In This Moment (Timeless #2) by Gabrielle Meyer

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Time Travel
Content: Clean

 

Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each night she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in another. Until, that is, she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives--and everyone she knows in them--forever.

In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of an influential senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a Navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she's asked to join a hospital ship being sent to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she's a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon, yet unable to use her modern skills in her other paths.

While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era. The mysterious British gentleman. The prickly, demanding doctor. The charming young congressman. She's drawn to each man in different ways, only complicating the impossible decision she must make, which looms ever closer.

With so much on the line, how can Maggie choose just one life to keep and the rest to lose? 

 

I've  been looking forward to reading this book for a while now. I liked the first book in the series and I wanted to read more. I ended up loving this one. I liked it more than the first book, which at times was a little too sad and depressing, although still good. In this one, the main character, Maggie is very torn about where she wants to stay because she has a good life with loving parents in each time period. 

I enjoyed reading how Maggie ended up being present for the start of three different wars in US history. The parts on 9/11 had me tearing up as I thought about that day again. I don't want to say too much, but the way that was written just got to me. This was the only time period that she didn't have knowledge of. The other two time periods, she knew what was going to happen, even though everyone around her didn't. I think the temptation to try to change things, or even look up what happens while in 2001 to the people that are in the Maggie's life in the past would be so hard to resist. 

It seemed obvious to me which time period the main character would end up choosing and which man she was really in love with.  I can't imagine having to make this kind of choice and also living in three completely different time periods where nothing is even remotely the same. 1861, 1941, and 2001 are so very different from each other. 

Overall I loved this book and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 

 

 

 

 

 

A Sea View Christmas (On Devonshire Shores #4) by Julie Klassen

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

  

With a promise to her youngest sister, Sarah Summers declares that this year's Christmas at Sea View will exceed all expectations. But the arrival of Callum Henshall--dashing Scottish widower and returning guest--blows a flurry of doubts into her mind. Sarah had discouraged his attentions before and is once again torn between attraction and duty. Yet even while she's busy managing the family's guest house, alluring thoughts of a second chance at love weave their way into her practical heart.

Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Georgiana eagerly anticipates the exciting Christmas of her dreams after last year's dull, disappointing holiday filled with endless chores. She enjoys all the promised parties, music, and dancing, but is taken by surprise when young love comes knocking. Does the festive romance of a Sea View Christmas hold the key to a happily-ever-after for both sisters?

Return to Sidmouth for this highly anticipated holiday companion novella to the Summers sisters' lives and loves on the charming Devonshire shore.

 

I was looking forward to reading this, knowing it was the last book in the series, and the one where Sarah's story is finally told. I really liked Sarah in the other books, even though I got a bit impatient with her. I also felt there was good chemistry between her and Callum in the first book in the series, and I wanted them to end up together. Initially I thought things would be less awkward between them when they met again, but unfortunately it felt like they were back at the beginning of their relationship. 

Sarah frustrated me a lot more in this book than she did in the others. Her indecision and the fact that she seemed to think she was the only person that could be there for her mother and the inn, despite the fact that she has four sisters that live nearby and three brothers-in-law, not to mention multiple friends, resulted in me liking her less. I also felt less chemistry between Sarah and Callum this time around, which made the story fall a bit flat for me. 

I enjoyed the Christmas setting but at times felt that it leaned too heavily into showing us the holiday traditions of that time period. I wanted more interpersonal interactions between the characters and it felt like the book dwelt on other things too much. There was too much telling at times and not enough showing, and there were what I viewed as missed opportunities for characters to talk and interact with each other in more meaningful ways. Especially Sarah and Callum. Sarah barely talked to Callum, and she was so unable to share her thoughts and feelings with him. It had me feeling like they were in for a difficult marital relationship.  

I enjoyed the parts about Georgiana, which I didn't expect, and I was unexpectedly wishing more had been written about her and Colin. Unfortunately, this being the last book in the series means there will be no more written about them. Overall, I enjoyed this series but I didn't think this last book was quite on par with the others in the series, but I'm glad I read it and would read it again.

 

 

 

 

 

June 2026 Book Club: Decision at Thunder Rift (Gray Death Legion Trilogy #1) by William H. Keith

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-fi
Content: Sex is alluded to but nothing is shown on page

 

Thirty meters tall, seventy tons of quick-striding death and destruction, the armored war machines called BattleMechs are the front line forces of the crumbling star empire locked in the horror of the endless Succession Wars. Their pilots are MechWarriors, 31st-Century knights riding armored machines powerful enough to take a city apart.

Grayson Death Carlyle had been training to be a MechWarrior since he was 10 years old, but his graduation came sooner than expected. With his friends and family dead and his father's regiment destroyed, young Grayson finds himself stranded on a world turned hostile. Now he must learn the hardest lesson of it takes more than a BattleMech to make a MechWarrior...

But to claim that title, all Grayson has to do is go out and capture one of those giant killing machines...if it doesn't kill him first. 

