Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale

 

Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale

By: Chris Grabenstein

Genre: Young Readers

Summary:

The famous Mr. Lemoncello has decided to make plans for handing over the reigns of his vast empire. And in true Lemoncello fashion, the only way to find the successor is through a contest. The winner will be the one who will take over for Lemoncello. Let the games (and silliness) begin!!

Since his was 13 years old, Mr. Luigi Lemoncello has made his fortune in the games business. However, it grew to libraries, factories, a soon-to-be amusement park- just to name a few. But the day has come when he's decided to pass the baton. So, he holds a contest. 13 kids can get a Titanium Ticket. Of those 13, one will be the winner of it all! However, the contest isn't without it's bumps along the way.

Fans of the series will get a chance to visit with the beloved characters they've come to know (Kyle). They'll also get an unpleasant visit from the series least likeable character (We're looking at you, Charles). Not to mention get to meet some new kids to add to the mix. 

Our 13 Titanium Ticket holders partake in scavenger hunts, brainstorming game ideas, challenges & math riddles. All the while, whittling the number down as they move through the contest. The stakes all change when they get the yet to be open to the public amusement park, Lemoncelloland. As each kiddo is given an individualized mission, they navigate the different lands and rides. All to be met with news that brings the contest to a screeching halt. Said news forces the remaining players to shift their focus.

Readers of this beloved and fun series will enjoy it's finale. It was entertaining to see each character reveal their true selves through the different games of the contest. Some players you were happy to see go, while others chose to live out their dreams in other areas. The teamwork you have come to love in the previous series installments is in this one, as well. Charles Chiltington is still up to his usual tricks- just as he's been throughout the series. But seeing the way they play out in this book was fun.

I loved meeting most of the new characters. There were some I wasn't sad to see not make it. As the characters navigate the challenges, you could really see who was a good fit and held the same spirit that Mr. Lemoncello himself had. 

The ending wasn't all that unexpected for me, but it was still great. I felt it was the right call and spoke of Lemoncello's vision for his company, but his loyal customers. I'm sad to see the series end. It's always been one of my favorites just for how fun and creative they are. However, I look forward to seeing what Chris Grabenstein comes up with next. 

Dinner For Vampires

 

Dinner For Vampires

By: Bethany Joy Lenz

Genre: Memoir

Summary:

Once bitten by the acting bug, Bethany Joy Lenz chased her dream from New York to California. What she didn't plan on was falling into a Christian cult. Not to mention being the last one to realize she had. Within these pages, she tells how it all unfolded. She peels back the layers she didn't always know existed to show you what her life looked like before, during and getting out of the controlling hands of people she once trusted. 

From a young age, Bethany discovered her love for the arts. Whether it be acting or singing, these creative endeavors were her passion and escape. At 18, she formed a band while in New York. At 19, she moved to LA to pursue her love of acting. The two locations turned out to be more different than she anticipated. Life in New York seemed effortless and like home. Whereas, life in LA was isolating and made her feel as if she didn't belong. Friends were plentiful in one, but scarce in the other. 

Cue a group of people meeting at a house for a Bible Study. What started out innocently morphed into something everyone around her questioned. This group that studied the Bible together became a close knit group who supported one another. As time moved on, this tight group became to feel more like a family. The leaders taking on a more hands-on and controlling nature. While real family members of the group noticed a dark intention, the group themselves felt loved. However, that love grew more and more controlling, manipulative and sinister. As years rolled by, Bethany's feelings exchanged comfort for distrust. By the time the light finally shown on her situation, Bethany had a daughter. How was she going to get them out of this group's control? How was she going to protect her daughter from people Bethany now wanted nothing to do with?

There were numerus parts of this book that were hard for me to read. Seeing how subtle the leaders of this group gained control of it's members was disturbing. Seeing how manipulative they became of their members in order to continue their control was infuriating. What began as gentle emotional support grew into mind control. The leaders were able to so seamlessly gain autonomy over every aspect of the members. The leaders control their thoughts, decisions and jobs. All while the members never even thinking twice. Reading all of this was scary enough. Seeing it play out in Bethany's life was gut wrenching.

