REVIEW: Jillian Spectre & The Dream Weaver by Nic Tatano

Title: Jillian Spectre & The Dream Weaver (Jillian Spectre #2)
Author: Nic Tatano
Publisher: Harper Impulse
Publication Date: April 2015
Genre: Teen / Young Adult
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN

Description: There’s a new villain in town…

One who can manipulate dreams and reality to the point that people can’t tell the difference.

This is a job for Jillian Spectre.

The snarky eighteen year old redhead with paranormal powers has already saved the world once but now she’s under attack by a force that might be above her pay grade.

The Dream Weaver.

When Jillian’s own dreams are invaded she finds herself desperately trying to separate reality from fantasy – and struggle with a totally inappropriate crush on someone who isn’t her mind reading boyfriend, Ryan.

When her own soul is on the line as the Dream Weaver manipulates her, Jillian has one shot to save herself and the rest of the world… or she and the rest of the world could be trapped in their dreams forever.

My Thoughts: It was great to meet up with Jillian Spectre and her friends again. A lot has changed for them since they defeated Jillian’s evil father. He now lies comatose in a vegetative state, high school is a memory, Jillian is now a college freshman and she and Ryan are dating. The future is bright and exciting for Jillian, Roxanne, Ryan and Jake or it would be if they didn’t have to take on a siren and possibly a dream weaver with nefarious plans to continue her father’s work and destroy the world. As in the first book, I really enjoyed how these four young people come together as a team, using their powers to make them stronger as they fight the evil surrounding them.

I really enjoy this author’s voice. He does an amazing job breathing life into these characters, making them easy to relate to and very likable. It’s very easy for the reader to connect with these characters and care about them. He blends the tension of the story-line with equal and appropriate amounts of humor and romance that propels the story forward at a pace that keeps the reader engaged and interested. There were major plot twists with the villains that I was not expecting but really enjoyed.

My Final Verdict: I really hope this series doesn’t end here as I would love to know what Jillian experiences next, as well as what’s in store for Jillian’s mom and Fuzzball. I’m also curious as to what will become of Jillian’s father, as I really don’t think we have seen or heard the last of him. I hope there may be more in store for us.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Jillian Spectre & The Dream Weaver from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Waiting For Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey

Title: Waiting for Tom Hanks (Waiting for Tom Hanks #1)
Author: Kerry Winfrey
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: June 2019
Genre: Chick Lit / Romantic Comedy
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Can a romcom-obsessed romantic finally experience the meet-cute she always dreamed of or will reality never compare to fiction, in this charming debut adult novel from Kerry Winfrey.

Annie Cassidy dreams of being the next Nora Ephron. She spends her days writing screenplays, rewatching Sleepless in Seattle, and waiting for her movie-perfect meet-cute. If she could just find her own Tom Hanks—a man who’s sweet, sensitive, and possibly owns a houseboat—her problems would disappear, and her life would be perfect. But Tom Hanks is nowhere in sight.

When a movie starts filming in her neighborhood and Annie gets a job on set, it seems like a sign. Then Annie meets the lead actor, Drew Danforth, a cocky prankster who couldn’t be less like Tom Hanks if he tried. Their meet-cute is more of a meet-fail, but soon Annie finds herself sharing some classic rom-com moments with Drew. Her Tom Hanks can’t be an actor who’s leaving town in a matter of days...can he?

My Thoughts: You don’t have to be a fan of romcom’s or Tom Hanks to enjoy this book, but if you are, then this book will be a true delight! If the talented Nora Ephron were still with us, I would bet this book would already be optioned into a movie she is directing. There are definitely worse things in life to be hung up on than romcoms and Tom Hanks and our darling heroine, Annie, has set the bar pretty high looking for the perfect man. Her dream of becoming a screenwriter comes a bit closer when Annie lands a job on a movie set assisting the director. Her meet-cute with the lead actor, Drew, leaves Annie mortified and wishing she could crawl under a rock, but, hey, not everything in life is perfectly scripted with full hair and makeup.

