Amelia Gray is Almost Okay

About the Book:

Title: Amelia Gray is Almost Okay
Author: Jessica Brody
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: March 28th, 2023
Genre: Children’s Fiction

When you can choose to be anyone, how do you know who you really are? From the author of Better You Than Me and I Speak Boy comes another fun and relatable book about new experiences and how staying true to yourself is the best way to be okay.

Twelve-year-old Amelia Gray has changed schools thirty-nine times (!!!) because of her dad’s job, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for making friends. But that’s okay. Amelia loves her “life on the go” with Dad and their adorable supermutt, Biscotti. She’s been in enough middle schools to know that friendships are messy, and who needs that?

But when her dad announces that he wants to stay in their new town for the whole summer—maybe even forever—Amelia realizes she’s going to have to do the one thing she’s never had to do: fit in.

So she gives herself not one but three total makeovers, to try out a few personalities and hopefully find her “thing.” Is she Amie, a confident track star? Mellie, a serious journalist? Or Lia, a bold theater kid?

Juggling three identities is hard, and Amelia soon finds herself caught in the kind of friendship drama she has always managed to avoid. Yet despite her best efforts, she still can’t answer the most important question of all: Who is the real Amelia Gray?

Book Review:

What an interesting read! Amelia Gray has seen the whole country. She has never stayed in one place for long and that’s how she likes it. All she needs is her dad and her dog, Biscotti, but what happens when her dad decides they should try life on the stay. Amelia is terrified, and so she decides to reinvent herself, 3 different Amelias for 3 different activities. She’s determined to figure out who she is: Amie, the confident tract star, Mellie, a serious journalist, or Lia, a bold theater kid? But as she goes along with her lies, she begins to get caught up in a whole web of trouble without answering the question: Who is Amelia Gray?

Okay, Amelia has gone through a lot. She just wants things to stay the same. I think kids will really identify with her as she tries to figure herself out. In middle school, all you want to know is who am I? And I love the message that this book gives which is you don’t need to have it all figured out. Amelia wants to know the one thing that defines her, and in the end, she sees she doesn’t need to choose one thing. But it takes a lot of heartache to see that.

And I think that goes into the next main thing which is friendship is hard. And I loved seeing that because it is hard to make friends and keep friends, and I loved watching Amelia learn how to reconcile with her friends and rebuild bridges. While I love all the messages in this book, I had a hard time staying invested. I think it felt a little young in some places, and I wasn’t super into the story.

But I think I would still recommend it to middle graders especially those who love contemporary fiction.

Highlights:

Importance of making friends

Light romance only

Strong relationship with dad

Traditional values

Importance of communication

Realizing you don’t need to have everything figured out yet

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

It’s Boba Time for Pearl Li

About the Book:

It's Boba Time for Pearl Li! by [Nicole Chen]

Title:It’s Boba Time for Pearl Li
Author: Nicole Chen
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Release Date: February 28th, 2023
Genre: Children’s Fiction

erfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Jessica Kim, this joyful, moving middle grade contemporary follows a big-hearted Taiwanese American girl as she aims to gain her family’s acceptance and save her favorite boba tea shop by selling her handcrafted amigurumi dolls.

Pearl Li is ready to spend the summer before seventh grade hanging out with her two best friends, crocheting the cutest amigurumi dolls, and visiting her favorite tea shop, Boba Time. Its quirky owner, Auntie Cha, is the only adult Pearl can confide in about her art—if only her tech-obsessed family would understand her love of crafts!

After Pearl learns of Boba Time’s financial troubles, she decides to sell her amigurumi to raise money for the shop. But as she navigates the ups and downs of running a business, Pearl realizes that monetizing her passion is more complicated than she could’ve ever imagined. Can Pearl save Boba Time before it’s too late?

