Month: April 2021

REVIEW: 10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston

REVIEW: 10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney/Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release next week on May 4th.]

Summary

Olivia and her cousins are a week away from graduating when she finds out she is short half a credit of PE. She did an outside course – golf – but didn’t finish all the hours needed. She’s supposed to be salutatorian, but now she might not even graduate.

Olivia has one shot to fix things, but it’s going to be complicated. She has to spend the week working on a golf tournament for the coach to make up her hours. But she’s supposed to be going to a bunch of graduation parties all week – and she doesn’t want anyone to find out about this hiccup in her situation. Her parents are away for the week due to work, but Olivia’s mom is obsessively tracking her phone while they are gone.

So Sophie, Charlie, and Wes agree to swap phones with Olivia and hit the parties so her parents don’t find out about her screw up. But their always-present, over-involved, tightly-knit family will be hard to dodge.

Review

I absolutely adored the first book about the Messina family, 10 Blind Dates, when I read it in 2019. In fact, it was number three in my list of favorite reads of the year – 3 out of 400 is a big deal! I was thrilled at the news that there would be a sequel!

This was far more stressful than the first book. In 10 Blind Dates, Sophie’s family is “helping” her over a break up in a bizarre way. Olivia’s situation has far more serious stakes, which changes the tone of the book. There are still funny moments, but this is not the laugh-riot that Dates is for me.

The characters are my favorite part of this series. The core four are back, and it’s delightful to spend time with them again. There’s less time spent with the larger family group in this one. But Uncle Michael was solidified as my favorite extended family member thanks to this book. (Don’t get me started on Olivia’s mom and her tracking app, though. Yikes!) I would love to see Charlie get a book to round out the series. I will jump at any chance to spend more time with these characters in the future.

Newcomers should be able to follow this story without difficulty even if they haven’t read 10 Blind Dates. But trust me – you will absolutely want to pick that one up asap! (Some language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

BONUS REVIEW: Phantoms and Felonies by Lucy Ness

BONUS REVIEW: Phantoms and Felonies by Lucy Ness

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Portage Path Women’s Club is hosting a murder mystery dinner and fundraiser. Avery gets some help from Clemmie, the resident ghost from the 1920s, to turn the old speakeasy into an authentic space for their production. And things are coming together, but the production isn’t without its troubles.

The financial backer – and star of the show – is bickering constantly with the playwright. The Women’s Club members are bickering over whether the event – and the Club in general – should be open to the public instead of just the club members with long histories with the group. And one of the women at the Club suspects her husband of having an affair.

Avery just wants to get through the play. The Club needs the money, the success, and the good press. But that’s just not possible when someone is killed during the production.

Review

Another fun story in the Haunted Mansion Mystery series after Haunted Homicide (♥♥♥♥). I enjoy Avery and “her cop,” Oz. They are sweet together, and while he wants to keep her safe, he doesn’t shut her completely out of his investigations when it comes to the Club. As for the other characters, I don’t always track the Club ladies very well, except for the one who does roller derby. I’d like to see those characters developed a little more as the series goes on.

There are tons of suspects for this murder, including an unexpected surprise for Avery. I was stumped until the end of this one. The final confrontation and the solution were great.

This book delved more into the paranormal elements than the last book which was just Clemmie the ghost. This included a séance and some spiritualists as well as another ghost. I did enjoy getting a few new tidbits to Clemmie’s story, but I resented those whose actions could have caused her trouble. I have my fingers crossed that we will get more of Clemmie’s story as the series continues.

Fans of paranormal mysteries, especially ones with ghosts, should check this series out. (Séance, ghosts)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BLOG TOUR: Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

BLOG TOUR: Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Posted on by Jaymie

I am so pleased to be part of the BLOG TOUR for DIAL A FOR AUNTIES this week, described by the publisher as:

What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family?  You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue! 

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Meddelin has been roped into the family business – weddings – thanks to the family curse. The men always leave. Her father, all of her uncles – even her male cousins all went to colleges on the East Coast to get away. But Meddy was the good daughter who went to UCLA, and came back home to live with her mother after she graduated. And because she is the dutiful daughter, she agrees to be the photographer for the wedding business.

Working with her mom and aunts isn’t all bad, but Meddy longs to be independent and pursue her own passions. But for now, she’s focused on the next big event – a wedding joining two spectacularly wealthy families which is taking place at a new island resort.