In Dinner For Vampires, Bethany tells you how they talked her out of making her Broadway dreams come true. How this group was instrumental in her job on One Tree Hill. She'll tell you how they would manipulate themselves back into front and center of her life whenever she began to drift away. How they preyed on her every vulnerability- even in the romance department. She would eventually marry the son of a leader and quickly realize the mistake it was. Bethany will tell you how huge that very mistake would go on to be. 

As you read her story, you will journey all over the emotional map. I felt anger at everyone for allowing this to happen. My heart broke when she would lose out on a dream they talked her out of. I was in shock when she discovered how much money they had taken from her. I was cheering her father on when he showed up locked and loaded with years of intel he had been doing into the main leader. By the time I read the last word, I was emotionally exhausted and I hadn't been the one to live it out. 

I applaud Bethany Joy Lenz for being willing to share her story. For being willing to share how she allowed people into her life who would eventually take it over. I would like to thank her for being so raw with this nightmare- I know there are other people out there walking a similar path. It wasn't an easy read so I know it wasn't easy to write. I'm glad she was able to claw her way out. I'm glad there were people ready and waiting to help her in any way they could- some were former members. 

I Want to Trust You, but I Don't

 

I Want to Trust You, but I Don't

By: Lysa Terkeurst

Genre: Christian Living

Summary:
You have been hurt or betrayed someone you never thought would do that. You've been devastated by the last person you expected to be. Now what? How do you process all the feelings you, and will, feel? How do you move forward? How do you repair the damage done to you in a healthy way? How do you trust again when your trust has been shattered? Lysa not only walks you through her own journey with these very questions, but she passes what she learned onto you. 

Most of us have been betrayed in our life. Some of us have been betrayed by the very person, or people, who continuously declared their unwavering loyalty. And, still, some of us have been betrayed by a loved one, forgiven them and given them a second chance only to be betrayed by them again. Whatever form betrayal took in our lives, it's often incredibly difficult to recover from. Betrayal is a special kind of weapon that leaves scars and wounds that run far deeper than we may realize. If any of this rings true to you, know that you aren't alone. 

Lysa has been betrayed by her husband, not once but twice. On top of that, she lost several close people in her life around the same time. So, I think it's fair to say, Lysa knows what she's talking about in regards to the subject. Within these pages, she walks you through her own journey of processing, healing and moving forward. She's honest- her flaws, bumps and bruises. She shares with you some of the wisdom she learned through her devasting journey. 

As I read this book, I related to a lot of things she wrote. I saw a lot of things I had to learn. She gets honest about relationships (any form of them) be founded in trust. She addresses those pesky read flags we all hope are flying by mistake, rather than the indicators they really are. Each chapter was full of nuggets that I needed to hear or be reminded of. 

The book covers numerous hard hitting aspects of betrayal. Read flags, why God allowed the betrayal to happen and how do you recover and move on if your betrayer gets away with it. Also, why do we stay or have a hard time leaving a relationship we know isn't healthy for us? I can't tell you how wide reaching the chapters are. I wasn't expecting them to be so targeted and full of validity.

I Want to Trust You, but I Don't is a great tool to pick up when you're ready to pick up the pieces and heal. It helps you make sense of things and feelings. It validates your feelings, but helps you process and express them in a healthy way. It was a great resource for me. I hope you find it the same for you.

Scandalous Women

 

Scandalous Women

By: Gill Paul

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:

1966, NYC: Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls hits the bookstores and she is desperate for a bestseller. It’s steamy, it’s a page-turner, but will it make the big money she needs? In London, Jackie Collins’s racy The World Is Full of Married Men launches her career. But neither author is prepared for the price they will pay for being women who dare to write about sex.

Jacqueline and Jackie are lambasted by the literary establishment, deluged with hate mail, and even condemned by feminists. In public, both women shoulder the outcry with dignity; in private, they are crumbling—particularly since they have secrets they don’t want splashed across the front pages.

1965, NYC: College graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a Manhattan publishing house, but she could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she will encounter. While working on Valley of the Dolls, she becomes friends with Jacqueline Susann, and, after reaching out to Jackie Collins about a US deal, she is responsible for the two authors meeting.

