Reviews, Etc.

REVIEW: Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

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

Meg and her family are playing host to a group out of Canada that is working with her brother’s company. And for the most part they are a lovely, yet stressed, group. But their boss, Ian, is awful and has everyone walking on eggshells. Meg and a few other Mutant Wizards board members are hoping to dissolve the contract between Ian’s company and Mutant Wizards – both to get rid of Ian, but also to protect Rob’s company from Ian’s bad business practices. But before the board can take action, Ian is dead.

There’s no shortage of suspects, from disgruntled employees to angry clients whose lives Ian nearly ruined. But Meg is on the case. If she’s lucky, she can wrap up the investigation so the Canadians can head home before the predicted snow storm arrives.

Review

Another fun Meg Langslow mystery! This one felt a little more tame compared to the last one. The cast was a manageable size while still giving series readers some of the quirky antics we have come to love.

In addition to a solid mystery, there were several laugh-out-loud moments here that made this a lovely reading experience. I can’t wait to see what Meg and her family and friends get up to next! I recently picked up the e-book of Murder, with Peacocks, the first book in the series. It’s probably been 20 years since I last read it. I am hoping for some re-reading time over the holidays so I can pick it up and revisit the series’ beginnings. The next book in the series, Birder She Wrote, is the 33rd book in the series, and it is scheduled to release in August of 2023.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

BOOK NEWS: December 13, 2022

BOOK NEWS: December 13, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

I Already Love You (Board Book) – A board book about all the ways a parent already loves their little one.
Rocket’s Secret Valentine (Board Book) – Rocket, Bella, and Owl try to figure out who is secretly sending messages to Rocket. I adore these characters!
Stacey’s Remarkable Books (Picture Book) – Stacey Abrams’ picture book about a girl whose love of library day spreads when she helps another student who struggles to read in English.
On the Corner of Chocolate Avenue: How Milton Hershey Brought Milk Chocolate to America (Nonfiction Picture Book) – A picture book biography of Milton Hershey.
Bookstore Bunnies (Early Reader) – The bookstore bunnies help their friends find books for every need.

Books for Adults

Star Trek: Discovery: Adventures in the 32nd Century (Graphic Novel) – A comics collection starring Grudge, Adira, Detmer, and Linus from Star Trek Discovery. I have the individual comics for the four stories told here, and I enjoyed them!
Star Trek: The Original Series: Harm’s Way – Kirk and his crew are on a mission to find a missing scientist.

REVIEW: Doggo and Pupper Save the World by Katherine Applegate

REVIEW: Doggo and Pupper Save the World by Katherine Applegate

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Pupper longs to be a hero and save the day, but his anxiety – mostly over giant squirrels – makes him wonder if he could ever really be a hero.

Review

Another clever story starring Doggo and Pupper. The short, simple sentences and sweet illustrations are only the beginning of the list of delightful things about this book. I was also fascinated by the way the author chose to help Pupper be a hero. It’s a quiet solution that I think will make for interesting conversations with kids. Doggo and Pupper are a treat!

Book 3 in the series, Doggo and Pupper Search for Cozy, will release in the spring of 2023.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great!

REVIEW: Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath

REVIEW: Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Giles has been keeping the secret surrounding his birth for years because he knows the consequences of the truth getting out are too dire. Possible jail for him and the Duke. And a different heir who would destroy the legacy and everyone who counts on it.

But something has spooked the Duke into shoring up his lineage. Before he can take any action, though, he’s dead and Giles is left holding both the estate and the secret. He needs help.

Diana is thriving in the independence granted her by her sister’s marriage. And she’s certain there’s only bickering and one-upmanship between herself and Lord Bellingham. But he’s in a place where he could use a friend – especially one as adept at investigation as Diana is. So they team up, each resistant to the pull between them, determined to free Giles from his trouble and then return to their constant bickering.

