Reviews, Etc.

BONUS REVIEW: The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson

BONUS REVIEW: The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Rake Tarbell is having a bad day. He woke up hungover in a strange hotel room. In Venice, Italy. But he has no memory of going there. He also has no wallet, no phone, and he’s fallen into the canal. And the tip of the iceberg? When he finally finds his way to his bank accounts to get some money, he finds them empty.

All of that is epically bad. But in the middle of discovering how much trouble he’s in, he also meets a woman who says the girl at her side – Lillith – is his daughter.

So now Rake is in Italy with no money, no ID or passport, no phone to call his family, and a kid he doesn’t know but might be responsible for. Thankfully, the woman who brought Lillith to him, Delaney, is willing to help him. They just have to dodge thugs, stuff Easter baskets, and figure out why Rake’s life has turned upside down.

Review

What a hoot! I got a huge kick out of Rake and this whole story. Apparently this takes place concurrently with book one, Danger, Sweetheart, which I have not read. I feel like I picked the right book, and the right brother of the Tarbell twins, though. Rake is obnoxious early on, but I warmed up to him. (His brother, on the other hand, always felt like a jerk whenever he appeared in this book.) Lillith is also a complete delight. I love adult books with fantastic kid characters. And Lillith is brilliant, both literally and figuratively.

The “mysteries” of what Delaney and her friends are up to, what happened to Lillith’s mother, and what happened to Rake’s money were engaging. I enjoyed watching it all unfold, and I laughed loudly and often as I waited for things to be resolved. This was a ton of fun, and I’m glad I tried it out!(Language, sex, some violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Paw and Order by V. M. Burns

REVIEW: Paw and Order by V. M. Burns

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lilly Ann had convinced her bosses at the Chattanooga Museum to host the Eastern Tennessee Poodle Rescue Association’s fundraiser when their venue fell through. It would garner funds for the museum as well as goodwill as they helped out the charity.

Having wealthy recluse Archibald Lowry show up was a big surprise. Lilly Ann’s friend, Dixie, had been courting him as a donor for the Rescue, but no one expected him to show up for the fundraiser. It might have been better for him if he had stayed home, though. Before the event was over, Archibald Lowry was dead.

Now Lilly Ann is fostering Archibald’s poodle, and that seems to be bringing trouble to her doorstep. When someone repeatedly tries to steal the dog, and someone else ends up dead, Lilly Ann and her friends decide it’s time to kick off a new investigation.

Review

Other than the fact that this is a book about all manner of poodles, yet the dog on the cover is not a poodle, I have only great things to say about this mystery!

This is book 4 in the Dog Club Mystery series, but it’s the first one I have read. But I have already placed the first 3 books on my To Read list (along with the first book of the author’s other series – The Mystery Bookshop series – The Plot Is Murder!). This was so good, and I liked the characters so much, I don’t want to miss any of their adventures.

I prefer to start a series at the beginning, but I had no issues following the plot of this one. There are a number of core series characters in the Dog Club that I had to track carefully in the beginning since I had no context for them from the earlier books. But by the middle of this, it was no longer an issue. The author does a great job making sure readers can drop in wherever and still follow the story.

The mystery here is fantastic. I loved how Lilly and her friends banded together to investigate. The sleuthing was great, the pacing of the mystery was excellent, and the ending wrapped up most of my questions. This is a series I will definitely be following in the future!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Mask by Kate Hannigan

BONUS REVIEW: Mask by Kate Hannigan

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

At first glance, Josie, Mae, and Akiko look like normal girls. But in reality, they are the Infinity Trinity. Thanks to some special artifacts – a cape, a mask, and some boots, the girls are superheroes.

Akiko’s family has been taken to an internment camp because of World War II and the attack on Pearl Harbor. But she gets word her mother has gone missing from the camp. And she’s not the only person missing. Several superheroes, like Zenobia, have gone missing as well.

As the girls start looking for Akiko’s mother, they run into a new villain on the scene, a clown called Side-Splitter. Side-Splitter is setting off bombs around San Francisco and trying to destroy American Naval vessels. The Infinity Trinity have their hands full with this guy!

