Month: September 2021

REVIEW: Murder Always Barks Twice by Jennifer Hawkins

REVIEW: Murder Always Barks Twice by Jennifer Hawkins

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

Emma’s new business, Reed’s Tea and Cakes, is finding some traction. The teas she hosts at the King’s Rest have become quite popular. So when another caterer backs out at the last minute, Emma and her friends at the King’s Rest Bed and Breakfast are called in to cater the Daphne du Maurier Literary Festival.

Emma and Angelique are excited about the opportunity, but at the same time, something seems off about the whole thing. There’s obviously some drama in the planning group. And something is up with the finances which caused the other caterer to back out. Then, when someone dies, there’s almost no end to the questions about what is going on with the festival and the festival site.

When a family member of the deceased hears how Emma helped solve a murder, they ask her to look into this suspicious death. So Emma and her talking corgi, Oliver, are on the case again.

Review

This was terrific! Another delightful mystery in the Chatty Corgi series. Oliver is adorable as always, Emma is a clever sleuth, and the mystery was perfectly twisty.

I think Emma and Oliver are what make this series special. Oliver has a fantastic “voice” in the series. He even gets his own point-of-view chapters, which are so fun to read. But all of his antics and detective work still fall into what would be “appropriate” for a canine character. The fact that Emma understands him is the only “magical” piece of the series.

I love the relationship between Emma and Oliver, as well as the author’s excellent descriptions for their interactions. It’s truly a delightful relationship. And that relationship makes this a must-read series for me.

If the great characters and fun hook of a talking dog wasn’t enough, the mystery is excellently paced and plotted. I was guessing all the way through to the end, and my curiosity over the case never waned.

Cozy fans and dog lovers should not miss this series. You can read my full review of book one, To Fetch a Felon, here. In fact, when you pick up Murder Always Barks Twice, check out the Praise for To Fetch a Felon page at the front for a quote from my review. (You can even see it on the “Look Inside” feature on Amazon.) Book 3 in the series, A Cold Nose for Murder, is scheduled to release in Spring, 2022.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BOOK NEWS: September 7, 2021

BOOK NEWS: September 7, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy September! Fall is on its way, and I am ready. Here are some of the new books releasing this week that you can enjoy with that pumpkin spice latte!

