Tag: Katherine Center

2024 Year in Review

2024 Year in Review

Posted on by Jaymie

2024 was a busy reading year, but I was pleased to see in the end that my top 10 were a nice mix of books. (You can read past Year in Review posts here.)

I want to remember that 2024 was the year I discovered Lucy Score – both the Riley Thorn series and the Knockemout series were fantastic and made for fun vacation reading for the year. 2024 was also the year I discovered John Walton’s books on scripture which led to the Bible for Normal People podcast, more books by Pete Enns, and other books on Biblical studies. When I think of 2024, these are some of the things I think of.

In my top ten, there’s one picture book, two middle grade books, and one nonfiction adult book to accompany the usual adult fiction. As an honorable mention to the top ten, I would list Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce as my favorite YA read from 2024, since there’s no YA option in the top ten. This is a companion book to Dungeons and Drama. I will have a full review of Dating and Dragons later this month.

Here are my top 10 favorite books from 2024:

10. The Frindle Files – This sequel to the beloved Frindle, and the last book written by the author, was everything I hoped it would be. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

9. The Imposter – We lived this story of having a second beloved critter in case of an unfixable loss, so I hoped this would be cute and capture that experience from when my son was small. And this exceeded my expectations. This is the only picture book to make the list this year. You can read my full review here.

 

 

8. Big Witch Energy – I have thoroughly enjoyed both of the books so far in the Starfall Point series about a trio of “witches” with ghostly powers, but this book has been my favorite because of the teen characters who were an absolute treat. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

7. No One Leaves the Castle – I have loved Christopher Healy’s middle grade novels since I first read The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. You will be able to read my full review of this delight later this month.

 

 

 

6. Wisdom for Faithful Reading – 2024 was a great nonfiction year for me. I still read them SOOOOO slowly, but the quality has been top notch. And this book really kicked off a year of memorable study and learning. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

5, The Rom-Commers – Another Katherine Center book makes my Year in Review list – The Bodyguard made the list in 2022. You can read my full review of the 2024 entry here.

 

 

 

4. The Corpse in the Closet – The Riley Thorn series was EVERYTHING I needed this year from my reading – funny, flirty, and clever. I loved the characters and the mysteries in this paranormal romance/mystery series, and this book (second in the series) has been my favorite. You can read my full review here.

 

 

3. Apprentice to the Villain – Book 1 in this delightful series, Assistant to the Villain, was at the top of my 2023 favorites list. For good reason. This series is a delight. I didn’t post a full review of book 2, but I loved it just as much as book 1. I can’t wait for book 3 which will release later this year!

 

 

2. Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books – This was the surprise of my reading year in 2024. I saw this in the bookstore and found the premise intriguing, but not enough to pay full price for a hardcover book. So I picked this up from the library – and was stunned by how fantastic this was. I immediately shelled out the money for my own copy because I will definitely read this one again. There are several content warnings on this one, so check out my full review here, but you won’t want to miss this one.

 

 

1. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year – And the best of the best. I tried to describe in my full review how reading this felt in my body – all the ways I knew this book was special and would definitely be in my top 10 for the year. I don’t know that I did it justice. But this book was perfection for me – the humor and banter, the swoony romance, the book-related and writing-related content, and the top notch mystery. I re-read this before Christmas, and it was just as perfect as the first time I read it. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.

 

 

And those are my top 10 favorites for 2024! What did you read – and love – in 2024?

REVIEW: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

REVIEW: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Emma Wheeler has been given the opportunity of a lifetime – co-write/ghostwrite a screenplay with her idol, Charlie Yates. He’s written a rom-com, and it needs some serious help. But he has to get it written in order to get a pet project produced. Emma has to put her life on hold and go to LA for 6 weeks to work on the re-write. She’s been her father’s daily caregiver for years – it’s a lot to step away from.

But when she gets to LA, Charlie doesn’t know anything about this arrangement – and he’s not interested in anything Emma has to offer.  She’s embarrassed and tempted to flee back home where life is familiar even though it is also soul-crushing at times. Instead, she fights for this opportunity. Taking in some observations of Charlie and recognizing the power of being completely willing to walk away, she negotiates her way into a real chance to write this screenplay and see it get produced. And maybe prove to Charlie – and herself – that she’s not a “failed writer.”