Review

I love the creativity and uniqueness of this series. This is a re-imagined WWII story where superheroes are real. The racial issues of the time – like the internment camps – are present. Real historical figures are mentioned. The real role of women in the war is also reflected in the story. As with book 1, there are extensive end notes that let readers know which parts of this fantasy tale are anchored in reality.

The final art for the graphic novel sections of the book were not available in my review copy, but there were descriptions of what will be included in the final art. I think readers will enjoy this fun feature to this series. I love the creativity of including comic panels – this is a superhero story after all – into a prose novel.

While there is a lot about this series that I love, I struggled with the pacing of this story. There were several sections that dragged for me. In this story there are several times where the girls are puzzling out coded messages, and it’s hard to put action into moments when they are listening and thinking. There are fight scenes, of course, but this particular story also has quieter moments of thinking, of empathizing with Akiko as she stresses over her mom’s role in the Side-Splitter’s plans, etc. The great features I have already mentioned, though, make up for the slower sections of the story telling for me.

There are several unresolved threads here, including the missing superheroes, to lead readers to book 3. These books should definitely be read in order. Be sure to check out the first book in the League of Secret Heroes series, Cape.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Cone Cat by Sarah Howden

REVIEW: Cone Cat by Sarah Howden

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Jeremy the cat was quick, flexible, and graceful.

But after a trip to the vet, Jeremy is now “Cone Cat.” Cone Cat is none of those things.

But with some creativity and perseverance, Cone Cat makes the best of his situation.

Review

This is so fun! I got a huge kick out of Cone Cat’s transformation from Jeremy to Cone Cat and back again. Cone Cat does a brilliant job of getting the cone to work in his favor. And the end was a funny (and sad) surprise.

This would be great as a read aloud or a lap book. And I think kids will love Cone Cat so much, they’ll beg to read it again and again.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: August 18, 2020

BOOK NEWS: August 18, 2020

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

Cone Cat – Jeremy the cat becomes Cone Cat when a trip to the vet leave him stuck with a cone around his head. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Spirit: Riding Academy Race – Book 3 in the Spirit Riding Free series. When the kids at the riding academy start bickering, the headmaster sets up a scavenger hunt and puts them in teams to work through their differences.

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

Batgirl: A League of Her Own (1992-1995) (Graphic Novel) – Collects Batgirl comics inspired by Batman: The Animated Series.
The Haunted Mansion: Frights of Fancy – First in a new Haunted Mansion series. A new ghost at the Haunted Mansion has to learn to scare guests and deal with the resident mean girl ghost.
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero (ages 8-10) – A young middle grade story about a boy inspired by his dad’s journals and stories of a superhero.
Mask (The League of Secret Heroes) – Book 2 in the League of Secret Heroes series. An alternate history starring three young girls who find objects that give them the power to take down evil. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Nerviest Girl in the World – When her brothers get jobs doing stunts in silent movies, Pearl stumbles into the chance to be a stunt person, too.
Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid – Middle grade memoir by a girl who started learning about bees to combat her fear of them. She started selling lemonade to give money to bee conservation efforts, and now she sells her lemonade around the country.
All Eyes on Her – When two teens go into the woods for a picnic, but only the girl returns, everyone has a theory about what really happened. And everyone, but Tabby herself, is eager to tell their story.
Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From – Liliana lives a carefully crafted life, negotiating the shift from her inner-city neighborhood to her mostly-white suburban school. But when secrets about her family come out and racial tensions at school escalate, Liliana will have to decide how she will use her voice to take a stand.
Raybearer – A young woman raised to compete to be one of the Council of 11 for the prince is also magically compelled to kill the prince when she gets close enough to him. Is she strong enough to resist the path set before her and choose her own way?
Six Angry Girls – Two teens whose lives aren’t going at all the way they planned team up to start a rival Mock Trial team at school and smash the patriarchy. I’m looking forward to reading this one.

