Meow or Never by Jazz Taylor

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I'm back with another review and this time it's for a middle grade story. I was given an advanced reader copy from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review. Scholastic tries to publish diverse books for all readers. This is one of their Wish novels. And this was a middle grade unlike one I've ever read before.

Avery is 12 years old and has been in her new town for a few months but is struggling to make friends. She suffers from social anxiety so it's hard for her to talk to her peers without panic attacks. She does finally find a new friend in a stray cat who is hanging out in a storage closet in the theater at school. 

After her crush overhears her singing and convinces her to try out for a part in the school play she lands the role of Juliet in a Romeo & Juliet adaptation. The problem is she's not even comfortable reading out loud in front of the class. How is she going to sing and act? It's making her so anxious she can barely eat and she literally tries to run away from her problems.

This was a sweet contemporary story about young girls navigating middle school life. None of these girls are perfect. They have different family dynamics and insecurities. All three are struggling with finding real friendships until they find each other. There's also great commentary about therapy and the stigmas against it. 

And Avery is a queer girl experiencing her first big crush and wondering if those feelings will be reciprocated. I like how normal it's treated and how she doesn't have to worry about hate from outsiders based on who she likes. I think this is a great story to give to children who want a light read that touches on some strong family themes. This book is just so much more than the cute cat on the cover.

The Unbroken by C. L Clark

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Is it just me or has March felt endless?  And it's been awhile since I've read an epic fantasy. I really had to take my time with this one. It's based on the French rule of North Africa which is not something I have much knowledge in. So now I'm interested in doing my own research. And if you're interested as well this article is a great place to start. I received a finished copy from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review for Caffeine Book Tours. 

Touraine is stolen as a child to be a soldier. She currently back in her homeland where she is kidnapped, tortured by rebels, stripped of lieutenant ranks, and then the princess show mercy on her by making her one of her servants. 

Luca has much to prove before she can take her rightful place on the throne and rule the Balladairan Empire. Dealing with her disability is hard enough but with a rebellion growing stronger she wants to make peace in Qazal. And she wants Touraine to be her go between as someone on her side who the people will trust. 

This story starts off very fast paced immediately throwing you into the action. We get a brief introduction to Touraine and her life as a solider before everything is ripped away from her and she's close the execution block before Luca saves her to use her as a pawn.

Part 2 of the story is dense and slower as Luca and Touraine really have to question everything they've been taught. Touraine is faltering with her loyalty to the Empire as she realizes her entire existence has been to serve someone else. I wasn't quite sure at times whether we were supposed to route for a relationship between Luca and Touraine. They grow closer the longer they are together and rumors of them being lovers begin to circulate around the kingdom. But it's still a master vs servant relationship with Luca holding the power. She's a literal colonizer! So it was hard to read about them falling for each other. And with both women being indecisive there were parts where it felt like the story was stalling.  

This book tries to get the reader to understand just how deeply colonialism impacts a society and its ripple effects. The Qazali people just want their basic human rights. They want the right to live, earn at least minimum wage, the right to bear arms, and own businesses on their own land.

Luca convinced herself she was making things better for the Qazali people by giving them a fraction of the rights back. She's only as sympathetic and apologetic about the Balladairan's treatment of the Qazali to a fault. When her position is threatened it's all about what's best for her and the rest should take what she offers. She also is playing nice with the rebels to gain access to their magic for her people.  

Touraine may be a former soldier who is fighting that mentality to break free from her oppressors but she's also no saint. Just as Luca's selfishness causes hundreds of innocent people to end up dead so does Touraine's. She's grappling with the childhood she was robbed of and the customs and language that was stolen from her. Touraine's complicated relationship with the rebels has her often undermining both sides.

The world is so richly described and sucks you in right away to the point where you can almost feel the sand and sun on your neck. One of the things I look for in a fantasy is the atmosphere and she delivers. I pictured Luca's home as this grand kasbah with elaborate rooms. I would've liked to see the religion and magic system a little more developed but I'm sure that will happen next book. Over all this is a solid start to a new series. And the audiobook is narrated by the same narrator who did Mirage so I kind of want to do a reread with the audiobook because her narration is A1 for these types of stories.

