Review | Alias Hook

Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen

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“No, it was the glee with which they did it, the jeering, jabbering Lost Boys. We were not in a battle. No lives were at stake. They mutilated me for the sport of it. For the fun.
That is what it is to be a boy.”

James Benjamin Hook has spent 200 long years in Neverland, at the mercy of Pan’s dangerous whims, waging a pointless war against the Lost Boys that will never end.

The rules are broken when a grown woman named Stella Parrish appears in Neverland and discovers Hook isn’t the villain the tale has made him out to be. Together, Hook and Stella will attempt to outwit Pan while searching for Hook’s redemption with the help of the fairies and mermaids.

There are a number of Peter Pan retellings but this is the first that I’ve read. I loved learning about Hook’s past and discovering how he ended up in Neverland. It was fun to see Pan and Hook swap roles as the villain. The romance between Stella and Hook enhanced the tale without overtaking the plot.

I recommend Alias Hook to readers who enjoy fantasy and classic retellings with a hint of romance.

Review | Hope Never Dies

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer

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Former VP Joe Biden has spent the months following the 2016 election puttering around his house in a state of depression. While he’s grouting the master bathroom, Barack Obama is living his best life with stars like Bradley Cooper and has seemingly forgotten Uncle Joe.

Joe is surprised when Barack shows up at his home one evening to tell him about the death of an Amtrak conductor Biden befriended years ago during his time in the senate. The death is suspicious and Joe feels the need to find the truth for his old friend’s family.
Joe begins his own investigation with some help from Barack (and his secret service detail), leading them through the seedy Delaware underworld of cheap motels and biker gangs to uncover the truth behind the opioid epidemic and clear his old friend’s name.

This book is ridiculous in the best way. It’s a cozy mystery that succeeds simply because of the characters. It has nothing to do with politics, there’s absolutely no need to be fans of Obama and/or Biden to enjoy the humor here. If you laughed or rolled your eyes at all the Obama/Biden bromance memes of the past few years, this is a book that takes it to the next level. And that cover is beyond epic!

If you enjoy cozy mysteries, humor that pokes fun of public figures, and bromance — do yourself a favor and pick up Hope Never Dies.

Review | Done Dirt Cheap

Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon

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This is a book with potential. I could see what the author was shooting for but unfortunately it didn’t make it there, at least not for me personally.

Tourmaline Harris has spent the past few years feeling guilty that her mom is behind bars because of her. Her mom’s boyfriend Wayne, who was also involved in that case, has recently been released and he’s determined to get revenge on Tourmaline. Lucky for Tourmaline, her father is the president of the local biker club called the Wardens. It’s a strong brotherhood and they’re going to protect their family by any means necessary.

Virginia Campbell’s life hasn’t been easy. Her dad was killed, her mom’s an alcoholic, and she’s been working for a lawyer who has some incredibly shady dealings. He sends Virginia to infiltrate the Wardens and get enough dirt to get rid of them and make room for his side business.

Tourmaline and Virginia strike up an unexpected friendship and find romance in the Wardens while figuring out how to get themselves out of trouble and overcome their pasts.

I did so much eye rolling.
The friendship between Tourmaline and Virginia did not feel authentic at all, only convenient for the plot.
Somehow Tourmaline has no idea what her dad’s biker club has been doing for years? Is she just in denial?
What have they been doing, you ask? Well, they’re church-going and charity-giving and strong protectors but they also do illegal and dangerous things—but they do it for the greater good. It felt ridiculous.
With all the vague sense of danger, there’s not one but two steamy romances that occur between these barely legal babes and two Wardens. And those romances took over the main plot line.

What I loved: the atmosphere. The South is so richly described (although I could’ve done without the mention of the scent of honeysuckle literally every other page).

There was a bold outline here for a great story but it falls short.
We learn about this dangerous biker club and yet meet only three of its members and have zero connection with them except the vague sense of danger.
Tourmaline and Virginia both want to overcome their current situations but they can’t stop themselves from getting more deeply involved in shady stuff and hanging around these biker boys with their own tough pasts.
It all just felt ridiculous to this admittedly jaded thirty-something.

