Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Gina and the Last City on Earth by Judd Winick

REVIEW: Gina and the Last City on Earth by Judd Winick

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Hilo has been captured by the magical rulers of an alternate Earth. They want to prevent a prophecy that says two magical humans will take the Earth from them. And they believe those humans are Hilo’s friends.

Gina has connected with her ancestor, Regina, who has been serving as a magical guardian for ages. She has kept countless magical creatures from invading Earth. But with the arrival of Gina and her friends, Regina realizes things aren’t what they seem in her magical world.

Review

I wasn’t supposed to be reviewing this book today. I’m having a hard time catching up on my reading from the first of the year. But when the library notice came through that this was in my hold list, I dropped everything to read through it. This is one of my “ride or die” graphic novel series. And this entry did not disappoint.

I continue to be awed by how this funny, action-packed series can also deal with grief and loss so well. There’s just the right amount of heart-tugging  that comes from how much readers care about these characters. But that is well-balanced with the action and humor. Graphic novel fans should definitely start this series at the beginning – there’s just too much to catch up on if you were to jump in here. But it’s worth the time because this series is amazing. I already have book 10, Rise of the Cat, on my wish list for 2024.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Conquer the Kingdom by Jennifer Estep

REVIEW: Conquer the Kingdom by Jennifer Estep

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

While Gemma and Leonides and their friends and family have survived Milo’s attempted assassinations, they are wary and on guard. Milo survived, too, and has gone into hiding with a huge bounty on his head. While some speculate that he will flee, Gemma feels it’s more likely he’s plotting something else, maybe for the upcoming Sword and Shield Tournament.

Gemma invites Queen Maeven and Princess Delmira as her guests for the tournament, hoping to lure Milo out of hiding to take another shot at his mother. The animosity between the Ripleys and the Morricones simmers as they kick off the tournament and wait for Milo to make his move. And Gemma and Leo are caught by their family loyalties and the history of plots and schemes – and murder – between the families. While they hope to eventually triumph over Milo, their love seems doomed to fail.

Review

I have loved this series – this world – since I first read Kill the Queen, first in the Crown of Shards series. The author has said this is the last book from this world, at least for awhile, and I’m a little sad it’s all over.

Gemma gets to have another showdown with the Morricones here – actually a few of them. And they are epic! If you love the big battles in this series, you will not be disappointed here. Most of the threads of Gemma’s story are tied up here, so the ending is satisfying. There are definitely a few loose ends for the author to play with if she ever comes back to this world. But if this is truly the end, I think fans will be satisfied.

I have to be honest. There were a few moments where I felt the plot was engineered to draw out the drama. I realize that’s fiction. Duh! But I mean moments where something happened – or didn’t happen – that felt out of character or so out of the flow that it pulled me out of the story with “Wait, what?” These moments didn’t ruin the story, and they weren’t *big* things. But they did shake up the flow of things for me. And then they sat in the back of my brain for the rest of my reading experience.

That said, there’s been some brilliant plotting in this trilogy. The teasers from earlier books get to resolve here in fantastic ways. I will definitely read this again once my personal copy arrives. I tabbed my way through a re-read of the first two Gargoyle Queen books, and I am eager to tab this as well to note where all the payoffs come.

Series fans should definitely pick this up asap. New readers should at least go back to the start of this series, Capture the Crown, if not all the way back to Kill the Queen to get the full experience with this awesome world and these fantastic characters. And remember, these are adult fantasy novels (language, sex, violence), not YA.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: The House Swap by Yvette Clark

REVIEW: The House Swap by Yvette Clark

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Sage is worried her parents might be getting a divorce. So when her mom announces they will be going to England for vacation – without her dad – she finds it hard to feel excited. Plus, the trip is a house swap, so there will be strangers living in their house which will just be weird.

Allie finds herself feeling at turns overlooked and then smothered as the middle kid in her family. No one takes her desire for some order and boundaries seriously. Her parents always seem to indulge her older brother and baby sister, leaving Allie to fend for herself in family dynamics.

Sage and Allie get a few days together in England before Allie leaves, and in that time Sage shares her worries about her parents. So Allie helps her come up with a plan to “Parent Trap” her parents in order to save their marriage.

Review

The set up here is cute. I loved how the author arranged things so the two girls are together and get to know one another for a few days before the full swap. I loved the two girls together.

The conflicts the girls are facing are pretty typical for middle grade stories, and they are well-executed here. I really felt for Allie as she struggles to be heard and understood in her family.  The “Parent Trap” plan was as stressful to read as you might imagine. I think kids will enjoy the drama of it all.

This would be a nice selection for a read aloud or a book group. There’s a lot of family dynamics here for discussion or reflection. Kids could talk about which of the girls they related to the most, both in their different personalities and also in the conflicts they are facing. Both girls end up working on giving voice to their feelings and asking for what they need. These are great life skills for kids to read about and talk about.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Mr. & Mrs. Witch by Gwenda Bond

REVIEW: Mr. & Mrs. Witch by Gwenda Bond

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases March 7th.]

