“The Boy You Always Wanted” by Michelle Quach (ARC Review)

July 30, 2023 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Quach, Michelle. The Boy You Always Wanted. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2023.

ISBN-13: 978-0063038424 | $19.99 USD | 336 pages | YA Contemporary Romance

Blurb

Francine always has a plan.

When her beloved grandfather, A Gung, is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she takes it upon herself to make sure he’s comforted in his final days. A Gung is old-fashioned, and the only thing he wants is a male heir to carry on the family traditions after his passing. Francine’s solution? Ask Ollie Tran, a family friend (and former crush, not that it matters), to pretend to be ceremonially adopted and act like the grandson A Gung never had.

Too bad Ollie hates to get involved. With anything.

For years, he’s made a point of avoiding the odd, too-blunt (and fine, sort of cute) Francine, whose intensity has always made him uncomfortable. So when she asks him to help deceive her dying grandpa, Ollie’s definitely not down. He doesn’t get why anyone would go to such lengths, even for family. Especially with a backwards (and sexist, Ollie keeps stressing) scheme like this.

Francine, however, is determined to make it work for her grandpa’s sake, and soon Ollie finds himself more invested in her plan—and her—than he ever thought possible. But as the tangled lies and complicated feelings pile up, Francine will have to discover what exactly she needs for herself—and from Ollie. Because sometimes the boy you always wanted isn’t what you expected.

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I had enjoyed Michelle Quach’s prior book, so I was excited for whatever she would write next. The Boy You Always Wanted met my expectations, tackling cultural issues with nuance, while also being a relatively fun, lighthearted YA romance.

I was intrigued upon reading Quach’s introduction, describing informal adoption within certain Chinese communities, where a man with only daughters would ask one of their daughters to adopt an heir in name only to carry on said name and family legacy. While I wasn’t surprised to find out about the sexism within Asian communities) (China being infamous for their one-child policy that favored boys being a more famous example, I was surprised it was still so ingrained to some degree.

With that said, I appreciate how the story used this concept as the jumping-off point for the narrative here, and I liked how it focused on the impact of the situation on the two leads. Francine is determined to please her dying grandfather, even though she’ll never measure up due to being born a girl. I admired her deep love and loyalty for her family, and her willingness to do anything to make her grandfather happy, even if he wasn’t ever fully satisfied with her. But she comes to see her own value over the course of the book, and I loved how she learned to navigate taking care of herself while looking out for those she loves.

Ollie was a harder sell at first, especially given some of his antipathy toward Francine initially. He does evolve over the course of the book as his relationship with Francine grows, and their romance ends up being pretty cute. I did wish he was a bit more of a dynamic character, as he’s also going through a lot, but I didn’t get the same gravity for his situation as I did with Francine’s.

I enjoyed this book a lot, and I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy multicultural YA contemporaries.

Author Bio

Michelle Quach (rhymes with “rock”) is a young adult author living in Chicago. She’s Chinese Vietnamese American and a graduate of Harvard University, where she studied history and literature. She loves rom-coms, characters who don’t always do the right thing, and any dog that kind of looks like her dog.

Her debut novel, NOT HERE TO BE LIKED, was a NYTimes new and upcoming YA book to watch for, as well as an NPR, Kirkus, and Parents Magazine best book of the year. It was also shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

Michelle is represented by literary agents Jenny Bent and Gemma Cooper (The Bent Agency), as well as film agent Mary Pender-Coplan (UTA).

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“The Embroidered Book” by Kate Heartfield (ARC Review)

July 30, 2023 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Heartfield, Kate. The Embroidered Book. London: HarperVoyager, 2023.

ISBN-13: 978-0008380632 | $17.99 USD | 672 pages | Historical Fantasy

Blurb

‘Spellbinding’ JJA Harwood‘An entertaining and dark read’ Stylist‘An absorbing novel’ Guardian‘Beautifully written’ Elizabeth Chadwick

‘Power is not something you are given. Power is something you take. When you are a woman, it is a little more difficult, that’s all’

1768. Charlotte, daughter of the Habsburg Empress, arrives in Naples to marry a man she has never met. Her sister Antoine is sent to France, and in the mirrored corridors of Versailles they rename her Marie Antoinette.

The sisters are alone, but they are not powerless. When they were only children, they discovered a book of spells – spells that work, with dark and unpredictable consequences.

In a time of vicious court politics, of discovery and dizzying change, they use the book to take control of their lives.