Review |The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion

The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

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Sookie Poole has married off her third and final daughter. It’s time to find some time for herself, though her 88-year-old mother makes that nearly impossible with her flair for the dramatic.
When Sookie discovers a family secret that changes her entire life, she schedules an appointment with a psychiatrist — but only if he’ll meet her at the Waffle House outside of town. With the help of Dr. Shapiro, her husband Earle, and her four children, Sookie comes to terms with a past she’s just now discovering.

Alternating between Sookie’s life in present day Alabama and the saga of the Pulaski family in 1940’s Wisconsin, readers go on a journey from the Mobile Bay to a family-owned filling station and take to the skies during WWII.

Over-the-top and Southern as sweet tea, this isn’t Flagg’s best novel by a long-shot but it was an entertaining read with a lot of heart and history.

Review | The Unremembered Girl

The Unremembered Girl by Eliza Maxwell

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The very beginning of this book hooked me but I quickly began to have reservations and eventually wished I hadn’t picked this book up at all.

A girl with no name who has obviously suffered major trauma and has been living out in the woods is taken in by a dying woman.
The woman’s son, Henry, supports his mother and religious nut stepfather by selling bootleg liquor. He hopes for a better life by joining the army but can’t leave his mother and he has fallen in love with the girl they have named Eve.

The Unremembered Girl is a mess. There’s zero atmosphere, I couldn’t even tell you where this story took place. It’s full of tired cliches about wise old women, tragic accidents in the past, religious zealotry, and insta-love to name a few.

While the plot centers on events set in motion by Eve’s arrival, her character is nothing more than a prop. She’s suffered so much and yet we’re given zero insight into her past or her present state of mind, we’re only privy to Henry’s thoughts and that hurt the story the most.

But then the story goes from family drama to human trafficking and takes a really dark turn that just spiraled into a dramatic, ridiculous, and absolutely unrealistic ending. Seriously, what a train wreck.

Review | Unlikely Friends

Unlikely Friends by Sahar Abdulaziz

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Irwin is the town librarian and grouch. He has spent years isolating himself from people and following a predictable routine after a tragedy changed his life forever.

Enter Harper Crane, a stubborn teenager who has her heart set on building a friendship with grouchy Irwin. The more Irwin resists, the more Harper pushes herself into his life. Her life has not be an easy one and Irwin quickly realizes she has experienced pain and tragedy also.
The two form an unlikely bond that helps them cope with both their past and current problems.

Readers are also introduced to Harper’s parents and Irwin’s friend Cornelia as the story follows their alternating perspectives.

While Unlikely Friends does have trigger warnings for drug use, domestic violence, and a brief insinuation of sexual abuse of a child; this is ultimately a heartwarming story full of realistic and relatable characters struggling with common but rarely discussed issues like loneliness, grief, and addiction.

Unlikely Friends is a cozy read to give you all the fuzzy feelings when you need a feel-good story. I recommend it to fans of Fredrik Backman and Phaedra Patrick.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with a copy. I was under no obligation to review this book.

Review | The Last Castle

The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation’s Largest Home by Denise Kiernan

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I first visited The Biltmore Estate as a teenager and was in complete awe trying to imagine that anyone ever had the amount of money it would require not only to build but also maintain a 175,000 square foot home. When I began to look into the history of the estate, I was even more impressed by the careful thought put into the home and the nearby village and the grand plans owner George W. Vanderbilt had for operating a small city.

The Last Castle gives readers a history lesson on the Vanderbilt family and their immense wealth, a timeline of the progress on the estate in relation to many important historical events, the key players from its creation to completion, and the influence the grand undertaking had on the area and its people financially and politically.
I enjoyed learning about Edith’s influence on Biltmore and her part in keeping her husband’s dream alive after his sudden death and applaud the lasting legacy the family has left behind.
While many may consider Biltmore to now be an overpriced tourist stop/museum, I see what was once a complex idea dreamed up by George Vanderbilt that has become fully realized over 100 years later.

I’ve read many reviews stating this book was too dry with too much information that didn’t have anything to do with Biltmore but I think this was a great book that encompassed the family, the dream, and the influence while reminding readers of the time period and culture.

I recommend this book to readers interested in history, biographies, and/or those who have visited or plan to visit The Biltmore Estate.

Review | Big Stone Gap

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

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Big Stone Gap is a tiny little town nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains and it’s home to a cast of quirky characters.

