THE ELITE By Kiera Cass

May 30, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE ELITE By Kiera CassThe Elite by Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #2
Published by HarperTeen on 4/23/13
Genres: Dystopian, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection, and to win Prince Maxon’s heart. Now six girls remain, and the competition is fiercer than ever—but America Singer is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it Prince Maxon—and life as the queen—that she wants? Or is it still Aspen, her first love?

Short and Sweet Review

The Elite picks up right where The Selection left off. There’s six girls left and the competition is fierce. America still isn’t sure if she should pick Aspen or Maxon. Maxon on the other hand is sure about America and would end the selection to make her his one. This book was entertaining but also had it’s moments where America’s indecisiveness got annoying. America would decide that Maxon was the one she wanted to choose but then she would find something wrong with him any little reason to push him away. Honestly if I was Maxon I would be annoyed because America was just playing with his feelings. When America saw that Maxon was interested in Kriss, she got jealous and realized that she needed to fight for him and stop playing with his emotions. I liked how we saw more of the rebels and found out what they wanted. We also got to see the girls learn about important things like philanthropy. I’m interested in seeing how things play out in the final book, because America isn’t a front runner and she’s walking on thin ice. I liked The Elite it was a fast read and made me realize I would never want to be in a competition like this, but it is fun to see how things play out.

Filed Under: Reviews

SOME MISTAKES WERE MADE By Kristin Dwyer

May 3, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SOME MISTAKES WERE MADE By Kristin DwyerSome Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer
Published by HarperTeen on 5/10/22
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Ellis and Easton have been inseparable since childhood. But when a rash decision throws Ellis’s life—and her relationship with Easton—into chaos, she’s forced to move halfway across the country, far from everything she’s ever known.

Now Ellis hasn’t spoken to Easton in a year, and maybe it’s better that way; maybe eventually the Easton-shaped hole in her heart will heal.

But when Easton’s mom invites her home for a visit, Ellis finds herself tangled up in the web of heartache, betrayal, and anger she left behind . . . and with the boy she never stopped loving.

Short and Sweet Review

Ellis has had a hard life her parents have always been in and out of her life, and this is where the Albery family comes in. The Albery’s become Ellis’s second family and take her in and give her a place to stay. This became the arrangement when Ellis was younger and she forms a strong friendship with Easton Albery, they’re basically inseparable. But one night changes everything and Ellis is forced to move to California with her aunt and it puts an end to her and Easton’s friendship. After a year of not talking, Ellis is invited to Easton’s moms birthday party. Now Ellis has to deal with the issues she thought she left behind.

The book alternates from past and present and we know that something happened between Ellis and Easton we’re just not sure what. Ellis didn’t have the best life, her mother was in and out of her life just leaving and coming back when she wanted and her father was in and out of prison. Ellis meets the Albery family after getting in trouble with Easton one day. The Albery’s become like a safe haven for Ellis somewhere she can go. But that was before now Ellis doesn’t want to be around Easton or his mom Sandry. When Ellis comes back to town for the party a lot of feelings reemerge especially resentment. The interactions between Ellis and Easton are not what they used to be, Easton kind of tries to make things better but Ellis throws a lot of jabs, and then tries to apologize but it was just a cycle. Ellis also has a problem with other people being close to Easton like his girlfriend Sara, but the thing is Ellis never came out and said she wanted to be with Easton she just hints at it. Over the course of the book Ellis has to deal with things she thought she could just avoid. I did like learning about what happened and seeing Ellis face her issues. I did like the Albery’s they gave Ellis a place she can run to and they also put things into perspective for her. Overall this was a good book, with a lot of heartbreaks and reconciliation.

Filed Under: Reviews

RED QUEEN By Victoria Aveyard

April 29, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

RED QUEEN By Victoria AveyardRed Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen #1
Published by HarperTeen on 2/10/15
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 388
Format: Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

Short and Sweet Review

In Red Queen the people are separated by their blood, the reds and the silvers. The silvers have powers and live in high society. The silvers look down on the reds and think they’re inferior. Mare Barrow our main character is a red, one night she meets Prince Cal although she doesn’t know it at the time. Cal gets Mare a job at the palace as a servant and that’s when Mare makes a spectacle. Mare is an anomaly she has red blood but she has the ability to form lightning from her hands something a silver should be able to do. After that the Queen and King decide to pretend that Mare is a lost silver and they have a political use for her. Mare also decides to work for her own agenda she teams up with the Scarlet Guard, a group that wants to take down the Silvers. In her time at the palace Mare is engaged to the youngest Prince Maven, and she’s trying to get intel for the Scarlet Guard.

