Tag: book review

Book Review: Fromage à Trois by Victoria Brownlee

Image belongs to Amberjack Publishing.

Title: Fromage à Trois
Author: Victoria Brownlee
Genre: Fiction, romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Ella and Peter have been together 8 years and she’s expecting a proposal. What she gets is Peter telling her he’s off to find himself—and he never intended to marry her. With her heart broken, Ella decides to move to Paris for a year. Her French is questionable, and she doesn’t know a soul there, but she knows a change will do her good.

In Paris, Ella wanders into a fromagerie—a cheese shop—and ends up in a bet with Serge, the owner, that she can’t eat 365 kinds of cheese in a year. In between washing dishes at a coffee shop, she explores the city, works on her French, and meets a dashing French man.

Ella is torn between the two sides of life and Paris, and she’ll have to decide if her dreams will ever live up to reality.

This was a fun read. I might have wanted to slap Ella couple of times, but her adventures made me laugh. I can’t imagine just moving to another country for a year, so I admire that, and the cheese made me drool!

Victoria Brownlee is a writer and editor from Australia who now lives in France. Fromage à Trois is her first published novel.

(Galley provided by Amberjack Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Royal Runaway, by Lindsay Emory

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Image belongs  to Gallery Books.

Title:   The Royal Runaway
Author:   Lindsay Emory
Genre:   Romance
Rating:   4 out of 5

Thea just wants a night out on the town without the pressures of her job breathing down her neck. But, as Princess Theodora Isabella Victoria of Drieden of the Royal House Laurent, a no-stress night out of the castle isn’t really an option. Except Thea’s been sneaking out of the castle for years.

It’s been a rough four months since Thea was left at the altar. She was exiled until the rumors died down, but now she’s back on princess duty:  attending a myriad of events, all with her perfect princess smile firmly in place.

But on her secret night out, she meets Nick, a sexy Scottish stranger, and decides it might be time to stick her toe in the waters of romance again. Until Nick turns out to be a British spy in search of his brother—Thea’s ex-fiancé—and intent on uncovering the conspiracy behind his disappearance. Even if it goes all the way to the crown.

I thoroughly enjoyed this snarky, page-turning read. Thea’s rebelliousness was fun to read, and she’s down-to-earth for a princess (not that I know any). Nick was a perfect foil for her attitude and adventuresome spirit, and their banter made this even more fun to read.

Lindsay Emory is a Texan and an author. The Royal Runaway is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Boneless Mercies, by April Genevieve Tucholke

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Image belongs to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Title:   The Boneless Mercies
Author:  April Genevieve Tucholke
Genre:   Fantasy, young adult
Rating:   5 out of 5

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies. They have no homes, and no families but each other. They travel around dispensing death quickly, quietly, and mercifully when they are hired to. The sick wife with a lingering illness. The elderly man who feels he’s a burden on his children. The father with a child who is suffering and will never recover. The Mercies take care of them all and ease their way from this life.

But Frey and the others are tired of the death trade. When they hear of a ferocious monster rampaging a nearby region and killing everyone it meets, Frey decides it’s their one chance to make enough money to leave their old lives behind. The fame they will earn as well will give them a fresh start. But that monster isn’t the only obstacle they’ll face and ending up in the middle of a witches’ war might be the last thing they’ll do.

I loved this book! The concept was beyond unique, and the setting and mythology—reminiscent of the Norse—was compelling and detailed. There are layers in this story:  layers of mythology, history, and culture that make it feel so vibrant and alive. l loved the characters as well. Their cohesiveness is wonderful, but their individuality really shines. Go read this!

