Category: Reviews

REVIEW: From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

REVIEW: From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

On Zoe’s birthday, she picks up the mail at home and finds a letter from her birth father, Marcus. Zoe’s never met him because Marcus is in prison. She’s never heard from him before either, although his letter makes it sound like he’s sent others. Zoe tries to talk to her mom about Marcus, but her mom says he is bad news. Zoe decides to write him back anyway. And she doesn’t tell her mom or step-dad about the letter.

Zoe is home for the summer so she can pick up the mail before anyone sees it. Her best friends are gone for the summer, and she’s fighting with her neighbor, Trevor, so she has a lot of time on her hands.

As Zoe learns more about Marcus, she sees what they have in common – a passion for cooking, a love of music. And she finally gets brave enough to ask why he’s in prison. Marcus says he was convicted of murder, but he’s innocent. So Zoe decides she’s going to look into Marcus’ case and try to help him.

Review

This was SO great! I adored Zoe! It’s the nature of the story that Zoe has to keep some secrets and lie at times to stay in communication with Marcus. And I so badly wanted her to have that relationship with him. There are so many other examples of her good character – she’s a hard worker, she forgives her neighbor for the things that hurt her feelings – that I could let the lying not bother me for the sake of the story. I knew it would all come out in the end.

The author does a great job of rounding out Zoe’s story with the baking and cooking pieces (A recipe for her cupcakes would have been a fun addition to the book) as well as her friendship with Trevor. Those non-Marcus threads never distracted from the primary story, they only enhanced it.

The big conflict at the end, when Zoe’s secrets were exposed, felt realistic. And the resolution to Marcus’s situation was so satisfying! There were some details in the story about The Innocence Project, their mission, and statistics about wrongful conviction. There were also references to the biases and discrimination against Blacks in general and against Black men and boys when it comes to the law. It’s a timely story. I thought there might be an author’s note in the back with more information or resources, but the content of the story stands on its own.

I loved this story. Hand this to any and every middle grade reader. Zoe is a delight. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Infinity Son by Adam Silvera

REVIEW: Infinity Son by Adam Silvera

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Brighton has wanted to be a celestial all his life. Who doesn’t want super powers? He’s had to settle for his YouTube channel – Celestials of New York. But he and his twin brother are about to turn 18. And everyone knows that’s when the powers kick in.

Emil loves his brother, but he does not need the stress and anxiety of celestial life. Public opinion on their status as “heroes” is iffy. And then there are the battles with specters – people who use the blood of magical creatures to get powers. Emil and Brighton were caught in the middle of one of those battles the other night. All so Brighton could get footage for his YouTube channel. Not Emil’s scene. He’s much happier at his job at the Museum of Natural Creatures. While he’s stuck working in the gift shop, his favorite place is the Sunroom – the room that celebrates every kind of phoenix.

Thanks to Brighton’s lack of a sense of self-preservation, and his desperation for YouTube views, Emil finds himself on the run once again from a specter who wants to cause trouble. But when Brighton is in danger, Emil manifests powers. Specter powers. Where did they come from? And what do they mean?

Review

This is the superpowers book you’ve been waiting for. Fascinating world building. Great characters. Stunning ending.

Wow. This was…. wow. When I think of where everything starts and where it all stands in the end, it’s dizzying. At their core, Emil and Brighton don’t change a lot. Emil is timid. He longs for a simple life with the things and people he cares about. Brighton is desperate for significance. They are committed to one another completely, despite all the shake ups in the story. But as their circumstances change, they want what they want. Emil will use his powers for the greater good, but there are lines he won’t cross. Brighton will always have Emil’s back. But he is jealous of Emil’s powers. And he’s determined to show that he is powerful in his own way. It’s a fascinating identity story and friendship story wrapped in a magical fantasy.

I enjoyed the interplay between the various characters. There are TONS of interesting dynamics. Hand this to X-men fans, superhero fans, and fantasy fans. Book 2, Infinity Reaper, is scheduled to release in 2021. (LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Dream Big by Bob Goff

BONUS REVIEW: Dream Big by Bob Goff

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The premise of the book is to help readers find where their purpose lies and help them make a plan to achieve their ambitions. The book is set out in 7 sections. The first section is the longest and deals with character issues to prepare the reader for pursuing his/her dreams and ambitions. The other sections deal with expectations, opportunities, clearing obstacles, and expecting and preparing for setbacks. There are thought questions sprinkled throughout the book, but there is a space at the end of the book with reflection questions for each section. Readers can either flip back and forth as they work through the book, or tackle the questions at the end.

