REVIEW: The Young Wives Club by Julie Pennell

Title: The Young Wives Club
Author: Julie Pennell
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: February 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Teen / Young Adult / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: In Toulouse, Louisiana finding your one true love happens sometime around high school. If you’re lucky, he might be the man you thought he was. But as four friends are about to find out, not every girl has luck on her side in this charming debut novel perfect for fans of The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Desperate Housewives.

Laura Landry’s quarterback husband was her ticket out of Toulouse. But when a devastating football injury sidelines him, they’re forced to move back to the small town she was so desperate to leave. As Brian starts drinking instead of rehabbing his knee, Laura must reevaluate what her future looks like…and if it includes her husband.

For years, Madison Blanchette has been waiting for bad-boy musician Cash Romero to commit to her. When wealthy George Dubois asks her out, she figures she may as well wait in style. Life with George means weekend trips to New Orleans, gourmet meals, and expensive gifts. At first she loves how George’s affection sparks Cash’s jealousy, but when George proposes to Madison, she finds herself torn between two men…

All Claire Thibodeaux wants is to be the perfect wife and mother. If she can do everything right she won’t end up like her mom, a divorced, single parent trying to make ends meet. But when Claire’s husband Gavin, a well-respected local pastor, starts spending late nights at work and less time in their bed, she can’t help but fear that history is about to repeat itself…

Gabrielle Vaughn never thought she’d end up with someone like her fiancé. The son of a prominent congressman, Tony Ford is completely out of her league—which is why she lied to him about everything from having a college degree to the dark truth about her family. She knows she has to come clean, but how do you tell the love of your life that your entire relationship is a lie?

As these young wives come together to help each other through life, love, and heartbreak, they discover that there are no easy answers when it comes to matters of the heart.

My Thoughts: First of all, OMG, ya’ll, where has this author been hiding? Secondly, I am kicking myself for taking so long to read this book! Honestly, I adored this book and everything about it. From the small-town community feel that gave me major Steel Magnolia vibes to the individual characters and their story lines that were so expertly fleshed out and unique. Before I started this book, I thought it was going to be a real pill trying to keep four, yes, FOUR main characters and their plots straight. I thought that it would be a real cluster and it would have been better if this were actually four separate books, but new to me author Julie Pennell totally nailed it!

Besides the characters, I also loved that the author rotates each character’s point of view for each chapter but doesn’t give the story a choppy isolated feel. By that, I mean that even though each chapter focuses on a different character, the other characters are still present and play supporting roles in each other’s story, like best friends do.

The character development and the plot pace were perfect. It was so easy to get to know these women, their history, their situations and it felt like I could be friends with all of them. I had enormous amounts of empathy for each of them and the struggles they were facing. I especially loved that the author takes the time to bring it all full circle, some with unexpected results, but it worked brilliantly! Books like this that bring so many warm fuzzies to my bookworm heart is the reason I love to read and share with others.

My Final Verdict: For the love of God, get this book! Now. Do you have it yet? I will definitely read anything this author writes, even her grocery list and you should too.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Young Wives Club from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord

Title: When You Get the Chance
Author: Emma Lord
Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: January 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Teen
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price’s dream to become a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super-introverted dad, who after raising Millie alone, doesn’t want to watch her leave home to pursue her dream. Not her pesky and ongoing drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension. And not the “Millie Moods,” the feelings of intense emotion that threaten to overwhelm, always at maddeningly inconvenient times. Millie needs an ally. And when a left-open browser brings Millie to her dad’s embarrassingly moody LiveJournal from 2003, Millie knows just what to do. She’s going to find her mom.

There’s Steph, a still-aspiring stage actress and receptionist at a talent agency. There’s Farrah, an ethereal dance teacher who clearly doesn’t have the two left feet Millie has. And Beth, the chipper and sweet stage enthusiast with an equally exuberant fifteen-year-old daughter (A possible sister?! This is getting out of hand). But how can you find a new part of your life and expect it to fit into your old one, without leaving any marks? And why is it that when you go looking for the past, it somehow keeps bringing you back to what you’ve had all along?

My Thoughts: Stories in the teen and young adult genres are usually a lot of fun for me and, when done well as this one is, are hard to put down. New to me author Emma Lord creates a world starring Millie Price and her family and friends. Millie is a typical teenager with big dreams of making it on Broadway. In order to accomplish that, she is convinced she needs to attend a “pre-college” course in musical theater for her senior year to better prepare her.