To complicate her life even more, Meddy’s mother has set her up on a blind date with the owner of the hotel where the wedding will be. Well, it’s a blind date to Meddy. Jake thinks they’ve been chatting and texting for weeks. Her mother posed as her on the dating site. But when Jake thinks those chats entitle him to more than Meddy is willing to give, she tases him.

And he dies.

Meddy’s mom and aunts come to her rescue, but they have a huge wedding to work that weekend. They just need to stash the body until after the wedding. But then it accidentally gets transported to the island with their wedding supplies.

Review

What. A. Hoot! This is a crazy comedy of errors twisting around unrequited love and secrets and lies. To me it felt like Finlay Donovan Is Killing It meets Weekend at Bernie’s. I kept telling my husband each subsequent crazy thing because the chaos – and humor – begs to be shared.

I enjoyed the characters here, especially the strong family ties for Meddy. The pros and cons of that closeness added a nice layer to the chaos caused by the dead body. But it never crossed the line into annoying or boundry-less interactions that I steer clear of in books. This was just the right amount of intrusion to make for a funny and interesting story.

The author makes good use of a few flashback chapters to round out part of the story. And some of the developments in the book were laugh-out-loud hilarious. Some of the moments were farcically over the top, but at the same time, I was completely committed to seeing Meddy through this with fingers crossed that it would all work out in the end.

This is unusual and funny and engaging – a not-to-be-missed story! (Language, LGBTQ+, alcohol/drug use, TW: attempted assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson

REVIEW: Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Balzer and Bray in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases next week on May 4th.]

Summary

Tyler has recently rediscovered how much he enjoys art. And it’s helped him overcome the awkwardness with Emmie over that note. Now they’re friends – and they’re working together on a graphic novel project for class.

But Tyler is getting caught up in the art project, and basketball is suffering – and right before the big game, too. To make things worse, the guys are hassling him about spending time with Emmie. Maybe he should just do his own project and try to get back in the zone, with both his more popular friends and with basketball.

Tyler and Emmie take turns telling this story, as well as telling the story within the story.

Review

This is book 5 in the Emmie & Friends series after Invisible Emmie, Positively Izzy, Just Jaime (♥♥♥♥), and Becoming Brianna (♥♥♥♥). I was surprised this wasn’t told completely by Tyler. Emmie is also dealing with a friendship situation while she negotiates her ongoing crush on Tyler. I think some readers will enjoy watching Tyler and Emmie figure out their friendship from different angles.

I think Tyler’s story, though, could have been enough on its own. He’s noticing how shallow his relationship is with his dad. And when Tyler makes an effort to seek out his older brother about it, it strengthens their relationship and opens communication. Tyler is also dealing with peer pressure about basketball vs art as well as his friendship with Emmie. AND he’s also wrestling with his identity and his own feelings about art and basketball aside from the pressure he is getting from others. This is some great, meaty stuff, and I really enjoyed it. Personally, Emmie’s story felt more like an interruption than an enhancement of that story. Her friendship issue felt forced, like it was there to give her story more depth than just her crush. And I agree, she needed more depth than that. But I think Tyler’s story alone would have made this a better fit for me.

Fans of the series will definitely want to pick this one up. The art work is stellar as always. And the author has a terrific grasp on middle school interactions and struggles!

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BOOK NEWS: April 27, 2021

BOOK NEWS: April 27, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the final week of April! Here are some of the new books you can pick up this week:

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Disney Kingdoms: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Older Middle Grade – Graphic Novel) – Includes two stories in graphic novel format – one is the story of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the other takes place in the Enchanted Tiki Room.
Rescue at Lake Wild – Three kids rescue a pair of beaver kits after their mother is killed and find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that has put the beavers’ habitat at risk.
Horse Power: How Horses Changed the World – A middle grade picture book all about horses. This will be a hugely popular addition to nonfiction collections.
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia 
The Curie Society (Graphic Novel) – A teen graphic novel about a group of young women who work in secret to support women in STEM around the world.