But every spell requires a sacrifice. And as love between the sisters turns to rivalry, they will send Europe spiralling into revolution.

Brimming with romance, betrayal, and enchantment, The Embroidered Book reimagines a dazzling period of history as you have never seen it before.

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

As a casual fan of Marie Antoinette, the French Revolution, and the Habsburgs, I was drawn to the premise of The Embroidered Book, especially as I liked the focus on Marie Antoinette’s relationship with her sister and other family members, in addition to following her rise and fall as the French queen. And I like how it really focused on their origins, with Empress Maria Theresa being focused on diplomatically making alliances with the major houses of Europe by marrying off her many children, many of them daughters. And while the magical twist with the titular embroidered book was much less pronounced than I initially expected, I liked how it set the tone for the story and showed how these young, powerless girls used magic as leverage to provide security for their own futures.

Both Charlotte and Antoine (renamed Marie Antoinette partway through upon her marriage) are intriguing characters. I was touched by the bond between theme as sisters the most, and how that does not waver even as they are sent off to their separate arranged marriages and take on their own royal responsibilities and start royal families of their own. And it’s especially bittersweet as the political climate shifts around them, particularly for Marie Antoinette in France, and while she definitely makes some mistakes as Queen, it doesn’t make her end any less tragic, especially when viewed from a lens like this. And to see Charlotte’s history retold alongside it, with slight embellishments, makes the story all the richer.

The book did feel a tad long-winded at times, and I definitely felt the length in places. It does serve a purpose in getting the major players from point A to point B, it felt a bit too overwhelming at times, especially since there was a focus on both Marie Antoinette and her sister throughout.

Despite my issues with this book, I enjoyed it for the most part. I recommend it to fans of historical fiction with fantastical elements.

Author Bio

ate Heartfield’s latest novel is The Valkyrie, a retelling of old legends. Her 2022 novel The Embroidered Book was a Sunday Times and Globe and Mail bestseller. Her debut novel, which won Canada’s Aurora Award, is being republished in a revised edition as The Chatelaine in 2023. She also writes Assassin’s Creed novels and interactive fiction, including The Road to Canterbury (2018), and The Magician’s Workshop (2019), from Choice of Games. Her fiction has been shortlisted for the Nebula, Locus, Aurora, Sunburst and Crawford awards, and her journalism for a National Newspaper Award. A former journalist, Kate lives in Canada.

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“Tastes Like Shakkar” (If Shakespeare Was an Auntie #2) by Nisha Sharma (ARC Review)

July 28, 2023 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Sharma, Nisha. Tastes Like Shakkar. New York: Avon, 2023.

ISBN-13: 978-0063001145 | $18.99 USD | 352 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

In the hilarious follow-up to the breakout rom-com Dating Dr. Dil, Nisha Sharma adds shakkar and mirch to Shakespeare’s iconic comedy Much Ado About Nothing for one sweet and spicy love story.

Bobbi Kaur is determined to plan a celebration to remember for her best friend’s wedding. But she has two problems that are getting in her way:

1. The egotistical, and irritatingly sexy, chef Benjamin “Bunty” Padda is supposed to help her with the menu since he’s the groom’s best friend, and

2. Someone is trying to sabotage the wedding.

With aspirations of taking over her family’s event planning business, Bobbi knows that one misstep in managing the Kareena Mann and Prem Verma (#Vermann) party, along with the other weddings on her plate, will only give her uncle another reason not to promote her. That means Kareena’s big day and Bobbi’s future career are on the line.

Bunty will do anything for his best friend, even though he has his hands full in finding a new location for his next restaurant while also playing mediator between his brother and father, the celebrated Naan King. When Prem asks Bunty to help with the wedding menu, he agrees, especially since it puts him in close proximity to the delicious Bobbi Kaur. When a mystery shaadi saboteur starts leaving threatening notes, and cancelling cake orders, Bunty and Bobbi have no choice but to call a truce and face the volatile attraction they have for each other.

Through masquerade fundraisers and a joint bachelor-bachelorette trip to Vegas, this chef and wedding planner explore their growing connection all while trying to plan a wedding at Messina Vineyards in a time crunch. But once the shaadi saboteur is caught and the wedding is over, will their love story have a happily ever after?

With the return of the meddling aunties (who are scary good at finding information) and a lot of hilarity and hijinks, Bobbi and Bunty’s romance is an event you don’t want to miss.

