Review of “Sweetest in the Gale” (There’s Something About Marysburg #3) by Olivia Dade

July 31, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Dade, Olivia. Sweetest in the Gale: A Marysburg Short Story Collection. Stockholm?: Hussies and Harpies Press, 2020.

ASIN: B08B14HHMJV | $4.99 USD | 303 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

3 stories + 3 couples = 6 lonely hearts finding happily-ever-after at last.

“Sweetest in the Gale”: Much ado about love…

Candy Albright has always stomped confidently through the halls of Marysburg High, passionate and loud and entirely devoted to her students and her various English department initiatives. From his first day as her colleague, Griff Conover couldn’t look away, despite his best efforts.

After a summer apart, though, Candy returns to school a changed woman. Muted. Dimmed. Bowed by a grief Griff recognizes all too well, but doesn’t yet understand. And when they’re thrown together to coordinate a poetry project, he can’t resist the urge to read between her lines once and for all–even if doing so means he’ll have to confront his own loss…and his own lonely, longing heart.

“Unraveled”: The more tightly wound a man is, the faster he unravels…

Math teacher Simon Burnham–cool, calm, controlled–can’t abide problems with no good solution. Which makes his current work assignment, mentoring art teacher Poppy Wick, nothing short of torture. She’s warm but sharp. Chaotic but meticulous. Simultaneously the most frustrating and most alluring woman he’s ever known. And in her free time, she makes murder dioramas. Murder dioramas, for heaven’s sake. But the more tightly wound a man is, the faster he unravels–and despite his best efforts, he soon finds himself attempting to solve three separate mysteries: a murder in miniature, the unexplained disappearance of a colleague…and the unexpected theft of his cold, cold heart.

“Cover Me”: First comes marriage…

Elizabeth Stone has no health insurance. No savings. No one to turn to when she finds a lump on her breast…except James Magnusson, her friend of over twenty years. When he offers her a marriage of convenience for healthcare coverage, she’d be a fool to say no. But given the emotions she’s buried for so long, saying yes might lead to a broken heart.

James won’t take no for an answer. Not when marriage could save Elizabeth’s life, and not when he’s finally realized how much he needs her. Even during his doomed first marriage, James considered Elizabeth a special friend–one he had to keep at a safe distance. Now he’s free, and Elizabeth is his wife…but will they finally have the chance to be together, only to have everything torn apart?

Content guidance for “Cover Me”: This story contains discussions of breast cancer, an on-page mammogram and biopsy, and a definite happily-ever-after.

This book contains one entirely new story (“Sweetest in the Gale”) and two stories previously published in the He’s Come Undone and Rogue Acts anthologies. The latter stories have been lightly edited since their original publication, and “Unraveled” has a new epilogue.

Review

Sweetest in the Gale is a collection of short stories set in the same “world” as her previous Marysburg books, one new and two previously published and lightly edited. However, just as her novels stand on their own, these stories are great stand-alone pieces, and could serve as a great entry point into Olivia Dade’s writing, just as much as they would please fans who’ve read her other work. In signature Olivia Dade fashion, the stories combine humor with heart, tackling tough topics with a light touch.

“Sweetest in the Gale”

5 stars

I love the tender way this story conveys grief, with both Candy and Griff navigating through it as individuals, while a project at work throws them together. I love how sweet and understanding they are of one another, paving the way for them to slowly enter a relationship as a couple.

“Unraveled”

4.5 stars

I don’t have much to say I didn’t already say when I reviewed this in its original form in He’s Come Undone. However, I love the edition of the epilogue and how it feels like a natural conclusion/“afterward” to the story, and not something tacked on for convention’s sake.

“Cover Me”

5 stars

Perhaps the most heartwarming, I loved how it combined my favorite trope friends to lovers with marriage of convenience, a trope I know I like, but rarely can think of titles that stand out that fit the trope. I love that James wanted to marry his best friend to ensure Elizabeth had access to insurance to cover the care she needed, and how it eventually grew into more for both of them.