Books for Adults

Booked for Murder (e-book) – Book 1 in the Vigilante Magical Librarians series. After getting hurt in her life as a bodyguard to the rich and dangerous, Janette decides to use her skills to disappear. In her new life, as a librarian, no one wants her magic – just her knowledge. But when someone from her old life is killed on the steps of her library, Janette teams up with her new co-workers to find a killer. I can’t wait to read this one!
Dead Ends Don’t Talk (e-book) – Book 1 in the Small-Town Mystery with Style series. When someone is found dead right after one of Dee’s salon services, everyone thinks her new-fangled products are to blame. But Dee knows it wasn’t her fault, so she’s on the trail of a killer. At the time of this writing, Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this book for free as part of the program.
Death at High Tide (Hardcover) – First in the new Island Sisters Mystery series. When Evie’s husband dies and it seems she might have inherited an old castle she knows nothing about, her sister Margot insists they go visit the place in the Isles of Scilly. Nothing at the old hotel is as it seems, especially the odd characters working around the property. But when people start dying, and the two foreigners seem like the best suspects, the sisters decide it is time to solve the murders themselves.
Loathe at First Sight (Trade Paperback) – A new adult romance from the author of The Perfect Escape. As a joke, Melody creates an app starring male strippers in a survival game, but it quickly becomes her company’s hottest new project, and she’s running the whole thing. Her new intern, Nolan, the boss’ nephew, turns out to be more useful – and sexy – than she would have guessed, but when everything that can go wrong does right before the app launch, she has to wonder if Nolan can help her salvage her work life and her personal life.
Star Trek Picard: Countdown (Paperback Graphic Novel) – A graphic novel of the events leading up to the Star Trek: Picard series.
War of the Noses (e-book) – Book 3 in the Nora Black Midlife Psychic series about a psychic with scent-induced abilities (which is such a novel idea!). Nora is off to a Spa Convention for her birthday with her best friend and a surprise visit from her fella. But her nemesis, and a murderer, seem determined to ruin Nora’s vacation. I have this series on my wish list. The first two books in the series are free to read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers at the time of this writing.
Who’s That Earl (Trade Paperback) – Book 1 in the Love and Let Spy series. A reclusive author hiding from those who would have her silenced encounters an old flame when he inherits the castle where she is hiding out. I won this one in a Goodreads giveaway; I can’t wait to read it!
Easy Dutch Oven Cooking: Classic and Contemporary Recipes in Five Steps or Less (Paperback) – Includes 100 recipes. At the time of this writing, Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this book for free as part of the program.
Reaganland: America’s Right Turn 1976-1980 (Hardcover) – From the author of Nixonland and The Invisible Bridge. In 1976, Ronald Reagan ran against Gerald Ford, a sitting president, for the Republican nomination. He lost, and then so did Ford. Blamed for this, Reagan might have drifted off the political scene, but instead he made a comeback thanks to a perfect storm of factors highlighted in this book. Great for history fans!

REVIEW: Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura

REVIEW: Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

At 16, Poe Dameron wants nothing more than to be a pilot, find some adventure, and leave Yavin 4.  And after another huge fight with his dad and crashing his mom’s A-wing, the only thing he really had left of hers, he is feeling the need to escape his life, and fast.

So when he dances with a girl at a bar, and she says her friends need a pilot, he’s intrigued. When she says they are “smugglers,” he hesitates, but decides the gig meets his three wants perfectly. But by the time he finds out they are infamous spice runners, he’s in too far to get out.

Review

This book is designed to fill in some backstory tied to the last Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker. Poe Dameron has a hidden history as a spice runner that comes as a shock to his Resistance friends. This book tells that secret story.

I liked the set up. A teen longing to start his “real” life is a perfect protagonist for a YA novel. The author does a great job early on with Poe’s mixed feelings about his new “friends” and the choices they make in the course of their work. He sticks with them in part because he feels trapped by the choices he’s already made. But he also stays because of a girl. Just when he thinks he understands her, and what the Spice Runners of Kijimi are up to, the stakes are raised.

The potential romance here is pretty light. The book also includes typical Star Wars levels of violence. And because the spice runners are villains/scoundrels of a sort, there’s plenty of questionable ethics and choices for Poe to wrestle with. He’s also wrestling with his legacy as a child of two Resistance fighters, especially considering what he does with his new crew.

