When 12-year-old Lauren Suszek is abandoned by her mother in an amusement park, she's not sure what to do. It's clear her mom isn't coming back and Lauren sure as heck doesn't want to go into foster care. With no other alternative, she decides to hide in the park until she can come up with a better plan. "Borrowing" a uniform and a name tag designating her as "Mouse," she sets about imitating an employee, albeit one who secretly lives inside one of the rides in Ghost Town. 

Things are going along rather swimmingly until a nosy girl starts poking around. Not only does Cat seem to know exactly who "Mouse" really is, but she's obviously determined to rat her out to the authorities. Lauren refuses to be caught. She's become an expert at hiding in plain sight. Will her camouflaging skills be enough to keep her out of trouble now, when it matters most? Or will Cat be able to trap the wily Mouse once and for all?

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live in a busy, magical amusement park? Maura Jortner has. Her debut novel,102 Days of Lying About Lauren, was inspired by a trip she took to Disney World in which she started imagining living inside the Haunted Mansion attraction. Although the park in the book is never named, it has all the sparkly enchantment of The Happiest Place on Earth. It's a fun setting for this heartfelt story. Lauren is a sympathetic heroine, but she's likable because she's hopeful, funny, and compassionate (even though dealing with other people's emotions triggers her own anxiety). She's also a giver, appointing herself as a park janitor so that she can give back to her adopted home, instead of just taking from it. Although I would have liked more details about how she survives on a day-to-day basis, there are enough there to make her situation believable. Ish. Would a 12-year-old (even one who looks like a 16-year-old) really be able to fly under the radar for so long without attracting any attention? Who knows, but it makes for a compelling story! Speaking of, there's plenty of action in the novel, which makes it a quick, exciting read. I buzzed through it in one evening. Lest you think there's no substance in 102 Days of Lying About Lauren, let me assure you that there's plenty. Both Lauren and her best park pal, Tanner, are dealing with grief and trauma that lead to anxiety, panic attacks, and sadness. They help each other cope. In the end, as part of the book's realistic but satisfying ending, trustworthy adults also step in to aid the kids.

Despite some heavy subject matter, 102 Days of Lying About Lauren is exciting, humorous, and buoyant. Because of its unique setting, likable characters, engrossing plot, and upbeat vibe, this is a book that young readers will love. I'm hardly its target audience, but I enjoyed the book immensely.

(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. You?)

To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of 102 Days of Lying About Lauren with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.

Everyone thinks 11-year-old Ware is a space cadet, but he's perfectly happy spending all his time in his own little world.  His grand imagination allows him to be anything he wants to be, including a heroic Medieval knight.  When his plans for a quiet summer being left pretty much to his own devices goes awry, Ware finds himself enrolled in a day camp at the local rec center with a bunch of other kids his age.  Meaningful social interaction is not Ware's idea of a good time, so when he happens upon a secret oasis—an abandoned church next to the rec center—he sees an unparalleled opportunity to duck out of camp and make his own fun.  The only problem is that someone else has already claimed the space and she does not want him there.  When Ware convinces scrappy Jolene to let him help her develop the old church into their own private playground, the two embark on a tentative friendship that might finally help two lonely misfits find belonging.  Then, an outside "enemy" starts to threaten their sanctuary.  Well versed in the knights' code of honor, Ware vows to protect their territory at all costs.  Can he and his new friend save the place that has sustained and nurtured them all summer?  Or will everything they've worked so hard to build be destroyed by the swing of a wrecking ball?

Here in the Real World, a middle-grade novel by genre veteran Sara Pennypacker, is a quiet, contemplative book.  The plot is compelling, the characters are likable, and the prose is assured.  While the story isn't exactly action-packed, it's still engrossing and enjoyable.  The tale teaches valuable lessons about friendship, being yourself, working together, finding one's strengths, etc.  Overall, it's a empowering, uplifting novel that I liked, didn't love.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

After losing her pastry chef job at a Manhattan restaurant and her fiancé in one fell swoop, Kate McGuire is at loose ends.  Desperate for a new start, she heads to Coral Cay, a charming beach town in Florida.  When she spies a Help Wanted sign in the window of a local cookie shop, it seems like fate is finally smiling on her.  Sam Hepplewhite, The Cookie House's cantankerous owner, isn't so sure he needs Kate's help.  It's her job to convince him.

When money-grubbing bully Stewart Lord ends up dead after eating one of Sam's cinnamon rolls, the baker finds himself in hot water.  To save her boss and his beloved cookie shop, Kate knows she has to prove Sam's innocence.  With the help of her new Coral Cay friends, she sets about doing just that.  Can she find the killer before she ends up as dead as Stewart Lord?  

