The Blackout Book Club by Amy Lynn Green, A Review

 

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Book Description

An impulsive promise to her brother before he goes off to the European Front puts Avis Montgomery in the unlikely position of head librarian in small-town Maine. Though she has never been much of a reader, when wartime needs threaten to close the library, she invents a book club to keep its doors open. The women she convinces to attend the first meeting couldn't be more different--a wealthy spinster determined to aid the war effort, an exhausted mother looking for a fresh start, and a determined young war worker.

At first, the struggles of the home front are all the club members have in common, but over time, the books they choose become more than an escape from the hardships of life and the fear of the U-boat battles that rage just past their shores. As the women face personal challenges and band together in the face of danger, they find they share more in common with each other than they think. But when their growing friendships are tested by secrets of the past and present, they must decide whether depending on each other is worth the cost.

Review

I received a dARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.

If you love books that feature books, read this.
If you enjoy historical fiction, read this.
If you are looking for strong female characters, with lots of character development, read this.
If you are want a WWII narrative with a domestic focus, read this.

The Blackout Book Club showcases four women, from different backgrounds and no connection to each other, who form a bond over books and learn the value of community and friendship. Green also includes many bits of life and the domestic war effort that are easily overlooked in World War II.
This will be on my best of the year list, no question.

I received a dARC from the publisher via Netgalley; this is my honest review.

I gave this book: ★★★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    ★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

Dangerous Beauty by Melissa Koslin, A Review

 

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Book Description

Liliana Vela hates the term victim. She's not a victim, she's a fighter. Stubborn and strong with a quiet elegance, she's determined to take back her life after escaping the clutches of human traffickers in her poor Mexican village. But she can't stay safely over the border in America--unless the man who aided in her rescue is serious about his unconventional proposal to marry her.

Meric Toledan was just stopping at a service station for a bottle of water. Assessing the situation, he steps in to rescue Liliana from traffickers. If he can keep his secrets at bay, his wealth and position afford him many resources to help her. But the mysterious buyer who funded her capture will not sit idly by while his prize is stolen from him.

Melissa Koslin throws you right into the middle of the action in this high-stakes thriller that poses the question: What is the price of freedom?

Review

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.

Wow - what a book!
Captivating story from the very beginning. This book focuses on human trafficking, which gets very little attention in proportion to the major crime problem that it is. I liked how Koslin brought focus to the issue without including graphic detail that would make it difficult for many readers to read. Liliana is a strong character, who really personifies the "I never saw myself as a victim" mentality. Meric is a man with an intense sense of right and wrong and the conviction to seek justice for those who are taken advantage of. Their past experiences with human trafficking - hers, very recent and his rooted in trauma his mother faced - draw them together in a shared vision of doing what they can to help.
It was so sweet how both Liliana and Meric selflessly cared for the other, thinking that they needed to put aside their personal feelings so that they other could heal. They both needed the other to truly see them and to trust them.
I really enjoyed this story - thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review. 

I gave this book: ★★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    ★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

The Summer of Grace by Karen Jones, A Review

 

(book cover via NetGalley)

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I have been unable to find this book listed on any of the above sites at the time of writing my review. 

Book Description

Ten-year-old Gracie sits on the backyard picnic table, hugging Brown Hound, wiping her nose on the dog’s fur. Her daddy is sending them both to her grandmother for the summer. They are too much for her high-strung mother.

It’s 1951 on the NC family farm when Gracie and Brown Hound meet the family. Great Granny Jane smokes a pipe and is fast with her cane, Miss Emily is loving but firm, and Jane, her cousin of the same age, has a swashbuckler’s heart.

It is wild and heady freedom, far from her mother’s scorn and her father’s indifference. The girls hunt for ancient graves, sneak visits the conjure woman, fight, make up, and sleep in the same bed, tangled like puppies.

But there is also Marcell, the solitary woman who keeps the house. Her dark skin shines but not her eyes; her history is mysteriously entwined with the family, and for some inexplicable reason she hates dogs. Gracie and Jane must fix this before Brown Hound gets sent away.

Can the girls unearth Marcell’s secrets? Why must they find a missing grave? And what time-worn promise exposed will reveal the family’s hidden past?

Review

I received a dARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.

I loved the title of this book: The Summer of Grace. So much could be explored within that.  It is listed on NetGalley in General/Women's Fiction as well as Teen & YA - which had me intrigued.  

The writing structure "feels" middle grade to me but doesn't feel childish.  All I know is I enjoyed it very much and was curious to see what else the author wrote; I look forward to seeing future works from her in this same vein.

Grace is a young girl who is ignored largely by her mother and scolded when she garners her mother's attention. She is sent to her grandmother's farm for the summer to give her mother a "rest".   She is apprehensive but thrives in the simple country setting and loving guidance of not only her grandmother but other extended family as well.  