In the series

#1 Dating Dr. Dil

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Tastes Like Shakkar is the second in Nisha Sharma’s If Shakespeare Was an Auntie series. It can be read as a standalone, but I do recommend the first one, because the supporting cast, from the aunties to the group of friends, make the series a lot of fun. I particularly liked the little interstitials from the aunties this time around.

While I was initially skeptical of the premise, this book ended up making it work for me, in terms of actually understanding what makes enemies-to-lovers work. Benjamin and Bobbi had an unfortunate, awkward encounter that set the tone of animosity for their relationship going forward, in spite of them having mutual friends who end up together (the couple from the last book). But while they got off on the wrong foot, it was very much a case of “right person, wrong time,” as well as a bit of initial misconceptions that got in the way. Benjamin and Bobbi are actually very similar, especially in their loyalty to their friends, as well as their vulnerabilities, like Bobbi being a bit of a perfectionist to a fault and Benjamin struggling to put himself first every once in a while. Also, props to Sharma for the depiction of a plus-size desi girl!

I really enjoyed this one, and I’m excited for what’s to come for Veera with the next book! I’d recommend this if you enjoy multicultural contemporary romances.

Author Bio

Nisha Sharma is the critically acclaimed author of YA and adult contemporary romances including My So-Called Bollywood Life, Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance, The Singh Family Trilogy and the If Shakespeare was an Auntie series. Her books have been listed in best of lists by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly and more. She lives in Pennsylvania with her Alaskan husband, her cat Lizzie Bennett and her dog Nancey Drew. You can find her online at Nisha-sharma.com or on TikTok and Instagram @nishawrites.

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“Bring Me Your Midnight” by Rachel Griffin (ARC Review)

July 27, 2023 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Griffin, Rachel. Bring Me Your Midnight. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2023.

ISBN-13: 978-1728256153 | $18.99 USD | 416 pages | YA Fantasy

Blurb

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches and Wild is the Witch comes a lush romantic fantasy about forbidden love, the choices we make, and the pull between duty and desire.

Tana Fairchild’s fate has never been in question. Her life has been planned out since the moment she was born: she is to marry the governor’s son, Landon, and secure an unprecedented alliance between the witches of her island home and the mainlanders who see her very existence as a threat.

Tana’s coven has appeased those who fear their power for years by releasing most of their magic into the ocean during the full moon. But when Tana misses the midnight ritual—a fatal mistake—there is no one she can turn to for help…until she meets Wolfe.

Wolfe claims he is from a coven that practices dark magic, making him one of the only people who can help her. But he refuses to let Tana’s power rush into the sea, and instead teaches her his forbidden magic. A magic that makes her feel powerful. Alive.

As the sea grows more violent, her coven loses control of the currents, a danger that could destroy the alliance as well as her island. Tana will have to choose between love and duty, between loyalty to her people and loyalty to her heart. Marrying Landon would secure peace for her coven but losing Wolfe and his wild magic could cost her everything else.

Review

3 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I generally enjoyed Rachel Griffin’s prior books, even if I had some issues with their approach at times, they brought a lot to the table I hadn’t seen before. Bring Me Your Midnight, meanwhile, was fine, but didn’t blow me away.

While previous books were grounded in the real world, this book is more in the high fantasy vein. However, Griffin is once again writing about witches, and I enjoyed seeing how the witches’ magic system was developed throughout.

Tana is a pretty solid protagonist. She has a very standard conflict between doing her duty and following her heart. She’s also a very curious person who’s always seeking out answers for herself.

The romance was the weak point for me, because in spite of the romance feeling much stronger, I wasn’t sure I felt Tana and Wolfe (the name is super-cringe!) had much chemistry in their interactions with each other. Wolfe also didn’t feel like he had a ton of substance as a character, beyond his issues with magic, which Griffin has already used, to much better effect in my opinion, in a prior book.

While I didn’t love this book, I also admit I’m not the target audience. If you enjoy younger YA fantasy romance and/or witches, I’d recommend checking it out, to see if it works out better for you.

Author Bio

Rachel Griffin writes young adult novels inspired by the magic of the world around her. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Bring Me Your Midnight (releasing summer 2023), The Nature of Witches, and Wild is the Witch.

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Rachel has a deep love of nature, from the mountains to the ocean and all the towering evergreens in between. She adores moody skies and thunderstorms, and hopes more vampires settle down in her beloved state of Washington.

