Tag: friends

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#BookReview: We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda

Don’t Like Collegiate Greek Life? This Book Is Likely A Large Example Of Why. Ok, so I gotta admit, Greeks were never that big at my commuter school that had just earned University status less than a decade before I first started classes and which had been a literal corn field when my parents were born. Don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely proud to be a Kennesaw State Owl, and the school has come a LONG way in its short existence – but we also don’t have the hundreds of years of collegiate greek life that schools like the University of Georgia or the University of Alabama or Auburn University or Ole Miss have (not to mention those damn Yankee schools). For me, as someone who rose even to President of KSU’s chapter of a collegiate honor society and thus had a cube right by all the Greek groups that we did have in the student center… well, this book confirms the worst things I’d ever thought about them.

Thus, those who have a more positive picture of collegiate greek life… well… you’re probably not going to like this particular book.

Rouda is typical Rouda here, with all kinds of drama in yet another locked-in environment and all kinds of secrets that are going to come out over the course of this weekend. It just so happens that the connection between the primary characters is that decades ago, they were all sorority sisters and had one particularly fateful Senior Spring Break trip that has reverberated throughout the rest of their lives…

Short, with tons of drama and a pace that will keep you reading quite late indeed, this is great for those looking for an end of the year “I need to squeeze in one more book!” type read – or for those looking for a fun, quick read any time of year… maybe even during Spring Break? With your Greek brothers and sisters? 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph

Bleeding Edge Thriller May Not Be For The Younger Side Of YA. This is one of those tales that will be utterly terrifying for many in just how real it is, at least in its basic “Yes, AI can do this now” premise. And on that side, it absolutely works quite well without going into the “AI is evil” camp, which is quite refreshing to see an author hold off on going off that particular cliff. AI is a tool, same as any other, and thus can be used for both good and evil – it is the mind and the intent of the human wielding the tool that is actually good or evil, not the tool itself, and it was genuinely awesome to see an author take pretty much that exact position here and even use it quite well in a horror setting.

What makes this tale perhaps not suitable for the younger YA readers is that there are absolutely enough F-bombs in this short 250 ish page text to garner it an R rating, even without the body count and grisly descriptions of most of the murders at hand. Is it puritanical to care more about language than vividly described gory murders? Perhaps, but in this case you’re also reading review being written by a fan of Mortal Kombat since it first came out, and while I’m no fan of hyper gory horror ala Saw, this one had a just enough to be gruesome in some scenes without going heavy handed slasher. Far more Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer than Saw or Texas Chainsaw Massacre… and with enough self awareness to actually have its characters talk about being in a horror “movie”.

Overall this was a solid high school level horror tale that makes great use of its overall setting to tell a tale that is both ancient and exceedingly modern.

Very much recommended.

This review of Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph was originally written on December 23, 2025.

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#BookReview: Too Close To Home by Seraphina Nova Glass

Solid Summer Escapism. You know those summer movies where you just want to be entertained, so you turn your brain off a bit and just go for the ride?

Do that here, and you’re going to have a *blast*. (Literally, in the case of this tale, as it opens with a car bomb in a small lake town.)

Featuring a small yet interwoven cast and a multi-POV storytelling mechanic, this is one of those tales that uses everything it has to craft a tale that will worm its way into your brain as you’re reading it and won’t let you go… but also isn’t going to be the most memorable book out there once you dive into the next escapist book. The twists and turns and action are all solid, don’t get me wrong. They’re just also a bit plain. Which isn’t a bad thing – plain and expected is *great* for escapist fiction. Again, you don’t *want* your brain working too hard with this particular type of tale.

Overall a fun lake escape with a few thrills and chills, some great vibes, and a few solid enough hooks to keep you reading even as this may be a touch long for some readers (north of 350 pages). Still, stick with it and you will absolutely be rewarded here.

Very much recommended.

