INNOCENCE LOST
​BY SHERILYN DECTERPublication Date: February 21, 2019
eBook & Paperback; 339 Pages
Series: Bootleggers’ Chronicles Series, Book One
Genre: Historical Fiction/Crime/Women’s Fiction


In a city of bootleggers and crime, one woman must rely on a long-dead lawman to hunt down justice…
Philadelphia, 1924. Maggie Barnes doesn’t have much left. After the death of her husband, she finds herself all alone to care for her young son and look after their rundown house. As if that weren’t bad enough, Prohibition has turned her neighborhood into a bootlegger’s playground. To keep the shoddy roof over their heads, she has no choice but to take on boarders with questionable ties…
When her son’s friend disappears, Maggie suspects the worst. And local politicians and police don’t seem to have any interest in an investigation. With a child’s life on the line, Maggie takes the case and risks angering the enemy living right under her nose…
Maggie’s one advantage may be her new found friend: the ghost of a Victorian-era cop. With his help, can she find justice in a lawless city?
Innocence Lost is the first novel in the Bootleggers’ Chronicles, a series of historical fiction tales. If you like headstrong heroines, Prohibition-era criminal underworlds, and just a touch of the paranormal, then you’ll love Sherilyn Decter’s gripping tale.
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

Review:
​In 1924 Philadelphia, the city is run by bootleggers.  The gangs that supply the alcohol run the city, controlling the money and most of the police force and Mickey Duffy is one of the bosses that controls it all.  On the night of a raid of one of Duffy's warehouses, three young boys are caught in the action.  One boy, Oskar, never made it home.  Oskar is friends with Tommy Barnes, Tommy's mom, Maggie runs a boarding house in order to make ends meet.  When Maggie finds out that it is Tommy's friend that has disappeared, she becomes more involved in the community and sees the toll that bootlegging has taken.  Maggie is determined to find out what happened to Oskar, but has no idea where to start.  Maggie gets a helping hand from an unusual source, a retired Police Inspector from another era coaches Maggie to help her bring down the criminals hiding right beneath her nose.  

Innocence Lost is a unique murder mystery set within Prohibition era Philadelphia.  It took me a while to get into the story while the scene was being set, but once Maggie and Tommy's characters were introduced, I felt connected to the story.  Maggie's character transforms throughout the story from a woman who feels powerless to control her surroundings while feeling like she does not fit in with many of her immigrant neighbors to a woman who is actively fighting crime and caring for her neighbors.  The integration of Inspector Geyer was very interesting.  His presence as a ghost fit in seamlessly and helped Maggie immensely, but I did wonder a lot about his background and how he found his way to Maggie. The Prohibition era was highlighted in the storytelling as well; I had never thought of the many reasons why so many men easily fell into bootlegging after World War I and how women embraced the freedoms of the era after taking up the men's jobs while they were away.  While Maggie lends a large hand in avenging Oskar's death, there is still a lot of work to be done in keeping her city safe.  I'd love to see what she can accomplish next. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author

​Sherilyn Decter is a writer, researcher, and lover of historical fiction. Her work is set in the Roaring Twenties and if you like feisty and determined heroines, complex cover-ups, Prohibition stories about criminal underworlds, police and political corruption, then you’re going to love Sherilyn’s grand gangster tales.
​
For more information, please visit Sherilyn Decter’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads and Pinterest.

About the Book:

“The carnage began with the roses. She hacked at their ruffled blooms until they dropped into monstrous drifts of red on the parched yellow lawn … Only two things kept my mother grounded to us: my uncle Stephen and stories.”
Fourteen-year-old Molly worries about school, friends, and her parents’ failed marriage, but mostly about her mother’s growing depression. Molly knows her mother is nursing a carefully-kept secret. A writer with an obsession for other people’s life stories, Elaine Donnelly is the poster child of repressed emotions.
Molly spends her California summer alternately watching out for her little brother Angus and tip-toeing around her mother’s raw feelings. Molly needs her mother more than ever, but Elaine shuts herself off from real human connections and buries herself in the lives and deaths of the strangers she writes about. When Uncle Stephen is pressed into the limelight because of his miracle cure of a young man, Elaine can no longer hide behind other people’s stories. And as Molly digs into her mother’s past, she finds a secret hidden in her mother’s dresser that may be the key to unlocking a family mystery dating to 1918 New York—a secret that could destroy or save their future.
Told in dual narratives between 1918 New York City and 1955 San Jose, California, Between Before and After, by award-winning author Maureen McQuerry, explores the nature of family secrets, resiliency, and redemption. This is an historical coming-of-age Young Adult story about the complex bonds between mothers and daughters.


