It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

Another book review?

Don't mind if I do! 

Cover provided by Goodreads

This was ANOTHER ARC provided by the lovely wonderful people at Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It Sounded Better in My Head is the debut novel by Nina Kenwood. 

First of all - let’s think about this title. How many of us have said this in reference to something? I found the title to be perfection.  I also found the book to be perfection.

The book starts off with 18 year old Natalie on Christmas Day finding out that her mother and father have decided to get a divorce (after 20 years of marriage) - I think we all agree that is a pretty crummy Christmas gift. 

Kenwood goes on to present Natalie in a way that I found to be a little different from the norm.  Natalie is presented to us in almost a raw form- we learn that she suffers from cystic acne and the anxieties that are associated with her cystic acne, and who her best friends are (Zach and Lucy).  Right off the bat, we are introduced to Alex - Zach's older brother.   

Then as the reader, we get the see the relationship between Natalie, Zach and Lucy and how Natalie once fancied the potential of her being with Zach. 

I felt that Natalie was a character that we know.  Either we have felt like Natalie or we know a girl like Natalie.  As a reader, you could feel that her challenges and her feelings are very real.  These are feelings that aren't just felt in the beginning of the book - they are felt the entire way through.  Even in the characters of Lucy and Zach, there was honesty that was felt and they were relatable in their own ways.  Nothing that Kenwood wrote about in this book was less than honest.  

Would I recommend this book? 

You betcha I would! 

A huge thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this title (albeit super late!)

- Jillian

You Have a Match by Emma Lord

Can I just say that I have been a terrible blogger over the last few months? 

COVID-19 is doing a doozy on my passion for reading.  And by that I mean that it has taken any enjoyment out of reading all together. 

Blah. 

Cover provided by Netgalley

This book was sent over for review back LAST JULY (Yess... That's July 2020!!) and I'm sorry to the lovely people who gave me the opportunity!  As always with ARCs, they are sent over for an honest review.

Here. We. Go!

You Have a Match is Emma Lord's second book.  Her first book was Tweet Cute - which was a title that I reviewed in January of last year.  If you're interested in reading that you can click here. 

You Have a Match is a fun contemporary YA novel to read.  The story follows Abby Day, a 16 year old who is not only about to go away to sleep away camp that will prepare her for the SATs but she's going to spend the summer getting to know her older biological sister! 

The beginning of the book starts with an at home ancestry/DNA test.   Abby, Connie and Leo all each take a test with Leo, who is hoping to discover some of his biological relatives.  Unfortunately, Leo doesn't find any matches but Abby does... little does Abby know, her match is going to change her life. 

When a teenage named Savannah reaches out to Abby, Abby is shocked to learn that she has a full-blooded sister she doesn't know about! 

Now. 

I really liked this book in the beginning, and I was going to prematurely declare it a victory but as it went on, there were a few things I found myself not liking.  I liked the idea of the book, I thought that the concept of finding a full sibling with a DNA test was fun and I liked how they were going to camp together to know each other.  But all of that got lost! 

The focus of the book would be on Savvy and Abby but as it went on, it seemed like there was a lot of other background noise.  There was mention of Abby and Leo's relationship on the side, then there was mention of Savvy's relationship with Jo and Mickey. About halfway through the book, there was mention of matching Magpie keychains but then as quickly as that was mentioned, it was gone.  Then there was a guy named Finn, who was a little short lived.

Then about halfway through (give or take), Abby is out early morning and runs into Savvy's parents and then goes running back to the camo after they ask her if she's a junior counselor, all the while Savvy is running and they almost collide and they are trying to each other that the other's parents are here. 

It was a very Parent Trap moment. 

In my opinion, it took too long to get to the point. 

I want to thank St. Martin Press & Wednesday Books for the opportunity to review You Have a Match as an arc! 

- Jillian

The Mall by Megan McCafferty- Book Tour

Hey hi everyone!

I hope everyone's summer has been going really well even though we're still under quarantine and as we're learning how to navigate it... 

Several months ago, we were asked by the wonderful people at Wednesday Books if we wanted to review The Mall by Megan McCafferty.  I haven't read anything by Megan McCafferty before but I have wanted to read her Jessica Darling series. So maybe let's say that that counts for something? 

You're not here to read about me rambling about that series, you are here to read about The Mall!

