A Royal Pain Book Review

Title: A Royal Pain


Author: Rhys Bowen

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Series, Romance, Action/Adventure, 1930s, England, Royalty

Plot: Thirty-fourth in line for the throne might hold sway in Harrods department store but not in the areas where it counts. Georgiana is twenty-two and living on her in the family house in London and just barely getting by. She makes a half living by opening people's houses for them when they come to town but the season is ending. Furthermore, her family wants her to marry a prince she doesn't care for and she has fallen madly in love with a very unsuitable Catholic Irish boy.

As if all of that wasn't enough on her plate already, the Queen decides that Georgiana is the perfect person to play host to a young German princess just out of a convent school. The Queen is hoping to pair the princess with her wayward oldest son but needs to do it subtly. Unfortunately, Georgi has no money, no maid and this princess talks American like a real gangster. On top of that, people start dying all around her. So inconsiderate of them.

Likes/Dislikes: I'm not entirely sure why I like this series as it is rather girlish in character and wording. Most of Georgi's problems irritate me since I can see several different ways for her to get out of them. But I like Darcy and I really like Belinda. I wish Belinda was in the stories a lot more than she actually is. She just kind of flits in and out with a new boyfriend every few chapters. There was one spot in this particular story where Georgi is almost raped but it isn't graphic and she gets away. It still should be mentioned for trigger warnings. This is the second book in the series.

Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for content (talk of sex, attempted rape, murders)

Date Review Written: March 15th, 2019

Sweet Revenge Book Review

Title: Sweet Revenge: Passive-Aggressive Desserts For Your Exes And Enemies


Author: Heather Kim

Genre: Nonfiction, Cookbook, Teens, Sweets

Plot: Nothing hurts like getting dumped by your sweetheart or being stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a trusted friend. All of that grief, anger and pain can lead you to make some questionable decisions and we all want revenge for the pain we were caused. So why not channel that energy and bake some divine sweets that will show your ex just exactly who he or she lost when they broke your heart?

With over 50 jaw-dropping and sweet-tooth-satisfying recipes in this slim volume, you will well on your way to baking some piping hot revenge and delivering (or devouring) it in style.

Likes/Dislikes: This book is definitely written for teens with a strong teen voice and plenty of their lingo sprinkled throughout. The humor is very sarcastic and exactly the type needed after a painful breakup. In between the recipes there are pages that give the reader a crash course in baking - from the different types of flours available to how whipped the cream should be. There are also plenty of little nuggets of wisdom hidden in here with the predominant ones being that revenge is best baked away and that we need to find healthy relationships in our lives. Some of the recipes are pretty simple and straight-forward with a clever twist while others are more involved. My husband liked the idea of butterscotch bacon and candied chicken skin as well as Doritos chip sugar. There were several recipes I thought sounded delicious while a few had me in disbelief. All in all, a fun little cookbook.

Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for reading level

Date Review Written: March 15th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Herding Cats Book Review

Title: Herding Cats


Author: Sarah Andersen

Genre: Fiction, Comic, Art, Young Adult,

Plot: Sarah Andersen took to the vast internet to display her budding creativity and found a niche that suited her perfectly. She also just so happened to strike a cord with her audience of socially awkward millennials who could relate very strongly to her comics. This quickly propelled her to a position of fame in the internet-fueled artist's world.

But what exactly is fame like for a modern day comic artist? There are hordes of pets, the daily battle of getting up for work vs staying in bed all day is a hard one and every day is the same unless it is fall. Then every day is glorious till the leaves die and Halloween is all done. So to sum up, life is pretty much the same regardless of your level of fame. But we can still enjoy this great collection of life through an artist's eyes.

Likes/Dislikes: I already liked Sarah's comics just from seeing them on social media so coming across this book was a treasure. It turns out that this is her third published collection which means I have some back-reading to do but that is always fun. Sometimes I start series in the middle on purpose just to make sure it will be worth all my time and emotional investment. In this particular edition, we get a peek at what life is like for Sarah now that she is famous (it's not that different) as well as seeing her reactions to cute dogs, what she does based on the seasons (it's indoors all year round except when it's fall), and several other fun panels. There is also an illustrated essay for young artists looking to share their work on the internet and another one on how to deal with cruel internet trolls. All in all, a great one-sitting read that will brighten anyone's day.

Rating: PG-12 and up, mainly for content (it's clean, just might fly over kids' heads. My toddler just likes the dog pictures).

Date Review Written: February 22nd, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley, lost that copy and then looked it up at my local library. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Potato Book Review

Title: Potato


Author: Rebecca Earle

Genre: Nonfiction, Object Lesson, Essay, History, Food,

Plot: Potatoes are one of the four biggest global crops and make up the base for a lot of America's favorite foods. Mashed potatoes at Grandma's for the holidays, French fries smothered in ketchup or lightly salted on a summer's evening, Aunt June's famous potato salad with a hint of bacon, a perfectly baked potato with a dollop of sour cream or scalloped potatoes dripping in butter. Potatoes are the starchy goodness that make up the bulk of our favorite comfort foods. But they are more than that. There are red potatoes, gold potatoes, white potatoes, purple potatoes, black potatoes, finger potatoes and sweet potatoes all with their own unique tastes, textures and flavors. Some are great for boiling while others do better baked.

We know how Ireland has a long history with potatoes but some of us might not know that potatoes originated in South and Central America. They were the food of the Incas till the Americas were discovered and potatoes sailed across the sea. The varieties of potatoes grown by the ancient Incas are mind-boggling and all of them sound delicious.

Likes/Dislikes: I love potatoes. I love growing them and eating them and reading about them. An object lesson on them was surprising and not necessarily something I have ever read before or would likely pick up. But since I like potatoes, I gave it a shot and really enjoyed it. I have a short attention span however so I had to read it in chunks but that's okay, it gives me a good break from everything else going on in my reading life. I did really want more recipes though.

Rating: G-all ages, 14 and up mainly for reading level.

Date Review Written: February 19th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Murder From Scratch Book Review

Title: Murder From Scratch

Author: Leslie Karst

Genre: Murder Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Sequel,

Plot: Sally Solari grew up in the restaurant business and is still heavily involved with it. Except instead of working for her dad in the family restaurant, she now runs her very own establishment. Inherited from a great aunt, the Gauguin is a tidy trendy little place filled with irate chefs and plenty of delicious smells. When Sally gets a craving for some family cooking, she drops by her dad's place and gets more than she bargained for. A distant cousin needs a place to live with her dog and Sally has an available couch.

It turns out that cousin Evelyn is super sweet, blind and recently in the news. Her mother was found dead in the house one day. But because of Evelyn's disability, she has plenty of reason to think her mother's death wasn't an accident. Sally, every resourceful and just a tad too nosy for her own good, takes up the case.

Likes/Dislikes: I love cozy murder mysteries and foodie stories. This sounds like the perfect combination with the added element of a blind character essential to the plot. Unfortunately, Sally didn't jump off the page at me and the mystery set up wasn't enough to hook me and draw me in to finish the story. The writing style was cozy but also a bit slow and off. It felt like a lot of the descriptions and dialogue taking place were only there to hit the word count and did nothing to paint the scene or propel the story forward. Ah well, there's always a hit and a miss with mysteries.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for content (it's a murder mystery).

Date Review Written: February 14th, 2019

I received a copy of this courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions in the above review are my own.