Review of “Gentleman Jim” by Mimi Matthews

October 31, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ 1 Comment

Matthews, Mimi. Gentleman Jim. [California]: Perfectly Proper Press, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-1733056960 | $3.99 USD | 376 pages | Regency Romance

Blurb

From USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews comes a swashbuckling tale of Regency era romance and revenge.

“One of the most highly anticipated books of the fall historical romance lineup.” –Austenprose

She Couldn’t Forget…

Wealthy squire’s daughter Margaret Honeywell was always meant to marry her neighbor, Frederick Burton-Smythe, but it’s bastard-born Nicholas Seaton who has her heart. Raised alongside her on her father’s estate, Nicholas is the rumored son of notorious highwayman Gentleman Jim. When Fred frames him for theft, Nicholas escapes into the night, vowing to find his legendary sire. But Nicholas never returns. A decade later, he’s long been presumed dead.

He Wouldn’t Forgive…

After years spent on the continent, John Beresford, Viscount St. Clare has finally come home to England. Tall, blond, and dangerous, he’s on a mission to restore his family’s honor. If he can mete out a bit of revenge along the way, so much the better. But he hasn’t reckoned for Maggie Honeywell. She’s bold and beautiful–and entirely convinced he’s someone else.

As danger closes in, St. Clare is torn between love and vengeance. Will he sacrifice one to gain other? Or, with a little daring, will he find a way to have them both?

Review

5 stars

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

Gentleman Jim is very different tonally from the previous Mimi Matthews book I read, and I found myself surprised by how much I still enjoyed it. While it still being on the sweet side in terms of steam level was a given, I was concerned about the parallels being drawn to works like The Count of Monte Cristo, and the subheading denoting the story one of “romance and revenge.” Revenge plots have never been my thing, and they almost always reflect badly on the “hero.”

But I need not have worried, as Matthews deftly handles these themes, while also managing to make it a believable sweet romance (although this is probably her most sensual, without being super-explicit). Nicholas/John is at heart a good person and he never fully loses that, even as he seeks vengeance against those who wronged him. There’s also a delightful mystery surrounding his circumstances and double identity, and I love the way that was conveyed.

Maggie is also a wonderful heroine, constantly fighting for her own happiness. I loved her unfailing belief in Nicholas also being John, even as he tries to deny it.

With lots of twists and turns, this is a compelling story that had me swept up in the sense of adventure and intrigue. It’s a delightful addition to Matthews’ catalog, and perhaps the one that will have the most broad appeal among historical romance readers.

Author Bio

Mimi Matthews is the author of The Pug Who Bit Napoleon and A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty. She researches and writes on all aspects of nineteenth century history—from animals, art, and etiquette to fashion, beauty, feminism, and law. Her articles have been published on various academic and history sites, including the Victorian Web and the Journal of Victorian Culture, and can also be found at BUST Magazine.

Mimi’s writing and research have been referenced in such diverse web and print publications as Smithsonian Magazine, The Paris Review, The Journal of Civil War Medicine, and Apartment Therapy. Her work is frequently used in high school and college classrooms as part of an English or History curriculum.

When not writing historical nonfiction, Mimi is a USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of proper historical romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus. Her debut Victorian romance was released in September 2017.

In her other life, Mimi is an attorney with both a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She resides in California with her family—which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.

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Review of “Simmer Down” by Sarah Smith

October 30, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Smith, Sarah. Simmer Down. New York: Berkley, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-1984805447 | $16.00 USD | 336 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

In this finger-licking good rom-com, two is the perfect number of cooks in the kitchen.

Nikki DiMarco knew life wouldn’t be all sunshine and coconuts when she quit her dream job to help her mom serve up mouthwatering Filipino dishes to hungry beach goers, but she didn’t expect the Maui food truck scene to be so eat-or-be-eaten—or the competition to be so smoking hot.

But Tiva’s Filipina Kusina has faced bigger road bumps than the arrival of Callum James. Nikki doesn’t care how delectable the British food truck owner is—he rudely set up shop next to her coveted beach parking spot. He’s stealing her customers and fanning the flames of a public feud that makes her see sparks.

The solution? Let the upcoming Maui Food Festival decide their fate. Winner keeps the spot. Loser pounds sand. But the longer their rivalry simmers, the more Nikki starts to see a different side of Callum…a sweet, protective side. Is she brave enough to call a truce? Or will trusting Callum with her heart mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire?

