Fiction – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Deception (A Hollywood Mystery #1)

Title: Deception (A Hollywood Mystery #1)
Author: Britt Lind
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Bublish
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 12, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Blood and dreams run red through the magical land of Hollywood, and rarely do kind souls win the spoils of war…

Singer/songwriter Josh Sibley is handsome, talented, and smart, but he tries to appease his demons with alcohol in an effort to break free of his complicated past. When he gets the opportunity to write songs for a multi-million dollar feature film, he throws himself in head first, determined to shake his bad luck streak. Then he meets Lila Levy, the sexy singer/actress who is married to the producer of the movie. She attempts to use her sexuality to hook Josh into a secret love affair—but Josh surprises himself by keeping his feelings under wraps while trying to teach Lila to sing his songs.

But this is Hollywood, and dark souls are clothed in glamour and secrets. When Lila’s husband Stan is murdered, Lila disappears, leaving Josh to deal with the woman determined to track her down—Sergeant Rosemaria Baker of the Beverly Hills Police Department. Beautiful yet disenchanted with the glitz of Hollywood, Rosemaria considers Josh a delusional loser but he’s her best lead. Too bad Josh doesn’t know Lila in the way he thought he did. When the cops finally bring Lila in, she declares herself innocent and builds her case around disturbing childhood trauma that will twist Josh’s soul.

Review:

This was an intense thriller. I liked the Hollywood setting. Many of the characters were in show business. I liked that this story showed every part of the crime from before it happened to the trial afterwards. I’m curious to see how this series continues!

Deception is a suspenseful thriller.

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

Content warnings: death, gun violence, incest, adultery

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

Review: Sister Acts

Title: Sister Acts
Author: Sharon Adelman Reyes
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Publisher: Lake Grove Press
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 6, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Four sisters. Four clashing personalities. Four different ways of living in the world.

Sister Acts explores the impact of loss on three generations of one family –- in particular, the degree to which, to paraphrase Phyllis Chesler, women are capable of inhumanity toward other women. At times heartbreaking and at times hilarious, the novel illuminates the resilience that can come from knowing one’s roots and the estrangement that can result from trying to escape them.

Sophie Malinsky’s sudden death leaves her Left-wing Jewish family in disarray. Rather than bringing her young daughters closer, the loss creates a tangle of jealousies and recriminations. Rose, the eldest, recognizing their father’s limitations, at first tries to become a surrogate mother for her three sisters. But they resent her efforts, each one channeling – or repressing – her grief in a different way. In the absence of Sophie’s love and guidance, two sisters lose their way. Naomi moves to Mexico and tries to shed her Jewish identity. Betti ends up in Nashville pursuing a dream, never realized, of stardom as a rockabilly musician. A fourth sister, Marla, strives for dominance from an early age. Her jealousy of Rose leads to a toxic rivalry that persists well into middle age, affecting their own daughters as well. Lurking behind the conflicts is a family secret that Sophie had planned, but failed, to reveal. Decades later, when Rose finally uncovers it, the Malinskys’ saga finally comes into sharp focus.

Review:

This book is a family drama that follows four sisters as they grow from children into adults. Their relationships morphed as they aged and had different life experiences. They each went on their own paths, even though they had the same upbringing. There was a fun twist at the end that I didn’t expect, but it made the ending satisfying.

Sister Acts is a great family saga!

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

Content warnings: death of parent, attempted suicide, miscarriage, Alzheimer’s, alcoholism

Have you read Sister Acts? What did you think of it?

Review: The Haunting of Paynes Hollow

Title: The Haunting of Paynes Hollow
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Fiction, Horror
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 14, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a nail-biting supernatural horror about a haunted lakeside property and twisted family secrets.

When Samantha Payne’s grandfather dies, she figures she won’t even get a mention in the will. After all, she hasn’t seen him in fourteen years, not since her father took his own life after being accused of murdering a child at their lakefront cottage. Her grandfather always insisted her father was innocent, despite Sam having caught him burying the child’s body, his clothing streaked with blood.

But when she does attend the reading of the will at the behest of her aunt, she discovers that her grandfather left her the very valuable lakefront property where the family cottage sits. There’s one catch: Sam needs to stay in the cottage for a month. To finally face the fact she was wrong and her father was innocent, in her grandfather’s words.

Traveling to Paynes Hollow, Sam is faced with the realities of her childhood and the secrets kept hidden in the shadows of her memories. When her aunt goes missing a couple days into their stay, Sam begins to question everything again. Plagued by nightmares and paranoia, she begins hearing sounds in the forest and seeing shapes crawling from the water as the rippling waves of the lake promise something unspeakably dark lurking just below their surface.