This review of Too Close To Home by Seraphina Nova Glass was originally written on December 18, 2025.

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#BookReview: The Swamps by Seraphina Nova Glass

Short Xennial Scooby-Doo Type Tale. This is one of those books that is great for an early-year release (and end of January certainly qualifies, in my mind), because it is a 200 page very quick read. Easy win to get moving on your reading goals for the year, even if those goals measure in the single digits or low double digits.

It is also a very fun tale squarely aimed at Xennials (those of us born between 1977 ish and 1984 ish) now solidly in their 40s who grew up with several great renditions of Scooby-Doo cartoons, as this is very much effectively an adult version of a Scooby-Doo mystery. Minus the van and the dog, and adding a bit more of a Scream/ I Know What You Did Last Summer vibe. Again, pretty *squarely* targeting a specific population… but this is also a fun enough book that more general audiences will likely enjoy it nearly as much, *perhaps* even more.

Now, there *is* a scene or two of jalapeno or so spiciness, so those that prefer their tales no more spicy than a warm glass of milk… you do you. That scene is only just the one scene really, and actually adds far more depth to the story overall than similar scenes in romance novels, so I thought it actually worked rather well in this particular tale.

Overall just some fun “turn your brain off and enjoy the ride” (oh, wait. maybe a little *too* meta there in the review, considering the last paragraph 😉 ) type of tale that again, is a very quick read great for jumpstarting whatever annual reading goals you may have for yourself – if you have any at all. Or maybe you just need some pure escapism generally. This tale will work perfectly in that regard too.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Swamps by Seraphina Nova Glass was originally written on December 14, 2025.

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#BookReview: With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee

Strong Tale Of The Travails Of Friendship After College. This is one of those tales where, as someone in his 40s who graduated college 20 yrs ago this year himself and who has maintained at least a couple of friendships since that era, I get it. Now, my friends and I were nowhere near as complicated as these ladies. There were no secret houses or anything remotely like that at our then-commuter school that was just on the cusp of creating its first actual dorms as I was graduating. Our football team was “still undefeated”… because it didn’t exist yet. And yet, as I type this review just a couple of weeks before Selection Sunday 2025, there is a chance that that very same football team goes to a bowl for the first time in school history this year! (Go Kennesaw State Owls!)

Even so the book, for me, evokes the fireside scene in the 2017 Power Rangers movie (and particularly the soundtrack playing in that scene) and even elements of the John Knowles classic A Separate Peace or the more obscure One Bullet Away by Nathaniel Fick. Those beautifully tragic moments when you realize that all that you thought you knew, you never really had a clue, and yet there is still that essence there that is exactly what you always knew, that essence that drew you to these people to begin with, that was truly the foundation of your friendship.

Now, there is a lot going on in this book, and yes, there are elements of both ‘literary fiction’ and thriller that make for an interesting merger, but I actually thought Lee did a solid job with said merger. The tale gets chaotic at times, even though told from a single perspective… but I almost think that was the very intent. Lee *needed* the reader to *feel* the chaos around these characters in these situations, and this was the best vehicle to really bring that out.

Overall, this is truly a book that won’t work for everyone. I suspect Lee knows that, or at least I hope she does. But for those it works for, I think it has the potential to *really* work for. Will it be remembered and studied ala A Separate Peace? Unlikely. Is it an enjoyable short ish (sub 250 page) book that can be a fun yet cathartic diversion during the cold winter months? Absolutely.

Very much recommended.

This review of With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee was originally written on November 19, 2025.

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#BookReview: The New Year’s Party by Jenna Satterthwaite

No Angels. No Demons. Only Humans. This is one of those tales that has a lot going against it – multiple perspectives, pretty well everyone is “unlikeable” at best, etc. And yet… that is the very *strength* of this particular tale.