Raised by her single parent dad and never having known her mother, Millie tends to be an overachiever, which completely made sense to me even though it seems to create more issues for Millie. After her dad tells her she can’t go to California to attend the pre-college course, she decides she is going to find her mother, get her on her side about the school and somehow, together, they will present a united front to convince her dad.

Along the way, she ends up competing for an internship at a talent agency with her annoying arch nemesis, Oliver, that made me feel like their job was nothing more than a giant scavenger hunt, so that was quite entertaining to tag along on.

I adored the chemistry between Millie and Oliver and though it’s obvious to everyone but them that they belong together, it was adorable to watch it happen. I also liked all of the prospective “Mom” candidates that Millie has identified. I thought any of these women would have been great to be the one revealed. I had my suspicions early on who she was and I was correct, but the getting there came as a surprise.

I also enjoyed all of the Mama Mia references and now, because of Millie, I want to see some Broadway shows. This is one of those stories that the reader roots for all of the characters to come out on top. There are no mean girls to fight or evil to vanquish. Just a girl living her life, trying to fulfill her dreams in the best conceivable way.

I went with the audio format and loved the performance by Jesse Vilinsky. Her narration brought out each character’s personality vibrantly and some of the one-liners she delivered had me laughing so hard. For example, a scene between Oliver and Millie when he realizes Millie got to work before him. Oliver sweeps from the elevator a beat later and immediately narrows his eyes at me. “How do you keep beating me here?” “Because I drink coffee like a real New Yorker and you drink tea like the American Revolution never happened.”

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book to fans of the romance, teen and young adult genres as well as readers who like stories about people with big dreams, drive and determination. This book will make you laugh and you may shed a tear or two, but you won’t mind because this book will leave a smile on your face when you finish it.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of When You Get the Chance from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Justice Is Coming by Cenk Uygur

Title: Justice Is Coming
Author: Cenk Uygur
Narrator: Cenk Uygur
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: September 2023
Genre: Non-Fiction / Politics
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A manifesto that outlines the progressive vision, recent history and worldview ― by the founder of The Young Turks and co-founder of Justice Democrats.

The media can't stop talking about the gridlock in Washington, as if a handful of stubborn Republicans are the only thing standing between us and a fully functional democracy. The reality is that our government was taken over by big business and their allies in both political parties. The getaway driver in this heist was corporate media. The good news is that the American people are very progressive. And soon progressives will take over Washington as well! And when they do, the great majority of Americans will love it.

In Justice Is Coming, The Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur presents two ideas that counter everything we hear from pundits and politicians on a daily one, progressives are correct on all issues, and two, America is actually a very progressive country. Millions of us know that we are a part of something larger, a movement that is already transforming Washington.

This compulsively readable manifesto seeks to apply the momentum we have already built to a concrete progressive agenda that activists, voters, and citizens can all rally around. It looks beyond Trump to the larger historical forces that have given us this unique political moment, and explains why we should fight, how we should fight, and how we will win.

Sharp-witted, persuasive, and inspiring, calling out toxic Republicans, politely ineffectual Democrats, and mealy-mouthed media mavens in equal measure, Justice is Coming will give heart to Democrats and progressives who seek to change our politics and society for the better.

My Thoughts: If you’re already a regular viewer of Cenk Uygur’s news and political show The Young Turks, this book won’t add much to what he already has to say about the state of our democracy and the way this country has been taken over by corporations buying off politicians. Narrated by the author, this book gives an open and honest perspective with a little tongue-in-cheek humor that the author is quite good at. In all honesty, he is much more animated on his show with his emotions laid bare.

Nothing is off limits and Cenk Uygur is fearless about exposing the corrupt and the ridiculous that we have elected to office. Now that he has announced his intention to run for President in 2024, I can wholeheartedly say this will be one interesting, if not entertaining, election.

My Final Verdict: Americans should be concerned at the very least at what our government and elected officials are doing right under our noses. I am nowhere close enough to being a political pundit, but Cenk Uygur offers an enlightening perspective to which we should listen. Give the book a go, form your own conclusions and then cast your vote.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Justice Is Coming from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Fairest of All by Serena Valentino

Title: Fairest of All (Villains #1)
Author: Serena Valentino
Narrator: Lucy Rayner
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Publication Date: October 2016
Genre: General Fiction / Fantasy
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: The tale of the young princess and her evil stepmother, the Wicked Queen, is widely known. Despite a few variations from telling to telling, the story remains the same—the Queen was jealous of the girl’s beauty, and this jealousy culminated in the Queen’s attempt on the sweet, naive girl’s life.

