Beach House Reunion by Mary Alice Monroe - Reshevled Books

Guys, I love Mary Alice Monroe's The Beach House series.  I found the series years ago when my Grandma's friend gave her book #2 in the series, Swimming Lessons, which we both devoured.  So just like last year, when I heard that Monroe was coming out with yet another Beach House book, I just HAD to read it.  However also like last year, after reading it I was left little disappointed.  

So this latest installment is called Beach House Reunion, and it follows the story of Cara after her husband's death, picking up where the last one left off. The first two (even 3.5) Beach House books are WONDERFUL.  They don't have to be read in order, they teach you about sea turtles, they paint pictures of family and romantic relationships, they're just REALLY, REALLY good.  The last two.... eh :( 

Like last year's novel, Beach House For Rent, this new installment would be lost to a reader if they did not read the books prior.  I enjoyed reading the book, but it didn't leave me wanting more like the first few had, it left me... well it left me feeling like I had enough of the the whole Beach House story line, which made me kind of sad.  I was also disappointed to find some inconsistencies in the text.  Around page 100 (or it could be 200, I gave my copy to my Grandma so I can't look back and check) there's a young girl in the park.  In one sentence the girl is Maddie, then in the next she's Jessica.  Also, without giving too much away, one of the characters has a baby.  On one page the baby is five months old, on another she's screaming "mama," then she's almost a year old, and then on the same page she's being called a toddler.  

Ugh.  I love the Beach House and I love Mary Alice Monroe, but this one just fell flat compared to the others.  So I'm giving it 3 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  Any less would make me too sad. 

~Jessica 

P.S.  Did anyone watch The Beach House movie on the Hallmark Channel?

The Wife by Alafair Burke -- Battle of the Book

Hello Deweys!  And now for a short spine breaking review.....

The Spine Breakers Book Club chose The Wife by Alafair Burke as their latest selection.  I was apprehensive.  I'm starting to not find the thrillers so thrilling anymore.  But this book was different, it was fresh, and I liked it.

So rather than a thriller that centers so heavily of the psychological aspect of the novel, or on strange murders, this novel uses a marital relationship between two people.  So, your wife or your husband...How much can you really trust someone?  And how well do you really know your loved ones?  

So you can probably guess that this book centers around suspected infidelity at the fault of the husband of course.  *(Inset emoji with two hands up in the air here!)* But how far over the line was this infidelity? Was it flirtation?  Was it an affair?  Was it sexual harassment of the workplace? Was it rape?  So yeah, the novel does center around murder, disappearances, and "thrilling" thriller things, but it also centers around something which is so prevalent relationships, trust & cheating,  which makes the novel as a whole more believable.  

But, I didn't like the end.  I could do without the "twisty" endings.  It would have been more spine breaking without it.  

So Dewey Readers, I give you a rating of 4 out of 5 Coffee Beans. Let's see what Jillian thinks! 

~Jessica  

P.S.  I returned my copy to the library before I could take a #Bookstagram :(   

Recommended Reads: Dewey at the Shore 2018

Hey guys!

A small section of the ever growing to-read pile...

We asked and you answered!

Here is our list for Shore Reads.  

Keep in mind that these books are in no particular order. We'll be updating our list throughout the summer! Keep your eyes out for #deweyattheshore2018 on our posts! If YOU have a book you want to recommend then comment on this post OR tag us in a picture on IG. We're always looking for new books to read!

~ Jillian

Our Shore Reads for 2018:

• Nantucket Wedding by Nancy Thayer
• I'll be Yours by Jenny B. Jones
• The Season for You & Me by Robin Constantine
• The Boy is Back by Meg Cabot
• Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins
• The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand  
• I See Life Through Rose Colored Glasses by Lisa Scottoline  
•   and Francesca Serritella 
• The Beach House Reunion by Mary Alice Monroe 
• August & Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
• The Bookshop on the Water's Edge by Patti Callahan Henry 
• At the Wave's End by Patricia Donovan 
• Forever Summer by Alyson Noel
• Summer Sisters by Judy Blume 
• The Summer House by Hannah McKinnon 
• Leave Me by Gayle Forman 

The ones in pink Jessica as read, and the ones in blue have been read by Jillian.  How many more will we read from this list? How many more will we find?  There's only one way to find out! 