Books for Kids

12 Days of Princess – A Disney Princess take on the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Dragons Are the Worst! – From the author of Unicorns Are the Worst! A little goblin describes why dragons shouldn’t be feared because goblins are more fearsome.
Norman Didn’t Do It (Yes, He Did) – From the author of the fantastic Mother Bruce books comes a tale of a porcupine and his best friend, a tree.
Pete the Cat’s Groovy Imagination – See how Pete uses his imagination to save a rainy day.
Stick and Stone: Best Friends Forever! – Stick and Stone are back for a new adventure when Stick goes looking for his family tree.
Thanks for Nothing! – A Thanksgiving story for Bruce and his friends.
Who Would Win? Extreme Animal Rumble – A collection of 5 previous books.
Bunbun & Bonbon: Captain Bun & Super Bonbon (Graphic Novel) – Book 3 in the graphic novel series about two unusual friends.
DJ Funkyfoot: Give Cheese a Chance – Book 2 in the series. DJ finally gets the chance at his dream of being a butler.
Diary of a Pug: Scaredy-Pug – Bub and Duchess are convinced they have seen a ghost.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Aggie Morton Mystery Queen: The Dead Man in the Garden (Older Middle Grade) – Book 3 in the Aggie Morton Mystery series. This time, Aggie and Hector investigate deaths at a spa Aggie’s mother is visiting.
I Survived the Galveston Hurricane, 1900 – Book 21 in this series.
Julie and the Phantoms: We Got the Music – A notebook/scrapbook with input from Julie, Flynn, Carlos, and the guys in the band from Julie and the Phantoms.
Pahua and the Soul Stealer – First in a new series from Rick Riordan Presents starring a Hmong girl who can see spirits.
Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero – In the midst of 20th anniversary remembrances of 9/11, a boy in a Muslim community watches as his neighborhood becomes the target of people’s long-held anger.
Battle of the Bands – A collection of YA stories centered around a Battle of the Bands.
Dark and Shallow Lies – A girl living in a town that considers itself the Psychic Capital of the World looks for answers to the disappearance of her best friend.
The Hawthorne Legacy – Book 2 in the Inheritance Games series by the always fabulous Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This is at the top of my list for this week!
The Jasmine Project – When Jasmine catches her boyfriend cheating, her family conspires to introduce her to other eligible men who might treat her as she deserves. This sounds a bit like 10 Blind Dates, and I am intrigued by this one.
Never Saw You Coming – As two teens begin to fall in love, each is dealing with questions of faith and forgiveness. This is high on my list for this week, too, as well as on my review list.
The Pick-Up – A chance meeting in a ride share to a music festival becomes a chance at something special. This sounds fun! It’s also on my review list.
We Can Be Heroes – Two girls grieving the loss of their friend after a school shooting look for ways to ensure she’s not forgotten.
What Once Was Mine – Book 12 in the Twisted Tales series, this one focused on the Rapunzel/Tangled story. When the queen is saved by the Moondrop flower instead of the Sundrop, it leaves her daughter, Rapunzel, with silver hair and dangerous powers. This is on my review list.
Whistle (Graphic Novel) – Desperate to save her sick mother, Willow agrees to work for an old friend of her mother’s, E. Nigma, which puts her on the radar of one of Gotham’s most dangerous villains. When Willow and her beloved stray, Lebowitz, are attacked, something mysterious happens to connect them. I’ll be reviewing this one later this year.

 

Books for Adults

The All-Consuming World (Hardcover) – A team of criminals dig to uncover what went wrong on their last mission while a group of AI conspire to ensure that humanity will never be in control again. I am curious about this one!
The Autobiography of Mr. Spock (Hardcover) – This often-delayed addition to the Star Trek autobiography collection is finally here – or coming soon, depending on what source you go to. Regardless, it looks like the book is finally going to be released to the world. I imagine the ways Star Trek Discovery chose to use the character is why this was pulled off of publishing lists a couple years ago. I have this one on my wish list.
Booked for Kidnapping (e-book) – Book 2 in the Vigilante Magical Librarians series. Janette and her friends are racing to prevent another assassination. I’m intrigued by this one. I didn’t expect the political spin to this series. I have book one on my e-reader.
The Charm Offensive (Trade paperback, LGBTQ+) – A successful producer of a TV dating show encounters a challenge with the latest star who doesn’t believe in love and is only on the show to rescue his tarnished image.
Hooked on a Feline (Hardcover) – Book 13 in the Magical Cats Mystery series. Kathleen and Marcus start investigating a murdered musician who was using the library to research his family history.
The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina (Hardcover) – Four family members travel to Ecuador looking for answers to their family’s powers and the “inheritance” each received from Orquidea. This sounds fascinating!
Matched and Married (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 of the Amish Mail-Order Bride series. A couple thrown together when neither is looking for love finds their future in jeopardy when she decides to go home and dutifully marry the man chosen for her by her mother.
Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes (Trade Paperback) – From the author of the terribly fun Playbook series. Best friends reeling from the hands life has dealt them decide to become roommates and face the future together. This is on my list for this week because I have enjoyed the author so much in the past.
Murder by the Bookend (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Antique Bookshop Mystery series. Jenna starts investigating when a local librarian is murdered with a set of glass bookends.
Portrait of a Scotsman (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the League of Extraordinary Women series. A suffragist finds herself wed to a Scot who sees her as a means to an end.
Writing a Wrong (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Writer for Hire Mystery series. Veronica is a writer for hire, recently contracted to write love letters. But when her client is murdered and she discovers he was lying about his identity, Veronica is drawn into the case.
The Enneagram at Work: Unlocking the Power of Type to Lead and Succeed (Trade Paperback) – A new Enneagram resource focused on using type in the work environment.