Review

This was my first time reading a Bob Goff book, and I found it to be thoroughly delightful and inspiring.

I did not expect the book to be front loaded with so much character work, but as I worked through the whole book, it made sense to deal with those questions and issues up front and then build on them through the nitty gritty tasks in the latter parts. Yes, there are nuggets about dreams and aspirations and ambitions in the opening, but they really are secondary to the sort of human being you choose to be.

The writing here is conversational. It’s easy to get caught up in the stories. There’s humor as well as transparency and vulnerability. I did a lot of highlighting as I read. I decided to read straight through. When I go through the questions later, I will get a second run at the content of the book, which felt like the best way to approach the material for me.

Faith pieces are woven into Bob’s thoughts and his stories in a natural way, which I enjoyed. But he also acknowledges that some readers may not come to this book with the same faith background or perspective. And I think any person regardless of faith tradition or experience can get something out of this book.

I will definitely be checking out the author’s other work since I enjoyed this so much. If you are a Goff fan, I would recommend you read this whether you feel like you have dreams or ambitions waiting or not. But if you do, I would recommend picking this up – and I would pair it with Jon Acuff’s Finish – to help you make progress on your dreams.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

BONUS REVIEW: The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Mason “Mace” Reid trains cadaver dogs. And Elvira is his latest trainee. She survived a rough beginning to her life and has become a great HRD – Human Remains Detection dog. She’s bright, and she picked up the tasks quickly. It helps that Mace treats the training like games for his “kids,” the pups.

On Vira’s first real case, she finds the body in less than 2 minutes. And while she and Mace wait to make an official statement to the police, Vira zeroes in on a guy in the watching crowd – and she attacks. The guy is hospitalized for his injuries. And Vera is supposed to be put down. But Mace believes in her and believes there might be more to the guy she attacked. Mace has to investigate in order to save her life. That’s what she means to him. He’d sacrifice anything for her.

That’s what puts Mace on Everyman’s radar. He’d been loosely connected to that other case. He’d been almost mentoring the young sociopath involved. And when Mace ruins that situation, Everyman turns his attention to Mace – and his dogs – instead.

Review

I received an offer of a review copy of this book because of my love for the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt, another dog-related mystery/suspense series.  This felt darker, thanks to the serial killer angle, but there were similarities, too.

The dogs in this book are excellent. And the investigative work is as well. Vira is a more active part of the story here than Rosenfelt’s dogs tend to be, at least in the Andy Carpenter series. I got a kick out of the questions about Vira’s special skills. She’s pretty amazing!

The mystery here, while dark, was well executed (pardon the unintentional pun). There were a couple interesting twists to this, plus a side case to show off Vira’s gifts that was very clever. I would definitely read more books in this series to see what happens with Vira and Mace in the future.

Thriller fans, especially those who enjoy stories with dogs and/or law enforcement, should be sure to check this out. You could hand this to other Rosenfelt fans as well as fans of books like A Borrowing of Bones with other working/law enforcement dogs. (Language, including one use of the word “retarded.”)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

REVIEW: Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

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

Chloe feels like she’s in quicksand while everyone else’s life clicks along.

Take her best friend for instance. Annie’s written a screenplay – inspired by Chloe and her hot boss – that’s been turned into a major movie (Waiting for Tom Hanks – ♥♥♥♥). She’s fallen in love with an actual movie star, and they’re getting married. Chloe doesn’t understand half of what Annie does for her job, but it has her winging her way to one coast or the other on a regular basis.

In contrast, Chloe still lives in their home town in Ohio. She works in a coffee shop and rents a garage apartment from Annie’s uncle. She dropped out of college, so now she is taking classes online so she can do something with her life besides pour coffee. And she’s got her dad in an assisted living facility for his Alzheimer’s.