 

This isn't the sort of book I would usually pick up to read but it was our book club pick. I actually voted for it as my second choice because I was curious about Battletech. It's a game my husband has played over the years. Needless to say, he was really interested in this one. I had low expectations going in but was pleasantly surprised at how much this book kept me entertained. The characters aren't real deep, although the main character does grow a bit from being naive about some things to learning his lesson, but the book plays out like a pretty good action movie. I enjoyed the story for what it was. I found the different mechs to be one of the most interesting aspects of the book. 

For book club we set up the pieces to the tabletop version of the game as centerpieces on the table and kitchen island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying #1) by Ilona Andrews

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Portal Fantasy
Content: Strong Language, Torture that is mildly descriptive

 

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.

Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war. 

 

Portal Fantasy isn't usually my thing but this is Ilona Andrews so I was going to give it a try. I was actually pretty excited to read this book. I loved the blurbs I read and the cover is gorgeous. As soon as I started this I was sucked into the story instantly. I will say that this book has a whole lot of info dumping in it, but it makes sense for the kind of book it is. Maggie is constantly filling us in on the story-line of the book she's been somehow sucked into. It's necessary for us to understand the story and how things are supposed to unfold. Maggie is trying to change the way things end up in the book. 

There were a few times in the beginning when I wondered why the authors chose to write their story the way they did, as a portal fantasy, instead of just writing the story that their character gets trapped in. That being said, I'm not sure I would have the stomach for reading some of the horrible things mentioned by Maggie that happened in that book. 

*Minor spoiler here- There is one part in this book that I felt wasn't as convincing as it could have been, and that was the part when one of the characters is tortured. While I appreciated that most of it was glossed over (I really don't like reading those types of things), I felt like the character wasn't traumatized enough after the fact.  

In the end, I enjoyed this book immensely. I enjoyed the characters. Maggie is great as a lead character. She's smart and resourceful. The main male love interest is very Ilona Andrews. If you've read other Ilona Andrews books then you probably know what I mean. I like that there's a bit of a slow burn going there even though they are very attracted to each other. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes in the next book.

 

 

 

 

Twice Shy by Sophia Holloway

  

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

Rejected by her bereaved father at thirteen and then jilted at nineteen, Elizabeth Ashling is deeply distrustful of men and has no wish to return to London Society. However, circumstances mean she must endure a Season, and there she meets Sir Lucius Radstock. He is as ardent a horse-lover as she is, although that is the only subject on which they appear to see eye to eye. He is initially irked by her coldness, and, in a moment of temper, gives her the nickname, 'The Unassailable'. To Elizabeth's horror, this encourages more unwelcome men to make a play for her, although she remains ignorant of who coined it. As Elizabeth thaws towards Sir Lucius all seems to be going well, until an old rival reveals that Sir Lucius has been as duplicitous as the rest of his gender. 

 

I love this author and was so excited to read this. I wasn't disappointed. I liked the slow pace of the romance. Although, I did feel like some elements were carried out a bit too long, especially the main characters hang-ups about men, and her fears of being betrayed and abandoned. Although they made sense considering what she had been through.

One thing I really enjoy about this author's works is the way she uses third person omniscient in her stories. I love how the narrator floats from person to person showing us what the different characters are doing and saying, from the main character down to the gossips at the ball. This doesn't work in all types of books but it works for me here. Oftentimes there is humor injected into these parts that will have me giggling. I also continue to get a kick out of some of the names the author comes up with.

Elements of this were very reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice. The assumptions made in this book could have been annoying, but worked for me here, for the most part anyway. The last one that ends up coming between the characters was annoying, because I felt like it was accepted as fact too easily, considering where it came from. 

Overall, I loved this book and I'm looking forward to the next book by this author.

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for providing me a copy of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

Blindside (Planetside #5) by Michael Mammay

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-fi
Content: Strong Language

 

Colonel Carl Butler charges back into the world of military crisis, corporate malfeasance, and intergalactic mystery in the action-packed fifth Planetside novel from science fiction master Michael Mammay.

Carl Butler has returned to his home planet from the moon Taug and is looking forward to some rest and relaxation. But following two mysterious deaths connected with the Taug mission, he realizes that the intruders that recently set off his home’s security system might be looking to add him to the death toll.

Having been Butler’s muscle on numerous missions, Mac is no stranger to getting involved with mysteries that should be none of his business. So when the daughter of one of his gym members goes missing, he offers to help. Mac assumes she’s a simple runaway, but the case turns out not to be so clear-cut. Wondering if these strange occurrences are somehow related, Butler—along with Mac, Ganos, and the rest of his small crew—once again finds himself neck deep in intrigue.

As the clues for the various cases begin to intertwine, Butler sees the hand of an old enemy at work, and…well…he’s never been one to sit back and wait for something to happen. Gathering the team, he heads off across the galaxy to confront his suspects head-on.

But this time, they’re waiting for him. 

I was glued to this book from the very beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed being back in this world with these characters. I can never get enough of Carl Butler, but I enjoyed getting to read Mac's point of view as well. The story was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. I love that the author included recaps of the other books at the beginning so I could refresh my memory. I wish all books had this. One thing I noticed is that all but one of these books has started off with a missing person. I hadn't really thought about until I read the recaps. I hope the author starts the next book off differently. 