Review

3 stars

I adored Faker, in spite of the fact that it wasn’t as much of a hit with everyone else, so I was bummed to find Simmer Down was not as good a follow-up, especially when there were so many elements to appeal to me, from the Maui setting to the promise of food porn.

In both those aspects, at least, it met my expectations. The scenery is picturesque, and it captured my nostalgia for a long-ago childhood visit to Maui, with some of the names being familiar to me as those I had visited, and others in a general sense. As for the food porn, I found myself regretting the moments I’d pick the book up to read on an empty stomach, with the descriptions of lumpia and pancit, among other Filipino dishes.

And I generally liked Nikki, particularly her bond with her mother, leading her to work in the food truck. She also has a generally great relationship with others in the community.

However, the romance was…all over the place. It started off as enemies to lovers (or at least dislike to lovers), and then it was like a casual fling, and things just changed so quickly in the dynamic between Nikki and Callum, without there being a ton of nuance. I wanted more focus on one thing, and development of that, as the way it is now, it made the initial dislike feel petty, and their fling feel nonsensical, not to mention the transition to lasting love didn’t feel convincing. It’s a shame, because Callum is in some ways a great idea, a British guy in Hawaii running a rival food truck. But I just feel like their dynamic wasn’t explored to its full potential.

While this wasn’t as good as I’d hoped, I did enjoy it for the positives, even if I suspect they weren’t meant to be the main focus. I do feel that if you love foodie romance and aren’t so particular about the tropes included, you might enjoy it a bit more than I did.

Author Bio

Sarah Smith is a copywriter-turned-author who wants to make the world a lovelier place, one kissing story at a time. Her love of romance began when she was eight and she discovered her auntie’s stash of romance novels. She’s been hooked ever since. When she’s not writing, you can find her hiking, eating chocolate, and perfecting her lumpia recipe. She lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband and adorable cat Salem.

Sarah is represented by Sarah Younger at the Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

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Review of “Master of One” by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett

October 30, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Jones, Jaida, & Danielle Bennett. Master of One. New York: HarperTeen, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-0062941442 | $18.99 USD | 544 pages | YA Fantasy

Blurb

Sinister sorcery. Gallows humor. A queer romance so glorious it could be right out of fae legend itself. Master of One is a fantasy unlike any other.

Rags is a thief—an excellent one. He’s stolen into noble’s coffers, picked soldier’s pockets, and even liberated a ring or two off the fingers of passersby. Until he’s caught by the Queensguard and forced to find an ancient fae relic for a sadistic royal sorcerer.

But Rags could never have guessed this “relic” would actually be a fae himself—a distractingly handsome, annoyingly perfect, ancient fae prince called Shining Talon. Good thing Rags can think on his toes, because things just get stranger from there…

With the heist and intrigue of Six of Crows and the dark fairy tale feel of The Cruel Prince, this young adult fantasy debut will have readers rooting for a pair of reluctant heroes as they take on a world-ending fae prophecy, a malicious royal plot, and, most dangerously of all, their feelings for each other.

Review

4 stars

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

Master of One drew my attention due to the premise, with its mention of fae, a queer romance, and comparisons to other popular YA series (although admittedly I haven’t read the two in question name-dropped in the blurb). And while there are some flaws, it’s still fairly enjoyable.

I really liked the characters, especially skilled thief Rags and Fae Prince Talon. I loved the magnetic chemistry between these two characters. And Rags himself is really just effortlessly snarky and charming, so I was pleased he was the one who got the most page time, and almost upset when the perspective shifted to someone else, even though I wasn’t outright irritated by anyone.

The pacing is a bit slow, but I like that it allows world building and over-arching plot aspects to be set into place, building on familiar concepts like conflict between races to develop intriguing world politics.

It has a lot of cool aspects, like heists (I love a good heist!), Royal intrigue, and fae magic. If you love YA fantasy, I definitely recommend this one.

Author Bio

Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett are married coauthors. Master of One is their young adult debut. They are the authors of the Volstovic Cycle. Find them at www.jonesandbennett.com.

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Review of “Call Me Maybe” by Cara Bastone

October 29, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Bastone, Cara. Call Me Maybe. Narrated by Luci Christian and Neil Hellegers, Audible, 2020.

