Author: jilljemmett

Jill lives in Toronto, Canada. She has studied English, Creative Writing, and Publishing. Jill is the creator and content producer of Jill’s Book Blog, where she has published a blog post every day for the last four years, including 5-7 book reviews a week. She can usually be found with her nose in a book.

Blog Tour Review: The Code for Love and Heartbreak

Title: The Code for Love and Heartbreak
Author: Jillian Cantor
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 6, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From bestselling author Jillian Cantor comes a smart, edgy update of Jane Austen’s beloved classic Emma.

Emma Woodhouse is a genius at math, but clueless about people. After all, people are unreliable. They let you down—just like Emma’s sister, Izzy, did this year, when she moved to California for college. But numbers…those you can count on. (No pun intended.)

Emma’s senior year is going to be all about numbers, and seeing how far they can take her. When she and George, her Coding Club co-president, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born—a matchmaking app that goes far beyond swiping, using algorithms to calculate compatibility. George disapproves of Emma’s idea, accusing her of meddling in people’s lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first.

Emma’s code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other and her own feelings defy any algorithm? Emma thought math could solve everything. But there’s nothing more complex—or unpredictable—than love.

Review:

Emma Woodhouse loves numbers and coding. She is co-president of the coding club at school with George Knightley. Emma comes up with the idea to create a dating app for their competition project. Though George doesn’t agree with that idea, they create the app and start matching up students in their school with their ideal partner using a special algorithm. Most of the matches seem to work out at first, until they discover some problems with the algorithm. Despite the successful matches, Emma is reluctant to make a match for herself, because her love code may not give her the result she wants.

Emma is one of my favourite classic books, so I was so excited to read this adaptation. This story works perfectly as a modern adaptation. The original Emma liked to match her friends and acquaintances in her town with who she thought would be a good romantic match for them. In this story, Emma is also a matchmaker, but using a modern matchmaking app, rather than just doing it herself. Both of the Emma characters are clueless to her own love interest who is right in front of her the whole time.

I loved the coding theme to this book. I don’t know much about coding, and I find it fascinating to read about. Emma embraces her nerdy side by working hard in her school work and activities, such as coding club and playing the piano. She was a hardworking and intelligent character, even if she didn’t always catch on to the social cues around her.

This is a great Emma retelling!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin

About the author:

Jillian Cantor is the author of award-winning and bestselling novels for adults and teens, including In Another Time, The Hours Count, Margot, and The Lost Letter, which was a USA Today bestseller. She has a BA in English from Penn State University and an MFA from the University of Arizona. Cantor lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.

Have you read The Code for Love and Heartbreak? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – October 12

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

This weekend I finished The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – October 11

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 9 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… The Code for Love and Heartbreak

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I’m reading The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From bestselling author Jillian Cantor comes a smart, edgy update of Jane Austen’s beloved classic Emma.

Emma Woodhouse is a genius at math, but clueless about people. After all, people are unreliable. They let you down—just like Emma’s sister, Izzy, did this year, when she moved to California for college. But numbers…those you can count on. (No pun intended.)

Emma’s senior year is going to be all about numbers, and seeing how far they can take her. When she and George, her Coding Club co-president, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born—a matchmaking app that goes far beyond swiping, using algorithms to calculate compatibility. George disapproves of Emma’s idea, accusing her of meddling in people’s lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first.

Emma’s code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other and her own feelings defy any algorithm? Emma thought math could solve everything. But there’s nothing more complex—or unpredictable—than love.

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Characters You’d Be Scared to Meet

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Characters You’d Be Scared to Meet. Here’s my list:

1. Frankenstein’s Monster

2. Dracula

3. Voldemort

4. The Joker

5. Malachiasz

6. Scythe Goddard

(All book covers from Goodreads)

Did you make a Six for Sunday list?

Review: The Bone Houses

Title: The Bone Houses
Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones
Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Fantasy, Horror
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Owlcrate box
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Aderyn (“Ryn”) only cares about two things: her family, and her family’s graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don’t always stay dead.

The risen corpses are known as “bone houses,” and legend says that they’re the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?

Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them deep into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the long-hidden truths about themselves.

Review:

Ryn lives with her siblings after the death of her parents, continuing her father’s job as gravedigger. Her father went into the forest one day to investigate the “bone houses,” dead bodies that would rise and attack anyone who entered the forest, and he never came back. Now, the bone houses are entering the town. Ryn saves Ellis, a mapmaker from the kingdom, from a bone house attack. When the bone houses become more aggressive, Ryn and Ellis venture into the forest to figure out how to save her town and her family.

This was a creepy zombie story. I liked that it was historical fiction, so it was removed from our world. From the names that were used, it seemed to be a Welsh setting. I don’t usually like zombie stories, because they can seem forced and fake. Since this story had historical aspects, the bone house zombies could be more realistic.

