Category: Five Star Reviews

REVIEW: You Have a Match by Emma Lord

REVIEW: You Have a Match by Emma Lord

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Abby takes a DNA test to be supportive of her best friend (and crush) Leo, she never expects it will shake every foundation of her life. But when the results come in, it says she has a sister. A full-blooded, older sister.

When Abby and Savvy meet up in secret, it’s obvious the results are accurate. The questions start piling up – why did Abby’s parents place Savvy for adoption? How are they connected to Savvy’s adoptive family? Why have they kept this secret from Abby her whole life?

Abby decides to meet Savvy at Camp Reynolds for the summer. It meets her parents’ insistence on academic recovery work, but it will also let the girls dig into this mystery and get to know one another for the first time.

Review

Emma Lord is now a must-read author for me. Last year I fell in love with her delightful debut, Tweet Cute. And now I have fallen again for Abby and Leo and Savvy and Mickey and Finn and the rest. This was a start-to-finish read for me. It’s funny, suspenseful, and emotionally touching. It’s everything I want when I sit down with a YA novel. I can’t wait to read it again. And again. (In fact, the minute I finished reading the ARC, I pre-ordered my own copy.)

The family story was the hook for me. There are other things happening in the story – Abby’s feelings for Leo, the pressures from her parents regarding school, the camp, her reluctance to share her photography with others, her grief over the loss of her grandfather, and her questions about the future. And every one of those pieces was beautifully handled and part of the joy that is this book. But I was all in on the relationship between Abby and Savvy and on finding out the truth of their story. And it was so satisfying! There were moments when I couldn’t read fast enough to take in everything as quickly as I wanted to.

“Comfort reads” are a real thing, especially in these weird days. These are the books you know you love and you go back to them over and over to enjoy sinking into a great story with great characters. I have many YA comfort reads – Tweet Cute, 10 Blind Dates, Prince in Disguise and more. And now You Have a Match. The writing, the characters, the story, the humor, the heart – all of it was fantastic. YA fans do not want to miss this one! (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Hope, Faith, and a Corpse by Laura Jensen Walker

REVIEW: Hope, Faith, and a Corpse by Laura Jensen Walker

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Pastor Hope Taylor is new in Apple Springs, and about to be the first female priest in Faith Chapel’s history. That was truly enough excitement for her life. She really didn’t need to find a dead body and be accused of murder on her first day as well.

Pastor Hope is the new Associate Pastor for the Episcopalian church, brought in to help Father Christopher with his work load. Finding the body, and absentmindedly picking up the likely murder weapon before she knew the man was dead was not the introduction to the community she wanted. Especially considering the body was of one of the more vocal church members opposed to bringing in a woman priest.

Stanley King was an odious man with no shortage of enemies. If Hope can just figure out which one of them killed Stanley, maybe her new parishioners will stop avoiding her and thinking she might be a murderer. With the murder cleared up, all she’d have left to wrestle with is the usual sexist kerfuffle that most women clergy get to endure. Well, that and a second dead body.

Review

This is the second mystery series launch by Laura Jensen Walker I have read in 5 months. And I have LOVED them both! I re-discovered this author I read years ago when she launched her Bookish Baker Mystery series last fall with Murder Most Sweet. This new series launch, while not taking place in my old Wisconsin stomping grounds like the other one, is equally fantastic.

Hope is so cool – empathetic, smart, with pop culture references I understand. Her pastoral role is beautifully described, and the faith pieces of the book feel genuine and natural for the characters and the story. At the same time, there isn’t anything religious in the book that I think would alienate readers who don’t consider themselves to be “church people.”

The setting is excellent, and I got a kick out of the folks Hope meets in Apple Springs. I fell in love with the community of people in this book. I can’t wait to spend more time with them.

The mystery here is terrific. In fact, there are two mysterious deaths that Hope deals with in the book. I enjoyed all of Hope’s Trixie Belden references and the way that both mysteries are resolved.