It feels like at this point in her life, she should have more to show for her time and energy. She’s run ragged taking care of everything and everyone. And she has no time for romance even if everyone is convinced she and Nick belong together like in some rom-com. Rom-coms aren’t real. And Chloe is all about real life. In fact, she sometimes has more of it than she feels she can handle.

Review

I loved this! Chloe is a character I could really identify with. She feels very real. She’s carrying real burdens. Yet she tries to maintain a sunny disposition. She’s so aware of her own pain in some ways, it makes her aware of the pain of others. And she wants to be the spot of sunshine for those folks on their dark days.

Yet while there are ways Chloe is super self-aware, there are other places where she doesn’t see her own limits. She is so self-protective, she feels she has to do everything – perfectly – all on her own. She’s afraid if she stops being so helpful and accommodating that people will abandon her. Or, if she asks someone else to do something, they will not follow through. And she has good reason for feeling that way!

But all of this personal stuff going on for Chloe never bogs down the story. This is FUNNY! I laughed so much in this one. The characters are a hoot! And Chloe and Nick’s chemistry is terrific. He’s a fascinating contrast for her in some ways – and he’s refreshing in his thoughtfulness and stability.

Fans of book one – Waiting for Tom Hanks – should absolutely check this out and get Chloe and Nick’s full story plus an epilogue of sorts for Annie and Drew as Chloe and Nick’s story plays out. I don’t think you have to read these books in order to enjoy them, but it helps as they build on one another. Fans of romantic comedies – both the movie ones and the book ones – should not miss this story! This book releases next week, July 7, 2020.  (Language, mostly off-page sex, LGBTQ+ – Bisexual character(s) as well as gay and lesbian characters/relationships)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

REVIEW: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Millie, Thea, Cassie, Nathalie, Robin, and Wren are the Amelia Six – six girls who won the chance to spend the night at Amelia Earhart’s Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas. It was supposed to be an evening of food and fun with a scavenger hunt and a tour of the house, full of Amelia Earhart memorabilia. The prize attraction is a pair of Amelia’s goggles – a pair that is about to go the Smithsonian. But over the course of the evening, the goggles go missing.

The kids and the adults in charge of the museum are trapped in the house due to a snowstorm. There’s no cell reception. And everyone is suspicious of everyone else. The goggles are worth a lot of money to a thief.

But the Amelia Six are determined to find the goggles, get to the truth, and preserve Amelia’s memory. But what can six pre-teens do?

Review

This was a fun mystery with some unexpected twists. Millie was the point of view character, but the ensemble of girls was great. They worked well together once the investigation kicked in, and each brought something different to the sleuthing.

There’s a lot of great Amelia Earhart information both in the book and in the back matter. The setting for the story and the group that plans the event for the girls in the book are both real. Amelia Earhart fans will get a kick out of all the little nuggets of information.

Mystery fans, Earhart fans, and fans of books with great ensembles of characters should be sure to check this one out. It is a lot of fun with plenty of page-turning suspense.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Layoverland by Gabby Noone

REVIEW: Layoverland by Gabby Noone

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Bea died, she was driving her car around, aimlessly, thinking about her little sister – her best friend, Emmy – and how she ruined Emmy’s life. One moment she’s looking into the eyes of the kid who hit her. The next, she’s on a weird airplane with strangers.

Turns out, Bea is in purgatory. And because of the abrasive, disagreeable way she lived her life, she has to work in the Memory Experience department, helping other souls deal with the regrets of their lives that have kept them from going to Heaven. Bea just has to help 5,000 others work through their issues, and then she gets to go to heaven, too.

But Caleb is one of the first soul’s assigned to Bea. And she realizes he’s the one from the accident. The guy who killed her. There’s no way she’s going to help him move onto Heaven after that! She’ll just have to find a way to sabotage him. Not enough so she gets into trouble and gets sent to Hell, but just enough to push him back into the lottery to wait for another chance at Heaven.

Review

This was SO quirky! The whole premise is a hoot! Bea spends the entire book in the “airport” of purgatory, with its gross food and odd characters and blank books. Periodically there’s a chapter about what happened before the accident on the day Bea died. It’s actually pretty tragic to think of what things could have been like for her family after her death.

Caleb’s a nice guy who has no idea about the connection to Bea. He goes along with every question she asks, trusting her completely in the Memory Experience process. Which leads to an interesting dynamic between them.