And Then There Were Crumbs is the first installment in Eve Calder's super fun Cookie House Mystery series.  It features a warm, friendly community setting; likable, upbeat characters; and a mystery that's intriguing enough (even if it's not very twisty or original).  The story's not very realistic (few cozies are), but it's not totally ridiculous either.  For all these reasons, I quite enjoyed this engaging series opener.  I'll definitely be reading on.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of cozy mysteries by Ellie Alexander, Vivien Chien, Amanda Flower, and Lena Gregory)  

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Don't Date Rosa Santos, a debut novel by Nina Moreno, is a little hard to describe.  Since my brain is tired, I'm just going to use the book's back cover copy, which sums the story up nicely:

Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that's what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you're a boy with a boat.

But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.

As her college decision looms, Rosa collides-literally-with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs) and innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find     

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Neither Nora Holliday nor Josh Landon is happy in their long-term marriages, but that doesn't mean either one of them is the type to start an illicit affair.  But that's just what happens when they run into each other at a hotel in a different city.  A one-time mistake blossoms into something more as they continue to see each other secretly after returning to their small hometown.  Despite the risks to their reputations, their marriages, and their families, Nora and Josh find that their relationship provides the affection and fulfillment they haven't felt with their spouses in years.

When Abby Landon—a college junior who's home recovering from a shattering breakup—sees her father kissing a woman who's not her mother, she vows to get revenge on the pretty homewrecker.  As she plots against her father and his lover, Abby unknowingly sets into motion a plan that will end in the brutal murder of her mother.  Gwen Landon had plenty of enemies, but who actually killed her?

The Last Affair by Margot Hunt is another compelling, but depressing psychological thriller.  It's engrossing, even though it's populated with a cast of selfish, immature people with whom it's very hard to sympathize.  I felt sorry for the kids caught in the middle of their parents' drama, but that's about it.  The Last Affair is enough of a page-turner that I kept reading to the end; overall, though, I didn't find it a very enjoyable or satisfying read.  Mostly, it's just a big downer.  It convinced me that it's time to give this genre a break for a while ...

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, sexual content, violence, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of The Last Affair from the generous folks at Harlequin.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

For as long as she can remember, Anna Montgomery has lived by her mamma's strict rules, even if they don't always make sense.  All she knows is that obsessive cleaning, scripture reading, and keeping herself pure from the influences of the outside world are what keep her paranoid, overly protective mamma calm.  On her 18th birthday, Anna does something she's never done before—she defies her mother by secretly going to Astroland, an amusement park that has been strictly outlawed by mamma.  Even though she's never been there before, Anna's shocked by how familiar the place seems.  It's almost as if she's visited Astroland sometime in the past.  But, how could that possibly be?  When she receives a strange card in the mail on the same day, she becomes convinced that her life is not what it seems to be.  Who is Anna, really?  What is her "mamma" hiding?

In London, 16-year-old Rosie Archer has grown up in the shadow of her older sister, Emily, who went missing from an American theme park when Emily was a toddler.  When she learns that funds in the Find Emily trust are almost gone, Rosie panics.  It's been 15 years since her sister's disappearance, with no real leads—if Rosie doesn't keep searching for Emily, who will?  The more she discovers from online conspiracy theorists, the more she realizes just how much danger her sister could be in.  If she's even still alive ...

Although it's obvious from the get-go who Anna really is, A Girl Named Anna by Lizzy Barber remains a tense, compelling read.  An assured debut, it features sympathetic characters, an intriguing plot, and interesting story elements that keep the tale engrossing.  In fact, I flew through the book, anxious to know what was going to happen.  I can't say that A Girl Named Anna is overly original or memorable, but I enjoyed it and I will definitely keep an eye out for more from the talented Lizzy Barber.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of In Another Life by C.C. Hunter, The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante, The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer, The Safest Lies by Megan Miranda, etc.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder invectives), violence, disturbing subject matter, sexual content, and depictions of illegal drug use and underage drinking

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of A Girl Named Anna from the generous folks at MIRA (a division of HarperCollins) in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Losing her mother at birth and growing up in a succession of foster homes has left 30-year-old Harper Taylor with a desperate longing for a family to call her own.  Wealthy Oliver Jackson, her mentor and business partner, has been like a father to her, but Oliver's real children see her only as an interloping gold digger.  While Harper tends to the pen shell beds that are the center of her research and burgeoning career, she's pursuing her goal of creating the family she's always wanted.  Not only is she "adopting" a frozen embryo, hoping to bear a child of her own, but she's also submitted her DNA to a testing company in the hopes of discovering birth relatives. 

Almost as soon as Harper receives news of a DNA match, a series of disturbing events happen—Oliver is attacked while diving, a stranger tries to assault Harper, and Harper's newfound half-sister narrowly escapes an attempted abduction.  Coincidence?  No way.  The more Harper communicates with her half-sister, the more disturbing information they uncover about their family.  Is someone trying to eliminate living members to keep secrets from the past from coming to light?  Terrified for her future, Harper reluctantly partners with Oliver's son, Ridge, to solve the mystery of her past.  Can the duo get to the bottom of what's going on?  Will Harper ever have a chance at finding love and a family or will she be the next Taylor woman to die a mysterious death?