ASIN: B08CMB2WMV | $29.95 USD |5 hours 55 minutes | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

True love is on the line in this charming, laugh-out-loud rom-com—created specifically for the audio format!

Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It’s amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except my shiny new website is glitching, and my inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth… when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice I expected but a real live human named Cal. He’s surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he’s a little awkward…. in an adorable way.

And suddenly I’m flirting with him? And I think he’s flirting back.
And suddenly it’s been hours, and we’re still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he trouble shoots my website.
And suddenly we’re exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!).
And suddenly I’m wondering if it’s possible for two people fall in love at first talk.

Because I’m falling… hard.

***

Vera Hoffman has just days to make sure her website for her new Date-in-a-Box business launches. When the darn thing glitches, she calls her IT company and connects with Cal Kantola. An intense week of phone calls, DMs, voice messages, and texts ensue, and in between troubleshooting, these two start to develop feelings. But will their systems be compatible when they actually meet face-to-face?

Review

5 stars

Audiobooks have never appealed to me for personal reasons, one being my short attention span while listening to something vs. reading it, and none of the tactics people suggested worked with my daily routine. And it just seemed like an extra expense for the most part. But I got a free trial for Audible Plus, and once I finally figured out a consumption tactic that worked for me while listening to some familiar titles, I decided to try Call Me Maybe, due to hearing some early rave reviews.

First off, I have to praise the production quality. I love how immersive it feels, not only with the two narrators capturing the voices of the characters perfectly, but the sound effects. It feels cliche, but it is almost like a movie. From what I’ve heard about the Audible Originals and even some other audiobooks from certain series published to Audible, this appears to be a common thing, but I’m glad to confirm that they’re right.

As a result, Cal and Vera felt real to me on a level beyond many fictional characters, because of the new format. It’s really like listening to friends tell me about their lives, or listening in on their conversations with each other.

Cal is such an adorkable hero, so unaware of his own charms, and while he does keep a secret about his identity, I could understand his reasoning. Vera is such a sunny, optimistic heroine, a tryer of many things who has finally found her niche in Date-in-a-Box. They were so cute in their interactions, and I loved the way they built each other up in their most vulnerable moments.

While I don’t know if I’ll keep Audible beyond the free month due to financial reasons, I am hoping to review more audiobooks now and then, particularly if they are as good as this one is. And I strongly recommend trying this one, especially if you’re a fan of contemporary romance and/or good quality audio dramas.

Author Bio

Hi, I’m Cara!
I’m a full time writer living and writing in Brooklyn with my husband, son, and an almost-goldendoodle. My goal with my work is to find the swoon in ordinary love stories.

I’ve been a fan of the romance genre since I found a grocery bag filled with my grandmother’s old Harlequin Romances when I was in high school. I’m a fangirl for pretzel sticks, long walks through Prospect Park, and love stories featuring men who aren’t crippled by their own masculinity.

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Review of “A Very Highland Holiday” by Jennifer Ashley, Tanya Anne Crosby, Kathryn Le Veque, Kerrigan Byrne, Darcy Burke, and Eliza Knight

October 28, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Ashley, Jennifer, et. al. A Very Highland Holiday. La Verne, CA: Dragonblade Publishing, 2020.

ISBN-13: 979-8693491304 | $3.99 USD | 528 pages | Historical Romance

Blurb

Ashley… Crosby… Le Veque… Knight… Burke… Byrne…

It’s an enchanting holiday season in the Highlands with some of your favorite Historical Romance authors!

It’s the holiday season of 1746 and the Highlands are snowy. In the village of Calvine, north of Tay Forest along a road that leads straight into Inverness, the only tavern in town is packed to the rafters with travelers.

Eight months after the disastrous defeat at Culloden, the people haven’t recovered, nor has the land, and it’s a bad winter. But inside the tavern known as Balthazar’s Inn, the magic that is the holiday season is about to happen.

A blustery innkeeper, his sensitive daughter, and a cast of unique characters passing through the careworn tavern will bring you six captivating stories of reflection, joy, and enthrallment that is the very spirit of the holidays.

Welcome to an enchanting limited-edition collection you won’t soon forget!

The Earl in Winter by Kathryn Le Veque – When James de Lohr heads into the wilds of Scotland to discover what happened to his brother at the Battle of Culloden, his stay at Bathazar’s Tavern has an unexpected twist. On a night when angels walk the earth, James comes face to face with his very own guardian angel.

