book review – Page 14 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: A Girl Named Harper

Title: A Girl Named Harper
Author: Kara Jefferies
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: 6 Dogs Publishing
Source: Author
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 15, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the fast-paced world of auto sales, Harper Atwood has always had to fight twice as hard to prove herself. As a woman navigating the male-dominated industry, she’s determined to overcome her dysfunctional past and the fear of judgment that has haunted her since childhood. Fresh out of a tumultuous marriage, Harper focuses on building a new life and career.

But fate has other plans when Harper discovers a stranger named Gabe in her apartment, a chance encounter that soon unravels into a twist of destiny. Little does she know, Gabe is not just a random face – he’s her new co-worker. Charming, outgoing, and adored by everyone, Gabe is the polar opposite of Harper, who guards her privacy with fierce determination, trusting only her cousin and one close friend.

In this compelling romance novel, join Harper on her journey of self-discovery and healing as she grapples with her past, navigates the complexities of workplace relationships, and discovers that, sometimes, the heart knows what the mind refuses to admit. Will Harper finally let go of her fears and open herself up to the possibility of love, or will the shadows of her past continue to dictate her future?

Review:

Harper Atwood has had to overcome a tough childhood and a troubled marriage to become the woman she is today. When she moves into her first apartment on her own, she’s rescued by Gabe after falling asleep in her car. This unusual meet cute is disrupted when Harper gets mad at Gabe for staying in her apartment. Then she starts a new job at a car dealership, and discovers Gabe works there too. Harper can’t escape him, as they keep ending up in the same places. Gabe wants to be with Harper, but she’s reluctant to let anyone inside her life. Harper must overcome her fears to open herself up to a potential love story with Gabe.

This story was so fast paced. It was a quick read, at under 200 pages. The romance felt like a whirlwind. A lot of this book was emotional, when Harper talked about her struggles throughout her childhood. There were also a couple of spicy scenes. I liked that the epilogue showed Harper and Gabe many years in the future, so we can see how their lives turned out.

A Girl Named Harper is an emotional romance.

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

Content warnings: alcoholism (off page), abuse (off page), infidelity (off page)

Have you read A Girl Named Harper? What did you think of it?

Review: Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1)

Title: Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1)
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Fairy Loot Box
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: February 20, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Enemies-to-lovers doesn’t get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli’s latest romantic fantasy.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can’t help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.

Review:

Rune Winters is a witch in a world where witches are illegal. Rune gave up her grandmother to the Blood Guard at her grandmother’s request so Rune could be saved. She became the Crimson Moth, rescuing witches who have been captured for execution. Meanwhile, a Captain of the Blood Guard, Gideon Sharpe, is trying to hunt the Crimson Moth. When he finds out the Crimson Moth has been using ships owned by Rune to smuggle witches out of the country, he decides to court Rune so he can figure out if she’s the Crimson Moth. Rune also wants to get close to Gideon to learn information about where the captured witches are being held. The closer they get to each other, the more their feelings develop into real love, so they must decide if they will love the enemy or continue with what they believe in.

This was such a great enemies to lovers story! It had a vivid setting with lots of magic. There was a lot of feminine rage, and the witch magic was feminine since they used their own blood to cast their spells. The ending had a tragedy and it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger so I don’t know what’s going to happen next!

Heartless Hunter is a great YA fantasy romance!

Content warnings: blood, death of parents (off page), suicide (off page), torture, murder

Have you read Heartless Hunter? What did you think of it?

Review: The Paris Apartment

Title: The Paris Apartment
Author: Lucy Foley
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: February 22, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List comes a new locked room mystery, set in a Paris apartment building in which every resident has something to hide…

Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge

Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.

Review:

Jess is running away from her job and looking to start over. She asks her half-brother, Ben, if she can come stay with him in Paris. He agrees, but when she shows up at his apartment, Ben isn’t there. It isn’t like him to disappear without a trace, so Jess starts digging into his life to figure out where he went. There’s a strange group of people living in his apartment building who all knew Ben but they all seem to be hiding something. Everyone is a suspect as Jess investigates everyone’s past and connection to each other to find her brother.