Happy reading!

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernsahw - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!


I just finished another book *yay!* (Just kidding, this review has been sitting in our drafts folder for about a month, BUT it takes place in June.)

 Shea Ernshaw's The Wicked Deep has a Hocus Pocus-esc vibe to it, but unlike Hocus Pocus which takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, The Wicked Deep takes place out on the coast of Washington State.  

Two centuries ago, three sisters were drowned.  They were accused of being witches, but were really sentenced to death  for being beautiful, for breaking hearts, and for allowing men to fall both in love and in lust with them.  Penny Talbot has grown up in this coastal town, where this legend became a way of life.  You see, every year during the month of June the sisters return, overtaking the bodies of three young girls who are unable to resist that call of the ocean's song.  Once they are in human form, they continue their torment by making young men fall in love with them and by luring these boys out to sea where they drown, just like the sisters drowned all these years ago. For the residents of the town, the fear of death, the toll of drowned victim bell, and a month of fear is normal and even accepted as penance.  

This summery tale is part witchcraft, part mystery, and part siren lore. I loved how the chapters alternate between the story of the present and the legend of the past. It kept me guessing with twists that I never anticipated or saw coming.  And the best part?  I read it in ONE day.  So Dewey readers, I leave you with a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  

Until the next read!
~Jessica 

BookCon Haul and Giveaway!!!!!!

Hey Dewey Readers!  

Jillian and I were super lucky to be able to both go to BookCon 2018 this year, where we had an absolute blast.  We grabbed some super cools ARCs, met authors like Jennifer Armentrout, and grabbed some bookish pins, tote bags, and more.  

Some on which you can win in our 2018 BookCon Giveaway!  To enter all you have to do is like this post here (or the post on our IG) and be sure to follow us!  It's that easy! This giveaway will run for 1 week and we will privately message or e-mail the winner.  

So our thoughts on BookCon:

Here's part of my 2018 Book Con haul.
My favorite part?  The Book Boss Shirt.

Jessica -   I've been a little disappointed in BookCon the past two years.  Back in 2015, Jillian and I went for the 1st time and it was AWESOME.  We scored more books than you could even image and we met authors such as: Elin Hilderbrand, Susan Mallery, Jodi Picoult, and SO MANY MORE.   And their books were FREE!  For the past two years, in order to get ARCs and books signed you need to reserve tickets in advance and they go FAST.  You can still have authors sign books and grab ARCs, but they're not the popular well known ones.  This year in particular, ARCs were few and books for sale were numerous. A little disappointing.  They also didn't check out bags or tickets when we walked in on either day, which personally bothered me.   

Jillian -   I was *really* disappointed at BookCon this year.... (what the heck, BookCon?!)
Jessica and I went for the first time back in 2015.  It was EPIC. We came home with toe bags and totes bags full of books.  We had so many books that we needed a four seater spot on the train. I couldn't go last year, so this was my first time back in 3 years... I don't think that I'd go back for Saturday next year. 

Here is my haul! Well part of it anyway....
My favorite part is definitely my mad hatter bookbeau!

First things first, Saturday was a MAD house.  It was awful.  There were just people EVERYWHERE. They had SUITCASES.  Let me tell you, it was challenging to navigate around the suitcases plus the people....There were lines EVERYWHERE. There were signs denoting that breaks in the lines.  It felt like for every 5 lines we found, only 1 of them was still accepting patrons.   Word on the street is that people were selling items (ARCs perhaps??) and that's why they changed the BookCon ways.  Listen, I don't care that things have changed. I don't care that I need to spend money on a book. All I ask is that it made be known somewhere! Let me know that I will have to purchase the book and a ticket for the author to sign.   I was sad that we didn't really get any ARCs. (That was the best part!)  I'm hoping next year that we'll try BookExpo.  I will consider going to BookCon on a Sunday though.. NEVER EVER on a Saturday.