Mine at Midnight by Jamie Pope

 

Welcome Back Booklovers! Once again I dipped into the Kimani Romance backlist to read an author I never read before. This is one that I found on Hoopla. Mine at Midnight by Jamie Pope was a small town romance and you know I love me some small town romance. This was a little different than the usual small town romances I read though since it was a small island off Florida. 

Ava is preparing to get married in the wedding of the century in a few days to a Belgium billionaire when his long-time mistress shows up at her doorstep and makers herself and her children known. Oddly enough she insists she's not trying to break up the engagement but just wants to make her presence known and that she knows which position she plays. Well Ava isn't ready to fall in line with this arrangement and promptly calls off the wedding. 

Derek is the handsome young mayor of Hideaway Island and owns the house next door to the one Ava is staying at. He's had run ins with Ava's fiancé and brushes her off as a woman similar to his mother who is easily impressed by rich men with no aspirations beyond being arm candy. 

After watching Ava destroy a $25,000 he decides to check on her and stop her before she sets it ablaze. After that they start spending time together and Derek realizes she's not the spoiled princess he thought she was. 

I don't think the title fit the story and I wonder what the inspiration was behind it because it certainly nothing in the book. No one became anyone's at midnight. And some of the banter was incredibly childish. They felt less like 20 something year old adults and more like children on the playground being childish. Like her teasing him about his kisses being gross and ridiculous name calling. It ripped me away from the story every time. Childish banter aside I was still digging the romance as they really got to know each other and become good friends. It was nice to see them freely talk about their families and insecurities and there were some sizzling scenes. 

But then the longer Ava stayed in Hideaway the more she lost herself in the relationship. I didn't like how suddenly she was cooking for him, cleaning for him, organizing his paperwork. So many times it was emphasized that she gave up pieces of herself for her ex Max and she was so ready to do the same for Derek. But he wasn't giving up anything for her. And while he comforted her early on and helped her through the breakup she started to take on a more motherly role as he battled his own mother. Much of the conflict in this story stems from Derek's issues with both his mother and father. And for me the romance fell apart towards the end. 

Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Spring has sprung and allergy season has slowed me down a bit but I'm still reading. And this time I'm back with a review of one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 and it didn't disappoint. To be honest I wasn't quite sure what this book was about going into it. This was another instance of me not actually really reading the synopsis and just wanting to read a book because of the vibes the cover was giving me. I love that 1920s Black dancer look. Plus I've been feeling historical Black fiction lately. But make no mistake this book isn't all glitz and glamour.

The story takes place in two timelines switching between 1925 and 2015 depending on the chapter. Sawyer is a young filmmaker who after suffering from the loss of his sister is trying to finish a film project. After finding an old film reel he believes to be a lost work by the legendary Oscar Micheaux, he decides to visit 110 year old Honoree Dalcour who he believes starred in the film. The story then dips back in Honoree's life in 1925 when she was a chorus girl with big dreams dancing at a run down speakeasy in Chicago. 

As Honoree often notes after something good happens the bad is soon to follow. And this woman experiences a lot of bad. Just when it seems she's able to escape the harsh club owner who thinks he has ownership over her and get a better dancing gig and a chance at glamor and luxury, she's sucked into the world of mobsters and violence. She witnesses a murder, gets caught up with an old lover, and is helping a new friend survive. There's a lot of twists and that moment when things started to make sense and the past and present intertwine was well plotted. 

It took a few chapters to get going but this ended up being a riveting tale. The bouncing between the past and the presence somewhat reminded me of The Girl with the Hazel Eyes by Callie Browning which I read last year. This isn't a Black Great Gatsby full of wealthy people partying though there are plenty of parties. This story gives a glimpse into what Chicago life was like for Black people during that time. To say Honoree and crew were a wild set is putting it nicely. Her skin tone and looks could only take her so far and her life was not easy at all.  She's a broken young woman pushing through trauma with others around her fighting their own battles.

Meanwhile in present day Sawyer is learning more about his family and overcoming the grief that haunts him. He has broken connections with his living family members that he's trying to grapple with. And he ends up making friends with Lula, one of the aids working at the nursing facility. I would've loved to see a little bit more of his story as I felt he still had much to give.

