May 2-3 Releases

 It’s been a rough six weeks, but the yearbook is finally done and I’m back!

 

Red Cicada
By Gregg Luke
Publisher: Covenant Communications (May 1, 2022)
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1524418641
ISBN-13: 978-1524418649

Publisher’s Blurb:

Twenty-eight-year-old Lana Baker knows the signs: the intense flashes of light and building pressure in her head herald yet another migraine. But this time, the unavoidable pain lands her in the hospital, where her unusual past raises more questions than answers. Her medical history is a complete mystery. Stranger still, her battery of tests reveals a shocking secret: Lana has a metal disk embedded in her skull―but she has no idea how it got there. Even more disturbing is the fact that the disk is etched with words―in Russian.

 

Lieutenant Lance Kipling has been tracking down information on a former marine he believes may have had ties to Cold War biological weapons. So when that man’s daughter turns up in a hospital with a metal disk in her skull, it does not go unnoticed. But Lance has competition for the information stored in Lana’s head―dangerous individuals with Soviet ties. 

 

Together, Lance and Lana follow a trail of clues her father left, bits of information that reveal Lana’s past and paint a deadly picture of a weapon that has the potential to wreak havoc on the planet’s entire population.

 

My Thoughts:

This was a fun, lightweight suspense story. I found the premise interesting, and the twist at the end (make sure you catch it—think about when this book was written/published!) was a nice touch.

 

Lana was…okay. I found her frustrating at times. She decides to pretend she knows something about Red Cicada, only for her next line to be “I don’t know!” There were frequent instances of this, particularly in the first half of the book.

 

Likewise, I found the impetus for the romantic part of the plot to be weak. Yes, Lance is good looking and protective, but is that enough for her to fall in love with him? He sees Lana in difficult situations, and finds her brave and tenacious, but again…a basis for love? I’d like there to be more.

 

I enjoyed the backstory, the plot went along at a fairly good pace. It was just, overall, a bit thin. A quick and undemanding read.

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

Intrigue, kidnaping, violence. People (past and present) die. Perilous situations. A man and woman share a hotel room, but nothing happens.

 

Who Might Like This Book:

If you’re a fan of suspense, international plots, and a bit of romance, this book will probably interest you.

 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

 Engaging Emma
By Elle M. Adams
Publisher: Covenant Communications (May 2, 2022)
Paperback: 232 pages
ISBN-10: 1524414506
ISBN-13: 978-1524414504

Publisher’s Blurb:

As a successful doctor in Los Angeles, Tucker Madsen left his small-town roots behind long ago, trading his flannel shirts for a glossy lifestyle and a beautiful fiancée. But when his grandmother requests his help to sell the family farm, Tucker reluctantly returns to a place that holds more memories than he cares to admit. Normal, Missouri, was the site of the golden days of childhood―and the blush of first love. 

 Tucker fell in love with Emma McAllister at seventeen, but when youthful promises of forever ended in heartbreak, he and Emma both moved on. Or so they thought. When they are unexpectedly reunited at the Madsen family farm, both are unprepared for the rush of feelings that brings into question everything they thought they knew. They could never have imagined that now, years after they were torn apart, fate would offer them a second chance in the place where it all began. But when faced with the realities of the separate lives they’ve built, history seems doomed to repeat itself.

 My Thoughts:

Once again, we have a case of meddling parents breaking up a childhood romance. But the teenage lovers get a second chance…if they can get over the misunderstanding and their hurt feelings. Throw in a meddling grandmother and, naturally, things progress.

 Naturally, Tucker and Emma fight their attraction, thinking it just a remnant of their past. It won’t be a big spoiler if I tell you that they fight it unsuccessfully. They also get the opportunity to see each other as adults and have that solidify their teenage feelings.

 Side characters are fun, although Emma’s best friend is a bit overprotective. I feel like they all had enough of a personality to be more than wallpaper. Problems are solved fairly realistically.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Scheming parents. A few mild innuendos.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Fans of second-chance romances, small towns, and charming old ladies.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Games in a Ballroom
By Jentry Flint
Publisher: Shadow Mountain (May 3, 2022)
Paperback: 272 pages
ISBN-10: 1629729930
ISBN-13: 978-1629729930

Publisher’s Blurb:

London, 1815

Olivia Wilde has resigned herself to never finding a love match. Her father has insisted she marry a man with a title, but the men her father deems acceptable are either boring or are only interested in increasing their own diminishing coffers. With her future looking dismal, Olivia vows to enjoy the last few months of freedom with her childhood friends, including Emerson Latham. His devilish smile and flirtatious teasing stirs up feelings she knows she cannot entertain.

