Reviews, Etc.

REVIEW: The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson

REVIEW: The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

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

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

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

Review

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

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

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

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

BONUS REVIEW: Bea Is for Blended by Lindsey Stoddard

BONUS REVIEW: Bea Is for Blended by Lindsey Stoddard

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

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

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

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

Review

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

REVIEW: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

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

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

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

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

* ♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best!

 

BOOK NEWS: May 4, 2021

BOOK NEWS: May 4, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy May!! There are a TON of new books releasing this week – I couldn’t even fit all of the ones I wanted into this list. My library holds list is maxing out this week! Let’s take a look:

Books for Kids – Board Books and Picture Books

The Crayons’ Book of Feelings (Board Book) – Board book about feelings starring the delightful characters from The Day the Crayons Quit.
The Bruce Swap – Bruce’s friends start to think he is never any fun, but when Bruce goes fishing without telling anyone and his fun cousin shows up unexpectedly for a visit, they start to think Bruce might have a fun side after all. I can’t wait to read this one!
Hair Twins – A father helps his daughter with her hair every day, but her favorite look is when hers matches his joora which he wears under his turban. Pair this with Hair Love.
I Am the Shark – A group of sharks talk about what makes them all different, but still great. This will be a HUGE hit!
30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the National 9/11 Flag – The story of the restoration of the flag that hung across from Ground Zero in the days following 9/11. This will be a fascinating story!
I Affirm Me: The ABCs of Inspiration for Black Kids – An alphabet book celebrating and honoring Black children. This looks beautiful!

Books for Kids – Early Readers and Chapter Books

Sabrina Sue Loves the Sea – A barnyard chicken longs to visit the sea in this new Early Reader.
The Invincible Girls Club: Home Sweet Forever Home AND Art with Heart – The first two books in the new Invincible Girls Club series about a group of girls and their acts of empowerment. In the first book, the girls help senior shelter animals. In the second, they deal with bullying.
Let’s Go Swimming! – Book 4 in the Hello, Hedgehog! series. Hedgehog and Harry head to the pond to cool down on a hot day, but Harry is not yet ready to swim underwater.
Pea, Bee, & Jay: Lift Off – Book 3 in this early graphic novel series. When some super cool birds show up at the farm and invite Jay to join them in their games, he needs to learn to fly as soon as possible.
Unicorn Academy Nature Magic: Lily and Feather AND Phoebe and Shimmer – The first two books in this new chapter book series (a sub-series of Unicorn Academy) about  the environment. In both books, the girls and their unicorns are facing some unusual weather that endangers Unicorn Island.
The Story of Kamala Harris AND The Story of Nelson Mandela – Two new chapter book biographies.
She Persisted: Nellie Bly – A chapter book biography.
Sofia Valdez’s Big Project Book for Awesome Activists – Sofia Valdez, one of the Questioneers, shares a collection of projects with kids centered around activism, government, and politics.  

