Book Review: "The Good Stranger" by Dete Meserve

Boy, we could all use a book like this right now!!

Kate Bradley is a television news reporter who has moved from LA to NYC for a gig at a national news channel. She has uprooted her life, and after a few days she’s not sure she made the right decision. She doesn’t feel at home in the city, and feels it’s harsh and cold.

One night after a massive blackout hits, Kate expects the story she’ll be covering is about the panic, the looting, the destruction that came afterward. But instead there seems to be a massive wave of generosity sweeping the city. Anonymous people are paying for strangers’ medical bills, sending gifts of clothing and food to homeless people, leaving gift cards on all cars in a parking lot, etc.

Who is behind this movement of good deeds? Is it a marketing gimmick for a company? Are people being set up? Kate teams up with a handsome program host to try and find the mysterious people responsible, chasing down every lead and leaving no stone unturned.

But someone doesn’t want Kate to find out the truth, and they send menacing letters and get closer and closer to her. As she deals with her own personal issues while trying to trace this path of kindness, she realizes that the connections it is fostering may be more important than the deeds themselves.

The Good Stranger was such a unique mystery—how often is someone trying to track someone down for doing something good? But beyond that, what a terrific concept this book was based on. In this chaotic time, we all could use some kindness, couldn’t we?

Although this is the third book featuring Kate Bradley, I didn’t feel as if I was missing anything having not read the previous books. But Dete Meserve did such a great job I’ll definitely go back and read the other two!!

I was honored to be part of the blog tour for this book. Thanks to Kate Rock Book Tours, Dete Meserve, and Lake Union Publishing for providing a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!

Book Review: "Most Likely" by Sarah Watson

Sarah Watson's debut novel, Most Likely, is a great story about friendship and how far it can take you—like all the way to the Oval Office.

Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha have been best friends since just before kindergarten. They’ve always had each other’s backs through good and bad times, and in 30 years, one of them is going to be elected president.

The book focuses on their senior year of high school. Ava has battled depression and insecurity, as well as questions about her family; CJ wants to make something of herself and hopes getting into Stanford might be the launching point, despite her abysmal SAT scores; aspiring journalist Jordan is doggedly focused on finding the right story to jump start her career; and Martha's ambitions are tempered by financial realities and her uncertainty about what her sexuality might mean to her future. They each are determined to leave their mark on the world.

"Im probably biased, but if I had to pick the one love story that matters most, it would be mine. I'm not talking about [name withheld to maintain surprise]. Even though they are completely wonderful. I'm talking about the other one. The three loves of my life. Right here in this room."

Most Likely is a really compelling story of the ups and downs of friendship, family, love, self-esteem, and stepping out of your comfort zone. You don’t know who will be president until the very end (although if you’re paying attention, you realize it just before) and I was totally invested. (Watson even tries to throw you off the trail a few times.)

Sure, there are some predictable moments and times when you just want to shake the characters so they’ll say what they need to, but this was a really enjoyable book, and the friendships seemed genuine. I'd love to see this as a television movie or feature film.

Another good Pride Read to add to the list!

Book Review: "That Summer in Maine" by Brianna Wolfson

Brianna Wolfson's new novel, That Summer in Maine, is an emotional story about the choices women make and how those choices affect their daughters.⁣

"Every single person on this planet wants nothing more than love."

⁣ Jane met Silas, a handsome, charismatic woodworker, at a craft fair in Maine. Both bear emotional scars, but the relationship is intense and satisfying, until she discovers he has slept with another woman.⁣

⁣ Susie loves her husband and is happy in her marriage, but there’s something about Silas that draws her to him. She knows, however, that this will be a one-time thing.⁣

⁣ Nearly 16 years later, Jane’s daughter Hazel is contacted online by another teenager, Eve, who says that they are half-sisters. Eve also says that she spent last summer with their father and encourages Hazel to join her this summer. For Hazel, who has been feeling pushed out by her mother’s new husband and babies, this couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.⁣

⁣ That Summer in Maine alternates between past and present, and is narrated by Susie, Jane, and Hazel. The two mothers are determined to help their daughters understand the circumstances behind the choices they made, before it’s too late.⁣

⁣ I thought this was a beautifully written book but it just didn’t grab me as much as I was expecting. There definitely were some poignant moments but the book was full of instances in which if only the characters communicated with each other, there’d be less drama. I also really disliked Eve’s character until you realized the motivations for her behavior, and that she was only a teenager.

⁣ ⁣ I was pleased to participate in the blog tour for this book. Thanks to MIRA Books and NetGalley for making an advance copy available! ⁣

Book Review: "All of My Friends Are Rich" by Michael Sarais

Michael Sarais' debut novel, All of My Friends Are Rich, is emotionally searing, thought-provoking, even a little bit sexy. Man, this was good.

Leo is on the verge of turning 30, and he’s not in a good place. His marriage has ended, he has a job he hates and he wishes he could write again, he’s bipolar but doesn’t always remember his meds, and he resents his husband for abandoning him when he was at his lowest.

