Posted on by Maureen

Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters in Bras Basah by A.J. Low

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters in Bras Basah is the third book in A.J. Low’s Sherlock Sam series. Sherlock Sam is a young boy who lives in Singapore and solves mysteries with his friends and robot sidekick. In this book, Sam and his friends participate in an exchange program and spend a week attending an international school. This coincides with Sam being tasked with finding out who is sending threatening letters to an author via his son who attends the international school.  Of course, the island is in the middle of a chain mail letter game, so it seems almost impossible to figure out who is sending the threatening letters! Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Mesmerist by Ronald L. Smith

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Mesmerist is a middle grade novel written by Ronald L. Smith. It contains elements of several of my favorite things, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book.

Thirteen-year-old Jess lives with her mother. They earn their living from conducting séances, using trickery to put on a good show for their wealthy clients. However, that all changes when they receive an actual supernatural message. It turns out that Jess’ mother has been keeping secrets, and Jess learns more about her parents’ past on a trip to London. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

These Ruthless Deeds by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading These Vicious Masks last year, and found the combination of teenagers with extraordinary powers (like the X-Men) placed in Victorian England to be highly original.

These Ruthless Deeds is a young adult novel written by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas. It begins not too long after the events in These Vicious Masks, and protagonist Evelyn is still processing what happened at the end of the first book in the series. However, she is preoccupied by her family’s move to London for the “Little Season” and everything that entails. She learns more about a shadowy organization that oversees “Aberrants”: what is her place is supposed to be within the group and what are the group’s true intentions? The love triangle from the first book returns in a sequel; what good is a YA novel if there are not at least two gentlemen vying for the attention of the plucky protagonist?

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Posted on by Maureen

Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary

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I’m so happy that my girls enjoy reading as much as I do. We try to read together every night, and we also listen to a lot of audiobooks in the car. We’ve read several of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books, so when the girls asked if we could listen to a story, I put on Ramona and Her Mother.

Ramona and Her Mother is the fifth book in the Ramona series, and it takes place immediately after the events of Ramona and Her Father. Some of the other books in the series jump forward to the next school year, but Ramona and Her Father ends with a Christmas pageant and Ramona and Her Mother begins with a New Year’s Day brunch.

In this book, Ramona struggles to find her place within her family. She has some moments of introspection when little Willa Jean acts like a pest, and Ramona is indignant when people compare Willa Jean to her. Ramona has always appreciated being the baby of the family, but now feels left out when she sees her sister Beezus helping their mother with chores. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Witch is a YA fantasy novel written by Rin Chupeco. It is the first entry in a planned series.

Tea (whose name is not pronounced like the beverage) is a young girl living in a world surrounded by magic. Witches are valued for their power, but when Tea accidentally brings her brother back from the dead, she learns that there is a limit to society’s tolerance for witchcraft.

Bone witches are scorned, but they are also an integral component in keeping the world a safe place. Bone witches are a scarce commodity, so Tea is fortunate to find a mentor who can help her. Most of the book is devoted to Tea undergoing training to understand how to utilize her power. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Perks of Loving A Scoundrel by Jennifer McQuiston

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I recently finished listening to the Audible edition of Jennifer McQuiston’s The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel. This is the third book in The Seduction Diaries, and features Geoffrey Westmore, who fans of the series will remember as the younger brother of the heroines of the first two Seduction Diaries books.

We are also introduced to Miss Mary Channing, who is twenty-six years old and has never been kissed. She first encounters “West” (as Geoffrey is called) urinating on a rose bush in her sister’s garden. Needless to say, she is not impressed. They meet again when West follows her to the library at a party. He thinks that she is looking for an assignation, but she is only looking for a book. While in the library, they overhear an assassination plot. And then they share a kiss. And then everybody walks in and sees them kissing. So much scandal! Read more

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Big Nate: What’s a Little Noogie Between Friends? by Lincoln Peirce

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My oldest daughter is almost ten years old, and she loves Big Nate comics. Needless to say, she was very excited about being able to read What’s a Little Noogie Between Friends?

Nate is a fairly typical middle school boy. He goes to school, plays sports, and spends time with his friends. He has a reputation as a slacker, and this forms the basis for most of the jokes in the book. Peirce does not present an idealized version of school life; Nate makes mistakes and is sometimes the punchline rather than the one doling out the jokes. Nate is a very real character, and that’s what makes him so fun to read about.       Read more

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If the Duke Demands by Anna Harrington

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If the Duke Demands is a historical romance novel written by Anna Harrington. It is the first novel in the Capturing the Carlisles trilogy. I have not read any of Harrington’s other books, but Regency stories are my favorite genre, and I am always excited to discover new authors.

Miranda Hodgkins has a plan to capture the attention of Robert Carlisle: she’ll sneak into his room after a masquerade ball and show him exactly what she thinks of him. The plan goes awry when she sneaks into Sebastian Carlisle’s room instead. Sebastian is Robert’s older brother, and the Duke of Trent. Fortunately for both of them, the encounter is limited to little more than a kiss before identities are revealed, but not brief enough to leave a lasting impression. Read more

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Passion Favors the Bold by Theresa Romain

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Passion Favors the Bold is a historical romance written by Theresa Romain. I have not read any of her other books, but Regency/Victorian stories are my favorite genre, and I am always excited to discover new authors.

I was instantly captivated by the heroine from the moment I first encountered her, masquerading as a street urchin. A male street urchin. A street urchin named Bone-box. Unconventional does not even begin to describe Georgette, and that is what makes her so fascinating. Georgette is paired with the rather subdued Lord Hugo, the younger son of a duke, who dreams of opening up a hospital but lacks the capital to do so. Hugo has promised his friend Benedict to keep an eye on Benedict’s sister- Georgette, of course. Needless to say, their madcap adventure in search of several trunks of missing gold coins is not what Benedict had in mind. As Georgette and Hugo get closer to solving the mystery, they realize that their lives may be in danger! Read more

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The Unlikely Lady by Valerie Bowman

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The Unlikely Lady is the third book in Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series of regency-set historical romance novels. I received an advanced reader copy of Bowman’s The Untamed Earl, which I enjoyed so much that I sought out some of the other books in the series. I listened to the Audible version of An Unlikely Lady last year, but I never got around to reviewing it. I’m trying to get back into the swing of book reviewing, and catching up on books I missed.

The Unlikely Lady is the story of Miss Jane Lowndes, who is a thorough bluestocking. She has been bantering with Garrett Upton for years, and they appear to have a mutual disdain for each other. Needless to say, they are both surprised when they share a passionate kiss during a masquerade ball at a house party. Read more