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens

The Adventure Is Now – An ostracized kid gets the chance to be the naturalist he always wanted to be (and the one he gets to pretend to be in a video game) when his parents ship him off to an uncle who is a researcher on an island in peril. But if Milton and his new friends can decipher the clues in a field guide, they might be able to make a difference. This sounds terrific!
Bea Is for Blended – A girl negotiates the blending of her family while also fighting for a girls soccer team at school. I’ll be reviewing this one soon. (Sneak Peek – It’s AMAZING!)
Best Nerds Forever – A group of “nerds” band together when one of their own is targeted. This is on my list for this week.
Finding Junie Kim – Junie uses a history assignment where she interviews her grandparents about the Korean War to help her find her voice to fight back against racism at her middle school. I’ve heard rave reviews of this one!
Glitter Gets Everywhere – When Kitty’s mom dies, her dad decides to move their family from London – where all of her memories of her mom are – to New York.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Road Trip – The kids head out on a road trip to a High School Musical convention.
I Speak Boy (Older Middle Grade) – An Emma (Jane Austen) retelling. When Emmy’s matchmaking attempts go awry, a mysterious new app on her phone helps her to understand boys.
The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter: Narwhal I’m Around – Book 2 in this series about a boy who is cursed to be visited by ghostly animals looking for his help. In this book, Rex is trying to solve the death of a narwhal. This series sounds delightfully quirky!
The Last Fallen Star – A new debut from Rick Riordan Presents. When her non-magical adopted sister, Riley, feels like an outsider in their community, Hattie devises a plan to share her magic with her. But when the plan backfires and Hattie’s life is hanging in the balance, Riley is sent on a quest to find the “last fallen star,” whatever that is, to save her sister.
The Last Shadow Warrior – Described as Percy Jackson meets Thor. Abby is a young Aesir who has been training to hunt Grendel when she finds out a Grendel is hunting her instead, but no one believes her. When Abby goes on a quest to discover the truth about what happened to her parents and  what’s after her, she discovers a sinister plot. Yes, please! This is at the very top of my list for the week.
Metropolis Grove (Graphic Novel) – Everyone in Metropolis Grove knows Superman isn’t real. But a new-comer convinces a couple kids to believe when they discover a cave full of memorabilia. But they are in for some surprises about their discovery. This sounds fun!
The Mouse Watch: Underwater – Book 2 in the fun Mouse Watch series. Bernie and Jarvis are now level one agents and are sent on a mission to find a lost spy vessel under the sea.
Truly Tyler – Book 5 in the Emmie & Friends series. Tyler is feeling torn between art and basketball when he teams up on an art assignment with Emmie. You can read my full review here.
Wings of Fire: Forge Your Dragon World – An interactive journal for fans of the Wings of Fire series.
Basher Science: Pandemic – A mini Basher book about Covid-19.
Give This Book a Cover – An interactive book full of writing and drawing prompts by Jarrett Lerner.
A Kid’s Guide to Fandom: Exploring Fan-Fic, Cosplay, Gaming, Podcasting, and More in the Geek World – A celebration and how-to guide for fandom, including history and artist spotlights. This looks awesome!
Star Wars Galactic Baking: The Official Cookbook of Sweet and Savory Treats from Tatooine, Hoth, and Beyond – A Star Wars-themed cookbook releasing on May the Fourth (Be With You)/Star Wars Day? Brilliant marketing plan!
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy (Older Middle Grade) – A frank conversation about race and racism  for kids 10 and up from the creator behind the Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man videos and book. I’ll be reviewing this one soon – it’s exceptionally good!

Books for Teens/Young Adults

10 Truths and a Dare – A companion novel to 10 Blind Dates. Olivia discovers she is half a credit short for graduation, and she needs to fix things before her family finds out. You can read my full review here.
Better Than the Movies – A girl looking for her romcom moment with the crush who got away starts to fall for the annoying neighbor who is supposed to be helping her get her crush. This sounds fun! I have this one on hold at the library already.
Blade of Secrets – Book 1 in the new Bladesmith series by the author of the fantastic The Shadows Between Us. A young magical blacksmith makes a sword that can steal secrets. But when she discovers what a warlord plans to do with it, she and her sister flee, trying to keep the sword safe until they can find someone worthy to wield it. I have this on hold as well!
Counting Down with You – When her parents return to Bangladesh for a month, Karina agrees to ignore their rules in order to fake-date the “bad boy” she’s been tutoring at school. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Ember of Night – The protagonist is biding her time until she turns 18 and can take her sister and build a better life, but then she’s caught up in a battle between Heaven and Hell. I have this one on my list for the week.
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry – When Quinn’s journal of lists, including all the things that scare her, goes missing, and one of her lists gets posted on IG for the whole school to see, she is blackmailed by the thief to face her greatest fears. I have this one on hold as well.
The Fourth Kinetic: Clairvoyants – Kinetics are Clairvoyants who can move things with their minds, and Rion is one, although he doesn’t know there are others in the world. When Rion is separated from the mother who has protected him, he finds himself on the run from military forces who want to exterminate him. I’m intrigued by this one which is supposed to be more about Rion’s journey to self-discovery than good vs evil.
Hurricane Summer – Tilla’s father regularly leaves their family to return to his home in Jamaica. When Tilla gets a chance to spend the summer there, she hopes to discover what keeps drawing him there, but secrets and a hurricane bring unexpected challenges to her trip.
Meet Cute Diary (LGBTQ+) – Noah is the author of a popular blog of trans happily-ever-after stories, but all of his stories are fake. When a troll tries to expose the truth, Noah finds a friend, Drew, who is willing to fake date him to save these stories which have become important to so many people. I’ve got this one on hold, too.
Realm Breaker – I am a sucker for a book with a sword on the cover! This is the first book in a new series by the author of Red Queen (♥♥♥♥). An unlikely band of heroes go up against an army that wants to burn their world to the ground. I am intrigued by this one, but it’s described as “monster fiction” which isn’t always a good fit for me. I’ll probably wait and see about this one.
Take Me Home Tonight – Two girls plan to spend one glorious night in New York City, but everything that can go wrong with their plan does. Someone at my local library loves me because they already have this one for me to request. *place hold*
They Better Call Me Sugar: My Journey from the Hood to the Hardwood – An autobiography from WNBA star, Sugar Rodgers.