The Mall was released last week on July 22nd, which means that if you find yourself interested in reading this book you are able to snag yourself a copy by clicking here.

The Mall takes us to 1991 to a mall in South Jersey! But it's probably technically Central Jersey.  Cassie Worthy had finished up her senior year of high school.  She's going to be going to college in NYC in the fall.  She has her first job lined up at the Parkway City Mall at American's Best Cookie with her boyfriend, Troy.  Cassie is going to be living up her last summer before college. 

That is... until she gets mono and her summer gets turned upside down. 

She can't work with Troy anymore. Heck, she can't even be seen near America's Best Cookie and she certainly can't tell her parents what happened.  

Over the very short course of the summer of 1991, we get to see how Cassie navigates her newly single summer, while she makes an unexpected friend in Drea along the way. 

McCafferty writes the story in such a way that leaves you as the reader, laughing out loud at the antics that happen between Cassie and everyone that she encounters.  You can feel her frustrations with her situation, the heartache and wishes she has towards her parents and everything in between.  

I had no problem finishing this book in one day. It was so worth the read!  Definitely 5 coffee beans out of 5. I hope that you all like it to (: 

Let me know what you think by rather commenting down below OR following me and tweeting me on Twitter @blondewithabook !

See you guys soon with many more reviews now that classes are done for the next 6 weeks!

- Jillian

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas - Reading in Progress

What's a book that you have been struggling to read lately?  I usually go through a book a week.  Sometimes I'll even go through two books a week!  But not lately.

I've been reading an ARC copy of Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas for about two weeks now.  It's not a bad book, and I think I sort of enjoy it, but I just can't seem to get myself to want to read it.  Has anyone else ever felt this way?

I chose to bring home this ARC mainly because I loved the colors.  The purple, pink, and black mixture is so appealing.  I LOVE looking at this book and holding it.  It's beautiful.  But I guess being immersed in a beautiful cover doesn't always mean that you'll be immersed in the story line. 

Catherine House is a university like institution.  Students apply to get in, but students are cut off from their families and past lives for three years.  There is the illusion that all of the accepted students may have had traumas in these previous lives, but right now we are unsure.  There may even be experimentation going on... it's dark, but there's some glimmers of hope and light.  

I'll follow up with a second posting when I complete the novel.  If you've been having a difficult time getting into a book that you ended up LOVING, tell us in the comments below. 

Until the next read!

~Jessica

Under the Scrubs by Katerina Baker - Reshelved Books (ARCs)

When Katerina Baker reached out to us asking if we would review Under the Scrubs, I was super excited!  While I love working in the library and reading; my heart is still with healthcare.  Spending so many years with patients and working in the hospital is something that I miss.  Last month we were lucky because not one but two authors reached out to us for reviews of their new books via ARCs. 

This book falls under the romance umbrella, but it’s packed to the brim with  a lot of action and adventure (and even mystery) mixed in! Emilia Hughes is an OBGYN who is *finally* able to deliver babies on her own.  With her new found freedom within the confines of her job, she comes into a startling sequence of events. 

On her way to teach classes at the YMCA, Emilia finds herself trying to protect a woman and her baby from a very dangerous man.  In standing up to the man, Emilia finds herself in the sight of Kai.  Kai becomes Emilia's knight in shining armor! He protects her from the assailant. 

(I knew when I started reading this book I knew that there would an love affair with law enforcement.  When I started reading the book I didn't realize who the bad guy would be and who the good guy was).  

On her way into work, Emilia is met with the daughter, Melissa, of a gold tycoon.  Melissa is on her to deliver her baby - a baby that is not prepared to have.  Something very strange happens after the baby is born- Melissa and her newborn son elope from the hospital.  What's even crazier is that Emilia is kidnapped and thrust into the role of taking care of newborn Jayden.  

More than once, Emilia has her life put on the line by Melissa. But throughout it all, Kai and Taylor are there to keep Emilia safe.

Looking back on the book to write this review, I feel a little confused about everything that was going on and here's why.  If you do have an interest in reading Under the Scrubs, please stop reading this review! Spoilers are coming up and I don't want to ruin anything for anyone. 
   