I can’t think of anything that would have made this any more perfect. There’s an excellent mystery in an engaging setting with a delightful cast. Cozy mystery fans should not miss this one! I can’t wait to read another Faith Chapel Mystery! (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BONUS REVIEW: To Fetch a Felon by Jennifer Hawkins

BONUS REVIEW: To Fetch a Felon 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 Reed is starting over in Tervena, a village she remembers fondly from vacations in her childhood. She’s left the hustle and bustle of the London financial scene to follow her dream of opening a village tea shop.

Emma isn’t alone in this launch of her new life. She has Oliver, her corgi, with her. Her talking corgi. That’s right, Emma can understand Oliver. And Oliver has a lot to say – commentary on the smells of their new home, on the fish and chips counter in town, and on the fox he can smell at the house of the lady who yelled at Emma.

Emma’s first encounter with Victoria Roberts doesn’t go well. It’s even worse when she realizes Victoria owns the building Emma wants to use for her tea shop.

To make amends, Emma bakes the disagreeable woman some scones. But when Emma and Oliver try to deliver them, they find Victoria dead. And Oliver is certain something smells very wrong.

Review

This was the second of two books in a row that I read where a dog is a point of view character. It’s a fun plot device, and it’s especially well executed here. Oliver is a treat! The author does a great job of writing Oliver and figuring out the “rules” for this world she creates including how a dog could be a factor in a mystery. Oliver tells part of the story in his own words, which is also a lot of fun. Oliver’s “voice” is fantastic and helps make a great story even better.

The mystery here is excellent. It’s twisty and Emma’s sleuthing – along with Oliver’s – is perfect. I loved the ways Oliver is able to help. But the author establishes some nice limitations to keep him from being too good at solving things. I was impressed with the whole construction of the story.

To Fetch a Felon is the first book in the new Chatty Corgi Mystery series. And it’s the perfect cozy launch – I loved Emma and the other characters in Trevena. The setting is lovely, and Oliver is a delight. Book 2, Murder Always Barks Twice, will release this summer and it’s already on my wishlist. This is a not-to-be-missed book for those who love cozy mysteries as well as for dog lovers. I can’t wait to read more of Emma and Oliver’s adventures.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders

REVIEW: Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Josie Way is on the run. She had a job at the Library of Congress in Washington DC. But something happened there, and now she’s in Wilfred, Oregon, determined to lay low. She’s been hired as the town librarian. But when she gets to Wilfred, she finds out that the library may get torn down to make way for a retreat center.

After only a few days at the library and in Oregon, Josie feels like she is finally where she belongs. The air is fresher, and colors even seem more vibrant. She has an almost magical connection to the library and its collection of books, not to mention the library cat. Josie doesn’t want to walk away from this special place.

But she can’t forget she’s in hiding. And the dead body she finds near the library is unsettling to say the least. Does it have anything to do with the trouble Josie is fleeing? Or does Josie’s new home have sinister troubles of its own?

Review

This is the first book in the new Witch Way Librarian Mystery series, and it is outstanding! The author does a breathtaking job teasing out the story in the early chapters – Josie on the run, the experience on the plane, the change in her perception. Talk about “show, don’t tell.” I was hooked right from the beginning, marveling out loud to my husband about how well crafted the beginning of this book is.

That early high quality carried throughout the whole book – the library, the town, the story of Josie’s life back in DC, her family, the library situation. It was all so well woven together. I loved every bit of it! The mystery is well-constructed, with nice wrinkles and twists along the way.

For me, this was a perfect blend of mystery and fantasy. I love both genres and enjoyed how the author weaves both together. I can’t wait to see what will happen with Josie’s magic in book 2. Seven-Year Witch is scheduled to release in late summer 2021. And I can’t wait to get my hands on it! Paranormal mystery fans should not miss this one! (Magic elements: spells, powers, transfer of consciousness to the cat, tarot cards used as prop by nonmagical character)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce

REVIEW: Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

While Uncle Budrick enjoys being a traveling troubadour, Max would rather be a knight. When Max and Budrick visit Byjovia – Uncle Budrick’s home – they discover that the kind king is presumed dead and his evil brother has taken over. But thanks to some new friends, Max – and the Midknights – might be able to save the day.