This book also explores the impact of segregation, lynchings and racism through Marcell's storyline.  While the girls were originally motivated to help Marcell for selfish reasons, they begin to understand her as they uncover the past one secret at a time.  

I gave this book: ★★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    ★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

Among the Innocent by Mary Alford, A Review

 

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Book Description

When Leah Miller's entire Amish family was murdered ten years ago, the person believed responsible took his own life. Since then, Leah left the Amish and joined the police force. Now, after another Amish woman is found murdered with the same MO, it becomes clear that the wrong man may have been blamed for her family's deaths.

As Leah and the new police chief, Dalton Cooper, work long hours struggling to fit the pieces together in order to catch the killer, they can't help but grow closer. When secrets from both of their pasts begin to surface, an unexpected connection between them is revealed. But this is only the beginning. Could it be that the former police chief framed an innocent man to keep the biggest secret of all buried? And what will it mean for Leah--and Dalton--when the full truth comes to light?

USA Today bestselling author Mary Alford keeps you guessing as two determined souls plumb the dark depths of the past in order to forge a brighter future--together.

Review

I expected a low key thriller that would be nejoyable to read. It's a little more than that. It is low key in the sense that the mystery is pretty clear cut: there is a killer and while they can't identify him by name, there are not several potential suspects. They know who they are looking for which takes one aspect of a thriller off the table. Despite being "known", the villain is creepy and terrifying. There are absolutely times of suspense in this book that had me quickly turning pages and reading while cooking to see what he was going to do next.
BUT
Alford still weaves a tale that quickly pulled me in to the story. Leah survived a brutal attack that left her orphaned and seeing her deal with her past and find peace is interesting. I think there could be a little more character development with her and this process but she definitely shows her strength and ability to focus on a task rather than wallowing in pity. The role that Dalton plays in the story and the second tier mystery in the book adds a great twitst. The shocker at the end of the book with this tangent has me hoping there is a second book coming that will resolve that mystery.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher; this is my honest review.

I gave this book: ★★★.5

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    ★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

The Sweet Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher, A Review

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Book Description

Dawn Dixon can hardly believe she's on a groomless honeymoon on beautiful Cape Cod . . . with her mother. Sure, Marnie Dixon is good company, but Dawn was supposed to be here with Kevin, the love of her life (or so she thought).

Marnie Dixon needs some time away from the absolute realness of life as much as her jilted daughter does, and she's not about to let her only child suffer alone--even if Marnie herself had been doing precisely that for the past month.

Given the circumstances, maybe it was inevitable that Marnie would do something as rash as buy a run-down ice-cream shop in the town's tightly regulated historic district. After all, everything's better with ice cream.

Her exasperated daughter knows that she's the one who will have to clean up this mess. Even when her mother's impulsive real estate purchase brings Kevin back into her life, Dawn doesn't get her hopes up. Everyone knows that broken romances stay broken . . . don't they?

Welcome to a summer of sweet surprises on Cape Cod--a place where dreams just might come true.

Review

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.

Absolutely charming!
I adore Marnie and her positive outlook on life and ability to be spontaneous.
The Sweet Life is a look at a mother-daughter duo who undertake the rejuvenation of an ice cream shop in the vacation town of Cape Cod. It explores how we deal with grief and disappointment and finding a path forward through life when it doesn't go as planned.

I appreciate how Dawn wants security and predictability and is a perfectionist. She is able to see though that her attempts to control life - as she wants it - ultimately ended up causing it to crumble.

I absolutely can't wait for the next book in the series!

I gave this book: ★★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    ★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

Nine by Rachelle Dekker, A Review

 

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Book Description

Zoe Johnson spent most of her life living in the shadows, never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes. Now, against her better judgment, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who doesn't seem to have any past at all. The girl knows only one thing: she must reach a woman in Corpus Christi, Texas, hundreds of miles away, before the government agents who are searching for her catch up to them.

Award-winning author Rachelle Dekker throws you into the middle of the action and keeps the pressure on in this page-turning story that, asks Are we who the world says we are--or can we change our story and be something more?

Review

I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book; the title intrigued me and so I requested a copy to review.

The beginning was strong - lots of action and just enough mystery to grab my attention. Characters that were appealing and a basic premise of good vs. evil.

But about the middle, the story really slowed down and seemed to just be repeating the same problems or concerns. The characters became unreliable for me as they began to make decisions that were counter-productive to their goal.

Finally, the ending came out of nowhere, it seemed like. And the budding romance - makes absolutely ZERO sense.