On her path to writing novels, Rachel graduated from Seattle University with a Bachelor of Science in diagnostic ultrasound. She worked in healthcare for five years and taught ultrasound at her alma mater before making the switch to a small startup. She now writes full-time from her home in the Seattle area.

When she isn’t writing, you can find her wandering the PNW, reading by the fire, or drinking copious amounts of coffee and tea. She lives with her husband, small dog, and growing collection of houseplants.

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“The Love Script” (Love in the Spotlight #1) by Toni Shiloh (ARC Review)

July 26, 2023 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ 1 Comment

Shiloh, Toni. The Love Script. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2023.

ISBN-13: 978-0764241505 | $16.99 USD | 352 pages | Contemporary Romance/Christian Fiction

Blurb

A Hollywood hair stylist.

Nevaeh Richards loves making those in the spotlight shine but prefers the anonymity of staying behind her stylist chair, where no one notices her. But when a photo of Nevaeh and Hollywood A-lister Lamont Booker goes viral for all the wrong reasons, her quiet life becomes the number-one trending topic.

The silver screen’s latest heartthrob.

Lamont Booker’s bold faith has gained him a platform, and the authenticity of his faith is well known . . . until the tabloids cause the world to question everything he claims to be. With his reputation on the line, he finds himself hearing out his agent’s push for a fake relationship–something he never thought he’d consider in a million years.

A love that goes off script.

With their careers at risk, Nevaeh and Lamont have to convince the world that their scripted romance is more than just an act. But when fake seems to turn into something real, can Nevaeh trust her heart in a world where nothing is ever as it seems?

Review

4 stars

I received a complimentary copy from the author and publisher as part of the author’s review team and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Love Script is the first in what seems to be a new series from Toni Shiloh called Love in the Spotlight. I was drawn to the premise and Shiloh’s fresh take on both fake dating and celebrity romance, and I really enjoyed it.

While I sometimes quibble when authors make weird narrative choices, like mixing first and third person POVs, Shiloh makes it work here. While I initially was taken off-guard, the POV switches felt seamless instead of jarring.

As for their characters, I found both of them both easy to resonate with. Nevaeh is relatable in the sense that she’s a lot of “normal” folk, and I couldn’t help but sympathize as she navigates her sudden fame by virtue of dating a famous actor. She has her own aspirations, and I enjoyed seeing her find a way to achieve them over the course of the story.

I have more nuanced feelings about Lamont, because of his overall character journey from the outset. At the beginning, he’s not just a reformed bad boy, but a born-again Christian who made a commitment to celibacy and was very public about his faith journey, and reputation is everything. While there were some aspects that toed the line to being questionable toward non-Christians, like where his ex-girlfriend was concerned, I appreciate that the narrative tended to reinforce that this was a personal choice he chose to make public, and having to realistically grapple with the consequences of that. Given the crux of the issue was that he felt he had to bend over backwards and it was easier to lie to appease the fans and purity culture vultures of the media, I’d have liked to see further distinction between him being allowed to have his own values while critiquing the institutions holding people to impossible standards, but what was there still mostly worked for me.

And while it is fake dating, I like how it never really felt fake to me. There was always a spark between Nevaeh and Lamont, and there was never any denial about it, even if things originally began on false pretenses. The romantic chemistry between them felt believable, and I rooted for them to figure things out, even as the media’s scrutiny became more invasive.

This is a fun read with a lot of heart to it. If you’re interested in Christian contemporary romance with nonwhite leads, I’d recommend checking this out!

Author Bio

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace of the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior.

She writes soulfully romantic novels to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.

Before pursuing her dream as a writer, Toni served in the United States Air Force. It was there she met her husband. After countless moves, they ended up in Virginia, where they are raising their two boys.

When she’s not typing in imagination land, Toni enjoys reading, playing video games, watching K-dramas, and spending time with her family.

Toni is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter.

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“The Hundred Loves of Juliet” by Evelyn Skye (ARC Review)

July 25, 2023 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Skye, Evelyn. The Hundred Loves of Juliet. New York: Del Rey, 2023.

ISBN-13: 978-0593499245 | $28.00 USD | 336 pages | Fantasy Romance

Blurb

A woman discovers that she is part of a legendary love story that spans lives, years, and continents in this modern-day reimagining of Romeo and Juliet.

“Cleverly imagines the epilogue Romeo and Juliet didn’t get to have, and how curses can be blessings in disguise.”—JODI PICOULT

I may go by Sebastien now, but my name was originally Romeo. And hers was Juliet.