Books for Adults

Arsenic and Adobo (Trade Paperback) – First in the new Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series. When her ex drops dead right after a confrontation in her family’s restaurant, Lila becomes the prime suspect for his murder. This is on my library wish list – my hold list is full!
The Bookshop of Second Chances (Trade Paperback) – When Thea’s life is falling apart, her inheritance of a cottage and antique book collection in Scotland sounds like a perfect escape. And she loves everything about the cottage and the area – except the cranky bookseller she’s trying to get to buy the book collection. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
For Batter or Worse (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 13 in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. Mel, Joe, and their friends have their minds on weddings until a murder interrupts the plans.
The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series. Pen turns to her ghostly PI friend when an old painting seems cursed.
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes (Trade Paperback) Book 1 in a new series. Toni tries out for an up-and-coming band, The Lillys, but the ex who broke her heart is moonlighting as their manager. This is on my wish list, too.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Illustrated (Hardcover) – An illustrated version of the classic novel.
The Jam and Jelly Nook (Trade Paperback) – The fourth and final book in the Amish Marketplace series. A widow and a widower, each with troubled teens, start to fall for one another.
Just Last Night (Trade Paperback) – The four of them have been best friends since they were teens, but in one moment everything changes and Eve’s world turns upside down.
Let It Be Me (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Misty River Romance series. When Leah gets unexpected results on a DNA scan, she enlists Sebastian to help her dig for answers. But as they grow closer, Sebastian resists because he knows his best friend has his heart set on her.
Like Cats and Dogs (Trade Paperback) – Book 1 in the Whitman Street Cat Café series. A new veterinarian moves in next to Lauren’s Cat Café, and sparks fly.
The Newcomer (Hardcover) – Tonya always told her sister Letty that if anything ever happened to her, it would be because of her ex. So when Letty finds Tonya dead, she grabs the woman’s go-bag and her four-year-old niece and they go on the run, trying to follow fleeting clues to what happened. I have requested this one from the library.
Project Hail Mary (Hardcover) – From the author of The Martian. The lone survivor of a desperate space mission has to puzzle out what he’s mission was and what he can do now to achieve it because he has lost his memories.
The Secret Bridesmaid (Trade Paperback) – Sophie is such a good bridesmaid, she has turned it into her job. She’s hired by a former model to work the woman’s daughter’s wedding, but the bride makes it exceedingly difficult. Sophie’s attraction to the bride’s very much off-limits brother doesn’t help either. This is on my wish list, too.
Star Wars Insider Fiction Collection (Hardcover) – A collection of Star Wars stories.
A Woman of Words (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Jerusalem Road series. Jesus’ mother, Mary, asks Matthew to compile a record of Jesus’ life and teachings.
40 Days on Being a One AND 40 Days on Being a Four (Hardcover) – Two new Enneagram-based devotionals, edited by Suzanne Stabile. The one written for Enneagram 2s (my type) was fantastic. I highly recommend these.
Dogwinks: True Godwink Stories of Dogs and the Blessings They Bring (Hardcover) – The Godwinks series releases a collection of dog-based stories.
Star Trek Shipyards: Borg and the Delta Quadrant (Hardcover) – Explore the ships of the Delta Quadrant.

 

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Publishers - St. Martin's Press

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Publishers – St. Martin’s Press

Posted on by Jaymie

Back in February I posted the first of my publisher spotlight posts about Crooked Lane Books. Then, in April, I did a spotlight on Kensington. This month I want to highlight St. Martin’s Press which is a division of Macmillan and includes the imprints of St. Martin’s Paperbacks (Nora Roberts books, Stephanie Plum mysteries, cozy mysteries),  Griffin (contemporary paperbacks – fiction, puzzles, etc.), Minotaur (crime fiction), Castle Point (nonfiction including gift books, cookbooks, activity and coloring books), and Wednesday Books (YA) among others.