 *-----Spoilers are coming!!-----*

There was something about this book in the beginning that made me feel like I was spinning in a powerful vortex asking myself what was going on.  NOW this isn't the first time that I've felt this way when reading a book.  Because of that, it's not going to have a negative on my review of Under the Scrubs!!

The beginning made sense until Emilia first encounters Melissa. Then the kidnapping happens after the elopement. Okay, I guess I could see how one could take a newborn out the hospital? (eh... not really...) Kai’s behavior started to confuse me. He was very aloof but then he was always there? 

When Melissa sent Emilia to the prison to meet Taylor, I was like “eh okay...?”  But I could t figure out where Taylor spend so many years in jail IF he actually didn’t do anything wrong. Why would the FBI pick him back up if they let him sit in jail for 3 years for a crime that he didn’t commit?

Around this time, Taylor and Emilia start to have more interactions between each other and I thought that they were longer and more meaningful. What I’m trying to say is this....

I started off thinking that maybe Kai was the bad guy because of the chemistry that was going on between Emilia and Taylor.  I thought that they would have been a better couple.  (I was not feeling Kai's behavior either!) To me, I thought that chemistry between Emilia and Taylor was better. 

Then poor Emilia gets herself in a very bizarre situation with Taylor as a bodyguard and also as a spy and it results in someone being shot and killed. 

(When I said before that this book was adventurous and action packed, I wasn’t lying!)

I give this ARC 3.5 coffee beans out of 5 and it really upsets me to say that.  While this book may not have been for me, that doesn’t mean that it’s not for anyone else out there. 


I want to thank Katerina for reaching out to us and giving up the opportunity to read and review her book!

Have a great weekend everyone!

- Jillian

The Rift Between Us by Rebecca Marsh- Reshelved Books (ARC) *Updated 6/25/19*

I hope everyone had a lovely week(end) (depending on when this gets posted!)

https://www.rebeccalmarsh.com/

I would like to tell you about an ARC that I just read.  The book is called The Rift Between Us and it was sent over by the author, Rebecca Marsh for review.  Like always, any book we're sent is done in ex-change for an honest review. 

This might just be one of the best stories I've read all year.  I honestly mean that; I 110% mean that.  

I highly recommend this book.  I was told a few days ago that the book will be released July 8th 2019!! 

Hey guys! I wanted to let you all know that The Rift Behind Us is available for pre-order now on Amazon!! :) 


The Rift Between Us brings the reader into the rift between sisters Maria, Lauren, and Avery.  Long standing tensions and personal secrets are driving the sisters apart.  Unexpectedly, the girls lose their father, Arthur; Arthur who is the cornerstone of the Anderson family. 

In order to receive the inheritance from their father, the girls must spend two weeks with each other at a lake house.  The hope was that the girls would come together and sort their differences.  (We learn later on that one of their mother's wishes was that the girls would be there for each other- that they would never be there for one another).  In the process of sorting their differences, they have to tackle their own personal battles. 

Marsh didn't let it be known right away what their personal battles were right away.  Those were revealed in time.  I liked this!  In a way, as the reader you were piecing together the clues that were given to figure out what was going on.  I was able to figure out Lauren's battle first, Maria's came next and last was Avery.  


One of the big things I noticed in this book was that there was character development. (We should have caught on by now that I do enjoy a story where the characters grow over the course).  Which got me thinking... So I reached out to Rebecca Marsh and asked if she would be willing to answer a few short questions for this review. 


Rebecca was awesome for answering the three questions I had sent over.  

1. What was your inspiration for this book?

"If you asked me this question about anything else I've written, I would probably tell you that I really have no idea where it came from. However, In this case, I can tell you that the idea for this story stemmed from conversations with my mother. A few years ago she shared with me her concern that, one day when she was gone, her children would drift apart, and it was from those conversations that the idea for this story bloomed."

2. Did you find one character more enjoyable to write? If so, why?

"No, I really enjoyed all three of the sisters in this story. Someone I know once said that he likes being a writer because it gives you permission to talk about your imaginary friends. And he's right, as characters grow in your mind, they can begin to feel like people you really know."

3. There was a lot of character development, did you feel that one woman grew more so than the other two? 

"That's a though one. They all had to step out and grow in different ways. Avery may not have gone as far as the others, but I think her road, in some ways, was a bit harder."