It’s a frosty fairytale of an evening in small-town Alaska when Helene and Sebastien meet for the first time. Except it isn’t the first time. You already know that story, though it didn’t happen quite as Shakespeare told it.

To Helene, Sebastien is the flesh-and-blood hero of the love stories she’s spent her life writing. But Sebastien knows better—Helene is his Juliet, and their story has always been the same. He is doomed to find brief happiness with her over and over, before she dies, and he is left to mourn.

Albrecht and Brigitta. Matteo and Amélie. Jack and Rachel. Marius and Cosmina. By any name, no matter where and when in time, the two of them are drawn together, and it always ends in tragedy.

This time, Helene is determined that things will be different. But can these star-cross’d lovers forge a new ending to the greatest love story of all time?

Review

2 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

While I’ve never read a full novel by Evelyn Skye (only short stories), she’s been on my radar for a while, and The Hundred Loves of Juliet sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I was massively underwhelmed.

The one aspect I marginally liked was the historical elements. But I felt like there were too many time periods and too many different variations for the characters, so it just felt like the characters were like, “Look how many cool places we’ve been to/how much stuff we’ve witnessed!,” and it was just too much to take in. I’d have preferred more of a focus on Juliet, and maybe one or two others, so we could really get to know them. I also felt a little uncomfy at some of the choices for settings, given these are two white people, like when they were explorers in the Sahara in the 1700s, both having colonial ties in 1920s Shanghai, or (most personal to me), being a soldier and volunteer librarian, respectively, in Honolulu during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. These felt like they’d benefit from more introspection, and even the other settings would benefit from being further fleshed out than just another backdrop to an ill-fated love story.

And apart from any characteristics they take on from their historical counterparts, the two leads are kind of dull. The coolest thing about them is how each of them expresses their connection to their past selves, particularly, Helene, as she’s a writer who writes them into her stories. But I never warmed to her. And I should have known the second I read the word “broody” in the blurb about Sebastien that he would fail to impress me. And despite being alleged “fated mates,” the chemistry is sadly lacking.

This book would have been “just ok” for me, but a certain loathed third-act plot twist happened. Granted, it’s done a little differently than in other romances, and there’s actually some implications for what it means for the curse…but still!

And while this is not the author’s fault, I feel like I’ve read aspects of this story in other books, from a heroine with a connection to Juliet to a modern heroine who is a reincarnation of a person from the past to lovers connected throughout time by fate, and each of them were so much better executed. And it does suck, because after reading the author’s note and finding out Evelyn Skye’s inspiration for the book, the idea was there, even if the execution wasn’t.

While I personally didn’t care for this book, that’s not to say it won’t work for someone else. If you enjoy the fated-mates trope and Romeo and Juliet, and aren’t too fussy about the lack of depth in the historical bits, perhaps it might work a little better for you.

Author Bio

Evelyn Skye is a New York Times bestselling author of books for adults, young adults, and children. Her highly anticipated forthcoming novels include Damsel (which will also be a Netflix film starring Millie Bobby Brown, Robin Wright, and Angela Bassett) and The Hundred Loves of Juliet.

Evelyn is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter.

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“The Gentleman’s Book of Vices” (Lucky Lovers of London #1) by Jess Everlee (Review)

July 24, 2023 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Everlee, Jess. The Gentleman’s Book of Vices. Toronto, Ontario: Carina Press, 2022.

ISBN-13: 978-1335679987 | $15.99 USD | 303 pages | Victorian Romance

Blurb

Is their real-life love story doomed to be a tragedy, or can they rewrite the ending?

London, 1883

Finely dressed and finely drunk, Charlie Price is a man dedicated to his vices. Chief among them is his explicit novel collection, though his impending marriage to a woman he can’t love will force his carefully curated collection into hiding.

Before it does, Charlie is determined to have one last hurrah: meeting his favorite author in person.

Miles Montague is more gifted as a smut writer than a shopkeep and uses his royalties to keep his flagging bookstore afloat. So when a cheerful dandy appears out of the mist with Miles’s highly secret pen name on his pretty lips, Miles assumes the worst. But Charlie Price is no blackmailer; he’s Miles’s biggest fan.

A scribbled signature on a worn book page sets off an affair as scorching as anything Miles has ever written. But Miles is clinging to a troubled past, while Charlie’s future has spun entirely out of his control…

Review

4 stars

While I’ve enjoyed the contemporaries I’ve read from the Carina Adores line thus far (and have some others on my TBR), I was unbelievably excited that they’d also started publishing historical romances, starting with this one, The Gentleman’s Book of Vices. It sounded right up my alley, and once I got around to it, I ended up really enjoying it.