Review:

This was a super creepy story. Sam’s grandfather left her a multi-million dollar property in his will, but she could only receive it if she spent a month on the property where her father killed himself. I thought I had figured out the ending but I was wrong. There was a supernatural element to the story that I wasn’t expecting but I liked it.

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow is a great spooky read!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: Alzheimer’s, death, murder, death of animals, stalking

Have you read The Haunting of Paynes Hollow? What did you think of it?

Review: I Love Hockey

Title: I Love Hockey
Author: Harry Caminelli
Genre: Children’s, Board book
Publisher: Taffy Tales
Source: Publisher
Format: Board book
Release Date: November 4, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Get ready to hit the ice with I Love Hockey, the latest title in Taffy Tales’ popular Look and Find Lift-the-Flap series! This exciting, interactive board book takes young readers on a thrilling journey from a friendly road hockey game to the big game on the ice, teaching them all about the fast-paced sport of hockey along the way.The adventure begins with a fun road hockey game, where kids warm up before their exciting match later that night. As the puck drops, readers will:

Look, find, and count different players Learn basic hockey terms and positions, like forwards, defensemen, and the goalie Discover hidden surprises behind lift-the-flap tabs–from the locker room to the game-winning goal in overtime With vibrant illustrations and playful interactions, I Love Hockey introduces young fans to the world of hockey in a fun, accessible way. Children will count players, learn about hockey equipment, and understand the rules of the game–all while having a blast. The sturdy board book format, complete with chunky tab flaps, makes it perfect for on-the-go reading.Whether it’s their first introduction to the game or an addition to their growing hockey library, I Love Hockey is sure to inspire a love for the sport and have kids excited to play–both on the road and on the ice!

Review:

This adorable board book is all about hockey. It shows kids playing ball hockey on a street. It also shows scenes of an ice hockey game, from the locker room to the rink. There are fun flaps that ask questions, like how many skates are in the illustrations.

I Love Hockey is a fun board book for hockey fans!

Thank you Taffy Tales for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Have you read I Love Hockey? What did you think of it?

Review: Leave No Trace

Title: Leave No Trace
Author: Randee Dawn
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: CAEZIK SF and Fantasy
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 23, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Lexi has been living in a remote stretch of the Rocky Mountain woods since her father dragged her there ten years ago, after her mother and baby brother were afflicted with a magical sickness. Her paranoid father thinks they’ve escaped the magic, and that as long as they never leave the woods, they’ll be safe.So Lexi never tells him about her friend Gil, who turns up sometimes in a birch copse that travels with him, and who is definitely not human. She especially doesn’t mention the magic he taught her, which can open a path to wherever she needs to go. After all, she’s been in the woods for most of her she can find her way without magic.

But when pop star TJ Furey hires them to help him hunt down a bear, Lexi’s secret is threatened. The bear he wants to kill is under Gil’s protection, and if Lexi doesn’t prevent its death, she’ll never see Gil again. But she can’t do so without risking her father’s wrath – and when it turns out that TJ’s manager is harboring a similar grudge of his own, Lexi feels trapped. If she wants her own life, she’ll have to find a way to break all their expectations.

Leave No Trace plays the clash of worlds – magic and technology, future and past, rural and urban – against the backdrop of a bear hunt.

Review:

This story is an intense magical realism story. Though the characters are teenagers and young adults, this is not a YA story. There were some graphic scenes, including scenes involving hunting animals. I liked the magic, or unseen, powers that the characters developed. This book would be a great book club read because there is a lot to discuss.

Leave No Trace is a thrilling magical story.

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

Content warnings: death, death of parent, hunting animals, death of animals, blood

Have you read Leave No Trace? What did you think of it?

Review: Taming the Perilous Skies

Title: Taming the Perilous Skies
Author: Phil Marshall
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Self-Published
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 12, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Anti-gravity could never fail. Until it does.

In the year 2076, humanity’s reliance on Brian Medlock’s anti-gravity technology, powered by Medlock’s unified Theory of Persistence, has brought forth a utopian society. Roads have vanished; energy flows from the very particles around us; and the world thrives under the guidance of a physics-based framework called The Fabric, a theory uniting quantum mechanics and gravity … and possibly divine order.

But on an otherwise ordinary morning, the impossible happens: aerial vehicles worldwide begin plummeting from the sky. Panic spreads. Caught in the catastrophe is Jack Woods – a mild-mannered bureaucrat, single father, and reluctant hero. When Jack’s young son is airborne at the moment of the disaster, Jack is thrust into a race against collapsing infrastructures, hostile government factions, and clashes of faith. Meanwhile, Olivia Martorana, leader of Transportation Technology, uncovers clues pointing toward a secret experiment that may have tampered with the Fabric itself.

