Bewitched

Bewitched by Darynda Jones
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After a 6-month suspended animation nap, Defiance Dayne is once again awake and getting into and out of trouble. While she was sleeping, her dads and her best friend moved across the county to join her in Salem, MA, in her magical house, Percival, haunted by the ghost of her grandfather. Defiance tries at first to lie and say her magical powers have vanished, but that doesn't work, and soon she is tracking down all sorts of missing objects and people, trying desperately to figure out how to keep everyone alive, or at least keep them from dying again.

This volume in the series could have used some heavy editing, particularly the endless repetitions of how sexy Roan was and what his inked existence did to Defiance's "nether" or "girl" parts. That got old REALLY fast, and the book would have been much improved if we could have just skipped over most of that. Roan's backstory was a key subplot, so I wish Defiance had acted her age (45) and dialed back the lust in favor of really getting to know Roan for who he was and not just fixated on the heavily tattooed, kilted outer package. If readers are supposed to go for the pair as a serious couple by the end of the series, there has GOT to be more to the relationship than electricity. In both directions, though mercifully we are spared the recitation of Roan's lustful thoughts.

I LOVE Darynda Jones' books, but this is my least favorite. Some excellent parts, though! And I do still want to listen to the next book to see how the loose ends get tied up.

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary. Tons of sexual content, though really only one actual sex scene. Plenty of profanity, some violence and threats of violence, but not overly graphic. Trigger warnings for spousal and child abuse. LGBTQIA-adjacent, as Defiance was raised by her two dads, one of whom is Latinx. Her grandmother's love interest, the police chief, is African-American. Other characters are either white or not memorably specified.

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Once More Upon a Time

Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm having a hard time deciding on a rating for this one because on the one hand, it was an absolutely delightful second-chance romance tale of a young King Ambrose and Queen Imelda whose love was taken away by a curse the day after they married, in exchange for saving Imelda's life. To rule their tiny kingdom, they must love each other, however, so they were forced out after a year and a day had passed. Only then, on a quest to steal a potion from one witch to give to another, do they discover that though they no longer remember being in love, there never was anything preventing them from falling in love all over again. They simply wasted that year. The journey they undertake together is both literal and figurative, with plenty of personal growth and adventurous escapes from carnivorous beds, enchanted animals, and potion-wielding witches. Both the narrator (the witch) and a cloak that thinks it's a horse provide plenty of humor along the way.

On the other hand, I somehow forgot it was a novella and was unpleasantly startled when the book ended just as it was getting going. This really would have been better as a full-length novel, in my opinion. Not because I think the romance needed to take any longer to rekindle, but because there was so much more story to be told of how they found their way once it was and adjusted to their newly realized heart's desires. Their healing from adolescent traumas was just beginning, and I wanted to stay with these characters as they built something new.

But Goodreads doesn't allow half stars, so I think I'll round up to 4 because I really did enjoy the novella until there were no more pages.

For readers' advisors: character and language doorways are primary, but setting is strong as well, since it's beautifully written, humorous fantasy based on the fairy tale of the dancing princesses. Though the target audience is adults, it works for older teens as well. It's steamy, but the one sex scene happens off-screen. No real gritty violence or profanity that I can recall.

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Book Lovers

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nora Stephens has been dumped not once, not twice, but FOUR times by men who leave New York City for a Hallmark-movie-ending in the country. If her life were a romance novel trope, she'd be the "Evil City Girlfriend." Nora adores NYC, though, and has zero desire to live anywhere else. She is a classic workaholic, devoted to her clients and dedicated to securing the best publishing deals she can in her role as a fierce literary agent. She is also devoted to her younger sister, nieces, and brother-in-law, so when Libby begs her to take a month-long sisters' vacation to the very small town that's the setting of a client's best-selling novel, she acquiesces. Little does she know her sister has ulterior motives for the trip and is on a mission to give Nora her very own Hallmark movie experience. Not long after the women arrive, it's not a handsome stranger they run into, though, but the very editor who once turned down the book that put this town on the map, so to speak, and Nora begins to learn that everyone has a backstory, and sometimes first impressions are dead wrong.

I absolutely adored this book! Yes, the solution the characters struggle to see was obvious to me from the moment we learn what Libby's secret is--and it crossed my mind even before that--but the journey they took to get there was necessary, heartwarming, and sometimes even heart wrenching. Plus the witty banter was perfect, like an R-rated Gilmore Girls, and had me laughing out loud or at least grinning 'til my face hurt though most of the story.

