July 2025 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Eat Dessert First

Title: Eat Dessert First
Author: Michelle Paris
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Apprentice House
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 7, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can a plus-sized, big-hearted baker discover the recipe for happiness? Abbey Reilly has heard “you have such a pretty face” enough times to know that it’s code for “if only you’d lose weight.” Giving up her architectural career to care for her ailing mom and working in a bakery to make ends meet, she is convinced no one will ever find her attractive. So she’s stunned when a handsome regular customer not only shows interest but asks her on a date.Devastated when she learns her would-be beau is married, Abbey resigns herself to a lonely future. But the insecure woman can hardly believe her luck when she draws the attention of a dreamy guy at a bachelorette party… until his horrible ex plots revenge. Will Abbey claim the confidence she deserves and find a keeper who recognizes her true beauty?With light humor and loving insight, Michelle Paris weaves a delightful tale of learning to believe in yourself. Juggling elder parent care, tight finances, and hating the image in the mirror, Abbey Reilly will charm any reader fond of rooting for an underdog.Eat Dessert First is a heartwarming work of women’s fiction. If you like relatable heroines, chasing a dream, and finding hope and happiness, then you’ll adore Michelle Paris’ sweet story of fulfillment.

Review:

This is a great romance with a plus-size heroine! I could relate to Abbey’s struggles with her weight and finding a partner who liked her for herself. Abbey was the primary caregiver her mother who had dementia. I helped look after my grandmother who had Alzheimer’s for 9 years, so I could relate to that part of her life too. Abbey was a great baker, so I recommend having some yummy baked goods on hand while reading this book!

Eat Dessert First is a yummy romance!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: bullying, dementia, death of parent, hospital scenes, broken bone

Have you read Eat Dessert First? What did you think of it?

Review: Princess Academy (Princess Academy #1)

Title: Princess Academy (Princess Academy #1)
Author: Shannon Hale
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Books USA
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This deluxe twentieth anniversary edition of the beloved modern classic, Princess Academy, will feature stunning sprayed edges, a brand new cover, and a letter from the author!

What if you had a chance to become a Princess?

Miri lives high atop a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have lived a simple life, working in the quarry. But everything changes when word arrives that the prince of the kingdom will choose his princess from among the village girls.

A makeshift academy is set up on the mountain and every eligible girl must attend and learn how to become a proper princess. Soon Miri finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires. Being chosen could give her everything she ever wanted, but does Miri really want to leave her home and family behind for a royal life?

Review:

I’ve wanted to read this book for years, so I’m excited that I finally had the opportunity to read it! This is a great middle grade book about self-discovery. Miri thought she was going to learn to become a princess and leave her village to live in the palace, but she ended up discovering the secrets of her people and realizing where she belonged. This book has a new special edition to celebrate the 20th anniversary, with beautiful stenciled edges!

Princess Academy is a modern middle grade classic!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com and Bloomsbury USA for providing a copy of this book for a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: child abuse, death of parent, kidnapping

Other books in the series:

Palace of Stone (Princess Academy #2)
The Forgotten Sisters (Princess Academy #3)

Have you read Princess Academy? What did you think of it?

Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 (Lo Blacklock #1)

Title: The Woman in Cabin 10 (Lo Blacklock #1)
Author: Ruth Ware
Genre: Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Gallery
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 19, 2016
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

Review:

This is a suspenseful thriller! I finally read this one since the sequel just came out and a movie adaptation is coming out this fall. It definitely lived up to the hype. It is suspenseful and fast paced, especially the final chapters. I’m excited to read the sequel!

The Woman in Cabin 10 is a great thriller!

Content warnings: death, cancer, sexual assault, vomiting, kidnapping, gaslighting, drowning

Other books in the series:

The Woman in Suite 11

Have you read The Woman in Cabin 10? What did you think of it?

Review: Big Sisters

Title: Big Sisters
Author: Gordon Jensen
Genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Printopya
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 5, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Winner of the Independent Book Award for the Novelty & Gift category and the Purple Dragonfly Honorable Mention for the Children’s Non-Fiction, Growing Pains, Picture Book – 5 Years and Younger, and Poetry categories, “Big Sisters” is a beautifully illustrated book that discusses the unique nature of the relationship between sisters.

Review:

This is a great picture book about what it’s like to have a big sister. She will be there throughout your life to teach you and share her wisdom. This book would be great for kids who have a big sister, but it wouldn’t be relatable for other kids. Even though it was a picture book, there were some rhyming lines that were a little mature for picture book readers, so older kids might understand it better.

Big Sisters is a great book for kids with a big sister!

Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!

Have you read Big Sisters? What did you think of it?