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Review:
"The best stories can be as unpredictable as miracles.  They can surprise you, even when you think you know them by heart."

Fourteen-year-old Molly is inquisitive by nature- a writer, like her mother Elaine, Molly seeks out the truth.  When her mother's secrets begin to tear apart Molly's family, she decides to seek out the truth from Elaine's past.  Molly starts with her Uncle Stephen for some clues, however, soon Stephen's life is turned upside down as the church begins to investigate him for performing a miracle.  With the attention that Stephen's miracle brings, Molly and her brother Angus begin to see a different side of their mother, making Molly more anxious for the secrets that her mother is hiding from 1918.  While investigating her mother's past, Molly might just  create a miracle of her own.


Between Before & After is a heartwarming and gorgeously written story that examines family, secrets and a little bit of magic.  Told in a dual narrative switching between Elaine and Stephen's childhood in 1918 Brooklyn and Molly and Angus' in 1955 San Jose, the differences between their lives is highlighted  as well as the mental stress of Elaine's secrets.  I felt equally drawn to both timeline stories as Elaine's life in Brooklyn quickly changes after the Spanish Flu epidemic and she becomes responsible for her little brother and running the household.  The 1918 timeline also had the story of Hansel and Gretel woven throughout that added a fabulous fairy-tale element that strangely connected to Elaine and Stephen's story perfectly.  In Molly's timeline the possibility of miracles and exposing of secrets creates mild suspense and drama that slowly teases out the consequences of Elaine's secret.  With an emotionally driven story line and seamless writing, Between Before & After will capture your heart.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Maureen McQuerry is an award winning poet, novelist and teacher.  Her YA novel, The Peculiars is an ALA Best Book for YA 2013, Bank Street and Home Book recommended book. Her MG fantasy duo, Beyond the Door and The Telling Stone were a Booklist Top Ten Fantasy/SciFi for Youth and a finalist for the WA State Book awards.  Her poetry appears in many journals and anthologies.  She lives in Washington State.

Connect with Maureen
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About the Book:
​THE PEDDLER OF WISDOM 
BY LAURA MATTHIAS BENDOLY
​Publication Date: December 18, 2018
eBook & Paperback; 425 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction


In the borderlands of the village Les Échelles, giants sleep and werewolves howl. Travelers must cross deep gorges to pay visit. The only strangers are treasure-hunters seeking the riches of Zahara, a drowned Crusader bride. She planted the nearby woods with rich botanicals, now the healing herbs of Irène Guéri, apothecary in these parts. When a cruel invader storms the village he brings along his shy, though brilliant alchemist, Joaquíno Durande. Will Irene join forces with this scholar, risking her profession and her neighbors’ trust, or flee to the valley? Enormous decisions await, and great danger as friends, neighbors, and even the tools of Irene’s workshop rise, enchanted, into the fray of war.

“Put together a hidden Medieval village, a widowed healer who tries to overthrow a murderous invader, and a possible– if dangerous– romance, and you have The Peddler of Wisdom, add to this Laura Matthias Bendoly’s spritely style and a complex world where no one can be trusted, and you will be sucked into this tale as swiftly and completely as I was. Read it.” – Sonia Gernes, ProfessorEmerita, University of Notre Dame, author of What You Hear in the Dark, New and Selected Poems

“An exciting plot, vivid characters and a clearly imagined 17th-century France. A rich tapestry of folklore, tarot, and alchemy.” – Maureen Boulton, Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, Toronto and Professor Emeritus of French, Dept. of Romance Languages University of Notre Dame

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

​Review:
​The village of Les Échelles is a quiet farming and mining town connected to the rest of the world by one bridge.  Les Échelles has just recently recovered from the plague and it's widowed healer, Irene is just beginning to be recognized again by her neighbors after many of their families perished under her care.  Irene works through the protection of the town's spirit, Zahara and has read her future with her tarot cards.  Soon after the plague subsides an invader, Duke Dominico, ravages the town and kills their peaceful Count Girau.  Many of the villagers are taken with Dominico's finery and promises of a gilded town.  The Duke also brings along Durande who works as a healer as well as an alchemist.  Durande holds many of Domenico's secrets.  Irene befriends Durande and finds out that Domenico's fantasies are fueled by madness and he will soon tear their small town apart.   Finding strength within herself and a little push from Zahara Irene must become the leader her town needs to form a resistance against the Duke.