This is a pretty secular view on the afterlife. There’s no reference to Jesus. And people can move out of purgatory when their number is called if they cooperate with the process to figure out what repressed issue has gotten in their way. Bea is freakishly good at discerning what people need to help with that process. The ending of this was interesting.

While this was quirky from start to finish, it was also compelling. I was curious about what happened between Bea and her sister. I wondered what would happen with Caleb when he discovered the truth. I had to know if a loophole would get Bea to Heaven sooner or if she’d really have to work with 5,000 souls first.

If you enjoy odd, existential stories, don’t miss this one! (Language, references to underage drinking and abortion)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: To Kill a Mocking Girl by Harper Kincaid

BONUS REVIEW: To Kill a Mocking Girl by Harper Kincaid

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Quinn Caine is back in Vienna, Virginia after teaching English in villages overseas for a few years after college. She’s living in a house on her aunt and uncle’s property and doing book binding work at her parents shop, Prose and Scones. Even her brother has moved back to Vienna thanks to a new job. It’s good to be back in town with her people.

Part of Quinn’s “welcome back” is a run in with Trica Pemberley, one of her high school’s mean girls. Tricia and her twin sister, Trina, are local real estate stars in town. But Tricia’s boasting wasn’t about the housing market, but rather about the diamond on her ring finger. She seemed to think Quinn would care that she was engaged to Scott Hauser, a guy Quinn dated for a few weeks several years back. As far as Quinn was concerned, Tricia and Scott could have each other!

But when Quinn stumbles onto Tricia’s dead body, at least one local police officer thinks Quinn might have been jealous enough to kill her “rival.” Quinn, her friends, and her family know the idea is ludicrous. But to keep Quinn out of trouble, she and her cousin/best friend, Sister Daria, are going to track down a killer.

Review

Excellent! Everything about this was a delight – the characters, the setting, the potential romance, the mystery, the dogs. All of it.

The writing here is sharp. I loved the humor and the pop culture references. I laughed out loud many times. The romance, which is typical for cozy mysteries, has great chemistry and didn’t feel like the usual cozy relationship. My favorite pair, though is Quinn and Sister Daria. They have such an unusual dynamic. They grew up together, but Daria has changed so much while Quinn has been gone. I loved both the creativity of the relationship and the execution of it in the book. The scene where Quinn has dinner at the abbey is a perfect example of how fascinating this dynamic is.

The mystery here is SO well done! Quinn isn’t tracking suspects as much as she is tracking clues. The suspects come later as she tries to make the clues fit. It was easy to forget there was a second suspicious death, but it helped complicate the sleuthing when it came up. I was guessing all the way to the end, which was so satisfying. The hook – the book shop and Quinn’s book binding work – was a character development piece for Quinn and other characters more so than a major factor to the mystery, although it did play a role. I imagine it will be developed more in future books. And I am here for all of them. Cozy fans should NOT miss this one!

This book is available now as an e-book, but readers will be able to pick up a print copy after July 7th.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

BLOG TOUR: Puppy Kisses by Lucy Gilmore

BLOG TOUR: Puppy Kisses by Lucy Gilmore

Posted on by Jaymie

Welcome to the Blog Tour for book 3 in the Forever Home series, Puppy Kisses. [I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.] This book will release next Tuesday, June 30, 2020.

 

Summary

It started with a car chase and a lie.

Dawn and Zeke had stolen – rescued – the puppy from an abusive owner who chased them with a shotgun. Their high-speed getaway caught the attention of the sheriff. Zeke was about to lose his license, and Dawn’s flirting was doing no good. So she said the puppy was a service dog in training for Adam.

Zeke’s brother, Adam, went along with the story once he put most of the pieces together. He’d do almost anything for Dawn, not that he’d tell her that. But once the sheriff was gone and the local vet had checked out the puppy, Adam was attached and refused to let her go.

Dawn had been rescuing the puppy for herself. She had other animals at the kennel that would work as a service animal for Adam. Training the right puppy – and getting her rescued puppy back – would be a great excuse for spending more time with Adam. She didn’t know why he insisted on pushing her away. They were combustible when they were together. She would just have to keep pushing until he saw the potential they had together like she did.