I’m a complete sap for romcoms and Tom Hanks so I knew this book would appeal to me. It just had to! And though this isn’t my pick for the best book I have read in 2020 and it probably won’t win any awards of literary acclaim, I loved this book because it was pure fluff and fun. I loved the story, of course, but the characters were so easy to like and get to know. The plot flows beautifully and kept me engaged the entire time. I’ve never read anything else by this author but by the end of the first chapter, I found the sequel and have it ready to go. Yes, there’s a sequel because sometimes a good romcom needs more after that happily ever after and I’m still disappointed that I have yet to learn what happens to Annie and Sam after they leave the Empire State Building.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book to fans of all fiction because everyone needs a story to make them smile and that’s always a good thing.

REVIEW: Switch A Wish by M.B. Earnheardt

Title: Switch A Wish
Author: M.B. Earnheardt
Publisher: Three Worlds Press
Publication Date: September 2015
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon

Description: Chris and Amanda Claridge are that couple. They look happy. They live in a well-kept house, have three little girls and fit squarely into the traditional roles of a husband and wife.

Chris is a handsome college professor, and easily charms most everyone he meets. He loves his job and can’t wait to go to work each day. Amanda is a dedicated mother and caretaker. She tends to the kids and appreciates how important her job is, even if others don’t get it.

Underneath the surface of this functioning family, things are unraveling. Their marital problems are about to split them apart when something magical happens. Chris and Amanda make a bedtime wish that forces them to live the life of the other person.

Chris must pretend to be his wife as he takes on childcare and household chores. Amanda steps out of her heels and into Chris’ shoes to tackle his job as a college professor. The role reversal is a revelation for the couple. Neither one has it as good, or bad, as they expected.

Can Chris and Amanda’s newfound understanding of each other survive when the secrets come out? Or, did a magical wish just cost them their marriage? Will they be able to switch back?
Switch A Wish examines the complexity of a stressed relationship through the eyes of partners who are required to live as each other. This unique perspective allows Chris and Amanda a chance to find their way back to the feelings of the love they once shared.

My Thoughts: I truly believe the biggest problem facing most relationships is the inability to communicate because the couple has lost the ability to relate to one another. Various reasons cause the couple to drift apart, lose the spark that connects them not just intimately but what brought them together in the first place. Resentments build because frustrations are not being communicated and that’s when the trouble begins. Chris and Amanda are just such a couple. They’ve been together a long time and have three children. Amanda gave up her journalism career so she could take care of the home and the children and often is taken advantage of by her mother in law, running errands for her as well. Chris is a university professor who is focused on his career and promoting to the chair of his department. Amanda is frustrated because she doesn’t feel like Chris supports her and never seems to engage with her and the family. She thinks life would be better if they got a divorce. Chris is frustrated because Amanda doesn’t show him any affection and he can’t remember when the last time they had great sex was. He is considering having an affair with one of his students. One night while putting the kids to bed, they each make a wish that the other one understood them. The next morning, they wake up to discover they have switched bodies.

They now have to live life as their spouse and figure out how to do that without making things worse. Along the way, they learn that their spouse doesn’t have it as good as they thought and they realize that the love that brought them together hasn’t gone away, it just needs a freshening up. As secrets are revealed, Chris and Amanda have to decide if what they have is worth fighting for.

My Final Verdict: I felt a lot of empathy for these characters and felt bad for the mess their relationship had become. I really enjoyed watching these characters struggle to figure out how they switched and wondering if they will ever be able to switch back. As both Chris and Amanda experience many realizations they never considered before and begin to fall in love with one other again, it gave me a good feeling to know that relationships are a lot of work, but worth it. I recommend this story for readers who enjoy a story that cuts to the heart of the matter with characters that are easy to relate to as their situation is all too realistic.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Switch A Wish from the author in exchange for an honest review.