The Peddler of Wisdom is an engaging historical fantasy combining life in a provencial French town with a little bit of magic and large dose of female-led resistance.  I immediately fell in love with Irene's character, a healer who cares for everything including birds and snakes and does not seem to hold a grudge.  The town of Les Échelles was absolutely charming and picturesque, through the writing I could envision the shops, the castle, Irene's farm and the countryside where Irene left offerings for Zahara.  With the arrival of the Duke and Durande, Les Échelles is turned upside down.  The Duke and Durande bring elements of  danger, fear and magic, a deadly combination for anyone who gets in the Duke's way.  With gruesome automata, fiery jinn, and people painted in gold, the Duke attempts to create his vision.  Durande, a reluctant hand to the Duke brings Irene into his fold and provides the knowledge for Irene to turn on the Duke.  I liked that the relationship between Durande and Irene was not a focus of the story, but their partnership was important for town and their freedom.  I enjoyed seeing Irene's leadership grow and emerge among the town.  She is the beginning of the resistance, a healer in more ways than one.  Her wisdom, kindness and touch of magic within leads to a revolution that the Duke never saw coming.  Overall, a unique historical fantasy that left me wanting more.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author
​
Though I grew up in northern Indiana, most of my work takes place elsewhere. My characters are slightly offbeat eccentrics. They wear Goth clothes and invent secret passwords. They make friends with outsiders and from those fringes my heroines gain their strength. Though these protagonists don’t have supernatural powers, they absorb a kind of magic from those they help and gather as friends. This is so with hero Stella Delaney, whose mission to save a trafficked foreign girl gains strength from the powers of a mysterious Gullah woman. So is it the case with Eileen Morgan, whose trip to Scotland wraps her in a world of ghosts and a deadly struggle for entitlement between a wealthy land-owning family and their one-time vassals, now barely hanging on.
I write about the places I have seen as an outsider but in which I could see myself in another life…a boat guide along one of the Georgia marshes, a shepherd in the Scottish lowlands, a craftswoman in Cornwall, in Western Great Britain, or a healer in rural Southern France. Will I ever be that woman? Only if I write myself there, and I love to bring new readers along.
I live in Columbus Ohio with my family.

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About the Book:
The Warrior Maiden (Hagenheim #9)
by Melanie Dickerson
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: February 5th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Retellings, Christian Fiction


Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson comes a fresh reimagining of the classic Mulan tale.


Mulan isn’t afraid to pretend to be a son and assume her father’s soldier duties in war. But what happens when the handsome son of a duke discovers her secret?


Mulan is trying to resign herself to marrying the village butcher for the good of her family, but her adventurous spirit just can’t stand the thought. At the last minute, she pretends to be the son her father never had, assumes his duties as a soldier, and rides off to join the fight to protect the castle of her liege lord’s ally from the besieging Teutonic Knights.


Wolfgang and his brother Steffan leave Hagenheim with several other soldiers to help their father’s ally in Poland. When they arrive, Wolfgang is exasperated by the young soldier Mikolai who seems to either always be one step away from disaster . . . or showing Wolfgang up in embarrassing ways.


When Wolfgang discovers his former rival and reluctant friend Mikolai is actually a girl, he is determined to protect her. But battle is a dangerous place where anything can happen—and usually does.


When Mulan receives word that her mother has been accused of practicing witchcraft through her healing herbs and skills, Mulan’s only thought is of defending her. Will she be able to trust Wolfgang to help? Or will sacrificing her own life be the only way to save her mother?