Review

What a fantastic sequel to the delightful Never Fall for Your Fiancée! This is all I hoped for after I finished the first book. I enjoyed the shift to Diana’s story and the bickering and banter with Giles. The mystery they team up to solve is also supremely satisfying. I was completely captivated by it to the point of being oblivious to everything going on around me until I finished. Logically, Vee’s story will be next, and I am here for it, first because this series has been exceptionally good, but also because of the hints at a possible direction for that story. I can’t wait!

Historical romance fans, and fans of the first book should not miss this one! I think newcomers can start here. You’ll be missing some of the family context, but the central story can stand alone. But you will definitely want to read both books in this great series! (sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BOOK NEWS: December 6, 2022

BOOK NEWS: December 6, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the first release week in December! Here are some of the new books out this week.

Books for Kids

Owl Diaries: Eva in the Band – Eva and her friends try to put together a band to perform at a music festival. This is such a great early chapter book series!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Lumara – A mortal, skeptical of the magical Mystics, enters their world for a wedding and soon finds herself the prime suspect when the Mystics fall into a mysterious coma. This is one of the few fiction books I put on my Christmas list this year. Can’t wait to read this one!
This Cursed Crown – Sequel to These Feathered Flames. Twin sisters, separated during a transition of power in their kingdom fight their way back to one another. These books sound right up my alley!

Books for Adults

Feel the Bern (Trade Paperback) – First in a new Bernie Sanders mystery series. Bernie Sanders and his young intern are drawn into a murder investigation. This sounds hilarous!
Frozen Detective (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Piper and Porter mystery series. Piper and Porter go undercover at the behest of a doctor’s wife who wants them to investigate recent threats on her husbands life, but they end up investigating a murder.
Hard Day for a Hangover (Hardcover) – Book 3 in the Sunshine Vicram series. Sherrif Sunshine Vicram has her hands full with personal drama on top of a series of missing women. This series is on my TBR.
Last Circle of Love (Trade Paperback) – The new Lutheran pastor teams up with the women of the Naomi Circle to create a fundraiser with a chance to really help the church survive. But not everyone thinks their idea for a “recipe” book to help with romance is a good idea. This sounds fascinating!
To Get to the Other Side (Trade Paperback) – Bear’s sisters were the ones who posted the ad to rent out his spare room, but he agrees to let Trixie move in. Who knew co-parenting her rescue chicken could lead to feelings beyond the platonic?
Twice in a Lifetime (Trade Paperback) – A woman flees to a small town after a difficult year and starts getting text messages from the future – from a husband she doesn’t know. Fascinating!
Witcha Gonna Do? (Trade Paperback) – A non-magical woman accidentally messes up her sister’s spell, cursing her family. And the only person who can help her break the curse is the arrogant jerk she’s been trying to avoid. This could be fun!
How to Meet Your Self (Paperback Workbook) – From the author of How to Do the Work comes this workbook for self-discovery and improvement. I have already pre-ordered this one!
The Intentional Year: Simple Rhythms for Finding Freedom, Peace, and Purpose (Trade Paperback) – An invitation to choose to live on purpose.

 

REVIEW: Doggo and Pupper by Katherine Applegate

REVIEW: Doggo and Pupper by Katherine Applegate

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Doggo is slowing down these days, yet he’s enjoying his quiet life.  But his humans think a puppy will perk Doggo up. When Pupper turns out to be a bit of a handful, the family sends him to obedience school. And Doggo starts to worry it’s taken all of the fun out of Pupper.

Review

When I was building my Holiday Hint List for this year, I realized I hadn’t really tried out many early readers and transitional chapter books this year. We thoroughly enjoyed the author’s Roscoe Riley series when my son was younger, so I decided to give Doggo and Pupper a try.

This was ADORABLE! I’m always so impressed with how authors for this age group manage to tell rich, fun stories with short, simple sentences – and this book is a great example of that. The illustrations are also darling and help tell a sweet story kids and families will enjoy!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great!

REVIEW: A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

REVIEW: A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

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

A year ago, Colton and Gretchen slept together. And the next morning, Gretchen fled. She’s been avoiding Colton ever since. Sharing a friend group makes it tricky at times, but she makes it work. She loves her job as an immigration lawyer, and she lets her work fill her calendar. But her estranged family throws a wrench in her avoid-Colton plan by dangling the one thing she wants – a seat on the board of the family foundation – in front of her.  All she has to do is get Colton to agree to be the next ambassador for their whiskey company.

