Tag: adoption

REVIEW: The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick

REVIEW: The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Celia is still grieving the loss of her marriage (lousy cheater!) when she gets a response to her “Dear Birthmother” letter. Afraid her divorce will disqualify her from consideration, Celia drops the name of her famous alter ego – Calpurnia, the advice columnist. And it works. She has three months to find a big enough place to raise a child before the lawyer and birthmother come for a home visit. That also means she needs a raise at work.

Instead, Celia loses her job and inherits her Aunt Calpurnia’s home in Charleston. This might just be the silver lining in a season of clouds, loss, and sadness for Celia.

But the lovely, stately home of Celia’s childhood bears little resemblance to the disaster she has inherited. Calpurnia was a hoarder, and the house and yard are in miserable condition. But with a whole lot of work, Celia could have a home – and a neighborhood – where she could raise a child. But she’ll have to be willing to take a lot of chances to get there.

Review

Oh, this was lovely. It’s a delightful “found family” story that hit all the right notes for me. Celia is fantastic – the sort of person I would be friends with in real life. I loved the community she builds and the journey she is on. I would absolutely read this again.

The story really clicked for me when Celia got settled in Charleston. And as someone who kept a journal for a someday baby (who is now graduating from high school), I really connected with Celia’s journal entries for Peaches.

The only thing that didn’t really work for me was the romance. It was logical, but I never felt any real chemistry for them as a couple. Thankfully, though, the story is really about Celia – about her situation with the house, with being a mother, and with the community of people around her. The romance is a very small part of the story.

You do not want to miss Celia. Put this book on your reading list asap – it’s delightful. (TW: Infertility/adoption)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it ! Would read again.

REVIEW: You Have a Match by Emma Lord

REVIEW: You Have a Match by Emma Lord

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When Abby takes a DNA test to be supportive of her best friend (and crush) Leo, she never expects it will shake every foundation of her life. But when the results come in, it says she has a sister. A full-blooded, older sister.

When Abby and Savvy meet up in secret, it’s obvious the results are accurate. The questions start piling up – why did Abby’s parents place Savvy for adoption? How are they connected to Savvy’s adoptive family? Why have they kept this secret from Abby her whole life?

Abby decides to meet Savvy at Camp Reynolds for the summer. It meets her parents’ insistence on academic recovery work, but it will also let the girls dig into this mystery and get to know one another for the first time.

Review

Emma Lord is now a must-read author for me. Last year I fell in love with her delightful debut, Tweet Cute. And now I have fallen again for Abby and Leo and Savvy and Mickey and Finn and the rest. This was a start-to-finish read for me. It’s funny, suspenseful, and emotionally touching. It’s everything I want when I sit down with a YA novel. I can’t wait to read it again. And again. (In fact, the minute I finished reading the ARC, I pre-ordered my own copy.)

The family story was the hook for me. There are other things happening in the story – Abby’s feelings for Leo, the pressures from her parents regarding school, the camp, her reluctance to share her photography with others, her grief over the loss of her grandfather, and her questions about the future. And every one of those pieces was beautifully handled and part of the joy that is this book. But I was all in on the relationship between Abby and Savvy and on finding out the truth of their story. And it was so satisfying! There were moments when I couldn’t read fast enough to take in everything as quickly as I wanted to.

“Comfort reads” are a real thing, especially in these weird days. These are the books you know you love and you go back to them over and over to enjoy sinking into a great story with great characters. I have many YA comfort reads – Tweet Cute, 10 Blind Dates, Prince in Disguise and more. And now You Have a Match. The writing, the characters, the story, the humor, the heart – all of it was fantastic. YA fans do not want to miss this one! (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BONUS REVIEW: St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets by Annie England Noblin

BONUS REVIEW: St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets by Annie England Noblin

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Maeve discovered she was adopted when she was 6 years old, and a hateful cousin told her in a fit of temper. Maeve’s adopted parents were awesome. They told her about her mother, Annabelle, still a girl herself when Maeve was born. And when she was 16, Maeve tried reaching out to Annabelle. But all the letters were returned to her unopened. Hurt, Maeve decided if her birth mother couldn’t be bothered, she didn’t need her in her life.

After a string of bad luck – lost her job, boyfriend caught on video cheating on her, mugged – all in one day, Maeve moves back home with her parents to regroup. That’s where she is when she gets the call that Annabelle has died.

At first, Maeve wants no part of her birth mother’s life, including her funeral. But she decides to go, and discovers Annabelle left everything to Maeve – a house, a car, and a cat! But Timber Creek is as good a place as any to try to find herself and restart her life. And maybe, after time with her birth mother’s friends and in her house, Maeve will better understand the woman who didn’t want her.

Review

This was so good! I love that we got chapters from Annabelle’s perspective that filled in some of the story behind her decision to place Maeve for adoption. Even though Maeve was hurt and had lots of questions, the reader knows Annabelle loved her.