Fiona and the Three Wise Highlanders by Jennifer Ashley – Fiona MacDonald is overjoyed to see Stuart Cameron alive and well after his imprisonment by the English, but her worries are not over. Stuart Cameron owes his safety to a pair of smugglers who have come to collect on their debt, and Stuart will need her help to win himself free.

One Knight’s Stand by Tanya Anne Crosby – Bound for a marriage she hopes will save her cousin from the gibbet, Lady Elizabeth Louise Wolfe finds herself en route to Scotland to marry the younger son of a known traitor to the Crown. Fate intervenes when, on the way, she checks into an inn and registers as the “MacKinnon’s bride.” Presumed dead at Culloden, Callum MacKinnon, stops by the inn as well, intending to clean up before his return as the prodigal son. Imagine his surprise to discover his “bride to be” has already procured a room. And more—the feisty sassenach everything he never realized he desired.

The Earl of Christmas Past by Kerrigan Bryne – A solstice blizzard drives Victorian photographer, Vanessa Latimer, to a crowded Highland Inn where the only available room is haunted by the ghost of a fallen warrior unwilling to give up his side of the bed.

The Legend of a Rogue by Darcy Burke – When Tavish Crawford learns treasure hunter Elspeth Marshall is on the trail of his family’s missing legacy, he swears to prevent her at any cost. As nefarious forces threaten them both, he realizes he must not only protect the mystical sword, but the woman who has stolen his heart.

The Highlander Who Stole Christmas by Eliza Knight – For eight months, Thane Shaw has patiently waited to enact his revenge against the Campbells, and finally he can’t resist the opportunity that’s presented itself: stealing their most precious treasure for his own—Lady Sarah.

From our families to yours, we wish you the very best of the holiday season!

Review

A Very Highland Holiday is a somewhat different historical holiday anthology. Instead of focusing on Christmas, it focuses on the Scottish holiday of Hogmanay, a celebration of the New Year, and it also chooses as its focus the aftermath of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion (think Outlander), so it’s hardly another cozy, lighthearted read, at least not all the way through. But the authors involved clearly have a lot of enthusiasm for the history, as well as the varied possibilities of their setting, given some of the directions they’ve chosen to go. And even in the midst of the darkness, there is room for light and love.

“The Earl in Winter” by Kathryn Le Veque

2 stars

I really didn’t care for this one. I liked the historical context of the story, although I just didn’t really care for the characters.

“The Earl of Christmas Past” by Kerrigan Byrne

4 stars

Considering all the baggage I have with Byrne, which came to a head with her latest novel, I was uncertain in my approach to this one…until I heard what it was about. And it’s a lot more fun than a lot of Byrne’s more recent fare (and that’s saying something), while still having her signature broody hero (this one thankfully isn’t a jerk) and strong heroine. I also love the tie-in with the prior story that the hero is the brother to Le Veque’s hero, and we get to explore whether an HEA can happen if one of the leads is a ghost. It’s definitely been done before, but I love that Byrne give it her own flair.

“Fiona and the Three Wise Highlanders” by Jennifer Ashley

3 stars

I liked this one. I admit I stopped keeping track of the Mackenzies and McBrides, so the focus on the ancestors did leave me feeling a bit out of my depth. However, I like the connection established between the Victorian and Jacobite Mackenzies, and seeing Ian as a father at the beginning was so cute. I also really liked how it felt atmospheric without being bogged down by the minute details.

“One Knight’s Stand” by Tanya Anne Crosby

3 stars

This one was pretty good. I love how this one in particular captures the political atmosphere, while also playing into the more magical elements of the inn. I didn’t love the romance in this one, but it’s still a solid story.

“The Legend of a Rogue” by Darcy Burke

4 stars

I loved the vibes of this one, as it not only was playing with the slightly magical vibes emanating through the stories in the collection with the shared inn setting, but also Burke’s own mystical elements with the magic sword from a prior series I’m now desperate to read. Elspeth and Tavish are also just wonderful characters.

“The Highlander Who Stole Christmas” by Eliza Knight

4 stars

I don’t love revenge plots, but I was charmed by this one, especially since this one cut out a lot of the drama and angst I don’t like and made it so the primary focus was on Thane’s change of perspective as he fell for Sarah.