In 1978, Ave Maria Mulligan has proclaimed herself to be the town spinster. The thirty-five-year-old town pharmacist has never been in a long term relationship though most of her high school classmates have been married since their teens.

Ave’s mother has recently died and as if that wasn’t enough of a shock, Ave is then given a letter in the lawyer’s office that shares a family secret that changes her life forever.

Big Stone Gap is a small town with a lot of big mouths so it isn’t long before every resident knows her secret, including Ave’s greedy aunt who believes the world owes her something.

With the help of Iva Lou, the local flirt who operates the book mobile, Ave decides to turn all the life changing news into a positive new beginning for herself.

She sells the pharmacy and her childhood home to keep it out of the hands of her greedy aunt while also helping out Pearl, a sweet girl living on the edge of town who just needs a little help to beat the odds stacked against her.

While planning her exit from Big Stone Gap, Ave helps a father share a huge secret with his son before it’s too late, writes to her newfound Italian relatives to plan the trip of a lifetime, and saves actress Elizabeth Taylor from choking on a chicken bone.
You’d think that last bit would be the most surprising, but for Ave, it’s a sudden marriage proposal that shocks her most.

This was a charming cozy read / palate cleanser between heavy reads. The secondary cast of characters are what kept this book light-hearted and entertaining for me. While the plot has been done a million times over (woman sets out to find herself after a huge revelation and a Pride & Prejudice romance that overcomes several misunderstandings), I enjoyed the authenticity of the small Appalachian town and its residents.

Big Stone Gap is the beginning of a cozy series centered around a charming Appalachian town and its quirky residents. I could see myself picking up book two eventually to catch up with this cast of characters when I need another cozy read.

Review | A Curious Beginning

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell, #1) by Deanna Raybourn

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Veronica Speedwell returns home after burying her aunt to find an intruder in her home. The robbery soon turns into an attempted abduction before the Baron von Stauffenbach appears with a revolver and sends the intruder on a quick getaway.

The Baron offers to take Veronica to London as he believes she’s in danger. On their carriage ride, he gives a brief explanation that he knows who she is because he was a friend of her mother’s years ago. He now believes Veronica to be in terrible danger but refuses to give further explanation because it isn’t his story to tell but promises he’ll have answers for her in due time.

We learn that Veronica was raised by two aunts after being orphaned as an infant. The Baron’s promise of answers to her past lead her to go along with his plans.

Upon arriving in London, the Baron leaves Veronica with his trusted friend, Mr. Stoker so that he can uncover details in what he believes to be a dangerous plot against her. Mr. Stoker is a reclusive natural historian with a quick temper and plenty of secrets.

Before the Baron can uncover the suspected plot against Veronica, he is found murdered in his home and suspicion is immediately placed on Stoker. On the run, Veronica and Stoker join a traveling show as a married couple with a knife throwing act, complicated by Stoker’s true identity.

Eventually the pair head to the Rosemorran estate, friends of Stoker’s, to lie low and come up with a plan. Upon breaking in to the Baron’s home, they find documents that give Veronica a clue to her past and also threaten the future of the monarchy.

Laced with humor that would make most any Victorian woman blush, the Veronica Speedwell series is off to a promising start. Veronica is an independent woman who isn’t embarrassed by her sexuality and free spirit, in fact she embraces it. She meets her match with the stubborn but loyal Stoker and together they share a curious beginning to adventures I can’t wait to follow.

An entertaining mystery with a strong female lead and great chemistry with her sidekick, these characters are definitely intriguing enough that I’m excited to continue this series.

Review | The Women Could Fly

The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings

Fourteen years have passed since Josephine Thomas’ mother disappeared. There have been all kinds of whispered theories: kidnap, murder, new identity …. witchcraft.

Jo is ready to let go of the past, declare her mother dead, move on from the whispers – but that’s hard to do as she herself closes in on the age of 30. The state mandates every woman unmarried at 30 must sign a government registry consenting to be monitored for signs of witchcraft. Any peculiar behavior – or even an accusation – can put you on trial.

Jo leaves her life behind for one last chance to connect with her mother and finds that while there are limits in her world to being a woman, those limits can be transcended, with or without magic.

The combination of magical realism, dystopia, feminism, fantasy, and horror create a fantastic, smart, and timely novel!