Category: Reviews

REVIEW: The Great Pet Heist by Emily Ecton

REVIEW: The Great Pet Heist by Emily Ecton

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The pets enjoyed their life with “Mrs. Food.” It was Butterbean the dog, Walt the Cat, Oliver the bird, and the two rats, Marco and Polo.

The animals’ routine is upended when Mrs. Food slips on a mess Butterbean left on the floor. Paramedics come and take Mrs. Food away. The animals start to panic about who will take care of them. Then a girl named Madison arrives with the building manager to be their pet sitter.

The girl means they will get fed and Butterbean will get walked. But at some point the animals will either need to get jobs or find some money to buy food and supplies.

When all of the animals pool their personal treasures, they don’t have much to work with. But Butterbean does have a coin she found in the elevator. If the animals can find the human who dropped the gold coin, maybe they can find more of them. That would keep them all in kibble and litter and newspaper until Mrs. Food comes back home.

Review

This was a hoot! The different animal characters have fantastic voices. I adored them. The premise is wacky, and it helps to have it anchored by these great personalities.

The heist is pretty intricate. The author does a great job of keeping the story within the realms of pet fantasy stories (not reality, but in keeping with some of the basic ideas for the genre) with what fantasy pets are “capable” of.

There’s a bonus mystery to this of a secret that Madison the pet sitter is keeping. It dovetails perfectly into the story and adds a layer of satisfaction to the ending of the book.

This was fantastically fun to read! It’s funny and engaging. There are no slow spots. I hope there will be more books with these characters in the future. Do NOT miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh

REVIEW: Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Astrid is an indentured servant – a surrogate for the Princess. When Princess Rayna is disobedient, Astrid takes the punishment. She has scars upon scars. But all of the brutality might be worthwhile because Reyna has finally gotten what Astrid has been asking for. The king has granted Astrid’s father access to the Enchanted hospital where he can get real treatment. But things don’t go the way Astrid planned.

In her despair, Astrid signs up for the Race of Oblivion. Racers’ memories are stripped away, and they are given an initial clue to a puzzle they have to solve as the race progresses. The winner of the race gets full citizenship for themselves and their entire family. Losers get extra years tacked onto their years of service – if they even survive the race.

Armed only with her name and her wits, Astrid competes against strangers who aren’t really strangers, and other desperate Outsiders longing for citizenship and the benefits that would secure a better future for them. And when her memories start to return, Astrid will discover what exactly she’s been running from.

Review

This is a solid YA fantasy with dystopian and Hunger Games-ish tones. Astrid is competing for a prize only one person can win. The contest itself is oppressive, but a chance at a different life seems better than enduring your current life with no hope for something else.

The memory loss piece adds an interesting wrinkle to the story. In fact, I got so caught up in the race and trying to figure out who was whom, I forgot that Astrid had seen/heard something important right before the race had started. But in other ways I feel like it cut into some character depth and some of the story telling. The rebellion group wasn’t a strong piece nor were Astrid’s family connections in part because of her memory wipe.

The race was suspenseful, but not as engaging as something like The Hunger Games. Maybe that was because I didn’t feel as connected to Astrid as I did to Katniss. I didn’t feel like the world building was as strong in this. I would have liked more information on the magic systems and the history of the Enchanteds vs the Outsiders.

Readers who enjoy stories with a contest to win and a dystopian society to rebel against should check this one out. (Violence, abuse)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Storing Up Trouble by Jen Turano

BONUS REVIEW: Storing Up Trouble by Jen Turano

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Norman was on the train because he was returning home to Chicago after presenting on his scientific research in New York.

Beatrix was on the train because she was going to Chicago to live with her Aunt Gladys after being arrested – twice – in New York at marches for Women’s Suffrage. That, along with some other issues, led her mother to advise Beatrix to get away from the city for awhile.

The thieves were on the train because they were trying to get Norman’s research as well as whatever money and trinkets they could take from the passengers. When they tried to steal Beatrix’s purse, she stood up to them. She and Norman ended up fleeing on horseback – well, Beatrix was on horseback – and reporting the thieves when they got to the next train station.

That should have been the last Norman and Beatrix saw of each other. They had growled and bickered at each other for most of their flight from the robbers. But Norman could not stop thinking about Beatrix. He took runs through her aunt’s neighborhood hoping to see her. He tracked her down at her department store job. And while his social skills generally left something to be desired, he was starting to grow on Beatrix.

Then the thieves found Norman and Beatrix in Chicago. They were not out of danger yet.

Review

This was a delight from the very first page. I adored the entire cast of characters, from Beatrix and Norman to Norman’s family and friends to the women Aunt Gladys was housing and helping. I would happily spend several more hours with these characters!

This book was hilarious! I laughed, out loud, so many times. The bickering was fantastically funny. The writing here is so sharp – not only in the humor but also in the character development and the emotional descriptions.