Author Bio

Olivia Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorites, though, were always, always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required the donning of actual pants: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course) librarian. Now, however, she has finally achieved her lifelong goal of wearing pajamas all day as a hermit-like writer and enthusiastic hag. She currently lives outside Stockholm with her patient Swedish husband, their whip-smart daughter, and the family’s ever-burgeoning collection of books.

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Review of “The Lost Jewels” by Kirsy Manning

July 31, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Manning, Kirsty. The Lost Jewels. New York: William Morrow, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-0062882028 | $16.99 USD | 336 pages | Historical Fiction

Blurb

From the author of The Song of the Jade Lily comes a thrilling story of a family secret that leads to a legendary treasure.

Why would someone bury a bucket of precious jewels and gemstones and never return?

Present Day. When respected American jewelry historian, Kate Kirby, receives a call about the Cheapside jewels, she knows she’s on the brink of the experience of a lifetime.

But the trip to London forces Kate to explore secrets that have long been buried by her own family. Back in Boston, Kate has uncovered a series of sketches in her great-grandmother’s papers linking her suffragette great-grandmother Essie to the Cheapside collection. Could these sketches hold the key to Essie’s secret life in Edwardian London?

In the summer of 1912, impoverished Irish immigrant Essie Murphy happens to be visiting her brother when a workman’s pickaxe strikes through the floor of an old tenement house in Cheapside, near St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The workmen uncover a stash of treasure—from Ottoman pendants to Elizabethan and Jacobean gems—and then the finds disappear again! Could these jewels—one in particular—change the fortunes of Essie and her sisters?

Together with photographer Marcus Holt, Kate Kirby chases the history of the Cheapside gems and jewels, especially the story of a small diamond champlevé enamel ring. Soon, everything Kate believes about her family, gemology, and herself will be threatened.

Based on a fascinating true story, The Lost Jewels is a riveting historical fiction novel that will captivate readers from the beginning to the unforgettable, surprising end.

Review

5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Lost Jewels is a gem of a book, no pun intended. Inspired by the real-life mystery surrounding the unearthing of the Cheapside Hoard, Manning provides answers to the questions surrounding this mysterious cache of jewels through a masterful blend of fact and fiction.

The thing that stuck with me is how personal the story was, through the development of the main characters, Kate and Essie, and their relationship with one another. Kate loved her grandmother, but came to realize that her grandmother had secrets and a life before her that was key to connecting her grandmother with the Jewels.

Essie’s life in turn was conveyed poignantly, with her humble origins and how she felt she had to care for her large family. I especially loved her bond with her sister Gertie, and loved the way that relationship endured even after Essie left London.

I love how this story overall shows the powerful impact of jewels, in spite of the way they are commodified and dismissed as a result. As Manning notes in her endnotes, “the story of a jewel is always about power, love, and loyalty,” (P.S., 4) a concept that certainly resonates throughout the book.

This book is absolutely stunning, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction.

Author Bio

Kirsty Manning grew up in northern New South Wales. She has degrees in literature and communications and worked as an editor and publishing manager in book publishing for over a decade. A country girl with wanderlust, her travels and studies have taken her through most of Europe, the east and west coasts of the United States and pockets of Asia. Kirsty’s journalism specialising in lifestyle and travel regularly appear in magazines, newspapers and online.
With husband Alex Wilcox, Kirsty is a partner in the award-winning Melbourne wine bar Bellota, and the Prince Wine Store in Sydney and Melbourne.

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Review of “Poe Dameron: Free Fall” by Alex Segura

July 30, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Segura, Alex. Star Wars: Poe Dameron: Free Fall. Los Angeles: Disney-Lucasfilm Press, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-1368051668 | $17.99 USD | 380 pages | YA Sci-Fi

Blurb

Learn more about the dashing hero from the new Star Wars films! Telling a story hinted at in The Rise of Skywalker….

It’s been a few years since Poe’s mother passed away, and Poe and his father, who was a pilot for the Rebellion, have had more and more trouble connecting. Not sure what he wants to do with his life, teenage Poe runs away from home to find adventure, and to figure out what kind of man he is meant to be.

