THE BOOK CHARMER by Karen Hawkins

July 30, 2019

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Dove Pond Series, Book 1

From the publisher:

New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins crafts an unforgettable story about a sleepy Southern town, two fiercely independent women, and a truly magical friendship.

Sarah Dove is no ordinary bookworm. To her, books have always been more than just objects: they live, they breathe, and sometimes they even speak. When Sarah grows up to become the librarian in her quaint Southern town of Dove Pond, her gift helps place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Recently, however, the books have been whispering about something out of the ordinary: the arrival of a displaced city girl named Grace Wheeler.

If the books are right, Grace could be the savior that Dove Pond desperately needs. The problem is, Grace wants little to do with the town or its quirky residents—Sarah chief among them. It takes a bit of urging, and the help of an especially wise book, but Grace ultimately embraces the challenge to rescue her charmed new community. In her quest, she discovers the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the power of finding just the right book.

 

I don’t mind a bit of magical realism in my books so Sarah’s having books talk to her was fine by me. I loved that the books insisted they be read and by whom and Sarah was just the conduit, putting said books into the hands of said readers. But that is just a minor plot point. This story is really about Grace.

Grace is new to town but arrives with her foster mother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and her late sister’s young daughter. So Grace has her hands full, to say the least. She had to leave a high powered, high paying job to care for them, to move to the small town of Dove Pond, where her foster mother was from, in hopes that the familiar surroundings and people will help her. She lands the poor paying job of town clerk, but with a bargain basement rental from a relative of her foster mother, her low salary is not as big a deal as one would think. Grace plans on sticking around for only a year, then finding a better paying job somewhere else. But of course, the small town of Dove Pond sinks into her soul.

The Dove family, Sarah included, all have gifts of some sort. Sarah’s is the talking books, her sister brews magical teas. Not sure about the rest of the family but probably will find out more as the series progresses. My only quibble is that this book was really about Grace. She has the romance with the happily every after, yet the book was named for Sarah, who, I would bet, has her own romance coming up (and I’m looking forward to it.)  I liked these characters and definitely will be back to visit Dove Pond.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE BOOK CHARMER by Karen Hawkins.  Gallery Books (July 30, 2019). ISBN  978-1982105549. 368p.

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INTERCEPTED by Alexa Martin

July 29, 2019

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The Playbook, Book 1

From the publisher:

Series in development with Starz & G-Unit Films and Television by 50 Cent and La La Anthony!

One of NPR’s Best Books of 2018
An Amazon Best Romance of 2018 Pick
An iBooks “Best of September” Pick
A GoodReads Best of the Month pick for September
One of Booklist‘s Top 10 Romance Debuts for 2018
One of BookBubs Best Fall Romances of 2018

Marlee thought she scored the man of her dreams only to be scorched by a bad breakup. But there’s a new player on the horizon, and he’s in a league of his own…

Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She’s definitely had enough practice by dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers he has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. There’s just one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights.

Gavin fights to show Marlee he’s nothing like her ex. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to let her escape her past. The team’s wives, who never led the welcome wagon, are not happy with Marlee’s return. They have only one thing on their minds: taking her down. But when the gossip makes Marlee public enemy number one, she worries about more than just her reputation.

Between their own fumbles and the wicked wives, it will take a Hail Mary for Marlee and Gavin’s relationship to survive the season.

I love a good sports romance, and the reviews and buzz around Fumbled, the second book in the series, originally brought me to this author. So yes, again, I am reading a series out of order. Luckily, there are only two books so far, so at least now I’m ready when the next book comes out! Plus can I just say that this is a great romance with diverse characters, always a welcome addition to the genre. Martin has a bit of writing quirk that may be just a generational thing, but she uses hashtags. A lot. Sometimes they are super appropriate and usually they are funny, but now and then I thought she went a bit over the top with them.

As I mentioned in my review of Fumbled, this has some real life behind it. Both these books revolve around NFL players (albeit for a fictitious team) and in real life, Martin is married to a retired professional football player. So she speaks with some authority here which really added to the story for me. One of my favorite sports romance series is from Susan Elizabeth Phillips, who writes about another fictitious football team, and Martin’s books almost seem like an updated version to me.

A friend told me she never reads sports romances because she doesn’t like sports, but trust me, that is not a prerequisite. Not to stereotype (much!) but professional athletes make great romantic leads because they are young, good looking with ripped bodies, and they are loaded, leading so many women to fantasize about meeting/marrying one. And what is a good romance novel but a good fantasy?

Intercepted introduces some terrific characters and the writing is smart and funny. Marlee is terrific; strong, feisty and feminist, all traits I can relate to. Gavin is a cut above the usual jock, and is deserving of this wonderful woman. I loved watching how they come together and there is some hot sex along the way before they even get their happily ever after. All the cattiness with the football wives added a lot of humor and I loved Marlee’s best friend having her back. Good friends and a supportive family go a long way here.

Martin is definitely on to something here and I hope she continues her journey. I’m really looking forward to her next book.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

INTERCEPTED by Alexa Martin. Berkley (April 23, 2019).  ISBN 978-0451491978. 336p.

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NONDISCLOSURE by Geoffrey M Cooper

July 28, 2019

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This is Dr. Cooper’s second published novel. In it, he takes a look at a problem that is appearing with more frequency in our society. This is the sexual attacks against women who have given the attacker no cause to presume that they would welcome a sexual advance. The attacker than goes ahead with the possible self delusion that the lady really would welcome his attentions.

Dr. Brad Parker is head of a department at a leading Boston area university. He is preparing to go into a meeting with his supervisor when he is called aside and advised that a member of the faculty in his department has drugged and raped a student. Parker immediately tells his supervisor what he learned and indicates that the victim identified her attacker.