Timber Creek was a fascinating community. Annabelle’s friends and neighbors added interesting pieces to the story, as did the animals Maeve encounters. Maeve’s adoptive family was fantastic, too. Truly, all of the characters in this are terrific.

I was captivated by the whole story. I had to know what Maeve would do with the fresh start she had been given. Annabelle’s story was compelling, too. This was a start-to-finish read for me. I couldn’t put it down without knowing what happened with everyone.

This is a fantastic character-driven story with a bit of romance and suspense thrown in. I highly recommend this one! (Language, TW: Domestic violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½=I loved it! Would re-read.

BONUS REVIEW: My Kind of People by Lisa Duffy

BONUS REVIEW: My Kind of People by Lisa Duffy

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

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

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

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

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

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

Review

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

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

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

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

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

REVIEW: The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When Kira was five, Cady found her, alone, in a forest. Wild. Feral. Cady took her in, fostered her, adopted her, and raised her with her own son, Jude. Jude, Kira, and their best friend, Free, call themselves the Miscreants. Always together, always ready to find or stir up trouble.

Together, Cady and the teens raise and train search and rescue dogs. Padawan is their young star, a gifted golden retriever. Silver is the older German Shepherd who is an emotional anchor for Kira when the trauma of her past threatens to pull her under. NATO and the Duchess are the bloodhounds. And Saskia is the temperamental husky whose own traumas make her a perfect partner for Kira. They understand each other in a special way.

Cady’s estranged father calls her in for a search and rescue in her home town. A 9-year-old girl has gone missing in the mountains. Cady, the teens and the dogs join the search process. And while Kira is determined to do for the girl what she herself needed at one time, she is not ready for what the case will stir up for her – and for her whole family.

Review

This was excellent! Classic Jennifer Lynn Barnes awesomeness. I was laughing on the first page, and in love with Jude by page 2. He’s a lot like the character Asher from The Fixer series – another character I adored. You can read my review of her other series here and here. From there, I quickly connected with Kira and the dogs, and I had to see how the story would play out.

You can see Barnes’ background in psychology with the development of Kira. Her reactions to childhood trauma and the emotional repercussions now felt completely on target. I felt like Kira had done some extensive work on her trauma issues even while there is obviously more work to be done.  And the writing of the dogs was terrific. I loved Silver and Saskia’s interactions with Kira especially.

If this had just been a psychological piece about Kira, I’d have been enthralled and happy to keep reading. But this is also a mystery/suspense story involving Cady’s family history, the missing girl, and some stunning and twisty developments. Outstanding!

This book is a perfect example of why Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a must read-author for me. She always delivers! This book is the full package – rich, fascinating characters; an engrossing plot; lots of snark and humor; and a story you don’t want to put down. I highly recommend this book to fans of suspense books, dog stories, and the author’s other books. (Trigger Warning – hints of abuse stories throughout could be triggering for some readers, although I thought the descriptions were pretty subtle for general readers.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: In Another Life by C. C. Hunter

REVIEW: In Another Life by C. C. Hunter

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Chloe and her mom have moved to Joyful, Texas in the wake of her parent’s divorce. And she’s furious. Her dad cheated, her folks split, and then her mom got cancer. Thankfully, her mom is recovering. But it’s an awful thing for a kid to have to go through on her own. Now she’s just focused on getting through her senior year as the “new girl” and coaching her mom back toward health.

Cash is stunned when the gorgeous girl crashes into him at the gas station. But it’s less about the slushie he’s now wearing and more about the girl’s face. She looks exactly like the age progression picture of Emily.

Cash’ foster parents, the Fullers, lost their daughter Emily when she was almost three. She was kidnapped, and the Fullers – especially Mrs. Fuller – have never stopped hoping she’d be found. At first Cash is afraid Chloe might be there to scam the Fullers. But her adoption story seems to be legit. If Chloe really is Emily, what does that mean? Did her adoptive parents kidnap her? What will the Fullers expect of her? How will they feel about the growing attraction between Cash and Chloe/Emily?

Review

This was terrific! Lots of great emotion to this story. Chloe and Cash are fascinating characters – and they feel absolutely real. The author does an outstanding job building an emotionally intricate story that makes the questions about Chloe’s identity a nuanced and complicated situation.

Chloe and Cash made this book for me. They both feel “broken” – Cash, because of his history before foster care and Chloe because of the break up of her family and the difficulty of life with cancer. And they recognize that brokenness in one another and are drawn together. They see in each other someone who knows pain and isn’t afraid of it. They are lovely together.

The mystery/suspense story of Chloe’s identity was great. This drew me into the book at the start and was engaging all the way through. I think if the emphasis of the book was the mystery, the suspense in the end would have played out with different timing. A suspense story would probably end with a big, explosive moment. The way this wrapped up left me feeling like the REAL story is the relationships at stake in the book rather than the suspenseful part of the story. And the ending is 100% satisfying. If you enjoy Young Adult suspense, you should definitely check this one out! (Language, sexual content takes place mostly off the page)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½