Book Review:

I’m so excited for this new wave of diverse middle grade fiction! I would have loved to read these books as a kid, and it’s incredibly important to see representation on the page. I also really loved how It’s Boba Time, Pearl Li does not focus on racism. Instead it’s about a normal American girl who is Taiwanese. It’s important to normalize MC of different ethnicities instead of shoving them into a box where their books can only be about racism.

It’s Boba Time for Pearl Li is about a seventh grade girl who discovers her favorite boba shop is about to close. She’s determined to help the owner, Auntie Cha, and decides to start her own business and sell amigurumi dolls. But running a business is more complicated than she thought. What happens when her friend and family drama get in the way of saving the boba shop?

I felt like Pearl was very relatable especially for middle school girls. She’s still trying to figure herself out and stand up for herself. She was also relatively selfish at times. I think that it was frustrating, but it also made sense for her age. She had to learn how to think about and consider others, and I loved watching her grow and mature. I think Chen did a great job of showing Pearl’s growth in her friendships and showing the importance of saying sorry when you mess up.

I loved her friends! I love the diversity in their group and also I loved watching them learn how to interact. Friendships are so hard especially in middle school, but it was cool to see a solid group of girlfriends with no romance! Definitely a fan of romance, but I think in middle school friendships are more important. Pearl also had to learn how to deal with family relationships.

I like learning about Pearl’s family and how different they all were. But I didn’t love how the family aspect was handled. Pearl ends up lying to her parents in the book, and in the end, her fault is glossed over. Chen focuses more on how her mother should have been more supportive of her crafts. I think there were definitely communication issues on both sides, but I would have liked to see equal responsibility taken from both sides. And it was odd to me how the dad in the story didn’t really have a role. He seemed to be there simply to be there, and while I admire the strong female relationships, I wanted to see his part in the family.

However, I did enjoy seeing the different dynamics. It felt really real, and I think it showed the importance again of good communication. There were a lot of great lessons in this book including one about business and entrepreneurship. However, the lessons felt natural, and they weren’t shoved down your throat.

I would definitely recommend this book to any tween girl! It’s a fun, clean, read about family, friends, and talking to your loved ones.

Highlights:

Strong female friendships

Sisterly bonds

Not judging others

Importance of communication

Racially diverse characters just going through life

Business/entrepreneurship lessons

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

Merritt and Her Childhood Crush

About the Book:

Merritt and Her Childhood Crush: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Oakley Island Romcoms Book 2) by [Jenny Proctor, Emma St. Clair]

Title: Merritt and Her Childhood Crush
Series: Oakley Islands Romcoms #2
Author: Jenny Proctor and Emma St. Clair
Release Date: January 31st, 2023
Genre: Closed Door Romantic Comedy

I said I’d never set foot on Oakley Island again. Not so long as HE lived there. But after my life implodes, I’m reconsidering EVERYTHING. Including my reasons for avoiding the first—and only—man I’ve ever loved.

I’m a high achiever. Driven. Maybe a little TOO driven.

So when my boyfriend confesses to cheating AND steals the promotion I’ve been working toward for years, I do the unthinkable for someone like me.

I break.

But the timing couldn’t be better for me to fall apart—I can escape to the idyllic Oakley Island and oversee the renovations on my late grandmother’s estate.

There’s just one tiny, massive, little problem: no one told me the contractor is the grown up version of the boy I fell in love with years ago.

He was my first love. My first kiss.

My first heartbreak.

Now, I’m faced with seeing Hunter daily. Being his boss. Forging a new dynamic that fits our adult selves.

Hunter is bigger. Bearded. Talks in grunts rather than words.

And has just as much hold on me as he ever did.

Trouble is, Hunter’s life is on Oakley. His daughter is on Oakley. And it was never my plan to stay here permanently.
Do I really want to risk having my heart broken a second time? More importantly, do I want to risk breaking his?

Merritt and Her Childhood Crush is a second chance at childhood first love romantic comedy. The Oakley Island Romcoms follow three very different sisters as they renovate the house they inherited and find love on the island along the way. The stories are standalone, but if you like continuous stories, we recommend reading them in order. Each book is closed door, with sizzling chemistry but no spice.