Another tale far less often spoken of is the one that explains what caused the Queen to become so contemptuously vile. Still, some have attempted to guess the reason. Perhaps the Queen’s true nature was that of a wicked hag and her beautiful, regal appearance a disguise used to fool the King. Others claim that the Queen might have hated the girl for her resemblance to the King’s first wife. Mostly, the Queen is painted as a morally abhorrent woman who never loved another being during the course of her miserable life.

In fact, the theories about exactly what caused the Queen’s obsessive vanity and jealous rage are too numerous to catalog. This book recounts a version of the story that has remained untold until now. It is a tragic tale of love and loss, and it contains a bit of magic. It is a tale of the Wicked Queen…

My Thoughts: We all know the tale of Snow White, some of us have it memorized. Growing up, this was one of my favorite Disney stories but I always wondered why the Queen was so vile and hateful. This woman gave stepmothers the world over a bad name and I honestly was very happy when she went over the cliff at the end. This interesting story gives us a whole new perspective and different spin on the how and the why the Queen becomes evil and wicked.

The Queen garnered a lot of sympathy from me. She wasn’t always evil and wicked and Snow White wasn’t her ultimate target. Instead, the reader is given a front row seat into the life of the woman before she became the Queen, her love for Snow White. Yes, you heard me correctly. She absolutely adored Snow White. Her love for the King. She was, in a nutshell, one of the most liked and even respected members of the Court. She grew up in a horrible situation, her mother dying in childbirth and her father hating her all her life. She meets the King and falls in love with him and upon marrying him claims Snow White as her daughter. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes and the Queen never regains her spirit, resolve or peace of mind that she once had. Her childhood fears and self-loathing returns and she becomes obsessed by an enchanted mirror and being the fairest one of all. She will do anything to achieve that goal.

Knowing how it all would end did not diminish my enjoyment of the story and getting there. The Queen struggles with her obsession and the rage and hatred that consumes her and though her love for Snow is absolute, the evil wins out in the end. I can’t help but wonder, though, if in the end, she chose to take the path that led to her ultimate demise in order to save Snow from further attempts that she would most likely make.

I went with the audiobook option and the performance of Lucy Rayner kept me engaged. This is the first book in the series and I have the next two and am hopeful they will be just as enjoyable.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this story interesting and recommend it to fans of the classic fairy tales. Though I still love the original story and the Queen is a character we have all loved to hate, I have a little more empathy for this tragic character.

REVIEW: Steeped in Secrets by Lauren Elliott

Title: Steeped in Secrets (A Crystals & CuriosiTEAS Mystery #1)
Author: Lauren Elliott
Narrator: Stephanie Richardson
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: November 2022
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Flat broke and divorced, intuitive gemologist Shay Myers has changed since leaving her artsy hometown of coastal Bray Harbor sixteen years ago. But when she moves back under strange circumstances, old instincts may be the only key to spilling the tea on a deadly mystery.

Even with her life in ruins in New Mexico, Shay feels uneasy about settling into the small seaside town where she grew up on California’s Monterey Peninsula and taking over an estate bequeathed to her by Bridget Early, a woman she had barely known. Her heightened senses—an empathic gift she’s had since childhood—go into overdrive upon touring Crystals & CuriosiTEAS, Bridget’s eclectic tea and psychic shop brimming with Irish lore and Celtic symbols. They reach a boiling point when Shay looks up to discover a stranger’s body sprawled across the shop’s greenhouse roof . . .

With her new business a crime scene and questions brewing over Bridget’s so-called accidental death, Shay fears she’s also inherited the attention of a killer. The terrifying realization sets her on an impractical investigation for answers aided by her sister, an elusive pure-white German Shepherd, a strikingly handsome pub owner who speaks in a gentle brogue, and a misunderstood young woman with perceptive talents of her own. As Shay struggles to figure out her true purpose in Bray Harbor and the powerful connection she has with the tea shop, she must trust her judgment above all else to identify a ruthless murderer and save herself from becoming victim number three.

My Thoughts: Just an OK read for me that die-hard fans of cozy mysteries with paranormal elements will likely enjoy. The book’s pacing was just too slow for me and there seemed to be too many extraneous details thrown in to fill up time that could have been handled better.