I for one enjoy and even embrace tales where humanity is shown in all of its highs – and lows. Where people are shown to be exactly what they are – flawed creatures simply trying to live their lives the best they can. Where no matter how angelic someone appears, there is clearly a demon hiding just under the surface, and no matter how demonic a person appears, there is an angel hiding in there somewhere. (Eh, maybe a fallen angel, but still an angel. 😉 )

That Satterthwaite uses a fairly standard-ish overall plot of high school friends reuniting after several years apart to tell this particular story actually works well to establish expectations… which makes it even better when she actively subverts these very expectations at nearly every turn.

Fans of the particular story type and overall genre will have enough here to sink their teeth into and enjoy, while those like me who enjoy having something “more” will find a fair amount of that here as well.

Indeed, looking back to my review of Satterthwaite’s 2024 debut, Made For You, it seems here that Satterthwaite leaned into the better parts of her storytelling in that tale, threw out the bits that didn’t work so well, and used the remaining time to really tighten up what worked so well there and really do it even better here. Thus, showing strong progression as a storyteller that indeed makes me want to come back for book 3 to see what she has in store for us next, and if she can continue to improve her storytelling and potentially evolve it even further.

Very much recommended.

This review of The New Year’s Party by Jenna Satterthwaite was originally written on November 17, 2025.

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#BookReview: Big Nick Energy by Kristen Bailey

Christmas Love Angle. Let me be crystal clear as someone more trained in mathematics than most who happens to work in a field that is technically a sub-discipline of mathematics: For three (or more, really) straight people, there can never be a true love triangle. There can only be a love *angle*. A triangle, by definition, has three sides and three intersecting points. For a romantic love triangle to exist, at least one person involved must be romantically attracted to both of the other two – even if unrequited. With three straight people, no matter the combination of either gender, it will thus never happen. Thus, this book is about a love *angle*, not a love “triangle”, as all of our central characters here are straight.

Now, possible (likely) pedantry aside, this was still a fun Kristen Bailey Christmas book. A bit spicier than a Sarah Morgan Christmas book, with far more sexual innuendo (but you knew that from the title, or should have :D), with quite a bit more comedy, and really at least as much heart to it as Morgan’s annual tales.

Now Jeff, why do you bring up another author in this review? Well, because in both cases they’re both United Kingdom based, with tales primarily based on that side of the “pond” and are fairly consistent in releasing a Christmas book every year, generally within a few weeks of each other. Meaning I tend to read them pretty close and indeed read this one barely ten days after reading Morgan’s latest, so it is fresh on my mind. 🙂

Overall this book hit about as expected – meaning I had a great time and think most readers will too, but if you’re one that doesn’t like cussing or jalapeno (at least) level spice (to be clear, this is nowhere near ghost level, even habanero is debatable, which is why I went with jalapeno)… maybe stick with Morgan’s books. But hey, if you *prefer* the occasional fuck – both in word and in deed – Bailey is going to be right up your alley bringing her version of… well, Big *Nick* Energy. 😀 (Ok, it had to be done once I realized I was kinda walking myself into that one. :D)

I would say that long time fans of Bailey will enjoy this one, and also that if you’re new to Bailey, this is a fun book that is fairly typical of her overall style, even as she writes a few books every year – not just her annual Christmas book. As someone who has been reading her stuff for a few years now, I can honestly say that they’re all fun and if you enjoy this one and are new to Bailey, you’re going to have a fun time reading through her back catalog.

As always, read the book for yourself and let us know what you think by leaving your own review wherever you see this one. Even if you think I’m completely wrong in my thoughts on this book, feel free to call me out in your review if you think I need it. Overall, more reviews reach more readers and help sell more books, so please, help both me and you and help Bailey continue to be able to write more books for us. 🙂

Very much recommended.

This review of Big Nick Energy by Kristen Bailey was originally written on October 21, 2025.

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#BookReview: Love By Design by Maddie Evans

Atypical Romance Offers Solid Trilogy Conclusion. This is a very atypical romance that some could potentially see as problematic… and others could possibly very easily feel all too seen in. And that all centers on our FMC here.