Book Review:

The Right Wrong Match

About the Book:

The Right Wrong Match: A Sweet, Small Town Romantic Comedy (Love in Mirror Valley Book 2) by [Sara Jane Woodley]

Title: The Right Wrong Match
Series: Love in Mirror Valley#2
Author: Sara Jane Woodley
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue Publishing Inc
Release Date: January 5th, 2023
Genre: Romantic Comedy

They say the best way to get over someone is to date somebody else.

I didn’t ask to have a hopeless (and unrequited) crush on my best friend’s grumpy older brother.

For years, I’ve had feelings for Luke Brooks, but it’s time to move on—I’m on a mission to find my perfect match and secure my very own happily-ever-after.

Until one tiny mishap with a dating app lands me a new job: Planning singles events for the whole town.

Which seems simple enough… until the town council forces Luke to play cupid with me.

And as I discover the soft side beneath Luke’s grumpy exterior, getting over my crush becomes a whole lot more complicated.

Especially as it’s starting to look like my feelings might not be so unrequited, after all…

The Right Wrong Match is a sweet romcom with plenty of swoony kisses and chemistry, a hilarious cast of quirky small-town characters, and a heartwarming HEA that’s sure to give you all the feel

Book Review:

This book was so cute! This was my first book by Woodley, but it definitely won’t be my last. I loved this grumpy sunshine read!

Daisy was such a sweetheart. I loved her eternal optimism, even when things were going crazy she looked on the bright side. Plus, it was hilarious to read about all of her different interactions, a little awkward at times but always fun! It was sweet to watch her really relax with Luke though. She let her guard down with him and was able to just breathe.

I loved Luke! He was such a grumpy cinnamon roll hero especially around Daisy. I love how he had such a soft spot for her, and it was cute to see him do all these ridiculous adorable things for her.

The plot of this was fantastic! I really like the fact that Luke and Daisy were friends first. It didn’t feel like they were rushing into a romance, but instead they were realizing what was right in front of them all along. I would have liked a little more development on a side plot that was happening. But I think romance was definitely the main thing for this book.

I would totally recommend this swoon worthy read! It is a clean romcom, and while it is set in a series, I did not read the first book, and still loved this one!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

Dreaming About the Boy Next Door

About the Book:

Dreaming About the Boy Next Door (Most Likely To Book 2) by [Sarah Sutton]

Title: Dreaming About the Boy Next Door
Series: Most Likely To #2
Author: Sarah Sutton
Release Date: October 25th, 2022
Genre: YA

Is being voted Most Likely To: Never Have Their First Kiss by the popular crowd at school the end of the world? Probably not, but I’m still not convinced.

Does it mean that I have to find someone to kiss to ditch myself of the label? No, but I do it anyway.

Is choosing my best friend’s twin brother as my first kiss the best choice? Ha, not in the slightest. But when he walks into his kitchen after midnight shirtless, inspiration strikes.

Even though it’s a bad, bad idea.

Because what is supposed to be a quick, three-second peck of awkwardness in the middle of their dark kitchen turns into however many seconds of pure bliss. I’m talking the kind of kiss in a rom-com that totally would’ve made me blush. The kind that makes your toes curl.

For my first kiss ever, Reed Manning isn’t holding back.

Book Review:

Just have to warn you guys, this will basically just be me gushing 😉 I absolutely loved this book! I was honestly a little nervous because I really liked Falling for the Teacher’s Pet, but this was just amazing.

I loved getting to see more of Ava, and it was interesting to see her perspective. Dreaming About the Boy Next Door and Falling for the Teacher’s Pet are simultaneously occurring. I’ve read books like this before, and I’ve always found them fascinating. It really shows how we have no idea what someone is going through in a given day even if we’re close to them. I think Sutton does an amazing job with balancing this, so you still get to see some scenes from Ava’s perspective but there’s also a lot of new things going on.

