Book Review: "The Layover" by Lacie Waldon

Enemies-to-lovers? Forced proximity? Tropical locale? Yes, please! You get all of that and more in this debut rom-com from Lacie Waldon, The Layover.

Ava has been a flight attendant for 10 years. But this is her last flight—now that she’s engaged she doesn’t want to be gone all the time.

She’s looking forward to this flight, which includes a layover in Belize—it’s a nice farewell gift and a celebration of her engagement. And then she discovers he's on her flight—Jack Stone, the sexy pilot-turned-flight attendant. Her nemesis. The one person she truly humiliated herself in front of one night.

Of all the people…but Ava is determined to make it work. And when the Belize layover turns into a longer stay at a resort because of mechanical difficulties, she can’t believe she’s trapped with him. Why is it he doesn’t seem to understand why she hates him?

Rom-com fans, you know the drill. As Ava and Jack team up for a little matchmaking on behalf of their colleagues, she starts to realize that maybe he’s not the devil she’s always thought he was. Maybe the hyper-organized, routine life she’s about to embark on with her ego-driven fiancé isn’t the one she really wants after all?

As I’ve said before, part of the charm of rom-coms for me is their predictability. I love that you mostly know how The Layover will go, I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, and because Waldon is an actual flight attendant, it’s full of authentic details.

I’ll admit Ava is a bit annoying at the start with her hatred of Jack, and I felt like her emotional arc was a little rushed, but this was still such a fun, cute, romantic story. (And as if I didn’t already check out all the sexy male flight attendants?)

Book Review: "Between Perfect and Real" by Ray Stoeve

Between Perfect and Real, Ray Stoeve's debut YA novel, is a poignant, thought-provoking, hopeful look at a teen’s struggle with his identity.

"I think I might be trans."
"I mean, I know I am."
"I think."

From the moment he saw videos of transgender guys on YouTube, Dean knew that’s what he was, why he didn’t feel completely comfortable as a lesbian. And when he gets cast as a “nontraditional” Romeo in his high school’s production of Romeo and Juliet, it makes him long to assume his true identity.

But the realization of who he is causes more stress. His mother barely can handle his being gay and still calls him by his dead name—how will she take this news, when she’s reinforced gender roles for as long as Dean can remember? And what about Dean’s girlfriend, Zoe? Will she still want to be with him if he's male?

As the play approaches, Dean has a lot of decisions to make. And as he struggles with the acceptance of classmates and revealing his truth to those he loves, he seeks help from friends and others who have gone through these same decisions and had the same questions. Dean’s life may never be the same, but isn’t freely being who you are worth it?

This book was really good—it’s funny and sad and angsty and heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. I give Stoeve so much praise for not creating a utopia where everything is perfect for trans kids but also skirting the line that would have turned this book into melodrama, however real that may be, too.

I enjoyed these characters and, as I often do when reading YA, I felt so happy that books like Between Perfect and Real exist for today’s youth. So glad this was part of my Pride Reads this month!!

Book Review: "Brat: An '80s Story" by Andrew McCarthy

Brat: An '80s Story contains Andrew McCarthy's recollections of his acting heyday in 1980s films.

I went to high school in the mid-1980s. (Whatever. Be nice to the old guy or get off my lawn.) Pop culture in the 80s was great—while some of the movies and TV shows look colossally bad now, a lot of them have sustained their charm and bring back so many memories. (I even remember with whom I saw certain movies back in the day.)

I first noticed Andrew McCarthy in the movie Class, which wasn’t very good, but Rob Lowe was in it, and long before I understood why I was obsessed with him (still am, cough), I had to watch everything he was in. Anyway, I remember McCarthy was almost an anti-hunk, and he had the most expressive eyes I’d ever seen on an actor.

McCarthy went on to star in two of my most favorite 80s movies—Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire—as well as Mannequin, Less Than Zero, and that crazy movie, Weekend at Bernie's. It was during that time he got lumped into the group of young actors called “The Brat Pack.” (Ironically, he didn't even attend the event at which a few of his acting peers merited that nickname.)

In Brat, McCarthy recounts how his career started and touches on the movies he’s most known for. It’s not a tell-all by any means and he doesn’t trash anyone, but I really enjoyed his memories of that time and place. He also talks about family problems and his struggles with alcoholism, particularly during that time in his life.

And there even were a few things I didn’t know—that he was offered the lead in Some Kind of Wonderful and turned it down, and that John Hughes showed him the script for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and McCarthy expressed interest, but nothing came of it.

The fact is, McCarthy is a good writer. He’s written a travel memoir which I loved and a YA novel I’ve not read yet, so this was enjoyable for more than the sense of nostalgia it gave me. So many of the actors from that time period are still acting (at least periodically), so it’s fun to see how far they’ve come.

I know there are some of you who have never heard of him or his movies. Humor me and don’t make me feel decrepit, okay?

Book Review: "Filthy Animals" by Brandon Taylor

Brandon Taylor's new collection, Filthy Animals, contains beautifully written, powerful, periodically bleak short stories about the human condition and the need for connection.

I’m a short story fan. In the right hands, short stories can wield even greater power than novels and leave more searing memories. Of course, they’re not always good—sometimes they’re gimmicky, too short, or too long—and they can leave you wanting.

But Filthy Animals is really strong. What’s amazing is that in many stories nothing explosive happens yet I felt moved. That’s the beauty of Taylor’s storytelling—he writes about ordinary feelings, events, interactions—but they take on more power.

