Whatever It Takes by Jessica Pack

Whatever It Takes by Jessica Pack

My Rating: ★★★

I received a copy from Kensington Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At 25-years-old, Sienna has found herself in the slump of all slumps. She was unable to conceive, her marriage is failing, and she’s been living with her dad for the last year. Just to top things off, she’s now facing a breast cancer diagnosis. Sienna is not ready to share her cancer scare with anyone, but she does want to find out more about her mom, who died from breast cancer when she was kid… or did she? Her dad clams up when questioned, her husband reveals he thinks the milestone letters her mom left behind are bogus, and she can’t find any information about her mom across her dad’s home. Watch Sienna battle the sea of lies that begins to stack up between her and her dad as she investigates the truth about her maternal lineage.

I had a difficult time getting into the story because I felt like I never really got to know Sienna. It’s a shame because it is an interesting story with a good plot, but I felt like Sienna was closed off from us, the readers, even though she is the primary narrator of the story. She holds her cards close to her chest and runs away from her problems, but I just couldn’t get a hold on her because it seemed like part of her was hiding even from her own narrating. That said, I really do feel for her. Between the startling cancer diagnosis and discovering that her family lied to her about her mother, she was under a tremendous amount of shock and stress from beginning to end.

I loved the rotating narrators, but I wish that there were more chapters told from Mark and Grandma Dee’s perspective. I liked their chapters because they gave me more insight on who they were as people and what began the lies about Sienna’s mother and the fake letters. It would’ve been cool if there was a chapter or two from Mark in the present to see him trying to deal with the aftermath of Sienna questioning him.

I had an idea about where Sienna’s mother was and why her family lied to her about it, but it was still interesting to watch the story unfold. The truth was a little different than I thought it was going to be and then there was a twist on top of that, which left me surprised. What a reveal! I am a bit shocked that the big conversation between Sienna and Mark was cut off. We already knew both sides of the story at that point, but that conversation was important, and it cut off and jumped to a few months later. It’s sad that we only got to see part of this conversation, bringing an end to Sienna’s journey, only to skip ahead to the aftermath.

I do recommend this book because it’s fun to watch the story unfold and see how the characters interact with each other. Plus, it’s got a great plot. I’m a sucker for family mysteries like this, which is what drew me to the book. There are a few misses, but overall, the story is a good one.

Blackberry Burial (A Berry Basket Mystery #2) by Sharon Farrow

Blackberry Burial by Sharon Farrow

My Rating: ★★★★★

While tourist season is booming, Marlee is busy between her berry business and helping with the annual road rally. A wrench is thrown into everyone’s plans when the location of the road rally starting point is suddenly up in the air. Marlee finds herself surveying a potential property when she stumbles upon the skeletal remains of an unknown poor soul. Determined to stay out of things, Marlee finds herself knee deep in the murder mystery and on the run for her life.

After reading the series opener, I knew I had to get my hands on the second installment right away. I quickly found myself entertained and ready to continue reading any time I had to put the book down. The book is filled with fun characters, jokes, delicious sounding food, and a big mystery that Marlee just can’t stay away from.

I love Marlee and the people she surrounds herself with. While she was extremely busy between running her business and getting to the bottom of the mystery, I wish that we spent a little more time with her out of town friends. Otherwise, I can’t think of a complaint or even a downside to the story. It’s gripping and full of fascinating to heartwarming characters that just makes the book feel like a home away from home.

On the romance front, I don’t see Marlee getting married to her fiancé, Ryan. I didn’t get a strong feeling about their romance in the first book, and the longer we get to know him, the more I can’t see the relationship working out in the long run. Don’t get me wrong; he’s a sweet guy. However, he’s got a mean jealous streak, is very stuck in his ways, and unwilling to compromise. I could see if he and Marlee saw eye to eye about their future plans, but Marlee is feeling iffy about a few things that he expects to happen in their future married life and he’s not budging. Basically, I don’t see them making it down the isle unless he becomes more willing to hear her out so they can both work toward meeting somewhere in the middle.