This was the first book in the series I didn't listen to on audio and I feel like I enjoyed actually reading this more than listening to the audio. I think I'm going to eye read the rest of the series from now on. 

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

 

 

No Good Deed (The Scarsdale Fosters #6) by B.E. Baker

  

No Good Deed (The Scarsdale Fosters #6) by B.E. Baker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance
Content: Clean

 

Her entire life, Ardath has wanted to do one save people in a way no one managed to save her mother. After growing up without any real family, she wants to spare others from the same fate. She’s come up with a brilliant plan to save even more lives, if only she can fund it.

Albert Devonshire the fourth—whose friends call him Ace—founded a successful gaming company that he loved running. . .until his dad got sick. When he takes over management of the family-owned chain of hospitals, he discovers his Dad’s been struggling with dementia for a while. The business is in shambles, and his mother’s spending isn’t helping anything.

When a young, beautiful doctor asks for funding to launch a program she’s clearly passionate about, he hates turning her down, but he has no choice. They’re one do-gooder program away from shutting down.

Ardath doesn’t take his refusal very well, and the more time Ace spends around Ardath, the more he hates being her enemy, but he can’t let the family empire collapse over yet another crush. Can Ardath and Ace make peace, or will their duties to their families set them irrevocably at odds. . .forever?

  

I enjoyed reading about Ardath. She's an interesting personality and the way her relationship evolved with Ace was fun to read. I liked that there was a nerd aspect to this book with the D&D and the gaming company, something I didn't expect. I wish we had gotten more of the D&D nights in the book, and more interactions between that group of friends. 

I thought Ardath was a little harsh with Trey after she found out something that I won't spoil here. For a minute there I almost wanted her to end up with him, especially after Ace was rude to him. I liked Ace but sometimes I thought he came off a little rude and full of himself. He improved as the book progressed though, and in the end I was rooting for them. 

Parts of this reminded me of Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez but only slightly. It was the whole hospital thing and the doctors. I found it refreshing that at one point where there could have been a third act break up, there wasn't. 

Thanks to the author or providing me with an ARC of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

  

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance
Content: Strong Language

 

Margaret Jacobsen has a bright future ahead of her: a fiancé she adores, her dream job, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in one tumultuous moment.

In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect. 

 

I enjoyed reading Margaret's journey throughout this book. The things she overcame, the things she learned to live with and without, and her perseverance had me glued to this. I empathized with her and triumphed with her. I loved that Margaret's sister was there for her and supported her through it all. I liked that everything made sense in this story and there were none of those annoying non-communication tropes. There were times when Margaret's family, and fiance would say things and I just couldn't believe anyone would be so insensitive, but I know people are so, I couldn't fault the author for that.

I actually prefer it when I get male and female points of view in romances. Katherine Center's books are just the female point of view, but it doesn't seem to matter when I'm reading her books. I enjoy them so much; the writing style, the characters, everything. I'm looking forward to reading another one of her books.

 

May 2026 Book Club: The Will of the Many (Hierarchy #1) by James Islington

  

 

I read this twice before it was chosen as our book club book so, I didn't read it again for book club. It was still fresh on my mind though with the recent reread, and my also being in the process of reading the sequel. I'm not going to write a new review but I'll copy my old one here. Also, I decided to add both covers to my review because I like both of them. Although the original one with the columns is still my favorite.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Strong language, Torture, Mass killing (none of these elements are done in a very graphic way)

  

The Catenan Republic – the Hierarchy – may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.

I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilised society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus – what they call Will – to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.

I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.

But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.

And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.

To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.

And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.

I read The Shadow of What was Lost by this author a couple of years ago, and ended up disappointed in it. I didn't think the story was bad, but it just didn't wow me the way I was hoping it would. So, I had decided that maybe this author just wasn't for me, and I didn't pay much attention to this book when it was announced. That is, until I saw my Goodreads friend, Petrik talk about it on his YouTube channel. Then I saw my friend Niki Hawkes talk about it on hers as well, and I thought maybe I should pay some attention to it. So I ended up adding it to my to-read list. I have to tell you that I am so glad I ended up reading this book! The story pulled me in right from the beginning and I just couldn't put it down. This is one of the best books I've read in a while. If you like dark academia, or magic school type fantasy books, then you will probably love this one.

This is a Roman inspired series, and I liked that about it. It felt a little different from some of the other books I've read, and I found the use of other people's will in the magic to be both intriguing and horrifying. There were several events in this book that were surprises, especially the one at the end. I didn't expect that at all, and now I can't wait to read the next book. 

I thought the author was good at creating characters that I could care about and sympathize with, while also creating a world that was interesting, with a plot that was compelling with unexpected elements.

 

I decided to loosely go with the ancient Roman theme for the book club snacks with Mediterranean type foods. I used some roman-type columns (the ones they use for wedding cakes) and my husband 3D printed pyramids for the decor.