Books for Adults

Anchored Hearts (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Keys to Love series after Island Affair (♥♥♥½). A photographer and prodigal son returns home to recuperate from an injury only to encounter the love he left behind.
Death Gone A-Rye (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 6 in the Bread Shop Mystery series. Ivy and her friends at Yeast of Eden are investigating again when the school board president is murdered and Ivy’s boyfriend is one of the top suspects.
Dial A for Aunties (Trade Paperback) – When a young woman accidentally kills her blind date, her mother and aunties come to the rescue, but inadvertently ship the body to the fancy wedding the family business is working. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Dispatcher: Murder By Other Means (e-book) – Something new from science fiction writer John Scalzi. Dispatchers are licensed to kill because these days when you die, you come right back to life. So they intervene when natural or unintentional death is a risk. But one dispatcher who has been riding the line between legal and shady notices that people are being killed for no reason – and he might be implicated.
A Fatal First Night (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Ella Shane Mystery series after A Fatal Finale (which I have on my Kindle TBR). Opera star Ella Shane is investigating again when one of the stars of her latest show is found next to a dead body.
Fugitive Telemetry (Hardcover) – Book 6 in the Murderbot Diaries series. Murderbot is helping the authorities investigate a murder connected to Preservation Station.
Heart on a Leash (Mass Market Paperback) – First in the new Hearts of Alaska series. A woman returning home – temporarily, somewhat against her will – encounters a pack of huskies and a chance at love. Too bad her love interest is part of the rival Porter family. It will never work. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Insects, Ivy, & Investigations (e-book, April 29) – Book 17 in the Campers & Criminals series. Mae and her friends are investigating again when a woman claiming to be a former foster child shows up and then is found near a dead body – her con artist ex.
Lemon Drop Dead (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Amanda Flower. When Bailey hosts a baby shower for Emily, an Amish woman confronts Emily about the baby she gave up for adoption. The woman is later found dead. This is a great series, and I can’t wait to pick up this latest story!
Murder in the Cookbook Nook (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Book Retreat Mystery series focuses on murder at a cooking competition.
The Seat Filler (Trade Paperback) – A dog groomer who volunteers to be a seat filler at an awards ceremony falls for the megastar sitting next to her, but her fear of kissing and the inevitable disappointments that follow in relationships may keep them from finding a love that can last. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Southern Sass and a Battered Bride (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Marygene Brown Mystery series. Marygene is helping cater the wedding of her childhood sweetheart to an absolute bridezilla where the reception will be have a murder mystery theme. But the theming goes too far when the bride is found dead.
Star Wars: Thrawn : Greater Good (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Thrawn Ascendancy series. Thrawn is investigating plots against the Chiss that come, not with weapons and wars but with rifts and suspicions between the ruling families and great houses.
A Tale of Two Cookies (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Cookie House Mystery series. Coral Cay is experiencing the perfect tourism storm – a beach wedding and a reality show filming in town. While the film crew causes chaos wherever they go, the groom goes missing, and Kate and her friends start investigating.
Whole Latte Murder (Trade Paperback) – Book 5 in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series. Gia’s best friend goes missing and her last client is found dead.
Wining and Dying (Trade Paperback) – Book 10 in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series. There’s a murder at the Art and Wine Festival when an up and coming artist is killed.
The Conscious Enneagram: How to Move from Typology to Transformation (Hardcover) – Focuses on practice, lineage, and community to help readers move from where they are to where they want to be.

REVIEW: The Spy Who Raised Me by Ted Anderson

REVIEW: The Spy Who Raised Me by Ted Anderson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Lerner Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Josie Black thought she was just a normal kid… with some quirks. When she travels internationally with her mom for her job, the jet lag really hits her hard, leaving her exhausted when she gets home. And sometimes she loses track of hours in her day. But otherwise normal. Right?

In reality, Josie’s mom is a spy. And she’s trained Josie to be a spy too. With special verbal commands, Josie goes from average teen to complete bad***. But Josie is done being under her mom’s mind control. She’s going to uncover all her mom’s secrets so she can finally be free.

Review

This is a fun graphic novel adventure/suspense story. I enjoyed the surprises along the way. Josie has her ride-or-die best friend to back her up when she discovers the weird truths about her life. The ending leaves room for a potential sequel.

The art style didn’t work for me in this graphic novel. First, it’s just not my preference. But there were also places in the action where I didn’t think things were conveyed as clearly as they could have been through the art. The story is good for the most part, and the art supports it fine. But I feel like the illustrations could have been stronger.

Fans of spy stories and action/adventure comics should check this one out and see what they think.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥=Good/solid/fine

BONUS REVIEW: The Hiding Place by Paula Munier

BONUS REVIEW: The Hiding Place by Paula Munier

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Troy and Susie Bear team up with Mercy and Elvis again when a string of crimes seems to converge around the same time.

