter and knows she can't support her yet. The baby's father is not named or available, and a baby not only doesn't contribute, it would keep Bess from being able to do her job as a hawker to help feed her father and herself. She takes the small baby to the foundling hospital just hours after its birth, and is lucky enough for the baby to be deemed healthy, and get one of the infant spots available. The baby will be raised in the country, and then brought back to the foundling when she's a bit older to be trained for a job. Bess also makes sure to confirm that she can pick her child back up once she's able to reimburse the foundling hospital for her care while Bess is away.

But when Bess shows up a little more than six years later, they tell her that she picked the baby up only the day after she left her. What's a poor, uneducated, single mother to do to try and get her child back? A lucky coincidence reveals to Bess where her daughter is, but not how she got there. Bess creates a fake name and persona to work as a nursemaid, caring for her own daughter. What will a mother do to be able to love and care for her child?

The story itself was so sad. Lots of women had to leave their babies with the foundling hospital. Hopefully not too many found their child claimed by a fake mother, though. Learning about Bess, and the only mother her daughter knew before Bess returned was interesting. The sincerity and compassion with which Bess addressed and treated those around her was heartwarming.

Overall, I'd give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was an enjoyable read for someone who enjoys historical fiction.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

In Five Years - Book Review

 

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Publication date: March 10, 2020
Pages: 266 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Rating: 4.5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Story/plot
Weaknesses: Realism/big roomie apartments for young people in New York

This is another book I added to my TBR list and requested from the library after seeing lots of other positive reviews. Luckily I loved it too, although it's hard to talk too much about without spoiling it.

Dannie and David are the perfect couple - they fit! The night after Dannie aces an interview for her dream job, David delivers her dream proposal. Her life is still completely on track. But that night, she has a dream for an hour or so of herself in a totally different life. Different apartment, different ring, different guy! She does notice that the time/date in the dream is in five years. Being the planner that she is, she decides to make sure none of that is a possibility, since it isn't part of her master plan. 

Dannie is a smart, strong female character. The book is really more about her relationship with her best friend since childhood, Bella. To meet them on the street, Bella and Dannie are opposites. Dannie is organized, competent, smart, and successful. She describes Bella as gorgeous, a free spirit, maybe a bit flighty, and falling in love easily. But maybe there's more traits they share than Dannie has realized before?

I loved all the feels in this story. She does indeed catch up with her 'in five years' vision, but not in any way that's imaginable from the beginning of the story. I loved reading this book and I'd give it 4.5/5 stars. It's not the first book this year that I've read that dealt with a lot of grief, but not in a sad way, if that makes any sense. I enjoyed reading it and couldn't wait to find out how it all fit together. 

Long Bright River - Book Review

 

Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Publication date: January 7, 2020
Pages: 492 pages
Genre: Literary fiction, mystery/thriller, family drama
Rating: 4.5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Story, characters, emotion
Weaknesses: Punctuation style

The story is told by Michaela Fitzpatrick, usually known as Mickey. She and her sister Kacey were raised by their emotionally abusive grandmother after their mother died as a result of her opioid addiction. As a teenager, Mickey watched Kacey fall victim to drug addiction and life on the streets of their Philadelphia neighborhood as well. 

Now adults, Mickey has become a police officer and patrols the streets where Kacey can usually be found. When a few street girls end up  murdered, Mickey realizes she hasn't seen Kacey in at least a month, and Kacey's friends on the streets confirm that Kacey has disappeared from all her regular hang-outs. 

The book follows Mickey, trying to protect the street girls on her patrol, find her sister, and figure out who is murdering the girls. Unfortunately, the more info Mickey finds out, the harder it is to trust anyone to help her solve the mystery and save more girls from being killed. 

This book is fiction, but the story it tells is true for too many. Addiction victimizes so many people who may have grown up seeing it destroy those around them, and they still often can't find a way out. Their story was told beautifully by Mickey's narration (although I wish she had some traditional punctuation for her dialogue!). 