Review

3.5 stars

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Poe Dameron: Free Fall piqued my interest due to my love for the character and interest in his backstory, particularly since it also involved Zorii, who we were introduced to in Rise of Skywalker. While I’m a staunch FinnPoe shipper, I was willing to be swayed as to the viability of Poe and Zorii as a potential pairing if their history was compelling enough.

Poe’s story on his own is compelling. I liked learning about his origins prior to joining the Resistance, and how his parents’ role in the prior Rebellion against the Empire impacted him.

And there are some interesting things done with Zorii’s character too, in terms of giving her a bit of a complex history and past of her own. A secret about her was revealed that I did not anticipate, and I enjoyed the way it was grappled with, to an extent.

However, I didn’t think much of their relationship, even as friends. I never got the sense they truly connected, not in the way that Finn and Poe did, even with them being apart for the majority of both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. That could just be my bias coming through, but their friendship felt very shallow, and there wasn’t a real sense of depth there.

This is still a fun book, and it will excite other Poe fans who were upset that he wasn’t given that much to do in the sequel trilogy.

Author Bio

Alex Segura is a novelist and comic book and podcast writer. He is the author of the Anthony Award-nominated Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery series, which includes SILENT CITY, DOWN THE DARKEST STREET, DANGEROUS ENDS, BLACKOUT, and the upcoming MIAMI MIDNIGHT, all via Polis Books. He has also written a number of comic books, including the best-selling and critically acclaimed ARCHIE MEETS KISS storyline, the “Occupy Riverdale” story, ARCHIE MEETS RAMONES and THE ARCHIES one-shot and monthly series. He also co-created and co-wrote the LETHAL LIT podcast for Einhorn’s Epic Productions and iHeart Radio, which was named one of the Five Best Podcasts of 2018 by The New York Times. He lives in New York with his wife and son. He is a Miami native.

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Review of “Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts (Proper Romance Steampunk Series #4)” by Nancy Cambell Allen

July 29, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Allen, Nancy Campbell. Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts. Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-1629727370 | $15.99 USD | 320 pages | Steampunk Romance

Blurb

A steampunk retelling of Cinderella.

Emmeline O’Shea has been an outspoken advocate for the shapeshifter community, which has come under unjust attack from a political body known as the PSRC (Predatory Shifter Regulations Committee), and her robust efforts have landed her a prestigious position as the spokesperson for the International Shifter Rights Organization. She has been selected to give the final address in Scotland before they vote on legislation that will grant protective rights to the shifter community. Because she is fundamentally changing the laws, she is also receiving death threats.

Oliver Reed is a by-the-book detective-inspector who has dealt with Emme’s borderline-illegal activism in the past, and there is little love lost between the two. When his superior tasks Oliver with guarding Emme around the clock to keep her safe until the summit is over, he is frustrated. He has several open cases requiring his attention, and his spare time is occupied with chasing down leads about the whereabouts of his brother, Vincent, a rogue vampire bent on causing trouble in Scotland.

When their airship is hijacked, Emme and Oliver are forced to parachute away before they exit British soil. They take refuge in Emme’s family’s hunting lodge where Oliver is introduced to her abusive stepsisters.

Together the pair must make their way to Edinburgh so as not to miss the summit meeting where Emme will be key in helping to pass legislation that will disband the corrupt PSRC. But between her vindictive sisters and Oliver’s rogue vampire brother, they face danger at every turn, not to mention dealing with their growing attraction for each other.
When Emme is kidnapped – leaving behind only one shoe as evidence – Oliver must find her before it’s too late – and the summit ends at midnight.

In the series

#1 Beauty and the Clockwork Beast

#2 Kiss of the Spindle

#3 The Lady in the Coppergate Tower

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts is the fourth in Nancy Campbell Allen’s Steampunk series, but it works well as a stand-alone. I did, however, enjoy the other books in the series and their clever spins on fairy tales, and definitely recommend them for that aspect.

And that is one of the things that had me a bit perplexed going into this one. It’s definitely not a traditional Cinderella story, with many of the associated motifs only coming into play late in the game. That’s not a mark against it, as the books have gradually deviated further from the original tales that inspired them.