There’s a ton of potential here, but it never really clicked for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters in a strong way. This might be a function of the fact that they are “bad guys” in the larger Star Wars universe. It felt like Poe’s relationship with his dad had a bit of a Prodigal Son vibe to it. I enjoyed that part of the book, but it was only a small part of the story. I stuck with the book because I did want to see what finally pushes Poe toward the Resistance. And now I know. Yet I don’t feel like that knowledge really changes my understanding of the characters from the movie, which would have been a nice layer to the storytelling.

Big Star Wars fans and Poe Dameron fans might enjoy this, especially if you have been wondering for the last 8 months what the backstory is. If you are looking for a rich, character-focused story from the Star Wars universe, your mileage may vary with this one. You can read some of my other reviews of Star Wars books here.

Rating: ♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

BONUS REVIEW: The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

1913
The Lyons live in the Fifth Avenue branch of the New York Public Library. Jack is the superintendent for the library, and he and Laura live in an apartment in the building with their two kids. After work each night, Jack works on his novel, and Laura manages the kids and their routines. But Laura longs for more. She’s been accepted into a journalism program at Columbia University – one that accepts women. Laura wants to write, too. If she could get a reporting job, she could help with the family’s finances so Jack would have more time to finish his book.

1993
Sadie is working on a special collection at the New York Public Library. As part of the exhibit she’s preparing, her boss wants more examples of Laura Lyons’ work or personal effects. Her feminist essays have had a resurgence of popularity lately. Sadie hasn’t told him that Laura was her grandmother. She would have – she found some great examples of her early writing that would be fun additions to the exhibit. But she also found references to some missing books from the time Laura’s family lived in the library. Until Sadie can find out what happened then, she wants to keep her connection to the Lyons to herself. Books have started to go missing from the collection Sadie is curating, and the connection to the 80 year old mystery could make a difficult situation even worse.

Review

This was an interesting split timeline story connected by family relationships and the thefts at the NYPL. Beyond that, Sadie’s story is also about family, her work, and her identity following her divorce. Laura’s story is even more involved, focusing on the role of women in the early 1900s. She goes back to school to pursue a career in a field dominated by men. She longs for meaning and a challenge outside her home, but she also feels guilt for not being available to her children all the time. She connects with women in her community who are pushing for equality, suffrage, access to contraception and health care, etc. The myriad of issues in 1913 made that section of the story more intricate, but my personal preference was for the “contemporary” story with Sadie and her family and work.

The mystery of the book thefts is well done – in both timelines – and I loved the ways they were connected. I didn’t click with the characters very much in this book, but I was captivated by this mystery. The author does a great job putting together a mystery with an historic story that also explores the lives of grandmother and granddaughter. Readers who enjoy split timeline stories should check this one out. (Some Christian examples of this type of storytelling can be seen in Rachel Hauck’s work – The Writing Desk and The Love Letter are two examples.)

(Language, sex, LGBTQ+: Bisexual and F/F relationships. TW: Suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Piece by Piece by Laura Bradford

REVIEW: Piece by Piece by Laura Bradford

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

One moment Dani is enjoying a quiet day to herself – checking things off her to do list, thinking about what her three kids are doing at the park with their dad and grandmother, getting lost in a good book. The next, she is listening to a police officer tell her her entire family is gone. The rug is pulled out from under her. Her world tilts, never to be the same again.

Hiding in her house, sleeping whole days away isn’t helping. Seeing neighborhood friends and hearing their kids playing outside is excruciating. On a whim, Dani throws some things in a bag and heads to Lydia’s home in Pennsylvania.

Lydia and Dani met as girls when Dani visited Amish country. They stayed friends and exchanged letters over the years. When Lydia hears of the tragedy, she invites Dani to visit, and creates space for her to grieve. Though Dani’s not ready to see it yet, Lydia is on her own grief journey. The two women need each other more than they know.

Review

This is a hard book to read at times. Dani’s loss is painful. It’s my worst nightmare, laid out on the page, and it is devastating. The earliest chapters where Dani is mostly on her own with her grief are written so well, which means they are emotional and can be hard to endure.

Time spent with Lydia’s family is a perfect balance to those dark early chapters. The children are a delight every time they are on the page. Lydia’s family shows a different way to grieve.

There are few answers here for the many questions that flow out of tragic loss. Dani struggles with God and with the Amish philosophy of God’s will. Her anger and her struggle are honest, and while other characters see a different way to look at loss, Dani’s questions are never dismissed. But she is encouraged to find another way through her grief than being angry and closed off. Her journey to some amount of healing was so satisfying.