I'd give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for readers who enjoy police procedurals, family dramas, and stories about the battles against opioid addiction. The characters were multi-faceted and showed their good sides and their bad sides in equal turns. 

One Perfect Summer - Book Review

One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak
Publication date: April 7, 2020
Pages: 464 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Characters, interesting plot
Weaknesses: Some characters were pointless

In the interest of research for the true crime books she writes, Serenity takes a DNA test. Imagine her surprise when she's then put in contact with TWO women who have also taken the test and find they're all half sisters of each other! 

After chatting online for a bit, the sisters decide to meet, and hopefully figure out the details of how they're related. Serenity was raised in a happy family with three other siblings, and her parents are still together, so who isn't telling the truth about her parentage? Lorelei was found wandering the streets of Orlando and grew up in foster homes - is her birth mother the one who abandoned her and never returned to claim her, or is there more to her story? Reagan was raised by a single mother and told her father died when she was two-years-old. Where's the link that will connect the sisters biologically?

The sisters each arrive at Serenity's family cabin in Lake Tahoe with their own troubles. Their parentage may be the least of their concerns this summer, but they are committed to the idea of being sisters, and being there for each other. 

Each of the sisters was so unique and still likable. This book was so engaging and had the reader pulling for a happy ending for all of the sisters. They each made progress toward a happy ending, and they all even seem to be getting a bit of romance - yay! I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a perfect summer read, although their problems could be less than pleasant for some to read about. It's fiction, and they're characters ;) Enjoy!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving it for free did not influence my review.

The Happy Ever After Playlist - Book Review

 

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
Publication date: April 14, 2020
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance, Chick-lit
Rating: 4.5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Characters, story, meet-sweet
Weaknesses: Whoa. Not sure.

Such a fun, refreshing book in such a crazy world! I love entertaining yet realistic books that can present huge emotional problems and then solve lifelong happiness goals over just a few days of reading. 

While this book takes place chronologically after The Friend Zone, I read somewhere that the author actually wrote this one first. To sum them both up, Sloane and Kristen are best friends. The Friend Zone was the story of Kristen and Josh meeting, falling in love, and getting their HEA (happily ever after, obvs). Let's just say this book didn't end well for Sloane, though.

The Happy Ever After Playlist brings us into Sloane's life, with just a few visits with Kristen and Josh. Sloane meets Jason through his dog. She falls in love with the dog first, while watching him for a couple weeks and waiting to hear from Jason. When Jason and Sloane finally meet, Sloane is surprised to have feelings she hasn't had in years. Her life is suddenly changing fast, and she and Jason have to decide what sacrifices they're willing to make to have a life together.

I loved it all! At one point, the obstacles seemed insurmountable. While I never try hard to figure out storylines in advance, I was curious and then surprised at how this one resolved. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, and only wish I had read it alongside the suggested playlist (there's a song and artist at the beginning of each chapter, and someone has already gone to the trouble to compile this as a Spotify playlist). This is excellent chicklit and contemporary fiction that I would recommend.

The Guest List - Book Review

 

The Guest List: A Novel by Lucy Foley
Publication date: March 19, 2020
Pages: 319 pages
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Rating: 3/5 stars ☆☆☆
Strengths: Interesting plot, satisfying ending
Weaknesses: Implausible - too many coincidences

The creepy vibe in this one was excellent. I wanted to vacation on a haunted, gloomy, dangerous island too!! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about what was happening.

The bride (a successful magazine publisher) gets an awesome deal on a destination wedding intended to launch an island resort off the coast of Ireland to popularity. This seems like the right way to get a great deal (for the engaged couple and their guests), and great publicity for the resort (since the groom is also a local celebrity - star of his own show about wilderness survival). 

The perspective of how the story is told starts jumping back and forth. The night of the ceremony, something bad goes down in a brutal storm just outside the tents where everyone is celebrating. But this is juxtoposed against the build up to the wedding, and the quirks each of the characters involved seem to have.