 

 

 

 

 

Part of Your World Trilogy by Abby Jimenez (Part of Your World, Yours Truly, and Just for the Summer) by Abby Jimenez

  

Part of Your World (Part of Your World #2) by Abby Jimenez

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Content: Strong Language, Moderately descriptive sex

 
After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his? 

 

This was the first book I've read by this author and I loved it. I was so glued to this book!  I haven't found a contemporary romance author that I like this much since I started reading Katherine Center's books. I loved these characters and how they end up falling in love. I love how Alexis learns to trust Daniel and the whole evolution of her character. I loved how Daniel was there for his family and I loved how everything gets resolved. 

 

 “I was a mosaic of someone else’s design where none of the fragments were put in the right place. And now I had finally put myself together and I recognized myself for the very first time.”

 

I also loved that this book made me laugh out loud a few times. A lot of rom-coms aren't nearly as funny as they should be. I love that the author added some very serious topics into this book that made it more than just a romance. The topic of emotional abuse was handled well. This and Katherine Center's Hello Stranger are my top two reads so far this year. I also want to mention that I hated cartoon looking covers on romance books, and for the most part I still do, but this one I like and I also love the one for Just For the Summer. 

 

“I think my soul recognized hers the second I laid eyes on her.”

 

 

 

 

 

Yours Truly (Part of Your World #2) by Abby Jimenez 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Content: Strong Language, Moderately descriptive sex

 

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.

  

After reading Part of Your World I was looking forward to this book. This one features Briana, best friend of Alexis from Part of Your World. I liked it in general but the third act break-up, the assumptions, and non-communications almost ruined this whole book for me. Luckily there was enough about this that I loved to lift my rating to 3.5 stars. What I loved were the characters. Briana and Jacob were great characters and I loved the way their relationship forms through letters and notes to each other. As a person that has dealt with social anxiety for years, I could relate to Jacob. I may not have it to the extent that he does in the book but there were several times when something felt very familiar. I loved how Briana was able to see Jacob and knew how to support him and help him through situations. 

 

“It’s like I always say,” Mom said, wiping under her eyes. “Love shows up. That’s how you know when it’s real.”

  

That being said, I did not love some of the things Briana did in the last part of the book. For most of the book I thought Briana and Jacob communicated with each other pretty well, and it was nice and refreshing, but at some point in the last quarter of the book the characters stopped communicating their concerns with each other and went on assumptions alone, especially Briana. This leads up to the third act break-up that trauma also played a part in. I felt so let down by this book at that point. 

I don't personally think a third act break-up is necessary for every romance book. This is something that got discussed recently in an author's reading group on FB that I follow. She writes a lot of romance and was saying that she didn't want to include that kind of a break-up in her book because it didn't fit. I really respect that she's going to write her book the way she feels will work best, instead of adhering to some formula. I wish that this one had been written a little differently but I still loved a lot about it.

The break-up in this book felt forced to me. I get that the character had trauma to deal with, but it didn't make sense to me that there was such a huge inability to trust at this point. On top of that, the trauma was brought on by something that we didn't get a lot of inner monologue about by the character, so it felt like it almost came out of nowhere. I also thought it was ridiculous that two doctors weren't smart enough to keep themselves out of this predicament to begin with. One of their mother's even pointed that out in the book. 

 

“We’re all a little broken, Briana. We are a mosaic. We’re made up of all those we’ve met and all the things we’ve been through. There are parts of us that are colorful and dark and jagged and beautiful. And I love every piece of you. Even the ones you wish didn’t exist.”

 

Even after things get resolved, I just didn't like the way certain things happened, and that resulted in me not liking most of the last part of this book. Despite that I'm still really invested in this series and want to read more from this author. I love her writing style and I thought the other two things I read by her were really good.  

 

 

 

 

 

Just For the Summer (Part of Your World #3) by Abby Jimenez

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Content: Strong Language, Moderately descriptive sex

 

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together? 

I didn't think Abby Jimenez would be able to top Part of Your World, but for me, Just For the Summer ended up being a half star higher at a 5. This book did what I think the author was trying to do in Yours Truly with its third act breakup; show how trauma can affect a person at a very deep level. Only it was done so much better here, and really did feel believable, and didn't almost ruin the story for me. It made sense for the story, and didn't feel like it came out of nowhere. We were privy to a lot of thoughts that led up to the decision and that helped a lot. 

 

“Unhealed trauma is a crack. And all the little hard things that trickle into it that would have rolled off someone else, settle. Then when life gets cold, that crack gets bigger, longer, deeper. It makes new breaks."

 

This book really hit me in the feels, especially towards the end. Emma's mom and the things that happened throughout Emma's life because of the way her mom was, left me so emotional. I love that these books are more than just fluff, but include people who are dealing with trauma and actually show them dealing with it. I'm glad I read these books in order because I liked the way this last book was tied to the others, in particular the first book, and how the characters are intertwined. 

 

“You are not what happened to you. You are what you do next.”   