What I don't understand is why the official synopsis of this book says Nora and Charlie are rivals. They barely know each other until Nora & Libby arrive in Sunshine Falls. The only time they've ever interacted was 2 years prior at the meeting where Nora pitched Charlie the manuscript for Once in a Lifetime, and he turned it down because he hated the setting. In fact, when Nora does spot Charlie in the coffee shop, she isn't sure it's him and has to look up his address to send an email as a test to see if the man ahead of her in line responds. Which he does, because apparently they both have email notifications turned on--something I would never do because the constant pinging would make me insane, but I suppose it makes sense for their business email accounts. At any rate, they aren't rivals; they are acquaintances who become colleagues and friends with enough electricity sparking between them to start a wildfire.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, language secondary (for the banter). There is no violence, but there are a few steamy sex scenes and some profanity sprinkled throughout.

Many many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the free eGalley copy in exchange for my honest review!

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Fly Girl: A Memoir

Fly Girl: A Memoir by Ann Hood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was in preschool the year that Ann Hood began her career as a flight attendant for TWA, but I do remember a little bit about what it was like to fly at that time, though I most definitely never got to experience the luxuries of flying first class. Her memoir is a fascinating look at what it took to become and remain a flight attendant in the years when the airline industry was undergoing massive upheaval both culturally--the sexism is nauseating in the extreme--and financially, with deregulation bringing both positive and negative changes, and corporate greed causing widespread devastation.

My favorite parts of the book were the ones focused on her personal experiences and growth. Hood's recounting of her time at the Breech Training Academy in Kansas City was captivating. I wasn't surprised that they were trained to do all the obvious things like demonstrate how seatbelts and life vests work, but I had no idea the breadth and depth or complexity of their training, from how to carve chateaubriand (they used to do that on airplanes?!) to how to deliver a baby, and a million other responsibilities big and small. I don't know how many of those tasks are still part of modern-day flight attendant training--I'm assuming the meat carving isn't a thing any more--but I have a whole new appreciation for the men and women who have patiently offered me drinks and hot towels on past flights.

I also found the history of the airline industry itself to be fascinating, though I struggled with the lack of coherent timeline. Actually, that's true for some of her personal recollections as well--she tends to go off on tangents during anecdotes sometimes. All of which are interesting, but the non-linear detours did make it difficult for me to figure out when various events took place. The overall story arc moved chronologically, but the individual threads zigzagged.

One thing that surprised me was that for all the stories of what life was like as a beautiful, young, single woman with an adventurous spirit, and her tales of dating or refusing propositions, there is virtually nothing about meeting or marrying her husband. I thought that's what she was alluding to with her recollection of meeting 47F, but alas, no. Perhaps that means meeting her husband was unrelated to her time as a flight attendant? Perfectly fine to keep that story private, but I admit I was a little disappointed.

All in all, I very much enjoyed reading this memoir. 3 1/2 stars, but I'll round up. Many thanks to Bookbrowse and the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Mr. Perfect on Paper

Mr. Perfect on Paper by Jean Meltzer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dara Rabinowitz has made a fortune turning her family's matchmaking legacy into the Jewish dating app J-Mate, but she hasn't used those skills to find her own perfect match, so her grandmother forces her hand by announcing Dara's "perfect husband requirements" on live television. Dara is humiliated, but it turns out to be a ratings boon for both J-Mate and the daytime TV show when the producers turn her search into a series of segments on the show.

Widowed single father Chris Steadfast is the exact opposite of Dara's criteria, but they gradually get to know one another through the string of hilariously disastrous dates his show's camera crew films and broadcasts. Unfortunately, Dara's insistence on only marrying a Jewish man blinds her to the perfect match right in front of her and has her clinging to one that's only perfect on paper.

What I loved about this book was the way mental illnesses, grief, and Judaism are addressed. I learned so much about all three! Dara struggles with all sorts of mental health challenges, particularly anxiety, and she has developed strategies and coping mechanisms to handle them. I thought those aspects of her character were so well done. Plus having the dates all relate to various Jewish holidays and traditions gave the opportunity to tell readers about the history and meanings of each, which was interesting.

Unfortunately, the secondary characters in this book are pretty one-dimensional. Even Dara's beloved Bubbe doesn't feel like a fleshed-out character. Frankly, it was difficult to believe that an expert matchmaker wouldn't notice how unhappy Dara was. Dr. Daniel was a perfectly nice person, just completely wrong for Dara. She let her prejudice get in the way of her happiness. I suspect this book would work much better as a movie, where a good set of actors could use nonverbal communication to develop into 3D people both figuratively and literally. And that climactic scene at Bubbe's party would make a very dramatic, cinematic movie ending.