This is my second time reading this book and my thoughts have changed. Mare is a selfish character and she makes rash decisions. Prince Cal was a good character he tried to do what was good for everyone. Mare just tried to do things for the reds but it was almost like she was doing it for herself and her family. Mare is engaged to Maven but she and Cal have feelings for each other so things get complicated there, I think if things were different it would have been Cal and Mare from the start. We follow Mare as she pretends to be a generals daughter, she takes lessons and training classes and meets interesting people. During her timeMare learns that people can betray her but she puts that on the back burner and decides to trust most people which led to her downfall. I’m hoping in the next book Mare becomes a little more street smart. I’m interested to see what’s going to happen next especially because she’s now enemy #1.

Filed Under: Reviews

CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL By Joya Goffney

April 25, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL By Joya GoffneyConfessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney
Published by HarperTeen on 5/3/22
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Monique is a preacher’s daughter who detests the impossible rules of her religion. Everyone expects her to wait until marriage, so she has no one to turn to when she discovers that she physically can’t have sex.

After two years of trying and failing, her boyfriend breaks up with her. To win him back, Monique teams up with straight-laced church girl Sasha—who is surprisingly knowledgeable about Monique’s condition—as well as Reggie, the misunderstood bad boy who always makes a ruckus at church, and together they embark upon a top-secret search for the cure.

While on their quest, Monique discovers the value of a true friend and the wonders of a love that accepts her for who she is. Despite everyone’s opinions about her virtue, she learns to live for herself, inspiring us all to reclaim our bodies and unapologetically love ourselves.

Short and Sweet Review

Monique is a pastor’s daughter, but she isn’t into the rules of her religion. Monique is required to wait for marriage before sex but Monique and her boyfriend Dom have been trying but Monique physically can’t have sex. Dom feels like he’s been waiting for too long and breaks up with Monique. Monique teams up with Sasha the church girl who knows a lot about Moniques condition, and Reggie the resident bad boy, these three embark on an adventure to cure Monique.

Monique is our main character and she lives in a very religious household. Her boyfriend Dom goes to the church and her father treats him like a son, her dad thinks they’re a perfect match. On their two year anniversary Monique and Dom attempt to have sex for the 29th time but Monique isn’t able to and Dom breaks up with her because he’s tired of waiting. Monique is determined to figure out what’s wrong with her and get Dom back. Which is when we bring in Sasha. Sasha is a member of the church and she seems to be a rule follower and not Monique’s favorite person. Reggie on the other hand is someone Monique’s dad is trying to help out people think he’s a bad boy. I liked Sasha I think Monique judged her unfairly, she was a good friend to Monique throughout this whole ordeal. Reggie was hard to like in the beginning to me mainly because he treated everything like a joke, but he does have a way to get Monique out of her shell and be more comfortable.

The more we see Monique grow without Dom in her life we see how awful he really is. Monique spent all her time with him so much so that she didn’t really have friends and he was very controlling and jealous. Something was not right with that boy. Reggie was an okay match for Monique he was more understanding of her condition and how her religion has shaped her.

This was a good book once we really got into it. I liked seeing Monique try to figure out what was wrong and how to fix it even though it wasn’t for the right reasons at first. We also see Moniques parents who weren’t my favorite people, they were very overbearing and we see a side plot where that pushed her older sister away. Monique grew a lot through the book and I love how she learned to love herself and live her own life and not the life people expect of her.

I’ve read a lot of Young Adult books where our main character is trying to lose her virginity, but not one where religion and a condition were a factor. This book was well written and teaches a lot of important lessons. Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl was heartfelt and inspiring and I loved it.