I like that Bryce includes references to her research in her author's note in case you want to do your own dive into history. There's also discussion questions in case you want to make this a book club or group read. This was a fascinating tale that has me wanting to discover more of Chicago's history.

I received an early copy of this book from Kensington Books in exchange for review.

 

Playing with Desire by Reese Ryan

 

Welcome Back Booklovers! I've been in a Kindle reading mood and a backlist romance reading mood lately. But most important I've been in a Reese Ryan reading mood. So I once again dipped into the Kimani backlist via Hoopla to check out Playing with Desire. If you're interested in backlist Black romance there's a lot of Kimani romance available in the ebook format. 

Unlike my previous Reese Ryan read this is a multiracial and multiethnic romance. The lead leading lady Maya Alverez is an Afro-Latina and leading man Liam Westbrook is a mixed race Brit. One aspect Reese excels at is writing sexy and charming millionaire and billionaire heroes that instantly suck you in. And I was intrigued from the first two chapters with this one.

Liam is the usual millionaire playboy who can't see himself being tied down. We find out he is still hurting because he felt his brother betrayed him by getting with his ex girlfriend and his family relationships have been fragile ever since. I think he's fleshed out well enough where you see the  him embracing this fantasy life with Maya and growing to have genuine feelings for her.  

Maya is a mother of two and divorcee trying to find her groove again. Her daughters are away with their father for the summer and she's ready to discover herself outside of just being a mother and wife. So she purposely hides that she's a mother and instead plays the role of a single woman with no baggage letting go of her inhabitations for the summer. I liked reading about her exploring her sexy side that her ex husband never liked her to embrace. And Reese writes steamy somewhat erotic sex scenes so perfectly. 

That being said the chemistry inside the bedroom wasn't enough to make this a top romance read for me. Where the story ended up falling apart for me was that the not telling Liam about her kids plot was dragged out too long so the bonding time with her daughters was rushed into one chapter. And I just couldn't gel with how overly comfortable these girls were with this strange man. Them sitting on his lap, rooting for him to kiss their mom, and falling in love with him in one day was too much. Especially when Maya and Liam didn't know each other well outside of the facades they put up during their fling. I needed to see those interactions eased into. He met the girls and instantly seemed to let ago of his feelings towards kids and being involved with a single mother. I needed to see more of Maya with her girls as we're told she's very devoted to them but we don't really get to see it on page. I just couldn't root for them to come together as a family of four.

Keep in mind this is one of her earlier books having been released in 2017 and she's more settled now into the Harlequin formula and has discovered a better balance between the plot and the sex scenes to give fully fleshed out stories. 

Start with This Then Grab This!

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I often see preconceived notions of adult books being inaccessible. And sometimes people find them harder to navigate because the books aren't always marketed in your face like YA.  So maybe some of these suggestions can help with branching out into adult sff.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna is heavy epic fantasy about outcast girls who find their power and if you're eager for something in a similar vein I suggest you read Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston which is another epic fantasy about a young woman training to be a force in her world.

    

      

Who didn't love Cinderella as a little girl? But these two stories aren't the simple tale of the girl with the glass slippers who went to the ball. Cinder by Marissa Meyer gave us a dystopian twist presenting Cinderella as a bad ass mechanic. So if you loved Cinder try The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood, a gothic retelling of the classic tale where Ella gets seven wishes that each come with a price to pay.

 

 

The Good for Nothings by Danielle Banas is a smart and funny sci-fi adventure about Cora and her merry band of misfits who are offered their freedom in exchange for going on a dangerous quest across the galaxy. If you're looking for another offbeat space opera Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes has you covered. Captain Eva and her crew must undergo a series of missions to earn money to pay her sister's ransom. But this is no easy feat when dealing with pyscho cats and a fish-faced emperor's advances.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azhad is a stunning high fantasy set in a city along the Silk Road where people of all faiths have rebuilt after a djinn attack and a girl finds herself in the middle of a war between two feuding djinn clans. Middle Eastern food and folklore provide inspiration for a dynamic atmosphere. Once you're done you can check out S. A. Chakraborty's The City of Brass where a girl stumbles upon a secret city of djinn that make be the key to discovering her own heritage.

 

If you enjoyed the magic in Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Corthron and the look at every day life of Black people during the Jim Crow era than I suggest you read The Conductors by Nicole Glover which is set in the post Civil War era and you'll find the unique take on magic to be similar in some ways.

The Billionaire's Legacy by Reese Ryan

 

Welcome Back Booklovers! I was just in a romance reading mood last week and I breeze through a few of them. And I wanted to stop and talk about The Billionaire's Legacy by Reese Ryan after the positive response to my tweet on Saturday. 

The Billionaire's Legacy surprised me in a good way. I hate surprise pregnancy romances. I've come across it executed so badly! And I'm not that fond of billionaire/millionaire romances either. So even though the excerpt pulled me in to this one I didn't expect to enjoy this. 

Tech billionaire Benjamin "Benji" Bennett has just sold his company and he's feeling good. At his cousin's wedding he runs into his childhood crush and they end up spending the weekend reconnecting. Sloane Sutton is five years older and his sister's best friend. They part ways with Benji going to Japan for six months. After six months Benji shows up at her doorstep determined to explore a relationship with her. Instead he gets a shock after finding out she's pregnant with twins and was going to keep it from him even with her life currently in shambles.

Sloane didn't want to be anyone's charity case. Even before the pregnancy she let it be known she was uncomfortable being a kept woman. And while I would've gladly enjoyed the billions and sat my happy ass in Japan eating the best sushi in the world I respect her feelings. She saw how dependent her mother was on the men in her life and didn't want it. 

But she needs a place to live, needs to clear some debts, and needs to work out an arrangement with the father of her children so she agrees to come live with him in Magnolia Lake near his cousins. And the next few months aren't easy as they face their share of challenges with this high risk pregnancy, disapproval from family members, and job opportunities that threaten to keep them apart. 

It was refreshing how Benji and Sloane were able to talk out their problems like mature adults. And also cut off family members when they were being toxic. His mother, sister, and even cousin were convinced Sloane is nothing but a gold digger and he told them to respect her or stay out of his children's lives. This book had just the right balance of sweet and sexy and I was enthralled from start to end.

The Cowboy's Claim by Nina Crespo

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I was in the mood for a small town romance after a big fantasy read and The Cowboy's Claim was one I'd been meaning to get around to reading. This light and easy read is was just the low angst refresher I needed.

Chloe Daniels is a struggling actress who is up for the role of a lifetime and she's determined to ace the final auditions. The director is a hot upcomer who she admires and after some misteps Chloe needs to land something. To get into character she has her agent send her to a stable in Maryland to shadow learn about running a ranch. Though Chloe is apprehensive about horses due to a bad past experience she's ready to make the most of this. But first she'll have to deal Tristan Tillbridge, the reluctant ranch manager who insists he doesn't have time to be distracted by her. Chloe quickly wins over the rest of the staff showing them she's capable of stepping in to help anywhere she's needed and isn't afraid to get dirty. 

Tristan is working through some family drama still haunted by the way his relationship with them soured. Now that they finally got Tillbridge Stables back and have expanded to a guesthouse, things are busier than ever. He has to prove to his cousin Zurie that he's committed to the family business as he handles day to day operations in her absence. So when Chloe waltz's in her heeled boots giving his flashbacks to an aspiring actress who gave him trouble in the past he can't help but compare. Soon he can't ignore the push and pull between them any longer and they embrace their attraction. 

If you like romances with tight knit communities, close families, homestyle food, hot cowboys, and stubborn heroes I suggest you check this one out. And this is the first in a series so you meet the stars of future books along the way. The chemistry between Chloe and Tristan is hot and has you quickly anticipating their first kiss. Even if you're not an outdoorsy person this one gives you the urge to take a getaway at a ranch. 

Interview with Author N.G. Peltier

 

Welcome Back Booklovers! If you haven't already pre-ordered Sweethand I'm not sure what you're waiting for. This Caribbean romance is sure to capture your heart. If you need convincing you can check out my review here. But today I'd like to introduce you to the author behind what is sure to become your next favorite romance N.G. Peltier.

