September 18, 2018

REVIEW: The Firstborn by Quenby Olson

JayneB Reviews / Book Reviews19th century / England / Historical / illegitimate-child / RegencyNo Comments

Sophia has sacrificed everything for her younger sister, Lucy. She has removed them from the only home they ever knew, taken on the care of Lucy’s illegitimate son, George, and even assumed the role of a widow and mother in order to erase all hint of scandal from the boy’s ... more >

September 14, 2018

REVIEW: The Christmas Phoenix by Patricia Kiyono

JayneB Reviews / Book Reviewsholiday novella / Michigan / novella / single mother / veteran / Widowed Heroine / winterNo Comments

Jess Tate is trying to make a life for herself and her teenage son after her husband’s sudden death. Running the family’s struggling landscape business in Northern Michigan has been hard work, and her son hasn’t been much help. She’s managed to get by, learning to run the big equipment ... more >

September 12, 2018

REVIEW: The Cowboy’s Last Rodeo by Jeannie Watt

JayneB Reviews / Book ReviewsContemporary / cowboy / graduate student / Montana / RodeoNo Comments

Shane Marvell‘s career as a rodeo rider is ending far too soon. He doesn’t have a plan B, so during his last season, he’s all in, determined to win as much prize money as possible–even if it means riding injured and taking more risks than he should. Ella Etxeberri has ... more >

September 7, 2018

REVIEW: The Lying King by Alex Beard

JayneB Reviews / Book Reviewspicture books / social activism / social critique1 Comments

Please note that this book is best viewed on a desktop or laptop computer. Thank you! Can warthogs fly? Do tigers eat broccoli? For answers, follow along as Warthog lies his way to the throne in this timeless, yet most timely, Tale from the Watering Hole. Will the Truth catch ... more >

September 7, 2018

REVIEW: Cat Wishes by Calista Brill

JayneB Reviews / Book Reviewscats / children's literature / childrens-books / fairy tale retelling / picture booksNo Comments

In this playfully subversive fairytale, perfect for fans of Jon Klassen, the ever-skeptical Cat learns that wishes can come true—just not always in the ways we expect. At turns sly and sweet, this clever story about friendship will leave no doubt that true magic lies in our connections with others, ... more >

September 6, 2018

REVIEW: A Plague on Mr Pepys by Deborah Swift

JayneB Reviews / Book Reviews / C- Reviews17th-century / adultery / dysfunctional family / family relationships / Historical / London / Marriage-in-Trouble / plague2 Comments

Sometimes money costs too much. The Great Plague has London in its grip. As the summer heat rises, red crosses mark the doors, wealthy citizens flee and only the poor remain to face the march of death. Ambitious and attractive, Bess Bagwell is determined her carpenter husband, Will, should make ... more >