I loved that both Beatrix and Norman got to tell their parts of the story. That let me in on their thinking and growth as Beatrix saw working conditions for women and as Norman saw himself and his relationships honestly and clearly for the first time. Norman has a Sheldon-esque quality at first (Sheldon, from The Big Bang Theory). He’s brilliant and awkward. My favorite part of the book, aside from the laughter, was Norman’s growth over time.

This is book three of the American Heiresses series, but it’s the first one I have read. I have wanted to read these since the first book released early in 2019. They are now at the top of my TBR list, along with everything else the author has written. I don’t feel like I missed anything in reading this story first. There are some references to the characters in the other books, but this story stands well on its own.

The faith pieces in the book are light, but felt a little clunky and forced to me. The last one especially felt out of rhythm with the rest of the story. But I refuse to let anything distract me from the delightful experience of reading this novel. This is one I will immediately buy so that I have my own copy to re-read as often as I want. This was immensely enjoyable, and I highly recommend it!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Beach Read by Emily Henry

REVIEW: Beach Read by Emily Henry

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

January Andrews is a romance writer who believes her own stories – perfect couples, happy endings – even in the face of ugly truths. But after the hits she has taken in the last year, while her brain still wants to conjure happily-ever-afters, her heart is struggling to write any that would feel believable. Her foundations have been shaken. And she has a book due at the end of the summer.

After losing her boyfriend – and therefore her home – January has moved into the cottage on Lake Michigan that her father left her recently when he passed away. The cottage he shared with the mistress January found out about when he died. It’s an act of desperation to be sure. The cottage is a constant reminder of her father’s lies, her disillusionment, and the fact that she can’t get any answers out of a dead man.

January’s neighbor at the cottage is a grump whose friends throw loud parties late into the night. The loud music and his crappy attitude are bad enough. But then January realizes she KNOWS this guy. Augustus “Gus” Everett. Best-selling author of literary fiction and January’s college rival.

After a few days of snapish comments and bickering, the two writers let down their guard over a box of donuts and horrendous coffee. After admitting they are both struggling with their next books – and could each use a quick and lucrative sale – Gus issues the challenge. January will spend the summer writing his sort of serious, angsty literary fiction, and he’ll write something hopeful with a romantic happily-ever-after. Whoever sells their book first, wins.

Let the writing begin!

Review

This was good! More serious than I was expecting. Each of the main characters has personal baggage to deal with. And that baggage also impacts the relationship between them.

I loved the writing/storytelling pieces of this. January and Gus come at storytelling from different world views and with different personal goals. I found the differences fascinating.

The romance is an enemies-to-lovers that didn’t feel like one. I didn’t even notice that this fit that trope until I was thinking over the book as a whole once I had finished. The fact that January is the only POV character has a lot to do with that, also. The hostile feelings are more on her side than I think they ever were on his, so they weren’t truly “enemies,” really.  But the initial hostility between them fits the trope, too. The camaraderie over their writing made for a nice bit of neutral ground for the story to develop.

I wanted more from the bet/contest. It’s there as they write, as they try to expose one another to the sort of research that goes into the kind of writing they usually do and what the other has been challenged to try. But it moves to the background as January falls into the rhythm of a new story and as January and Gus’s relationship develops. I think that piece would have been stronger and more present if January and Gus had both been POV characters. We don’t get to see the contest from Gus’s perspective, which I would have enjoyed.

While the book I was expecting and the book I read didn’t line up precisely, this was a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging story of love, personal growth, family, grief, and writing. Don’t miss it! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington

REVIEW: The Elephant’s Girl by Celesta Rimington

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When Lexington was around 5 an EF5 tornado blew her into the Lexington, Nebraska zoo. An elephant named Nyah protected Lex from the storm. Her family never came to claim her leaving everyone to assume they had been killed in the devastating storm. Lex had no memory of her name or her life before the tornado. So one of the zoo employees took her in and became her guardian, raising her at the zoo. He named her Lexington after the town and the zoo.

Lex loves her life at the zoo. Roger takes great care of her. Her best friend, Fisher, lives there, too, as his dad is the zookeeper. Lex even does school at the zoo with Fisher’s mom. And best of all, Nyah is at the zoo.

Lex’s connection with Nyah is special. She communicates with Lex through a deep rumble and in images directly in Lex’s mind when she gets close enough. They had this connection that night of the storm, and it’s still there now, seven years later.

And Nyah’s message for Lex this time is urgent. The images she sees send Lex into the woods outside the zoo where she meets a ghost on a quest to find lost treasure.

Review

This unusual book – a contemporary story which takes place at a zoo but also has a ghost and elephant telepathy – was an unexpected delight!