Filed Under: Reviews

SENSE AND SECOND-DEGREE MURDER By Tirzah Price

April 1, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SENSE AND SECOND-DEGREE MURDER By Tirzah PriceSense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price
Series: Jane Austen Murder Mystery #2
Published by HarperTeen on 4/5/22
Genres: Historical, Mystery & Detective, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office study, she knows his death means dire straits for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate—including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked as her father’s partner and protégé—to their half-brother and his haughty wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London’s Barton Street.

But before they go, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery: a suspicious substance in their father’s teacup—one that can only be described as poison. And poison, as Marianne’s father taught her, always points to murder.

It could be dangerous; it could ruin their reputations; and most importantly, it won’t bring back their father. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father’s murderer to justice, it may bring them all some comfort—and it might even lead to love.

Short and Sweet Review

When Elinor Dashwood finds her father dead at his desk she knows that hardships are coming. The Dashwood sisters and their mother are forced out of the house by John, their half brother and his wife. Before they leave their house the girls discover a substance in their father’s teacup and now the girls are searching for a murderer.

Elinor and Marianne are our main characters here and we also see their younger sister Margaret in the mix. Elinor is the eldest and she likes to shield her family from things she thinks would be too painful for them to bear, she also the most responsible. Elinor wants to be a scientist she just hasn’t found something that she wants to specialize in. Margaret is the middle sister and she was working as her father’s partner at Norland & Company, the family’s private investigation firm. But when her brother and his wife take over Norland & Company, Marianne has no choice but to find new clients and prove herself as a worthy investigator. Once Marianne learns that her father could have possibly been murdered she and Elinor take this as a chance to investigate and find out who could have wanted their father dead. Margaret is the youngest sister and an aspiring writer. She’s younger and doesn’t always get to go out with Elinor and Marianne but she does provide them with good insight. There’s a few other characters we meet like Brandon, Edward, and Willoughby.

I liked that the girls had different interest like Science and Investigating. Both Elinor and Marianne were pivotal in solving what happened. It was fun following the girls around while they found clues and tried to decipher what they meant and how everything fit together. I will say that the culprit wasn’t who I was expecting. The ending was great but my favorite part was the epilogue. I’m excited to read the next book. Sense and Second-Degree Murder had me hooked from beginning to end, the characters are great and so is the mystery!


Filed Under: Reviews

BEING MARY BENNET By J.C. Peterson

March 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

BEING MARY BENNET By J.C. PetersonBeing Mary Bennet by J.C. Peterson
Published by HarperTeen on 3/15/22
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 381
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

For Marnie Barnes, realizing she’s a Mary Bennet is devastating. But she’s determined to reinvent herself, so she enlists the help of her bubbly roommate and opens up to the world.

And between new friends, a very cute boy, and a rescue pup named Sir Pat, Marnie finds herself on a path to becoming a new person entirely. But she’s no Lizzy, or even Mary—instead, she’s someone even better: just plain Marnie.

Short and Sweet Review

Marnie has always been fine with who she is until someone tells her she’s more like Mary Bennet than Lizzie. This makes Marnie want to change who she is so maybe the people around her will realize how great she is.

Marnie feels like the black sheep of her family and feels like she doesn’t live up to her sisters accomplishments so she decides to try to win the Hunt Prize. She comes up with the idea to have kids read books to shelter dogs and that’s where she meets Whit one of the volunteers at the shelter and someone who helps her with her project. The problem here is that Whit is one of Marnie’s love interest in the book but she’s obsessed with Hayes (a friend of the family). Honestly Whit was a great guy and for some reason Marnie can’t see Hayes for the sleezeball he is.

Throughout the book we see Marnie become closer with her roommate Adhira, which I loved because they both needed a good friend in their life. We also see Marnie become closer with her family it was almost like she was alienating herself from them and not the other way around, I loved the relationship between her and Lindy. My favorite thing about this book was one of the shelter dogs, Sir Pat he was just so sweet and loving.

Marnie our main character went through a lot of character development in this book and thank goodness for that because who she was in the beginning made me see why she didn’t have that many friends. Marnie liked correcting people and she didn’t say the right things. But as the book goes on she becomes more self aware and more likable as a main character.