Review

This was a great addition to a fun series! The characters – both human and canine (and bovine!) – are terrific. The dogs in this book are especially delightful. I adored Uncle from his first appearance. And I laughed every time Adam called the new puppy Methuselah.

There are lots of laughs in this book. I loved the snappy dialogue between the various characters. The animals added great humor to this too, especially the rogue cow.

Adam and Dawn are fascinating protagonists. Dawn is so in-your-face for most of the book, yet a lot goes unsaid between her and Adam. Both of them could have avoided some conflict with better trust and communication as well as fewer assumptions. Adam gets some benefit of the doubt on the communication pieces because his visual impairment means he misses any visual cues from Dawn’s facial expressions or body language that might have clued him into her true feelings. Dawn is also working through some identity things as the person she wants to be and the person people assume she is don’t always line up.

There was a moment at the end of the book that seemed to be headed one way and then absolutely didn’t go where I thought it would. Which was fine – it was a great shift. But it didn’t feel resolved by the end, which left me feeling off-kilter going into the great epilogue. This was the only blip in a thoroughly delightful story. I have enjoyed this whole series from the start. Be sure to check out book one, Puppy Love (♥♥♥♥) and book 2, Puppy Christmas. (You can read my review of Puppy Christmas here.) I would love to read more books with these characters if the series is going to continue or spin off in any way. Each of the three sisters have had a book, though, so I’m not sure if there will be more Forever Home stories in the future. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

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If you have enjoyed one of Lucy Gilmore’s books before, or if you want to know more about her, you can explore her website here.  While you are there, you can see the other names she writes under and check out those books as well. It looks like she has plans for some new stand-alone puppy-related romances coming in 2021! I even picked up a few books from her other pen names, thanks to the website. Be sure to check it out!

As part of the Blog Tour you can enter a giveaway for copies of the first two books in the series!  You already know I loved them. Check out the giveaway here.

BONUS REVIEW: Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin

BONUS REVIEW: Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

It’s Joy’s birthday, but she’s struggling to be excited about it. The memories of last year’s birthday – which started out so well, but ended so tragically – are unavoidable. For the last year, her parents have watched her carefully. No one really mentions Lukas. Joy can’t even think about him in the past tense. She talks to him in her head. How could she let go of her best friend – someone who might have been something more?

Joy and Lukas used to make scavenger hunts for each other for their birthdays, which were only a couple days apart. She has the first clue for last year’s hunt. It’s been in her desk for 365 days. But maybe it’s time to see where the note leads – to see if any of his clues are left. To see if there’s a hint that he heard her last words to him or not.

Review

I have mixed feelings on this book. It’s very well written. But I didn’t love it. I can positively recommend it to the right readers, but I don’t think I was the right reader, if that makes sense.

The authors did a nice job here of balancing what could have been an extremely sad story with some sweet friendship moments and some chuckles. It’s still a sad story. You know all the way through that Lukas – who tells the story of writing and placing his clues – is going to die. You don’t know how until the end, but it’s an ever-present weight on the story. Personally, that anxiety and wondering was a distraction at times from Joy’s journey through the scavenger hunt.

My heart broke for Joy. She comes across as still pretty numb and emotionally flat in her grief. And she doesn’t talk about Lukas or her loss, although she obviously thinks about him a lot. She holds back her tears so often. The stakes on the scavenger hunt are also big. Joy wants to have this last experience with Lukas, but the chances of finding all of his clues after a year are slim. What will she do if she can’t find them? I thought the authors did a terrific job of dealing with this issue in the book.

Because of the seriousness of the story and the crush components between Joy’s last words to Lukas and Lukas’ thoughts of kissing her and declaring his feelings, I would push the age for this up to an older middle grade range – 10 to 14 instead of the traditional 8-12. As I think back to my students, my 5th and 6th graders would have gravitated to this more than my 3rd and 4th graders on the whole.

Readers who want to be moved by their books, who love friendship stories, or who enjoy middle grade stories that wrestle with mature topics like grief and loss should not miss this one. As I said, it is very well written. It just wasn’t a good fit for me as a reader. My personal rating for this is a 3.5, but my official rating is a 4 to reflect the quality of the book outside of my reaction to it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