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The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent

by

Ann Jacobus

 

After a challenging journey, there was peace at the end.

 

Although Del, the young protagonist, travels a tough journey, there is ultimately peace and hope for all in The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent, the new contemporary young adult novel by Ann Jacobus. The book tackles some of the most difficult topics, too: suicide, alcoholism, and death, so ending up with such a compelling and satisfying story, the author has met and overcome some big challenges. This story is special. 

Del, the eighteen-year-old main character, although doing better than she had been a year and a half earlier, is maintaining a fragile balance between recovery and relapse. Although now sober and in a better mental space than when she attempted to end her life, she is beset with anxiety, depression, alcoholism, and the heavy, awkward baggage that comes from how people react to her past. It was eye-opening to realize how maintaining that balance was a constant battle for her, seeing her coping well one minute and then not the next. 

Her Aunt Fran’s terminal diagnosis is a tipping point for Del, who continues to grasp at cures long after her aunt has recognized the futility and decided on an altered path for her future. The story explores in depth through Fran and Del’s ensuing experiences of the dying process: our modern removal or distancing from the process, attitudes, and physical stages. Fran’s death is not done behind closed doors. Del, and subsequently the reader, is there for the pain, symptoms, and bodily changes. Fran’s final weeks are assisted with hospice care, and how that works is part of the story. 

Complicating matters are Del’s relationships with the two men in her life: her father and her childhood friend, Nick. Her father had turned over his daughter to his sister and abdicated his presence as a parent through fear and grief. Del had also pinned some romantic hopes and dreams on Nick after a visit the previous year had ended with a kiss. She’d spent the time since obsessing over that single kiss and building it up in her mind, while Nick had not. The mismatch in expectations when he comes to nearby Berkley for a summer internship, makes for an awkward reunion and heartbreak for Del. 

The audiobook, skillfully voiced by narrator Jen Zhao, imbues the work with the solid feel of reality. Jen became the voice of Del, and I felt like I was hearing the character herself pour out her heart and soul to me. Zhao alters her voice appropriately to distinguish the other characters from each other. I thought her performance enhanced an already great book. 

I recommend THE COLDEST WINTER I EVER SPENT to readers of contemporary young adult fiction that includes serious topics such as suicide, death, and dying. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.

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Narrow the Road

by

James Wade

 

An historical fiction novel with a desperate quest, loyal companions, and coming-of-age.

 

Narrow the Road by Texas author James Wade is a wonderful work of historical fiction, and with its engaging main characters and gripping plot, it reminded me of a true-to-life, epic fantasy quest set in 1930s Depression-besieged East Texas. The storytelling is mesmerizing, the language immersive, and the atmospheric setting had me glued to the tale from start to finish. 

With the bank on the brink of foreclosing on their farm, his cotton crop doomed and rotting in the fields, and his mother slowly dying in her bed as she refuses to travel to Houston for treatment, fifteen-year-old only child William Carter sets out on a journey through East Texas, a last-ditch effort to find his absentee father. Thomas Carter had joined hundreds of fellow WWI veterans to march on Washington, D.C., and appeal to lawmakers to provide benefits to those who’d fought and were left hanging when they returned home. While their protests were disregarded, Thomas had failed to return home to his wife and son; his last communication to them was a cryptic letter sent from another East Texas town, some distance from their farm outside Manning. With his mother on her deathbed, refusing to budge until her husband returns home, William sets out for his father’s last known location, accompanied by his best friend, Ollie Leek. 

William is a young man with much too much on his shoulders and long out of options. During their journey, he and Ollie, and later Lena, meet an abundance of characters, both good and bad, including men who had served with or met Thomas Carter. Through the men’s commentary and diary entries, William discovers another side to the man he knows as his father. Ollie is William’s boon companion, and a truer “ride or die” friend would be hard to find. While William is the serious, goal-focused, straight man, Ollie is the much-needed comic relief, the wild hair, the accidental genius, and steadfast, loyal friend who knows William like a brother.

Early on, the action tends to pause at times as the author sidesteps to fortify the overall historical foundation of the story or expand the main characters’ exposure to life at that particular time, resulting in a more immersive experience for the reader. This development proves timely as the action really ramps up later in the story. 

The East Texas setting provides a diverse terrain for the main character's quest, with farmland long overdue for rain, deep, dark forests, swampland, and small, barely there towns. Wherever the location, though, the author delivers vivid word pictures that place the reader in the moment alongside his characters. While this is not the first novel of this author that I’ve read, it is my favorite. 