Review

This was PURE FUN! I loved the whole story. The characters are delightful. The humor is pitch perfect – funny without beating you over the head with gags. The pacing of the story was excellent – every so often there was a new challenge and a new opportunity or friend.

If there’s a “message” to the story it’s that gender or family history shouldn’t force you into any role. Even though Max is a girl, she should get to train as a knight if that’s what she wants. And if her friend wants to be a writer instead of working with horses like his dad, so be it. But really, the message is secondary to the fun story full of magic and creatures and challenges and chances to be heroic.

I can’t say enough about how much I loved this book. Book 2, Battle of the Bodkins, is out now. Why not pick up both and check them out?!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥=Outstanding! Amazing! Special!

REVIEW: The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken

REVIEW: The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Keeley has taken up the title of The Blacksmith Queen out of obligation. Her soulless younger sister, Beatrix, has married the Old King’s merciless son, Marius. She helps him in his quest to kill his brothers and have the throne to himself. Although her true aims have nothing to do with her husband. He is a means to an end. Keeley can’t have the murderous couple in charge. So while she’d rather return to her forge and her comparatively quiet life, she leads and she fights.

Keeley’s sister, Gemma, fights at her side. The two also fight with each other every chance they get. But when push comes to shove, they always have each other’s backs.

When someone starts wiping out the various religious orders in the land, including Gemma’s War Monks, she returns to her old order, hoping to convince them to take Keeley’s offer of sanctuary. But Gemma’s order has changed a lot in the two years since she left.

While Gemma deals with the War Monks, Keeley is still trying to figure out what Beatrix is up to and how to stop her. It may seem like all of their worries when this began two years ago were unfounded. But anyone who knew Beatrix would know she’ll stop at nothing but full control and domination. They may not yet see or know what she is plotting, but there is no doubt she is up to no good.

Review

I cannot get enough of this series! I reread book 1, The Blacksmith Queen (♥♥♥♥♥) to prepare for this, and then read this cover to cover. In fact, I’m ready to read this again, and I just finished. This is far more gory and violent than I usually like or read, but the story and the characters are outstanding enough that I push past the yuck to stick with the awesome rest.

You will likely find this in the romance section of the bookstore, but for me this is a fantasy series first and foremost. Yes, there’s a romance in each book. But the real focus here is on the world, the political and religious action, and on this particular family.

I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy the shift from Keeley as the focus in book 1 to Gemma as the focus here. But it was perfect! We get a tremendous amount of information and understanding for Gemma here, and I loved it. This made me like her more than I did in book 1. I have my fingers crossed that Ainsley is the focus of book 3 because she was probably my favorite character in this book full of awesome characters.

I keep coming back to this series for the excellent world-building, the humor and sass in the writing, and the fantastic characters. There are tons of fantasy elements here – magic, sword fights, allies and enemies – with some romance thrown in. For me, this is the perfect blend of genres! (Language, sex, violence/gore, LGBTQ+, TW: Sexual assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BONUS REVIEW: The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman

BONUS REVIEW: The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Over 200 years ago, when Filomena’s boyfriend stole a kiss from her younger sister, Maria, an enraged and jealous Filomena cursed Maria and every second-born daughter the family would ever have to never find love.

Emilia is the second-born daughter in her family. She lives and works around her family – her widowed father, her married older sister, her perpetually disapproving grandmother, her beloved great-uncle, and tons of cousins.

Out of the blue, Emilia receives a note from her great-aunt Poppy, the second-born daughter of her generation. Poppy is the one family member Emilia is forbidden to contact. Poppy is headed to Italy for her 80th birthday, and she wants Emilia to go with her. But Nonna Rosa would never allow it, even though Emilia is an adult of almost 30.

But Poppy is a force to be reckoned with, too. She insists if Emilia – and her cousin, Lucy, who is also a second daughter – come with her to Italy, they will throw off the family curse once and for all.