The groom's party is some of his old private school friends. They're decidedly not nice guys. And they haven't changed over time, since they apparently were not nice to the guy who is a member of the bridal party. They're jerks, and they seem to bring out the worst in each other and those around them.

The bride may be a bit shallow, but her heart is good, and she really just wants things to be perfect for her big day. If only she had surrounded herself with good people to start with.

Anyway, someone ends up dead. By the end of the book, it's pretty clear that the corpse deserved what they got, from several different directions. So who really did the killing? It's worth reading the book to find out. I'd give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It was fun to read and the vibe was super-creepy.

Show Us Your Books - August 2020

 

When it rains it pours! Yes, we are having precipitation here, but I'm referring more to LIFE! 

I meant to set up most of this post over the weekend, knowing that Tuesday would sneak up on my after the holiday weekend. Yeah - the whole weekend snuck away from me! Hahaha.... So here I am, trying to supervise the first day of 'remote instruction' for my 3rd grader and 8th grader, and put together this post of the books I read in August. What an adventure! Luckily my 8th grader is very smart and very independent. I assume she's still in her room-turned-office doing her thing. The whole elementary school, on the other hand, is struggling. Lots of families are having issues with the technology that was issued (i.e. laptops aren't accessing the sites we need). It does indeed take a village this year, and our village is apparently really fast typists on Facebook. Once one person (granted, usually the same person) finds their way through, the rest of us are quick to try and duplicate their results. So far, so good? Only got to tears (my student, not me...yet) once so far, thinking he was missing a class. Finally made it, and he's headed into his next class now. Wish us luck!

I'm linking up with Life According to Steph and Jana Says for the Show Us Your Books link up again this month. My book titles link to Goodreads, and all of my full reviews are posted on either my blog (SweetlyBSquared.com) or Books I Think You Should Read. Thanks to the publishers and/or Netgalley for any books I received for free - this never influences my reviews.

Finished Reading:

My One True North by Milly Johnson - Laurie and Peter end up in a loosely structured grief group together. They immediately 'click' and feel comfortable with each other, until they start learning more about each others' background. The story is really about their lives mostly after their losses (with a little more info as they learn some intresting details about the loved ones they lost). It was beautifully told and touching, and I gave it 5/5 stars in my full review on Books I Think You Should Read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A House is a Body by Shruti Swamy - This collection of short stories was great! The author's colorful descriptions brought her Indian heritage and her time in India to life. I gave it 4/5 stars in my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Journalist: Life and Loss in America's Secret War by Lucy Rose Fischer, Jerry A. Rose - I really enjoyed this non-fiction account of Jerry Rose's six years in and around Viet Nam as a teacher and then reporter. His sister did a wonderful job writing the book after researching through his correspondence and interviewing those who knew him during this time. The book reads as an exciting story and an important retelling of a period of history I haven't read much about before. This was definitely a book deserving of my 4/5 star review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Crave (Crave #1) by Tracy Wolff - Vampires, and dragons, and witches - oh, my! While this one was originally discusses as being sort of a similar knock-off to a very popular vampire series, I enjoyed it. I was especially amused when one of the main characters presented another main character with a copy of the book it may bear some similarity to. Anyway, this story is about a girl whose parents die and she goes to an Alaskan boarding school run by her uncle to live there and room with her cousin. She starts figuring out quickly that there may be something a little different about the teen residents. This was a fun YA read and I gave it 3.5/5 stars in my full review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Station Eleven by Emily S. John Mandel - I finally borrowed this one from my local library, as I'd heard it mentioned and figured I needed to read it - I love speculative fiction. This book checks in on a few groups of people and how they're existing after a plague wipes out most of the population of the U.S. Most of the story takes place 20 years after the plague, and most of it is in/around what is currently Michigan. Check out my full 4/5 star review on my blog here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Jackal (Black Daggar Brotherhood: Prison Camp #1; Black Daggar Legacy #5) by J.R. Ward - Nyx breaks into the famous glymera's prison (after accidentally getting a clue to its secret location) with the intention of finally breaking her sister out, after 50 years. She stumbles into The Jackal almost immediately on her arrival. He's been imprisoned for more than a century. Oh, yeah - they're all vampires, which gives them really long life spans, and some teleporting abilities, but no other powers that are displayed in this book. I was worried about this one both because it's number 5 in one series (but the first in another) and because it opened with a pretty sizable glossary. Luckily all the characters were well-introduced, and the words in the glossary weren't really used. I enjoyed this book and gave it 4/5 stars in my full review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters - Violet and James are a love match early in the first season in which she is presented. But a drama we don't initially know about leaves them not speaking to each other for years, starting shortly after they're married. When he has an accident, she is angy to have gotten halfway to his side before finding out he's fine. She decides to fake her own health crises to inspire his devotion again. I gave it 3/5 stars when I reviewed it for Books I Think You Should Read. ⭐⭐⭐

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick - When Anna moves to Herron Mills to be a nanny for the summer, she soon hears about her resemblance to a missing girl, Zoe Spanos. She also gets waves of familiarity from the shops and quaint town of Herron Mills. None of this makes sense, as her mother and best friend both deny ever having been there, which means she couldn't have gone there herself either. I personally enjoy mysteries with unreliable narrators, and Anna was definitely unreliable. She was trying to put her drinking and drug-using past behind her, and become an excellent nanny. But doubting her own recollections from her life made that pretty difficult. I gave this book 4/5 stars. It was a great YA mystery, as I stated in my full review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis - Emmie Blue was such an endearing character. She thinks the only solid connection she has in her life is her best friend from when she was 16-yeasr-old. Lucas found her balloon that was released with a note during a horribly tumultous time in her life, when nearly everyone else turned their backs on her. Now 14-years-later, Emmie and Lucas are turning 30, and he's said he has an important question to ask her. Is this it? Are they getting married and she's moving forward with her life plan? Unfortunately, no. But she may have been ignoring all the other people she's important to for too long. I gave this one 4.5/5 stars in my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When I Was You by Amber Garza - Since I've already mentioned this month how much I like an unreliable narrator, it will come as no surprise that I really liked this book. Without giving you the spoiler, I especially loved the very end of it. This is the story of two Kelly Medinas. The older Kelly is practically living alone while her husband spends weeks away from home at his college job and her son has left for college. The younger Kelly just moved to town (though she doesn't really say why) with her new baby and no support. The older Kelly is thrilled to have a new purpose - helping her new friend get comfortable in her new community and teaching her to be a better mom. But older Kelly's husband and best friend are warning her to keep her grip on reality, and making the warning sound based on past events. I loved this book (did I mention especially the ending?!?) and gave it 5/5 stars on my blog. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie - After losing her father, Afi and her mother don't have an easy life. When the benevolent Aunty of their community suggests an arranged marriage between her son and Afi, it sounds almost too good to be true. Unfortunately, Afi's new groom, Eli, is in love with another woman. The marriage to Afi was arranged in order to 'lure' him away from the relationship he's already in. And while it is still seen in their culture in Ghana, Afi does not want to be a multiple wife. This story of her adjusting to life in the city on her own, and learning who she is and what she wants, is touching and enjoyable to read. I gave this one 3.5/5 stars in my review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Currently Reading:

I just got Happy Ever After Playlist from the library late last night and couldn't wait to dive in! I also just finished The White Coat Diaries and need to get my review written today. Last but not least, I'm slowly starting Tommy Wallach's Strange Fire since it's a print copy I need to read and review. 

Reading Next:

Feeling a bit overwhelmed to keep planning, but let's pencil in The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike (apparently the second book in a trilogy? Fingers crossed I can get into it without knowing anything about the first book), Interference by Brad Parks, and A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux for the next couple weeks, shall we?

I love your comments! Thanks so much for both taking a look at what I'm reading, and sharing what you'd recommend as well :)

His Only Wife - Book Review

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

Publication date: September 1, 2020

Pages: 288 pages

Genre: Womens' fiction

Rating: 3.5/5 stars ☆☆☆

Strengths: Sincere voice, intriguing story

Weaknesses: Not much urgency

Afi and her mother struggle a bit after the death of Afi's father. They rely on the kindness of several people in their community, including Afi's uncle, and the community's benevolent 'Aunty.' So when Aunty comes to Afi's mother to suggest an arranged marriage between her son and Afi, Afi's mother really can't refuse. As Afi understands it, she's been chosen by the rest of the family to be Eli's only wife. Eli is supposedly in love with another woman, but she is said to be ugly, rude, and a bad mother. Afi is sent in to woo Eli away from the evil seductress.

Overnight, Afi finds herself, a small-town country girl, trying to fit in with the sophisticated friends of her sister-in-law in Accra. At first she sees many of them as vulgar and larger than life, but soon she begins coming in to her own voice, and recognizing what she wants from her life. 

I loved Afi. Her emotions felt relatable to me, although I've never been anywhere close to Ghana or an arranged marriage. Her determination, her nervousness, her love, her rage, and her resolve were all so real and understandable. Overall, I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy womens' fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sharing this book with me. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

When I Was You - Book Review

When I Was You by Amber Garza
Publication date: August 25, 2020
Pages: 368 pages
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Plot, THAT ENDING!!
Weaknesses: Could get confusing - best to read it as quickly as possible!

I've found that I really enjoy books with unreliable narrators. This story was definitely that. There's two Kelly Medinas, a fact that fascinates the older of the two, and she feels compelled to help the younger navigate a life that she's sure is just like hers. But we hear, as the older talks to her husband and best friend, that things may not be okay with the older Kelly. There was something super-traumatic in her not-so-long-ago past that leaves those around her doubtful of her ability to evaluate people and situations. We don't know exactly what she's apparently in denial of until much later in the book. 

The younger Kelly Medina and her baby boy definitely seem to need help. She tells the older that she has no support in the area, but never quite says what led her to move to this small town where the older already lived. The older Kelly is so excited to feel useful again, now that she lives alone while her husband works a few towns away and her son isn't living at home since he left for college. And more friends are always a good thing, right?

Unfortunately, there is no way to discuss the last quarter of the book without giving major spoilers. I squealed with delight at the very end of the book, but this may be because I don't mind things a little dark. I can't imagine everyone would be as happy with the ending, but I sure was!

Overall, I'd give this excellent thriller 5 out of 5 stars. The ending was totally unexpected by me, and I'm sure not everyone would be as happy with it, but I'd be willing to read the whole book again if I had time - it was that good.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my glowing review. 

Station Eleven - Book Review

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Publication date: September 9, 2014

Pages: 333 pages

Genre: Speculative fiction

Rating: 4/5 stars ☆☆☆☆

Strengths: Plot, characters, language

Weaknesses: Loose ends

Speculative fiction is really one of my favorite genres to read, and I waited quite a while to borrow this book from the library to read on my kindle. The wait was worth it!

The book is mostly about the Traveling Symphony, a group of actors and musicians who travel around what used to be Michigan 20 years after 99.96% of the population of the world is destroyed by the Georgia Flu and its aftereffects. How does the world look without electricity, running water, or any consistently organized civilization? A few of the older members of the group remember and reminisce from time to time.

This story alternates with the stories of a few characters at the beginning of the flu pandemic. The start of the pandemic in North America is told from the perspective of a paramedic-in-training who attempts to save the life of an actor who has a heart attack and dies on stage. In a six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon sort of way, many of the story's characters have a link with Arthur Leander, the actor who dies before anyone knows the flu is going to decimate the population. 

I really enjoyed the characters and their links to Arthur and the theater group he was performing King Lear with on that fateful night. It was easy to empahize with Kirsten (a young performer that night, and then a member of the long-running Traveling Symphony), Clark (one of Arthur's friends from his early college years, who ends up stranded with Arthur's second wife and son for years), and Jeevan (the audience member who performed CPR on Arthur until a doctor took over). 