That said, I’m excited that things are looking hopeful with Kit Holt. Marlee doesn’t seem like the kind of person to cheat on her significant other, but I can see them getting together if things don’t work out with Ryan. Hell, if the books were real and nothing more than a friendship bloomed between the pair, I’d take Kit off her hands. He’s a real catch!

The murder mystery itself was interesting and its resolution was a wild ride. Literally. That is the most action-packed scene I’ve seen in a book in a long time. I found myself letting out a nervous laugh like I was in the car with Marlee and company while they were trying to stay alive and get to safety. It’s completely fictional but phew. I felt like I was sitting in the car with them! All in all, I highly recommend the series!

Kawaii Polymer Clay Creations: 20 Super-Cute Miniature Projects by Emily Chen

Kawaii Polymer Clay Creations: 20 Super-Cute Miniature Projects by Emily Chen

My Rating: ★★★★★

After reading Emily’s beginners guide to polymer clay, I decided to pick up one of her books and I was not disappointed. She has tips on harvesting your polymer clay skill, more tips on working with the clay, and a tutorial on 20 cute little projects that are tempting to make stat. There’s also a tutorial on how to take your creations and turn them into jewelry, charms, and other useful things.

It’s a wonderful book to expand your creativity and learn more ways to utilize polymer clay. There are great tips on seemingly simple things, like how to put an eye pin into your creations. I’ve had two eye pins pop out of my projects before and now I know why. I’m supposed to bend the leg of the wire before inserting it because it helps anchor it to the project. It’s such a simple solution that I didn’t even think of and there it was among the tutorial on making eye pins!

There’s a variety of adorable projects ranging from animals to food. I love that Emily includes a range of projects so that there’s something for everyone based on their interests. The instructions are accompanied by great photos so that readers understand what to do next based on what instructions best help them, written or visual aids. I love how such simple things add a nice finishing touch. One of my brothers walked by while I was reading the book, saw a project photo of a finished cake, and thought I was reading a recipe book because it looks so real!

I’m looking forward to checking out more books from Emily in the future. She offers invaluable tips, wonderful instructions, and beautiful photos of projects that range from adorable and fun to realistic.

Where There's a Will by Beth Corby

Where There's a Will by Beth Corby

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Hodder & Stoughton through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Resigned to be the family loser, Hannah is preparing to move back in with her parents after failing to land a post-college job as she reaches her graduation. Hannah is 25-years-old and has no idea what she’s going to do with her life. Everything changes after attending a family reunion of sorts called by her estranged great-uncle Donald because he liked her enough to leave her a mysterious inheritance. The catch? She must complete a series of tasks in order to find out what she’s inherited. Confused and sad about the loss of the man she never knew, she agrees to take on his mysterious request and see what happens.

I absolutely love this book. It has such a vibrant cast of characters and a storyline, while requiring readers to suspend a smidge of belief, is heartwarming and relatable. In a family of success stories, Hannah’s the loser who changed her college major a couple times and has no clue what she’s doing with her life. She feels the suffocating pressure of life as she lives in the long shadow that her mean older sister, Laura, casts. I really felt for her throughout the novel as well as related to her in some ways, especially regarding her sister. Laura perfectly embodies the essence of every mean person I’ve ever encountered in my life and I totally understand the dynamics of their relationship. I have my own Laura in my life, although not a sister, so I totally understand how Hannah feels throughout the story.

I love the way that Hannah got to know Donald. He’s such an interesting character that I wish she got to know better during his lifetime rather than through a series of letters he left her. He’s such a fascinating guy that I miss him even though he’s a fictional character that we only meet once. How well loved he is makes complete sense and I really feel for the characters who mourn him.