I loved Ava! She was trying so hard to keep herself together, and she was falling apart. I loved her wittiness, but also her goofiness and drama. She’s definitely different than Maisie, and it was fun to see those differences. Her journey was beautifully done even though it hurt my heart a little bit.

Reed was so cute! He comes off as a bit of a jerk at first, but there’s so much going on underneath his playboy act. I like watching him and Ava open up to each other. They were both scared, yet they protected themselves in different ways. It was cute seeing them learn to trust each other even though they were trying not to trust each other.

The family aspect of this book was heartbreaking. It was so sad. Ava’s parents are going through a divorce, and Reed’s dad cheated. But I loved how Ava learned the importance of talking and being vulnerable. She had to see that she was allowed to be sad. And Reed learned how to open up his heart again and trust someone. It was totally adorable!

I loved this book! It can be read standalone, and I believe the order in which you read the books doesn’t really matter. It was fun though knowing all that was going on with Maisie while Ava was having her drama. I would recommend it to any clean, YA, romance lovers especially if you love the drama but don’t want the explicit stuff .

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

Nico and Hope and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

About the Book:

Nico & Hope and a Partridge in a Pear Tree: Small town, feel good, romantic comedy (The Costa Brothers Cozy Christmas Comfort Romance Series Book 6) by [Ellie Hall]

Title: Nico and Hope and a Partridge in a Pear Tree
Series: The Costa Brothers Cozy Christmas Comfort Romance #6
Author: Ellie Hall
Release Date: December 15th, 2022
Genre: Romantic Comedy

Hope
My Cinderella story is stuck on the part before the fairy Godmother comes to her aid. You know, when the stepmother and sisters torment her. To appease them, I work four jobs with no magical transformations or windfalls in sight, especially not in time for Christmas.

Nico
When a singing Christmas-wish-o-gram girl does her charming song and dance, I have no doubt my brothers are behind the goofy gift. I’m the baby in the family, but by no means tiny. Sure, I’m the youngest and most inexperienced when it comes to women, but I can find my own dates, thanks very much.

Hope
The guy from the pizza shop who I accompanied to the Christmas Market in town was cute, sweet, and someone I wouldn’t mind seeing again if I had time for a life of my own—and wasn’t trying to stop a vandal from ruining our town’s Winter Wonderland extravaganza.

Nico
When it turns out she’s my neighbor and her stepmother and stepsisters are shrews, I do the only sensible thing—offer to be her fake husband to free her from their clutches. Unfortunately, I’ve never kissed a woman. She’s quick to give me lessons, and I’m starting to think there’s nothing fake about this. Nothing at all.

Book Review:

The baby finally gets his own book! I loved Nico from the beginning of the Costa brothers series, so I was so excited when he finally got his own HEA!

Poor Nico has been stuck in his brother’s shadows for years. It was fun to finally see him. I think every book we get to see the brothers in a different way, and this one is no different. I loved the little awkwardness that was still in this book, but it was fun to see a confident Nico too. He was ready to stand up for Hope, and it was simply too cute!

I love Hope! I think her situation made a lot of sense, and while it was frustrating to see her get walked over, I also understood why she stayed with her stepfamily. I loved how she kept her spirits up and refused to be crushed. But she did have to learn to stand up for herself and learn to trust others again.

I loved this quick read! It does progress fast which was a little hard for me, but it is a novella 🙂 Nico and Hope have a case of love at first sight, but it also fits for them. They’re both more innocent characters, Nico hasn’t even had his first kiss yet, and I think the love at first sight trope really worked for them.