Here are reviews for some of my favorite St. Martin’s Press/Griffin and St. Martin’s Press Paperback titles and series:

The Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander
(and other cozy mystery series – Noodle Shop, Apron Shop, Cookie House, House-Flipper, Paw Enforcement,
Ten Rules for Faking It
The Love Scam
A Sweet Mess
The Christmas Town

Here are reviews for some of my favorite Minotaur titles and series:

Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt
The K-Team series by David Rosenfelt
The Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews
The Ancestry Detective series by S. C. Perkins
The Mercy Carr/Mercy and Elvis Mystery series by Paula Munier
The Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz
The Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series by Jeffrey B. Burton
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes
A Royal Affair
The Dog Dish of Doom

Here are reviews for some of my favorite Wednesday Books titles and series:

Amelia Unabridged
Tweet Cute
You Have a Match
Not Now, Not Ever
In Another Life
The Mall
You’d Be Mine
Only Mostly Devastated (♥♥♥♥½)

REVIEW: 10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston

REVIEW: 10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney/Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release next week on May 4th.]

Summary

Olivia and her cousins are a week away from graduating when she finds out she is short half a credit of PE. She did an outside course – golf – but didn’t finish all the hours needed. She’s supposed to be salutatorian, but now she might not even graduate.

Olivia has one shot to fix things, but it’s going to be complicated. She has to spend the week working on a golf tournament for the coach to make up her hours. But she’s supposed to be going to a bunch of graduation parties all week – and she doesn’t want anyone to find out about this hiccup in her situation. Her parents are away for the week due to work, but Olivia’s mom is obsessively tracking her phone while they are gone.

So Sophie, Charlie, and Wes agree to swap phones with Olivia and hit the parties so her parents don’t find out about her screw up. But their always-present, over-involved, tightly-knit family will be hard to dodge.

Review

I absolutely adored the first book about the Messina family, 10 Blind Dates, when I read it in 2019. In fact, it was number three in my list of favorite reads of the year – 3 out of 400 is a big deal! I was thrilled at the news that there would be a sequel!

This was far more stressful than the first book. In 10 Blind Dates, Sophie’s family is “helping” her over a break up in a bizarre way. Olivia’s situation has far more serious stakes, which changes the tone of the book. There are still funny moments, but this is not the laugh-riot that Dates is for me.

The characters are my favorite part of this series. The core four are back, and it’s delightful to spend time with them again. There’s less time spent with the larger family group in this one. But Uncle Michael was solidified as my favorite extended family member thanks to this book. (Don’t get me started on Olivia’s mom and her tracking app, though. Yikes!) I would love to see Charlie get a book to round out the series. I will jump at any chance to spend more time with these characters in the future.

Newcomers should be able to follow this story without difficulty even if they haven’t read 10 Blind Dates. But trust me – you will absolutely want to pick that one up asap! (Some language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

BONUS REVIEW: Phantoms and Felonies by Lucy Ness

BONUS REVIEW: Phantoms and Felonies by Lucy Ness

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The Portage Path Women’s Club is hosting a murder mystery dinner and fundraiser. Avery gets some help from Clemmie, the resident ghost from the 1920s, to turn the old speakeasy into an authentic space for their production. And things are coming together, but the production isn’t without its troubles.

The financial backer – and star of the show – is bickering constantly with the playwright. The Women’s Club members are bickering over whether the event – and the Club in general – should be open to the public instead of just the club members with long histories with the group. And one of the women at the Club suspects her husband of having an affair.

Avery just wants to get through the play. The Club needs the money, the success, and the good press. But that’s just not possible when someone is killed during the production.

Review

Another fun story in the Haunted Mansion Mystery series after Haunted Homicide (♥♥♥♥). I enjoy Avery and “her cop,” Oz. They are sweet together, and while he wants to keep her safe, he doesn’t shut her completely out of his investigations when it comes to the Club. As for the other characters, I don’t always track the Club ladies very well, except for the one who does roller derby. I’d like to see those characters developed a little more as the series goes on.

There are tons of suspects for this murder, including an unexpected surprise for Avery. I was stumped until the end of this one. The final confrontation and the solution were great.