April Genevieve Tucholke lives and writes in Oregon. The Boneless Mercies is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Farrar, Straus and Giroux in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Dream Daughter, by Diane Chamberlain

 

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Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   The Dream Daughter
Author:  Diane Chamberlain
Genre:   Fiction
Rating:   4 out of 5

Caroline Sears is newly-widowed by the Vietnam War and pregnant with her first child when she finds out there is something wrong with her baby’s heart. Carly is devastated because the baby is the only thing she has left from her husband. Then her brother-in-law, mysterious physicist Hunter, tells her he can help her—but his “how” is more than Carly can even imagine. Will she risk everything for her unborn daughter?

I don’t generally read books that I know will make me cry.  I risked it with this book, and I’m glad I did. I loved Carly, and her struggle for her unborn baby was both moving and heartbreaking. This was a good, emotional read.

Diane Chamberlain is a former social worker and a bestselling author. The Dream Daughter is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review The Seven Torments of Amy and Craig, by Don Zolidis

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Image belongs to Disney-Hyperion.

Title:   The Seven Torments of Amy and Craig
Author:   Don Zolidis
Genre:   YA
Rating:   3.8 out of 5

Craig is awkward. He plays Dungeons & Dragons, which, in 1994 Wisconsin, does not make you part of the cool crowd. He’s had a crush on Amy for a while. But a geek with the super-smart student body president? That’s never going to happen. Until it does.

Then Amy breaks up with Craig. And gets back together with him. Then breaks up with him again. Over and over again. Seven times.

Senior year is hard enough without adding heartbreak—repetitive heartbreak at that—into the mix. Craig wants to escape his hometown and hopes to find a quirky college to feel at home at. Amy doesn’t know what she wants—she just knows it’s not what she has. It might be Craig. It might not. But both of them are fighting to figure out what really matters—and what they can do about it.

I liked Craig. He’s quirky and fun and definitely awkward. His group of friends are all nerdy but vibrant. Craig and Amy together, however…Well, I was Team Craig in this one. Except he was basically selfish and oblivious of what was going on around him, so focused on himself and what he wanted that it never occurred to him to think about what other people wanted. But he does grow and develops an awareness of others that is both fledgling and blooming, making this worth reading.

Don Zolidis is a playwright and former teacher. The Seven Torments of Amy and Craig is his first published novel.

(Galley provided by Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: My Whole Truth, by Mischa Thrace

my whole truth
Image belongs to Flux Books.

Title:   My Whole Truth
Author:   Mischa Thrace
Genre:   YA
Rating:   4 out of 5

Seelie Stanton has a mother who could not care less about her, but she has three best friends who have her back no matter what, so it’s okay. Even when the kids at school can’t stand her. She just sticks with her friends and minds her own business. Until Shane Mayfield shows up at her job high and attacks her.

Seelie never wanted to kill someone, but she had to kill Shane to save her own life. Now she’s being charged with murder, haunted by a night she never wants to speak of again.

Though her friends support her, most of the town turns against her. Seelie doesn’t want to think about that night, much less talk about it, but she’ll have to tell the truth about what happened—the whole truth—if she wants to survive.

The friendships in this book are the best thing. I loved the group’s interactions, even when they disagree, they still support each other. Seelie is a strong character, but she can’t see it for her grief and pain. A well-written look at a girl who survived the horrors of being attacked—only to face condemnation and hatred from those around her.

Mischa Thrace lives in Massachusetts. My Whole Truth is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Flux in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Words We Don’t Say, by K.J. Reilly

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Image belongs to Disney-Hyperion.

Title:   Words We Don’t Say
Author:   K.J. Reilly
Genre:   YA
Rating:   4.5 out of 5

Joel Higgins has almost 1,000 unsent text messages on his phone. He can say whatever he wants there. He can talk to people he just can’t seem to find words for in person. Like Eli, the girl he has a crush on.

His best friend, Andy, is gone. The new guy, Benj, talks a lot but Joel doesn’t know quite how to take him. He failed the SATs. The only bright spots in his days are volunteering with Eli at the soup kitchen.