That said, the story is still fairly solid, and the characters engaging. I loved Emme’s involvement in the Shifter community, in part because it’s such a unique thing to read about a Shifter rights activist. I like how, in a way, that represented an additional connection between paranormal/steampunk and the Victorian setting, with the background of real life progressive movements, like the suffragettes, going on at the time.

And, as in real life and in some comparable historical romances, Oliver presents the more traditional, law-abiding opposition, but without being oppressive toward the heroine and her cause to the point that them being together or having feelings for each other feels unbelievable.

I really enjoyed this book, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys steampunk or paranormal romance with a slight fairytale feel.

Author Bio

Nancy Campbell Allen is the author of fourteen novels, including Beauty and the Clockwork Beast,Kiss of the Spindle, and The Lady in the Coppergate Tower. She has been a speaker at numerous writing conferences and events. She has a degree in elementary education and is the mother of three children.

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Review of “Deceived” (The Wicked Woodleys #2) by Jess Michaels

July 29, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Michaels, Jess. Deceived. Dallas: The Passionate Pen, LLC, 2015.

ASIN: B015BS3KNE | $4.99 USD | 236 pages | Regency Romance

Blurb

* * * A hot historical romance from USA Today Bestselling Romance Author Jess Michaels * * *

Josie Westfall spent a lifetime feeling alone and bullied and an unfortunate incident involving her best friend’s brother, Evan, only made things worse. Still, when she and her mother are invited to the wedding he will be attending, they can’t exactly refuse. She hopes to avoid him, but instead they are thrown together and she is shocked to find that she actually begins to like the man she’s thought of as an enemy for years.

Evan has always felt terrible about what he said to Josie years before, but he’s never quite been able to make it up to her. When he tries, he discovers Josie may have a few secrets and some information about his missing sister. Now he must decide, should he betray her by trading on the unexpected attraction between them and discover what she knows? Or could the possibility of love be worth more than anything else?

Length: Full-length novel
Sensuality level: Hot and steamy

This book can be read as a stand-alone novel, but is part of a series (The Wicked Woodleys).

In the series

#1 Forbidden

Review

3 stars

I don’t know what to think about Deceived. I’m feeling very mixed, as while there are some good ideas here, and the intent was great, I still feel a bit let down, even though I did consider it to be a possibility with the premise.

I found both characters much more engaging this time around in comparison to the previous book, in terms of both being fleshed out and both being more complex, although this did not come without caveats.

I wasn’t as bothered by Josie’s self-esteem issues, even finding them relatable, as someone who has gone through similar things. The over-emphasis on these thoughts is a little tiresome, but I can vouch for them being realistic.

However, I found myself more disappointed with Evan. I do feel he properly stoned for the initial childhood bullying, however he was also not fully aware of how the psychological impact of that bullying, piled on top by others, impacted her, leading to him (albeit reluctantly) using her as a pawn to try to wheedle information about his missing sister. I don’t believe that he fully atones for that specifically, or makes enough of a grovel/Grand Gesture to make that forgivable. I understand his intent of caring for his family and wanting to find out what happened to Claire, but the fact that she literally marries him and becomes part of his family, and he still does this? And thinking she isn’t worried about Claire too, believing she’s hiding something from him and his family?

I wanted so much more for these two, as I think they do work well together, it’s just the conflict wasn’t resolved in a satisfying way. However, I still have hope that this series will improve, especially as more breadcrumbs are unveiled about the elusive Claire. And if you happen to like hot historical romance and the blurb of this book appeals to you, I do encourage you to try it for yourself to see if you enjoy it more than I did.

Author Bio

USA Today Bestselling author Jess Michaels likes geeky stuff, Vanilla Coke Zero, anything coconut, cheese, fluffy cats, smooth cats, any cats, many dogs and people who care about the welfare of their fellow humans. She is lucky enough to be married to her favorite person in the world and live in the heart of Dallas.

When she’s not obsessively checking her steps on Fitbit or trying out new flavors of Greek yogurt, she writes erotic historical romances with smoking hot heroes and sassy heroines who do anything but wait to get what they want. She has written for numerous publishers and is now fully indie and loving every moment of it (well, almost every moment).