Several of the stories in the collection (and among my favorites) are interconnected and take place over the course of two days or so. They follow Lionel, a former graduate student dealing with some serious mental health issues, as he finds himself intertwined with Charles and Sophie, a pair of dancers with a unique relationship. I loved the push-and-pull that existed in these stories.

Other stories I enjoyed focused on a woman in her first same-sex relationship, the dynamics between brothers, and a woman trying to keep the peace in her family while dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

Whenever I post about story collections I do hear from many people that have never read any or aren’t fans. This collection is definitely one of the examples of why I love short stories.

Book Review: "The Checklist" by Addie Woolridge

If you plan everything meticulously, nothing falls apart, right? That's what Dylan, the main character of Addie Woolridge's The Checklist, would like to believe.

Even though she saved a major account, Dylan gets banished to her hometown of Seattle. She’ll have to work with an eccentric tech CEO who keeps alienating his employees and making the company look foolish in the media. He, of course, doesn’t think he needs help, but if Dylan doesn’t succeed, she’ll lose her job for sure.

Worse than that, she has to stay with her family for a few months. Her parents are both bohemian artists who don’t understand their management consultant daughter. They want her to help solve the latest round in their years-long squabble with their next-door neighbors.

As Dylan tries to deal with a stubborn client, a micro-managing boss, demanding parents, and a boyfriend she’s realizing she doesn’t like very much, she’s also striking up a friendship with the sexy, smart son of her parents’ neighbors.

But even with all the meticulous planning and checklists she can create, and the best of intentions, Dylan gets in way over her head—with everything—and might lose it all. Now she needs a plan to fix a lot of things, but it may be harder than she thought.

The Checklist was a cute story—I thought it was more of a rom-com but it’s just fun fiction with a little romance thrown in. There are definitely some wacky characters and situations here, and I laughed out loud a few times. It’s always great to see that no matter how bad you may think your life can get, characters in fiction have it worse!

BookSparks, Montlake, and Addie Woolridge provided me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review, as part of #SRC2021. Thanks for making it available!

Book Review: "The Ghosts We Keep" by Mason Deaver

For a poignant look at grief and moving on, and learning how easy it is to miss things that are right in front of us, pick up Mason Deaver's newest YA novel, The Ghosts We Keep.

The unthinkable happens for Liam when their older brother Ethan is killed in an accident. Like any pair of high school-aged brothers, their relationship had its ups and downs, with Liam often feeling as if their parents loved Ethan more because he was athletic and had a girlfriend, while Liam is non-binary and more into music.

With Liam and their parents each trying to deal with their grief in the best way they can, Liam is struggling. They feel like a third wheel because their two best friends, Joel and Vanessa, are dating now, so Liam keeps pushing them away even though they try to see if they can help. Liam is finding it harder and harder to concentrate in school and be understanding of what their parents are going through, and they feel their mental health deteriorating.

Liam seeks out the only other person they think might understand—Marcus, who had been Ethan’s best friend since childhood. While Marcus and Liam are grieving differently, each are dealing with the loss of someone important to them and neither knows how to communicate the gravity of that loss. But little by little, Liam begins to understand that there was so much Ethan was keeping secret, so much that Liam wish they knew.

The Ghosts We Keep really was such a beautiful, emotional story on so many levels. Nothing that happened was surprising but I love the way Deaver lets the story unfold. (I loved their first book, I Wish You All the Best, and they’ve said this was a more personal book for them.)

The loss of someone we love can be devastating, especially when it happens suddenly. This book looks at grief from many different angles and shows that there’s no perfect way to grieve, but it’s easier when you let someone in.

Storygram Tours and I Read YA provided me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!

Book Review: "The Charm Offensive" by Alison Cochrun

If you've ever wondered how dating shows like The Bachelor could be different (and better), check out Alison Cochrun's upcoming rom-com, The Charm Offensive. If only dating shows could be like this!

I couldn’t have loved this book more if I tried.

Dev believes in true love and fairytale romance. As a producer of Ever After, a popular reality dating show, he’s helped engineer some happy endings—it doesn’t matter that not all of them last (or they’re not all genuine). And even though his six-year relationship with fellow producer Ryan recently ended, he still is looking forward to another season of the show.

He’s got his work cut out for him this season, though. The new bachelor, Charlie, is a gorgeous former cologne model and tech mogul who (very) reluctantly agrees to go on the show in the hopes of resurrecting his tech career. The thing is, for someone who looks as suave and commanding as Charlie, he couldn’t be more awkward—in everything he does.

But Dev quickly learns it’s not disdain or ego that causes Charlie to act this way, it’s severe social anxiety, among other issues. As he tries to help Charlie loosen up and try to become more comfortable with being around people and interacting with the contestants, they realize they have more in common than they think.

Dev is determined that Charlie will find love and propose to one of the contestants by the end of the season. But why do the “practice dates” that they have been going on seem more intense than Charlie’s dates with the women? And amidst all of the chaos Charlie is experiencing, why is Dev the one whom he looks forward to seeing?

I was expecting a sweet gay love story—and boy, was this great—but I wasn’t expecting the deeper conversations about mental health, sexual identity, and self-esteem. I cried like a baby and smiled like a lunatic. The Charm Offensive was just amazing.

NetGalley and Atria Books provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

The Charm Offensive publishes 9/7!