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Review:
​Mulan has grown up in a small villiage in Lithuania.  She is the daughter of Milokai, a warrior who fathered her while fighting in the East.  Milokai's wife has raised Mulan as her own.  Now, Mulan is a young woman and Milokai is dead.  Mulan's mother attempts to marry off Mulan, however when Milokai is called to battle, Mulan assumes his place as Milokai's son.  Assisted by her father's steward and her archery coach, Andrei, Mulan marches off to protect the castle of an ally from the Teutonic Knights.  Fighting with Mulan is the Duke of Hagenheim's son, Wolfgang.  Wolfgang's brother Stefan however is fighting for the Teutonic Knights.  At first, Wolfgang sees Mulan as a rival in archery, but Mulan's skills in battle win her respect and Wolfgang see's her as an equal.  Now, fighting closely with Wolfgang, Mulan must protect her secret and her feelings towards Wolfgang while continuing to fend off the Teutonic Knights, including Wolfgang's brother. 


A very creative re-imagining of the Mulan story within the world of Hagenheim. At first, I was very wary of how Mulan would fit into the western European world, but with a few twists here and there, it seemed liked she was made to belong all along.  I enjoyed how the spirit of Mulan was kept in her personality.  Mulan was scared, but kept a very confident face, and showed bravery and ingenuity in battle, using her strengths as a woman.  She balked against the gender norms of marrying for safety and security to a man who would not love her for who she is.  I loved reading the battle scenes and seeing Mulan's mixed emotions as she fought to protect herself as well as what she believed was right.  Mulan and Wolfgang's relationship was also very interesting.  Beginning as a rivalry and then a respected friend and warrior, Wolfgang then turns into the only other person who know Mulan's secret and his feelings towards the soldier and now woman must change.  There is a lot of will they or won't they that drove me a little mad as neither of them wanted to ruin the friendship forged in battle. I also appreciated the incorporation of the historic Teutonic Knights and Grand Master Rusdorf.  With an exciting ending and the hope of a happily ever after, The Warrior Maiden is another wonderful installment in the Hagenheim stories.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Melanie Dickerson is a New York Times bestselling author, a two-time Christy Award finalist, two-time Maggie Award winner, Carol Award winner, two-time winner of the Christian Retailing's Best award, and her book, The Healer's Apprentice, won the National Readers Choice Award for Best First Book. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). Melanie earned a bachelors degree in special education of the hearing impaired from The University of Alabama and has worked as a teacher in Georgia, Tennessee, and Ukraine. She lives with her husband and two children in Huntsville, Alabama.

​

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2018/12/tour-schedule-warrior-maiden-hagenheim.html

About the Author:

Gary Dickson is an inveterate traveler and a Francophile, sans merci. Educated in the United States and Switzerland in history, literature, and the classics, Gary lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Susie.


An Improbable Pairing is available January 8, 2019 on Amazon and other retailers.




​Q&A with World Traveler and Novelist Gary Dickson
AUTHOR OF AN IMPROBABLE PAIRING

Question: What do you want readers to take away from Scott and Desirée’s connection and relationship in the story?


Gary Dickson: I want readers to understand and remember the architecture of the relationship between Scott and the Countess, Desirée. While built on the chemistry of attraction and love, it is buttressed by affection, intelligence and humor. To be in love is often chemistry, but to stay in love the relationship must be of such importance that the couple is willing to make the necessary modifications to their pre-conceived desires and attitudes in order for their love to survive and blossom.


Q: What makes An Improbable Pairing so different from other historical romance novels?


Dickson: Most historical fiction is heavy with obvious research piling on specifics sometimes not pertinent to the story. In the case of An Improbably Pairing, no research was necessary since the scenes and the culture of this period are so very familiar to me. As a result, the descriptions have the authenticity of first-hand experience rather than a ponderous factual approach. This story is light-hearted, fast-paced yet packed with accurate detail, as one reviewer remarked, “an almost cinematic description.”


Q: Do you have additional stories or books you are working on?


Dickson: Yes, many in the works! I have already written a sequel but with an espionage and thriller flavor called A Spy with Scruples, a continuation of the Scott and Desirée story. I also have an idea for a sequel to this novel, which is a continuation of the spy motif that takes place in Switzerland, New York, and Palm Beach, FL. I have also completed another novel, a melange of a fantasy, a mystery, and a romance within the speculative fiction genre. Additionally, I have written and will shortly publish a book of poetry, La Poesie De Bonne Bouffe/The Poetry of Good Eats. A series of 25 poems in French with English translations, celebrating French food specialties, a French and English recipe for each, and an acknowledgement page which details the places I’ve frequented and learned about these delicacies.

