Tag: reality TV

REVIEW: Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

REVIEW: Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

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

Melody and Beat met as teens – her, awkward and self conscious and him, gorgeous with seemingly effortless ability to command a room. Their mothers were the Steel Birds – female rock legends. The teens were shooting interviews about their famous mothers – and the infamous breakup of Steel Birds. But there was a moment – a comradery born from their shared role as offspring of the famous duo. It might have turned into something if they had had more time.

Years later, Beat is crushed under the weight of a blackmailer’s scheme. And a producer offering him enough to make that go away – again – is too good to ignore. It doesn’t hurt that it gives him a chance to see Melody for the first time since they were teens. But when the producer suggests a reality stream of the two trying to convince their mothers to reunite, he’s about to walk away.

Melody is tired of the empty relationship she has with her mother. This streaming reality program is a chance to get her mother’s attention for once. Maybe Melody could finally be SEEN. And if it doesn’t work, the money could at least allow her the financial freedom to walk away from her mother for good.

Review

There’s a lot to love here. The storyline is just plain fun. Add to that the amazing main character – I was expecting Mel to be mousy but she never was. Reserved, maybe, but hilarious and sweet with a sassy streak. She was a delightful surprise. The heat between her and Beat crackled on the page. The moms brought some excellent additions to the story. And the friend group characters needed more page time. The whole cast is fantastic.

The “we’re getting the band back together” vibe of this was perfect for me too. I loved that premise and the parts of the story that explored the history of the band.

There was a line early in the book that set off a few alarm bells in my head that said this book might be much farther along the “spice” scale than I usually read. And that inkling was right on target. There’s some frank talk about sex with some details bordering perhaps on “kink” at least as I define it. If spicy romance is your jam, you should definitely check this one out. The story is excellent and the content definitely skews “spicy.” If that’s not your style, you might approach this one with caution. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

As a favor to both her blacksmithing mentor and another old friend, Meg is helping behind the scenes of a reality TV bladesmithing competition – a week before Christmas. But when Faulk, her mentor, is attacked before shooting starts, Meg agrees – reluctantly – to compete in his place.

But the production has issues. Someone is trying to sabotage the contestants. The producers seem more “green” than they’re letting on. One of the contestants seems to be harassing women around the set. And then someone is murdered.

Review

This was so fun! I have been feeling for awhile that I missed the whole blacksmithing angle that was a big part of the earlier books in the series. So I was thrilled to realized that even though this was a Christmas book, the emphasis would be on this bladesmithing competition. And it was exactly what I was missing. I’d love to see that part of Meg’s life get more attention in future books.

That said, there’s still some great Christmas elements in the book that make it a great read for the season. I also LOVED all of the crow elements in the book.

Honestly, the mystery was only okay for me. The solution felt random, and there wasn’t the usual debate for me between suspects as I read. Meg spends a good bit of time spinning the same elements over and over in her mind as she tries to puzzle things out, which felt redundant at times.

Despite that fact, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Series fans may have a mixed experience regarding the mystery, but I think the rest of the story is a solid delight. This is book 34 in the series. Book 35, Between a Flock and a Hard Place, will release in the summer of 2024.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

REVIEW: Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

Posted on by Jaymie

[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

Astrid Parker’s design business is drying up, so she needs this job at the Everwood Inn to work. The television coverage alone will help bring in new business. But a coffee mishap on the first day leads to Astrid losing her cool and blowing up at the person who doused her in coffee – and that person turns out to not only be the carpenter on the job, but also a member of the Everwood family.

Jordan Everwood is lost and grieving. But that doesn’t mean she’s going to roll over and take whatever Astrid is dishing out. From their disastrous first meeting to Astrid’s designs that will erase the character of the one place Jordan considers “home,” Jordan will have none of it. Thankfully, the TV people seem to be enjoying the animosity between the two women. So Jordan will just keep giving them what they want.

Review

This is the second book in the Bright Falls series after Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, but the first book I have read. But I will be reading more. I really enjoyed these characters as well as the setting and the larger group around Jordan and Astrid. This is a very queer-positive series. As someone who picked this book up to get a little better feel for the queer community, that was a great bonus for me. The next book will be Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date, and I will definitely be picking that up to see what happens next for this group.

The individual journeys for Astrid and Jordan were fascinating.  I loved the peek we get into each character’s perspective on the budding relationship, but even more how they are handling the baggage they bring with them into the story. The surrounding cast is lovely, and I found the design descriptions for the Inn to be well done.  This was a great introduction to this series, and I had no issues understanding things without having read the first book, so other newcomers can definitely start here. (Language, sex. There’s also a thread on tarot cards and readings that spans the entire book.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great!

REVIEW: Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley

REVIEW: Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free 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

Donovan Dell – pro football player, baker, and part owner of Sugar Blitz, a San Diego cupcake store. The store is Donovan’s dream – and his back up plan for life after football. But sagging sales are putting his dream in jeopardy. So he lets the sassy customer get to him as he tries to defend his store.

Jada Townsend-Matthews – reality TV star, and target of vicious hate after turning down a marriage proposal on the show My One and Only. Jada only goes into Sugar Blitz because her best friend loves their cupcakes. She doesn’t intend to get into a verbal battle with the sexy staff member. Her day only goes downhill from there, ending with a summons to her grandmother’s office to talk about her “future” and lack of direction in life.

In order for Jada to access her trust fund when she turns 26, her grandmother is requiring her to work a consistent job – and she’s convinced one of her football players to hire Jada. Now Donovan and Jada are thrown together again. But when a reporter shows up at Sugar Blitz and pressures Jada on why she turned down the marriage proposal on TV, Jada panics and says it’s because she is in love with Donovan. And the kiss she springs on him goes viral.

Review

This was excellent! If I wasn’t laughing at something out loud, I had a big grin on my face. This was delightful! Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, so I was already sold with that part of the story. But the slowly thawing animosity between the main characters was perfectly paced and so satisfying. The dual perspective storytelling gives the reader all the insights about the characters’ thoughts and feelings while still letting the action unfold over time. The chemistry between the two main characters was fantastic, too.

I also loved the dynamic with Donovan and his business partners. I had my fingers crossed all the way through that this would turn out to be just the first book in a series focused on those three men. Judging by the end of this, my wish is coming true. Don’t miss this fun, steamy romance! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Alice Fleck's Recipes for Disaster by Rachelle Delaney

REVIEW: Alice Fleck’s Recipes for Disaster by Rachelle Delaney

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

To celebrate her last day of elementary school, Alice’s father gives her a phone. Sure, it’s a hand-me-down from his girlfriend, Hana, but a phone is a phone when you are about to start middle school.

Hana also has a gift for Alice. She entered Alice and her dad into a contest to win a spot on Culinary Chronicles, a TV cooking show. And they won.

Alice has learned the hard way that kids her age aren’t interested in the history of food and cooking, Victorian recipes, and the other things Alice and her dad love. But she doesn’t feel like she can say no to her dad or to Hana. Thankfully, Culinary Chronicles is on an obscure network, so no one will see her on TV. And it’s the nicest of the reality cooking shows with a lot of comradery on set. That’s the saving grace of this whole thing.

But when Alice and her dad get to the set, they discover Culinary Chronicles has been bought out by the most popular reality TV station. And they’ve changed the sweet format to something more cut throat. The judge is awful, and none of the contestants are having any fun. And it starts to look like someone is deliberately sabotaging the show. Alice and some new friends are determined to figure out what is really going on.

Review

This was fun. I wish the mystery elements and Alice’s team up with the other sleuths had started sooner and carried through the book. That was my favorite part of the story, but it cropped up late making the story feel a little uneven for me. The story begins with a focus on Alice and the drama of her dad having a girlfriend as well as her mixed feelings about her passions since it made finding friends at school so difficult. And those threads run from start to finish, but the mystery takes over for the last third or so.

I enjoyed all the ways Alice grows during the book – from her relationship with her dad and Hana to her shame over loving the things she loves. There’s a nice piece here about finding your people and embracing who you are rather than being ashamed of it. I loved that piece of the story.

Kids who love cooking shows and books about cooking (A Place at the Table, The Donut Fix and The Donut King, The World’s Greatest Chocolate-Covered Pork Chops, Summer of a Thousand Pies, From the Desk of Zoe Washington, etc.) should definitely pick this one up! The publisher’s information says this is for readers 10 and up.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BONUS REVIEW: One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

BONUS REVIEW: One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Bea Schumacher, plus-sized fashion blogger with over 600,000 Instagram followers went viral thanks to a blog post about the most recent season of Main Squeeze, a reality dating show. Bea called out the show’s lack of diversity, especially the fact that the women were all rail thin when two-thirds of the women in the country wear a size 14 or larger. When the show’s ratings tanked, the producer was fired and his assistant, a woman, was promoted.

And the new producer, Lauren, knows exactly how she wants to improve the show. One of the cornerstones of her plan is to get Bea as their star for the spring season.

Bea is nursing a broken heart. And she’s all too aware of the cruelty of the world, especially on the internet. Putting herself center stage on Main Squeeze would open her up to scathing, hurtful and vile responses online. But this opportunity would also help build her notoriety. She knows she won’t find love, but she’s willing to go through the motions so America can see that everyone – no matter their body type – deserves a chance at love.

Review

This is a jam-packed contemporary romance with a lot to say about love, self-acceptance, and diversity. It plays out just like a reality dating show, so The Bachelor fans will feel right at home. There are great interludes with tweets and group chats and news articles that help tell the story and also serve as something of a palate cleanser between scenes from the show. Chris Evans even gets to steal the spotlight a few times! It’s delightful.

There’s so much to enjoy here. I can think of so many characters and scenes I adored. Bea’s family and the show’s trip to their home in Ohio was pivotal – and hilarious! There are many laugh-out-loud moments, and some swoon-worthy ones, too. Aside from Bea and some of her suitors, Allison, Bea’s stylist from the show was my favorite character. In the crazy reality TV world, she was a constant delight and source of support for Bea.

One of the significant threads of the book is Bea’s weight – how she feels about her body, the hoops she jumps through to live her life as a plus-sized woman, and the fact that total strangers feel entitled to comment on her body. There are some gross, rude moments in this. And some offensive ones. Sadly, there are also triggering ones. And every awful bit is true. These things are really said – often by total strangers, usually men – to women online. The author does a great job of working that reality into Bea’s experience. They don’t overshadow the larger love story, but they inform it at key moments.

I was thrilled with the ending, although I was frustrated at times with the love story as it played out on the show. The reading experience was just like watching a reality dating show on TV. I had my favorite suitors, and I didn’t like anything or anyone who made Bea’s journey to love difficult.

There’s a lot to enjoy here – romance, reality TV, social commentary on issues like body image/body confidence/weight, family, friendship, fashion, etc. There are lots of examples of diversity in the story, both in race and in sexual identity (lesbian, bisexual, asexual, gender nonconforming). I felt like the author did a good job weaving these pieces naturally into the story. They never felt forced. The real world reflected in the novel. If you enjoy reality TV and/or contemporary romance, be sure to check this one out! (Language, sex, LGBTQ+, TW: Rape threat/online harassment, verbal abuse/harassment)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

REVIEW: Survive or Die by Catherine Dilts

REVIEW: Survive or Die by Catherine Dilts

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Aubrey Sommers thought she was going on a romantic getaway with her husband, Grant. Things had been strained lately, and she was wondering how long their marriage could hold out. But then Grant invited her on this surprise trip. They sent their kids to stay with grandparents. It was going to be a magical week.