 

There were some really funny parts in this book that had me laughing out loud too. That goes for everything I've read by this author so far. One of my main complaints about rom-coms is that they usually aren't all that funny, but this author knows how to make things funny. I particularly like the pet names she gives in her books. The Toilet King thing was pretty darn funny, and if Abby Jimenez didn't sell Toilet King t-shirts on her website, she should have! I'm looking forward to reading more Abby Jimenez books.

 

“The love stories sold us the wrong thing. The best kind of love doesn’t happen on moonlit walks and romantic vacations. It happens in between the folds of everyday life. It’s not grand gestures that show how you feel, it’s all the little secret things you do to make her life better that you never tell her about."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries #8) by Martha Wells

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Strong Language

 

Having someone else support your bad decision feels kind of good.

After volunteering to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realizes that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know.

Including human children. Ugh.

This may well call for... eye contact!

(Emotion check: Oh, for f—)

  

I'm so glad that I went back and reread all the books in this series in chronological order before reading this one. I feel like I was able to appreciate this one so much more because of that. Everything was fresh in my mind, and the overall story being told throughout the books made more sense in chronological order. 

This was another fun entry to the series. I particularly enjoyed Murderbot's reactions to the different people it met, and how it was trying to work through its feelings through emotional checks. It seems Murderbot is adjusting.

I've enjoyed all of Murderbot's adventures and I'm looking forward to more. I love that most of these are short novella length and I can listen to them in one sitting. This is one of the few series that I enjoy listening to instead of eye reading. 

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

 

The Shippers by Katherine Center

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance
Content: 

 

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.
 

  

I enjoyed the heck out of this book even though I had some issues with it. The main character, JoJo was very self-centered and oblivious a lot of them time, and she could have ruined the whole thing for me, but there were times where I saw her better qualities peek out. Like when she saw her dad for who he really was and helped him learn how to be a better person. She gave her dad a lot of grace; more than most of us would and it's what saved him. Of course that was just a subplot of the book. 

I enjoyed the main plot despite Jojo being immature and blind to things that were staring her right in the face. I felt that she should have been able to figure out why Cooper left for four years and didn't talk to her, among other things. But somehow despite that this book worked for me. 

I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters and the friends to lovers aspect of the story. Cooper was easy to fall in love with, which made we wonder why JoJo was so clueless about him. Some people do pick the wrong kind of people to date, fall for, and marry. Some people are smart academically and professionally but lack sense in their personal lives. JoJo was like that.

As usual for romance, there were some miscommunications and twists. The miscommunications were annoying, but at least some of the time the characters tried to communicate things, They just wouldn't always listen to each other. I pretty much saw every little twist in this book coming, so there were no surprises, but I enjoyed it anyway. Overall, I enjoy Katherine Center's writing style. It always pulls me right in and I get really engrossed in the story until the end. 

 

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

 

 

 

 

  

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Fantasy, Romaance
Content: Moderately descriptive sex, Strong language

 

Born to the firelit domain of the underworld, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods kill each other for magic, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry letters through the realms, but she also carries secrets of her one of them deadly, the other a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met…

Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life – begging the goddess he befriended in dreams for aid. But his prayer went unanswered, forever hardening his heart against the gods. That is until the same goddess comes tumbling through his window, bearing a letter to change both their destinies. For Matilda and Vincent are tangled together by threads of fate and the promise of a future beyond dreams, one that might rewrite the dark, blood-soaked ways of the gods…or end them. 

 

After reading and loving A River Enchanted, and A Fire Endless, I was excited to read another book by Rebecca Ross. So it was a little unfortunate that I didn't love this one. In the beginning it took me a while to get into this. I think I was around 20 percent in before it grabbed me and I felt more engrossed in the story. I had mixed feelings about the main female character. I didn't like or understand why she got involved with one of the characters in the story the way she did. It was off-putting to me that she developed the kind of relationship that she did with this person. There were red flags all over the place. She even saw them but that didn't stop her. Also, it didn't make sense to me that she made the deal with the river god, especially considering who he was, when she could have just used her cloak to disappear and swim across? Why did she need to walk across the bottom of the river to get to the keep?

I also had mixed feelings about the main male character. As a romantic character he was fine but I felt like he was a weak leader and a very poor strategist. In fact everyone involved in the war in this book was a poor strategist, and believe me, if I'm saying this then that says something, because that is not my forte. We have the god of war in the story and I have no idea what role he really played in helping them besides killing a few people. He seemed very inept. This part of the story should have been built up more. None of the characters really thought through their actions enough or even used their god powers to the best of their advantage. This stuff really frustrated me. There's more I could say but I'm trying to avoid spoilers so I'll leave it there. 

There were things I did like about this book enough to give it 3 stars. I like some of the supporting characters a lot and I liked the way the romance came about between the two main characters, and once I got into the story it was hard to put it down. I also really enjoy this author's writing style. Will I read more Rebecca Ross after this? Yes, I'll still give her other books a try because I love the first two I read so much.

On another note, I wasn't really sure how to categorize this book. It reads rather YA and although this is a standalone story, it is connected to a YA series. However, the age of the characters and some of the other content has me categorizing it for adult readers. I wouldn't recommend this for younger YA readers.