Charlie and Miles are both sympathetic characters, and I appreciate how both of them exemplify different ways in which queer men existed within Victorian England, with the risk of prosecution (imprisonment or death) hanging over their heads. Miles in particular drew me in, as he’s a writer of explicit queer fiction under a pen name, Reginald Cox, while also struggling to run a bookshop. However, Charlie, as a fan of Miles’ work as Reginald, also drew me in too, as he’s closeted, with an impending wedding, finding an outlet of connection through Reginald’s work.

And while the premise could potentially be a bit skeevy, given current modern-day incidents of authors (queer and cishet) having been doxed, I appreciate how the text handles it, by having Miles’ initial uneasiness at being outed brought up. While I’m not sure how I feel about Charlie choosing to seek him out to begin with, I was able to suspend disbelief, and their romance ended up being super-sweet and affirming for both. The two deal with conflicts over how each of them chooses to try to attempt to exist within their society as queer men, with Charlie’s choice to marry being a contentious issue. The stakes there are particularly high, as Charlie ultimately considers doing it for noble reasons beyond saving his own prospects and reputation.

I loved how their friend group really rallied around Charlie and Miles, not only being affirming of their identities, but finding a satisfying way for them to work out the problems keeping them apart to reach their HEA. Everyone stood out in their own way, and I hope that at least some of them get stories sometime down the line.

I enjoyed this book a lot, and I’m excited to get to the next one soon. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys queer historical romance.

CWs available here.

Author Bio

Jess Everlee writes decadent romance from the Northeast Ohio split-level she shares with her small family of furballs and fellow humans. She holds a B.A. from The Ohio State University, where she studied English and Gender Studies, focusing on Victorian Literature and public health topics. While that background resulted in an eclectic resume, her passion for reading and writing has never wavered. She has a deep love of interesting art, offbeat communities, and admittedly pretentious coffee brewing systems.

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“The Art of Scandal” by Regina Black (ARC Review)

July 23, 2023 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Black, Regina. The Art of Scandal. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2023.

ISBN-13: 978-1538722770 | $28.00 USD | 304 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

A “wildly steamy, utterly heartwarming” (Tia Williams) debut filled with romance, artistic ambitions, political scandal, and finding love where you least expect it.

“Love would be so much easier if it were perfect…”

On the night of her husband Matt’s fortieth birthday, Rachel Abbott receives a sexy, explicit text from her husband that she quickly realizes was meant for another woman. Divorce is inevitable, and Rachel is determined not to leave her thirteen-year marriage empty handed. Meanwhile, Matt, a rising star mayor with his eye on the White House, can’t afford a messy split in the middle of his reelection campaign. They strike a deal: Rachel gets one million dollars and their lavish house in the wealthy DC suburb of Oasis Springs, as long as she keeps playing the ideal Black trophy wife until the election.

Then Rachel meets Nathan Vasquez, a very handsome, very lost twenty-six-year-old artist, and their connection makes Rachel forget about being the perfect politician’s wife. As Rachel reawakens Nathan’s long-dormant artistic aspirations, their attraction becomes impossible to resist. But secrets are hard to keep in a town like Oasis Springs, and Nathan has a few of his own. With the risk of scandal looming and their hearts on the line, they’ll have to decide whether the possibility of losing everything is worth taking a chance on love.

The Art of Scandal is a sizzling, conversation-starting debut about rekindling passion, the transformative power of art, and finding love in unexpected places.

Review

5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Art of Scandal is a debut that has been on my radar for a while since I saw the cover…how rare is it that we see single-title contemporary romances with actual people on them, especially a) with BIPOC rep, and b) in a clinch pose. While I’ll defend well-done illustrated covers, and the right for those to exist in general, it’s just so refreshing to see this. So, I was onboard without even knowing what it was about, and once I finished the book? I was even more blown away.

I loved Rachel. She’s such a strong lead, and I loved reading about a character who doesn’t let her philandering husband walk all over her. While I personally would have walked out sooner and damn the consequences, I respect that she wasn’t in that place yet in the beginning of the story, and I loved following her as she rediscovered herself. I respect that she’s never weak; even when she’s in a toxic marriage, she does advocate for herself, and she eventually does the work to find herself and who she wants to be on her own terms.