The other commonality that tied them all together was the source of the title of the book. Station Eleven was a comic book written by Arthur's first wife, then shared with his son, and young Kirsten from the play's cast. Station Eleven was a space station with inhabitants surviving without all the conveniences they were used to from earth. In their post-apocalyptic travels, anyone with memories from before is missing what they were used to from earth.

Overall, I'm so glad I finally got a chance to read this book. The language flowed so beautifully and the stories from each of the characters were touching and believeable. I'd give this 4 out of  5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys speculative/dystopian fiction.

Lies Lies Lies - Book Review

Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks
Publication date: September 5, 2019
Pages: 446 pages
Genre: Thriller, mystery
Rating: 3.5/5 stars ✰✰✰✰
Strengths: Intricate plot
Weaknesses: Inconsistent pacing


Whoa. This was really a book in three parts. The first part pretty much introduced us to the players. Then there's a life-altering event that changes the main family (Simon, Daisy, and their daughter Millie). Then that part drags on for a bit until another critical event is actually just revealed, although it really occurred almost a decade earlier. My favorite part was all the lies revealed at the end.

Simon and Daisy really just start out annoying. They're both pretty pitiful and unlikable. We just feel so bad for darling Millie being put through it all. But then as the truths start being told, some of the annoyance is more understandable and justifies some of their earlier crap decisions. Without giving away any spoilers, just know that the twists and turns changed my opinion of the characters more than once.

Only a few hours ago, I would have given this book a lower rating. The end was so much more satisfying than the mid-way point. Overall, I'd give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. The plot was so intricate, and the revelations of the truth were sometimes very unexpected.


Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of the book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review.

The Woman Before Wallis - Book Review

The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal by Bryn Turnbull
Publication date: July  21, 2020
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars ✰✰✰✰
Strengths: Historical plot, multiple characters of real people
Weaknesses: Lots of detail (see above? LOL)


I'll admit I read a bit before starting this book to make sense of the title. Essentially, this book is mostly about Thelma Morgan's life. Thelma was the girlfriend of The Prince of Wales for several years, until he started dating Wallis Simpson (which was the basis for some of my confusion - I didn't know this story before, and Wallis was a woman). So we read a lot about Thelma, her relationship with the Prince, and her twin sister Gloria.

When a historical fiction book sends me to doing further research on the characters, I know it's good. I was definitely searching and reading other articles about Thelma Morgan, Duke Furness, Gloria Vanderbilt and Wallis Simpson by the time I was half way through this book. The author of The Woman Before Wallis says she moved a few dates to help the story flow, but the essence of the story was the way things really happened.

I was fascinated to learn more about a family and time I'd heard little about before. It was easy to feel understanding toward the Morgan twins and the choices they made. The overlap between the rich and powerful Vanderbilts and the English royal family was interesting.

Overall, I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars. Sometimes I forget how much I generally enjoy historical fiction. This book was a great reminder.



Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my opinions.

Rodham - Book Review

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
Publication date: May 19, 2020
Pages: 417 pages
Genre: Political fiction, speculative fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars ✰✰✰✰
Strengths: Imagination, political knowledge
Weaknesses: Jumpy timeline narration


I really enjoyed this memoir of sorts - it tells all about Hillary Rodham's life, from her perspective. Except it's just a speculation of what her life may have been if she never married Bill Clinton.

The whole book felt plausible to me. Granted, I've never really followed politics, but the depictions of Trump especially were as annoying as I experience when hearing 'real' Trump tweets and quotes. I'm not sure if that's a compliment. The portion of the book that had his character in it was really a trial for me to get through. Ugh.

I did sincerely like Hillary's character. While I can't speak to how true it is or is not, I found her character in the book to be quite likable. Her struggles as a female politician in a position of being scrutinized felt sincere and believable. I also appreciated her life choices as seeming realistic and justified.

Overall, I liked this book a lot and will seek out books by the same author. While it's been compared to fan fiction, the writing was decidedly more professional to me. I'd give this book 4/5 stars and recommend it to political buffs who can appreciate fan fic, and those who enjoy contemporary fiction.