Tag: college

The Do-Over by Suzanne Park

The Do-Over by Suzanne Park

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lily is on the verge of getting everything she wants, including the release of a second book (which she technically still needs to write), and her dream job. But the employee background check for the new job turns up a surprise – Lily never actually graduated from college.

Now she has to go back and pick up the last few credits she needs – plus a STEM class to meet the current catalog requirements – and then she can get back to her life.

But the TA in her Computer Science class was her college sweetheart. He’s there finishing a PhD, and Lily wants to pretend he doesn’t exist. But Jake is hotter than ever – and he wants closure on what happened between them. He’s going to be super hard to ignore.

Review

I enjoyed this  – the characters, the attention to mental health, and Lily’s journey through shame to pride in herself as she goes back to school. There are just enough challenges along the way to keep this interesting. And we do get a flashback of what happened way back when between Jake and Lily. I felt like the personal journey for Lily was more satisfying for me than the romance with Jake, but both were good.

The three women at the center of this story are a delight. I would read more books with these three at the center, so if this is going to turn into one of those series where each character gets a book, I am all in for more. You can see my reviews of more books by this author here – there are a couple I would absolutely read again.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Happily Ever Island by Crystal Cestari

REVIEW: Happily Ever Island by Crystal Cestari

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.]

Summary

Happily Ever Island is Disney’s newest themed resort. It allows guests to live as their favorite character for awhile – costumes, music, housing, everything. And Madison just won a trip for two to be among the first to experience the island.

While Madison’s peers all seem focused on futures and careers, Madison still has no clue what she wants to study at school or do for a job. But she knows EVERYTHING about Disney.

Since her girlfriend broke up with her just before Madison gets the good news, she needs a new plus 1 for her trip. And her best friend Lanie is the perfect choice.

Lanie is Madison’s opposite in a lot of ways – grounded, focused, driven. It feels like she’s been on the fast track for med school her whole life. But suddenly she’s having doubts about all of those plans. So, even though she knows almost nothing about Disney, Lanie agrees to go on the trip.

But their magical vacation challenges each of the young women to re-examine their lives – and dishes up surprises that could change their trajectories completely.

Review

How fun! This is a great friendship/coming of age story with a strong side of romance in a clever setting. I really enjoyed this! Both Madison and Lanie were characters I would hang out with. And both are struggling with questions about the future. This is a great topic for the intended young adult audience. And I love how the characters are coming at the same issue from different angles.

There’s a LOT here for readers to enjoy. For Disney and theme park fans there’s this creative setting and lots of classic Disney moments. For romance fans, both main characters meet someone special. Then there’s the friendship struggles and growth alongside the coming-of-age pieces. And I enjoyed all of it! This is a creative and clever story – don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Kind of Sort of Fine by Spencer Hall

REVIEW: Kind of Sort of Fine by Spencer Hall

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

After a monumental moment at school at the end of her junior year, Hayley is pushed into “pulling back at school.” This includes dropping tennis and putting a low key elective into her senior year schedule – TV production. At first it feels like a punishment – a limitation. But after enough comments about her “break down,” Hayley decides she is going to use her determination and ambition to make the best of this hand she has been dealt.

Lewis is the senior producer in the school TV studio this year. He’s partnered with Hayley and can’t help being concerned about the quality of her work considering what happened last year.

As Hayley and Lewis work together and get to know one another as more than “the girl who had the breakdown” and “the fat, funny kid in TV production,” they realize there’s more to each of them – and more to their peers – than people see at first glance. And they decide to turn that idea into a set of mini-documentaries to share with their school.

Review

I enjoyed this exploration of senior year for these two characters. Hayley’s journey to reclaim her life and identity after her “breakdown” does a great job of showing progress without quick, trite resolutions. And I enjoyed Lewis and the other teens in the story.

I would have liked a stronger problem-resolution thread, but that’s a matter of personal preference. I like my stories to have more drive to them than this did. This is more focused on this period of time – senior year – for these characters, and on the journey rather than the destination. The wrap up to the story is good. I enjoyed this one. (Language, sexual references)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BONUS REVIEW: The Pawful Truth by Miranda James

BONUS REVIEW: The Pawful Truth by Miranda James

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

If you’re working at a good college, why not take advantage of the excellent professors and audit a class? And that question is what sets this story in motion. Charlie Harris signs up for a class on the history of England with a popular young professor at Athena College. And the guy lives up to his reputation as an instructor. He’s engaging and really knows not only his material but how to connect with students. He’s inspiring and persuasive.

Charlie isn’t the only non-traditional student in the class. There’s also Dixie Bell Compton. The professor seems to know her – and he’s not happy to see her. In fact, after the first class, as Charlie is leaving, he hears Dr. Warriner ask her “What the hell are you doing in my class?” Charlie’s only real interaction with Dixie comes when she asks him to be her study partner for the course. As he’s only auditing the class, Charlie declines. When Dixie is later found murdered, Charlie can’t help but wonder if he should have helped her – and if Dr. Warriner had anything to do with her death.

Review

A mystery starring the team of Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, is a treat every time. I love these characters as well as the larger circle of Charlie’s family, boarders and friends. They feel like family after all this time. I’ve been reading about them now for eleven books.

This series always feels fresh to me compared to others in the cozy genre. There’s a male protagonist, there’s no romance with a law enforcement officer, and Charlie is a seasoned character with grandchildren. The two cats in this book are just as nuanced as the human characters with personalities and antics that I find fun to read.