This was a good heartfelt read, I liked that Marnie eventually realized that she didn’t need to change everything about her but embrace the things that made her quirky. I also liked how she realized that some people shouldn’t have a place in your story. The plot was great and the friendship and family relationships were beautiful and just made me smile in the end, and so did the dogs, pick this book up!

Filed Under: Reviews

ONLY A MONSTER By Vanessa Len

February 21, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ONLY A MONSTER By Vanessa LenOnly a Monster by Vanessa Len
Series: Monsters #1
Published by HarperTeen on 2/22/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 412
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Don’t forget the rule. No one can know what you are. What we are. You must never tell anyone about monsters.

Joan has just learned the truth: her family are monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers.

And the cute boy at work isn’t just a boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to destroy her family.

To save herself and her family, Joan will have to do what she fears most: embrace her own monstrousness. Because in this story…she is not the hero.

Sweet and Short Review

Joan’s grandma has always told her stories about monsters but Joan has brushed them off and took them for what they were stories. That is until Joan has a strange encounter and travels through time and realizes that her grandma wasn’t just telling stories her family are monsters and there are other monster families out there. The boy that Joan works with, Nick, he’s the hero, the monster slayer and he won’t stop until he’s finished his mission: killing all the monsters.

Joan has a date with Nick but on her way to the date she ends up time traveling, upon returning home she learns from her grandmother that she is a monster and their whole family is and every monster family has a distinct power. When Joan tries to explain why she missed her date with Nick a family appears and that day ends in disaster. Now Joan must time travel to unravel the massacre that just happened.

This world had a unique magic system I liked hearing about the different families and what they could do even if we didn’t see all of the families in this book. Joan has to team up with Aaron Oliver which is hard because everyone knows the Hunts and Oliver families hate each other so other monster families who see them find it strange. Joan also has her cousin Ruth and later on Tom join her on her mission to set things right.

Joan was an okay character. She didn’t know a lot about the monster world everything she was learning was right there on the spot, but for some reason she thought she knew better than everyone around her. I did like how she was determined but sometimes her determination led her to make reckless and selfish decisions I also didn’t like how she would argue to the point of throwing a tantrum just to get her way. I’m hoping that in the next book Joan gets so serious character development.

The time traveling aspect was great and it was interesting to see the other families and learn about the time traveling they were doing, and how the monsters had to steal time from humans to actually do the traveling.

The romance was… something. Joan and Aaron spend most of the book together because he’s helping her try to set things right and there are some sparks there. But Joan can’t stop thinking about Nick the boy who literally destroyed her. Anyway it’s like a love hate thing going on between those two and I was not here for it. Every time Nick popped up I was just waiting for him to kill Joan or vice versa but they were both kind of weak in that aspect.

I really enjoyed this book the plot and the world were captivating and kept me wanting more. I do wish that Joan were less childish, but this book is worth the read and I’m excited to see what happens next!

Filed Under: Reviews

LOVEBOAT REUNION By Abigail Hing Wen

January 24, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

LOVEBOAT REUNION By Abigail Hing WenLoveboat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen
Series: Loveboat,
Published by HarperTeen on 1/25/22
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 444
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh have what some would call a tumultuous past.

Hearts were broken, revenge was plotted—but at least they’re friends now. They left the drama behind them back in Taipei—at their summer program, Loveboat—forever.

Now that fall is here, they’re focusing on what really matters. Sophie has sworn off boys and is determined to be the best student Dartmouth’s ever had. Xavier just wants to stay under his overbearing father’s radar, collect his trust fund when he turns eighteen, and concentrate on what makes him happy.

But the world doesn’t seem to want Sophie and Xavier to succeed. Sophie’s college professor thinks her first major project is “too feminine.” Xavier’s father gives him an ultimatum: finish high school or be cut off from his inheritance.

Then Sophie and Xavier find themselves on a wild, nonstop Loveboat reunion, hatching a joint plan to take control of their futures. Can they succeed together . . . or are they destined to combust?