And given the historically puritanical views on what counts as cheating in romance, I find it incredibly transgressive for her to still be legally married and acting the part of loyal, supportive politician’s wife, while simultaneously being swept up in an affair with a younger man.

As for Nathan, I like that this wasn’t a case of there being a massive power imbalance, and he has his own messy history with the elite, coming from a wealthy and powerful family who he’s on the outs with, being a bit of a disappointment to them. Like Rachel, however, he has his own untapped potential, and he also makes peace with his past, while going through self-growth and being inspired in his artistic pursuits.

Their romance hits all the right notes: it’s very sexy, yet also extremely emotionally vulnerable. The high stakes with Rachel and Nathan’s clandestine affair going on while she’s also pretending to be a happy politician’s wife predictably come to a head, but not quite in the way I expected, and I’m glad that the husband also got his just deserts in the process (even if it didn’t come without a dose of hypocrisy on his part).

This was everything I wanted and more, and I’m so excited to read more from Regina Black in the future. If you’re looking for a romance with political intrigue and scandal and/or with BIPOC characters by a Black author, I’d recommend checking this one out!

Author Bio

Regina Black is a former civil litigator, current law school administrator, and lifelong romance reader who has always been passionate about the depiction of Black women in popular culture. She currently resides in the southeastern United States with her husband and daughter.

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“The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England” (Secret Projects #2) by Brandon Sanderson

July 22, 2023July 23, 2023 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Sanderson, Brandon. The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England. New York: Tor, 2023.

ISBN-13: 978-1250899675 | $29.99 USD | 366 pages | Science Fiction

Blurb

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson—creator of the smash-hit science fiction and fantasy series Skyward, The Stormlight Archive, and Mistborn—comes a new science fiction adventure.

A man awakens in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts. His only help from the “real world” should have been a guidebook entitled The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, except his copy exploded during transit. The few fragments he managed to save provide clues to his situation, but can he figure them out in time to survive?

NOTE FROM BRANDON:

Sometimes an idea just won’t let go of you for years. The initial seed of this novel was the title that eventually turned into The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England. At first there was no story go to with that title, but I wrote it down and kept coming back to it, wondering what that book could possibly be about. Something else I thought about off and on for years was the classic concept of a man waking up in another time and another place, with no idea how he got there. It was when those two ideas came together, and I placed a book with that title into that man’s hands, that this novel was born. I hope you’ll have as much fun with it as I did!

Review

4 stars

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England may just be Brandon Sanderson’s wackiest work to date (for adults anyway…I can’t speak for the entirety of his YA or Middle Grade books). As a result, I’ve already seen some division from Sanderson readers as to whether it worked for them. Personally, as a history geek who has also dabbled in RPG gaming, I really enjoyed this book.

Sanderson has a lot of fun with the world building, blending alt-history with sci-fi and futuristic. The bulk of the narrative takes place in faux-Medieval England, with it being one of many dimensions an individual traveler can select for their journey. There’s a fun blend of historically accurate and completely inaccurate aspects to the world, which make the experience fun. Interspersed throughout, there are excerpts from the titular Frugal Wizard’s Handbook, feeding the reader information about the services offered, presumably along with the protagonist, as well as some excerpts about the OG “Frugal Wizard,” Cecil G. Bagsworth. The humor comes through strongly here, with numerous one-liners and quips that had me in stitches. The FAQs sections in particular are especially hilarious.

The illustrations here really add to the story, and this is one that you really benefit from reading physically. Each chapter has an illustration, but more importantly, the interstitials have hilarious extra illustrations that tell an extra story in and of itself, especially the FAQs, where the accompanying illustrations were so adorable.

The protagonist is a lot of fun to follow, as he spends a lot of the story flailing around, trying to figure things out, from who he is, due to memory loss being an aspect of dimensional travel, and seeing him try to use his modern knowledge to solve medieval problems, while trying to go on his own journey as he figured things out. However, while I did like getting breadcrumbs about the protagonist’s identity throughout, I feel it impacted my ability to invest in him as a character, and I wasn’t super invested in his relationships with the other characters.

I felt mixed about the plot. It was pretty engaging, and there were some solid twists and turns, including a pretty big reveal related to the protagonist’s past. However, not being fully invested in the characters did impact my enjoyment. I also felt that the ending was a little too abrupt.