 

“He chose me first,” I replied. “He dreamt of me before I knew of him. His soul found mine before I even knew how to look for his.”

 

 

 

Twelve Months (The Dresden Files #18) by Jim Butcher

  

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong language, Grief and PTSD are depicted

 

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the Dresden Files, can he save himself?

One year. 365 days. Twelve months.

Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity.

Harry lost people he cared about in the battle, and that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild, but it’s a heavy load. He needs time.

Time is one thing Harry doesn’t have, however. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and killing innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal.

It’s been a tough year. More than ever, the city needs Harry Dresden the wizard—but after loss and grief, is there enough left of him to rise to the challenge?

  

**Some spoilers for previous books in the series. Read with caution. 

It was nice being back with Harry Dresden, even though he was grieving throughout most of the book. It had a real human quality to it that I think most of us could relate to. There was a big hole in this book without Murphy but that reflected what it feels like in real life when we lose someone. Jim Butcher did a really good job of showing how it feels, and I was feeling all the same things right along with Harry. 

 

“Pain is a fire. That’s true for all of the people, some of the time. If you’ve never had to stand   in that fire, be patient: Your turn is coming.”

 

I liked that this book took its time in developing the relationships and characters, letting them breath and grow and change at a pace that felt real. I'm not sure how I feel about the deal with Lara yet, but I liked the way things played out. I'm also really glad that Harry was able to step up and be more present in Maggie's life. 

 

 “There’s a little girl who is waiting for you,” he said. “She keeps a little light in her window     at night, you know. In case you come to see her and need it to find your way.”

 

Overall, I'm happy with the way this book progressed the plot and characters and that a couple of things got resolved, one being Thomas's situation. I was glad it wasn't dragged out longer, even if some of it ended up not ideal. I was also glad that Harry found some peace and happiness in the end. 

 

 “I realized that peace and happiness aren’t the same thing. Not at all. Happiness is peace in    action. And peace is happiness at rest. And neither one has to be perfect to be real.”

 

As always, I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. 

 

 

 

Out Law (The Dresden Files #18.75) by Jim Butcher, and Paranormal Payback by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong Language

 

In a city that’s just beginning to recover from the devastation caused by the Battle of Chicago, Harry Dresden is finally pulling himself together as well. He’s ensconced in his own personal castle, healing his various wounds, and training an eager new apprentice. The last thing he wants is any trouble. But, as history has consistently—and quite annoyingly—shown, what Harry wants is rarely what Harry gets.

It starts with a visit from Harry’s most powerful frenemy, Gentleman John Marcone, Baron of Chicago. He needs Harry to assist in the redemption of an underling who’s looking to go straight. And since Harry does kinda sorta owe Marcone for saving his life once (stupid honorable debt!), it’s not a request he can refuse. He’ll just wish he had.

Because this little favor is going to drag Harry into a fight he doesn’t want on behalf of a lowlife he doesn’t trust against an enemy more powerful and pestilent than he ever could’ve an insatiable, demonic foe whom Harry himself may have created when he wiped out the vampires of the Red Court so long ago.

Before, all it wanted was blood. Now it wants the entire world . . . 

 

I enjoyed this novella set in the world of The Dresden Files. It's a good follow up to the last novella, The Law, with the villain from that story trying to reform. I liked the way Harry goes about trying to help this guy see and understand what it truly takes to make the changes he wants to make in his life. How to change his mindset, and the real reasons for doing so.

Thanks to NetGalley and Podium Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

 

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong Language

 

In this short story collection, our heroes get what’s due to them—with a supernatural flair.

But the injustices that have been holding them back might cost them more than they realized. . . . 

In “Mister Petty,” a brand-new Dresden Files story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher, a woman hires Goodman Grey to get back at her cheating husband. She’s about to find out that Grey isn’t your ordinary detective—he’s a professional monster. And he’s going to balance the scales.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, “Dying Isn’t Just for the Young” follows an elderly widow reckoning with family scheming to take away her independence in a world infected by a disease of vampirism.

New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter’s “Razors and Revenge” finds the vampire bounty hunter Shiloh awaiting her judgement at the hands of the Dark Queen, fresh off a brutal werewolf attack and the loss of a dear friend. But Shiloh’s not just a vampire anymore—and the wolfish instincts growing inside her are howling for blood.

And Kim Harrison takes us to the #1 New York Times bestselling series of the Hollows in her story “Dog-eared.” The demon Algaliarept makes a bargain with the dangerously insane Newt, the last female demon, to punish an arrogant wizard for abusing his precious magical texts—but how ruthless is Al willing to be to get his petty vengeance?

ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BY Jennifer Blackstream * Maurice Broaddus * Delilah S. Dawson * Kevin Hearne * Tanya Huff * Kerrie L. Hughes * R. L. King * R. R. Virdi

Contents:
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black
A Midsummer Night's Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Isla Jewell
Contained by Tanya Huff
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter
A Clean Break by R. L. King
Grave Payback by R. R. Virdi
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes 

 

I picked this up for the purpose of reading the stories by Jim Butcher and Jennifer Blackstream, since those are the two authors with stories in the book that relate to books I've read. So my rating is for those two stories.