Where did the idea for Sweethand come from? What made you decide to self publish?

Sweethand first started as a YA contemporary fantasy. The food element for Cherisse was always there but there was a magical slant to it. I felt like I wasn’t getting the voice right for YA, so decided to change it to contemporary romance and go with one of my fave tropes: enemies to lovers/dislike to love. 

After I got my agent, we went on submission to US publishers in 2018. Then went on sub again after revising in 2019. By the time 2020 rolled around and we realized we didn’t have any bites for the book I had a choice to make, either self-pub it or shelf it and focus on getting something else ready for submission. I really felt in my gut that it wasn’t time to let go of Sweethand yet and decided that self pub was the way to go.

Congratulations on securing a book deal with Hatchette UK! How did that deal come about and what has your experience been like so far?

Thank you! It’s all still pretty surreal. I would never have thought I’d have a deal with a UK pub for a book that was passed on by US pubs. But it’s all thanks to my gorgeous cover I must say. Shout out to my cover designer Leni Kauffman who did such an amazing job! After I did my cover reveal, my agent reached out to me to say a UK publisher saw the cover and asked if we would want to submit to them. I was all (insert shocked emoji !!!!) and we agreed to submit to several UK pubs :) 

I honestly didn’t anticipate hearing back from any of them so soon but there came December and an email from my agent saying she had good news and here we are!

My experience has been good so far. I’ve been emailing with my editor back and forth, with any questions that I have. So far, so good!

Sweethand is set in the beautiful twin island of Trinidad and Tobago. Did you ever feel pressure to change the setting or make your story feel more palatable for a non Caribbean audience?

Nope, never once felt like I needed to set it anywhere else. I did struggle during revisions of whether I needed to make it more Caribbean or less Caribbean but eventually decided I don’t care, I’m gonna write it how I want! I wasn’t writing specifically for a non-Caribbean audience. I feel like the same way I Google stuff that I may not get right away while reading books set in the US/UK, readers can do the same here. 

What has it been like preparing for a book launch during a pandemic and do you have anything special planned for the release date?

Hmm, well I think even if there wasn’t a pandemic I may have been doing my launch like this anyways, getting some virtual events prepped etc since I’m in the Caribbean. It may have been difficult to do it any other way. I think the main difference is I would have been celebrating here on a bigger scale with friends/family if COVID wasn’t a thing. Like going out to dinner or something, but I’m keeping it low-keyish. 

For the actual release day I’ve ordered a cake, some cookies and there will be wiiine. I do have a lil something planned in the evening as a way to celebrate virtually but more on that soon :)

You’ve participated in DV Pit? What was that experience like?

It was pretty great! People were so supportive and helpful leading up to it. I’ll never forget how Alexis Daria and Meredith Ireland offered to help me with my pitch. It was my second time doing the event, having tried with a different book the year before, and I was nervous of course. But they gave me great feedback and encouragement. The excitement and intrigue of people for my pitch felt good too. 

I felt like I was taking a bit of a risk with my pitch format since I did it like a recipe (which I thought was cute given Cherisse’s job) but I think that’s what got others interested in it too. 

What are your tips for finding an agent?

Most important tip of all research research research. I had a spreadsheet with names, their agency name, what genres they repped, their submission guidelines etc. I went on their agency website and checked out whatever info I could find. Before I had my agent I didn’t have a Publishers Marketplace subscription, but if you can afford it it’s a pretty valuable resource. You can see all the deals they’ve done in the various genres/categories. 

What's the most common misconception about island life you come across? 

That we all live on the beach and are there 24/7 LOL. I wish! I don’t live near the beach, can’t even see a hint of water from where I am. It can take up to two hours for me to get to a beach. 

You’re an avid romance reader. What got you into reading romance?

Hmm, I was always that person who scoped out someone’s bookshelf when I went to their house or asked about whatever book I saw they had, and I vaguely recall finding a tattered falling apart Mills and Boons book at my grandparents house (we all lived there until we got our own house). I can’t pin down exactly what drew me to actually read it but that’s the earliest memory I have. And I’m pretty sure I wasn’t old enough to be reading that lol!