I listened to the audiobook of this book and I really enjoy it. It was told through multiple POVs, with each POV being read by a different actor. I love it when audiobooks have a full cast. It was so easy to follow the story, and I flew through it. I found all the characters to be unlikeable, and they all had good motives to kill Ben, so I couldn’t guess who was behind his disappearance.

The Paris Apartment is a great thriller!

Content warnings: death of parent (off page), death in childbirth (off page), blackmail, murder, drugging

Have you read The Paris Apartment? What did you think of it?

Review: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

Title: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
Author: Catherine Mack
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: April 30, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series―is that too much to ask?

Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life―the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can’t get out of her life―Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.

Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker―and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly―theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.

Review:

Eleanor Dash is a famous author of nine mystery books in the Vacation Mystery series. Her series features the detective Connor Smith, who is based on her ex-boyfriend. When Connor found out she wrote a novel about him ten years ago, he blackmailed her into giving him some of the royalties. Now, Eleanor is ready to kill off Connor. Her character. When she goes on a ten day book tour in Italy, including five other authors and the real Connor, Eleanor begins plotting her character’s death for her next book. However, someone is trying to kill the real Connor. Eleanor has to solve the real mystery of who is targeting Connor and herself, before real life turns into one of her murder mysteries.

This was one of those books that I didn’t want to end! As a writer, I loved seeing Eleanor’s life as a bestselling author. Her comments on the publishing industry were funny and accurate. This story was told from Eleanor’s perspective and she broke the fourth wall often by addressing the reader. She included many footnotes that were funny comments about the story. I’m so excited that this is the first book in a series because Eleanor’s voice was so entertaining!

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is an awesome first book in the series!

Thank you Minotaur Books for providing a digital copy of this book.

Content warnings: death of parents (off page), robbery, mugging, poisoning, gun violence

Have you read Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies? What did you think of it?

Review: Princess of Prophecy

Title: Princess of Prophecy
Author: Alexander Thomas
Genre: Fantasy, Humour
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 19, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A soothsayer promises timeless romance to anyone that defeats an invincible sorcerer king three times. Would you mess with a prophecy like that?

You might, if it messed with you first.

Princess Maryan flees an arranged marriage and takes up the challenge of the prophecy. In her way stand ravaging hordes of the undead, ignorant politicians, and her own conniving parents. She tries to recruit great warriors to her cause, but she’s stuck with a bankrupt knight, a magic-less mage, and an ex-barbarian.

Yet when battle is joined, even the unluckiest of failures can become heroes. And that’s convenient, since the survival of many kingdoms are at stake, and this is one prophecy that no one should trust.

Review:

Princess Maryan’s parents want her to get married, but the suitors they’ve chosen for her are awful. The main suitor is a vampire who likes to lock people in cages and hang them up in trees. When Maryan hears a prophecy about defeating the Lich King, she runs away from a potential marriage on a long journey. She meets many colourful characters along the way, such as an unfashionable barbarian, a knight with a sword that doesn’t work, and a mayor who is in denial about the dangers his town is facing.

This was such a funny, satirical adventure story. I laughed out loud so many times. I really liked the references to modern culture in this fantasy world, such as an artist who was an “influencer” and sent sketches to the town square for people to “like” and comment on. I highly recommend this story for fans of funny fantasy!

Princess of Prophecy is a fun and hilarious fantasy!

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

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

Review: Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie

Title: Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie
Author: Jackie Lau
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Atria Books
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 7, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A charming rom-com about a young woman’s desperate attempts to fend off her meddling mother…only to find that maybe mother does know best.

Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that.

Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. You’d think he single-handedly stopped climate change and ended child poverty from the way her mother raves about him. But in reality, he’s just a boring, sweater-vest-wearing engineer, and when they’re forced together at Emily’s sister’s wedding, it’s obvious he thinks he’s too good for her.

But now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly : convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees.