Colton’s in the middle of tense negotiations with his record label, but it’s not going to distract him from this opportunity to reconnect with Gretchen and make her see how amazing they could be together. But he has no idea how much he has to overcome.

Review

I have been a fan of this series from the start, and this was a fun holiday-ish addition to the series. Grumpy/Sunshine is not a trope I usually seek out, but I loved Colton, and Gretchen grew on me over time.

There were a few threads to this I thought were looser than in other books in the series. The guys don’t work through a romance book together in this one, but Colton and Gretchen share some conversations about a book. But the set up for this wasn’t as clear as I wanted, and then it sort of just disappeared when the book shifted focus to Gretchen’s family. I also would have liked a bigger, more definitive wrap up to those family things also. At the end of the book I was left feeling like I was holding something 85% finished. I enjoyed the whole, but I would have liked it to feel a little more solid to me.

Series fans will want to pick this up to see the progress through the larger friend group. I think newcomers might enjoy starting with an earlier book (Undercover Bromance is my favorite) in order to get a better sense of the Bromance Book Club than they might get if they start here. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BOOK NEWS: November 29, 2022

BOOK NEWS: November 29, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the last release week of November. Here are some of the books releasing this week:

Books for Kids

Knitting for Dogs – Izzy is a girl who can do anything, but when she takes up knitting, things don’t go like she expects. I can’t wait to read this one!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Tangled Up in Nonsense – Book 2 in the Tangled Mysteries. Sloane and Amelia discover they aren’t the only detectives looking for a two-million dollar prize when they visit Tangle Glen mansion. This series looks fun!
Belittled Women – Their mother’s obsession with Little Women leaves Jo and her sisters, Meg and Bethamy, performing moments from the books for summer tourists. But Jo is looking for a way out. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Never Ever Getting Back Together – Two girls are cast in a reality show starring “exes” of a young man who is now related to royalty by marriage.  One of the girls is looking for revenge against the cheater, but the other is just wondering why he ghosted her. Neither of them expect to find romance with one another.
We Deserve Monuments – Avery is forced to move away before her senior year into the hostile home of her grandmother. She finds new friends – and romance – but the girls also find trouble.

Books for Adults

On Spine of Death (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the By the Book Mystery series, a sequel to Buried in a Good Book. Tess and her daughter continue to work toward making Winthrop their new home. But their renovations to the old hardware store they are turning into a bookstore unearth a body. The first book was so outstanding, I cannot wait to dig into this one. Stay tuned for a review soon!

REVIEW: Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert

REVIEW: Once Upon a December 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

Jack is a kringle baker at the Julemarked, a magical Christmas market where it’s always December somewhere. But his favorite spot is Milwaukee. Because that’s where she is. He doesn’t know her name, and she never remembers him from year to year. But he always remembers her.

Astra looks forward to the Christmas trips with her college friends, especially the Christmas Market. And this year, after the divorce and issues with her ex, she’s lonely and really in need of a girls trip.

Astra has met Jack before. But she never remembers. She comes to the bakery, gets kringle, and maybe chats with him. But after Christmas, he vanishes from her memory. Every year.

Except this year.

Review

I’m struggling to name how I feel about this one. I loved the kringle references. And there are some hilarious moments. Astra’s friend group and Jack’s brother we get to know are fantastic. And maybe that’s where I’m getting hung up. I think I liked the secondary characters more than the primary ones.

The premise here is clever, although I did have some logistical questions. But overall, I didn’t fall in love with Astra and Jack in a way that I wanted to. I was invested in seeing this through to the end, but the characters just didn’t click for me.

If you like your romance with a hint of the paranormal (like the author’s fantastic Kindred Spirits Supper Club, or Ashley Poston’s delightful Dead Romantics), you might give this a try. I think it’s a nice blend of holiday magic and a will-they-or-won’t-they-make-it story. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ – Good, solid, fine