***

While some of the stories are better than others, this is a solid collection that I really enjoyed, providing a lot of historical and cultural context about a Scottish holiday I didn’t know a ton about before, along with swoonworthy romance. If you love historical romance, especially Highlanders, you’ll enjoy this one.

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Review of “Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr” by Mari Mancusi

October 27, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Mancusi, Mari. Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr. Los Angeles: Disney Press, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-1368063616 | $17.99 USD | 352 pages | YA Fantasy

Blurb

Sixteen-year-old Iduna harbors a dark secret. On the surface, she is an Arendellian village girl, an aspiring inventor, and the best friend of Prince Agnarr, but she is also secretly Northuldra.

Ever since the day the forest fell, Arendellians have despised and distrusted Northuldra with a vengeance. No matter that the Northuldra-along with some of Arendelle’s own-have been trapped in the Enchanted Forest behind an impenetrable wall of mist since the day of the battle.

Iduna doesn’t know why the mist refuses to part, or why it descended to begin with. The only clear thing is that she must keep her identity from everyone, even Agnarr. Her life depends on it.

Fortunately for her, Agnarr doesn’t know that Iduna is the Northuldra girl he saw seemingly flying on a gust of wind all those years ago, the day of the celebration turned disaster. The day Agnarr lost his father, the king. The day Agnarr himself almost died.

What Agnarr does know is that Iduna is a true ally in the face of his royal responsibilities and the expectations of an overbearing council and a well-meaning regent who will rule in Agnarr’s place until he turns twenty-one and assumes the Arendellian throne.

As Iduna and Agnarr grow ever closer, however, friendship is no longer enough. If only falling for each other didn’t mean risking their futures: Iduna’s as a hidden-in-plain-sight citizen of Arendelle, and Agnarr’s as imminent king.

But for a chance at true love, the risk might be worth taking

Review

4 stars

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

I really enjoyed Frozen 2 and enjoyed how it developed on the story of the first movie, especially in terms of making the parents a bit more sympathetic. And Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr expands on that further, delivering on Iduna and Agnarr’s love story, as the title promises.

I love seeing aspects of Elsa and Anna that Iduna and Agnarr passed down in both of them. Iduna is compassionate, brave, and strong, while also dealing with the secret of her heritage in the aftermath of what happened between Arendelle and the Northuldra. I was chilled every time Agnarr tried to ingrain himself with “Conceal, don’t feel” in regards to his own emotions, considering the results in Elsa’s case.

And in spite of the high stakes, I love the way Iduna and Agnarr are able to confront obstacles to be together, which helps to define the way they approached things as a team over the course of their marriage, even if some of their choices aren’t right.

It is a somewhat predictable story, but it fits very well within both the Frozen and wider Disney brands. If you loved the movies, you’ll enjoy this too.

Author Bio

Mari Mancusi grew up where the north wind meets the sea (otherwise known as Massachusetts), but has since made her home in the great state of Texas, mostly due to her love of summer. (And tacos.) A former Emmy Award winning TV news producer, today she is the author of more than two-dozen books for kids, teens, and adults, mostly of the sci-fi/fantasy variety. In addition to writing, Mari loves traveling, video games, and cosplaying. She is also Mom to an eight year old Frozen superfan who, when recently asked by her teacher to describe her hero answered: “My Mom!” (Okay, fine, she said Kristin Bell.)

You can find Mari online at www.marimancusi.com. She knows several Samanthas.

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Review of “A Rumored Fortune” by Joanna Davidson Politano

October 27, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Politano, Joanna Davidson. A Rumored Fortune. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-1493414024 | $15.99 USD | 416 pages | Victorian Romance/Romantic Suspense/Christian Fiction

Blurb

Tressa Harlowe’s father did not trust banks, but neither did he trust his greedy extended family. He kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it. It doesn’t take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they’re really up to. She’ll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father’s fortune–before someone else finds it first.

Award-winning author Joanna Davidson Politano welcomes readers to Trevelyan Castle, home of the poorest heiress in Victorian England, for a treasure hunt they’ll not soon forget.

Review

5 stars

A Rumored Fortune is the third book by Joanna Davidson Politano I’ve picked up, and I’ve become accustomed to her evocative writing style. Once again, she kept me guessing with a compelling suspense plot, while also slowly engaging me with a delightful slowly building romance.