There were elements to the story that make it clear Dekker knows how to craft a novel. But the character development and the rushed, confusing ending left me a little disappointed. The other major flaw I saw was that while this is published by a Christian publishing house, I don't see much faith elements to the story. Perhaps they were so subtle that I missed them.

I gave this book: ★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    ★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

A Dazzle of Diamonds by Liz Johnson

 

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Book Description

Best friends Penelope and Tucker have faced their share of challenges. But finding a lost treasure in time to clear his family's name and win him an election may uncover something they never expected.

Review

I received a dARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.

Best Friends to Lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes and I really liked Johnson's approach to this classic setup. While Tucker and Penelope have been friends for decades, there was none of the years of secret feelings that one or both had for the other They were truly just best friends. Penelope had an ex-fiance that broke her heart, Tucker had self-esteem issues that needed to be worked through as their relationship moved from friendship to romance. I did like how quickly they realized that something was there and pursued it. The mystery tied to past generations added a fun element to the story. The ending - was a happy ending, even if it wasn't a typical happy ending - which I appreciate!
This is a cute, light-hearted, HEA guaranteed romance book!

I gave this book: ★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    ★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

You Can Read by Helaine Becker

You Can Read by Helaine Becker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my word, I love this book!!
Working in early childhood, there is nothing quite like watching a child learn to read. Their excitement and the sparkle in their eyes is pretty hard to beat.
I could see this book being used at the beginning of the year as an introduction to the journey students will take to become readers.

Personally, I see myself throughout this book. I typically read while I'm in the middle of cooking dinner and always have a book with me. I love the message that reading can be done anywhere. Hoffman is a genius with the illustrations: each location has a perfectly paired book with subtle humor. As an example, on the spread that highlights reading in the kitchen, the book's title is Just Try a Bite.

The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y'Barbo

 

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Book Description

Two Series of Murders Seem Mysteriously Connected
Step into True Colors -- a series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime

Could a series of murders in London in 1889 be related to unsolved murders in Austin, Texas, 1884? Queen Victoria wants to know and asks her granddaughter—who left the queen’s good graces by going off to America to become a Pinkerton agent—to quietly look for any connection. The catch is the queen doesn’t want her to do it alone. Alice Anne must find her former Pinkerton agent partner—now an attorney in Austin—and enlist him in the hunt. As the pair get closer to finding their suspect, their lives become endangered, but they refuse to be intimidated. Can this case be solved?

Review

I received a dARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.

I have read several books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed them. This book explores a series of unsolved murders in both Austin and London during the late 1800s. The Jack the Ripper cases are well known; as a native Texan, I was not aware of the slew of murders in Austin that many believe are connected to the Ripper cases. I read almost half the book the first night - mainly because I was trying to figure out if the main characters were completely fictitious. In past books, they are yet the details around the crime are well researched and key players from history appear in the story. In this book, there's just a few things that are hard to believe. First, Annie, the heroine, is written as a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She either needs to truly be a granddaughter of the queen or should have been a much more distant relative. The other detail that really bothered me was the ending where Annie and her sister both seek to marry men outside of their social and economic circle and that it is easily allowed. I just don't buy it - not for the time in history. I believe women wanted more, but I don't believe that would be a choice women would be able to take, and certainly not royal women.
I really enjoyed the segment of the book that focused on the Austin murders; this series does such a good job of shedding light on historical crimes that would have been headlines in their time but that have also been forgotten. I wish there had been a little more time spent in London on the Ripper cases, but that's not the point of the story and of course, the killer has not been found. For such a complicated and well-known set of crimes, I like the way Y'Barbo handled the story.

This series is terrific for readers who love mystery and/or historical romance.

I gave this book: ★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    ★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

The Thing Lou Couldn't Do by Ashley Spires

The Thing Lou Couldn't Do by Ashley Spires


Ashley Spires wrote/illustrated one of my all-time favorite picture books so I knew I wanted to check this one out as well. Young children often say they "can't do it". Spires book looks at Lou and her diverse group of friends to explore this topic. It starts with the many things Lou and her friends can do but transitions quickly to a problem that leaves Lou feeling unconfident and left out. It is typical of young children to encounter disagreements - both slight and great - as they organize their play. When the group consensus is to play pirates in the tree, Lou has a choice to make. She comes up with all sorts of reasons why she can't before acknowledging that she doesn't know how to climb a tree. Educators know how important it is that our students learn to tackle problems by looking for solutions and Lou models this as she brainstorms ways to get up in the tree.
As an educator, we focus quite a bit on how to build a growth mindset in our students. This book is an excellent addition to the classroom to help illustrate many of these concepts.

I received a dARC from the publisher via Netgalley*. Here is my honest review.
*expired. reviewed library book

I gave this book: ★★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    ★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it