Beth does such a wonderful job at portraying how different each character is as well as bringing Hannah’s family to life. Each character is so realistic that they don’t even feel like fictional characters. I also love the way that she brings Donald’s tasks to life. Hannah gains new experiences that she’ll never forget while also getting to know the late Donald better than just through his letters. There’s also a little bit of a mystery that was fun to watch develop. It was just one more piece of the puzzle that was Donald’s life. This was a wonderful read and I look forward to checking out more of Beth’s work in the future.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

My Rating: ★★★★★

Prince Sebastian is entertaining potential brides by day and living as Lady Crystallia by night. He must keep is true self a secret from his parents out of fear that he will be rejected and abandoned. Helping him keep his secret is his new friend and talented dressmaker, Frances, who dreams of becoming a famous fashion designer. With the help of Frances, Lady Crystallia continues to blossom as she becomes a style icon in France, testing their friendship and happiness along the way.

I absolutely loved this story. It’s such a heartwarming tale of friendship and acceptance accompanied by beautiful artwork. Only a few people know Sebastian’s secret. He fears what would happen if anyone, especially his parents and the public, knew that he’s Lady Crystallia. We watch him struggle to meet his parents’ expectations as well as his fear of disappointing them all while trying to stay true to himself in secret. The fear of coming out as Lady Crystallia is tremendous, and the fallout could be substantial.

Meanwhile, Frances blossoms as a fashion designer and her star can only rise so much before people start to notice that she’s both Sebastian and Lady Crystallia’s seamstress. If people start to put two and two together, Sebastian’s livelihood will be threatened, so she must choose between staying with Crystallia or striking out on her own. I felt so sad for their friendship as they approached a fork in the road, but I felt sadder for Sebastian because Frances is his only true friend as well as one of two people who accept him for who he is. I found myself hoping that they could figure out a way to make things work for the both of them.

As the story progressed, it took some unexpected turns that I expected as well as ones that I did not. These are both positive and negative turns and I truly felt for Frances and Sebastian at each turn. This is a story that so many of us have been hoping to see and it’s not one to miss. If graphic novels are not your thing, I urge you to pick up this book anyway. The artwork is beautiful and enhances the story, and the story enhances the artwork.

The Witch Boy (The Witch Boy #1) by Molly Ostertag

The Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag

My Rating: ★★★★★

Aster is growing up in a community full of witches and shapeshifters. The problem? Girls grow up to be witches while boys grow to be shapeshifters, and Aster is destined to be a witch. As the odd one out, he’s ridiculed by his peers for failing to find his shapeshifting form and spying on witchery lessons. One day, something strange is going on in town and it’s targeting the shapeshifting boys close to Aster’s age. He’s barred from helping because he’s not a witch, so with the encouragement of a new non-magical friend, he must take his fate into his own hands so that he can save everyone he knows from what is coming.

This is such a heartwarming story about a boy who doesn’t fit in because he has an affinity for witchcraft rather than the shapeshifting that’s expected of his gender. I really feel for Aster as the story progresses because he’s being pressured to become a shapeshifter like all the boys and men in his community. Meanwhile, it’s clear that his interests and talents lie in witchery, but his parents are unknowingly alienating him for it. It’s clear that they care about him, but the whispered conversations that Aster overhears are hurtful, as well as the lectures on how men pursuing life as a witch spells out doom, only add to the anxiety.

It’s such a great story for people, especially kids, to read because there will always be someone who is pressured to suppress who they are. The story really hits home as Astor struggles under the pressure, but finally comes out on top when he meets a new friend who accepts him for who he is and encourages him to embrace that he’s a witch. The story is important because, while the reality is that there isn’t always a happy ending, there will always be people who accept you for who you are over who other people want you to be. You just have to find them even if it takes a bit of searching. The important thing is to stay true to yourself and hope that anyone who opposes that comes around.