Will the two Jackies clash as they race to top the charts? Will Nancy achieve her ambition of becoming an editor, despite all the men determined to hold her back? Three women struggle to succeed in a man’s world, while desperately trying to protect those they love the most. ----bn.com

Scandalous Women takes you behind the scenes of the publishing world for women in the 1960s. What would be called sexual assault and sexual harassment today, was openly allowed and tolerated then. It was a male dominated world in that time, but three women were ready to take it on and turn it on it's ears. I was shocked to read what was allowed by male coworkers, but not surprised. As I read the story, I felt that women weren't really wanted and especially not if they were going to change how women were seen. 

Both Jacqueline and Jackie were groundbreakers of their time. No one had written books so honestly from the women's perspective. And definitely not in a sexual way. These two women broke barriers and gave women a voice they never knew they could have. Whether you agreed with their subject matter, or not, they were speaking up for women when no one else dared to. I loved it. 

Adding Nancy to the mix was a perfect addition. She arrives in New York City with the dream of being a publisher. Knowing she'd have to work her way to that role wasn't a problem. The problem was the male dominated field that wouldn't allow her to. Never mind that she knew her stuff. Never mind that she was able to find authors the people wanted to read. Never mind that she had all the qualifications her male counterparts had. They were allowed to cop all the feels they wanted while they trashed authors. She had to grin and bear it. Until she decides she no longer wants to. In time, Nancy's dream changes. Not only changes, but takes shape- and then takes off. 

I loved watching the friendship between Jackie and Jacqueline form. I was expecting a rivalry, but what I got was an endearing friendship that grew stronger as the time passed. They supported each other and understood each other like no one else could, because they knew what the other was going through. The way Jackie helped Jacqueline when she needed it was gripping to read. These two strangers became kindred spirits who where the shoulders the other needed to lean on. I was just saddened it couldn't last longer. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a few tears fall as I finished the book.

I will say the first half of the book is better than the second half. If you're looking for a fast paced story, you won't find it here. It took almost halfway through the book for the two ladies to just briefly meet. It's a little over half way into the story before Jackie's book comes out. You're expecting a rivalry, but you get an amazing friendship form instead. It's not until more than halfway in that you start to see the tow authors interact. But, once you do, you enjoy what you're in for.  

The Summer of Yes

The Summer of Yes

By" Courtney Walsh

Genre: General Fiction

Summary:

Having been hit by a car not only leaves Kelsey with a 2 day stay in a hospital, but a driving need to reevaluate her life. She now has the time to look at her life and see how it's not what she wants it to be. Turns out, she's been saying "no" far more than she's been saying "yes". It doesn't take her long to decide that has to change. And what does any woman in her 20s need when turning her summer into one of saying, "yes"? Why an older- rather cranky- sidekick, of course. Georgina Tate has lived out more of her years than she has left, and secretly, with many regrets. So the least likely pair have a summer that changes their lives- but for good or bad?

The concept of this book was one that grabbed me from the start. It didn't sound like much of what I've read prior, so I couldn't wait to see how the story played out. For the most part, I enjoyed it. It was fun. heartwarming, challenging. It was fun to read how Kelsey dipped her toes into the world of "yes". 

The book's standout character, for me, was Georgina Tate. A highly successful business woman who did what few others did in her day, has much to be proud of. But even more to be regretful of. She's well aware that her success came at the price of decisions that broke more than one heart. So, as Georgina is now facing the biggest challenge of her life, she's got much to look back on and wish she had done differently. She also sees a lot of herself in the random stranger's hospital room she was placed in. In the little time they share together, a connection is made. Though Georgina is loathe to admit it. 

Kelsey approaches Georgina with an insane idea of taking the upcoming summer to say yes to things they once said no to. While these things are different for each of the women, both are highly impacted by the results. Where Georgina thought things were beyond repair for her, she's able to see that all isn't lost. If she can get out of her own way. 

I'll admit, while Georgina's storyline was far more impactful and emotional, she wasn't an easy character to like. She read to me very much like Queen Charlotte from Bridgerton. She was a grouchy, stubborn, almost egotistical character. But she's also the character with the most growth. The Georgina you start the book with is not the same one you finish the book with. 

The Summer of Yes was a fun read. It was a great combination of light, hearty and fun. It was fun and inspiring to see both characters face fears- big and small. I could easily see this being a beach or vacation read. The banter between Georgina and Kelsey was fun to watch unfold throughout the book. 

