Category: Reviews

REVIEW: The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson

REVIEW: The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Juliet only agreed to be a seat filler at the awards ceremony to help her best friend, Shelby. Shelby’s mother-in-law to-be owns a company that supplies seat fillers, and she needed help for the event. Juliet is pretty sure the woman is evil, but she would do anything for Shelby who is desperate for the woman’s approval. And apparently “anything” includes sitting next to the gorgeous and annoying Noah Douglas.

After bickering with Noah and embarrassing herself, Juliet figures that’s the end of her contact with Noah. But he keeps popping back into her life. Shelby says he likes Juliet, but she can’t even entertain the thought. Juliet is terrified of kissing. It leads to horrible panic attacks – and embarrassing moments. She’s never even confessed to Shelby why she doesn’t date. But if she is going to have any sort of relationship with Noah, it will have to be as friends.

But when Juliet makes an alcohol-fueled confession of her phobia to Noah, he offers to help her get over her kissing aversion. He’s actually familiar with her condition because it’s part of a script he was recently reviewing. So they could help each other out – she can help him prepare for the role and he can be her “seat filler” with the kissing until she gets past her aversion. But when Juliet starts having real feelings for Noah, she’s afraid it will all be ruined if he finds out she lied to him when they first met.

Review

Delightful! I immediately fell in love with these characters. They are smart and sassy and have amazing chemistry. And the book is FUNNY! Like laughing-out-loud, reading passages to my husband, funny. That’s the best sort of book for me – one that hits all the emotional beats.

At first, the kissing phobia sounded odd to me. But it’s a real phobia, and the author does a good job working it into her story. The source of Juliet’s fear made sense, and the way she and Noah work through it is anchored in real practices for dealing with panic attacks and anxiety.

The characters made this the perfect read for me. I loved them as individuals and as a couple. Even their friends were characters I enjoyed. The big conflict felt a bit blown out of proportion, but the author addresses that in the story as part of the characterization, which was great. Rom-com fans will definitely want to pick this one up. (TW: Panic attacks)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

BONUS REVIEW: Bea Is for Blended by Lindsey Stoddard

BONUS REVIEW: Bea Is for Blended by Lindsey Stoddard

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

Bea Embers is about to start middle school, but that’s only one of a series of changes she’s experiencing all at once. Bea’s mom has just gotten married, the two families have moved into a new house together, and Bea’s mom is going to have a baby. On top of all that, one of her new step-brothers, Bryce, is a “bully-follower” in her homeroom. Bryce’s friends always pick on Bea’s best friend, and Bryce goes along with it and even joins in. How will she ever think of someone like that as family?

Complicating Bea’s life even more is the soccer situation at school. Bea’s always been a leader on her past teams. (Usually they were boys’ teams that “allowed” the girls to join. But they often sat on the bench and rarely received any credit or encouragement for their contributions to the team.) But her new neighbor is going to be some stiff competition. Even worse, the middle school soccer coach (who is also the principal) is dismissive of every girl who wants to play. And he’s a constant obstacle to their desire for a team of their own.

But Bea Embers is as feisty and fiery as her name would imply. She and her friends – and her new family – aren’t going to put up with any misogynistic “bullsharky” this year. They’re going to stand tall and push back.

Review

This was so amazing! This exemplifies why I love middle grade novels:

  • Imperfect characters grow and learn over time.
  • Amazing teachers coach and encourage and fight for their students.
  • Families come together and back each other up.
  • Adults give kids space to work through conflicts while also being willing to back them up when it’s needed.

There’s so much heart here, I wanted to hug the book. This is the perfect blend of a story that has you tearing up one moment and wanting to stand up and cheer the next. It’s delightful!

Bea had to grow on me for a few chapters while I waited to get a feel for her. At the same time, though, I feel like in those early chapters, Bea is trying to get a feel for herself in all of these new roles and settings. I was captivated by her story and her circumstances from the start. I loved the kids, their teachers, and their families. I loved how the characters grow over time – and not just Bea. Bea’s experience with Bridge to Terabithia was a fantastic part of the story. My favorite part, though, is getting a peek into Bea’s thinking about all of the things happening in her life – the changes in her family, the soccer situation, her friends at school, her feelings about Bryce, how she relates what she is reading to what she is experiencing, etc..

There is SO MUCH here to love. Do not miss the latest book from the author of Right as Rain (another book I wanted to hug after reading). This would be a fantastic read-aloud, but would also work well for book groups and book clubs. (Includes a few excellent uses of the word “badass.”)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

REVIEW: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

Emmanuel Acho is the creator behind the video series and book titled Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. This book takes some of the questions and topics from the adult content and formats them for kids 10 and up. Each chapter introduces a concept with a question. Then some history is given (“Let’s Rewind”) and the talk gets frank (“Let’s Get Uncomfortable”). Finally there are suggestions for what to do to take action about a particular concept (“Talk It, Walk It). Topics include things like the N-word/language, history of Blacks in America, bias, “color blindness,” privilege, the Confederate flag, systemic racism, and “reverse racism.”

The tone is conversational; I could actually hear the author’s speaking voice as I read. He never talks down to readers and often adopts a coaching tone, which I loved. But because of the seriousness of the topic, some of the material is heavy and intense. Struggling readers may need some assistance – reading chunks at a time, discussion groups/family conversation – to push through all of the material. And it is absolutely worth pushing through! This is an exceptionally good resource for kids, teens, and adults, including school personnel, pastors, youth workers, and helping professionals.

There are no citations in the text for some of the history and statistics the author gives, but there are references listed in the backmatter. There are also suggestions of other materials – books, documentaries – to go deeper. This is a starting point resource, not the be-all-end-all discussion of race and racism. But the history and context given makes this an excellent foundation to build on. As an adult, I found the history enlightening (and alarming), and the conversation frank and helpful. When I talk about race and racism with other adults, there are common refrains from those who do not believe racism is still an issue, those who want to “move on.” This includes terrific talking points and responses for people of all ages looking to grow in their understanding and practice of anti-racism.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

* ♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best!

 

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+

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.