  • A moose researcher is killed deep in the woods.
  • A dying man asks Mercy to solve a missing person’s case – the one Mercy’s sheriff grandfather could never solve.
  • The man who killed Mercy’s grandfather escapes from prison and is likely headed back to town to resolve some unfinished business.
  • Someone plants a pipe bomb at Mercy’s grandmother’s house.

And then Mercy’s grandmother goes missing.

Review

Another excellent book in the Mercy and Elvis Mystery series! It’s been awhile since I read book 2, Blind Search, and I was concerned I would have trouble remembering everything. But the author does a great job of building refreshers into the story naturally. I was swept away by the story immediately. Reading this was like visiting with old friends.

As always, the characters in this are a delight – both the human ones and the animal ones. The animals are woven into the story beautifully. I love what they add to each adventure.

The mystery here was vast and engaging. I was able to puzzle out most of it on my own, which was quite satisfying because this one was twisty. I loved that the author included some non-mystery related character development pieces along the way. It makes the story feel full and well-rounded, but never distracts from the mystery at the center of the book. I can’t get enough of these books. This is a must-read series for me!

Fans of David Rosenfelt (Andy Carpenter, K-Team) and other dog-centered mysteries like the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series should be sure to add this whole series to their TBRs. This doesn’t have the snark of Rosenfelt, but it does have the fantastic plotting and terrific characters as well as a lot of heart.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert

REVIEW: The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sabrina is back home in the Dells after losing her job. She just needs to pay some bills and find a new gig, and she can leave. Sure, she loves her family. It’s the ghosts she can do without.

The women in Sabrina’s family can see and speak with ghosts. And it’s their job to help the recently departed finish their unfinished business and cross over. With Sabrina’s anxiety, she doesn’t need the added stress of ghosts and ghostly conversations.

Ray has purchased a supper club in Wisconsin – The Otter Club – much to his mother’s dismay. She’d do anything to get Ray to give up this “foolishness” and return to New York. But Ray’s dad gives him one chance to stay – find the money to buy out his late uncle’s portion of the business, and show his parents he belongs in Wisconsin by planning the annual Goodbye Gala.

Ray and Sabrina keep running into one another. And there’s definitely a spark there. But she has her mind set on leaving town as soon as possible. And he has family secrets to uncover and a quest to secure the life he wants in Wisconsin. Can a spark overcome two people headed in opposite directions?

Review

This was so great! I loved the combination of the contemporary romance with the paranormal/ghostly piece. I’ve read plenty of paranormal stories before, but there was something different about this that I adored. The ghostly piece is light, and sometimes funny. But the punch of it is the impact it has on Sabrina with her high levels of anxiety. And Ray’s reaction to the ghostly part of her life is going to be crucial to what happens between then.

From the characters to the setting (Wisconsin!) to the humor and the sweet romance, this was a treat to read! I was so busy that it took me a few days to finish the book. Every time I thought about getting back to it, I smiled. Just thinking about these characters and the story made me smile. I still feel that way now that I have finished it. The whole story is a delight. I would absolutely read this one again.

Don’t miss this one if you enjoy contemporary romance or romance novels with light paranormal elements! (Language, sex, edibles used for anxiety, TW: anxiety/panic attacks)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would read again.

REVIEW: Fearless by Mandy Gonzalez

REVIEW: Fearless by Mandy Gonzalez

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Aladdin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Monica Garcia and her abuelita head to New York when Monica is cast as an understudy for a Broadway musical called Our Time showing at the Ethel Merman Theater. On their way to the hotel after their flight, they stop by the theater to take a peek only to see an ambulance leaving. Monica is no longer an understudy – now, she’s a lead.

And that’s because something is going on at the Ethel Merman Theater. Accidents. Injuries. Actors and crew scared off the production. This is Monica’s big break, but she’s starting to wonder if the show will even happen. So she and her castmates start investigating.

Review

Sadly, this didn’t click for me. Monica is a solid protagonist. I enjoyed her relationship with her grandmother a lot. But there’s little character development beyond Monica, even though all four kids starring in the show work on investigating the goings on at the theater. Also, while the story is in third person point of view (POV) and Monica is the POV character, the reader is randomly fed information and details about the other characters that Monica couldn’t know and that aren’t revealed through dialogue. At best, it’s an example of more telling than showing, and when it happened it pulled me out of the flow of the story. I think the book would have been stronger, all the way around, if we had had all four kids as POV characters. It would have given more character development and would have more naturally conveyed these tidbits of backstory.