 

REVIEW: The Lost Things Club by J. S. Puller

REVIEW: The Lost Things Club by J. S. Puller

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free print review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Every summer, Leah travels an hour south to Chicago to stay with her aunt and uncle for three weeks while her mother travels for work. It’s usually a fun trip filled with sights to see for Leah and her younger cousin, TJ. But this summer is going to be different. Leah’s mom has already warned her that TJ is different this year. Ever since the school shooting, TJ has stopped talking.

Leah is stunned by the difference in TJ since she last saw him just a few months ago. But they’ve always been close. She’s convinced she can get through to him, help him when no one else has been able to.

But the surprise of the change in TJ is nothing compared to Leah’s discovery that 8-year-old TJ is sneaking out of the house at night and walking to a laundromat. He’s even talking to a stranger,  a man he sees every night when he sneaks out on his nightly jaunt.

Leah has to wonder what is so special, so important, for TJ to sneak out. And why he seems like his old self there with strangers rather than at home with his family.

Review

This second novel by the author of the incredible Captain Superlative is a lovely story about family and friendship, trauma and triumph. I adored Leah. While she looks for answers to TJ’s silence at home and his engagement at an area laundromat – the eventual home of the Lost Things Club – she’s also trying to find her niche, her identity, what makes her special. I liked how this broadened her story. TJ is still the focus, but this is another layer to the story that most readers will be able to connect to.

I was impressed by how the story dealt with a really serious topic – a school shooting and TJ’s story of what happened that day – in a kid-appropriate way. Every piece – from TJ’s parents’ desperation to Leah’s thoughtful observations and questions to TJ’s need for the Land of Lost Things to be real – felt true and honest while at the same time never feeling like “too much.” Especially for readers who will be in 3rd or 4th grade (or higher).

I imagine some sensitive readers might struggle with the seriousness of the story, but I think that most kids will feel like Leah – an outside observer who loves TJ and wants to understand him. And I think those readers will be caught up in the eventual solution. Don’t miss this one! (TW: grief and loss, references to a school shooting, but no description of the event itself. Mostly focuses on the impact of the event.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

REVIEW: Isn’t It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

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

Vlad has been part of the Bromance Book Club for years. The men in the group are his closest friends. But watching them with their wives and girlfriends is tearing him apart. He longs for that sort of love with his wife, Elena. But no one else knows theirs has always been a marriage of convenience. And now Elena wants to end it and go back to Russia. Alone.

But when Vlad is seriously injured in a hockey game, Elena is the only family close enough to help him with his recovery. But being in close quarters with him makes everything more difficult. Each of them is longing for something they think is out of reach. Thankfully, Vlad has the guys in his book club to help him fight for his marriage before it’s too late.

Review

I enjoy any book where these guys are together. I love the men of the Bromance Book Club – the ways they harass each other, the ways they call each other out, and the ways they drop everything to help one another.

The romance didn’t quite click for me in this one like some of the other books in the series. (The Bromance Book Club (♥♥♥♥♥) and Undercover Bromance are my favorites!) It’s a bit of the fake relationship trope, but it’s even more complicated. Vlad and Elena each want to be together. But they make bad assumptions and don’t communicate which causes a lot of trouble.

Vlad’s writing was a nice piece of the plot. I enjoyed the guys weighing in on his story and how Vlad’s book tied into his personal life. Elena’s work – the investigating, the danger – took me by surprise at the end. I would have liked it if this was more concretely explored throughout the book, given just a bit bigger presence so it felt earned when it came to the forefront towards the end of the story. That said, though, I always enjoy a Bromance story, and I hope there are many more to come in the future. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +