Category: book review

Anything You Want, by Geoff Herbach

anything you want
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)

Geoff Herbach is an award-winning young adult author. His newest book, Anything You Want, came out on May 1st.

Taco’s motto is “Today is the best day of your life, and tomorrow will be even better.” That’s what his mom always said, until she died of cancer, and his dad moved away for work, leaving Taco and his brother alone. Taco misses having a family, but when Maggie Corrigan agrees to go to prom with him, he thinks he’s found happiness again. Because Taco loves Maggie, and she loves him, too.

Except Maggie ends up pregnant. While everyone else is having a meltdown, Taco is excited about the prospect of having a family again. Now he just has to juggle calculus with learning how to be a dad. It would be great if he didn’t have to climb the side of the Corrigans’ house to see Maggie, too. But Taco is an optimist. He’s sure he’ll get things all figured out before the baby gets here.

Anything You Want is a light-hearted look at a hard subject, from the eyes of a boy who means well, but doesn’t always know what’s going on. It’s a look at growing up from the inside of Taco, a happy-go-lucky boy who just wants a family.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

A Drop in the Ocean, by Jenni Ogden

a drop in the ocean
(This image does not belong to me. Image belongs to She Writes Press.)

Jenni Ogden is neuropsychologist from New Zealand. After studying the human mind for many years, she turned to fiction. A Drop in the Ocean is her first published novel.

On Anna Fergusson’s 49th birthday, she finds out that the funding for her research lab has been cut. Now Anna, a neuroscientist and introvert from Boston, must discover what life holds for her and where it will lead. A spur-of-the-moment decision has her renting a cabin for a year on a tiny island on the Great Barrier Reef.

Turtle Island is not the indolent retreat she imagined, and she loves life with the eccentric islanders. Soon she finds herself spending time with laid-back turtle researcher Tom, emotionally invested in the lives of the great sea creatures who come to the island to nest. But secrets haunt even the sunny Tom, and these secrets, along with family on another island far away, will force Anna to make the hardest decision she has ever had to face.

A Drop in the Ocean is a through-provoking, emotional read that explores life in the sunlight, but also the shadows of the hardest times imaginable, and the decisions that these shadows demand. A well-written, gripping novel that will have the reader fully invested in Turtle Island, as well as the story of Anna and Tom.

(Galley provided by She Writes Press via NetGalley.)

Wild Swans, by Jessica Spotswood

Wild-Swans-cover
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)

Jessica Spotswood is from Pennsylvania. She has a M.A. in Theatre History & Criticism, but decided she likes writing much better. She is the author of the Cahill Witch Chronicles, and her new novel, Wild Swans.

It’s going to be a great summer for Ivy Milbourn:  bonfires, barbeques, and best of all, no classes to fulfill her grandfather’s expectations. She is a Milbourn, after all, and that comes with some high expectations. For generations, the Milbourn women have been larger-than-life and extraordinary. They have also died young and tragically. Ivy has had enough. She’s not extraordinary, or her mother wouldn’t have left when she was a baby.

As Ivy tries to sort out what she is good at, her mother arrives out of nowhere, with two daughters in tow. Suddenly Ivy’s world is shaken as she realizes the truth about people she has trusted her entire life. Now she will find out the truth about the Milbourn legacy, and her place in it.

Wild Swans is a bittersweet coming-of-age story about a girl struggling to find herself amidst family secrets and her own personal tragedies. This tale is well-worth the read.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

Mug Shot, by Caroline Fardig

Mug Shot cover
(I do no own this image. Image belongs to Random House/Alibi.)

 

Caroline Fardig is the bestselling author of the Java Jive Mysteries series, as well as the Lizzie Hart series. Her newest novel, Mug Shot, is the second book in the Java Jive Mysteries.

Life has been super busy for Juliet Langley since taking over the management of her best friend Pete’s coffeehouse. Working every day doesn’t leave much time for romance, and Juliet throws herself into getting ready for the Holiday 5k fundraiser organized by Pete’s rich, snobby girlfriend. Since Cecilia is in charge, Juliet knows everything has to be perfect, and she makes sure it is. Until she stumbles over Cecilia’s body the morning of the event.

When Pete is arrested for the murder, Julia sets out to find out who the real killer is, defying her ex-boyfriend, a local Lothario, and her friend Savannah’s good-intentioned “help” to do so. But the real conflict is with Nashville’s high society upper class, who all seem to think Pete is guilty. Juliet is not above upsetting a few grande dames to clear Pete’s name. She just has to solve the puzzle before she becomes the next target.

Mug Shot lets the reader get to know Juliet just a bit better, and the high spirits continue as the mystery deepens. The characters are entertaining and lively, with lots of antics and bad luck to keep the reader hooked.

(Galley provided by Random House/Alibi via NetGalley.)

 

The Never-Open Desert Diner, by James Anderson

desert diner
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Crown Publishing.)

 

James Anderson was born in Seattle and raised in the Pacific Northwest. He has worked in publishing, logging, and commercial fishing. The Never-Open Desert Diner is his debut novel.

Ben jones lives a simple life. He’s a truck driver, working Route 117 in a remote area of Utah, where most of the residents want to live off-grid and disappear from the world. Ben is barely scraping by, on the verge of losing his truck and his business, as well as the service he provides for the reclusive inhabitants of 117.

Then one day, Ben sees a woman named Claire playing the cello in an abandoned house off 117, and his entire world changes. Strangers appear on 117:  a woman who’s a little too polished for his neck of the woods, a reality television producer who wants to ride along with Ben. A friend of his turns up missing. Something is going on around Route 117, and Ben needs to find out what it is before someone gets hurt. Then there’s Walt Butterfield, owner of the Well-Known Desert Diner, which hasn’t opened in years. Walt knows more about what’s going on than he’s letting on, and Ben is determined to find out what it is, no matter what.

The Never-Open Desert Diner is a mystery novel, but the real focus is the quirky, unforgettable characters that live on the pages. Ben’s “boring” life merely serves as a foil for the vivid people that inhabit this desolate patch of desert.

(Galley provided by Crown Publishing via NetGalley.)

Jackson’s Trust, by Violet Duke

jackson's trust
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Loveswept.)

Violet Duke is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her newest novel, Jackson’s Trust, is the first in her Fourth Down Series.

Jackson Gray, sports analyst, doesn’t do relationships. Why is a secret. But when he’s assigned to train new sideline reporter Leila Hart, and they become friends, he starts to wonder if he can offer a woman more than a physical relationship.

Leila is finally close to realizing her dream of becoming an NFL sportscaster. With Jackson’s help, she’s well on her way, but as their friendship grows, so do the rumors. And Leila has some secrets of her own, secrets that could be the end of all she holds dear.

Jackson’s Trust features two strong characters struggling to reconcile their hopes and dreams with reality. The camaraderie they share as their relationship grows makes this book worth the read.

(Galley provided by Loveswept via NetGalley.)

I’m not even a football fan, and I enjoyed this book.

How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? by Yvonne Cassidy

 

how many letters
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Flux.)

Yvonne Cassidy is an Irish author who loves the thrill of forging a connection with her readers. Her newest novel, How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? hit shelves on March 8th.

Rhea Farrell has a lot of scars, some visible, some not-so-visible. From the accident that cost her an arm. From her father’s drinking. From her struggle to come to terms with her sexuality. But the biggest scar is the death of her mother.

When a completely-overwhelmed Rhea runs away, she is sure no one will miss her. She’s scared. She’s angry. And she doesn’t know where to turn next. So she turns to the only person she can, writing letters to the mother she never knew. On the streets of New York, where her mother was from, Rhea searches for information about her mother as she struggles to forge a new life for herself.

How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? is an emotional, poignant novel about loss and secrets, but also about learning to trust and heal. Rhea is a complex character haunted by pain and betrayal, but searching for a way out. A gritty novel that is well-worth the read.

(Galley provided by Flux via NetGalley.)

Tragedy Girl, by Christine Hurley Deriso

tragedy girl
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Flux.)

Christine Hurley Deriso is the author of Then I Met My Sister, Thirty Sunsets, and her newest novel, Tragedy Girl.

Tragedy should be Anne’s middle name. Her parents just died in a car crash, forcing her to move to a new town to live with her aunt and uncle. There she meets Blake, whose girlfriend drowned a few months before. They understand each other, and what they’re each going through, and hit it off immediately.

Then Anne starts to wonder if something is off. Her friends never let her be alone with Blake. Blake’s friends and family act oddly around him. Then she starts hearing rumors about the death of Blake’s girlfriend, whose body was never recovered. Soon Blake himself starts acting strange, and she starts wondering if there’s more to the story than anyone else realizes.

Tragedy Girl is a fast-paced psychological thriller about two wounded people who find each other, but it is also about secrets and the damage they can do.

(Galley provided by Flux via NetGalley.)

My Kind of Crazy, by Robin Reul

my kind of crazy
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)

Robin Reul is a young adult author. Her newest book, My Kind of Crazy, hits shelves April 5th.

“Normal is overrated.”

Welcome to Hank Kirby’s life. His wisecracks occasionally get him in trouble with his overbearing, alcoholic father. But not nearly as much trouble as his attempt to ask the most popular girl in school to prom. With sparklers. Underneath a very flammable tree…. When the house almost catches on fire, Hank ditches his plan and flees the scene of the crime.

Too bad Peyton Breedlove saw the whole thing. She takes an interest in Hank and his “work,” and soon he finds himself involved with the quirky, secretive Peyton, whose issues make Hank’s trouble’s look like child’s play. Are Peyton’s secrets more than Hank can handle?

My Kind of Crazy is a thought-provoking read about characters that are deeply flawed but struggling to survive. Neither Peyton nor Hank come from a happy home and family, and their fight to adjust and thrive takes them places they never considered. But they are more than just their pasts, a lesson that is painful and dangerous to learn.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

You Were Here, by Cori McCarthy

you were here
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)

Cori McCarthy was born in Guam, has lived in New England, the Midwest, Ireland, and Michigan, and has traveled all over, although she loves Washington D.C. She is the author of The Color of Rain, Breaking Sky, and her new novel, the multimedia You Were Here.

Jaycee has accomplished what her older brother, Jake, couldn’t:  live past graduation. Five years ago, daredevil, adventure-loving Jake died the night of graduation, and Jaycee’s whole world crumbled. She lost the brother she adored, and her best friend drifted away soon after. She feels lost, disconnected, and plans to reconnect by visiting some of the places Jake enjoyed going.

She doesn’t expect to have help, but her former best friend, a heartbroken poet, and her friend’s usually drunk, always childish boyfriend go along for the ride. And Mik, the enigmatic, selectively mute guy from Jaycee’s childhood, once Jake’s friend, now the one person who gets Jaycee to reveal more of herself than she thought possible, the one who gets her.

If you’re exploring an old asylum and an abandoned amusement park, it’s good to have company. No matter how crazy.

You Were Here explores many nuances of grief, and how people deal with it. It is not for the faint of heart, the characters are broken and flawed, but they learn to deal with those flaws and heal each other. Full of “Don’t try this at home” stunts and beautiful art, You Were Here is well worth the read.

I loved this book. From the first page, I was hooked, and I stayed up hours finishing it. The characters are fantastic, warts and all, and Jaycee’s growing relationships with the others, as she lets them into her wounded heart, are beautifully done. If you love YA books, you should definitely pick this one up!

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)