Reviews, Etc.

REVIEW: Murder Always Barks Twice by Jennifer Hawkins

REVIEW: Murder Always Barks Twice by Jennifer Hawkins

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

Emma’s new business, Reed’s Tea and Cakes, is finding some traction. The teas she hosts at the King’s Rest have become quite popular. So when another caterer backs out at the last minute, Emma and her friends at the King’s Rest Bed and Breakfast are called in to cater the Daphne du Maurier Literary Festival.

Emma and Angelique are excited about the opportunity, but at the same time, something seems off about the whole thing. There’s obviously some drama in the planning group. And something is up with the finances which caused the other caterer to back out. Then, when someone dies, there’s almost no end to the questions about what is going on with the festival and the festival site.

When a family member of the deceased hears how Emma helped solve a murder, they ask her to look into this suspicious death. So Emma and her talking corgi, Oliver, are on the case again.

Review

This was terrific! Another delightful mystery in the Chatty Corgi series. Oliver is adorable as always, Emma is a clever sleuth, and the mystery was perfectly twisty.

I think Emma and Oliver are what make this series special. Oliver has a fantastic “voice” in the series. He even gets his own point-of-view chapters, which are so fun to read. But all of his antics and detective work still fall into what would be “appropriate” for a canine character. The fact that Emma understands him is the only “magical” piece of the series.

I love the relationship between Emma and Oliver, as well as the author’s excellent descriptions for their interactions. It’s truly a delightful relationship. And that relationship makes this a must-read series for me.

If the great characters and fun hook of a talking dog wasn’t enough, the mystery is excellently paced and plotted. I was guessing all the way through to the end, and my curiosity over the case never waned.

Cozy fans and dog lovers should not miss this series. You can read my full review of book one, To Fetch a Felon, here. In fact, when you pick up Murder Always Barks Twice, check out the Praise for To Fetch a Felon page at the front for a quote from my review. (You can even see it on the “Look Inside” feature on Amazon.) Book 3 in the series, A Cold Nose for Murder, is scheduled to release in Spring, 2022.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BOOK NEWS: September 7, 2021

BOOK NEWS: September 7, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy September! Fall is on its way, and I am ready. Here are some of the new books releasing this week that you can enjoy with that pumpkin spice latte!

Books for Kids

12 Days of Princess – A Disney Princess take on the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Dragons Are the Worst! – From the author of Unicorns Are the Worst! A little goblin describes why dragons shouldn’t be feared because goblins are more fearsome.
Norman Didn’t Do It (Yes, He Did) – From the author of the fantastic Mother Bruce books comes a tale of a porcupine and his best friend, a tree.
Pete the Cat’s Groovy Imagination – See how Pete uses his imagination to save a rainy day.
Stick and Stone: Best Friends Forever! – Stick and Stone are back for a new adventure when Stick goes looking for his family tree.
Thanks for Nothing! – A Thanksgiving story for Bruce and his friends.
Who Would Win? Extreme Animal Rumble – A collection of 5 previous books.
Bunbun & Bonbon: Captain Bun & Super Bonbon (Graphic Novel) – Book 3 in the graphic novel series about two unusual friends.
DJ Funkyfoot: Give Cheese a Chance – Book 2 in the series. DJ finally gets the chance at his dream of being a butler.
Diary of a Pug: Scaredy-Pug – Bub and Duchess are convinced they have seen a ghost.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Aggie Morton Mystery Queen: The Dead Man in the Garden (Older Middle Grade) – Book 3 in the Aggie Morton Mystery series. This time, Aggie and Hector investigate deaths at a spa Aggie’s mother is visiting.
I Survived the Galveston Hurricane, 1900 – Book 21 in this series.
Julie and the Phantoms: We Got the Music – A notebook/scrapbook with input from Julie, Flynn, Carlos, and the guys in the band from Julie and the Phantoms.
Pahua and the Soul Stealer – First in a new series from Rick Riordan Presents starring a Hmong girl who can see spirits.
Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero – In the midst of 20th anniversary remembrances of 9/11, a boy in a Muslim community watches as his neighborhood becomes the target of people’s long-held anger.
Battle of the Bands – A collection of YA stories centered around a Battle of the Bands.
Dark and Shallow Lies – A girl living in a town that considers itself the Psychic Capital of the World looks for answers to the disappearance of her best friend.
The Hawthorne Legacy – Book 2 in the Inheritance Games series by the always fabulous Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This is at the top of my list for this week!
The Jasmine Project – When Jasmine catches her boyfriend cheating, her family conspires to introduce her to other eligible men who might treat her as she deserves. This sounds a bit like 10 Blind Dates, and I am intrigued by this one.
Never Saw You Coming – As two teens begin to fall in love, each is dealing with questions of faith and forgiveness. This is high on my list for this week, too, as well as on my review list.
The Pick-Up – A chance meeting in a ride share to a music festival becomes a chance at something special. This sounds fun! It’s also on my review list.
We Can Be Heroes – Two girls grieving the loss of their friend after a school shooting look for ways to ensure she’s not forgotten.
What Once Was Mine – Book 12 in the Twisted Tales series, this one focused on the Rapunzel/Tangled story. When the queen is saved by the Moondrop flower instead of the Sundrop, it leaves her daughter, Rapunzel, with silver hair and dangerous powers. This is on my review list.
Whistle (Graphic Novel) – Desperate to save her sick mother, Willow agrees to work for an old friend of her mother’s, E. Nigma, which puts her on the radar of one of Gotham’s most dangerous villains. When Willow and her beloved stray, Lebowitz, are attacked, something mysterious happens to connect them. I’ll be reviewing this one later this year.