Then there’s the wounded vet Joel meets. The bag hidden in the garage. And the problem of all those Corvette Stingrays. Joel sees so many problems and has so many questions, but all he can do is type another text message he won’t send.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I sometimes have problems clicking with male narrators. That wasn’t the case here. Joel is such an honest character and getting inside his head was easy. You should definitely read this!

Words We Don’t Say is the new novel by K.J. Reilly.

(Galley provided by Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Season of Wonder, by RaeAnne Thayne

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Image belongs to Harlequin.

Title:  Season of Wonder
Author:  RaeAnne Thayne
Genre:   Romance
Rating:   4 out of 5

Dani Capelli desperately needed a chance to start over, so she took the job as a veterinarian at a clinic in the small town of Haven Point. With her two daughters, she leaves behind New York and the secrets of her past life. She just wants to make a safe home with no trouble.

But her oldest daughter has other ideas, and soon the deputy sheriff is knocking at her door. Dani didn’t want trouble, but she never really imagined trouble being quite so good looking, either.

Ruben never thought he’d fall for a big-city girl, but he’s attracted to Dani and her daughters. He wants to show them his family traditions to prove that life in Haven Point is all they need. No matter what secrets Dani is hiding.

Season of Wonder is a standard small-town romance. The writing is solid, and the characters are believable and likable. This is the first novel I’ve read by this author, but I would read more.

Raeanne Thayne is an award-winning author. Season of Wonder is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review Trouble Brewing, by Suzanne Baltsar

trouble brewing
Image belongs to Gallery Books.

Title:   Trouble Brewing
Author:   Suzanne Baltsar
Genre:   Contemporary romance
Rating:   4 out of 5

Piper Williams is an anomaly, a woman brewer sticks out in the small craft brew community in Minnesota. But Piper is determined to make it. She wants her beer to be a success—and she’d like to own her own brewery instead of using her garage.

Blake Reed owns the newest gastropub in town, and he’s agreed to stock four of Piper’s brews, so clearly dating him is out of the question. No matter how attractive Piper finds him.

But their attraction is hard to deny, so Piper agrees to date Blake—if two other pubs will stock her beer. She’s on the verge of realizing all her dreams, and she can’t let a man get in the way. Then Piper gest a dream offer—one that will take her away from Minnesota, and Blake. Is living her dreams worth losing Blake?

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The snark between Piper and Blake is fantastic, and the secondary characters are just as enjoyable as they are. I had to resist the impulse to go track down some craft beer as well…

Suzanne Baltsar lives and writes in Pennsylvania. Trouble Brewing is her debut novel.

(Galley provided by Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Under My Skin, by Lisa Unger

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Image belongs to Harlequin/Park Row.

Title:   Under My Skin
Author:   Lisa Unger
Genre:   suspense, thriller, murder mystery
Rating:   4 out of 5

A year ago, Poppy’s husband, Jack, was murdered while on his morning run in Manhattan. The police have no leads. It seems to be a case of random crime. Poppy is slowly putting her life back together with the help of her best friend, Layla, her therapist, and the pills she takes to sleep.

But Poppy isn’t doing as well as she seems. She’s losing time—again. The first time it happened was after Jack’s funeral, when she disappeared for days and turned up wearing a red dress she doesn’t remember owning. Now she keeps losing track of time. place, people…everything in her life is a swirling maelstrom of confusion.

Poppy believes Jack’s murder wasn’t random, and she intends to find out the truth. When she spots a mysterious man following her, her already-tenuous grip on reality starts to fade, and soon she no longer has any idea what’s real and what’s not.

I don’t think I’ve ever read any of Lisa Unger’s books before. I spent a large portion of this book being just as confused as Poppy was, but completely engrossed in the story. The author weaves together Poppy’s present—distorted and hazy at best—with real memories and her what-might-have-been imaginings until the reader has no more idea than Poppy what is real and what is not. An intriguing read!

Lisa Unger is a New York Times-bestselling and award-winning author. Under My Skin is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Harlequin/Park Row in exchange for an honest review.)