About the Book:
The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me 
Olivia Hinebaugh 
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: January 22nd 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

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Seventeen-year-old Lacey Burke is the last person on the planet who should be doling out sex advice. For starters, she’s never even kissed anyone, and she hates breaking the rules. Up until now, she’s been a straight-A music geek that no one even notices. All she cares about is jamming out with her best friends, Theo and Evita.

But then everything changes.
​
When Lacey sees first-hand how much damage the abstinence-only sex-ed curriculum of her school can do, she decides to take a stand and starts doling out wisdom and contraception to anyone who seeks her out in the girls’ restroom. But things with Theo become complicated quickly, and Lacey is soon not just keeping everyone else’s secrets, but hers as well.


Review:
​Best friends Lacey, Theo and Evita have their year planned out- do good in school, practice their music apply to Berklee and live together in Boston jamming together with their band.  However, things begin to change for Lacey.  Lacey's mom was a teenage mom, now a labor and delivery nurse who has always been upfront and direct with Lacey about sex, consent, protection and staying healthy.  Lacey has no experience with this herself, she has never even been kissed.  But when her senior seminar class begins to preach abstinence only education and being fearful or ashamed of sex, Lacey steps up in order to make sure her classmates are safe and protected, Lacey becomes a guru for sex questions and she, Theo and Evita help pass out condoms and other forms of protection to students.  The school is not appreciative of their efforts, however and suspends the trio for passing out lewd material.  In between all of this, Lacey and Theo realize that they have feelings for one another and begin to navigate a sexual relationship of their own.

The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me is a wonderful, sex-positive and health conscious story that is appropriate and informational for young adults while being entertaining.  I loved Lacey's character as well as her mom.  Even though Lacey was inexperienced, she held a wealth of knowledge thanks to her mother's open attitude and positive conversations.  Not everyone can have a mom like Lacey's though, which is why it is important for schools to teach about sexual health.  The reaction from the school was very surprising to me, it seemed to me that if they could turn a blind eye to all of the pregnant girls maybe they could do the same for a girl passing out condoms.  I do wish that Lacey, Evita and Theo would have worked with the adults more for their project instead of going rouge.  I do like how everything panned out in the end.  Another great aspect to the story was the friendship between Lacey, Theo and Evita.  Talking things out with friends is another step in healthy relationships and these guys had a lot of difficult conversations.  The straightforward conversations between Lacey and Theo about consent and sex are wonderful examples of how to start a sexual relationship.  In reading these conversations, they did seem a little awkward and uncomfortable to me, but I also think that is the reality of the situation.  Lacey and Theo's budding romance as well as their band add to the excitement of this fun and realistic young adult novel. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Olivia Hinebaugh loves all stripes of literature for children. When she isn’t writing fiction, she can be found writing freelance, making art, discovering new songs on spotify, texting her writing buddies, or folding laundry. She lives near Washington, D.C. with her spouse, three kids, a dog that looks like a coyote, and a one-eyed cat. The Birds, The Bees, And You And Me is her debut novel.


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About the Book:
​All Is Fair 
Dee Garretson 
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: January 22nd 2019
Genres: Historical, Romance, Young Adult

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Lady Mina Tretheway knows she’s destined for greater things than her fancy boarding school, where she’s being taught to be a proper English lady. It’s 1918, and war is raging across Europe. Unlike her father and brother, who are able to assist in the war effort, Mina is stuck sorting out which fork should be used with which dinner course.
When Mina receives a telegram that’s written in code, she finally has her chance to do something big. She returns to her childhood home of Hallington Manor, joined by a family friend, Lord Andrew Graham, and a dashing and mysterious young American, Lucas. The three of them must band together to work on a dangerous project that could turn the tide of the war.
Thrilled that she gets to contribute to the war effort at least, Mina jumps headfirst into the world of cryptic messages, spycraft, and international intrigue. She, Lucas, and Andrew have to work quickly, because if they don’t succeed, more soldiers will disappear into the darkness of war.