This book is the first in the Crystals & CuriosiTEAS series that introduces us to Shay Myers, who after a brutal divorce that not only cost her every penny to her name but her professional reputation as a gemologist is back in her hometown to accept an inheritance of a teashop and cottage from Bridget Early. The why wasn’t too hard to figure out, but the story took forever to get there. While touring the shop with the realtor, they discover a stranger’s body on the greenhouse roof. Again, the story dances around who the deceased is, why he is in Bray Harbor and what his connection is to Shay. By the time the story got around to solving the murder, I was a little surprised. ”Oh yeah, there’s a dead guy from the beginning of the story. Wonder whatever came of the murder investigation…”

I liked Shay and the addition of Liam, the pub owner with the slight Irish brogue who assists Shay in discovering the truth and Spirit, the solid white German Shepherd dog who adopts Shay and seems to be her guardian angel. The audio narration by Stephanie Richardson was just OK too. Her performance of Shay was done well, but the Irish brogue of Liam sounded forced.

My Final Verdict: A story that doesn’t deliver a lot of surprises and takes too long to get there isn’t one I can wholeheartedly recommend. The series may improve as it goes but I don’t need my tea leaves read to know that I will probably take a pass.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Steeped in Secrets from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: If I'm Dead by Marcia Clark

Title: If I’m Dead (Rachel Knight #1.6)
Author: Marcia Clark
Narrator: January LaVoy
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Publication Date: April 2012
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: It started with a haunting image: a Ford Explorer, iridescent in the moonlight and alone on a desolate stretch of beach. Its owner, Melissa Gibbons, has gone missing. Her husband says she flew the coop. But Los Angeles Deputy DA Rachel Knight is convinced otherwise: Melissa Gibbons has been murdered.

So begins the confounding case that Rachel must present before a disbelieving jury. A dissatisfied heiress and her philandering husband-- what really happened? The husband has a fiendishly convincing case that Melissa faked her own death and fled. But with the support of her trusty sidekick, Detective Bailey Keller, Rachel pieces together a much more sinister truth.

In this short, standalone Rachel Knight thriller, readers follow our savvy and riotously entertaining heroine through the surprising world of LA crime.

My Thoughts: You know that old saying be careful what you wish for? Well, it certainly applies here as I have been hoping that I haven’t seen the last of Rachel Knight when I finished The Competition. Marcia Clark fulfilled my wish…in a sense. However, instead of another full-length book, she has given her readers several filler novels that are part of the series, but as I learned If I’m Dead is a standalone.

Taking place between the events of Guilt by Association and Guilt by Degrees, this story involves a case of a missing woman who is likely dead and the resulting murder trial with the woman’s husband as the defendant. Pretty standard Rachel Knight without any surprises or twists that grabbed me the way the other books did.

My Final Verdict: I recommend this book to fans of the Rachel Knight series, which, for me, really showcases Marcia Clark’s talent as an author. Rachel’s success in the courtroom clearly shows to me that Ms. Clark certainly knows her stuff and can hold her own. I’m still holding out hope for another full-length story, but until then there are two more filler stories.

REVIEW: The Broken Hearts Book Club by Lynsey James

Title: The Broken Hearts Book Club (Luna Bay #1)
Author: Lynsey James
Publisher: Carina
Publication Date: September 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance / New Adult / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN

Description: Secrets never stay buried for long...

Lucy Harper has always been good at one thing: running from her past. But when her beloved Nana Lily passes away she has no choice except to return to the one place in the world she most wants to avoid...

Luna Bay hasn't changed much in the eight years she has spent in London. The little Yorkshire village is still just as beautiful, but the new pub landlord is a gorgeous addition to the scenery!

Lucy only intended to stay for a day, yet when she discovers that Nana Lily has not only left her a cottage but also The Broken Hearts Book Club, Lucy is intrigued. Her Nana never have mentioned the club and Lucy can't wait to get started, but walking into her first meeting she is more aware than ever that her past is finally catching up with her.

One way or another, Lucy must finally face the secrets she's kept buried for so long-or spend the rest of her life on the run...

My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this book on so many levels! This book is expertly character and relationship driven and I found myself finding it difficult to not like anyone. Even the odious Maggie and Rachel garnered some sympathy from me. This book touches on so many topics that pulled on my heartstrings so hard. Obviously, there’s grief, as the title alludes to and our protagonist Lucy knows a lot about that, having just lost her Nana as well as the horrible thing that happened to her best friend, Vicky, eight years ago.

There’s also forgiveness. Forgiving others is part of moving on, but often we forget to forgive ourselves and that is crucial to healing. There is an immense amount of forgiveness needing to happen in Luna Bay.

Letting go and opening ourselves up to another kind of life with another kind of happiness does not always mean forgetting the past, especially when you’re grieving the death of a loved one and I loved that Lucy wants the members of the book club to do that and even though her intentions aren’t all met with a spirit of acceptance or succeed as planned, Lucy doesn’t give up. Her flaw is that she gives up all too easily on herself, doesn’t open herself up to risks or chances when it deals with matters of the heart and is likely to sacrifice her happiness and run away. With the book club inheritance from her Nana, Lucy learns that she can open herself to second chances and new beginnings.