Let me say this upfront:  I'm not a big fan of romantic suspense.  I am a *little* obsessed with genealogy, though, so the premise of Strands of Truth by Colleen Coble definitely caught my attention.  Secrets-of-the-past-haunting-the-present is one of my favorite story tropes as well, so I figured I'd give this one a try.  While I found the book disappointing overall, there are several elements I appreciate about Strands of Truth besides those I already mentioned:  (1) the fact that it's clean and faith-promoting without being preachy, (2) the featuring of honorable, God-fearing characters who come off as moral and devoted, not fanatical or weird, and (3) the inclusion of some interesting/unique subjects like pen shell harvesting and sea silk weaving (although neither gets enough attention in the story).  Unfortunately, I also found the characters to be flat and personality-less, the action to be melodramatic and far-fetched, and the prose to be lifeless and dull.  I did, however, care enough about Harper to read her story to the end.  And, while the finale feels cliché and silly, I didn't see the novel's Big Reveal coming.  So, there's that.  All in all, though, Strands of Truth turned out to be just an average read for me.  

P.S.  I'm notoriously picky about books and apparently I'm in the minority in my opinion on Strands of Truth.  Check out the book's stellar reviews on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Goodreads for more viewpoints.  Also, be sure to follow along on the novel's blog tour (see links below).  

(Readalikes:  I don't read much romantic suspense, so nothing's really coming to mind.  Suggestions?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Strands of Truth from the generous folks at Thomas Nelson via those at Celebrate Lit in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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Follow along on Strands of Truth's blog tour, hosted by Celebrate Lit:

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

For 42-year-old Amy Whey, life is beautiful in its happy simplicity.  Her days revolve around caring for her professor husband, their adorable baby, and her teenage stepdaughter.  On the side, she teaches scuba diving lessons and helps her BFF, Charlotte Baxter, run their neighborhood book club.  It may not be anything truly enviable, but for Amy, this stable, pleasant life represents everything she's ever wanted.

When beautiful, seductive Angelica Roux glides into the neighborhood in her flashy red sports car, alarm bells start ringing in Amy's head.  Before she knows it, "Roux" has slithered her way into not just the neighborhood, but also into Charlotte's beloved book club.  When she proposes a secret-spilling drinking game to the attendees, it seems like harmless fun—to everyone but Amy.  It soon becomes apparent that, as unwilling as Amy is to part with her deepest, darkest secret, Roux already knows it.  And she's ready—even eager—to shatter Amy's happy little world in order to get what she wants.  With everything on the line, can Amy beat Roux at her own game?  Or is her perfect life about to implode, hurting everyone she's ever loved?

I'm a big fan of Joshilyn Jackson's trademark Southern novels, in all their sweet, sassy glory, so I'm always eager to read her latest and greatest.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered her newest is a bit of a departure; instead of a heartfelt family drama, Never Have I Ever (available July 30, 2019) is a chilling domestic thriller.  While the novel stars a Southern setting, relatable characters, and juicy secrets, it lacks a lot of the warmth that saturates Jackson's other stories.  It's also less unique, more generic, just another domestic/psychological thriller among many.  That being said, Never Have I Ever is a compelling page-turner.  I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the tale, but not charmed in the way I usually am with Jackson's fiction.  While I appreciate her efforts to branch out, I'm really hoping Jackson returns to her roots for her next book.  It's with her quirky, earnest women's fiction that she really shines.

(Readalikes:  I feel like I've read a million books with a similar premise, but no titles are coming to mind.  Help?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, sexual content, depictions of/references to illegal drug use, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Never Have I Ever from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at Edelweiss.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

With a degree in criminal justice and a job producing a true-crime podcast, Ryan Gracey is no stranger to solving mysteries.  She's never had one touch her own life, however, until she receives a frantic phone call from her older sister.  Wendy Wainwright refuses to divulge any details, but she begs Ryan to return home to Seabank, Florida, to watch her young girls while their father is deployed and Wendy is away.  Although the last thing Ryan wants is to uproot her life in Delray and go back to the place where she screwed up all her most meaningful relationships, she can't let her nieces down.

Playing mom is tougher than Ryan could have imagined.  Especially when her nieces hint that their mother is not what she seems.  Wendy's mysterious, prolonged absence propels Ryan to start digging into her sister's perfect-looking life.  The more she finds, the more she tends to agree with the girls—there's trouble lurking behind Wendy's flawless facade.  As unsettling clues continue to turn up, Ryan will be forced to face some shocking truths about her sister, her family, and herself.

A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards (available June 25, 2019) starts with an intriguing premise, which leads to a compelling plot.  The story gets a little long, but it kept my interest with its mix of mystery/suspense, family drama, and romance.  While I saw some of the big reveals coming, others caught me by surprise, which made for an engrossing, enjoyable read.  I would definitely spend more time with these characters if I could and I will for sure read more by the talented Emilie Richards.

(Readalikes:  Hm, nothing is coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, mild sexual content/innuendo, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of A Family of Strangers from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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