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Review of “You Had Me at Hola” by Alexis Daria

July 28, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ 1 Comment

Daria, Alexis. You Had Me at Hola. New York: Avon Books, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-0062959928 | $15.99 USD | 320 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

“I could not get enough of Jasmine and Ashton! I adored Jasmine–her ambition, her confidence, her attacks of self-doubt, and especially her hilarious, snarky, and loving cousins. She and Ashton have such a steamy, swoony, love story that I didn’t want the book to end!”–Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author

RITA® Award Winning author Alexis Daria brings readers an unforgettable, hilarious rom-com set in the drama-filled world of telenovelas—perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin and The Kiss Quotient.

Leading Ladies do not end up on tabloid covers.

After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow—until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez.

Leading Ladies don’t need a man to be happy.

After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had.

Leading Ladies do not rebound with their new costars.

With their careers on the line, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I didn’t entirely know what to expect from You Had Me at Hola, but the cover is on fire, and the blurb piqued my interest, particularly the telenovela setup. And, ultimately, I really enjoyed this one.

Jasmine and Ashton are both relatable, in spite of being celebrities. I could understand Ashton wanting to keep certain aspects of his life out of the public eye, and inadvertently delaying telling Jasmine about it, in spite of them bonding outside of work. I also related to Jasmine’s humiliation at some of the headlines about her love life, and felt Daria managed to replicate how it feels in a way someone who hasn’t been through that experience could understand.

And while the occasional shifts to scenes from the show they’re filming can be a little jarring, I like how it provides insight into the show, while also providing that contrast to show where the actors’ minds are at in terms of their real life relationship while filming the scene through subtle textual cues.

I also loved the role friends and family played in this book, presenting lots of angles for potential spinoffs, whether it be further installments surrounding the telenovela world, or a plethora of family and friends.

On the whole, this is a solid book and definitely has me excited to read more from her, both in terms of backlist and future titles. If you love steamy contemporary romance, especially one focused on television drama on- and off-camera, then you’ll love this one.

Author Bio

Alexis Daria is a native New Yorker and award-winning author writing stories about successful Latinx characters and their (occasionally messy) familias. Her debut Take the Lead won the 2018 RITA® Award for “Best First Book” and was one of the “Best Romance Novels of 2017” in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly. Her super powers include spotting celebrities in NYC, winning Broadway ticket lotteries, and live-tweeting.

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Target Diverse Book Club Edition (signed)

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Review of “The Winter Duke” by Claire Eliza Bartlett

July 28, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Bartlett, Claire Eliza. The Winter Duke. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-0316417341 | $17.99 USD | 426 pages | YA Fantasy

Blurb

An enchanted tale of intrigue where a duke’s daughter is the only survivor of a magical curse.

When Ekata’s brother is finally named heir, there will be nothing to keep her at home in Kylma Above with her murderous family. Not her books or science experiments, not her family’s icy castle atop a frozen lake, not even the tantalizingly close Kylma Below, a mesmerizing underwater kingdom that provides her family with magic. But just as escape is within reach, her parents and twelve siblings fall under a strange sleeping sickness.

In the space of a single night, Ekata inherits the title of duke, her brother’s warrior bride, and ever-encroaching challengers from without—and within—her own ministry. Nothing has prepared Ekata for diplomacy, for war, for love…or for a crown she has never wanted. If Kylma Above is to survive, Ekata must seize her family’s power. And if Ekata is to survive, she must quickly decide how she will wield it.

Part Sleeping Beauty, part Anastasia, with a thrilling political mystery, The Winter Duke is a spellbinding story about choosing what’s right in the face of danger.

Review

3.5 stars

There’s a lot to love about The Winter Duke. While I did want the world a bit more fleshed out, it’s charming and provides a nice twist on the pseudo-Medieval (ish) fantasy.