If you haven’t read a Laura Bradford Amish standalone – like A Daughter’s Truth (♥♥♥♥♥) or Portrait of a Sister – you are missing out on some great stories and storytelling. All three of these books deal with loss in different ways, and I have enjoyed all of them. If you are already a fan, you are going to want to pick up Piece by Piece for sure! (TW: Grief and loss, depression)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge by Grace Ellis

BONUS REVIEW: Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge by Grace Ellis

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lois Lane is ready for the best summer ever. She is working on her video channel and hopes to make a #FriendshipChallenge video with her BFF Kristen that goes viral. But Kristen wants to focus on the local bike race and getting ready to go away to camp for the first time.

When a rival bike shop springs up near their neighborhood store, the owner is convinced the new rival wants to rig the race. She shows the girls a threatening note, and then her fireworks for the big race are stolen. Lois is certain she and Kristen can solve the mystery. In fact, Lois is already sure she knows who did it – Izzy, the new girl in town.

Review

Lois is a LOT to take in this book. I was exhausted by her as I read. She’s an intense person, earnest. She has big ideas and big plans. And she easily gets tunnel vision. She isn’t trying to be a bad friend, but she tunes out anything Kristen says and anything that doesn’t fit her ideas of what is going on or what is important.

Lois is so over the top I don’t think readers will have any trouble seeing the friendship red flags in the story. The bigger question is will readers like Lois enough to stick with her through the book in the hope that she will learn and grow? Thankfully that does happen. Lois starts to see how she is behaving, and then she decides to make some changes.

I liked Henrietta/”Henri,” an older, mentoring, voice-of-reason sort of character. Not only does she try to speak into Lois’ friend issues, but she also shows Lois how journalism is like detective work. She also explains the importance of journalistic integrity – letting the facts drive the story rather than squishing the facts to try to make them fit into the story you decided to tell. Which is exactly what Lois is doing with Izzy.

Readers who enjoy graphic novel friendship stories might give this one a try. If you are looking for more Lois Lane stories, I HIGHLY recommend the Lois Lane series for teens by Gwenda Bond. I loved it!

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

REVIEW: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Sara and Elizabeth meet at an afterschool cooking club at Sara’s new school. Her mom is teaching the class South Asian cuisine, and Elizabeth is taking it with her best friend, Maddy.

Sara’s struggling at the new school. Before this she went to a Muslim school. She knew all of her peers and felt like she fit in. Now, there are hundreds of other sixth graders, and even more 7th and 8th graders on top of that. Sara’s not sure she will ever fit in here.

Elizabeth and Maddy have been best friends for years, but ever since Elizabeth went away to summer camp, Maddy’s been more interested in being friends with another, more popular girl. With Elizabeth’s mom struggling with her grandmother’s death, things at home are strained, and now things at school are, too.

But Sara and Elizabeth find common ground at the cooking club. Sara might not like to cook, but she’s knowledgeable and skilled. Elizabeth loves the recipes they are cooking. And both girls, for different reasons, are coaching their mothers through the American citizenship curriculum. Maybe the moms could become friends, pass their tests, and life could get better – for both families.

Review

Outstanding! I loved this! Sara’s prickly at the start – at school and at home – so it takes a bit to warm up to her. But once I did, I adored the frank relationship she and Elizabeth have together, the freedom they have to ask religious and cultural questions of each other. (Elizabeth is Jewish, and her mom is British. Sara’s family is from Pakistan, and they are Muslim.)

All the threads – food, family, friendship, culture, anti-racism – are perfectly woven together. All of the pieces are kept in balance, and I loved every bit of it.

This is an excellent middle school friendship story that I think works for both older elementary and middle school students. The racism/anti-racism pieces are unambiguous, but also age appropriate for readers at the younger end of the range. There are creative elements with the food and cooking as well as Sara’s art that will appeal to kids. Mental health and mental illness (depression) are talked about in an age-appropriate way as well. This would be an excellent addition to classroom and home libraries as well as for reading aloud at school or at home. (Mental health/Depression)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