Summary

CRONE is an association of witches that works in secret to keep the world safe from dark, magical things it’s not ready for.

HUNTER is a similar organization, but their roots go back to the days of hunting witches. The two groups may be co-existing these days, but the peace between them feels tenuous at best.

The two groups come face to face at Savvy and Griffin’s wedding. Neither has any idea that the other is technically a “sworn enemy.” But a blow up at the wedding exposes both sides. Instead of beginning their life together as husband and wife, Savvy and Griffin have to kill each other to get back in the good graces of their respective groups.

It’s soon apparent that something much bigger is going on. And Savvy and Griffin might have to help each other out of they want to survive. But the trust between them is broken. How can they ever get past the betrayal of falling for a sworn enemy?

Review

This was fun! The plot has a familiar Mr and Mrs Smith/rival-spies-fall-in-love vibe, and I was here for it. I liked the two main characters a lot, and the magical world was intriguing. I would have liked a little more on the world-building, but what is here is a satisfying support to the larger story, keeping the romance the focus.

This definitely feels like something that could launch a series. The events of the book set some things in motion that could build into more storytelling. And the usual friend and family groups could become central characters for future stories. And I am here for more.

The romance here is lovely. The chemistry is great. The timeline jumps work perfectly to get the reader right into the conflict of the story while still building the relationship of the main couple.

While I have always enjoyed magical fantasy stories, I am always guarded for ones that might veer toward horror or the occult. This one gave me no issues, but if you are also wary, the magical elements here include covens (groups of witches), familiars (animals that can shape shift and bond to their owners), gorgons, necromancy, and spells/magic powers.

Readers who enjoy their romance with a healthy side of fantasy and magic – books like Not the Witch You Wed, Not Your Ex’s Hexes, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, Capture the Crown, Dead Romantics, etc. – should definitely pick this up! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great – Might re-read

REVIEW: The Art of Getting Noticed by Campbell/Knetzger

REVIEW: The Art of Getting Noticed by Campbell/Knetzger

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Bigfoot Littletoe III isn’t sure he fits in with his family. No matter how hard he tries, he never gets captured on film The rest of his family members are regularly part of Bigfoot sightings.

Bigfoot stumbles across a new friend named Nessie who is in town on vacation. And she encourages Bigfoot to stop trying to be who he thinks he’s supposed to be and instead have fun and find out who he really is.

But when Nessie is discovered, she has to go back home. And Bigfoot struggles to find joy in his new activities without his new friend.

Review

This is a cute and colorful early chapter book for kids between 7 and 10. At its core, it’s a friendship story. It also introduces the idea of trying to fit in vs finding your own path. And it touches on the question of where our satisfaction should come from – an audience of fickle strangers or from yourself and those who really care about you? That’s a lot to pack into an early chapter book!

I think the cryptid characters – mainly Bigfoot, Nessie, and an unexpected surprise appearance – give this a fun, unique take on a friendship story. Cryptid fans should give this a try. I would read more adventures with these characters.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

REVIEW: Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Murder follows Mallory Viridian. She lost relationships over these murders, like the one that happened two rows away from where her boyfriend was trying to propose. She can’t live near her family because they are afraid of her. She even dropped out of college after witnessing a double murder.

One tiny upside is that Mallory is brilliant at helping solve the murders. But everyone mistrusts her so much, she can’t actually go into law enforcement. It got so bad on Earth that Mallory fled to a space station where there’s only one other human. And she thought she was finally safe.

Then the space station agreed to accept more human residents.

Review

This was a unique story. There’s multiple narrators, as well as several time jumps. Then the author builds a clever and unique space station with alien species. In some ways this is a hard story to tell. The main action is at Station Eternity, centered around the arrival of the humans and the fallout of what happens when they arrive. But all of the contemporary story is built on dozens of past moments – experiences for the main character as well as ways the larger cast links together. The author does a great job of weaving all of those things together. But it makes for a story that feels long and slow at times.

The story was different and intriguing enough to keep me pushing forward with it. But there were times I thought about cutting it loose. I’m glad I stuck with it because the pieces come together well in the end, and the story was satisfying as a whole. And I am intrigued enough by the whole thing that I would consider reading book 2 when it comes out.

Sci-fi fans and mystery fans should check this one out. Give the story time to play out, trusting that you will be rewarded in the end. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Stardust in Their Veins by Laura Sebastian

REVIEW: Stardust in Their Veins by Laura Sebastian

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Beatriz, Daphne, and Sophronia – triplet princesses, born to both rule and ruin. Each left for their assigned country and prince; each expected to marry and then enact their mother’s plan. But nothing has gone as expected.

Beatriz has discovered unexpected powers while also facing betrayal. She’s sequestered in a nunnery under charges of treason.
Daphne has been the target of several assassination attempts, but not from the corners she might have expected.
And Sophronia….

The triplets have gone off course from their mother’s plan – but the Empress has been working her own scheme all along. And she’s not the only one.

Review

AMAZING! This was fantastic! The minute I finished, I sat, stunned. What a ride.