For one, can we talk about the fact that, once Ekata takes up the mantle of Duke, there are many obstacles in her way in which she has to prove herself worthy…but she is able to choose who she wants to marry, whatever their gender, and it’s not a big deal, “just because HiStOrIcAl AcCuRrAcY!” It’s so nice to have a fictional world that doesn’t feel the need to include oppression of an oppressed group in the real world, just because it takes inspiration from a real world historical place and time.

And I did more or less like and root for Ekata. I could empathize with her as she tried to figure it all out, stumbling at times along the way. While she doesn’t always make the wisest decisions, I felt it was realistic.

And while I did feel like the romance wasn’t as prominent as I wanted it to be, I liked Inkar…she’s incredibly sweet.

However, I did feel like the world was a bit underdeveloped and confusing. So much talk about “Above” and “Below,” without providing much to flesh it out. I got the sense that “Above” was more icy, and “Below,” was more aquatic based, but I wanted more.

This is still a fairly fun book, and I think it’s still worth reading for YA fantasy readers for the great representation.

Author Bio

Claire Bartlett lives in an enchanted forest apartment in Copenhagen with too many board games and too few cats.

Get more detailed information, like how many board games is too many, how many cats is too few, and what book-related beauties I’m working on by signing up for my newsletter.

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Review of “This is My America” by Kim Johnson

July 27, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Johnson, Kim. This is My America. New York: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-0593118764 | $17.99 USD | 416 pages | YA Contemporary

Blurb

“Incredible and searing.” —Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin

The Hate U Give meets Just Mercy in this unflinching yet uplifting first novel that explores the racist injustices in the American justice system.

Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking the organization to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years, Tracy is running out of time–her dad has only 267 days left. Then the unthinkable happens. The police arrive in the night, and Tracy’s older brother, Jamal, goes from being a bright, promising track star to a “thug” on the run, accused of killing a white girl. Determined to save her brother, Tracy investigates what really happened between Jamal and Angela down at the Pike. But will Tracy and her family survive the uncovering of the skeletons of their Texas town’s racist history that still haunt the present?

Fans of Nic Stone, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Jason Reynolds won’t want to miss this provocative and gripping debut.

Review

5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

While This is My America is being released amid our current movement in support of Black Lives Matter, it’s also a reminder of the long history of racism against Black people and how that continues to be perpetuated in the criminal justice system.

I was heartbroken and enraged at the very real story depicted of Tracy and her family, with her father in prison and on death row for a crime he did not commit, and her brother with a promising future put in jeopardy due to him being blamed for the death of a white classmate. And as Tracy worked, attempting to lobby with the criminal justice organization Innocence X for help, as well as investigate what really happened, I was awestruck by what she found out about the history of racism in town.

This book is phenomenal, an absolute must-read for everyone, and a great starting point or addition to your anti-racist reading list.

Author Bio

KIM JOHNSON held leadership positions in social justice organizations as a teen and in college. She’s now a college administrator who maintains civic engagement throughout the community while also mentoring Black student activists and leaders. She is also the graduate advisor and member of an historically Black sorority. This Is My America is her debut novel and explores racial injustice against innocent Black men who are criminally sentenced and the families left behind to pick up the pieces. She holds degrees from the University of Oregon and the University of Maryland, College Park.

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List of Black-owned bookstores

Review of “Miss Janie’s Girls” by Carolyn Brown

July 26, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Brown, Carolyn. Miss Janie’s Girls. Seattle: Montlake, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-1542023047 | $12.95 USD | Women’s Fiction

Blurb

A bittersweet reunion becomes a time for looking back and starting over in a heartwarming new novel from New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.

Miss Janie is at the end of a long and full life, but she has no intention of crossing that finish line until she’s found her girls…

It’s been ten years since Teresa and Kayla shook off the dust of Birthright, Texas, went their separate ways, and never looked back. Apart from their foster mom, Miss Janie, they don’t have many fond memories of their hometown. Or of each other. Still, neither can forget the kind woman who opened her home and heart to two teenagers in need.

When a private investigator—who just happens to be Miss Janie’s handsome nephew—tracks them both down and tells them Miss Janie is dying, Teresa and Kayla know deep down that they’ve got to be there for her as she had been there for them.