While I had my issues with some aspects of this book, I did really like it overall. While it’s not my favorite of Sanderson’s work, I am glad that he wrote something like this, and the strengths definitely outweigh the weaknesses, for the most part. While this won’t work for everyone, I’d recommend giving it a chance if you happen to be looking for a blend of historical fiction and sci-fi with off-the-wall humor.

Author Bio

Brandon Sanderson grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He lives in Utah with his wife and children and teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University. His bestsellers have sold 30 million copies worldwide and include the Mistborn® Trilogy and its sequels; the Stormlight Archive novels; and other novels, including The Rithmatist, Steelheart, and Skyward. He won a Hugo Award for The Emperor’s Soul, a novella set in the world of his acclaimed first novel, Elantris. Additionally, he was chosen to complete Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time® sequence. Visit his website for behind-the-scenes information on all his books.

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“Jezebel” by Megan Barnard (ARC Review)

July 22, 2023July 22, 2023 ~ courtneytonokawa ~ Leave a comment

Barnard, Megan. Jezebel. New York: Penguin Books, 2023.

ISBN-13:978-0143137672 | $17.00 USD | 304 pages | Historical Fiction

Blurb

Jezebel. You’ve heard the name. But you’ve never heard her story.

“Historical fiction at its finest,” (Louisa Morgan) this propulsive novel is a stunning reimagining of the story of a fierce princess from Tyre and her infamous legacy

Jezebel was born into the world howling. She intends to leave it the same way.

When Jezebel learns she can’t be a king like her father simply because she’s a girl, she vows never to become someone’s decorative wife, nameless and lost to history. At fifteen she’s married off, despite her protests, to Prince Ahab of Israel. There, she does what she must to gain power and remake the dry and distant kingdom in the image of her beloved, prosperous seaside homeland of Tyre, beginning by building temples to the gods she grew up worshipping. As her initiatives usher in an era of prosperity for Israel, her new subjects love her, and her name rings through the land.

Then Elijah, the prophet of Yahweh and her former lover, begins to speak out against her. Bitter at having been abandoned by Jezebel, he lashes out, calling her a slut. Harlot. Witch. And the people, revering their prophet’s message, turn on her.

As ancient powers and faiths are pitted against each other, bloodshed descends on Israel and Jezebel faces the fall of her legacy. Determined despite the odds to make Israel a great nation, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect her family, her throne—her name. A stunning revision of a notorious queen’s story, Jezebel is a thrilling lyrical debut about a fierce woman who refuses to be forgotten.

Review

5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Having grown up in a vaguely Christian household, I knew who Jezebel was, but I wasn’t super-familiar with her story, although I had come to embrace stories written in a similar vein about women who are maligned in history by men. Megan Barnard’s Jezebel continues in this revisionist tradition, and does so to great effect.

Jezebel is a strong figure from her first appearance on page one, howling as she came into the world. She’s strong-minded and set in her ways, and refuses to be a mere footnote in history as someone’s wife, or worse, completely obscure. I couldn’t help but see elements of one of my other historical heroines, Anne Boleyn, in her, making the fact that Anne was derogatorily compared to Jezebel quite ironic. Like Anne centuries later, Jezebel’s religious practices and the influence they have are considered controversial, and I couldn’t help but notice that Barnard had Jezebel go through issues conceiving a son, while Ahab was easily able to have a child with his mistress.

I was most moved by how Barnard contextualized Jezebel’s relationship with Elijah. Elijah slut-shaming her has so much more weight with the understanding of their romantic history, and the way he uses his divine connection with God to exact revenge on her for rejecting him and refusing to give up her life of luxury and power (does he not understand her at all?) pissed me off. She didn’t behave perfectly in that situation, but she made the best of her situation to ensure she’d be able to make her mark, and Elijah did not respect that was what she wanted.

This was such a beautiful book, and I’d recommend it to fans of feminist retellings of stories of maligned female historical/mythical figures.

Author Bio

Megan Barnard writes upmarket historical fiction. She has worked as a literary agent, editor, and copywriter, but writing fiction is where her heart truly lies. When she’s not writing she drinks coffee and travels widely. Her favorite places to read across the globe are Île Saint-Louis in Paris, Pacific Grove, CA, and Portmagee, Ireland.

In reality, though, she spends most of her free time shuffling towering stacks of books around, so they don’t kill her or her husband.

You can follow her Instagram @ meganwbarnard.

You can also sign up for her newsletter, OrdinaryExtraordinary, where she writes about the books she’s reading, where she’s reading them from, and, most importantly, posts pictures of her incredibly photogenic dog, Pippin.

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