Review: Essentials, Vol. 1

Title: Essentials, Vol. 1
Author: Luke Arnold, Chris Wyatt
Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror, Science Fiction
Publisher: The Lab Press
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: February 25, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:

In a post-apocalyptic world torn apart by the madness of a warping reality, shotgun-wielding scientist Harris Pax and his two extra-dimensional, non-corporeal alien sidekicks (manifesting as a walking corpse and a toy robot) are humanity’s only hope for survival.

In ESSENTIALS, mathematician Harris Pax predicted the end of the world but failed to prevent it. Now he’s living alone in a bunker and his niece’s favorite toys have started talking to him. The good news? He’s not the world’s sole survivor. The bad news? The other survivors are trapped in alternate realities — imprisoned in imagined worlds full of zombies, robots, mythical creatures, and chaos. And now Harris Pax and an unlikely ally must travel the country on a quest to restore reality, save humanity, and defeat his new interdimensional nemesis: Snuggles. Written by Luke Arnold (star of Black Sails; writer, The Fetch Phillips novels) and Chris “Doc” Wyatt (producer, Napoleon Dynamite; writer, Ninjago). This debut graphic novel from THE LAB ships in a gold-foil stamped cloth slipcase!

Review:

This graphic novel had The Last of Us vibes which I loved! There was some horror mixed with sci-fi. It was exciting and fast paced, so it was hard to put down. This special edition had a beautiful cloth slipcover. It ended on a big cliffhanger so I’m excited to see what happens next!

Essentials, Vol. 1 is a great graphic novel!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!

Content warnings: death, death of parent, death of child, body horror

Have you read Essentials, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?

Review: A Table Rock Mystery

Title: A Table Rock Mystery
Author: Tom Wood
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary
Publisher: Willow Days Press
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 22, 2025
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A young couple decides to trade city lights for the twinkling stars of Branson, Missouri to fulfill their lifelong dream of owning a small-town tavern. But their idyllic country life filled with music and laughter takes a dark turn when a simple evening walk along the Ozark shoreline spirals into a whirlwind of chaos.

A forged loan application ignites a chain reaction of events leading to a shocking kidnapping and a string of murders that has the local sheriff’s office scrambling to uncover the truth.

What started out as a dream quickly transforms into a nightmare as innocent people find themselves caught in a web of crime, betrayal, and one multi-million-dollar secret. With each twist more unexpected then the last, the real question who will make it out alive?

Review:

This story was a complicated mystery with many characters. There were many suspects, investigators, and subplots happening in this mystery. It got a little confusing at times. The chapters would alternate through different perspectives. Most of the characters had at least one chapter from their perspective. There was a lot going on, so I think it could have been turned into a series of multiple books, to give the story more space to be told.

A Table Rock Mystery is a complex mystery.

Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!

Content warnings: death, drug use, drug overdose, gun violence, car accident, suicide

Have you read A Table Rock Mystery? What did you think of it?

Pub Day Review: Difficult Girls

Title: Difficult Girls
Author: Veronica Bane
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 8, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A teen girl’s attempt at social reinvention takes a deadly turn when a co-worker disappears—and she learns she may have been the last person to see the missing girl—in this razor-sharp, murderously funny thriller debut.

After the incident last year, Greta Riley Green is looking for reinvention—a fresh start—and a job at Hyper Kid Magic Land, the local amusement park, seems like the perfect way to forge a new path . . . no matter what it takes.

So when fate pulls Greta into Mercy Goodwin’s orbit, it feels like things are looking up. Beautiful and confident, Mercy dazzles audiences daily. And at the first party of the summer, she picks Greta to confide in. Mercy has a secret to share, if Greta will just meet her the next day. It’s a sign that Greta’s truly fitting in.

Only, when the time comes, Mercy is a no-show—as she is everyday after that—and Greta knows something’s wrong. She can’t help thinking back to the night of the party. Did Mercy seem upset? Terrified, even? Could she be in trouble? It wouldn’t be the first time a talented young performer came to a sinister end at Hyper Kid. . . .

Of course, Greta has her own issues with the past, and the more she uncovers Hyper Kid’s secrets, the more her own threaten to surface. This job was meant to be a reboot, a summer without trouble. But trouble, it seems, finds Greta, and her past—and the bloody past of Hyper Kid—is about to catch up with her.

Review:

This was a creepy summer thriller. It had a great summer setting in a theme park. I liked that there was some suspense about what happened in Greta’s past. I couldn’t figure out the mystery of what happened to Mercy. There were some key clues that were held back until the end, but it was a satisfying ending!

Difficult Girls is a great summer thriller!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: divorce, bullying, murder, suicide, knife violence

Have you read Difficult Girls? What did you think of it?