I would totally recommend this entire series but especially this book! I think this might be my favorite so far. It is a clean romance perfect for this Christmas month!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

Paulo and Noella and the two Turtle Doves

About the Book:

Paulo & Noella and the Two Turtle Doves: Small town, feel good, romantic comedy (The Costa Brothers Cozy Christmas Comfort Romance Series Book 5) by [Ellie Hall]

Title: Paulo and Noella and the two Turtle Doves
Series: The Costa Brothers Cozy Christmas Comfort Romance #4
Author: Ellie Hall
Release Date: November 15th, 2022
Genre: Romantic Comedy

Noella
It’s my first Christmas alone. No hubby-boo. No fam. No one eating the cookies I bake. More for me, right? Well, it’s kind of lonely without my beloved boxer-boo. And I miss my parents something fierce. Also, cookies taste better when shared. When I enter a small-town pizza shop, I have a case of déjà boo.

Paulo
I had it all—married to a beautiful woman, plans to start a family, and success as a boxing coach after I retired from the ring. When work took up too much of my time, it was splitz-ville. After a sudden tragedy, my brother drags me to nowhere-ville. Then I inherit two kids. Yup. I had the same reaction.

Noella
It was bad enough that my ex was more devoted to work than to me, but it turns out he has two secret (and adorable) children. What’s worse is he wants me to be their nanny. Ha! I think he took one too many blows to the head.

Paulo
I don’t know who thought I’d be qualified to be a dad. But here I am and I need my ex’s help. Maybe I need her too. I don’t think I’m the only one who hopes Santa Claus is going to grant these kids their Christmas wish…for us to be a family.

Book Review:

This was such a cute read ! I loved seeing the dark horse of the family, Paulo, and his real reason for being MIA for so long.

Paulo was a sweetheart. I definitely felt for him as he tried to navigate all the curveballs life had thrown at him. It was sweet to watch him with the kids and figure out exactly what he wanted with Noelle. He had to figure out what he really wanted in life and what he was willing to sacrifice to get that,

Noelle was definitely relatable! I loved all of her different quirks like trying on wedding dresses and being terrified of spiders. She was a romantic and an idealist, and I loved watching her balance Paulo’s cynical side. I felt like their relationship progressed a little bit fast for me, but it did make sense for their personalities.

I loved the moral of this story though that marriage is hard work. Even though Paulo and Noelle fell in love very quickly, they had to learn how to work through the difficulties of actually being married. They had to choose to love each other, and they had to choose to stay.

This was a sweet, fun Christmas read about second chances and trying again! There were some moments where I had a hard time staying engaged in the story, but I think it made for a fun, low stress read. I would definitely recommend this to any romcom, Christmas lovers! It’s part of a series about the Costa brothers, but it can be read stand alone too 🙂

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

The Superteacher

About the Book:

Title: The Superteacher Project
Author: Gordon Korman
Publisher: Balzer + Brey
Release Date: January 10th, 2023
Genre: Children’s Fiction

From Gordon Korman, the bestselling author of Restart and The Unteachables, comes a hilarious new story about a mysterious new teacher who turns out to be an AI robot from a secret experimental program.

Oliver Zahn, spitball champion and self-declared rule-wrecker of Brightling Middle School, is not a fan of his new homeroom teacher, Mr. Aidact. The guy is sort of stiff, never cracks a smile, and refers to them as “pupils.” The worst part is he catches Oliver before he can pull any of his signature pranks! It’s time for Oliver and his best friend, Nathan, to show the new teacher who’s boss.

But as the weeks go by, they start to realize that Mr. Aidact is not what they expected. He has an uncanny ability to remember song lyrics or trivia. When the girls’ field hockey team needs a new coach, he suddenly turns out to be an expert. He never complains when other teachers unload work on him—even when it’s lunchroom duty and overseeing detention. Against all odds, Mr. Aidact starts to become the most popular teacher at Brightling.

Still, Oliver and Nathan know that something is fishy. They’re determined to get to the bottom of the mystery: What’s the deal with Mr. Aidact?

Book Review:

This was such a fun book! I love how Korman meshes science fiction adventure with everyday school life so well. It’s funny, entertaining, pulls on your heart strings just enough, and overall a great read!