In some ways this is the sort of mid-trilogy book that mostly serves to set up the big action of book 3. There’s not a ton of ground gained here. That being said, there were some fantastic moments and fascinating reveals. The book is completely engrossing, and I loved it! But at the same time, I feel like it mostly kept me in a holding pattern for book 3.

There’s some great character development going on in that “holding pattern,” though. We continue to learn about the triplets and their mother as well as other friends – and villains – from book 1, Castles in Their Bones. Once I finished the last page, I was ready to start over again. Sadly, I have fallen behind in my reading, so a re-read will have to wait. On the plus side, once my personal print copy arrives, (hopefully with the UK cover which matches book 1 better than the US cover), I’ll be able to book tab this like I did book 1.

This was a fun book annotation practice I tried in January. I really missed the ability to continue tabbing with my e-ARC.

Fans of book one should immediately pick up the sequel – and carve out time because you won’t want to put it down. Fans of the author’s Ash Princess series should definitely check this series out asap – I think you will love it!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

REVIEW: The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

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

For years, Evan has used the skills the Orphan program gave him to help people in desperate need of his talents as the Nowhere Man. But the US government didn’t like that. They said he could have a pardon for all he’s done – under orders and under his own conscience – if he stopped being the Nowhere Man. But he didn’t. And they have hunted him down.

Now he has a new offer – help the President by taking out a problem and his pardon agreement will be reinstated. But X is working on his own terms – he needs to check the guy out for himself. But what he finds isn’t what he expected.

Review

I read this series for two reasons:

One, my husband loves it. I read one of the early books for a family challenge a few years ago.
Two, I love the series characters.

But these books are often dark and super violent. So they don’t always click for me. I’ve even skipped a couple along the way. This one really only worked for me about 60% of the time. Most of the scenes with the villain fell flat. He was annoying. I hated him, but not in a “he needs to pay”/someone needs justice sort of way. More in a “when can we get back to the good stuff?” way.

Honestly, EVERY OTHER THING in the book (other than the violence/gore/icky bits) was a delight – Joey, other old friends, Evan’s personal growth. Even the scenes with the governmental powers that be who were coercing Evan were brilliant. Emotionally, I felt like I was reading two different books – one laugh-out-loud-funny and smart and sharp while the other was flat, bland, and colorless. I’m not sure if the author was trying to create a sort of Moriarty character here, (which I don’t enjoy in Sherlock Holmes either – although the recent Enola Holmes movie did an amazing job with the character) but it did not work for me.

I think there’s a lot here for series fans to enjoy. I bookmarked many perfect moments as I read. Readers who really get into the villainous interchanges here will find this to be the full package. But if the villain falls flat for you too, this may be an “only okay” addition to the series. Newcomers should not start here. I think this book only has a chance of being satisfying if you’ve read enough of the previous 7 stories. Context matters here. (Language, sex, sexual references including references to sexual assault, gore, violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Cranky Chicken Party Animals by Katherine Battersby

REVIEW: Cranky Chicken Party Animals by Katherine Battersby

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Cranky Chicken and Speedy the worm explore parties in their latest adventure.

Another delightful grumpy/sunshine buddy book starring Cranky Chicken and Speedy. The sass is a little stronger in this one, and I cackled more than once.

If you are looking for a book kids and their grownups can enjoy, this series is a winner!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: A Good Day to Pie by Misha Popp

REVIEW: A Good Day to Pie by Misha Popp

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

Daisy’s primary business is baking pies. But only a special segment of her customers know about “Pies Before Guys.” That’s the mostly-secret baking business where wronged and wounded women can buy a magical pie that will make the man stop his shenanigans. It’s not Daisy’s fault that for some of these trolls the only thing that will stop them is their death.

Daisy is doing a TV bake off with the hopes of winning money to keep funding Pies Before Guys. But she doesn’t expect that one of the contest judges is the man she’s supposed to deliver a magical pie to on the way home. When the judge later dies – without the help of Daisy’s special baked goods – she starts looking for a killer.

Review

Not unlike an excellent pie, an excellent mystery requires the right ingredients at proper amounts, blended together. Murder, Lies, and Deadly Pies was my favorite book of 2022. That’s a lot to live up to. But A Good Day to Pie was up to the task.

I was afraid the baking contest might be a drag for me – I don’t watch baking shows, and I’ve read other books recently with a similar setting. But this really surpassed other examples of the set up. I was riveted by the competition and zipped through every challenge to see what would happen next. And I adored the little community formed by the contestants.

For a long time I worried that the murder would keep Daisy from using her magic, but that worry was unnecessary. Everything was woven into the story, and I was supremely satisfied how it all came together.

This is a distinct and different series that is hitting me in a way I didn’t know I needed. It seems weird to love a series with a protagonist who is essentially a killer. But the way Daisy’s power works means she only provides the pies and magic. The “victims” bring on their own demise by their lack of repentance. That might feel too dark for some readers, but it’s hitting just the right tone for me these days. I’ll be sticking with Daisy and Pies Before Guys for the long haul! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.