The world Politano has created is so intricate, with the complex family relationships and class warfare at the center of the story. And the way symbolism is used in the story in the vineyard setting is masterful.

Tressa and Donegan are both engaging characters with great character arcs. I admired Tressa’s loyalty and intelligence, while also appreciating how she grows out of her prejudices. And Donegan is such a kind hero, joining the fast-growing list of my favorites, but he doesn’t lack nuance, as he has his own secrets.

The mystery element is well written, perhaps the most engaging of Politano’s I’ve read so far. At least, it’s the most rewarding.

This is a wonderful historical romance, rich with mystery, sweetness, and a bit of poetic beauty. If you’re looking for a historical romantic suspense and don’t mind light “faith” aspects, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

Author Bio

Joanna Davidson Politano freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. Her manuscript for Lady Jayne Disappears was a finalist for several contests, including the 2016 Genesis Award from ACFW, and won the OCW Cascade Award and the Maggie Award for Excellence. She is always on the hunt for random acts of kindness, people willing to share their deepest secrets with a stranger, and hidden stashes of sweets. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.

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Review of “Perfectly Impossibble” by Elizabeth Topp

October 26, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Topp, Elizabeth. Perfectly Impossible. New York: Little A, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-1542018678 | $24.95 USD | 314 pages | Women’s Fiction

Blurb

In this witty debut novel, Elizabeth Topp crafts a story that ventures behind the fanciful facade of Park Avenue and into the life of one lovable type A assistant.

Anna’s job is simple: prevent the unexpected from happening and do everything better than perfectly. An artist at heart, Anna works a day job as a private assistant for Bambi Von Bizmark, a megarich Upper East Side matriarch who’s about to be honored at the illustrious Opera Ball.

Caught between the staid world of great wealth and her unconventional life as an artist, Anna struggles with her true calling. If she’s supposed to be a painter, why is she so much more successful as a personal assistant? When her boyfriend lands a fancy new job, it throws their future as a couple into doubt and intensifies Anna’s identity crisis. All she has to do is ensure everything runs smoothly and hold herself together until the Opera Ball is over. How hard could that be?

Featuring a vibrant array of characters from the powerful to the proletarian, Perfectly Impossible offers a glimpse into a world you’ll never want to leave.

Review

2.5 stars

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

Perfectly Impossible is a light, fast-paced contemporary, a perfect escape during these troubling times. However, in its lightness and opulence, there isn’t room for a ton of depth in the midst of it all. I mean, some books can be just fun, but the result of this one left me feeling very conflicted.

While the life of a personal assistant to the rich and famous is not easy, I still struggled to invest much in Anna’s life as an assistant, just as much as I did in the more opulent lives of the other characters.

At times, it does feel like a satire, meant to comment on the lives of the rich and famous, but I feel like that aspect was lost in translation in this respect, as I’ve read other satirical works on class and didn’t find them so intensely bogged down with so much nothing as this one did. Sometimes, I even questioned what the point was, with it coming out in the midst of such economic depression in the real world, and who the author expected would resonate with it.

The writing style is breezy and engaging, so I at least did not feel any urge to DNF at any point, in fact finishing fairly quickly. It’s just a shame that the message wasn’t that well conveyed.

That said, the reviews for this one seem mixed, with some seeming to “get” it more easily. If the concept at all appeals to you, I’d give it a chance, in the hopes of works better for you.

Author Bio

Elizabeth Topp penned her first short story in the second grade and has been writing ever since. A graduate of the Dalton School, Harvard College, and the Columbia School of the Arts, Topp coauthored her first book, Vaginas: An Owner’s Manual, with her gynecologist mother while she worked as a private assistant, a job she still holds. Topp lives in the same Manhattan apartment from her childhood with her partner, Matthew; daughter, Anna; and their cat, Stripes. Perfectly Impossible is her debut novel.

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Review of “The Haunting of Beatrix Greene” by Rachel Hawkins, Ash Parsons, and Vicki Alvear Shecter

October 25, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

**Hawkins, Rachel, et. al. The Haunting of Beatrix Greene. [Place of publication not identified]: Serial Box, 2020.**

ISBN-13: 978-1682108130 | $9.99 USD | 198 pages | Victorian Romance/Gothic Romance

Blurb

Beatrix Greene has made a name for herself in Victorian England as a reputable spiritual medium, but she’s a fraud: even she knows ghosts aren’t real. But when she’s offered a lucrative job by James Walker—a scientist notorious for discrediting pretenders like her—Beatrix takes the risk of a lifetime. If her séance at the infamously haunted Ashbury Manor fools him, she will finally have true financial freedom. If she fails, her secret will become her public shame.