IF you're looking for a summer read, I encourage you to consider The Summer of Yes. I encourage you to this book at some point. Maybe you'll be inspired to have your own season of saying yes to what you normally say no to. 

 

Olive You to Death

 

Olive You to Death

By: Lynn Cahoon

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Summary:

Mysteries have washed ashore in South. Town grump, Josh, announces his engagement just before his newly betrothed disappears. One of Jill's old History Professors was working with Josh on locating treasure said to have been hidden near South Cove. However, said Professor is soon found murdered. Can the two events be connected? 

Welcome to book 16 in the Tourist Trap Mystery series. I always look forward to whatever adventures Lynn Cahoon takes us on and I thoroughly enjoyed this latest one. This book was so fun to read. So, if you're looking for a vacation read, let's see if this one fits for you.

If you've been a reader of the series for any length of time, you know there isn't a lot of love amongst residents for local Josh. He owns the antique store, but is mostly known as the "town curmudgeon", as Lynn named him. However, Olive You to Death may just be the book where you begin to see him differently. This time around, Josh has fallen in love with Melody who has rubbed off on him in a positive way. She's managed to smooth many of his rougher edges. So, when she goes missing, he's devastated and determined to find out where she is. The questions start being asked: was her disappearance was a willing one or forced? Is she coming back? Jill helps search for answers.

As Jill and Josh do some digging, she learns Josh was working with one of her previous professors. Josh found an old journal that eludes to a treasure hidden near town. Professor Wellborn knew much about the notorious owner of the treasure that had been hidden, so he and Josh join forces to locate the hidden treasure. But, is there really a treasure to be found? And does it have anything to do with why the Professor was found murdered? Jill can add those questions to her growing list.

While trying to keep Josh out of Jill's lawman fiancé's hair, trying to get information on her professor's death, and locating a missing bride-to-be, Jill has her own wedding to plan. At the start of the book, all is going well, but it doesn't stay that way for long. Apparently, a technicality puts a hitch in she and Greg's wedding site. Can it be fixed? Or will she be adding finding a new wedding sire to list of things to do?

I loved this installment!! I loved the treasure storyline and the way it brings the past together with the present. The search for it, the story behind the man involved was a blast to read about. Seeing the softer side of Josh was an unexpected joy. I was routing for him from the get go. 

If you're looking for a quick, fun, lighthearted read to take to the beach or on a vacation, I highly suggest you pick this one up. 

Only the Brave

 

Only the Brave

By: Danielle Steel

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fiction

Summary:

In 1937, Sophia Alexander is adjusting to her new normal life. Her Mother has passed away, her Father is a workaholic with his own general surgeon practice. Sophie's younger sister, Theresa is a socialite in the making. But everything changes when World War II erupts. Everything they once had is now being threatened and each has to make their own way. Sophia has no clue what the future holds for her- or her family.

Life as Sophia knew ended when her mother died. The family unit she grew up with was forever changed. Her beloved father, a general surgeon with his own practice, spent more and more time at his office. Her younger sister, Theresa, gets married. And Theresa attends nursing school. Among all that, World War II erupts. It doesn't take long before the War seeps fear into their lives.

Her father is approached by the Reich for his assistance in carrying out one of their diabolical agendas. When he declines, he prays that's the end of it. However, it wasn't. Later on, he's approached again. When he declines a second time, he's arrested and sent to camp. Everything he built is destroyed.

Theresa's husband is discovered to be a quarter Jewish, which is enough to force them to flee for their lives. She's very pregnant and his parents aren't as lucky. The very people his family had partied with are the ones who declare them enemies. Sophia calls on a friend to help her get Theresa and her husband to safety. Will they make it? 

Sophia not only decides she's going to become a nun, but she begins attending underground meetings and helping Jewish children to safety. She's never caught, but suspicion builds and she becomes guilty be association. Sophia goes from living in the safety of a convent to the terror of Ravensbruck. It takes her brains and guts to survive within it's walls. It takes her bravery to leave it. 

I've always loved Danielle Steel's historical fiction books the best. And while this one wasn't my favorite, it was still a good one. There were times when I felt people kept pressuring her to not go through with what she wanted. Overall, the story was a good one. It isn't a long book, so it's perfect for a short jaunt into another time.