Short and Sweet

Sophie and Xavier don’t have the best past, everything that happened on Loveboat was not the ideal situation, but now that the summer is over and they’re leaving Taipei, they decide to move on as friends. Sophie is now at Dartmouth and is focusing on herself and trying to impress her professor with her project proposal which unfortunately is working. Xavier is in LA and has to redo his senior year at his fathers request otherwise he won’t get the trust that his mother left him. Somehow both of Xavier and Sophie’s project lead them back to Taipei where they have a lot of work to do, feelings to fight off, and a loveboat reunion!

Characters

Sophie: It seems like Sophie has grown a lot maybe it’s because she’s leaving loveboat and decides it’s time to focus on herself. She seems more mature and throughout the book we see her learn about herself. She’s still impulsive and sometimes her ambitions are too much for even her. The best thing that Sophie learns to do is to think about things before she actually pursues it, which happens more times than not in this book.

Xavier: After loveboat we see the relationship between Xavier and his father. His father has Xavier in his palm and he knows it and the only way for Xavier to get the trust his mother left him is to play his father’s games. Xavier is resentful towards his dad and we see him do things he know his father won’t approve of just to push those buttons. Xavier still struggles with his learning disabilities and tries to find a way to work around them. Xavier cares about those around him and will try to help them if he can.

Romance

Sophie and Xavier: These two have an interesting dynamic, we see in the first book that their relationship on loveboat blew up spectacularly. But now that they’ve gone there separate ways these two seem better just as friends. Sophie is trying to fight off her feelings for Xavier but it’s hard when she sees him for who he truly is, her heart wants him but her head is saying no, she even goes as far as to try and pair him with another girl. Xavier knows that he has feelings for Sophie, it may not have worked out on loveboat but after leaving he knows that he wants to try to be with her. I thought the relationship between the two worked out better this time around than it did in the first book, but it was hard to see how much Sophie was trying to push Xavier away when she really wanted to pull him closer.

My Thoughts

At Dartmouth Sophie is on the waitlist for a computer science class and the only way to get in is to impress her professor with her proposal, which he rejects because there’s not enough data and Sophie is determined to prove him wrong, and that her idea will work. Xavier on the other hand is redoing his senior year in LA, much to his dismay. When Sophie finds out that a fashion brand has a creation close to what she wants to make for close, she knows its her chance to figure out how they make it work and deliver that information to her professor. The fashion brand is owned by Xavier’s family and he helps Sophie get an interview and also makes his senior project about his family and this is how they end up going back to Taipei and inviting other loveboat friends to join the ride.

We see a lot of different loveboat students some we seen in the last book notably Rick and Ever and we meet some new ones who were at other programs. It was nice to see how Sophie (despite all the pressure) tried to keep everyone happy and plan activities that would be exciting, even though she had other things to worry about. Upon getting to Taipei we see that there’s been some problems with Xavier’s family’s business which he knew nothing about because his father has kept him away so Xavier is in the dark about everything. We see Sophie work on her project and help Xavier with his. We also see Xavier learn more about his family and try to save the business in the end.

I liked the loveboat reunion, I will say that some of them didn’t deserve to be there (Bert, Priscilla). We see Xavier and Sophie get closer and I liked learning about the family business which Xavier has tried to avoid, and seeing the family dynamics.

Overall

This was an entertaining and heartfelt companion novel to Loveboat, Taipei. I did not want to put this book down I just wanted to see what would happen next. Sophie and Xavier were amazing characters to follow and this book did not disappoint!

Filed Under: Reviews

MY FINE FELLOW By Jennieke Cohen

January 10, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

MY FINE FELLOW By Jennieke CohenMy Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen
Published by HarperTeen on 1/11/22
Genres: Historical, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 343
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

It’s 1830s England, and Culinarians—doyens who consult with society’s elite to create gorgeous food and confections—are the crème de la crème of high society.

Helena Higgins, top of her class at the Royal Academy, has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate—and knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her final year.

Penelope Pickering is going to prove the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may scorn her Filipina heritage and her dishes, but with her flawless social graces and culinary talents, Penelope is set to prove them wrong.

Elijah Little has nothing to his name but a truly excellent instinct for flavors. London merchants won’t allow a Jewish boy to own a shop, so he hawks his pasties for a shilling a piece to passersby—but he knows with training he can break into the highest echelon of society.