 

Books for Adults

The All-Consuming World (Hardcover) – A team of criminals dig to uncover what went wrong on their last mission while a group of AI conspire to ensure that humanity will never be in control again. I am curious about this one!
The Autobiography of Mr. Spock (Hardcover) – This often-delayed addition to the Star Trek autobiography collection is finally here – or coming soon, depending on what source you go to. Regardless, it looks like the book is finally going to be released to the world. I imagine the ways Star Trek Discovery chose to use the character is why this was pulled off of publishing lists a couple years ago. I have this one on my wish list.
Booked for Kidnapping (e-book) – Book 2 in the Vigilante Magical Librarians series. Janette and her friends are racing to prevent another assassination. I’m intrigued by this one. I didn’t expect the political spin to this series. I have book one on my e-reader.
The Charm Offensive (Trade paperback, LGBTQ+) – A successful producer of a TV dating show encounters a challenge with the latest star who doesn’t believe in love and is only on the show to rescue his tarnished image.
Hooked on a Feline (Hardcover) – Book 13 in the Magical Cats Mystery series. Kathleen and Marcus start investigating a murdered musician who was using the library to research his family history.
The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina (Hardcover) – Four family members travel to Ecuador looking for answers to their family’s powers and the “inheritance” each received from Orquidea. This sounds fascinating!
Matched and Married (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 of the Amish Mail-Order Bride series. A couple thrown together when neither is looking for love finds their future in jeopardy when she decides to go home and dutifully marry the man chosen for her by her mother.
Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes (Trade Paperback) – From the author of the terribly fun Playbook series. Best friends reeling from the hands life has dealt them decide to become roommates and face the future together. This is on my list for this week because I have enjoyed the author so much in the past.
Murder by the Bookend (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Antique Bookshop Mystery series. Jenna starts investigating when a local librarian is murdered with a set of glass bookends.
Portrait of a Scotsman (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the League of Extraordinary Women series. A suffragist finds herself wed to a Scot who sees her as a means to an end.
Writing a Wrong (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Writer for Hire Mystery series. Veronica is a writer for hire, recently contracted to write love letters. But when her client is murdered and she discovers he was lying about his identity, Veronica is drawn into the case.
The Enneagram at Work: Unlocking the Power of Type to Lead and Succeed (Trade Paperback) – A new Enneagram resource focused on using type in the work environment.

 

REVIEW: The Lost Things Club by J. S. Puller

REVIEW: The Lost Things Club by J. S. Puller

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free print review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Every summer, Leah travels an hour south to Chicago to stay with her aunt and uncle for three weeks while her mother travels for work. It’s usually a fun trip filled with sights to see for Leah and her younger cousin, TJ. But this summer is going to be different. Leah’s mom has already warned her that TJ is different this year. Ever since the school shooting, TJ has stopped talking.