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary. The New York/New Jersey setting might also appeal to some readers. No sex or violence, and if there was any swearing, it was so mild I can't remember it. It's a pretty fast-paced read. 

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

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The No-Show

The No-Show by Beth O'Leary
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is, hands-down, my favorite adult fiction book so far this year, and I've read some excellent ones. I requested the eGalley copy from NetGalley thinking I was getting a rom-com, and while there definitely is romance as well as some humor, this book took me on an emotional journey I was not expecting, and I could not bear to put it down.

The first half of the book is character-driven, focusing on the three women Joseph Carter stands up on Valentine's Day: Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane. We get to know Siobhan's over-scheduled world as a life coach with past relationship grief. We learn about Miranda's life as the only woman on a tree surgeon crew (a.k.a. arborist). And we wonder exactly what trauma caused Jane to flee corporate London for a volunteer job as the youngest member on staff at a charity shop in Winchester. Their lives intersect in only one way: their relationship with the same man.

The second half of the book (or maybe the last 3rd? eGalleys have wonky formatting) is hard to talk about without giving anything away. The pace intensifies, the story taking unexpected twists and turns. I anticipated loathing Joseph, yet he defied all my expectations, and I honestly couldn't decide what outcome I wanted...none of which mattered in the end because O'Leary is a genius.

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways are both VERY strong. The setting is England and Ireland. Some profanity and mild sexual content. One scene with accidental violence. Discussion or mention of grief, death of loved one, depression, dementia, stalking, sexual harassment, self harm, miscarriage, and panic attacks. LGBTQIA+ secondary characters.

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Someone to Cherish

Someone to Cherish by Mary Balogh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Harry Westcott has done a lot of healing, both physically and emotionally, the past four years since he's been back in his childhood home, alone except for the army of servants. He is content with his life and has regained his happiness. But on the cusp of turning thirty, suddenly his contentment is threaded with a bit of restlessness. Maybe he does need more in his life?

Lydia Tavernor has lived alone in her tiny cottage opposite the gateway to Hinsford Manor for more than a year, since she bought it and moved in after her husband drowned saving a young boy from the village. Her husband had been a beloved vicar, ardent in his faith and dedicated to his parishioners. What no one knows is that he was a benevolent despot as a husband, dictating every aspect of her life, eschewing both physical contact and humor. After grieving the loss of her husband for the full length of her mourning period, Lydia is learning to find herself--her true self--again, a person she lost track of in the 20 years since her mother died when she was eight and her father and brothers wrapped her in metaphorical cotton wool to protect her from the Big Bad World. Now that she's had a taste of freedom, she never again wants to hand it over to a man. Still, living alone can be lonely. She just doesn't realize what a can of worms she will open by asking her handsome neighbor if he ever gets lonely, too.

The outcome is never in doubt--I mean, it IS a romance novel--but the journey these two take to get there is interesting. They have been acquaintances for about 4 years by the time the book begins, and yet Harry has never truly noticed Lydia, ever, even while chatting politely with her at social events. She, on the other hand, has built up a fantasy version of him based solely on seeing him interact with their neighbors, and he has become literally the man of her dreams.

My favorite parts of the novel were when they were engaged in quiet conversation about things they'd never told another soul. The reason I am rating the book--and I wrestled with this--three stars instead of four is because I think there needed to be an additional scene or two where they maybe had a moment or two to converse privately while in public view (or even not in public?) and do a better job of building the foundation for a relationship. To me it felt like Balogh was skirting too close to the "insta-love" trope by having them fall in love on the basis of so little.

The second reason for my lower-than-usual-rating for a book in this series is that I really think Lydia capitulated far too quickly. She is initially so strong and determined, I think it would have made far more sense for her to resist marriage until she got a closer view of the relationships between spouses in the Westcott family. She needed to see in action that husbands don't necessarily dominate their wives and dictate all their choices. She needed time to begin building relationships with Harry's sisters, cousins, and mother. There really was no "Aha!" moment of growth where her change of heart would make sense.

Also, I wished the characters of Jeremy and Mrs. Piper had been fleshed out more. They were rather two-dimensional.

Otherwise, though, I loved the book!

For readers' advisors: character edges out story doorway as primary, setting (Regency England) is secondary, though I realize my complaints about the book are about deficiencies in characters. There are some makeout scenes and a couple of sex scenes. The occasional mild swear word appeared. One scene depicts a solid punch being thrown.

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