As mentioned above, all three women have their own stories (battles, maybe?) and from this, they are able to grow with the help of each other. (I could tell you what their stories were but then I would ruin the book for you.  What's the fun in that? There isn't any!)

The story that Marsh wrote was beautiful and packed with emotion.  I was happy, sad, and hopeful. The ending of the story made sense.  It didn't feel incomplete; it wrapped up in a way so it was complete (on all fronts - the stories of the 3 women and the book in general).

I would give this 10 coffee beans out of 5, if I could!  Since that's not possible, I'm going to give it 5 coffee beans out of five.  I highly recommend it!

~ Jillian

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

I am super excited to be able to review an ARC of Megan Miranda's latest novel The Last House Guest.  This book is a psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Girl on the Train.

So a bit about the book. Littleport, Maine is a summer town.  When a friendship blossoms between a summer girl named Sadie and the year rounder named Avery, it's a little unexpected, but they remain good friends for close to ten years.  Then Sadie is found dead at the bottom of a cliff near the ocean, and the police believe it to be a suicide.  Flash forward years later and Avery is in the family home (she's employed by them as vacation property management) when she finds Sadie's cellphone.  It is a phone that the police were never able to recover.

So was Sadie's death a suicide?  Was it a murder?  And if so, is the murderer still out there watching them all?  I guess you'll have to read the book to find out.  

My thoughts without giving it all away? This novel was a quick read, but I think that I fell in love with the cover more than I fell in love with the prose inside.  I would rate it 3.5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.   

Until the next read!
~Jessica 

Women Talking by Miriam Toews - Reshelved Books

Hey there Dewey Readers!

March is National Women's Month so it's only fit that we review the ARC of Miriam Towes novel Women Talking which is set to be released on April 2, 2019.  This novel is in the vein of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and is based on a real life event which makes it even more poignant and shocking.

In this novel, eight Mennonite women conduct a secret meeting in a hayloft.  For the past two years these women have been attacked in the night, told that demons were coming to "punish them for their sins." Now they realize that they weren't being visited by fallen angels sent by God, but were actually drugged and violated by men in their religious community.  Their goal?  To protect themselves, but more so to protect their daughters. 

The women cannot read, they have no knowledge of the outside world, and they are not sure if anyone would ever believe them anyway.  They also can't speak English, so if they choose to leave their community they won't be able to properly communicate.  

This novel is about the power of knowledge, the power of oppression and fear has over victims, and about rising together to protect yourself, one another, and the future.  But.... I didn't love it.  Like so many reviewers are writing on Goodreads, the title "Women Talking" is basically exactly what the book is about.  It's one lengthy conversation of women just talking.  They debate if they should leave, if they should fight, or if they should do nothing.  They get distracted.  And then they talk some more.  The book is also narrated by a man, who is "less than" the other men, and therefore in an entirely different and safe category.

So Dewey Readers, I leave you with 2.5 out of 5 coffee beans in your cup. 

Until the next read!

~Jessica   

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelley - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

I am super excited to review Martha Hall Kelley's latest novel Lost Roses.  Kelley's novel Lilac Girls was a wonderful read, so when her latest novel arrived as an ARC from Baker and Taylor I was super excited to take it home and review it on our blog for all of you.  While Lilac Girls follows the story of WWII, Lost Roses follows the story of WWI and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Now I am not a big history buff or historical fiction fan, but I became interested in the royal Russian family after reading a y.a. novel centered around the Romanovs when I was in graduate school. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I found this novel so hard to put down.  

Not only does this novel tell the horrors Russian families faced during the war, but it also examines the unbreakable bond of a mother and her child in conjunction to the horrors of abusive domestic relationships.  The novel itself has a plot that makes the reader quickly devour the pages, while there are just enough details to leave the reader stunned and begging for more.  Like Lilac Girls, Lost Roses is a well researched piece of literary art that leaves the reader feeling like they have traveled back into time.  

So Dewey Readers, I leave you with a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  Look for this novel on April 2, 2019. 

~Jessica      

The Adults By Caroline Hulse - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

It's time for another Holiday novel review!  The Adults by Caroline Hulse was in my TBR pile for quite a while when I received it as an ARC from Baker and Taylor over the summer and let me tell you this book is FABULOUS!!!