I loved all the characters, OK most of the characters. The ones I didn’t love, I had compassion and empathy for. The members of the book club were all so diverse and their grief journeys got me right in the feels.

The relationships in this book were fantastic to watch unfold. Lucy’s relationship with her parents, her best friend Elle, her roommate George and the members of the book club were lovely. I really loved Lucy and Jake both individually and as a couple and the fact that he’s a single dad added a great twist that was handled beautifully.

Lastly, I loved the book club’s reading selections and I wouldn’t be a true bookworm if I didn’t admit to wanting to be a part of this book club. Instead, I had to live vicariously through Lucy and join them in spirit, however my to be read pile is taller now, thanks to the books they chose to read. I want to read them too. I also want to read the other books in this series.

Lynsey James is an author you should add to your must-read authors list. This was my second book by her and I have one other on the list with the rest of her backlist on my wish list. Honestly, it’s authors like Lynsey James who are the reason why I will never get all of my books read, and that’s a good thing.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I highly recommend this book to readers who love stories that touch your heart, make you laugh, make you cry and make you want more.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Broken Hearts Book Club from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Violent Season by Sara Walters

Title: The Violent Season
Author: Sara Walters
Narrator: Jorjeana Marie
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Publication Date: October 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Teen
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: An unputdownable debut about a town marred by violence, a girl ruined by grief, and the harsh reality about what makes people decide to hurt each other. The Violent Season is a searing, unforgettable, and thrilling novel that belongs on shelf with Sadie and Girl in Pieces.

Every November, the people in Wolf Ridge are overwhelmed with a hunger for violence--at least that's the town rumor. Last fall Wyatt Green's mother was brutally murdered, convincing Wyatt that this yearning isn't morbid urban legend. but rather a palpable force infecting her neighbors.

This year, Wyatt fears the call of violence has spread to her best friend Cash--who also happens to be the guy she can't stop wanting no matter how much he hurts her. At the same time, she's drawn to Cash's nemesis Porter now that they're partners on an ambitious project for lit class. When Wyatt pulls away from Cash, and spends more time with Porter, she learns secrets about both of them she can't forget.

And as the truth about her mother's death begins to emerge from the shadows, Wyatt is faced with a series of hard realities about the people she trusts the most, rethinking everything she believes about what makes people decide to hurt each other.

My Thoughts: The Violent Season by new to me author Sara Walters is dark and disturbing, but predictable in that I figured out early on who was behind the death of Wyatt’s mother but surprised at some of the twists near the end I never expected. For some reason, I kept expecting the entire town to sprout fur and fangs and go on a murderous werewolf rampage or something with the way Wyatt kept bringing up the sickness that infects Wolf Ridge every November. No werewolves were found in this story, but plenty of secrets and death.

I liked Wyatt. She is a typical teenager dealing with the angst of teenage life and being in love with Cash. She’s smoking, doing drugs, having sex and dealing with the brutal murder of her mother the year before. I did not like Cash and if anyone could have been a werewolf, it’s him. He’s moody and his brooding personality grated on my nerves. I felt like his relationship with Wyatt was one sided with Cash on the receiving end of everything. I honestly was at a loss at what she saw in him, other than his mother also died. I liked Porter, Cash’s arch nemesis and when he and Wyatt are partnered for a project in their literature class, they have to spend a lot of time together and begin to get to know each other.

I did not like the way Cash treats Wyatt and every time she brought up her mother’s death and the sickness that seems to infect Wolf Ridge, Cash is quick to stifle her. It seemed to me that he’s not a supportive boyfriend and a little bit of a narcissist. Porter actively listens to Wyatt and her concerns and their banter was light and fun, which was a much-needed change from all the dark and evil lurking around the place.

I enjoyed the story and though I correctly guessed who killed Wyatt’s mother, the why came as a surprise as well as the details behind other deaths. The story moves at a good pace and kept me engaged. Several secondary characters are introduced, possibly to give the reader a plethora of suspects to choose from, but without confusing the reader as to who is who. I listened to the audiobook format and enjoyed the performance of Jorjeana Marie. I will be looking for more books by Sara Walters and audiobook performances by Jorjeana Marie.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this is an enjoyable story that I recommend to readers of thrillers and mysteries, as well as readers who enjoy stories that feature characters who are still in high school.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Violent Season from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.