reviews – Page 3 – 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: 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: The Dead Romantics

Title: The Dead Romantics
Author: Ashley Poston
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 28, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It’s as good as dead.

When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won’t give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father.

For ten years, she’s run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can’t bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it.

Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is.

Romance is most certainly dead… but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she’s ever known about love stories.

Review:

Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a famous romance author, but now she doesn’t believe in romance anymore. She’s been stuck and hasn’t been able to finish her latest novel. She meets with her new editor, Benji Andor, who insists that she finish the book. Then, Florence is called home when her father dies suddenly. When she’s at her family’s funeral parlor, she opens the door to find a handsome ghost, who also happens to be Benji. Now Florence has to plan her father’s funeral, finish her novel, and figure out how to help Benji complete his unfinished business and move on. But she may find her own unexpected romance with a forbidden ghost.

This was such a great romance! I love stories with ghosts. Florence not only had the ability to see ghosts, but she was also a ghostwriter who wrote romance novels for a famous author. I loved the forbidden romance between Florence and Benji since he was a ghost and they couldn’t be together. I guessed one of the big twists involving Benji, but there was another one later that really surprised me. I will say that this story had a happy ending!

The Dead Romantics is a fun romance!

Thank you Berkley Romance for providing a digital copy of this book.

Content warnings: death, car accident, coma

Have you read The Dead Romantics? What did you think of it?

Review: Marvel 1602

Title: Marvel 1602
Author: Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert, Richard Isanove
Genre: Graphic Novel, yHistorical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Marvel
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 29, 2003
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In Marvel 1602, award-winning writer Neil Gaiman presents a unique vision of the Marvel Universe set four hundred years in the past. Classic Marvel icons such as the X-Men, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and Daredevil appear in this intriguing world of 17th-century science and sorcery, instantly familiar to readers, yet subtly different in this new time. Marvel 1602combines classic Marvel action and adventure with the historically accurate setting of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign to create a unique series unlike any other published by Marvel Comics.

Review:

England, 1602: Queen Elizabeth I is the ruler, and she works with her spies Nicholas Fury and Doctor Strange to uncover a mysterious artifact being sent to England. Fury and Strange also work with Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men to save the world from Doctor Doom and other dangers.

This was a fun adaptation of the Marvel comic characters. They were slightly different without all of their powers in this setting of Elizabethan London, but the characters were the same people. There were a lot of characters to keep track of throughout the story. I liked that even though some seemed to be original characters, they were later revealed to be part of the Marvel universe in disguise.

Marvel 1602 is a fun graphic novel for Marvel fans!

Have you read Marvel 1602? What did you think of it?

Review: Whiteout

Title: Whiteout
Author: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 8, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of interwoven narratives, Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance—by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout!

As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm?

No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can’t always prepare for the magical moments that change everything.

From the bestselling, award-winning, all-star authors who brought us Blackout—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—comes another novel of Black teen love, each relationship within as unique and sparkling as Southern snowflakes.

Review:

One night, a few days before Christmas, Atlanta has a snowstorm. Everything in the city stops, but Stevie needs to try to win her girlfriend back. She enlists the help of her friends, who do all they can to get around the city and help Stevie, while also finding their own snowstorm romances.

I loved the book Blackout, which was written by the same authors, so I knew I would love this one. It was so fun to read these intertwined stories of different characters who were working towards the same goal, but who also had their own subplots happening at the same time. There was a list of clues at the end of the story to help you figure out who wrote each chapter. I tried to guess which author wrote which characters while I was reading it, and I think I got a couple of them right.

Whiteout is a fun snowstorm romance!

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