Review: 
Mina Tretheway receives an urgent telegram at her boarding school.  She fears the worst as the War rages on.  Mina discovers that the telegram from her father is in code and tells her to come home.  Upon her return home to Hallington Manor, Mina finds an old friend- Lord Andrew Graham and an American- Lucas Mueller.  They need Mina's help in order to complete a dangerous mission in Germany.  Before Andrew and Lucas set off on their mission, an accident happens and Andrew is incapacitated.  Mina is determined to help Lucas see the mission through, although Lucas believes she is too frail and spoiled.  Before Lucas can convince Mina to return home, they are thrown together to complete the mission and survive. 



All Is Fair is an exciting and adventurous Young Adult novel set during World War I.  Mina's character was charming and invigorating as a young woman good with codes, ciphers and languages.  The writing did have a slow build in the beginning, but did build up the dreadful feeling of wartime and the suspense that not all was right at Hallington Manor.  About halfway through, when Mina became part of the mission with Luke, the pace picked up and I couldn't stop reading.  Their spy mission was intriguing and added a dash of sweet romance. I liked that she proved her worth during the mission as a woman and because she was a woman. Through Mina's and Lucas' eyes we see bits of the harsh realities of war and also learn about the Dame Blanche Resistance movement of France and Belgium which was primarily comprised of female members.  Overall, an exhilarating young adult spy thriller. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author:

Dee writes contemporary, science fiction and historical adventure stories for a wide range of ages. Her books have been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections, the Scholastic Book Club, and have been nominated for numerous state awards lists. In addition to books published under her own name, she also writes for the Boxcar Children series. Connect with her on twitter at @deegarretson or find out more about her books at deegarretson.com



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About Pretty in Punxsutawney
​
A Groundhog Day meets Pretty in Pink mashup from author Laurie Boyle Crompton, Pretty in Punxsutawney tells the tale of a girl willing to look beneath the surface to see people for who they really are.
Andie is the type of girl who always comes up with the perfect thing to say…after it’s too late to say it. She’s addicted to romance movies—okay, all movies—but has yet to experience her first kiss. After a move to Punxsutawney, PA, for her senior year, she gets caught in an endless loop of her first day at her new school, reliving those 24 hours again and again.
Convinced the curse will be broken when she meets her true love, Andie embarks on a mission: infiltrating the various cliques to find the one boy who can break the spell. What she discovers along the way is that people who seem completely different can often share the very same hopes, dreams, and hang-ups. And that even a day that has been lived over and over can be filled with unexpected connections and plenty of happy endings.

Purchase Links
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Review:
Andie has always wished that her life was like a movie...but this wasn't what she had in mind. 


The summer before Andie's senior year of high school, her family moved to Punxsutawney, PA.  Andie's mother has raised her to be a movie buff, mostly by watching her favorite movies from the 1980's.  Andie naturally gravitates towards the town's movie theatre where she meets Colton. Colton seems like the perfect candidate for Andie's first kiss.  However, the evening before Andie's first day she falls asleep on the couch watching Pretty in Pink in a pink polk-a-dot dress.  After a not-so-stellar first day where Andie loses Colton's interests to classmate, Kaia, Andie wishes she could have a do-over.  Her wish might just come true.