This novel is about four adults: Matt and Claire who are divorced, and Alex and Patrick the respective new girlfriend / boyfriend.   The  two new couples decide to go on a holiday together along with Matt and Calire's young daughter Scarlett and her imaginary friend who is a really tall rabbit named Posey.  Posey wears silver shoes.  With a setup like that, nothing can go wrong, right?  Well... the novel opens with a 911 call (999 because it's England) because someone has been shot with an archery arrow.  

This novel is an absolutely wonderful and captivating read.  It's also extremely funny, which I think is partially because some of the ridiculous moments in the novel could probably happen is real life... or at least the sitcom version of our lives.

While this novel takes place over the Christmas period, it's not primarily a Christmas novel, which is another thing that I love about it.  Quite frankly, I'm sick of reading the sappy, neat, and tidy holiday novels. This was just the book that I needed to read right now.

So Dewey Reader's I leave you with a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

Until the next read!
~Jessica   

The Fall of Innocence by Jenny Torres Sanchez

Hello Dewey Readers!

I've had an ARC copy of The Fall of Innocence by Jenny Torrres Sanchez in my to-read pile for quiet a while now.  Well, the book has long been published and I'm finally getting a chance to read it!  Better late than never, right? 

So about the book.  This book is about a girl named Emilia who was attacked in the woods outside of her elementary school.  The novel is for the most part psychologically driven where we see how the attack has effected Emilia, who is now a teenager, as well as the people in her life.  The boy across the street is in love with her, but because of the emotional trauma of the attack, Emilia can't open herself up to be with him physically or emotionally.  We also see the ramifications the attack has had on Emilia's family.  Her parents no longer live together, and for a long time Emilia was told that her father was in Alaska.  He was not.  

I think the strongest part of this novel is the perspective of Emilia's psychological state.  Emilia had thought that the man responsible for her attack was in prison.  Turns out Emilia named the wrong guy and the one responsible for it has been walking amongst society the entire time.  We see Emilia spiral downward further, and we see the flashbacks of memories suffocate her.    

Did I enjoy this book?  Yes.
Did I LOVE it?  Well... I liked it.  

So Dewey Readers, I leave you with a rating of 3 out of 5 Coffee Beans.
~Jessica 

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult - Reshevled Books

Hellooooooo Dewey Readers!

I received a copy of Jodi Picoult's novel A Spark of Light which is to be released this Fall.  *Yippeeeee!*


Picoult is known for her novels that tackle controversial issues.  A Spark of Light tackles the abortion controversy and mass shooting epidemic.  I was really excited for this book and I was 110% sure that I was going to love it... only I didn't.  

Usually when I read a Picoult novel, I have trouble putting it down.  And I did read this one rather fast, but only because I wanted to finish it quickly so I could pass on to my grandma and then give it back to the co-worker I borrowed it from.  

So, to give you a gist of the main story line: In this novel a shooter opens fire inside a women's health clinic, and yes, this clinic preforms abortions.  But just as other Planned Parenthood-esc clinics do, they also preform other health services.  One of these services is to supply birth control, and we meet a young girl and her aunt who are in the waiting room when the shooter opens fire.  The young girl is the daughter of a police officer / hostage negotiator is is called to the scene.  He is a single father, and the daughter was too embarrassed to tell him that she wanted birth control.  

But now let's talk about why I didn't love it.  This novel focuses on the controversay surrounding abortions, but I wanted it to go into more depth about the other services these clinics offer such as STD screenings, prenatal care referrals, birth control for pregnancy AND health reasons, cancer screenings, etc.  There is one woman in the novel who uses the clinic for regular visits.  This is where she finds out she has cervical cancer.  I think the novel would have benefited in strength if more examples such as these were discussed.  

The novel also focuses primarily on what is going on inside the hostage situation.  There are bits of flashbacks to the past, and there are also flashes to another character named Beth, a teenager who is in a hospital after having almost bled to death from an illegal self-preformed abortion.  She's being persecuted for murder, but there just wasn't enough of her story line throughout the greater whole of the novel to make much of an impact.  

Basically, I wanted to see more.  More of the shooter's life before he entered the clinic.  More of Beth.  And more of the clinic itself.  This novel could have been so much more powerful, and I'm little disappointed.

So Dewey Readers, I'm giving you a rating of 3 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  

Until the next read!

~Jessica