In the characterization of her rigidity of habit and how completely clueless she is socially, Evans here presents one version of a condition not named in the description, so it would be a spoiler to reveal here. To this writer, living in the real world with the same condition, the characterization here is perhaps a touch stereotypical… and yet while my own life and romances therein have been *wildly* different than portrayed here… I’m also aware enough of others living with this to know that there are indeed very likely some, perhaps many, who will feel quite seen in this characterization and indeed perhaps find hope that they too can find a love as portrayed herein.

Other irritations – and truly, these are *simply* irritations that your mileage will absolutely vary on – are that the author for some reason or another seems to have written “Disney” and then hit Replace All on the manuscript with a fictional name – that is how blatant the descriptions of the company are to real life, yet with the fictional name for the company. There are a few different reasons I can think of even off the top of my head that an author may choose to do this, but it was an irritant every time I encountered it and it did take away from the story a touch… which is unfortunate, given how critical it is at one point.

The other irritant is far more minor in its presentation… and yet it is also one I know many readers will want to be aware of, as it can be a deal breaker for some: without *actually* diving into spoiler territory, let’s just say there is a certain surprise in the epilogue that at least was hinted at briefly in the earlier text that it could potentially be a possibility in this exact situation, so at least it wasn’t a situation of the book before that moment either never mentioning this at all or even outright saying this wasn’t wanted at all.

To be clear though, this really was a solid romance of a very atypical form, between someone who thought he was going to be a priest and thus never have a romantic relationship and someone for whom relationships had always been rather difficult. Indeed, it is these exact two characterizations coming together that actually make this story as strong as it is, as it offers hope to so very many who perhaps are in similar boats of being on the verge of hopelessness for their own potential romances.

Another thing that was done quite well here is the integration of many elements of the Catholic faith, perhaps obvious with a potential priest as the MMC and with the author being so openly Catholic herself. Still, this is one element where at least some readers will want to be aware of up front and can make your own decision to thus read this book or not based on your own thoughts on the Catholic Church. Once again, I’m simply asking you, now that you’ve read this far into my own review, to simply leave this book be if you’re going to give it one star just because it features Catholicism and shows it so favorably or, more actually, normally.

The non-romance drama with the Brighthead Crafters is done very well once again, and this is where the trilogy conclusion comes to bear with both humor and heart, as is to typical of Evans.

Ultimately this really is a quite strong, if also very atypical, romance and a solid conclusion to this trilogy. So pick all three books up, read them, and leave a review for each wherever you find this review. Let us all know what you think – even if you think I’m a complete moron in my thoughts about these books, feel free to tag me anywhere and let me know! I’m just excited that you’re actually reading them, no matter what you think of them. 🙂

Very much recommended.

This review of Love By Design by Maddie Evans was originally written on October 10, 2025.

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#BookReview: Our Perfect Family by Nicola Marsh

Lots Of Moving Parts Combine For One Explosive Thriller. This is one of those books where you know from Page 1 that little is going to actually be as it seems… and yet Marsh is going to keep you guessing and keep the reveals coming all the way until almost literally the very last words of this just-shy-of-300 page tale.

This is one where pretty well every character has some dark secret they are trying to protect, which is where most of the tension throughout the text comes to bear. Everyone thinks they know everyone and everyone thinks this is a titular “perfect family”, except we know as readers that this is far from what is actually going on.

This does all happen in Australia, and apparently the narrators thus use Australian accents in their reading. I actually explicitly chose an Australian voice on my Text To Speech reader for this book because of the setting and Marsh herself being Australian, and it absolutely worked well for me.

There is also quite a bit of teen/ new adult drama to be had here, including one scene in particular that while some may find distasteful also is and has been far too common. Marsh actually plays the scene well both in what she chooses to actively show – and not – and in how she shows its impact throughout our “perfect” family, which drives a large portion of the narrative here.