Combining some of my favorite movies from the 80's and early 90's, Pretty in Punxsutawney is a fun and heartwarming journey.  At this point in my life I identified more better with Andie's mom, but easily found myself immersed in Andie's story.  I could feel myself cringe along with Andie as her first day of school was less than ideal, especially with Colton.  I loved when the Groundhog's Day aspect came in and Andie repeated her first day over and over with different variations while desiring to make Colton her boyfriend.  Many of the variations picked up on other movies such as Breakfast Club and Ferris Buehler's Day Off.  I especially enjoyed when Andie began to try out a different clique each first day and begins to realize what her purpose might really be. I do wish that my favorite first day with the dance party was how Andie was able to stop the cycle; however, I'm still glad that things were able to wrap up the way they did.  Overall, a very endearing and lighthearted Young Adult read with plenty of nostalgia for older readers.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About Laurie Boyle Crompton
​Laurie Boyle Crompton is the author of several YA books, including Adrenaline Crush and Love and Vandalism. Laurie graduated first in her class from St. John’s University with a BA in English and Journalism. She has written for national magazines like Allure, survived a teaching stint at an all-boy high school, and appeared onGood Day New York several times as a toy expert. And yes, “toy expert” is an actual profession. She grew up in a small town in western PA and now lives near NYC with her family and one enormous and very fuzzy “dog toy expert” named Baxter Bear.
Connect with Laurie
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The Princess of Baker Street 
Mia Kerick 
Published by: Harmony Ink Press
Publication date: January 22nd 2019
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Young Adult
​
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“Always wear your imaginary crown” is Joey Kinkaid’s motto. For years, Joey, assigned male at birth, led the Baker Street kids in daring and imaginative fantasy adventures, but now that they’re teenagers, being a princess is no longer quite so cool. Especially for a child who is seen by the world as a boy.
Eric Sinclair has always been Joey’s best friend and admirer—Prince Eric to Joey’s Princess Ariel—but middle school puts major distance between them. As Eric’s own life takes a dangerous turn for the worse, he stands by and watches as Joey—who persists in dressing and acting too much like a Disney princess for anybody’s comfort—gets bullied. Eric doesn’t like turning his back on Joey, but he’s learned that the secret to teenage survival, especially with and absent mother, is to fly under the radar.
But when Joey finally accepts who she is and comes to school wearing lip gloss, leggings, and a silky pink scarf, the bullies make her life such a misery that she decides to end it all. Eric, in turn, must decide who he really is and what side he wants to stand on… though no matter what he chooses, the consequences with be profound for both teens, and they’ll face them for years to come.
Is there a chance the two teens can be friends again, and maybe even more?

Review:
The kids of Baker Street grew up playing together to the fanciful games thought up by Joey Kinkaid.  Joey was called the Princess of Baker Street since his games often included Joey in a princess dress being rescued by his best friend, Eric Sinclair.  Now, the kids of Baker Street are in Eighth grade and things have changed, the four friends have found themselves in separate cliques.  Eric has opted for the route of survival, especially since is mom isn't often around.  Eric hangs around with his friends on the soccer team.  Joey doesn't exactly fit in anywhere, he would much rather wear his mother's dresses to school than the button up shirts and slacks that his father insists on.  When Eric and Joey are paired as study buddies, their friendship rekindles.  However, when Joey begins to show up to school in girl's clothing, Eric's allegiance is divided between his friends and his need to fly under the radar.

Timely and relevant, The Princess of Baker Street reaches into the awkward, transitional years of middle school for a group of students, including the Joey who is realizing that he has always been a girl.  Told through Eric's point of view, the voices are sincere and realistic for eighth graders.  Everyone seems very self-concerned and are worried about where they will fit in.  Eric's journey is just as important as Joey's.  I felt for Joey as he dealt with an absent mother and the decision to be Joey's friend even if it would cost his popularity.  Eric's struggle with his feelings for Joey as he slowly comprehends that not only is Joey a girl, but that he has always seen Joey as a girl as well- a girl that he likes.  With these understandings comes big changes and responsibilities.  Not all of the changes are handled very well by everyone and reinforces that none of these issues should be handled by the kids by themselves.  Insightful and pertinent, The Princess of Baker Street is an important and heartfelt read that can be enjoyed by middle grade through adult readers. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author:
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—one in law school, another a professional dancer, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son, heading off to college. (Yes, the nest is finally empty.) She has published more than twenty books of LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing scholarship essays. Her husband of twenty-five years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it’s a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled people in complex relationships. She has a great affinity for the tortured hero in literature, and as a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of tortured heroes and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to her wonderful publishers for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.

Her books have been featured in Kirkus Reviews magazine, and have won Rainbow Awards for Best Transgender Contemporary Romance and Best YA Lesbian Fiction, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, and a Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, a Story Monsters Purple Dragonfly Award for Young Adult e-book Fiction, among other awards.
Mia Kerick is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology. Contact Mia at miakerick@gmail.com or visit at www.miakerickya.com to see what is going on in Mia’s world.