This was a twisty mystery – and Charlie had permission to keep his ears open for clues this time since so much of what happened was tied to the college. That was a nice change as well. The solution didn’t come until the very last pages, but I wasn’t 100% sold on it. There’s a reason built into the solution for my reluctance to feel it’s completely wrapped up. But even then, there were a few moments that didn’t ring true for me emotionally with the characters. Maybe I needed more – a few more paragraphs to the solution so it felt better anchored to me. That may just be personal preference. That said, the solution fit the story, and the book ended with a lot of energy – and a set up for the next book in the series, Careless Whiskers, set to release in January 2020. I know I won’t be missing it – and you shouldn’t either.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

REVIEW: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Dimple has finished high school and she’s ready to head to Stanford in the fall. For the summer, though, she has her heart set on the app development program at Insomnia Con. Dimple is ready to build her future and experience life. And she has no interest in yielding to her parents’ expectations that she find the perfect Indian husband and settle down.

Rishi is going to be at MIT in the fall, but for the summer he is headed to Insomnia Con to meet Dimple. His parents think they will be perfect together. Rishi knows he has college to finish, but he is fully committed to a traditional Indian courtship, marriage and family.

Judging by the fact that Rishi ends up wearing Dimple’s iced coffee when he introduces himself, it seems safe to assume that Dimple knows nothing of their parents’ plans for them to meet at this summer program. How can Rishi get Dimple to see him as a romantic possibility after that awkward introduction?

Review

This was a treat from start to finish!! I adored Dimple and Rishi! They are smart and funny and so determined. Dimple is determined to live life on her terms. Rishi is determined to live up to his parents’ expectations. I loved that while each of them bent a little in order to build a friendship, they stayed true to their character and ideals throughout the story.

There’s a great thread in this about being true to yourself and embracing your gifts that I enjoyed. Both Dimple and Rishi had things they were passionate about. But one of them was completely sold out to that while the other was trying to run away from it for something more “acceptable.” The journey – and the outcome – were terrifically written!

I’ve been on a romcom reading binge lately, and this was a fantastic piece of that! I also read the companion book There’s Something About Sweetie, and it was also a great read. Highly recommend both books! (Off-page sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Past Due for Murder by Victoria Gilbert

REVIEW: Past Due for Murder by Victoria Gilbert

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Amy and her choreographer boyfriend, Richard, have been as close as ever. But when he goes away for a weekend to a family event, things get strained. And Amy wonders if their relationship perhaps wasn’t all she thought it was.

When one of Richard’s dance students goes missing that same weekend, the police are very interested to hear Richard’s take on his relationship with the girl. The rumor is that she was seeing an older man. Amy just wants everything to go back to normal.

But that’s not likely. Amy’s ex, Charles, is back in town. He moved into a mountain home with his girlfriend – the woman he was seeing on the side when he was dating Amy. The girlfriend was recently killed in a hit-and-run. While Amy sympathizes for him in the loss, she wants no part of him in her life.

The missing student’s project supervisor, a local folklorist, is convinced some folks in town are up to no good, and she’s determined to expose their secrets unless she gets what she wants. Nothing good can come from that approach.

Review

This was an uneven story for me. And I really enjoyed the first two books in the series. I felt like there were too many story threads at work – especially in the early chapters – for me to have a good hook into the story to propel me forward.

I generally like the characters in this series, but Richard wasn’t very likeable early on. And I didn’t see a lot of reasons for Amy to be so forgiving after the way he treated her. I softened to him a little after reading what his parents were like, though. Ugh.

The mystery felt a little scattered to me, too. There was the missing student right away, but a murder didn’t happen until almost a third of the way through the book. It left me questioning where things were going for a lot longer than I generally prefer at the start of a mystery.

The ending, though, was satisfying. Lots of suspense for the wrap up of the mystery. Then there were several more chapters to wrap up the rest of the story threads – several more in addition to what I included in my summary.

If you already enjoy this series, give this one a whirl and see what you think. You may enjoy the various plot threads woven throughout the book. If you haven’t tried this series before, I’d suggest you go back to book one first and see if the characters and setting are a good fit for you. The character development in the series makes reading the books in order important.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Giant Days by Non Pratt

REVIEW: Giant Days by Non Pratt

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Susan, Daisy and Esther are in their first year of college. As neighbors, it was natural that they would become friends.

Susan is studying medicine. She also has background as a non-licensed private investigator. She has a strong personality and no patience for bullies.

Daisy was raised by her grandmother and home-schooled. She’s sweet and naive and eager to try new things and find her place at college. Although signing up for 32 extracurriculars might be going too far.

Esther comes from money. She’s officially an English major but she never goes to class. She’s used to BSing her way through things but college students are more savvy than she realized. She’s desperate to be friends with a Goth-looking girl she’s seen glimpses of on campus.

While the girls care about one another, they get sidetracked by their personal drama. And while they are focused on themselves, one of the girls walks into a situation she might not be able to get out of.

Review

This is a quirky story. It took awhile for me to get the feel of the girls and for the story to build to the main crisis. But the girls and their friendship is really the point of the story. So once I had  sense of each of the girls, I was on board for the rest.

I don’t know that I had a favorite among the core characters. I loved Susan’s strong personality. I wish the private investigator pieces were a little bigger because that was a fun twist to her character. I cracked up at Daisy’s 32 clubs and her inability to choose what to keep and what to leave. Esther wants so desperately for Vectra to like her that she puts up with Vectra’s appalling behavior. I was so sad for Esther. I was cheering for her to dump Vectra and stick with her true friends.

The climax at the end was terrific. It made the rest of the book come together, and the characters got to be the best versions of themselves. The source material for this is a graphic novel series. I’m curious to see how similar the graphic novels are to this and how the different format changes or enhances the story. (Some mature content and adult behavior.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