The surprise, though, was the fact that it was a mandatory work trip for Grant at a wilderness camp. The camp once hosted the defunct reality show Survive or Die. Grant’s boss is using the camp for a survival-of-the-fittest contest where the winner gets a raise and the loser gets fired. No wonder someone left a death threat on the guy’s car. Great vacation!

Things don’t get much better for Aubrey. While Grant is apologetic about his deception, he says he really wants Aubrey there. But he prioritizes the game and his job over her every time there’s a choice to be made. She’s stuck on the “leftovers” team while she watches another woman try to make inroads with her husband.

But her week is going better than Stewart’s. His wife just found him dead at the camp.

Review

Early on I wasn’t sure about this one. There are a TON of characters – almost too many to track, especially at the start. Then there are several point-of-view characters. This is essential with a cast this large and a setting this vast, but it made it hard to know early on who I was supposed to track as the “sleuth” for this mystery.

But this evolved into a great story with some crazy developments and even crazier twists. The survival story alone kept me turning pages – what a disaster these poor people were dumped into! Add to that an early attack/murder that no one noticed and then Stewart’s death which seems to be an accident. So the reader knows *something* is going on, but you aren’t sure what. The questions and the twists and the business pieces and the backstabbing keep growing and getting more convoluted as the story goes on. It got the the point where I couldn’t put the book down. I had to know what was going on!

I’m a character-driven reader. And this book is full of unique, quirky characters. I didn’t really get attached to any particular ones. I stuck with this book because of the plot moreso than seeing what happened to any particular characters. But the main 6 or so were fascinating to watch as they negotiated the dilapidated survival camp, the dangerous tasks, and the interpersonal tensions. If you like intricate stories with lots of quirky characters in challenging circumstances, don’t miss this one. It was a wild ride!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Doughnut King by Jessie Janowitz

REVIEW: The Doughnut King by Jessie Janowitz

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Tristan and Josh achieved their goal of making the “life-changing” chocolate cream doughnuts (The Doughnut Fix). Their doughnut shop is in an old train station where they share space with The Station House, Tris’ mom’s restaurant. And for a couple of 7th graders, they have an amazing business. People LOVE their doughnuts. But not everyone is thrilled with The Doughnut Stop. Folks who drive a long way and find the shop closed (The boys still have to go to school!) or the doughnuts sold out aren’t very happy. Tris is desperate to come up with a way to make more doughnuts faster so he can keep his customers happy.

While Tris is struggling to keep up with doughnut demand, the town of Petersville is struggling, too. More people are moving away than are moving in. The school is so small I could be closed. And Petersville is losing its post office. How will The Doughnut Stop – or The Station House and Tris’ family – survive if the town can’t bring in more people?

When Tris discovers a machine that could help him with his doughnut issues, he knows it could save the day for both The Doughnut Stop AND Petersville. Now he just needs to find $50,000 to buy one. And a reality cooking show could be his solution.

Review

Excellent! I loved this even more than I did The Doughnut Fix! All of my favorite characters are back – Tris and Josh and Tris’ family. There are lots of laugh-out-loud moments I just had to read aloud to my family. And the heart of the story was everything I love about middle grade fiction.

At its core, this is a cooking book. It’s the struggles of a food-based business. It’s a cooking reality show. And it’s the struggle for food businesses in a dwindling community. But it’s also richer than “just” those things. Tristan is a business person now. He feels that pressure and responsibility. He’s maturing. He’s also all the more aware of the things his parents are trying to shield him from. And I loved watching that dynamic unfold.

The reality show was almost a second story in the book once we established the business and town struggles. The show introduced a new cast of characters with the show runners and the other contestants. Honestly, I expected Tris to be nervous but to shine. He’d be this beacon of purity as his love of cooking overcame some of the pettiness and reality show stuff. And there were moments of that. But there were other moments of REAL turmoil. Tris wrestles with his identity – “shark” or “krill?” He wrestles with the competition aspects. And while not “perfect” in his choices, he still shines!