But James has his own dark secrets, and he believes only a true medium can put them to rest. When Beatrix’s séance awakens her real gift—and with it, a vengeful spirit—James finds that the answers he seeks are more dangerous than he could have imagined. Together, with a group of supernatural sleuths, Beatrix and James race to settle the ghost’s unrest before it strikes— or else they might not make it out of the haunted manor alive.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins, along with Ash Parsons and Vicky Alvear Shecter, weaves darkness, death, and a hint of desire into this suspenseful mystery for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Crimson Peak.

Review

3.5 stars

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

I was drawn to request The Haunting of Beatrix Greene due to Rachel Hawkins being listed as one of the contributors, an author I am familiar with from Twitter, although I have yet to read one of her books. I was not aware until I did some research that this book was not only a serial, but would be primarily featured, at least initially on an app called “Serial Box,” which sounds like the type I’ve avoided due to my issues with episodic stories, with exception of entire collections. However, even with that in mind, I still felt this was a fun story, although I don’t know if I’d have consumed it in its primary format.

While the story is written by three authors, and not in sequence, I like that the sections flow well into each other, so it can work whether you read each episode on its own or binge them all at all. If I had not been told at the beginning of each episode who the author was, I would not have know different people wrote different parts.

I liked the way the story puts a twist on the fake medium concept by having something mysterious happen when Beatrix is hired. There’s also a lovely sweet romance between Beatrix and James as events unfold.

It’s rather too short to go into any real depth, however, for the projected format, it is well suited. Whether this is worth trying is down to your interest in investing money in an app (although they offer the first episode free and offer both individual episode and season pass options; price indicated above is for the season pass). However, there appears to also be plans for a traditional ebook release early next year.

Buy links

Serial Box

Amazon Episode 1

Amazon Season 1 Preorder

B&N Episode 1

B&N Season 1 Preorder

Kobo Episode 1

Google Play Episode 1

Google Play Season 1 Preorder

Apple Books Episode 1

Review of “Legendborn” by Tracy Deonn

October 25, 2020 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Deonn, Tracy. Legendborn. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2020.

ISBN-13: 978-1534441606 | $18.99 USD | 501 pages | YA Fantasy

Blurb

Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic.

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

Review

5 stars

Legendborn sounded exciting when I first heard about it: an Arthurian retelling with Southern Black Girl Magic?! Yes, please! And with its combination of the the fantastical with real life Black issues and their legacy throughout history, Tracy Deonn has combined many seemingly disparate elements into a compelling story.

The world building and magic, and how it all seamlessly comes together with the real life UNC-Chapel Hill campus is beautiful. From the exploration of the legacy of slavery in its establishment to the way its real life secret societies make for a perfect setting for a a magical one, it all feels so grounded and believable. And the magic system of rootcraft being based on African American spiritual traditions was beautiful. I felt I learned something deeper about the Black experience throughout history that hadn’t been taught in traditional history books or in school, at least not to this extent.

Bree is a wonderful heroine, and I like how her journey is rooted in dealing with the trauma of losing her mother, as well as the inherited trauma of centuries of slavery and racism, and the systemic racism Black people are still dealing with today. She’s such a well-rounded heroine, a badass who can be vulnerable without being a cliche.

The supporting cast is also so unapologetically diverse, with other characters of color and LGBTQ+ characters and couples. And while there is a love triangle, and both of the boys are actually valid choices!

This is a great book from a promising new author, innovating the YA fantasy genre. If you love YA fantasy, and are interested in an Arthurian retelling that also tackles Black issues, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

Author Bio

Tracy Deonn is a writer and 2nd gen fangirl. She grew up in North Carolina, where she devoured fantasy books and Southern food in equal measure. After earning two degrees from UNC-CH, Tracy worked in live theater, video games, and K-12 education. When she’s not writing, Tracy panels at SFF conventions, reads fanfic, arranges doggy playdates, and keeps an eye out for ginger-flavored everything.

Buy links

Bookshop (affiliate link)