I also love the artwork and enjoyed seeing the concept art at the end of the book. It’s a beautiful story that’s accompanied by beautiful artwork. I also love the family tree even though we didn’t really get to know everyone. It was important for world building and seeing how each of Aster’s peers related to him as a family member or sometimes not so friendly acquaintances.

Art Makers: Polymer Clay for Beginners by Emily Chen

Art Makers: Polymer Clay for Beginners by Emily Chen

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Walter Foster Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a former ceramic major and I’ve dabbled in polymer clay on and off for a while now. When I saw this book, I thought it looked like a great intro to polymer clay and decided to check it out. I love that the opening takes us through the ins and outs of working with polymer clay. It covers important items such as brands of clay, supplies that aid artists and crafters alike, and the sort of things we should look for. For example, every brand of clay has different baking temperatures and times as well as softness.

Emily also goes over the main thing that’s needed to create, which is technique. She gives some wonderful and important tips in this regard that will be a big help for new creators. I even learned something new, which is another way to make a gradient between two colors that I’m excited to try out. Of course, time and practice will help all new polymer artists and crafters, but it’s important to learn the basics that everything you make will be built upon. Emily provides some comprehensive techniques and visual aids that are easy to understand and learn.

It’s also great that there are several simple and cute projects written and visual tutorials for readers to follow. Each of these projects can also be used as building blocks to other projects thanks to the variety of project tutorials that she included. She also including troubleshooting tips, including what to do if your finished project has a crack in it and how to prevent it in the future.

As a crafter myself, I was surprised to learn that there’s liquid polymer clay available as I’ve never seen it while buying supplies, which means it’s just in a different section at my local craft store. I will have to look for it when I am there because it looks like a wonderful addition to this craft. I’m excited about this because it’ll enhance some of my creations!

I highly recommend this book for people new to polymer clay as well as anyone looking to add to their collection or pick up some new tips and techniques.

Dying for Strawberries (A Berry Basket Mystery #1) by Sharon Farrow

Dying for Strawberries by Sharon Farrow

My Rating: ★★★★

Marlee’s life is on the rise: she runs her own small business, she’s engaged, and she has the pleasure of living in her hometown once again. Just as she’s planning her future, her life is threatened when one of her friend’s husband makes it his mission to destroy her business followed by an unknown person’s attempt on her life. Things only go downhill when she discovers a dead body while searching for a missing friend. Determined to find her friend and locate the killer inhabiting her town, she puts her life on the line and discovers that everyone has a secret to hide.

I love cozy mysteries, so I was instantly drawn to this book and was intrigued by its premise. Reading about a protagonist who runs a berry-based shop sounded cute and fun, so I dove straight in and was not disappointed. The story takes place in a small town following Marlee, a woman who was once caught up in a very public murder and scandal before the story begins. One thing I love is when later events are foreshadowed early on, so this scandal foreshadows a whole new public murder mystery that Marlee will be caught up in.

While this is the opening series, there is a lot of back story that we learn about as the story progresses. I liked learning about what happened and that it didn’t feel like I missed a book. Instead, it was vital to world building and character building but also didn’t make it seem like I was being filled in on info that was learned in a previous book that doesn’t exist. It was fun learning things here and there and watching Marlee learn some of these things for the first time herself.

The mystery itself was well thought out and took many twists and turns. Marlee did make some questionable choices in her investigation, but it didn’t require me to suspend much belief to see her making these choices. It was interesting learning the secrets of various characters as she tried to mark off potential killers in her quest to clear names, find the killer, and find her missing friend.

This I was fun, and I really enjoyed it. Now that the characters and the setting has been set up, I am looking forward to seeing these characters grow and what Marlee gets up to next. I also like that there are a couple strawberry recipes at the end of the novel, which is great because now I know that there will be recipes related to the starring berry of each novel.