What’s the deal with Mr. Aidact? The new homeroom teacher is old fashioned with zero sense of humor. He catches spitballs in mid air and always refers to his students as “pupils”. Plus, it seems like every fact in the world is stored in his head. So Nathan and Oliver are determined to find out who or what is Mr. Aidact?

This book has multiple POVS, and I love that it follows all sorts of different students at the school. It’s fun to watch the different ways they relate to Mr. Aidact. I think most readers will be able to connect with at least one of the characters which is one of the great things about books with multiple POVs.

The humor in this was really funny! I think I wasn’t really its target audience, but middle schoolers will definitely love it. Nathan and Oliver pull all sorts of pranks, and it’s fun to watch them try and squirm their way out of trouble. And rule followers will relate to Rosalie who is so over Nathan and Oliver’s antics.

This was a quick, non stressful read. The plot flowed nicely, and I loved watching the kids come together for Mr. Aidact. I would have liked more positive adult involvement though. Most of this book was focused on the students’ efforts to save Mr. Aidact. But I do like to see all sorts of different kids work together for a common goal 🙂

I would definitely recommend this book to any middle schooler! I think Korman did a great job of making a book that will interest every kid.

Highlights:

Funny humor

No inappropriate content

Focus on friendship – no romance

Power of working together

Looking past differences

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review

Not Friends

About the Book:

Not Friends: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Sworn to Loathe You Book 3) by [Rachel John]

Title: Not Friends
Series: Sworn to Loathe You #3
Author: Rachel John
Release Date: October 24th, 2022
Genre: Closed Door Romantic Comedy

Friends come and go. I wish this one would go.

Sadie… I know Denver Talcott hates me as much as I hate him, but since we’re sharing custody of the same friend, I can’t get rid of him. Believe me, I’ve tried.

Worse, he’s now working at the same startup as me. My dream job cannot be his dream job, because my dream is to not see him on a daily basis.

Denver… You wouldn’t think a prickly introvert could also be a busybody, but it’s possible. I’ve met one. Sadie raises my blood pressure with her mere presence, and she can’t ever know that. She’d weaponize it. And then sell the recipe to other sadists.

Plus, I have another secret—this pesky attraction I feel towards her.

It’s got to be one of those inappropriate reactions to stress, like when you laugh while being reprimanded, or see your to-do list and decide to take a nap.

I’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. I just won’t ever look at her. Except now we’re desk mates at work…

Book Review:

I loved this book! I haven’t read all of the books in this series yet, but I still loved reading Sadie and Denver’s story! They were so cute and funny even as Sadie tried to kill Denver with a dodgeball 😉

Can you unfriend someone in real life? Because if you can, Sadie would gladly unfriend her annoying neighbor, Denver. Unfortunately, she’s stuck with him at her house and at her work. But as she spends more and more time with Denver, she finds out that it’s actually kind of fun messing with him. And it might be even more fun to work with him 😉

Okay, first of all the banter in this book was awesome! Sadie and Denver have amazing banter and insults against each other. They are so funny, and I loved watching them prank their office mates too. And the dodgeball thing was just amazing! It’s hilarious because they are trying so hard to pretend that they don’t like each other.

But they slowly fall for one another and break down each other’s walls too. I really liked how there wasn’t a specific moment where they fell in love or started liking each other. Because in a way, they had never really hated each other. They just had to learn to let go of their past judgements of the other person.

And it was sweet to watch their character development. Sadie had a lot of trust issues she needed to work through while Denver was always trying to save people. I think it was cute to see how they matched and balanced each other out. Sadie needed to learn how to relax while Denver had to learn how to make commitments.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves romcoms! It is a clean, sweet, amazing read 🙂

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! It’s strange to think we’ve been doing this for so long, but we’re truly grateful to be a part of this new world! It’s been incredibly fun to share some of our bookish thoughts with you guys. And also share parts of our life. That’s why we included the rabbit because 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit! Since we’re Japanese, we had to include that in this post😀 So grateful for you all! We can’t wait to see what the next year holds🥰