Overall truly a fun, twisty family suspense/ thriller with oh so much going on on so many different levels, this really is a great end of summer/ start of the new school year read, and is thus fairly well positioned for its print release on the day after US Labor Day, when even Yankee schools start back. Southern US schools have generally been back for at least a few weeks already by this point, and indeed all of my nephew and nieces started school nearly a full month before the Kindle edition release of this book.)

Very much recommended.

This review of Our Perfect Family by Nicola Marsh was originally written on August 25, 2025.

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#BlogTour: All The Ways You Save Me by Melissa Wiesner

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a strong, emotional romance that packs quite a punch. For this blog tour, we’re looking at All The Ways You Save Me by Melissa Wiesner.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / Goodreads.com / TheStoryGraph) and YouTube:

Strong Tale Packs A Punch – And Leaves Enough Left For An Exciting Followup. This is one of those books that packs *such* an emotional weight that I think the best comparison I can make goes back nearly a decade now – to Laurie Breton’s Coming Home, which I read circa 2017 or so and was the first book I ever used the term “tour de force” to describe.

This one doesn’t hit *quite* as hard as that one, but it’ll still land a few haymakers. Maybe Mike Tyson vs George Foreman when both were in their primes. In other words, “mere mortal”, prepare for an emotional beatdown with this book… in the best possible ways.

Seriously, this has “summer romance that can go so much further” written *all* over it, and thus its release window – just before Labor Day in the US, after at least some kids (including my nieces and nephew) have started back to school already but right there as college Fall Semester is starting up and summer is coming to a close – is damn near perfect for exactly this story. Even now literally 20 yrs post college and having been married for the vast majority of that time (18 yrs this Fall vs graduating 20 yrs ago this past May), I don’t know, for some reason this season of the year just evokes those kinds of emotions for me, and always has.

There isn’t really any comedy here, so the levity is more in the fact that we’re not in the middle of an emotional scene and are thus riding the swell to the next one (ha! a surfing metaphor, in a book that *does* include some surfing!). And yet the book works perfectly well *because* of this, rather than in spite of the lack of comedy. Not all tales need to be romcoms, and this one in particular is well served by keeping the comedy out. It allows the emotions to have the heft and also the breathing room they need to really work well.

Some may argue that in at least one somewhere between jalapeno and habanero scene that “they’re only 17!!!!”. A valid point, in that exact scene. But it also reflects *reality* going back essentially as long as humanity itself, and that scene helps give the overall tale the weight it needs for what happens later in the timeline. (I don’t remember where this exact scene is in the actual storytelling.) If you’re going to 1 or 2 star this book over that scene, it really says more about you than Wiesner, her storytelling abilities, or this tale in particular, and now that I’ve told you the scene is there, it really is on you, the reader of my review, to just avoid this book if that truly is a dealbreaker for you. I’ll tell you right now you’re depriving yourself of one of the more emotional romance tales I’ve read in my life – maybe even beating out Nicholas Sparks on the emotional side – but that is completely on you, and you do what you need to do. Just don’t be unfair to this book when I specifically made you aware of the existence of this issue here. 😀

Overall, again, truly one of the more emotional and thus stronger overall romances I’ve read in quite some time, and even though it leaves a few threads unanswered, it does so in ways that make it clear that they will be explored in Book 2… which I am very excited to get in my hands ASAP. Per Wiesner herself on social media gearing up for the release of this book, that one is titled All The Ways You Break Me and releases in February 2026 – roughly six months from now. I tell you now that unless Bookouture (the publisher) or Wiesner prevent me from doing so, I will be reviewing that book and on its blog tour as well. I *wish* it were already in my hands. And you’re very likely going to say that last sentence yourself if you read this book near release date, as hopefully you see this review in time to do. 🙂

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: All The Ways You Save Me by Melissa Wiesner”