Leah is stunned by the difference in TJ since she last saw him just a few months ago. But they’ve always been close. She’s convinced she can get through to him, help him when no one else has been able to.

But the surprise of the change in TJ is nothing compared to Leah’s discovery that 8-year-old TJ is sneaking out of the house at night and walking to a laundromat. He’s even talking to a stranger,  a man he sees every night when he sneaks out on his nightly jaunt.

Leah has to wonder what is so special, so important, for TJ to sneak out. And why he seems like his old self there with strangers rather than at home with his family.

Review

This second novel by the author of the incredible Captain Superlative is a lovely story about family and friendship, trauma and triumph. I adored Leah. While she looks for answers to TJ’s silence at home and his engagement at an area laundromat – the eventual home of the Lost Things Club – she’s also trying to find her niche, her identity, what makes her special. I liked how this broadened her story. TJ is still the focus, but this is another layer to the story that most readers will be able to connect to.

I was impressed by how the story dealt with a really serious topic – a school shooting and TJ’s story of what happened that day – in a kid-appropriate way. Every piece – from TJ’s parents’ desperation to Leah’s thoughtful observations and questions to TJ’s need for the Land of Lost Things to be real – felt true and honest while at the same time never feeling like “too much.” Especially for readers who will be in 3rd or 4th grade (or higher).

I imagine some sensitive readers might struggle with the seriousness of the story, but I think that most kids will feel like Leah – an outside observer who loves TJ and wants to understand him. And I think those readers will be caught up in the eventual solution. Don’t miss this one! (TW: grief and loss, references to a school shooting, but no description of the event itself. Mostly focuses on the impact of the event.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

REVIEW: Isn’t It Bromantic? 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

Vlad has been part of the Bromance Book Club for years. The men in the group are his closest friends. But watching them with their wives and girlfriends is tearing him apart. He longs for that sort of love with his wife, Elena. But no one else knows theirs has always been a marriage of convenience. And now Elena wants to end it and go back to Russia. Alone.

But when Vlad is seriously injured in a hockey game, Elena is the only family close enough to help him with his recovery. But being in close quarters with him makes everything more difficult. Each of them is longing for something they think is out of reach. Thankfully, Vlad has the guys in his book club to help him fight for his marriage before it’s too late.

Review

I enjoy any book where these guys are together. I love the men of the Bromance Book Club – the ways they harass each other, the ways they call each other out, and the ways they drop everything to help one another.

The romance didn’t quite click for me in this one like some of the other books in the series. (The Bromance Book Club (♥♥♥♥♥) and Undercover Bromance are my favorites!) It’s a bit of the fake relationship trope, but it’s even more complicated. Vlad and Elena each want to be together. But they make bad assumptions and don’t communicate which causes a lot of trouble.

Vlad’s writing was a nice piece of the plot. I enjoyed the guys weighing in on his story and how Vlad’s book tied into his personal life. Elena’s work – the investigating, the danger – took me by surprise at the end. I would have liked it if this was more concretely explored throughout the book, given just a bit bigger presence so it felt earned when it came to the forefront towards the end of the story. That said, though, I always enjoy a Bromance story, and I hope there are many more to come in the future. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

 

BOOK NEWS: August 31, 2021

BOOK NEWS: August 31, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the final release week of August. Let’s take a look at the new books out this week.

Books for Kids

Gitty and Kvetch – An enthusiastic girl and her grumpy bird friend have an adventure, but things don’t go like Gitty planned. This looks darling. I love all the Yiddish expressions included!
Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates – An introverted hamster strugglers with his chatty, extroverted roommate. This looks adorable!
Survivor Tree – The story of the Survivor Tree planted at the base of where the Twin Towers stood.
The Chicken House – The Chicken Squad get a leveled reader! I have loved the Chicken Squad chapter books, so I’m excited to see how they transition to leveled readers.
Nugget and Dog: Yum Fest Is the Best – Book 2 in the Nugget and Dog series of leveled graphic novels about a hot dog and a chicken nugget pair of friends. This looks so fun!
The Snoopy Show: Nest Friends – A new leveled reader starring Snoopy.
Thunder and Cluck: The Brave Friend Leads the Way! – Book 2 in the Thunder and Cluck series of leveled graphic novels.
Doodling 101: A Silly Symposium –  A kids activity book