What are your favorite romance tropes?

Well I mentioned enemies to lovers above but I also looove fake dating, friends to lovers, second chance romance, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity. 

Do you have any tips for writing and drafting while working a full time job?

It is tough but carving out small bits of time can add up. Everyone has their method, so don’t feel pressured to be writing for hours if that doesn’t work for you. I actually sneak wrote at work sometimes, (lol) or  would even write sometimes after work for maybe even an hour. That’s not usually the norm for me. The weekends are more when I do the most writing because it’s so hard to feel energized to do anything after coming from the office. So I ensure to make some time on Saturdays and Sundays. Even if I chip away at a scene for 30 mins then take a break then come back at it. That works best for me. 

Can you give us any details about your next story?

I can’t go into too many details yet. What I can say for now is I'm working on Island Bites book 2 and it’s grumpy/sunshine trope, which is a lot of fun to write!  

You can keep up with N.G. Peltier via Twitter @trinielf

The Conductors by Nicole Glover

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! We're kicking off March with a historical fantasy release. The Conductors is the first book in the Murder and Magic series. I've been reading more historical fiction lately and I'm really enjoy how it humanizes these people. Because often when we talk about Black people throughout history especially prior to The Civil Rights Movement we talk about them as if oppression was the only thing going on in their lives. 

It's important to note I listened to the audiobook which I received via Libro FM for this while reading alongside an advance copy that I was sent by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Nothing really changes between them outside of some grammar and sentence structures. While I usually don't like Bahni Turpin's narration I thought it flowed steadily here.

As the first book in the series we are introduced to a lot of characters. And like many fantasy stories you're thrown into the world rather than eased in. And there's so many different moving pieces to set up the series.

This story follows Henriette "Hetty" Rhodes who alongside her husband Benjamin "Benjy" have worked to help Black people escape slavery through the Underground Railroad. And even though the 13th Amendment has been passed and ratified by Congress for some that freedom exists solely on paper. The story opens with wanted ads for Negro runaways. As well as an ad for Hetty and Benjy who are wanted dead or alive for stealing slaves.

In this world some Black people do practice magic and previously were forced to wear collars to identify and restrain them. They are now permitted to use magic do so but with restrictions defined by the local authorities. But they can only use one type of magic and are not permitted to use the sorcery that white people use which includes magic wands and is considered a more powerful form of magic.

The particular brand of magic that Hetty and Benjy use is a celestial magic brought over from Africa and passed down through generations. It incorporates brew magic with herbs, songs, and sigils from constellations. Magic users often draw these sigils into the air, dirt, or other objects. Hetty sews them into her clothes as well as Benji's so they always have a reserve of magic ready.

This magic aided slaves on the plantation to aid in tasks such of picking crops or to making healing balms for wounds. You are reminded throughout that these people are not far removed from slavery with flashbacks to life on the plantation and how Hetty had to use her talent in sewing to survive. The transition to free life and how different people in the community fit in. We meet a character who is passing as white which meant cutting family ties and living in fear of being discovered. And some people did it to aid others in their communities while some did it to advance themselves only. 

There's a killer on the loose and unfortunately one of their close friends falls victim and because white folks don't care about Black lives they must take the investigation into their own hands. It's not talked about enough especially since our history books like to paint them as saints but white people in the Union also saw Black people as inferior.

Hetty and Benji as a couple have a very interesting dynamic because their marriage started off as a way to be easily partnered together without drawing suspicion and question of honor. And even though they've been together for a few years they're finally addressing their feelings towards each other.

At times the mysteries got lost in the other plots but I enjoyed this story and it kept me enthralled and I couldn't always keep up with the cast of characters. Hetty and Benjy had an easy chemistry and work well as a unit. And I think as this series progresses there will be a more seamless blend of the magical, mystery, and community aspects. And the ending left for some interesting new opportunities to arise for the duo. I look forward to reading The Undertakers later this year.

Also if you're someone who wants a quick guide of all major players in the story Nicole Glover has one available here.