As the quantum encryption grid destabilizes, the truth emerges: someone has been using Medlock’s theory to peer into the future – and possibly rewrite it.

Taming the Perilous Skies is a fast-paced hard science fiction thriller that weaves scientific discovery, aerial disaster, philosophical stakes, and deep moral dilemmas into a gripping story of survival and hope. As Jack, Olivia, and Medlock confront questions of free will, faith, and the ethics of technological power, they’re forced to navigate a world where quantum physics, divine prophecy, and political corruption collide.

With a cast of vivid, often wryly flamboyant characters, and a tone that moves effortlessly between suspense, heartbreak, and scientific wonder, Taming the Perilous Skies is perfect for fans of Andy Weir, Dan Brown, and Arrival (Ted Chiang). This is science fiction at its sharpest – smart, subversive, and, at times, disturbingly prophetic.

Review:

This story is an intense sci-fi story set in the year 2076. Everyone travels in aerials in the sky, however, one day they all stop moving at the same time. Then they start falling from the sky. There were scientific and religious implications behind the tragic incident on that day. This story was intense and thrilling, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Taming the Perilous Skies is a thrilling sci-fi novel!

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

Content warnings: death, death of parent, suicide

Have you read Taming the Perilous Skies? What did you think of it?

Review: The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket

Title: The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket
Author: Mark Nutter
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: BookBaby
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Frustrated novelist Danny is resigned to writing material for trade shows, promoting garage doors and non-stick cookware. His ex-wife threatens legal action for non-payment of alimony. Danny never dreamed the answer to his troubles could be larceny.
But then wealthy, charming Packard Hale III reenters his life. He was Danny’s college roommate, and like Lupin and Raffles, he now fancies himself a gentleman thief. Packard hires Danny to write about his capers.
Danny follows Packard as they break into a mansion and steal, among other things, a priceless Chinese vase and a curiously valuable souvenir blanket from Branson, Missouri. However, it’s not Packard who is pursued by the police, but Danny.
Simultaneously, he struggles to please his client, a lawn-and-garden CEO with an erotic attraction to lawnmowers. Danny also endures abuse from Soren, a boozy has-been Vegas magician. He tolerates the mistreatment because of Crystal, the magician’s assistant. He’s falling for her.
When he learns Soren screwed Crystal out of rights to magic tricks she’s created — and in spite of the cops on his tail — Danny plots revenge. He and Packard attempt the daring theft of a state-of-the-art lawnmower—during a live performance in front of 400 people.

Review:

This novel is a funny twist on a heist story. Danny is a writer who is convinced by his college friend to steal things from a mansion, in exchange for Danny writing about his friend’s capers. However, Danny ends up taking the blame for the theft. There were many laugh out loud moments, including with some bumbling detectives who were investigating the theft.

The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket is an entertaining story!

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

Have you read The Gentleman Thief Steals a Blanket? What did you think of it?

Review: The Artificial Conspiracy

Title: The Artificial Conspiracy
Author: Jesse Muehlbauer
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Allaire Publishing
Source: Author
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 2, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

New Year’s Eve in Times Square—an elusive secret society starts the countdown clock on humanity.

365 days until the end of time…

The chilling prediction haunts Mirai McGarry, a young woman who dreams of being a renowned artist even as multiple sclerosis begins to ravage her health.

In the midst of the chaos, a powerful doomsday cult emerges as a safe haven for the masses. Their allure is undeniable, unnatural, and for Mirai, devastatingly personal. Her efforts to thwart them are futile until a mysterious messenger provides the first insights into a dark conspiracy.

When Mirai opens the eyes of a handsome cult member, inspiring him to break free, he joins her odyssey to seek out the one man prophesied to end the madness. With the world around her—and her own body—beginning to crumble, Mirai must confront the mastermind of a nightmare before the countdown is complete.

The Artificial Conspiracy is a philosophical thriller that explores a wide panorama of human nature and challenges the assumptions of our oldest why do we suffer?

Review:

This book is a thrilling dystopian. There were so many twists throughout the story that kept me guessing until the end. The story began with multiple subplots but they were intricately woven to be connected to the main plot. I highly recommend this thriller!

The Artificial Conspiracy is a psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

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

Content warnings: cult, death, kidnapping, poisoning, multiple sclerosis, suicide

Have you read The Artificial Conspiracy? What did you think of it?

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?