When Leo’s best friend Sara announces her engagement and asks him to be her best man, he’s excited for her as well as a little bit envious and resentful. But when she talks about a bachelorette party in Ibiza and a wedding in Santorini, his anxieties grow. He wishes he could be like his friends, who seemingly have an unending supply of money and don’t have to order the cheapest thing on the menu.

How can he get enough money to fulfill his best-man responsibilities and relax? A chance encounter on Grindr introduces him to one possibility. But the further down that road he travels, the less in control he feels, until he finds himself jeopardizing the few things that work in his life, and exposing himself to potential danger.

This was a powerful read about one man’s struggle with mental illness, financial anxiety, and happiness. Leo is a fascinating, flawed character who makes some seriously questionable decisions but you can see how his mind and his heart work.

I had a few Bookstagram friends who got their hands on advance copies of this book and raved. I’m so glad this lived up to my expectations, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Sarais.

The beauty of Pride Reads continues!!

Book Review: "Love, Creekwood" by Becky Albertalli

Boy, it felt so good to be back in the Love, Simon universe!!

This novella picks up where Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and Leah on the Offbeat left off. Simon, Bram, Leah, and Abby are all in college now, dealing with being away from home, trying to make the most of their college experience, navigating long-distance relationships and love and all the beauty and insecurities that come with it.

“When we say we want to freeze time, what we mean is that we want to control our memories. We want to choose which moments we’ll keep forever. We want to guarantee the best ones won’t slip away from us somehow. So when something beautiful happens, there’s this impulse to press pause and save the game. We want to make sure we can find our way back to that moment.”

This book is told all in emails back and forth. Some of the emails have a surprising amount of emotion contained in them, and the discussion about finding the memories you want to keep forever, like the quote above, even choked me up a little.

I’ve really loved these stories and these characters, and also adored the Love, Simon movie. I definitely saw the actors in my head as I was reading this. (I also may have watched a few clips from the movie on YouTube once I finished this book.)

I just wish this was longer!! Even though she said before publishing this that she didn't intend to do any sequels or follow-ups, I do hope that Becky Albertalli plans to revisit the Creekwood gang again because I didn’t realize just how much I missed them until I read this.

Albertalli is donating all of the proceeds from this book to The Trevor Project, which is an organization near and dear to my heart, as are so many others I support.

The beauty of my month-long Pride Reads effort continues!!

Book Review: "Rainbow Boys" by Alex Sanchez

Alex Sanchez's Rainbow Boys takes me back to those angst-filled high school days...

Jason is a star athlete and has a promising future ahead of him. He’s not above making or laughing at the occasional gay joke or slur with his friends. But why is he having intense dreams about guys? He has a girlfriend and they have sex, so he can’t be gay.

Nelson is openly gay and he’s lucky to have such a supportive mother. It’s tough being out in school, though, facing taunts and bullying and even threats of physical violence, and even the school administration doesn’t care. Luckily he has his best friend, Kyle, to commiserate with.

Kyle has always known he was gay but he’s been afraid to tell his parents. He knows that by associating with Nelson everyone assumes it anyway, but there’s something to actually saying the words out loud. Of course, he has a huge crush on Jason, but Jason is straight. Right?

Rainbow Boys, the first in a three-book series, so perfectly captures the feelings associated with coming to terms with your sexuality. How do you tell your parents? Will it jeopardize your future? Does having sex mean you’ll get HIV? What do you do when you’re in love with your best friend and they don't seem to feel the same way about you?

This book came out in 2003 and I totally missed it then, but it sure did bring back memories for me! I really enjoyed this story and the characters were all pretty authentic for the time period. Even though you pretty much knew what would happen, I was totally hooked, and the emotions it generated were very familiar.

Once again, I’m so glad this generation has books like these to help them feel better about themselves. This was another great selection for Pride Reads!!

(Yes, that’s a before-he-was-famous Matthew Bomer on the cover!)

Book Review: "The Gay Teen's Guide to Defeating a Siren, Book 1" by Cody Wagner

The key to survival is...being gay. At least it is in Book 1 of The Gay Teen's Guide to Defeating a Siren.

Fourteen-year-old Blaize Trales (yep) doesn’t want anyone in his tiny Texas town, including his parents, to know he’s gay. But when he inadvertently outs himself, his parents immediately pack him up and send him to Sanctuary Preparatory Academy, a school that promises to “heal” gay teens.

As if trying to be “healed” isn’t bad enough, and dealing with the usual high school problems—class work, bullying, a crush on someone seemingly unattainable—Blaize discovers that the school is hiding a major secret. Apparently there’s an old enemy at the loose and it’s wreaking havoc, and Blaize might be the only one who can stop it.

Does he have what it takes to save the day?

This was an interesting book, with shades of Harry Potter and dashes of sarcasm. A lot of the story was setting up for the sequel but there definitely was plenty going on.

While I enjoyed the concept of the book, at times it was a little too silly for me. (It almost felt at times like the book should have been accompanied by a laugh track.) I felt like the book just wasn’t sure what it wanted to be. But the fantasy elements were fun, and it was nice to have a gay hero of sorts.

This was definitely an interesting selection for Pride Reads!!