Review: The First Time We Met

The First Time We Met by Jo Lovett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

This book was a great way to get away from the world for a little while. It's a story of missed connections, right place and wrong time.

When we first meet Izzy, she's working in a greasy spoon diner trying to make ends meet while she's pursuing her dream of being a speech therapist. She's serving breakfast one morning, when she meets "The One", Sam. The chat, they flirt, and he goes on his way. She runs after him to ask him out, only to learn that it's the morning of his wedding.

There are a few other connections between the 2 over the years, but it's never the right time for them to get together (for various reasons). Then, after years of not seeing him, Izzy gets an email asking for help with Sam's son's stutter. This reconnection is just what they both need at that point in their lives, and it's interesting to see how it all unfolds.

Thanks to Bookouture & NetGalley for this Advanced Reader's Copy.

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Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I listened to this book, and I really enjoyed the narrator.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is the story of Francie Nolan and her life growing up in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. The story spans from before entering school until she is starting college, describing the triumphs and struggles of her, her family, and the country.

When she was young, Francie's family was struggling to get by. Her father drank away a lot of his income and her mother worked as a cleaning woman to make up the difference. Francie and her brother collected rubbish to trade for pennies each week. Francie's mother realized that education was necessary for her children to rise above their beginnings.

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Review: Hope Never Dies

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

This was a fun, light-hearted, crazy romp of a mystery. Joe Biden is sitting around at home after the 2016 election, missing his friend Barack. Suddenly, Barack appears from nowhere and tells him his favorite Amtrak conductor is dead!

Amtrak Joe is on the case! With the help of Barack Obama and a Secret Service Agent, Joe is determined to find truth and justice in the death of his friend. The humor in this book made me laugh, but the mystery kept me on my toes!

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Review: Princess in Practice

Princess in Practice by Connie Glynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I really enjoyed learning more about Lottie's family history in this second book in the series. We get to discover the history and provenance of her family crown, the one with the moon on top. We also get to learn a little about other historical princesses in the lands.

We also continue with the mystery that was brought forth in the first book. Who is Leviathan and what do they want? While we don't learn ALL the details, we do learn a little more.

I will definitely read the 3rd book in the series when it's available from the library!

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Review: Undercover Princess

Undercover Princess by Connie Glynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

I really enjoyed meeting Lottie Pumpkin and Ellie Wolf as they attended Rosewood Manor. These 2 young ladies couldn't be more opposite, but they became the best of friends. Lottie is a scholarship student who loves princesses and feels that she must be perfect in order to prove her right to be there. Ellie is the princess of a country with an edge to her desire to live a "normal" teenage life.

When rumors start to swirl and the students begin to believe that Lottie is the princess, Ellie comes up with a plan to allow the rumors to be seen as truth. There are twists, turns, and intrigue throughout the story as we learn that there may be threats against the princess. Lottie and Ellie have to navigate the challenges together, and this brings them closer than ever as friends.

I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

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Review: Murder on Cold Street

Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it, if you ask me

I really enjoyed reading this book about Charlotte Holmes. This is the first book in the series that I have read, but it is book #5 in the Lady Sherlock series. I look forward to going back to read more about how we got to the current state of things.

Charlotte Holmes claims to be Sherlock's sister, but in reality there is no Sherlock to speak of. She works "on his behalf, as he is an invalid", mainly because she knows most would not work with a woman detective.

In this story, Charlotte is faced with helping her friend, Inspector Treadles, to determine who killed the 2 men with whom he had locked himself in a room. The men worked with his wife, who had recently taken over managing the family business.

The story had several twists and turns, and I really enjoyed the side jaunts that you thought might lead somewhere, but weren't the answer!

4 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it, if you ask me

I really enjoyed reading this book about Charlotte Holmes. This is the first book in the series that I have read, but it is book #5 in the Lady Sherlock series. I look forward to going back to read more about how we got to the current state of things.

Charlotte Holmes claims to be Sherlock's sister, but in reality there is no Sherlock to speak of. She works "on his behalf, as he is an invalid", mainly because she knows most would not work with a woman detective.

In this story, Charlotte is faced with helping her friend, Inspector Treadles, to determine who killed the 2 men with whom he had locked himself in a room. The men worked with his wife, who had recently taken over managing the family business.

The story had several twists and turns, and I really enjoyed the side jaunts that you thought might lead somewhere, but weren't the answer!

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader's Copy.

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Review: The Testaments

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it without even asking! (but you need to read the first book first)

I really enjoyed the narrators in this book, as they were all different enough to know that it was a new section of the story.

I enjoyed learning the fate of Gilead and a little more about how it came to it's end. At the end of The Handmaid's Tale, we knew it was no longer in existence but not what had taken it down. This is a great story line that describes the end of Gilead from several points of view.

I loved that it kept some characters from the first book, but introduced us to another set of intertwined characters we didn't know about. Some of the characters were extremely disturbing, but others were not quite what you were expecting (after The Handmaid's Tale).

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