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About the Book:
THE BLUE 
BY NANCY BILYEAU
Publication Date: December 3, 2018
Endeavour Quill
Paperback & eBook; 430 Pages
ASIN: B07HZ4C3K5
Genre: Historical Fiction



In eighteenth century London, porcelain is the most seductive of commodities; fortunes are made and lost upon it. Kings do battle with knights and knaves for possession of the finest pieces and the secrets of their manufacture.

For Genevieve Planché, an English-born descendant of Huguenot refugees, porcelain holds far less allure; she wants to be an artist, a painter of international repute, but nobody takes the idea of a female artist seriously in London. If only she could reach Venice.

When Genevieve meets the charming Sir Gabriel Courtenay, he offers her an opportunity she can’t refuse; if she learns the secrets of porcelain, he will send her to Venice. But in particular, she must learn the secrets of the colour blue…

The ensuing events take Genevieve deep into England’s emerging industrial heartlands, where not only does she learn about porcelain, but also about the art of industrial espionage.

With the heart and spirit of her Huguenot ancestors, Genevieve faces her challenges head on, but how much is she willing to suffer in pursuit and protection of the colour blue?

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AND OTHER RETAILERS

Praise for The Blue
A Goodreads’ Recommended Choice for Historical Novel in December 2018 Newslette and a BookBub Editors’ Choice/New Releases

“Nancy Bilyeau, whose wonderful Crown trilogy I hugely enjoyed, has just published a new novel, The Blue, which I highly recommend.” – Alison Weir

“Historical fans will be well satisfied.” – Publishers Weekly

“…transports the reader into the heart of the 18th century porcelain trade—where the price of beauty was death.” – E.M. Powell, author of the Stanton & Barling medieval mystery series.

“Bilyeau is an impressive talent who brings to life a heart-stopping story of adventure, art and espionage during the Seven Years War.” – Stephanie Dray, bestselling author of My Dear Hamilton

“With rich writing, surprising twists, and a riveting sense of ‘you are there,’ The Blue is spine-tingling entertainment.” – Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author of The Assassins

Review:
Genevieve Planché  is a French refugee in England.  Her family are Huguenots, unwanted by the French King Louis XV.  Genevieve's grandfather is an artist and she strives to be an artist as well, however the closest she can come in France is painting flowers on silk dresses.   Opportunity arises after a chance meeting with the mesmerizing Sir Gabriel Courtenay. Courtenay promises Geneiveve a placement as an artist in Venice if she will use her talents in order to spy for him at the porcelain factory.  Courtenay is specifically interested in a new color blue that a hidden chemist is working on perfecting at the factory.  Genevieve takes the risk, but soon learns the cost as she meets the infamous chemist and learns who she is truly spying for.

An exciting historical spy thriller that combines art, science and romance for a captivating adventure into the color blue.  Genevieve's spirit immediately captured me as she was willing to fight for a position among the male artists.  Through rich and detailed historical writing I was able to learn about the Huguenots plight in France and their successes in England as well as the growth of the porcelain industry through King Louis XV mistress, Madame Pompadour.  The fight for the development of colors was riveting to me.  There were many reasons why Courtenay seemed to want the specific blue, but I could never imagine the danger that a color would bring as Genevieve's life was turned upside down.  The spy elements and romance between Genevieve and Thomas kept me intrigued, but it was truly the color blue that drove the story.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author

Nancy Bilyeau is the author of the historical thriller “The Blue” and the Tudor mystery series “The Crown,” “The Chalice,” and “The Tapestry,” on sale in nine countries. She is a magazine editor who has lived in the United States and Canada.
In “The Blue,” Nancy draws on her own heritage as a Huguenot. She is a direct descendant of Pierre Billiou, a French Huguenot who immigrated to what was then New Amsterdam (later New York City) in 1661. Nancy’s ancestor, Isaac, was born on the boat crossing the Atlantic, the St. Jean de Baptiste. Pierre’s stone house still stands and is the third oldest house in New York State.
Nancy, who studied History at the University of Michigan, has worked on the staffs of “InStyle,” “Good Housekeeping,” and “Rolling Stone.” She is currently the deputy editor of the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at the Research Foundation of CUNY and a regular contributor to “Town & Country” and “The Vintage News.”
Nancy’s mind is always in past centuries but she currently lives with her husband and two children in New York City.

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