Review

Wow, this was good! I loved the personal growth for Emilia and Lucy. And Poppy’s story, told through periodic flashback chapters, was captivating! I wanted more, in all the best ways – more chapters, more time in Italy, more time with these characters. And I can’t stop thinking about the twists and turns and the way things turned out for these women.

Emilia’s family is infuriating. I was incensed, grumbling and cursing on her behalf any time her sister or grandmother was on the page. The writing here is so good I wanted to defend Emilia right from the beginning, before I really even knew her. The evolution of the family stories and curse pieces was excellent. While everything didn’t work out perfectly, the resolution was supremely satisfying.

I loved that Lucy was part of this journey. While she isn’t a point-of-view character, I enjoyed her development over the trip to Italy. She has a different reaction to the curse from Emilia. That contrast was fascinating!

I assumed from the curse that this would be a romance. There are elements of that, but really this is a journey with these three women. It’s about their self-concepts and identities as well as their family relationships. And every bit of it was fantastic! Do not miss this one! (Language, references to sex, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Chasing Vines by Beth Moore

REVIEW: Chasing Vines by Beth Moore

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It started with a trip to Tuscany with her daughters. While there, Beth Moore became captivated by the vineyards, the vines, the vinedressers, and the grapes. What followed was a season of study that led to this book. It’s an exploration of vineyards and fruitfulness and scripture that you should not miss!

Review

This book was perfect for me in the early part of 2020. If only you could see all of my dogearred pages and underlined passages! I doubt there’s more than a handful of pages that don’t have something marked in some way. I learned so much about vineyards and vines, and that changed my view of scripture, both the John 15 passage that I expected to explore and so many others.

The voice of this book is textbook Beth Moore. There are passages where I could hear her voice as I read. There’s humor AND heart as well as truth and encouragement in this. Passage after passage applied to my life.

I dug into this like a text book. Which means I made a ridiculous number of notes and highlights. I want to go back and write it all down and ingest it like nourishment. My hope is that these concepts and insights would inform and change me at a deep level. I want to look back at all the ups and downs of my faith journey through the lens of this book.

{To be perfectly honest, I wrote this review back in March immediately when I finished reading the book. The rest of 2020 has driven many of its insights right out of my brain. Thankfully, I have my own annotated copy that I can read again!}

I can’t recommend this highly enough!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

*♥♥♥♥♥+++=Best of the Best

REVIEW: Talk Nerdy to Me by Tiffany Schmidt

REVIEW: Talk Nerdy to Me by Tiffany Schmidt

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Eliza’s best friend, Merrilee Campbell (A Date with Darcy), is convinced their English teacher, Ms. Gregoire, is magic. But science-minded Eliza knows that is not remotely possible. Merrilee and her sister, Rory (The Boy Next Story), believe Ms. Gregoire gives students books that magically come true in their lives. But that’s ridiculous.

Not willing to take any chances, though, Eliza chooses Frankenstein as her free reading choice for class. Ms. Gregoire is reluctant to let Eliza go with that book, but Eliza is confident that its lack of romance and its emphasis on science make it the perfect choice.

As Eliza digs into the assignment, she’s also trying to keep up on her parents’ ever-increasing demands. They are world-famous scientists currently working at the South Pole. They monitor Eliza through exacting logs, a personal tracker, and the grad student they have watching her at the house. Her 89% on a recent math test has them concerned. They want her to beef up her study habits as well as add an extracurricular – from three choices they feel would be appropriate. She chooses Quiz Bowl team, not expecting to find Curtis there.

Curtis is the sophomore class’s Class Clown. He always has a joke or zinger at the ready. How is HE on the Quiz Bowl team?

Soon Eliza’s assumptions – about her English assignment, her parents’ expectations, and even Curtis – are going to be challenged in ways she can’t begin to imagine.

Review

I have been crazy for the Bookish Boyfriends series since I first heard the plot of book 1!  And this book is no exception. I’ve been eager to read Eliza’s story since Merrilee’s book. Her parents’ controlling behavior is stunning. I wanted to know more about why they were like that and why Eliza put up with it. She’s also been putting up with Curtis since the first book. So this was my chance to see that relationship explored. It was so satisfying!