I highly recommend this delightful series! It’s a treat from start to finish. Includes recipes.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm

REVIEW: Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It’s hard for Dylan to live in her sister, Dusty’s, shadow. Dusty is tall and gorgeous and popular and confident. She was Miss Mississippi. And now she is marrying Ronan, a Scottish lord-to-be that she met on the Bachelor-style reality show Prince in Disguise. Next to Dusty, Dylan feels geeky and awkward and out of place.

This is especially true when she finds herself at Ronan’s Scottish castle for their Christmas Eve wedding. First, the best man leaves her standing in the cold for almost an hour, waiting for a ride to the castle. She’s rescued by another groomsman, Jamie. At least he’s her age, smart and funny. But at the castle, she feels the cameras all around her. Dusty may be fine with all the TV attention, but Dylan wants no part of it.

The wedding-prep days include a lot of surprises for Dylan – things she’d like to keep off camera and to herself. Not the least of which are her feelings about Jamie. But she may find there are more important things than protecting her own privacy.

Review

I’m not sure I have words big enough for how much I loved this book! It was outstanding! I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book like I did this one. It’s SO funny! It’s romantic. Sweet and fun and fiesty! I wanted it to go on and on. I loved the characters and wanted to spend even more time with them. This will definitely be a re-read for me! If the author decides to write a sequel, I will be the first in line to buy it!

Everything worked for me in this. The reality TV plot was terrific. It forced characters to decide what was for public consumption and what wasn’t. And how they would handle the difference. The family relationships changed and developed in the story in great, realistic ways. The chemistry between Dylan and Jamie was endearing. I loved them together. There were some fun surprises and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. This could easily be my favorite book of 2017.

Many, many thanks to Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for the opportunity to read an electronic review copy of this spectacular book in exchange for an honest review. I honestly adored it. I read another book by Stephanie Kate Strohm earlier this year – It’s Not Me, It’s You– and I loved it too. That book made it onto my Holiday Hint List for 2017 – and if I had read this before I published the list, Prince in Disguise would have been on there, too.  Hand both of these books to the teens in your life – especially the ones who might not want books with the language and mature content found in some other books for teens and young adults.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: Waste of Space by Gina Damico

REVIEW: Waste of Space by Gina Damico

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The premise: Ten kids on a reality TV show where they get sent into space, facing challenges until there’s one left standing. It’s supposed to be a typical reality show. They have all the character types – the orphan, the nerd, the addict, the hippie, the bad boy.

Except the TV station has no intention of actually sending anyone into space. No one has the tech to pull that off. They don’t even have the tech to make the kids still on earth float around like they are in space. So they tell everyone they have created an artificial gravity for use in space. And the lies don’t stop there.

The kids are told everything is real. They think they are truly on a space ship in orbit of Earth. The show fits reality TV mold completely and is wildly popular.  But not everyone is who they appear to be. And some of the kids start to pick up clues that maybe their mission to “space” isn’t what it appears to be either. And then, in one moment, everything changes.

Review

This is such a fun and quirky story!

The format is terrific. It’s transcripts of phone calls and video from the show and unaired footage as well as interviews and commentary from the intern who is putting all the pieces together. This allows the reader to get into everyone’s head and see the story from different perspectives – the viewers, the producer who put it all together, the kids on the show.

The characters exceed their stereotypes, which is great. Motives change. What you think is true keeps changing. The whole premise is terrific. The TV producer is sleazy, creative and cutthroat. You hate him but at the same time you can’t look away, wondering what he will throw at the kids or at his crew next.

There’s a twist in the story about 2/3 of the way through, and from there, I couldn’t put the book down. I had to know what was going on. The truth was less flashy than I imagined from the set up , but it was still a good ending. (Language, sexual innuendo, drugs/alcohol/firearms)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

I received an electronic review copy of this book. Thanks to Netgalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read an early copy of Waste of Space in exchange for an honest review.