Unfortunately, lying isn’t enough. Family friends keep popping up at their supposed dates—including a bubble tea shop and cake-decorating class—so they’ll have to spend more time together to make their relationship look real. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark’s not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn’t so ugly after all…

Review:

Emily Hung is the only one out of five sisters who is single. She’s a published author who also works as a barista, so she doesn’t have time to date. At her sister’s wedding, her mom tries to set her up with Mark Chan. Her mom is constantly talking about what a great guy Mark is, which automatically turns Emily off him. When her mom sets her up on a date with Mark, Emily decides to have a fake relationship with Mark to get her mom off her back. However, when her family friends start appearing during their fake dates, Emily realizes they have to start going on real dates to prove to her mom that the relationship is real. As Emily starts to enjoy their dates, she starts to realize that the guy her mom picked out for her may be a better match than she thought.

I loved this story! I found Emily to be such a relatable character as a writer. Her comments and references to the publishing world were so accurate and often funny. I loved the relationship between Emily and Mark. Their “third-act-breakup” wasn’t too intense, which made the ending light and fun. It had such a heartwarming ending!

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies is a fun rom com!

Thank you Atria Books for providing a copy of this book.

Have you read Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie? What did you think of it?

Review: An Inconvenient Wife: A Modern Tudor Mystery

Title: An Inconvenient Wife: A Modern Tudor Mystery
Author: Karen E. Olson
Genre: Contemporary, Thriller, Mystery
Publisher: Pegasus Crime
Source: Once Upon a Book Club Box
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: April 2, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This astonishing crime novel—inspired by the Tudor era—takes the reader into the world of Kate Parker, who has just married billionaire Hank Tudor when a headless body is discovered near their summer home . . .

Kate Parker knows what she’s getting into when she marries billionaire businessman Hank Tudor—she’s his sixth wife, after all, and was by his side (as his assistant) when his fifth marriage to actress Caitlyn Howard fell apart.

But honeymoon plans go awry when a headless body is discovered near Hank’s summer home, forcing Kate to contend with two more of his exes: Catherine Alvarez—the first—who lives as a shut-in with her computers, carefully following Tudor Enterprises; and Anna Klein—the fourth—who runs a bed-and-breakfast where she and her wife keep a steady eye on things—particularly Hank’s children, Lizzie and Teddy.

In this clever and suspenseful reimagining of Tudor era betrayals, these three women become entwined in a deadly game of cat and mouse—with each other, Hank, and Hank’s brilliant fixer, Tom Cromwell—as Kate seeks to solve the puzzle of who the murdered woman is, who killed her, and whether her death has any connection to the other headless body from eight years ago.

Review:

Kate Parker married her former boss Hank Tudor, and became his sixth wife. Their honeymoon was cut short when a headless body was found on one of Hank’s properties. Through the investigation, Kate has to deal with two of Hank’s ex-wives: his first wife Catherine who lives as a shut-in and Anna Klein who runs an inn and looks after Hank’s children. These three women become involved in the investigation, questioning their roles in Hank’s life and if he is behind the murder.

This was such an amazing Tudor adaptation. I love reading about Henry VIII and his wives. This story was cleverly adapted into modern time, while also following the true story and creating a suspenseful mystery. The final chapters kept me guessing with all the twists, and the ending gave me goosebumps! It’s one of my favourite book endings!

An Inconvenient Wife is a must read for Tudor fans!

Content warnings: murder, divorce, adultery, agoraphobia

Have you read An Inconvenient Wife? What did you think of it?

Review: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel

Title: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel
Author: Paula Danziger, Victoria Ying
Genre: Children’s, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 21, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Even when her best friend is moving away, Amber Brown is always bold, bright, and colorful. #Amber Brown is out now on Apple TV+

Amber Brown and Justin Daniels are best friends. They’ve known each other for practically forever, sit next to each other in class, help each other with homework, and always stick up for each other. Justin never says things like, “Amber Brown is not a crayon.” Amber never says, “You’re Justin Time.” They’re a great team—until disaster strikes. Justin has to move away, and now the best friends are fighting. Will they be able to work it out before it’s too late?

Along with the ups and downs of shared custody, the Amber Brown chapter books are beloved for tackling relatable dilemmas with thoughtfulness, humor, and plenty of puns.