This story also had some really emotional parts at the end. There were some twists that surprised me, and they were heart wrenching too. Even though there were some heart breaking parts, I really liked the ending.

This is a great spooky historical story.

What to read next:

Bone Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

Have you read The Bone Houses? What did you think of it?

Top 5 Saturday – Feminist Themes

This is a weekly meme hosted Devouring Books. This week’s prompt is Feminist Themes. Here’s my list:

1. Parachutes by Kelly Yang

2. Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

3. Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno

4. American Royals by Katharine McGee

5. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

(All book covers from Goodreads)

If you’d like to do this list too, consider yourself tagged!

Did you make a Top 5 Saturday list?

Review: There’s Someone Inside Your House

Title: There’s Someone Inside Your House
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 26, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Love hurts…

Makani Young thought she’d left her dark past behind her in Hawaii, settling in with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She’s found new friends and has even started to fall for mysterious outsider Ollie Larsson. But her past isn’t far behind.

Then, one by one, the students of Osborne Hugh begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasingly grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and her feelings for Ollie intensify, Makani is forced to confront her own dark secrets.

Review:

Makani has moved in with her grandmother in Nebraska, after a scandalous event in Hawaii. She has a few close friends, and a potential love interest. However, one day a student is brutally murdered. It turns the school upside down. Then, another student is killed. Eventually, Makani gets involved in this serial killing spree, and her dark past must be revealed.

I went into this book without knowing what it was about, and it was a shocking read! It was quite dark at times, with gory murders described in detail. This story was also set in October, so it’s the perfect Halloween read.

One thing that was interesting about this book was the narration style. It was all written in the third person omniscient perspective. The narrator knew what everyone was thinking. Some chapters focused on a random character, who wasn’t one of the main characters, which signaled they were about to be targeted by the killer. This was a little confusing at first because I wasn’t sure who these other people were, but I soon figured out that they were the ones who would be killed next.

This is a thrilling horror novel, perfect for Halloween!

What to read next:

Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

Have you read There’s Someone Inside Your House? What did you think of it?

First Lines Friday – October 9

This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.

Here are my first lines:

“Thelma considered Manhattan her home, though she hadn’t lived there for over ten years.”

Do you recognize this first line?

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And the book is… The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull.

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Goodreads synopsis:

For fans of The Paris Wife and The Crown, this stunning novel tells the true story of the American divorcée who captured Prince Edward’s heart before he abdicated his throne for Wallis Simpson.

In the summer of 1926, when Thelma Morgan marries Viscount Duke Furness after a whirlwind romance, she’s immersed in a gilded world of extraordinary wealth and privilege. For Thelma, the daughter of an American diplomat, her new life as a member of the British aristocracy is like a fairy tale—even more so when her husband introduces her to Edward, Prince of Wales.

In a twist of fate, her marriage to Duke leads her to fall headlong into a love affair with Edward. But happiness is fleeting, and their love is threatened when Thelma’s sister, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, becomes embroiled in a scandal with far-reaching implications. As Thelma sails to New York to support Gloria, she leaves Edward in the hands of her trusted friend Wallis, never imagining the consequences that will follow.

Bryn Turnbull takes readers from the raucous glamour of the Paris Ritz and the French Riviera to the quiet, private corners of St. James’s Palace in this sweeping story of love, loyalty and betrayal.

Have you read The Woman Before Wallis? What did you think of it?

Review: Ghost Squad

Title: Ghost Squad
Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: April 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters in this action-packed supernatural fantasy.For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business. Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd’s witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely’s firefly spirits before it’s too late. With the family dynamics of Coco and action-packed adventure of Ghostbusters, Claribel A. Ortega delivers both a thrillingly spooky and delightfully sweet debut novel.

Review:

Lucley Luna lives with her large family, including cousins, aunts, her grandmother, and her father. However, her father and her are the only living people in the house. The rest of her family are ghosts. One night before Halloween, Lucley and her best friend Syd cast a spell that wakes dangerous spirits in her town. Then, her ghostly relatives begin to fade. Lucley and Syd, along with Syd’s witch grandmother Babette, have to fight these ghosts to save their town.

There was a lot of Lucley’s Dominican heritage in this story. The family would sit down to big meals, even though most of them were ghosts. The food described made me so hungry! There were some words that I had to look up the translation for, such as her aunt’s “chancla” (slipper) that she threatened to throw at anyone. It made these characters memorable and I learned some new words along the way.

The spooky setting mixed with Lucley’s Dominican culture when they came across the historical witches group Las Brujas Moradas. There was a full history of the town developed in this fairly short story. Lucley and Syd were also well developed characters. They were strong girls, but they would admit when they were afraid.

This was a fun, spooky adventure story. I wish this book was around when I was a kid. It’s a great middle grade story, perfect for Halloween!

What to read next:

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes

Have you read Ghost Squad? What did you think of it?