I recommend NARROW THE ROAD to readers of historical fiction, especially those who enjoy coming-of-age stories, Depression era, or East Texas settings. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

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Rivers and Creaks

Redwood Country Mystery, #1

by

Marc Jedel

 

Fun characters and an intriguing murder make this debut cozy mystery a winner!

 

River and Creaks is the first book in veteran author Marc Jedel’s new cozy mystery series, the Redwood Country Mysteries, and with its fun characters and intriguing murder, it’s a definite winner. Great characterizations, snappy dialogue, the protagonist’s entertaining inner monologue, and a mysterious death in the first chapter immediately hooked me. 

Andy Shirley is a recent widower, novice innkeeper, and, of necessity, an amateur sleuth. He’s still well within the grip of grief over his wife’s sudden death the previous year, and the idea of purchasing and running a B&B was really her dream, not his. I felt he was torn by trying to make a go of her vision for their future or turning around and selling the inn without taking too much of a loss and completely withdrawing from life. (He says his plan is to become a recluse.) The death of a young guest is discovered within minutes of his taking possession of the place, and as the day progresses, things get even more complicated. He’s completely unprepared to manage his new business, although he does possess some skills in minor maintenance. However, even his planned maintenance activities hit snags at every turn, and I was reminded of the 1986 Tom Hanks film, The Money Pit, by the plethora of mishaps. His cantankerous attitude also hits a sour note with the local tradespeople, and he finds himself on the outs with a few of the locals. 

The plot features more than one mystery, and Andy’s amateur sleuthing, as he tries to save his inn from a reputation as a place of death, uncovers key pieces of information. The story has a couple of twists that kept things interesting and me reading well into the night. But, even with my dedication, I still didn’t catch on to whodunnit until the reveal. 

I recommend RIVERS AND CREAKS to cozy mystery readers looking for a great new series, especially those who enjoy humor and a clever plot. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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Washed Up With the Tide

Seffi Wardwell Mystery, #2

by

Rebecca M. Douglass

 

Seffi Wardwell is compelled to investigate when she finds the body of a local fisherman washed up on the beach by her new home.

 

Washed Up With the Tide is the second book in author Rebecca M. Douglass’s cozy Seffi Wardwell Mystery series, and in this adventure, Seffi, once again, discovers a body. This time, it is local fisherman Bob Hughes, a man with a slew of possible enemies, washed up on the beach near her home. With the engaging senior sleuth deciding she’s going to make Smelt Point her forever home, Seffi’s interest in finding out who did Bob in is necessary in safeguarding her new hometown. 

With the days getting shorter and shorter and the weather continuing to hold, Seffi’s early walk on the beach is an important habit for maintaining her progress toward regaining her vitality. Her tragic discovery is disturbing and engages her in finding out what happened to the man. As she grows stronger, Seffi also nurtures her new friendships in the small Maine village, building routines and gaining distance and perspective from her life before. She’s shared her past with some, but now Miah is keeping his own. 

The body is found early in this book, once again, by Seffi, so she is compelled to start asking questions right away. I enjoyed her involvement, of course, and the story kept me absorbed even after having just finished the previous book. However, readers new to the series shouldn’t have trouble reading and enjoying this book as a standalone novel. I want to mention that the descriptions of the village, coast, and nature reserve as Fall gets fully underway were a definite added treat. 

I highly recommend WASHED UP WITH THE TIDE to cozy mystery fans, especially those who would enjoy a Maine setting or LGBT representation.

 I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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Dead West

Endings, #3

by

Linda L. Richards

 

A great addition to the ENDINGS series!

 

Dead West is the third novel in veteran author Linda L. Richards’s female killer-for-hire series, Endings, and the stories just keep getting better. In this latest addition, our nameless assassin accepts a difficult assignment to take out a rancher whose Arizona property and wild horse sanctuary abut a national forest. You’d think a less populated environment would make her planning and execution easier, but in reality, a stranger showing up in the middle of nowhere USA attracts a whole lot of unwanted attention, and that’s never good for business. 

The main character in this series never reveals her true name, but for the purpose of moving about society, she currently goes by the purchased identity of Katherine Eveline Ragsdill. Except for her dog, she leads a solitary life, both by necessity and choice, out of the sight of the curious, still grieving the loss of her son and husband. However, she’s starting to re-examine her choices and question her life and actions. While scouting out the location and situation of her current mark, for some inexplicable reason that even she can’t put in words, she allows herself to get to know her intended target, and she likes what she sees – a lot. 