As I first dug into the story, I read it with an eyebrow raised. Magical elephants? A ghost? It’s an odd story at first and those magical pieces were not what I was expecting.

But Lex is an endearing character. I loved her. My heart broke for her in her loss and in the harassment from other kids that sends her running for the zoo more than once. I was intrigued by the quest the ghost sends Lex on. The pacing of the treasure hunt was great.

By the end, I couldn’t read fast enough to see how the mystery would wrap up and what would happen with Lex. And I think the ending is perfect. This is intriguing, entertaining, and heart-warming – and so satisfying!

Give this to fans of elephants/elephant stories. I think readers who adored The One and Only Ivan might enjoy this. This would also be good for readers who enjoy magical elements in their books. This would make for a great book club book or a family/classroom read aloud.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli

REVIEW: Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

It hit her in the middle of her speech. Rachel Walls, valedictorian, looked around at her graduating class and realized most of the people in front of her probably had no idea who she was.

Rachel’s high school years were focused. Determined. Disciplined. But what did she have to show for them besides this moment as valedictorian and her admission to her dream college? She has one friend at school. She knows her classmates from their social media accounts and hallway chatter and gossip, not from real life.

When her best friend leaves for a summer music program, Rachel’s “social life” dries up. Her big weekend plans include decluttering her room. That’s where she finds her grandmother’s book A Season of Yes! It looks and smells ancient, but the underlined passages catch Rachel’s eye.

What if, instead of isolation and self-preservation, Rachel started to say yes to the opportunities in front of her?

Yes to a party.
Yes to a friend.
Yes to a dip in the pool.
Yes to a roller coaster.
Yes to flirting.
Yes to Clayton Carville.

Review

This was cute and fun. I liked Rachel and her family and friends. I thought the identity crisis was perfect – Rachel’s ready for college, there are unknowns ahead. Graduation kicks off a season of reflection. And in this case, Rachel is second guessing her choices in life so far.

It’s also not uncommon for college students to try on a new identity. That’s what Rachel does here – she tries on the identity of a person who says yes. And it’s mostly good for her. She rediscovers an old friend. She has a couple small adventures. And she gets to explore some romantic possibilities.

The downside is that in her haste to say yes and change things up, Rachel forgets about wisdom and discernment. And that leads to trouble. And as in most great young adult literature, she starts to learn from it.

I enjoyed the journey with Rachel and her friends. Fans of contemporary YA, contemporary YA romance, and fans of love triangle stories should check this one out. (Language, underage drinking)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: My Kind of People by Lisa Duffy

BONUS REVIEW: My Kind of People by Lisa Duffy

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Brian and Ann adopted Sky when she was a baby. Abandoned at the fire station. Discovered by Ann. They fell in love with her, and she was theirs from that moment until they were both killed in the car accident ten years later.

Leo and Xavier had been married about a year when they got the call about the accident. Brian and Ann’s will named Leo guardian. Leo and Xavier are trying to make this huge shift in their lives – and it’s not working.

Leo is grateful for Maggie who lives nearby and helps with Sky when he has to work. School is done for the summer, and her husband is hardly around. She’s happy to pitch in and feel useful.

Sky is struggling with the changes in her life. She likes Leo just fine but when Xavier comes for the weekends, everything gets tense and awkward. Ann’s mother wants to see Sky, but she doesn’t really know her grandmother. Why is she showing up now? Why were she and Ann estranged in the first place?

There’s someone else on the island who’s watching Sky, too. She’s looking for resolution for things in her past before it’s too late.

Review

This is a fascinating look at this neighborhood of people, negotiating significant life changes while also responding to the loss of Sky’s parents. I loved how all of the pieces came together in the end.

Sky’s story is central. I don’t know if she’s in shock or what, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of emotion over the death of her parents. Sure, things at home had been weird for the last couple years. But it felt like Sky was a new adoptee who wasn’t all that attached yet when her parents died. Instead, she has been with them her whole life. I expected a lot more expressions of grief, even if they came out sideways.  The reader sees her struggling to know where her footing is at home with Leo and his husband, and she responds to that with some acting out. But otherwise there was an emotional distance that felt off to me. If it was intentional to the story, one of the adults should have seen it and flagged it as something they should address, but I didn’t see anything like that.

The adults care for Sky well while dealing with personal, adult matters – loss, infidelity, bigotry, and family issues. I was pleased by the balance in the story. I never felt like we weren’t focusing on the right parts of the story. It was all woven together so well.