Review:

Amber Brown and Justin Daniels are best friends and neighbours. They sit beside each other in class and do everything together. When Justin’s parents put their house up for sale, Amber and Justin start fighting. Amber feels like she’s lost her best friend before he’s even moved away. They must try to make up before Amber loses her best friend forever.

I loved the Amber Brown books when I was a kid, so I was excited to read this graphic novel. These stories show kids dealing with relatable problems, like parents divorcing, friends moving away, and bullying. I really enjoyed this graphic novel!

Amber Brown is Not a Crayon is a great children’s graphic novel!

Thank you Penguin Young Readers for providing a digital copy of this book!

Content warnings: parents divorce, bullying

Have you read Amber Brown is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel? What did you think of it?

Review: Falling Hard for the Royal Guard

Title: Falling Hard for the Royal Guard
Author: Megan Clawson
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Avon
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Despite living in an actual castle, happily ever after is evading Margaret ‘Maggie’ Moore.

From her bedroom in the Tower of London, twenty-six-year-old Maggie has always dreamed of her own fairy-tale ending.

Yet this is twenty-first century London, so instead of knights on white horses, she has catfish on Tinder. And with her last relationship ending in spectacular fashion, she swears off men for good.

And then a chance encounter with Royal Guard Freddie forces Maggie to admit that she isn’t ready to give up on love just yet… But how do you catch the attention of someone who is trained to ignore all distractions?

Can she snare that true love’s first kiss… or is she royally screwed?

Review:

Twenty-six-year-old Maggie Moore lives at the Tower of London with her father. She’s always dreamed of her own fairytale romance, but all she has is a deadbeat ex-boyfriend following her around. After she literally stumbles into a Royal Guard one day, she starts to believe in love again. However, Maggie has a hard time getting his attention, since the Royal Guards are trained to ignore distractions. Maggie wants to find true love, whether she must swipe through Tinder or convince her Royal Guard that she’s the one for him.

This was such a fun romance! I loved seeing what life is like for residents of the Tower of London. It’s such a unique lifestyle, with residents not locking their doors and having trouble getting food delivered. Maggie has some horrific dates with men she met on Tinder, which anyone who has used dating apps would relate to.

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard is a fun rom com!

Content warnings: death of parent (off page)

Have you read Falling Hard for the Royal Guard? What did you think of it?

Review: Alterations

Title: Alterations
Author: Ray Xu
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Union Square and Co.
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 30, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

For fans of Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese and Svetlana Chmakova’s Awkward , this funny yet poignant middle-grade coming-of-age story highlights the struggle of feeling invisible while yearning to be seen by all.

Kevin Lee is having a really bad week. Although he lives in a crowded Toronto apartment above the family’s alterations and dry-cleaning store, he mostly goes unnoticed. School isn’t exactly an oasis either—being one of the few Asian kids makes for some unwelcome attention. But when Kevin’s class plans a trip to Thrill Planet, a spectacular theme park, will he finally have a chance to turn his life around, or will it just be another day for Kevin Lee?

Review:

Kevin Lee is having a bad week. His mom is always wanting him to help in her dry cleaner shop, he gets teased at school about his lunch, and he gets in trouble for hitting another student with a basketball in gym. He’s also always fighting with his older sister, who wants her own bedroom. The week ends with Kevin going on a class trip to the new theme park Thrill Planet, which he’s so excited about. Kevin must decide on that trip if he’ll continue to let the teasing by his classmates get him down, or if he’ll take a chance to show them how brave he really is.

This was such a great graphic novel! It’s set in the early 90s in Toronto. I love reading books set in my hometown because everything is so familiar. I especially liked the Thrill Planet theme park, which resembled Canada’s Wonderland! This story would be relatable for many young readers. Kevin’s family were immigrants to Canada. His parents were divorced and his mother had to work constantly to make ends meet, which made Kevin and his sister feel like they didn’t get enough attention from her. I’m sure many young readers will relate to this story!

Alterations is a great middle grade graphic novel!

Thank you Union Square and Co. for sending me a copy of this book!

Have you read Alterations? What did you think of it?