 

Mister Petty by Jim Butcher- 4 stars

I enjoyed this story, and I thought Goodman Gray and his assistant were fun characters. I wouldn't mind meeting them again sometime. 

 

Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream- 4 stars

I've only read the prequel book to this series, but I'm interested in continuing. I liked this story a lot. The characters are interesting, especially Peasblossom. 

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.  

 

 

The Shabby Old Cottage (The Irish Escape #3) by B. E. Baker

   

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Romance, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction 
Content: Clean

Three old friends in Ireland. Two months and change running their new hotel. One big holiday season in a strange place. How could a shabby old cottage ever shine like new?

Natalie’s move to Ireland was supposed to be uncomplicated. Her priorities were to turn an old estate into a hotel and help her kids integrate into school across the globe. But when surprise visitors change her plans and her feelings for a helpful friend turn into more, she struggles to focus on what really matters.

Samantha always longed for children, but when that never happened for her, she chose to pursue her other great horses. Now that her whole job revolves around riding, she expects to be happier than ever. Only, dreams are hard to shake, and now her love-life makes it hard to appreciate the joy that’s in reach.

Vanessa spent the past few years putting herself back together after losing her husband Jason. Her kids are thriving in Ireland, but she’s finding it difficult to find her place in a new culture. She’s also discovering with her beloved mother-in-law that there’s such a thing as too close.

Can these three women find a way to survive the busy holiday season in a new (old) place where everything feels strange? Or will the stress of family demands, disappointed dreams, and unwanted surprises turn shabby into downright depressing? 

  

Just like the two previous books in the series, this one kept me flipping the pages. The thing I liked most about it was Samantha's story arc. Some of it surprised me. I do wish that her love interest wouldn't have pushed for things to happen so quickly. She just started dating him and things moved way too fast. This and the thing Sam was hiding led to a surprising outcome. I liked that things didn't go the way I thought they would.

I continue to enjoy the friendship between the three women in the series and how they love and support each other through all the unexpected things that come up. I hope that both Natalie and Vanessa stop ruminating over their hesitations when it comes to dating the men they care about in the next book. I could relate to Vanessa's insecurities in quite a few ways though. Most of them had nothing to do with her dating Jack but the way she felt about herself in general. I did feel like Vanessa had a big reason to hesitate when it came to Jack's mom. Natalie's concerns were valid as well but I thought she overreacted at one point. I'm looking forward to seeing how these problems are navigated in the rest of the series, and how they each build love and trust with the new men in their lives. 

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 2026 and March 2026 Book Clubs: The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bestar, and The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke

 February-

  

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi
Content: An off page rape, A rather gruesome murder

 

In Alfred Bester's classic tale of murderous revenge in the twenty-fifth century, Gully Foyle was a Mechanic's Mate 3rd class, a crewman with no education, no skills and no ambition. But he did want to live. And Gully Foyle had lived for 170 days, the only survivor of the wreck of the spaceship Nomad, drifting halfway between Mars and Jupiter, living in an airtight locker the size of a giant's coffin, when the spaceship Vorga passed by, leaving him to rot, giving him a compelling reason to make it back to earth.

 

This audio narrator I found for this on Youtube kept me listening but I did not enjoy this book. It's a sci-fi novel that was inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo so there's quite a bit of vengeance in the book. Where this diverges from The Count of Monte Cristo is that the main character here does some truly awful and unforgivable things including rape and murder. In my opinion it went too far. By the end when the main character suddenly realizes he was wrong and shouldn't have taken vengeance, too much damage is done and I just want him to pay for the things he's done. I also have a real problem with authors making rape victims develop romantic feelings for their rapists. It happens in this book, although it's subtly done, so some readers may not catch it. Despite not liking this I can give it credit for being ahead of it's time in some ways, and keeping my interest despite, for me, being an unenjoyable story. Thus the two star rating instead of one star.

 

 

 

 

March-

 

The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi
Content: Clean as far as I read

 

Renowned structural engineer Dr. Vannevar Morgan seeks to link Earth to the stars-through the construction of a space elevator connecting to an orbiting satellite 22,300 miles from the planet's surface. The elevator would lift interstellar spaceships into orbit without the need of rockets to blast through the Earth's atmosphere-making space travel easier and more cost-effective.

Unfortunately, the only appropriate surface base for the elevator is located at the top of a mountain already occupied-by an ancient order of Buddhist monks who strongly oppose the project. Morgan must face down their opposition-as well as enormous technical, political, and economic challenges-in order to make the project successful. 

 

This ended up being a DNF for me. Right off the bat I didn't care for the narrator, but I'm not sure a better narrator could have saved the story. It was just so uninteresting. Not much happens in the first half of this book, and the story as a whole seemed to be trying to pound the science versus god theme into our heads, with atheism being the clear preference here. I wouldn't have minded as much if it hadn't been so heavy-handed. Overall, the book seems disjointed with some things thrown in that are never really developed. 