This book delved more into the paranormal elements than the last book which was just Clemmie the ghost. This included a séance and some spiritualists as well as another ghost. I did enjoy getting a few new tidbits to Clemmie’s story, but I resented those whose actions could have caused her trouble. I have my fingers crossed that we will get more of Clemmie’s story as the series continues.

Fans of paranormal mysteries, especially ones with ghosts, should check this series out. (Séance, ghosts)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BLOG TOUR: Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

BLOG TOUR: Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Posted on by Jaymie

I am so pleased to be part of the BLOG TOUR for DIAL A FOR AUNTIES this week, described by the publisher as:

What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family?  You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue! 

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

Summary

Meddelin has been roped into the family business – weddings – thanks to the family curse. The men always leave. Her father, all of her uncles – even her male cousins all went to colleges on the East Coast to get away. But Meddy was the good daughter who went to UCLA, and came back home to live with her mother after she graduated. And because she is the dutiful daughter, she agrees to be the photographer for the wedding business.

Working with her mom and aunts isn’t all bad, but Meddy longs to be independent and pursue her own passions. But for now, she’s focused on the next big event – a wedding joining two spectacularly wealthy families which is taking place at a new island resort.

To complicate her life even more, Meddy’s mother has set her up on a blind date with the owner of the hotel where the wedding will be. Well, it’s a blind date to Meddy. Jake thinks they’ve been chatting and texting for weeks. Her mother posed as her on the dating site. But when Jake thinks those chats entitle him to more than Meddy is willing to give, she tases him.

And he dies.

Meddy’s mom and aunts come to her rescue, but they have a huge wedding to work that weekend. They just need to stash the body until after the wedding. But then it accidentally gets transported to the island with their wedding supplies.

Review

What. A. Hoot! This is a crazy comedy of errors twisting around unrequited love and secrets and lies. To me it felt like Finlay Donovan Is Killing It meets Weekend at Bernie’s. I kept telling my husband each subsequent crazy thing because the chaos – and humor – begs to be shared.

I enjoyed the characters here, especially the strong family ties for Meddy. The pros and cons of that closeness added a nice layer to the chaos caused by the dead body. But it never crossed the line into annoying or boundry-less interactions that I steer clear of in books. This was just the right amount of intrusion to make for a funny and interesting story.

The author makes good use of a few flashback chapters to round out part of the story. And some of the developments in the book were laugh-out-loud hilarious. Some of the moments were farcically over the top, but at the same time, I was completely committed to seeing Meddy through this with fingers crossed that it would all work out in the end.

This is unusual and funny and engaging – a not-to-be-missed story! (Language, LGBTQ+, alcohol/drug use, TW: attempted assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson

REVIEW: Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Balzer and Bray in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases next week on May 4th.]

Summary

Tyler has recently rediscovered how much he enjoys art. And it’s helped him overcome the awkwardness with Emmie over that note. Now they’re friends – and they’re working together on a graphic novel project for class.

But Tyler is getting caught up in the art project, and basketball is suffering – and right before the big game, too. To make things worse, the guys are hassling him about spending time with Emmie. Maybe he should just do his own project and try to get back in the zone, with both his more popular friends and with basketball.

Tyler and Emmie take turns telling this story, as well as telling the story within the story.

Review

This is book 5 in the Emmie & Friends series after Invisible Emmie, Positively Izzy, Just Jaime (♥♥♥♥), and Becoming Brianna (♥♥♥♥). I was surprised this wasn’t told completely by Tyler. Emmie is also dealing with a friendship situation while she negotiates her ongoing crush on Tyler. I think some readers will enjoy watching Tyler and Emmie figure out their friendship from different angles.

I think Tyler’s story, though, could have been enough on its own. He’s noticing how shallow his relationship is with his dad. And when Tyler makes an effort to seek out his older brother about it, it strengthens their relationship and opens communication. Tyler is also dealing with peer pressure about basketball vs art as well as his friendship with Emmie. AND he’s also wrestling with his identity and his own feelings about art and basketball aside from the pressure he is getting from others. This is some great, meaty stuff, and I really enjoyed it. Personally, Emmie’s story felt more like an interruption than an enhancement of that story. Her friendship issue felt forced, like it was there to give her story more depth than just her crush. And I agree, she needed more depth than that. But I think Tyler’s story alone would have made this a better fit for me.

