REVIEW: BOOM TOWN by Nic Stone

 

Debut adult thriller from young adult and middle grade author Nic Stone. Boom Town is her first adult novel. 

Boom Town is a fast pace intense urban thriller set in one of Atlant's infamous gentlemens club. We find two employees, Charm a newbie and Lucky, a seasoned [former] headliner have gone missing without a trace. The only person that notices this and how similar the two disappearances are is Lucky's former partner and co- headliner, Lyriq. 

Lyriq is on a mission to find out what happened and where these women are. This thriller is a mix of Player’s Club and P-Valley. It is gritty, raw, sharp, suspenseful and thought provoking. The latter is evident in the novel's social commentary on power, abuse, race, class, misogyny and the lack of attention and resources dedicated to finding missing women and girls.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #SimonSchuster, the author Nic Stone for a digital copy of #BoomTown exchange for my honest opinion. Boom Town will be published tomorrow October 14, 2025.

REVIEW: Orange Wine by Esperanza Hope Snyder

 

Orange Wine is a quiet, lyrical family saga about betrayal, endurance, and survival. Inés’s story—losing her husband to her sister just weeks after giving birth—unfolds with a kind of fated inevitability, more whispered family secret than melodrama.  Esperanza Hope Snyder's novel is tender, evocative, and beautifully penned, suffused with themes of feminine resilience, artistic freedom, and emotional rebirth. Snyder’s prose is gorgeous and precise, and the atmosphere reminded me of Isabel Allende and Elena Ferrante.

This is not a fast read—the pacing is slow, and Inés herself can be frustrating—but the language and emotional weight make it worth sitting with. Like the lingering scent of citrus, this one will stay with you long after the last page.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Esperanza Hope Snyder and Bindery Books | Mareas for a digital copy of #OrangeWine in exchange for my honest opinion. Orange Wine will be published on September 30, 2025. 

#CampNetGalley: Review of Dexter: The Stand Up Dog

 

Dexter: The Stand up Dog by Bonnie Kelso and Kentee Pasek is a warmhearted true story of a rescue dog that was involved in a tragic accident. As a result he lost one of his legs. Dexter could have given up, yet he persevered and learned to walk. He went on to bring joy not only to his family but to many people especially children across the country. 

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CampNetGalley, the authors Bonnie Kelso (and illustrator) and Kentee Pasek and Gnome Road Publishing for a digital copy of #DexterDogOuray in exchange for my honest opinion. Dexter: The Stand Up Dog  will be published on September 16, 2025.

#CampNetGalley 2025: Review - 9 Little People by Regina Feldmann

 

9 Little People by Regina Feldmann is a super cute picture book that follows 9 kids born on the same day and highlights activities and events they experience together. The illustrations are themselves gorgeous. This is a great book to read with children ages 4-8 (Kindergarten to grade 2).

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CampNetGalley, the author Regina Feldmann and NorthSouth Books Inc. | NorthSouth Books for a digital copy of #9LittlePeople exchange for my honest opinion. 9 Little People  will be published on September 2, 2025.

Review: Jamaica Road by Lisa Smith

 

I was so excited to review this new novel by Lisa Smith. To be transparent I am Jamaican so this book was right up my alley. It has everything I like in the Jamaican-British story. Set in the early 80s, we meet Daphne (British born) as she tries to navigate growing up and attending a school where the other kids are not too nice. Added to this daily stress are the racial tensions that we all know run through the veins of the master colonizers. Then in comes Connie, a tall, lanky plimsoll wearing transplant from Jamaica with a family secret.

Some may have difficulty with the dialogue which was music to my ears. So often Caribbean authors especially from Jamaica are forced to anglicize their work (native dialect) to satisfy the "western" market. I just hope that the audiobook has an actual Jamaican or Jamaican-Brit do the narration. Can you image the 80's reggae soundtrack that would accompany this book? 

Smith's Jamaica Road is emotional, evocative, immersive and transformative coming of age tale. It was an excellent read. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Lisa Smith and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for a digital copy of #JamaicaRoad exchange for my honest opinion. Jamaica Road  will be published on July 15, 2025.