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Fast Pitch – A new middle grade novel from Nic Stone. A softball player struggles to prove herself both on the field and off.
Friends Forever – Book 3 in the Real Friends graphic novel series by the delightful Shannon Hale.
Kid Classics: Dracula AND Frankenstein
Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche – Book 7 in the Enola Holmes series. Enola and a somewhat reluctant Sherlock work on the case of a missing woman. Her twin sister has been told the woman died, but she doesn’t believe the story. You can read my full review here.
Take Me With You When You Go – When Bea leaves home on a quest to find someone who might not want to be found, she leaves her brother at home at the mercy of their abusive step-father and negligent mother. I am intrigued by this one.

Books for Adults

Be My Ghost (Trade Paperback) – First in a new Haunted Haven Mystery series. A woman inherits an inn and discovers it has ghostly inhabitants – and a dead body on the property.
Brides & Brothers (September 1, e-book) – A modern retelling of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? Yes please! This is on my review list.
Carved in Stone (Trade Paperback) – First in the Blackstone Legacy series. A reclusive heiress is charged by her powerful family with the task of getting a lawyer to drop a case that would dredge up a 30-year-old family mystery. That sounds awesome!
The Devil You Know (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Mercenary Librarians series. I have book one, Deal with the Devil, on my TBR shelves already. Can’t wait to dig into this action/sci-fi/romance series!
The Heart Principle (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Kiss Quotient series. Frustrated in her career and in her relationship with her longtime boyfriend (who has recently decided he wants an “open” relationship), Anna sets out to have as many ill-advised one night stands as she wants. But her quest doesn’t go as planned.
Her New Story (Trade Paperback) – The latest novel from the fantastic Laura Bradford. A journalist dreading her latest assignment in Amish country goes looking for scandal but finds only kindness and unexpected friendships. This is on my review list.
The Last Chance Library (Trade Paperback) – A wallflower librarian musters some moxie when her beloved library is threatened with closure. This is on my library list.
The Meeting Point (September 2, e-book) – While Maya planned to surprise her boyfriend for her birthday, the tables are turned when a Lift driver clues her into her boyfriend’s extracurricular relationship. But the Lift driver saves the day, encouraging her to explore a nearby beach town. I pre-ordered this months ago! I can’t wait to read it.
Partners in Lime (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 6 in the Seaside Café Mystery series. Everly is sleuthing when a friend is accused of murdering a surf pro.
The Royals Next Door (Trade Paperback) – When British royals – and their hot bodyguard – move in next door to Piper, she finds herself in the middle of a royal scandal. This is on my review list – I am so excited to read it!
What the Cat Dragged In (Hardcover) – Book 14 in the Cat in the Stacks mystery series. Charlie and Diesel are on the case when Charlie inherits his grandfather’s old home and discovers a skeleton in a closet. This is on my review list, too. I’m intrigued by this story.
Messy Art, Full Heart (Paperback) – A four-week Bible journaling study. [Disclosure: This book is published by Warner Press which is the same publisher that I work with when writing small group curriculum and who published my Identity in Christ Bible study.]
Reverse Coloring Book – In this reverse coloring book, the colored pages are there, waiting for you to draw the picture over the top. Some of the sample pages are clearly floral scenes while other are more generic and could be a background for almost any picture.

 

BLOG TOUR: Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

BLOG TOUR: Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases August 31, 2021.]

Summary

Called to her brother’s home by Dr. Watson, Enola finds him in a debilitating melancholy. He won’t acknowledge her efforts to rile him, and he essentially ignores a young woman who comes to him for help.  Enola draws out the details of her case, and eventually Sherlock is intrigued enough to join in the preliminaries.

Miss Glover has been told her twin sister has died, but she refuses to believe it. And there is some evidence that the claim is false. Besides, Miss Glover’s brother-in-law lost his first wife, too, from another “sudden fever” which raises suspicions. So the Holmes take on the case. Enola works her angle, even gaining help from her friend, the Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether, while Sherlock works his own leads.

Review

The book opens with a prologue, penned by Sherlock, outlining Enola’s earlier adventures as well as a description of his transformed feelings for her and about her – annoyance to begrudging respect to fondness. It’s a GREAT opening. I could hear it in my mind in Henry Cavill’s voice (from the delightful Netflix Enola Holmes movie). And it was only the first of many things I loved about this book!