Fans of the series will definitely want to pick this one up. The art work is stellar as always. And the author has a terrific grasp on middle school interactions and struggles!

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BOOK NEWS: April 27, 2021

BOOK NEWS: April 27, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the final week of April! Here are some of the new books you can pick up this week:

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Disney Kingdoms: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Older Middle Grade – Graphic Novel) – Includes two stories in graphic novel format – one is the story of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the other takes place in the Enchanted Tiki Room.
Rescue at Lake Wild – Three kids rescue a pair of beaver kits after their mother is killed and find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that has put the beavers’ habitat at risk.
Horse Power: How Horses Changed the World – A middle grade picture book all about horses. This will be a hugely popular addition to nonfiction collections.
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia 
The Curie Society (Graphic Novel) – A teen graphic novel about a group of young women who work in secret to support women in STEM around the world.

Books for Adults

Anchored Hearts (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Keys to Love series after Island Affair (♥♥♥½). A photographer and prodigal son returns home to recuperate from an injury only to encounter the love he left behind.
Death Gone A-Rye (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 6 in the Bread Shop Mystery series. Ivy and her friends at Yeast of Eden are investigating again when the school board president is murdered and Ivy’s boyfriend is one of the top suspects.
Dial A for Aunties (Trade Paperback) – When a young woman accidentally kills her blind date, her mother and aunties come to the rescue, but inadvertently ship the body to the fancy wedding the family business is working. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Dispatcher: Murder By Other Means (e-book) – Something new from science fiction writer John Scalzi. Dispatchers are licensed to kill because these days when you die, you come right back to life. So they intervene when natural or unintentional death is a risk. But one dispatcher who has been riding the line between legal and shady notices that people are being killed for no reason – and he might be implicated.
A Fatal First Night (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Ella Shane Mystery series after A Fatal Finale (which I have on my Kindle TBR). Opera star Ella Shane is investigating again when one of the stars of her latest show is found next to a dead body.
Fugitive Telemetry (Hardcover) – Book 6 in the Murderbot Diaries series. Murderbot is helping the authorities investigate a murder connected to Preservation Station.
Heart on a Leash (Mass Market Paperback) – First in the new Hearts of Alaska series. A woman returning home – temporarily, somewhat against her will – encounters a pack of huskies and a chance at love. Too bad her love interest is part of the rival Porter family. It will never work. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Insects, Ivy, & Investigations (e-book, April 29) – Book 17 in the Campers & Criminals series. Mae and her friends are investigating again when a woman claiming to be a former foster child shows up and then is found near a dead body – her con artist ex.
Lemon Drop Dead (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Amanda Flower. When Bailey hosts a baby shower for Emily, an Amish woman confronts Emily about the baby she gave up for adoption. The woman is later found dead. This is a great series, and I can’t wait to pick up this latest story!
Murder in the Cookbook Nook (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Book Retreat Mystery series focuses on murder at a cooking competition.
The Seat Filler (Trade Paperback) – A dog groomer who volunteers to be a seat filler at an awards ceremony falls for the megastar sitting next to her, but her fear of kissing and the inevitable disappointments that follow in relationships may keep them from finding a love that can last. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Southern Sass and a Battered Bride (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Marygene Brown Mystery series. Marygene is helping cater the wedding of her childhood sweetheart to an absolute bridezilla where the reception will be have a murder mystery theme. But the theming goes too far when the bride is found dead.
Star Wars: Thrawn : Greater Good (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Thrawn Ascendancy series. Thrawn is investigating plots against the Chiss that come, not with weapons and wars but with rifts and suspicions between the ruling families and great houses.
A Tale of Two Cookies (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Cookie House Mystery series. Coral Cay is experiencing the perfect tourism storm – a beach wedding and a reality show filming in town. While the film crew causes chaos wherever they go, the groom goes missing, and Kate and her friends start investigating.
Whole Latte Murder (Trade Paperback) – Book 5 in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series. Gia’s best friend goes missing and her last client is found dead.
Wining and Dying (Trade Paperback) – Book 10 in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series. There’s a murder at the Art and Wine Festival when an up and coming artist is killed.
The Conscious Enneagram: How to Move from Typology to Transformation (Hardcover) – Focuses on practice, lineage, and community to help readers move from where they are to where they want to be.