Curtis and his siblings are my favorite characters from this book, although I also love the whole ensemble. But Curtis is a perfect contrast for Eliza’s controlled and controlling life. He’s fun and sweet and endearing. He’s also confident enough to ask for what he wants and stand up for his right to be treated with kindness, courtesy, and honesty. This is my favorite pair in the series – at least for today. I think I say it every time I finish a book in the series!

There is no element of anyone trying to figure out how Ms. Gregoire does what she does. And I’m loving that. They accept it as part of life and just watch to see what happens. Each book in the series so far explores two pieces of literature. The second book in this one is Anne of Green Gables.

We already know where book four – Get a Clue – is headed. I am looking forward to seeing what happens when Huck and Curtis’ brother, Win, team up to solve a mystery à la Sherlock Holmes. That is currently scheduled to release in January 2021. I already have it sitting in my online shopping cart. These are characters I already love. And a new book gives me the perfect excuse to go back and re-read the whole series over Christmas.

Fans of YA romance, especially with a lot of book love and a touch of magic, should not miss this series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥= Outstanding, Fantastic

REVIEW: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

REVIEW: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

After the Twenty-Five Year War, Emperor Atar Faroshi unified the quadrant. All of the prime families came together in peace. While the Emperor has never had children, he has also never named a successor. And now he is dying.

Captain Alyssa Farshot of the Vagabond Quest is an explorer. In fact, she just received accolades from the Explorer’s Society. Hungover from the celebration, she wakes to a communication from her Uncle Charlie, the envoy to the Emperor, also known as “Uncle Atar” to Alyssa.

Atar cannot name Alyssa Empress – even if she wanted the job, which she absolutely does NOT. Instead he names her crownchaser for the Faroshi family.

There hasn’t been a crownchase in hundreds of years. When there is one, a royal seal is hidden somewhere in the empire. Each of the prime families chooses a crownchaser to hunt it down. Whoever finds the seal and returns with it will be crowned.

While a religious zealot Alyssa trusts about as far as she can throw him holds the throne, six crownchasers, childhood friends and rivals, begin their quest to explore a 1,000-planet area, solve puzzles, meet challenges, and find the seal in order to become the new leader of the quadrant.

Review

Outstanding. Stunning. Perfect. Magical.

This could well be my top book of 2020. I loved every moment with this book. I would start reading it again right now if I didn’t have 70 ARCs waiting for my attention.

This is a science fiction story, which is the first mark in its favor. I love sci-fi. There are interesting planets, space battles, aliens, and futuristic technology. It was awesome!

The characters are another mark in the book’s favor.  I loved Alyssa. The early chapters of this have a Polaris Rising feel to them. (Another mark in the book’s favor.) The biggest difference is that while Ada (Polaris Rising) is all about masking her emotions and controlling her responses, Alyssa is more what-you-see-is-what-you-get. She’s just as smart and strong and skilled. But she’s more irreverent and impulsive than Ada. I love both characters.

Then there’s the stellar (pardon the pun) plot. It felt familiar, but I never could place what this reminds me of. There’s a reluctant royals piece – something I love and read often. Then there’s a competition. It’s not meant to be a last-one-standing deal like The Hunger Games, but the stakes are high. There’s also the fact that Alyssa doesn’t want to win. She competes out of obligation. She’s more focused on the process than the end goal. She wants a good outcome for the future of the quadrant. She cares about how people are doing and about fixing the problems she can. But she isn’t a win-at-all-costs sort of person. She mostly just wants to get back to her life.

The ending is excellent! I wanted book 2 in my hands immediately, but since the book just released two days ago, that is not going to happen for awhile. I had to settle for having my own print copy, which I ordered immediately after finishing this.

Science fiction fans, YA fans, reluctant royal fans, and competition story fans should snatch up a copy and clear their schedules for a few days (or a few hours) to dive into this one. I could go on and on about how much I adored this book! (Language, LGBTQ+, science fiction violence – blasters, space battles, etc.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

*♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best