I enjoyed all of the characters. Well, Agnes was infuriating much of the time. I would have read 10 more chapters about where things go after the end of the novel. I cared about these people and their lives and the changes they were trying to make for the future. Fans of contemporary fiction with great characters as well as fans of ensemble stories should be sure to check this one out! You can read about other books by this author here.  (LGBTQ+, gaslighting)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

REVIEW: Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

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

When Mama Joy passed away, her legacy was far bigger than her knitting shop, Strong Knits, in Harlem. There were her sons – Damian, Lucas, Noah and Jesse – all adopted out of the foster care system. There was Kerry, the young woman Mama Joy mentored as she worked in the shop. Kerry had just finished her degree in art therapy. She had been working part time at the yarn shop while she waited for a full time position in her field. Then there were the neighborhood kids like Errol. Mama Joy had made a difference in so many lives.

That’s why Jesse wants to keep the shop open. Strong Knits was Mama Joy’s dream. His older brothers have their own lives. They are ready to put those memories behind them. But this shop – and their home above it – isn’t something Jesse is ready to give up. Unfortunately, Jesse’s track record for employment and general follow through isn’t great. His brothers are reluctant to keep the shop open with Jesse in charge.

But Kerry offers to help him. She can’t believe the words actually came out of her mouth. Maybe it was her long time crush on Jesse. Or her devotion to Mama Joy. Maybe it was her gratitude for all Mama Joy and the shop meant to her. Whatever it was, Kerry has now locked her future to the store and to Jesse for the time being, come what may.

Review

There’s a lot to love about a book with confident male characters who knit and feel no shame over it! This made me want to take up knitting – and I’ve tried before with disastrous results.

I got a huge kick out of the Strong brothers. Luke and Noah are my favorites of the four. Jesse grew on me over time here. I especially loved the relationship he starts building with Errol. I can’t tell right now if this is going to be a series, but if it is, I’d like to see more from that relationship in the future.

While I enjoyed the characters in this as well as the save-the-store thread of the book, I was frustrated by the pacing. At the halfway point I felt like there had been a whole like of talking and overthinking, but not nearly enough action. There was no real plan for the store at that point, and no one was really doing anything, but they talked a lot about how urgent it was to save the shop. I think I would have liked more time for the events in the last 1/3 of the book – which were an absolute delight! The end felt rushed for me. I wanted time to linger over the more satisfying parts of the book.

Fans of contemporary romance should check this out. Readers on the hunt for romance books with non-white characters should bump this one up on their reading lists, too. The Strong brothers have the potential for some excellent stories! (Language, sexual references)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Bark Park by Brandi Dougherty

REVIEW: Bark Park by Brandi Dougherty

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

Scout and her friends at the Bark Park enjoy three adventures as she solves mysteries for her friends in this series kick off for chapter book readers.

First, Scout solves the mystery of who popped her friend Maggie’s ball. Second, Scout figures out why Rocky has to wear the Cone of Shame. Finally, she helps Gus find his missing bone.

The mysteries are low stakes but feature Scout’s problem solving skills. The main dogs in Scout’s circle have distinct personalities. The periodic illustrations help readers keep track of which dog is which.

The back matter provides context or background information for each of the three mysteries.

Animal lovers and mystery lovers will get a kick out of Scout and her friends!

Rating: ♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: The Lost Carnival by Michael Moreci

BONUS REVIEW: The Lost Carnival by Michael Moreci

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Dick Grayson is tired of his life with Haly’s Circus. It’s the same thing every day. And the crowds just keep getting smaller.

On an afternoon away with his best friend Willow, Dick meets Luciana. She’s from the Lost Carnival that has set up nearby. The circus folks are angry that the carnival is cutting into their crowds and their profits. And Luciana’s uncle, Caliban, has magic that seems like much more than illusions and cutting people in half. That is drawing crowds away, too. As tensions between the rival attractions heat up, and as Dick develops feelings for Luciana, the two teens are caught in the middle.

But when Willow falls into an unexplained coma, and her uncle, the circus magician, insists it is a spell, Dick pushes Luciana to share her secrets and save his best friend.

Review

Dick Grayson – at least the older version – is one of my favorite DC characters. (I loved the Grayson: Agents of Spyral graphic novel series.) I was eager to check out this story because it starred Dick Grayson. And I’m glad I did.

I feel like the story starts with some typical teen angst and developmental stuff. Dick is pulling away from his parents. He wants to live a life he chooses for himself – something more exciting than his current existence. (There is a foreshadowing panel about his future that was fantastic!) Then he is pushed to choose between the mysterious girl he likes and his circus “family.” And finally there’s a magical showdown and all the secrets are revealed. It was a satisfying arc. I don’t know that there were any big surprises. Frankly, I read this after Superman Smashes the Klan, and this might have suffered in the comparison because that was full of nuance and subtlety and a few surprises. This story is just more straightforward. It’s not really comparing apples to apples.

Fans of DC’s latest foray into graphic novels for kids and teens should be sure to check this one out. We get a glimpse of Dick’s life before Batman and before personal tragedy strikes, which is nice.

DC has been generous and provided some images of some of the interior pages of this book. Check them out here:

Rating: ♥♥♥♥