With Teresa and Kayla together again under the same roof, old tensions may flare, but with Miss Janie’s help, they might rediscover that home is the perfect place for new beginnings.

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Miss Janie’s Girls is a heartwarming book about a dying woman who wants to be reunited with her two foster daughters, who left and parted ways years ago. It was an emotional and original read that stands out, because I rarely see books that center the relationships between foster parents and children, much less any that highlight the enduring relationship between them after they are parted because of the way the system works.

I loved getting to know Miss Janie, Teresa, and Kayla, and the intimate details of the situation that made it more heartbreaking. I was particularly moved by how Janie’s past, having been forced to give up her children she gave birth to as a teen, shattered her, and becoming a foster mom helped her to heal.

And the role that plays again in the present, as she’s suffering from cancer and Alzheimer’s, and she wants once again to connect with them…that’s beautiful.

And given that Teresa and Kayla faced hardship both before coming to Miss Janie’s, and after leaving, I was glad to see them both finding happiness and love upon their return to Birthright, with Teresa even falling for Noah, Janie’s great-nephew, an incredibly sweet romance.

This is a delightful book, and one I recommend to fans of heartfelt women’s fiction.

Author Bio

Carolyn Brown is a New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and a RITA finalist with more than one hundred published books to her name. Her books include romantic women’s fiction and historical, contemporary, cowboy, and country music mass-market paperbacks. She and her husband live in the small town of Davis, Oklahoma, where everyone knows everyone else, including what they are doing and when—and they read the local newspaper on Wednesdays to see who got caught. They have three grown children and enough grandchildren and great-grandchildren to keep them young. For more information, visit http://www.carolynbrownbooks.com.

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Review of “Notes of Love and War” by Betty Bolté

July 26, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Bolté, Betty. Notes of Love and War. [United States]: Mystic Owl Publishing, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-1733973649 | $4.99 USD | 382 pages | Historical Fiction

Blurb

Audrey Harper needs more than home and hearth to satisfy her self-worth despite being raised with the idea that a woman’s place is in the home. Working as a music critic for the city newspaper in Baltimore, Maryland, during the Second World War, she’s enjoyed both financial freedom and personal satisfaction in a job well done. When she uncovers evidence of German spies working to sabotage a secret bomber plane being manufactured in her beloved city, she must choose between her sense of duty to protect her city and the urgings of her boss, her family, and her fiancé to turn over her evidence to the authorities. But when her choices lead her and her sister into danger, she is forced to risk life and limb to save her sister and bring the spies to justice.

Set against the backdrop of the flourishing musical community during the 1940s in Baltimore, Notes of Love and War weaves together the pleasure of musical performance with the dangers of espionage and spying.

Review

4.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

After reviewing Betty Bolté’s previous 2020 release, I was intrigued to read more from her. And Notes of Love and War is another solid book, showing her dedication to historical research, this time delving into a subject much closer to her heart: Maryland where she grew up, set during World War II.

I was a bit confused at first, due it feeling rather leisurely paced, without the intrigue promised by the blurb. But it allows the reader to become acquainted with Audrey and her world as things change around her thanks to her brother, and later her father, going off to war, and developing a friendship that turns romantic.

And in that sense, it fits the title, since letters connecting parted family and friends plays a key role in the development of the story. I enjoyed observing the changes in her relationship with Charlie largely through letters, and in their rare in-person meetings.

And when things took a turn toward the more suspenseful, I felt close to Audrey and her sister and could truly fear for their lives.

This is a delightful, original historical novel, and one that made me feel like I came away having learned something new about one of the most popular time periods. I recommend this if you love historical fiction, especially set during World War II.

Author Bio

When I sit down to write, the goal for my historical stories is to bring the lives of people in the past to life for my readers. I write both historical and contemporary stories featuring strong, loving women and brave, compassionate men. No matter whether the stories are set in the past or the present, I love to include a touch of the paranormal. In addition to romantic fiction, I’ve written several nonfiction books, and earned a Master of Arts in English in 2008. I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and the Authors Guild. Find out more about me at www.bettybolte.com.

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