I love Enola! She is an exceptional sleuth, challenging all of her famous brother’s garbage assumptions about women by just being herself. I thoroughly enjoyed how she and Sherlock worked their own aspects of the case while always managing to return to one another. I enjoy them so much as partners.

It’s been ages since I first read the early books in this series (this is technically Enola’s 7th adventure), so I’m not sure if the Netflix movie did an exceptional job of capturing the tone of the characters from those earlier books or if *this* book does an exceptional job of capturing the tone of the movie. Either way, I had the movie characters firmly in my mind as I read, and I found this story just as enjoyable as I did the movie.

The sleuthing was satisfying, and the resolution of the case was, too. Frankly, I thought the book was perfect! (Don’t be alarmed by the low reviews on Amazon. Apparently a lot of folks didn’t realize they were reading a TEASER and not the whole book. And then they wondered why it was so short. Ugh.) Mystery fans, Sherlock fans, and Enola fans should run right out and pick this one up when it releases next week. It’s an absolute treat!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Murder Most Fowl 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 once again, this time to a group  of actors putting on a production of Macbeth. Thanks to an interdepartmental war at the college, Michael and his actors are using the farm and an amphitheater at Meg’s grandfather’s zoo to practice their play. There’s also a group of historical reenactors staying on Meg’s parents’ property. And the warring English and history professors are dropping in regularly.

In the midst of that chaos, trouble is stirring. A vandal is striking at the farm. The reenactors’ antics are putting them at risk for arrest. Someone seems to be concocting a potion over a risky open fire in the woods. And then there’s the murder.

Review

Another fun mystery with Meg and her friends and family! (This is book 29 in the Meg Langslow Mystery series.)

I have been a fan of this series since the first few books released over 20 years ago. Meg, with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe is one of my favorite protagonists. She’s such a great character, and her extended family and the community folks are characters I look forward to spending time with when each new book releases.

There’s a TON going on here with the actors and the reenactors and all of the college folks. There’s the Macbeth-related events and the criminal and mischievous behaviors. Evil spells. Vandals. Murder. Puppies. This book has it all.

I loved watching the various mysteries play out. I didn’t really even try to sort out the villain for myself. Instead, I just watched it all unfold. And it was supremely satisfying.

Like the Andy Carpenter series, which I have reviewed recently, the Meg Langslow books are probably easy enough to follow story-wise for someone to start with this book or another one of the latter books in the series. But the cast in this series is VAST and could be hard to track without the history of what – and who – has come before.  Personally, I’d love to go back to the beginning of the series – Murder with Peacocks, Murder with Puffins, Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos – sometime and experience the early days of this great series all over again. I highly recommend cozy fans dig into this meaty series. Book 30 – The Twelve Jays of Christmas – releases in October.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – I loved it! Would re-read.

BOOK NEWS: August 24, 2021

BOOK NEWS: August 24, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are a few of the new books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

Little Naturalists: George Washington Carver Loved Plants AND Wangari Maathai Planted Trees (Board Books) – Board book biographies focused on naturalists. I LOVE this idea! Part of a series.
Just Be Yourself, Dragon! – Dragon is nervous about the first day of school.
The Snoopy Show: A Snoopy Tale AND When Snoopy Met Woodstock – Two new leveled readers starring Snoopy.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

 

Say It Out Loud – From the author of Property of the Rebel Librarian. Charlotte’s stutter keeps her from a lot of things like speaking up about bullying or speaking on stage. (When she sings, though, she doesn’t stutter!) But when her silence fractures a friendship and the musical theater program she cares about is cut, Charlotte finds her voice through writing. I have already pre-ordered this one!
Who Is Tom Brady?
Both Sides Now (LGBTQ+) – A trans teen looking forward to his senior year debate cycle wrestles with the possibility of having to argue against his own interests when the topic for Nationals is transgender rights.
Vampires, Hearts & Other Dead Things – In a world where vampires exist, a teen travels to New Orleans looking for a vampiric solution to her father’s terminal cancer diagnosis.

