The Baby Shower

"She has done this without one shred of acknowledgment that she is the source of the trouble." ~ 24%

The new girl in the group bursts into their lives like a storm. She is beautiful and seemingly perfect. Everyone loves her, but Jane is suspicious. Something isn't right and new girl is trying to take her place as best friend to Sophie. She's even hosting a baby shower for Sophie's new bundle of joy (a best friend duty) and how cute—they're both pregnant! Fast forward to the actual baby shower and Jane learns the unbelievable truth: the bump is fake; there is no baby.

This is my first book read by author S.E. Lynes. Color me interested in reading another. If you read enough domestic thrillers or psychodramas, then this plot is run of the mill. Lynes' writing kept me turning the ePages though. If you are new to this genre, you may be wowed by the twists and ending.

For an avid thriller reader, The Baby Shower was good but oh-so-predictable. Every so-called twist could be seen from a mile away. But the story flowed and the characters were detailed. The friendships are toxic and the characters are deeply flawed. For this, I rate it 4 out of 5. It would make an excellent Lifetime movie. 

Happy Early Pub Day, S.E. Lynes! The Baby Shower will be available Tuesday, March 1.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: The Baby Shower
Author: S.E. Lynes
Published: March 2022
Pages: 339
Edition: Galley
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

The Perfect Day to Boss Up

"I've never bought something that I couldn't afford to buy twice." ~ pg. 110

The Perfect Day to Boss Up is Rick Ross' hustler's guide to building an empire from mud to marble. He shares his road to success, adversities along the way and the steps taken to turn a vision into reality. His transparency is selfless and allows readers to follow a path that is proven to work. 

More than business start-up tips are revealed in The Perfect Day to Boss Up. Rick Ross also offers a road map to manage and invest money, make it in the music industry, turn ambition into action, assets versus liabilities and the importance of building a solid team. This inspiring read is currently my favorite for all the hustlers!

Rick Ross is a serial entrepreneur and I'm thankful for the useful gems he dropped. Time to boss up!

Title: The Perfect Day to Boss Up

Author: Rick Ross

Published: September 2021

Pages: 256

Edition: Hardcover

Genre: Memoir/Business

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Short Story Sunday: Jack Reacher's Rules

Short Story Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read a short story.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

Jack Reacher's Rules is an easy-to-read guide complete with illustrations to the world of Reacher. it compiles timeless advice from former army cop. Our favorite two-fisted, quick-witted, freelance troubleshooter shares rules to survive in these streets. The selections are from the first 17 books of the series. It is NOT a Jack Reacher novel itself but literally a list of advice and facts Reacher-style.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Analyze your fear; it's probably not rational.
2. Own nothing, carry nothing.
3. If in doubt, be flippant.
4. Eat and plan.
5. Stand with your back to the sun so that it's in your enemy's eyes.
6. No point in having a weapon at all unless it's ready for instant use.
7. Fitness Regime: Throw back the covers. Stand up and stretch. Arch your back. Point your toes. Stretch your legs. That's it.

Clearly this one's for the fans!

Title: Jack Reacher's Rules

Author: Lee Child

Published: January 2012

Pages: 142

Series: Jack Reacher

Edition: eBook

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

   

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"Raymond Brown hears the sound of laughter. He puts down his book and looks out the window. Here they come now, children of the ancient ones, the hewers of wood, the cutters of cane barreling down the sidewalk on their Huffys and Schwinns."

~ The Last Suspicious Holdout by Ladee Hubbard

What the Fireflies Knew

"Everybody ain't got a home." ~ 51%

What the Fireflies Knew is told from the perspective of 11-year-old Kenyatta Bernice (KB) as she and her sister, Nia, try to make sense of their new surroundings over the course of a summer. The girls have already experienced loss. Their dad dies of a drug overdose. The family home in Detroit is lost due to debts incurred from his addiction. Their overwhelmed mother sends KB and Nia to live with their estranged grandfather in Lansing.

Imagine how KB must feel. Through descriptive scenes and actions told in wonderful prose, readers learn that KB is very inquisitive. KB is often dismissed because of her age but respectfully asks questions and demands answers. I rooted for KB's peace the whole novel through. This fictional story set in my hometown is so well told!

I love a good coming-of-age novel. What the Fireflies Knew checked all the boxes. It was engaging, a slow build to climax, relatable and perfect character development. Author Kai Harris captured the innocence and voice of an 11-year-old Black girl. Within the first couple chapters, I was so endeared to the main character. The main theme resonates long after I've turned the last Kindle page: loved ones can be flawed and that's okay.  

Happy Pub Month, Kai Harris! Keep using your voice to uplift the Black community. What the Fireflies Knew is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: What the Fireflies Knew
Author: Kai Harris
Published: February 2022
Pages: 281
Edition: Galley
Genre: Coming-of-Age
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Meet Me in the Margins

"Only a true reader would understand." ~ 10%

Book covers are what initially grab my interest when deciding to read a book. The title is a close second. So when I was given the opportunity to read a debut novel with thee best title seen so far this year, Meet Me in the Margins, I gladly downloaded the galley and started reading...only to be soon disappointed.

An assistant acquisitions editor at Pennington Publishing is going through the motions of her day job. Right now she is supposed to be editing the latest edition of a medieval anthology. While other low-level editors are lugging around thick manuscripts, she is secretly working on her own romance novel. 

After leaving her manuscript in the Book Nook—a hidden room in the publishing house—she returns to find that someone left notes and a harsh critique in the margins. She must decide whether to follow the mysterious editor's advice or continue down the path of writing her dream novel as she sees best.

"Readers do that, you know. Fill in the blanks themselves." ~ 76%

What was meant to be a cute and clever bookish read turned out to be just okay. Way too predictable. Way too many eye-rolling moments about the main character's clueless behavior. Although, it will make a good Hallmark/Lifetime channel rom-com movie adaptation with the right cast.

Happy Pub Day, Melissa Ferguson! Meet Me in the Margins is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Meet Me in the Margins
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Published: February 2022
Pages: 336
Edition: Galley
Genre: Romance
Rating: 🖤 🖤

Short Story Sunday: The Dream

Short Story Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read a short story.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

"But they post his quotes on this day because they want to demonstrate how far we've come." ~ pg. 8

The Dream is an MLK Day eShort story. In just 40 pages, readers are entertained with a hot holiday hookup. Not quite like Martin Luther King Jr., Kiana had a dream. Oh, how steamy it was! I don't want to give anything away but this is perfect to read on a 3-day holiday weekend!

Title: The Dream

Author: Danielle Allen

Published: January 2022

Pages: 40

Series: n/a

Edition: eBook

Genre: Erotica

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