The author tells the tale from our woman’s point of view, and her voice is honest and appealing, with bits of humor lightening what is a sober narrative. Richards’s writing style is smooth and compelling, making for effortless reading, and the pages flew by quickly. The story is that well-paced. The book takes the assassin from a tropical island to the desert to cosmopolitan cities, but no matter where the story leads, the author quickly makes the reader feel like they are on location with the characters. The plot is based on a twist in the assassin’s actions, which is not the last one to happen. I was guessing up until the very end. 

Although this is the third book in the series, it can genuinely be read and enjoyed as a standalone. However, do yourself a favor and read the first two. I recommend DEAD WEST to readers of crime fiction and mysteries. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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Sweet Comfort

Comfort and Joy, #1

by

Kimberly Fish

 

The story teased me in with the promise of chocolate, but I stayed for the relationships.

 

Sweet Comfort is the first book in author Kimberly Fish’s spin-off series, Comfort and Joy, and I can’t think of a more descriptive or appropriate moniker for the series. While I was initially attracted to the book because of the promise of gourmet chocolate, it was the characters’ relationships that pulled me deep into the story. This is one of the best buildups of the community of characters for a series that I think I’ve ever encountered.

After retiring from a career in banking, Gloria Bachman sets her sights (and her future) on opening a gourmet chocolate shop on her hometown’s busy main drag, and despite naysayers, it looks like her dream is coming together. Disgraced CEO Mason Lassiter comes to Comfort to lick his wounds and recharge. But when his plans take a turn, he discovers his new neighbor, Gloria, may have answers he needs – if they can come to trust each other enough to collaborate. 

The main character Gloria Bachman is a woman of a certain age and well-regarded in her adopted hometown of Comfort, Texas. She’s suffered some hard knocks in her life and career, but she’s a survivor. To her chagrin, perhaps, her younger women friends have seemed to have placed her on a pedestal, and she certainly doesn’t view herself in that light. They hold her in high esteem and aspire to emulate her take-charge and take-no-prisoners demeanor that got her to where she ended up: a bank president. I liked seeing her opening this new chapter in her life and trying something entirely different with her friend and business partner, Kali. Then it was also good to see an older woman exhibiting realistic attitudes toward a possible romantic partner and relationship. 

Besides the second chance storyline, there is the chocolate business to drool over. And while I enjoyed every virtual morsel, I also liked all the details about renovating the old building slated to house the new shop. I appreciate all the research the author must have done before putting pen to paper. There is even a mention of the traffic snafu caused by the crane that was needed for some of the work! True to life. And there was still so much more that had me turning pages: the mysterious death of the estranged wife of the successful Dallas businessman, the murder of a local contractor, and of course, learning everyone in Comfort’s business. As always, it was fun to have a fictional story set in the very real town of Comfort, Texas. 

The author’s writing style is easy to read yet compelling. I was immediately drawn into Gloria Bachman’s life and soon felt like I knew her and her many friends and acquaintances. The dialogue sparkled, with some real laugh-out-loud moments and situations that were puredee entertainment. 

Although this is the first book in this series, there are hints that certain characters or couples have backstories featured in the author’s previous works. However, I didn’t need to have read those to become immediately invested in this current tale. The bonus is that there is backstory gold just waiting to be discovered. 

I recommend SWEET COMFORT to readers who enjoy women’s fiction, later-in-life and second-chance romances, cozy mysteries, chocolate themes, stories set in Texas, especially the Hill Country, and fans of the author’s previous novels. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.

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Mild Mannered Men:

The Rain Will Wash Away the Blood

by

Walter Horsting

 

Creative tale of pre-Y2K intrigue.

 

Mild Mannered Men by Walter Horsting is a creative tale of pre-Y2K vintage intrigue set mostly in the San Francisco Bay area and featuring a skilled computer/media technician, an intrepid industrial reporter, drug smugglers, and the law enforcement officials on their trail. It was fun watching the seemingly unrelated storylines flirt with one another and finally converge.

John Nord is a skilled media technician who is helping set up an international video teleconference for one of his most lucrative customers when his business proposal presentation disk is accidentally swapped with his client's. Unbeknownst to John, however, the client is an ex-KGB freelancer working with a cartel and China's technology leader who'll do whatever it takes to get his property back, leaving no potential witnesses.

The story unfolds from multiple points of view, and while I had little trouble keeping the different voices straight, the narrative, at times, was choppy, which interfered with the flow of the story. However, I loved the near misses of the main characters sprinkled throughout and seeing the unfolding of a scene from a parallel perspective. 