Review

This was excellent! Everything the book describes as essential for a rom-com – the happily-ever-after, the banter, the slow burn, the “sparkle” – is on display here.

I loved Emma and Charlie, both alone and together. Their individual stories are fascinating. And the psychology of how those individual stories impact the relationship between the two writers was delightful. There were many beautifully written scenes that begged to be read out loud. And I laughed out loud often.

Katherine Center’s fans should not hesitate to grab her latest rom-com. It absolutely sparkles, both in the cozy relationship and in the writing. And if you are a rom-com fan in general, you do not want to miss this one! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

REVIEW: Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Sadie feels like she’s been dropped on an alien planet. She’s developed face blindness, and there’s no way for her to prepare for the cascade effect of that disorder. People she’s know for decades are suddenly unfamiliar – visual strangers who have to be identified in new ways. Voices alone aren’t necessarily enough. She can’t even recognize or discern her own face in a mirror.

The whole thing is traumatic enough by itself. Then add in her estranged father and step-mother trying to suddenly insert themselves into her life. But it’s all compounded by the fact that Sadie is a portrait artist. Faces are literally her business, her livelihood. And the highly esteemed portrait contest in which she is a finalist has a deadline right around the corner. She desperately needs the prize money – and the professional boost and affirmation. But there’s no guarantee when the condition will resolve – or if it ever will.

Review

I initially requested the review copy of this – and ordered two print copies of the book along with tickets to an author signing event – completely on the merits of The Bodyguard, one of my favorite reads of 2022. I didn’t even read the synopsis. “Oh, Katherine Center? The author of The Bodyguard? Yes, please!” And THEN I read the synopsis.

And I thought, “Oh no, what have I done?”

I was not looking forward to the face blindness storyline.  And I wasn’t sure this was a story I could even like. But I had already committed. So I decided to wait to read the story until after the author event so that if I didn’t care for it, I would still have been able to be fully on board for the event.

The author event was delightful. If you ever have a chance to hear Katherine Center speak, you absolutely should go. She’s a hoot! I love her philosophy of writing and enjoying romance. We waited 90 minutes after her presentation for the chance at a photo op and signed books – and it was completely worthwhile.

As was the book.  The psychology of this was fascinating – from Sadie’s early attempts to cope with her diagnosis to the family drama that became a focus later in the book.  Sadie is absolutely delightful, even in her most difficult moments. There are many laugh-out-loud sections as well as passages that begged to be read out loud. (There’s also a true villain who is one of the most vile “mean girl” sorts of characters I have ever encountered in a book.)

There’s a ton here to enjoy. I knew early on where the whole story/romance was headed, but the journey to get there was absolutely enjoyable – and there were still a few surprises along the way.

Fans of romance books with a slow burn (closed door) and a strong emphasis on personal growth for the main character should check this one out.  And the author’s (many) fans should pick this up without hesitation.  (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great!

REVIEW: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

REVIEW: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Hannah’s work is her life which gets problematic when her mother dies and her boss forces her to take bereavement leave. And that’s complicated even more by her complicated feelings about her mother. And the fact that her boyfriend dumped her the day after the funeral.

But instead of getting a distracting new protection assignment far, far away from her ex and her grief, Hannah’s next client is two-time Sexiest Man Alive, Jack Stapleton.

Jack’s in town to help his mom go through cancer treatment. And he’s fiercely protective of her. Nothing can stress her out – like a bodyguard or talk of stalkers. So he wants Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend while she’s on duty. Whatever. How hard could that be?

Review

I have had this book on my wishlist since I first read the synopsis months ago. First, it has a fake relationship at the center – a trope that is like catnip to me. Then, the protective agent is the woman – awesome! And the plot is right up my alley as a reader.

I had high hopes for this – and it met every one. The characters are endearing (well, not Robby). The romance is sweet and cozy. And an unexpected bonus? This is HILARIOUS! I could not have asked for a more delightful reading experience.

Romance fans, fake dating fans – don’t miss this one! The minute I finished I was ready to flip back to the first page and start all over again. Another favorite for 2022.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best!