Books for Adults

Alaska Reunion (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Wild River series. Callum volunteers to be Ellie’s fake boyfriend for their reunion and the wilderness retreat afterwards, hoping that the time together will show her how he feels about her. Reunions AND a fake dating scenario? Sign me up!
Bombshell (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new Hell’s Belle’s series. Lady Sesily has embraced her scandalous reputation, but her brother’s best friend wants to rescue her from herself.
Dial M for Maine Coon (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Furever Pets Mystery series after The Pomeranian Always Barks Twice. Liz finds someone to adopt a beautiful Maine Coon rescue, but before the adoption can take place, the prospective owner is murdered. But he’s not who everyone thought he was. This sounds amazing! It’s on my wish list.
Double Chocolate Cookie Murder (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Cook-Off Mystery series. Sherry re-connects with her high school home ec teacher only to lose him again when he is murdered.
No Grater Crime (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 9 in the Country Store Mystery series. Robbie has to temporarily close her business and track a murderer when a series of incident threatens her livelihood.
The Second Rebel (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the First Sister space opera trilogy. This series is on my wish list, too.
The Secret Staircase (Hardcover) – Book 3 in the Victorian Village Mystery series. In the middle of renovations, Kate’s contractor finds a secret staircase – and a dead body,
Seven-Year Witch (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Witch Way Librarian series after the delightful Bait and Witch. Sam’s soon-to-be ex-wife goes missing, and Sam is a suspect, which means Josie starts sleuthing. This one is on my review list.

 

REVIEW: I Am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki

REVIEW: I Am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Mandy marches to the beat of her own drum – something that can be hard to do in high school. It’s even harder to do when you live in a spotlight like she does. Mandy’s mother is Starfire, one of the Titans. A superhero. Mandy wants to get through school, maybe go out with a girl like her current crush, and get far away from her mother’s shadow. But Mandy’s peers, the press, and Starfire’s family won’t let her fade into the background.

Review

There are elements of this graphic novel that reflect typical superhero stories – secrets, powers, and battles with evil-doers.

There are also elements that are typical of a coming-of-age story. Mandy feels like the opposite of her mother – and often misunderstood. She wants to be indifferent to it – to the ways people use her for her famous connections – but she’s not. She still feels hurt.

I enjoyed the story. It wasn’t all I was hoping for, though. There were no real surprises. I thought Mandy’s angst was well-conveyed. The budding romance feels more like another arena for conflict rather than a substantial plot thread on its own.

DC fans and Titans fans might enjoy this take on the Titans and the daughter of Starfire. YA fans may enjoy this for the identity and coming-of-age pieces and the exploration of the mother-daughter relationship. I’m not convinced the story does any of those things especially well, and maybe that’s the issue. Maybe it was trying to be too many things, and they all were too shallow for a truly great story. (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ = Good/Solid/Fine

REVIEW: A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Frances is already in mixed moods. She’s happy to send her mother away for a few days’ break while she visits Paris. But her mother is taking Frances’ daughter, Rose, and she will be missed. But it turns out for the best when an inspector arrives with a French woman who insists she is married to Frances’ fiancé, George.

Irena Teskey is the illegitimate cousin of the Grand Duke of Russia. She was detained when she tried to get the man’s attention by throwing a rock at him. She insists someone is threatening her, but her stories circle around and go nowhere. She seems wholly unbelievable. But George is called on by the prince himself to check out her story.

George insists the dramatic Irena is prone to extremes, but he is definitely not married to her. Yet he is required to look into her claims while she stays with Frances. Unfortunately, a murder makes it quite clear that Irena was not imagining that she was in danger.

Review

Another fun Countess of Harleigh mystery! I love Frances and George together – as a couple and also as investigators. It’s not often in cozies that the love interest/law enforcement character encourages the sleuth. I think it’s especially unusual for this time period. But it’s refreshing, and I enjoy that aspect of this series.

The case here was stressful. Irena’s claims caused a lot of trouble for Frances and George. And her penchant for drama was getting on my nerves. I enjoyed the ending which caught me by surprise in all the best ways.

Fans and series readers should not miss this one. If you’re not familiar with the series, I think you *could* start here but maybe shouldn’t. There’s some history between Frances and one of the characters that gives their relationship some extra nuance that newcomers might miss. But I don’t think you HAVE to know that history to enjoy the main characters and the mystery here. As I was reading this, it brought to mind the Rosalind Thorne series – fans of those books should check these out, too.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.