When Penelope and Helena meet Elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to pull off a project never seen before, and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef.

But Elijah’s transformation will have a greater impact on this trio than they originally realize—and mayhem, unseemly faux pas, and a little romance will all be a part of the delicious recipe.

Short and Sweet Review

The year is 1830 and culinarians consult with society’s elite to create amazing food. Both Helena and Penelope are in the top of their class at the culinary school. One night both of the girls meet street vendor, Elijah, Helena makes a comment that she can make Elijah a gentleman chef. This becomes Helena’s end of the year project and she know’s if she succeeds only greater things will come in the future. But Elijah’s transformation may be more than the girls originally expected.

We get all three characters POVs and I will say I enjoyed Penelope and Elijah’s over Helena. Helena is one of those people who’s really passionate about what she’s doing but she’s off-putting and I think because she’s higher in society she looks down on people below her. Helena’s goal is to be the best culinarian England has seen. Penelope is half Filipina and she wants to show England that other cuisines have value. Penelope was just an easy character to like she was so nice to everyone and tried to mediate when Helena came off too harsh. Elijah is the street vendor trying to become a gentleman chef and maybe in the end own his own shop if he can impress the right people.

When Helena and Penelope meet Elijah, Helena is not impressed and says she can make him an even better cook and a gentleman. Elijah takes her up on her offer and he begins his lessons in cooking and learning manners to impress society’s upper class. Helena is a tough teacher she wants perfection, when Helena loses her patience Penelope steps in and this is where we see some sparks fly between Penelope and Elijah.

Most of the book involves Elijah’s training and then halfway through we see Elijah show off his training at fairs and cooking for the Princess. I liked seeing the dishes that the trio would prepare.

This retelling was engaging and descriptive. The characters represent different classes and races and it’s just so well done. I couldn’t put this book down!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE STORYTELLER By Kathryn Williams

January 10, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE STORYTELLER By Kathryn WilliamsThe Storyteller by Kathryn Williams
Published by HarperTeen on 1/11/22
Genres: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna.

For Jess Morgan, who is growing tired of living her life to please everyone else, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. But was her aunt truly a Romanov princess? Or is this some elaborate hoax?

With the help of a supremely dorky but undeniably cute local college student named Evan, Jess digs into the century-old mystery.

But soon Jess realizes there’s another, bigger truth waiting to be revealed: Jess Morgan. Because if she’s learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story.

Short and Sweet Review

After helping her mom clean out her great aunts home, Jess finds a trunk full of old diaries unfortunately they’re in Russian. Jess enlists the help of a college student Evan, who agrees to help Jess translate the diaries for a fee. After reading a few of the diaries Evan suspects they could be the diaries of Anastasia Romanov, so did Anastasia survive the assassination attempt and live out the rest of her life as a woman named Anna? The more Jess reads the diaries the more she realizes that she can be who she truly is and write her own story.

Jess Morgan lives a double life she can be herself around her friend Katie, but around her boyfriend and family she’s a different person. It’s hard for Jess to keep everything together especially when she’s with her boyfriend and his friends, you can tell she’s unhappy. This is the side plot in this book. I thought it was predictable in the fact that you can tell at some point she would crack. I did like how Katie would bring Jess back to Earth and make her realize that she wasn’t herself around.

Anyway the big thing here is the diaries. The diaries Jess found in the trunk are in Russian and when Evan reads a few they sound like they could be written by Anastasia Romanov the Grand Duchess who was assassinated with her family. Jess and Evan become immersed in the diaries and the stories that are woven in them. The more they read the more they believe that Jess’s aunt Anna could have been Anastasia.

I did like that we got to read the diary entries along with Jess and Evan and maybe get a glimpse into what life was like for Anna. The more Jess read the entries the more she saw that she’s not the only one having problems hiding who she really is. I think this is when she starts showing who she is and starts to speak up for herself. Also the relationship between Evan and Jess seemed to progress to quickly I thought they could have been better as friends, especially since Jess just broke up with her boyfriend. The ending got dark and depressing really fast and I wasn’t expecting it, but overall it was a good book and I enjoyed the mystery of who was writing the diaries and whether or not Anna is Anastasia.

Filed Under: Reviews