 Emerson is struggling to rise to his responsibilities after his father's death. Though he is still learning his place, one thing he knows for certain is that he wants Olivia Wilde to be his wife. Emerson had long ago fallen in love with her quick wit, beauty, and passionate heart. Yet, without a title, he will never be permitted to court Olivia openly. But he has a plan that may give him a chance to court her in secret.

 As the Season kicks off, Emerson proposes a playful game of tag. Olivia's friends are delighted by the idea, though Olivia is wary. After all, the game must be played in secret as they tag each other at dinners and balls. As the romance builds between Olivia and Emerson, so does the risk of being discovered. Not only are their reputations at stake, so is their safety if they are caught by Olivia's strict father.

 Can their love find a happily ever after before the game ends?

 My Thoughts:

While I found the device of playing games as they attend balls amusing, I was never really sure why Emerson was so determined to marry Olivia. They have known each other for years, since she is his sister’s best friend, but why is he in love with her? It’s never really made clear.

 Likewise, I’m not sure why Olivia is suddenly in love with Emerson. She definitely finds that he makes her stomach flutter and her heart go pitty-pat, but that’s attraction, not love.

 Olivia’s father is a caricature of a social climber—nouveau riche and determined to show everyone how wealthy he is. He is also a boor.

 I am more intrigued by Emerson’s friends—Bradbury appears to be a lightminded gambler without a serious bone in his body. But the silent, stoic Northcott has my interest. Lots of hints are dropped about him, but nothing concrete. I’m hoping he will get his own story.

 The resolution felt a bit rushed, though satisfactory.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Domestic violence. Drinking. Gambling. Pranks.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Fans of regency romances, friends-to-lovers tropes. Those who like “clean” romance.

 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

  

Ballad and Dagger
Outlaw Saints #1
By Daniel Jose Older
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents (May 3, 2022)
Hardcover: 384 pages
ISBN-10: 1368070825
ISBN-13: 978-1368070829
Reading age: 12 - 18 years
Grade level: 7 - 12

Publisher’s Blurb:

Almost sixteen years ago, Mateo Matisse's island homeland disappeared into the sea. Weary and hopeless, the survivors of San Madrigal's sinking escaped to New York.

While the rest of his tight-knit Brooklyn diaspora community dreams of someday finding a way back home, Mateo--now a high school junior and piano prodigy living with his two aunts (one who's alive, the other not so much)--is focused on one thing: getting the attention of locally-grown musical legend Gerval. Mateo finally gets his chance on the night of the Grand Fete, an annual party celebrating the blended culture of pirates, Cuban Santeros, and Sephardic Jews that created San Madrigal all those centuries ago.

But the evil that sank their island has finally caught up with them, and on the night of the celebration, Mateo's life is forever changed when he witnesses a brutal murder by a person he thought he knew.

Suddenly Mateo is thrust into an ancient battle that spans years and oceans. Deadly secrets are unraveled and Mateo awakens a power within himself--a power that not only links him to the killer but could also hold the key to unlocking the dark mystery behind his lost homeland.

 My Thoughts:

It’s tough to get a 5-star rating from me. But please, give this book all the stars. All of them.

 At 5% through, I was hooked. The narrative voice is fresh and real. The world and backstory are beautifully built.

 At 10% through, I emailed my school librarian and more-or-less demanded that she order it for our library. (She said yes.)

 I really, really love this book and can’t wait for its sequel to wrap up the story.

 Mateo frequently feels like an Espiritu, a ghost in his own community. He has lived outside it enough that he feels like he doesn’t quite fit. But he discovers early on in the story that he has a pivotal role to play—and it isn’t just as a musician, even though that’s his passion.

 This story deals with friendship, community, the roles of faith and science, and finding out just who you are and what you’re capable of.

 I enjoyed the community of San Madrigal, a mixture of santeros, pirates, and Sephardic Jews, and the commingling of all those beliefs.

 I love that the characters speak Spanglish, mixing Spanish and English, frequently in the same sentence, just as my students so frequently do. Older handles giving the non-Spanish speakers the gist of what’s said in Spanish deftly. (I speak mediocre Spanish, so it wasn’t a problem for me, but I was on the lookout for clunky translation—there wasn’t any.)

 Really, I can’t say enough good about this book. I just wish my life had been calmer so I could have gobbled it down in a day rather than spreading it through a week.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Violence—including murder. Spiritualism, magic, social conflict.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Please, please, even if YA fantasy isn’t your normal genre, give this a try. These are such marvelous characters, you really need to meet them. If you enjoy watching teens find out what they can do and who they are, read this book.

 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.