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.

Review: Once and For All

Title: Once and For All
Author: Sarah Dessen
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen’s thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine. 

Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that’s why she’s cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm’s length. But Ambrose isn’t about to be discouraged, now that he’s met the one girl he really wants. 

Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.

Review:

This is my first Sarah Dessen book and I loved it!

There were a lot of weddings in this story. Louna’s mother is a wedding planner, which looked like so much fun! This was a great setting for the novel. It made for some funny stories when things went wrong, such as a demanding mother of the bride who kept tissues in her bra!

One character was affected by a school shooting. I won’t give the details, since that is part of the suspense of the novel and I don’t want to spoil it. I was surprised that this is one of the first times I’ve read about this in a novel. Unfortunately, school shootings are a real part of life now, so I think they will be in many young adult novels in the future. It was heartbreaking to read about the way it affected a character in the novel.

I loved this book! I can’t wait to read more Sarah Dessen books!

What to read next:

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Have you read Once and For All? What did you think of it?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – June 2

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?

Sunday in Bed With… The Beholder

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 Beholder by Anna Bright.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.

But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.

From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending. 

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Books That Need a Sequel

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 Books I Want To Be Written, so I narrowed its down to Books That Need a Sequel. Here’s my list:

1. Sadie by Courtney Summers

2. Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

3. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

4. The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

5. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie by Anthony Del Col

6. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Did you write a #SixforSunday post? What was your list of Books You Want To Be Written?

Review: The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2)

Title: The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2)
Author: Holly Black
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 8, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world. 

Review:

I loved The Cruel Prince, but it has been a long time since I read it, so I had to look up some summaries before reading The Wicked King. I’m so glad I finally read it. This was a great second book in the series.

This series has been my first real introduction into the world of Faeries. The Faerie world is explained in an easy to follow way, so I think this is a great series to read if you’re just getting into the Faerie fantasy genre.

This story was fast paced. I flew through it in one day. Everything takes place over a couple of months, but it felt like a much shorter timespan. There was a lot that happened, and it was never a dull moment.

I guessed at what would happen at the end, since I know the third book is called Queen of Nothing, so someone must become a Queen at the end. However, there was a twist that I wasn’t expecting. I’m so excited to see what happens next!

What to read next:

The Lost Sisters (The Folk of the Air #1.5) by Holly Black

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

Have you read The Wicked King? What did you think of it?

Stacking the Shelves – June 1

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I was sent a book on NetGalley from St. Martin’s Press:

Campusland by Scott Johnston

I was approved for a book on NetGalley from BOOM! Studios:

Grease Bats by Archie Bongiovanni

I was approved for two books on NetGalley from Simon and Schuster Canada:

Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

I was approved for a book on NetGalley from Amulet Books:

The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce by Angie Manfredi (editor)

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, BOOM! Studios, Simon and Schuster Canada, and Amulet Books for these books!

What books did you get this week?

Review: We Are the Perfect Girl

Title: We Are the Perfect Girl
Author: Ariel Kaplan
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 21, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

She’s the beauty, I’m the bold one–together, we are the perfect girl… 

Aphra Brown is bold and outgoing. Her best friend, Bethany, is achingly beautiful. Individually, they could both do a little better in the self-esteem department, but together? Together, they have what it takes to win over Greg D’Agostino, a proverbial “ten,” who happens to be fluent in six languages–seven if you count the language of smoldering gazes . . .
What begins as an honest mistake turns into an elaborate deception, wherein Bethany goes on dates with Greg while Aphra coaches her on what to say, and texts him in the guise of Bethany, trying and failing, all the while, to tamp down her own hopeless crush. It’s only a matter of time before things come crashing down. The question is: What will happen when Greg finds out? And can Aphra and Bethany’s friendship survive the fallout? 
From the author of We Regret to Inform You comes a witty, warm-hearted exploration of love in all its forms, and a cris-de-coeur for self-acceptance when the pressure to be perfect is overwhelming.

Review:

This is a great new book about overcoming your insecurities. It is a modern retelling of a play called Cyrano de Bergerac. In that play, a man thinks he will not find love because of his large nose. Aphra has the same belief in this story. She goes as far as to impersonate her best friend, while chatting with her best friend’s boyfriend, to have the feeling of being loved by someone.

Aphra had to learn to deal with her insecurities in this book. She felt very self-conscious about her big nose, since her sister got a nose job and straightened her own nose. It made Aphra think that her sister must not think she is pretty, since she changed a feature they had in common. I felt so much sympathy for Aphra, because I was reminded about my own insecurities about my body. I could really relate to her.

This story also discussed allergies. Aphra’s brother develops an allergy to cats, which is upsetting to them since they have a cat. This made me realize that allergies aren’t discussed much in books, even though they are very common. I was glad to see this inclusion.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

We Regret to Inform You by Ariel Kaplan

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Have you read We Are the Perfect Girl? What did you think of it?

First Lines Friday – May 31

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:

“Well, this was a first. ‘Deboarah?’ I said as I knocked softly, yet still with enough intensity to convey the proper urgency, on the door. ‘It’s Louna. Can I help you with anything?'”

Do you recognize these first lines?

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

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…

…

And the book is… Once and For All by Sarah Dessen.

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Goodreads synopsis:

As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen’s thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine. 

Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that’s why she’s cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm’s length. But Ambrose isn’t about to be discouraged, now that he’s met the one girl he really wants. 

Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.

Have you read Once and For All? What did you think of it?

Review: The Rosie Result (Don Tillman #3)

Title: The Rosie Result (Don Tillman #3)
Author: Graeme Simsion
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher: Text Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 28, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

I was standing on one leg shucking oysters when the problems began…

Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are about to face their most important challenge.

Their ten-year-old son, Hudson, is struggling at school: he’s socially awkward and not fitting in. Don’s spent a lifetime trying to fit in—so who better to teach Hudson the skills he needs?

The Hudson Project will require the help of friends old and new, force Don to decide how much to guide Hudson and how much to let him be himself, and raise some significant questions about Don’s own identity.

Meanwhile, there are multiple distractions to deal with: the Genetics Lecture Outrage, Rosie’s troubles at work, estrangement from his best friend Gene…

And opening the world’s best cocktail bar.

Hilarious and thought-provoking, with a brilliant cast of characters, The Rosie Result is the triumphant final instalment of the much-loved and internationally bestselling Don Tillman trilogy.

Review:

This is the perfect final instalment in the Don Tillman trilogy. Don and Rosie move back to Australia with their son, Hudson. Don takes on the task of helping Hudson fit in at school. He worries that he is conforming to the behaviours associated with autism, so he tries to “fix” him. Don often reflects on his own childhood and the ways his father tried to make him fit in, but it didn’t always work.

Along with addressing the complex issues around autism, this story also discusses vaccinations. One of Hudson’s friends is not vaccinated because her father is a homeopath and doesn’t believe in vaccinations. However, once the girl learns more about science, she decides that she doesn’t have the same values as her father. Don gets a little too involved, which adds some tension to the story.

I really enjoyed reading about Don. He’s a fun character. He misunderstood a lot of things in the world in the previous books. In this book, he made more jokes and understood the sarcasm much better, and he was still very funny.

I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you Text Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion

Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist

Have you read The Rosie Result? What did you think of it?

TBR Thursday – May 30

TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.

My pick this week is The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
2) A person’s undoing
3) Joshua Templeman

Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.

Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There’s the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.

If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth-shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she’s got Joshua Templeman all wrong.

Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn’t hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?