Gone Rogue (Wires and Nerve #2) by Marissa Meyer, Stephen Gilpin, Douglas Holgate

Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer, Stephen Gilpin, Douglas Holgate

My Rating: ★★★★

In this spectacular conclusion to the series of graphic novels, watch your favorite characters join forces for one last time. This time, Iko learns more about her origins, which shakes her very core as she begins to develop a romance with an unlikely acquaintance. However, it all nearly ends for good when the group of rogue wolf-hybrid soldiers led by Steele finally closes in on Iko and company, nearly taking out one of their members for good.

I was so excited to get my hands on this installment even though I knew that it’s the final installment in this series as well as the world as it takes place in. However, all good things must come to an end, and this is no exception. I’ll be surprised if something new from this world comes out, but I won’t lie: it’ll be a happy surprise.

My thoughts on the artwork with the first installment remains the same. It’s very pretty but the faces are basically the same. It’s a shame because the clothes and other work put into the artwork is beautiful, but it seemed to have died once it got to the faces of the characters. There are a few scenes where there’s several characters and it was pretty jarring to see that some of them had the same exact hair as some of our main characters. If our favorite friends from the series weren’t front and center, they would’ve easily blended into the crowd. This is something that I was hoping would’ve changed between the first book and this one.

That said, the story was as wonderful as expected. I love how the characters interacted with one another as they slowly came together once again. I also love how some of the characters began to blossom, giving us an idea of how their personal stories would’ve continued if the series were to get another installment. I’m also excited to see some of the characters that we don’t know as well as our main friends from the Rampion grow as the story continued. I have a solid idea of what’s going to happen between some of these characters and I’m so happy for them even though I know it’s purely fiction. If you’re a fan of the series, I highly recommend picking up the graphic novels. They are a wonderful continuation of the series.

The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall

The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Atthis Arts through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excited about her brother’s upcoming wedding, Chelsea accidentally fell to her death and tried to save the invitation over herself. She is very close to her family, so she mourns her own death as well as shadows her family in addition to her girlfriend for some time, almost losing herself in the process. When her brother’s wedding is finally back on track two years later, Chelsea’s certainly not going to let her ghostly form keep her from attending his big day. Armed with two friends, one living and one dead, she embarks on a long journey to get from New York City to California on foot.

We mainly follow Chelsea, our protagonist, but it quickly becomes more than her story. As the chapters fly by, it becomes clear that it’s also Carmen and Cyndricka’s story in addition to the ghosts they meet as they travel. They each have their own story and have yet to figure out why they became ghosts in addition to completing their unfinished business that’s holding them here. So many of these characters are relatable in different ways and I think that any reader can easily find a character that they see a part of themselves in.

Chelsea almost loses herself when she meets her mentor, Carmen, who saves her from falling off the edge and becoming a wailer in addition to becoming a friend and source of comfort. Part of her ghostly program is to stay busy and not visit the people she knew during her life, which is difficult for Chelsea to stick to because she misses her family. When she learns that her brother is finally getting married, Carmen disagrees with her decision to attend the wedding but decides to tag along. Once the journey begins, it quickly becomes a sad but funny and heartwarming story following these three characters across the states and watching their ups and downs along the way.

I love that Cyndricka is the sole living member of the incorporeal circus. As a living and breathing person, she’s the one member of the group who must take care of herself and has needs that need to be met for her survival. And as a woman living on the streets, she also relies on the help of her ghostly pals to alert her of any danger that tries to find her. Cyndricka is such a wonderful character and I’m so glad that she has a whole world of ghosts that know and understand her when the living world doesn’t.

There are so many funny, touching, sad, and straight up happy moments in this book that it was truly a wonderful ride to be on. I was sad when I made it to the final chapter because I knew the story was about to end. If there is ever a sequel, which I don’t think there will be because it felt and read like a standalone novel, I will one hundred percent be there for it. It’s truly a story of love and loss as well as finding oneself even when one thinks it’s too late. I found myself hoping that we would revisit This is also the first book that I’ve seen a menstruation cycle dealt with during the story rather than forgotten or barely mentioned, so that was a big plus as well.