In general, classic sci-fi hasn't worked for me, although there have been a few exceptions. I did like Rendezvous with Rama, despite some flaws. I also enjoyed The Rolling Stones by Heinlein. But I've found myself consistently disliking the way the female characters are portrayed in classic sci-fi. I also dislike the outdated takes on certain things, although it can be interesting to see how far off, or how close they came in their speculations of the future. Most of the time I just find the way they're written to be rather boring. 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

  

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Romance
Content: Strong language, Some making out but nothing too explicit.

 

Love isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing. 

I loved this book so much! I loved these characters and the way they meet and interact with each other. There were some twists that I suspected as I read but couldn't quite figure out how it would work that way until all was revealed. I will say that it feels a little far-fetched that these two people wouldn't have said some things to each other that would have clued them in, but I'm not going to pick it apart. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

Going into this I had no idea there was a thing called face blindness and that many people actually have it. After reading the afterward I can tell the author did her research on the subject. It's early in the year, but I feel like this is going to stay as one of my top romance reads for this year. So far I'm 3 for 3 with Katherine Center's books and I'm looking forward to reading more of them. I would recommend starting with Happiness for Beginners if you've never read any of them.

 

 

 

  

The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep

  

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Clean romance, Historical Romance, Mystery, Historical Mystery
Content: Clean

Bedfordshire, England, 1820: Ruined by the sins of her father, Juliet Finch is cast into a life of self-reliance. Survival is a harsh taskmaster, but she is a quick learner and excels at tracking and snaring wild game to feed herself. Juliet embraces her new identity until the day Henry Russell catches her poaching on his land—a crime punishable by death. Henry, however, has other offenses on his namely, the troublesome stalker who’s making a misery of his sister’s life. To try to put a stop to her torment, Henry charges Juliet with tracking the elusive villain so he can be brought to justice. Using her skills, Juliet hunts down the rogue. . .but may just become the prey herself.
  

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. I felt like there were probably some things that weren't very historically accurate but overall it was entertaining. I liked both the main female and main male characters. I liked that the main female character was written as an intelligent, resourceful woman, although swallowing her pride and asking for help seems like it would have been the easier route compared to poaching. I enjoyed the way the relationship blossomed between the two characters.

The biggest weakness of the book is that I thought it was pretty obvious, almost from the beginning, who the perpetrator was, and what this person was doing. I didn't feel like this character was written very consistently throughout with the way they went from seemingly calculated and purposeful to crazy by the end. I do feel like the positives outweighed the negatives, so I would probably try another book by this author in the future. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

 

Teen Henry 1994 (Henry Bins #0.5) by Nick Pirog

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Content: Nothing I can remember

 

Henry Bins has a rare sleep disorder where he's only awake for sixty minutes a day, from 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. His meticulously regimented life—three minutes to shower, five minutes to eat, seventeen minutes of school, four minutes to play Zelda—is turned upside down when his dad leaves for a week-long cruise.

Just days into his newfound freedom, Henry's carefully structured hour explodes into adventure after a chance encounter with the audacious and beautiful Alice leads to the discovery of an abandoned puppy and a suspicious puppy mill.

As they team up to care for the mischievous pup, Trout, and work to shut down the cruel operation, Henry and Alice stumble upon a web of secrets involving her father—the principal of the local high school—and a shady new technology company. With each precious minute ticking away, they find themselves entangled in a high-stakes game of corruption, daring escapes, and a first crush that makes Henry's heart race faster than his limited time.

With the help of Alice's best friend Nicole and her brother Greg—or "Cipher" as the teenage hacker insists on being called—they embark on a mission to expose the truth before time runs out.

Full of heart-pounding adventure, first love, late-night daring, unbreakable friendship, and '90s nostalgia, Teen Henry 1994 is a hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-age mystery that is a bold reminder that sixty minutes is all it takes to change everything. 

 

This was an enjoyable prequel novel to the Henry Bins series. Fourteen year old Henry is left to his own devices for a few days, with the neighbor looking in on him periodically, while his dad takes a vacation. I enjoyed the characters in the book a lot and the plot was also ok. One of the most enjoyable parts of this, at least for me, was seeing how close Henry would cut it getting home in time before he fell asleep. But that was also a frustration as well because he certainly never seemed to learn! Another enjoyable part of this book was going back to 1994 and reliving all the things from that time period. Dial-up, AOL, cordless phones, the music, etc. 

I did find it a bit far-fetched that so much happened at 3 a.m. for Henry to get involved with, and sometimes there was just no way that all that happened in just one hour. I thought at times the author did a good job with this aspect of the book, showing us how Henry crammed everything he wanted to do in the one hour he had each day, and others not so much. This ends kind of on a cliffhanger with one of Henry's friends hacking into something he shouldn't, so that leads me to believe this isn't just a one time prequel. I was actually hoping it would be because I honestly just want the author to publish what I assume will be the last book in the main series.