I loved the reveal of what caused the theater’s curse and the connections Monica makes to that story by the end. But I wanted more from that part of the book. I wanted it to carry more of the weight. We had far more information on the musical the kids are doing than on the mystery, the clues, and the resolution.

I think theater fans will enjoy the backstage and insider details of this. (The author is a Broadway performer.) But personally, I would recommend something like Upstaged or Broken Strings over this one for fun, engaging musical performance stories with great characters. I’m not sure mystery fans will be satisfied with this one, either. The potential is there, but there are some different directions this might have gone to make it stronger, in my opinion. (Paranormal activity/curses)

Rating: ♥♥½*

*♥♥½ = Mostly solid to solid, some issues but okay overall

BOOK NEWS: April 20, 2021

BOOK NEWS: April 20, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

Alma’s Art (April 25) – A story inspired by African American painter, Alma Woodsey Thomas, who made her debut when she was 80.
The Stars Beckoned: Edward White’s Amazing Walk in Space – A picture book biography.
Sophie Mouse: The Ladybug Party – Book 17 in the sweet Adventures of Sophie Mouse series. Sophie helps a ladybug with a surprise party.
The Story of Stan Lee – A chapter book biography.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Dog Diaries: Ruffing It – Book 5 in the Dog Diaries series. Junior’s family goes on vacation.
Nightingale – Lark’s heist to get money to escape her circumstances goes awry, and she ends up stealing an enchanted sword that has chosen her to be the next Nightingale, a hero who is supposed to thwart an ancient evil.
Sugar and Spite – Jolina uses her grandfather’s magic to make her school bully her best friend, but magic comes at a price.
A Shot in the Arm! (Graphic Novel) – Book 3 in the Big Ideas that Changed the World nonfiction series. This book looks at the history of vaccines starting with smallpox and ending with Covid-19.
Who Is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? – Part of the Who HQ Now line of biographies for kids.
Kate in Waiting (LGBTQ+) – Kate and Anderson’s friendship is at risk when the object of their mutual affection/crush starts attending their school.
These Feathered Flames (LGBTQ+) – First in a new series. Twin sisters – one raised to be queen and the other raised to keep the magic of their land in balance – must team up to find out who killed their mother. This sounds interesting!
Witches Steeped in Gold – Rival witches team up to fight a rising evil and to bring peace back to their land.

Books for Adults

Faux Paws (e-book, April 23) – Book 8 in the Dogmothers series, although each title stands alone. An engineer at a personal crossroads and a runaway bride/pet psychic team up – reluctantly – to help his rescue dog, Clementine.
A Gambling Man (Hardcover) – The second Baldacci book starring Aloysius Archer. Archer travels across the country and takes a job in California working for a private investigator. Archer and the PI, Dash, team up on a blackmail case that quickly escalates.
Hanks & a Hitman (e-book) – Book 3 in the Knitty Kitties Mystery series. When scouts come to town looking for a good movie location and someone is murdered, Tessa is on the hunt for a killer.
The Kindred Spirits Supper Club (Trade Paperback) – When Sabrina heads home to the Wisconsin Dells, she finds her family curse – ghosts come to the women in her family for help moving on – and love waiting for her. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Last Watch (Trade Paperback) – Book 1 in a new series. The edge of the universe is collapsing, and the only thing standing in the way of destruction is a group of soldiers no one wanted.
Spilled Milk (e-book) – Book 4 in the Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery series. Macy takes the day off from the café to go to the flea market where her Great Dane, Coal, finds a dead body.
A Waterfront Wedding (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Heart’s Landing series from Hallmark Publishing. Business owners become rivals when a couple win a contest to plan their wedding in Heart’s Landing, but they have to choose between two venues.
Finding Sanctuary : How the Wild Work of Peace Restored the Heart of a Sandy Hook Mother (Trade Paperback, April 23) – Nine years after the tragedy of Sandy Hook, a mother shares her story of recovery from the unimaginable.
The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth (Trade Paperback) – Baylor University historian shares the background of the North American concept of “biblical womanhood.”
Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants (Hardcover) – A collection of portraits and stories from President George W. Bush.