Review: We Are Villains

Title: We Are Villains
Author: Kacen Callender
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Henry N. Abrams
Source: Manda Group
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: March 25, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From bestselling and award-winning author Kacen Callendar comes a thrilling, dark academia YA about murder, blackmail, and the one person determined to discover the truth, no matter the cost

What happened to Arianna Reynolds?

Ari’s death was ruled an accident, but for her best friend Milo, it’s shrouded in mystery. Why was she in the woods on the night of the fire? Had she been alone? Figuring out what happened the night Ari died is the only reason Milo returns to Yates Academy, even knowing he’ll be in constant danger. . .

Liam is the King of Yates, a role he keeps hold of through his family’s old money—and the threat of violence. So when he begins receiving ominous letters from another student accusing him of murdering Ari, the suspect list is long. Desperate to prove his innocence before the accusation ruins his reign, Liam enlists Milo’s help to find the blackmailer. But the more Milo helps Liam, the more he becomes certain that Liam has something to hide.

As Milo comes closer to the truth, he uncovers secrets that everyone wants to keep buried . . . Featuring a cast of queer characters of color, We Are Villains is an electrifying mystery that will keep readers guessing.

Review:

This is a thrilling boarding school story. It followed multiple perspectives of different characters at school. I liked that Ari’s perspective was written in the second person, speaking directly to an unknown person who was important to her. The answer to what happened to Ari was revealed kind of early in the story, but it had a good ending!

We Are Villains is a great boarding school thriller!

Thank you Manda Group for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: sexual assault (off page), murder, fire (off page), bullying

Have you read We Are Villains? What did you think of it?

Review: The Things They Didn’t See

Title: The Things They Didn’t See
Author: Angela Shaeffer
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher: Wander Lane Press
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 4, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Raised on sunny days at Lake Koda, Jill piloted a speedboat long before driving a car. Her husband and three boys share her love for boating—until a surprise storm and tragic accident change everything.

As grief settles in, Jill and her family are drifting apart. Her relationship with teenage Jake grows strained when everything she says or does seems to be wrong. Her husband, Matt, takes Jake’s side, and even her sweet youngest child doesn’t trust her judgment.

Jake is trying to be a good kid but doesn’t know where to turn when his head and heart are constantly racing, and Matt just wants peace between his wife and son. Tensions build as they bump and bang into one another. There’s too much extra space for a family of four living in a home built for five.

Emotional and ultimately hopeful, The Things They Didn’t See is the story of a family’s love for each other clouded by misunderstandings, guilt and blame as they struggle to overcome unprecedented loss and find connection again.

Review:

This was a tragic story with an uplifting ending. After losing one of their sons in a boating accident, everyone in the family had to figure out how to grieve together. For most of the book I didn’t think the family would ever recover. The story also dealt with teenage rebellion and self harm. It was a heavy read, but it had a positive ending.

The Things They Didn’t See is a tragic family story.

Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign.

Content warnings: death of child, boating accident, self-harm, attempted suicide

Have you read The Things They Didn’t See? What did you think of it?

Review: Vampire Jam Sandwich

Title: Vampire Jam Sandwich
Author: Casey Lyall, Nici Gregory
Genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Tundra Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Once upon a time a vampire took a bite of a jam sandwich . . . and a legend was born. Now the vampire jam sandwich roams the streets, looking for MORE JAM. Will yours be next?A hilarious spooky picture book featuring a sneaky vampire, for fans of Creepy Carrots and How to Make Friends With a Ghost.You may not have heard of the Vampire Jam Sandwich. But it’s time you learned the truth.Once upon a time, a vampire (maybe his name is Terrence) took a bite of a jam sandwich (maybe he thought the jam was . . . something else).And you know what happens when a vampire bites you . . .That’s right. The jam sandwich has become . . . A VAMPIRE JAM SANDWICH. Terrifying, stalking the streets at night, sneaking into people’s homes in an endless search for MORE JAM.The only thing you can do to protect yourself is box up all your jam and put it outside your home with NO VAMPIRE JAM SANDWICH written on it (here, I’ll show you how to spell T-E-R-R-E-N-C-E).Kids and adults alike will be delighted by this sly jam-loving vampire and his jam sandwich legend, with hilarious tongue-in-cheek art from Nici Gregory. Can you trust your narrator? Is the Vampire Jam Sandwich real? Is your jam safe? Read on to find out . . .

Review:

This picture book is about a jam sandwich that was turned into a vampire jam sandwich after being bitten by a vampire. The narrator is a young boy who tells how to prevent a vampire from stealing the jam to make a sandwich. There was a cute twist at the end that I won’t spoil here. This is a fun picture book, but I hope it doesn’t make kids scared of eating jam!

Vampire Jam Sandwich is a cute picture book!

Thank you Tundra Books for providing a copy of this book!

Have you read Vampire Jam Sandwich? What did you think of it?