The characters are all unique and interesting individuals that I grew to appreciate and root for. The west coast settings, especially the in-town descriptions of places, were fun. The book is compact, so the complex plot and disparate storylines quickly began to coalesce with twists enhancing their journey. The story has excellent bones, but there are still a lot of superfluous details and excess characters that unnecessarily complicate matters, and spelling or word use errors that another editorial pass would tighten up. However, overall, this is a novel well worth reading and easy to enjoy. 

I recommend MILD MANNERED MEN to readers of spy or crime fiction, action/adventure, or mystery. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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The Witch's Apprentice and Other Stories

by

Ekta R. Garg

 

Clever and entertaining stories that lean slightly to the left and right of classic fairy tales.

 

Fairytales. We all grew up listening to them told over and over, in all forms of artistic media: storytelling, plays, dance, and film. In Ekta R. Garg's reimaginings, she takes these well-known, familiar gems and gives us, in the words of Paul Harvey, "the rest of the story." 

The Witch's Apprentice and Other Stories is a small compilation of tales created in response to the author's question of "why" a character acted the way they did in the famous story or "why" a situation arose in the first place. For instance, remember when, in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's house falls on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East? Garg answers the question of why the witch was in the roadway where the house landed. What follows is a fun and completely reasonable explanation with an unexpected twist that ties the popular L. Frank Baum novel to another familiar but unrelated tale. Garg works similar magic on the fairy tales of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, The Emperor's New Clothes, Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty, and the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill." The results are imaginative, surprising, and spun gold. 

I recommend THE WITCH'S APPRENTICE AND OTHER STORIES to readers who enjoy fairytale reimaginings. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through WOW! Women On Writing Book Tours.

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The Archaic Thesaurus

by

Nina Spinello

 

Lovely little collection of now little-used words.

 

The Archaic Thesaurus by Nina Spinello is a delightful collection of words that have fallen out of favor for inclusion in contemporary discourse. It was a pleasure to browse the nominated entries, read their definitions, their use in a brief phrase, and examine three selected synonyms for each. I particularly enjoyed reading the words and their synonyms used in sentences, and was surprised by how substituting one for another would change the tone, feel, or emotional impact of the result. While many of the selections may no longer be heard in everyday conversation, some regularly appear in literature and are used for a singular effect. So, while they are synonyms and seemingly interchangeable, the selection of one over another still changes the perception of the sentence in which it is used. 

I read an advance readers copy rather than a finalized copy of the book, so I assume subsequent editing will address the few issues with duplicated entries and proffered synonyms that obviously belonged to archaic words that were inadvertently skipped. In truth, my biggest complaint would be that the book left me wanting more of the same. 

I recommend THE ARCHAIC THESAURUS to wordsmiths and language lovers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.

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The End Game

by

Michael Scotty Clifton

 

Exhilarating and emotion-filled! An exultant underdog story and satisfying sports romance.

 

The End Game by Michael Scott Clifton is a warm and wonderful new sports romance and passionate high school basketball underdog story. Great characters with realistic lives and a gripping basketball plot set in football-mad Texas made for a riveting page-turner of a novel. 

Chris Cooper is a young high school basketball coach seeking a fresh start after his life in Arkansas implodes. He comes to the East Texas town of Mayfield to helm a struggling program that hasn’t had a winning season in decades. However, he soon discovers the biggest stumbling block to his future success is the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Rocco Rawlings. As in many Texas towns, high school football is king and all other sports are redheaded stepchildren. The brightest spot in his life is his new landlady, single-mom Jennie Sloan, with whom he clicks from their first meeting. 

The storytelling is gripping. Just when there’s a glimmer of hope for Chris, some surprising obstacle appears. However, new people in his life step up to help him face each challenge as if placed there deliberately for that reason. It was emotional watching Chris come to terms with his past and finally share what he’d gone through as he and Jennie opened their hearts, minds, and lives to each other. It was wonderful to see how he applied the life lessons he’d learned from his father to his own players. 

The author does a fantastic job choreographing the action on the court and conveying it to the reader. The play is exciting and fast-paced and, of course, critical at times; I could feel my heart racing. The Mayfield Mustangs are engaging underdogs, and I was compelled to root for them every step of their journey, just as I did for Chris and Jennie in theirs. 

I recommend THE END GAME to readers of sports romances and sports fiction, especially those partial to basketball or who have enjoyed movies such as Hoosiers, Friday Night Lights, or The Mighty Ducks. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.