Karen Richmond, a university employed detective, is called in and she begins working with Parker. As the two commence bringing out details of the rape the young lady is brutally attacked and murdered: obviously the work of her original attacker looking to cover up the crime.

Dr. Cooper brings in many factors that for different reasons often prevent the truth from coming out in the cases of unwanted sexual attack. It is a problem and has been for some time and in many cases difficult to prosecute due to factors keeping the victim afraid to testify. At the same time that publicity is centered on predator sexual attacks the author brings out a current very interesting new direction of medical research that has the possibility of becoming a definite life saver. These are gene based drugs and immunotherapy currently directions taken by state of the art research centers with promise of great advancement in attacking such diseases as cancer in many of it’s forms.

Writing is crisp and certainly succeeds in making this novel one that the reader will not be able to put down until the end. Very well done and certainly indicative of the entrance of a gifted author with the personal knowledge to contribute much to the area of medical thrillers.

7/19 Paul Lane

NONDISCLOSURE by Geoffrey M Cooper. Captain Thomas Publishing (July 15, 2019). ISBN 978-1733771405. 236p.

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EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER by Linda Holmes

July 27, 2019

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From the publisher:

From the host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast comes a heartfelt debut about the unlikely relationship between a young woman who’s lost her husband and a major league pitcher who’s lost his game.

In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth “Evvie” Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband’s death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn’t correct them.

Meanwhile, in New York City, Dean Tenney, former Major League pitcher and Andy’s childhood best friend, is wrestling with what miserable athletes living out their worst nightmares call the “yips”: he can’t throw straight anymore, and, even worse, he can’t figure out why. As the media storm heats up, an invitation from Andy to stay in Maine seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button on Dean’s future.

When he moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie’s house, the two make a deal: Dean won’t ask about Evvie’s late husband, and Evvie won’t ask about Dean’s baseball career. Rules, though, have a funny way of being broken—and what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more. To move forward, Evvie and Dean will have to reckon with their pasts—the friendships they’ve damaged, the secrets they’ve kept—but in life, as in baseball, there’s always a chance—up until the last out.

A joyful, hilarious, and hope-filled debut, Evvie Drake Starts Over will have you cheering for the two most unlikely comebacks of the year—and will leave you wanting more from Linda Holmes.

You know this isn’t going to be your typical romance when the story starts out with Evvie packing up her car to leave her husband but she is interrupted when notified that he has been in, what turns out to be, a fatal car crash. So we know she wasn’t as happily married as everyone, including her best friend Andy, seems to think. Evvie, it turns out, is quite the skilled liar.

But this isn’t an unreliable narrator story. Instead, it is the awakening of a young woman with a troubled marriage behind her. It is also the story of a washed up baseball player who has gained national infamy as having some sort of psychological breakdown. They end up hiding out together, becoming good friends and eventually fall in love. But there are a lot of bumps along the way.

As I was reading this, I was reminded of another book I read recently, The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. The women have similar relationship issues and these books are both romantic comedies, this one American, the O’Leary, British. They are both very good reads.

There are some really funny, laugh out loud moments here, as well as a few times I found myself in tears, making this an emotional read for sure. The small town in Maine is presented as almost another quirky character and that worked for me. If you like humor with your romance, and I certainly do, put this on your “must read” list!

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER by Linda Holmes. Ballantine Books (July 2, 2019). ISBN 978-1524798727. 320p.

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THE INFAMOUS DUCHESS by Sophie Barnes

July 26, 2019

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Diamonds in the Rough, Book 4

From the publisher:

A woman with a shocking past…

Branded a money-hungry con artist for marrying the elderly Duke of Tremaine days before his death, Viola Cartwright has found refuge in her work at St. Agatha’s Hospital. No one must know the painful reason behind her marriage. She steers clear of attachments—until Henry Lowell, heir to the Viscount Armswell, lands on her operating table after a duel. Charming and wickedly handsome, Lowell is one of London’s most inveterate scoundrels. Yet he may not be all that he appears.

And the man who can promise a future filled with love…

Posing as an unrepentant rake has helped Lowell avoid women pursuing him only for his title. But now that duty has finally called on him to marry, he finds himself entranced by the mysterious, independent-minded Viola. Then her late husband’s son returns from overseas, contesting Viola’s inheritance. Lowell longs to help her and sets out to convince Viola that a strategic union may be the best way to save all she holds dear. But can he also persuade her to take a chance on love…?

I am really enjoying the latest trope of having 21st century characters inhabiting the 18th century. By that I mean strong, independent women with careers and men who appreciate them. Viola and Lowell certainly fit the new standards and in a way that is always believable.

Viola is a skilled surgeon, trained by her father since women certainly couldn’t go to medical school back then. She marries a much older man, and is criticized for it, which I did find a bit surprising since that was certainly very common back then. Rich old men were considered catches for the young debutantes of the day so I wasn’t sure why Viola was considered a gold digger – all the young girls vied for the best titled men they could land but I guess since her father worked for a living instead of being titled gentry, that puts her out of the running. Sadly, her husband died quite soon after their marriage, leaving the marriage unconsecrated and Viola some money. Even more sadly, her husband’s son violated her before the marriage so she in no virgin.

Viola wants to use that money to open her own hospital, another seriously unlikely event of the day but what the hell, I bought it here. And Henry Lowell is the perfect man for her, although of course it takes quite a while to get to their happily ever after. The way the ton is portrayed is with the usual pettiness and vindictiveness, leaving me wondering why anyone even cared what they thought. Upper crust society was a strange beast, to be sure.

This is an interesting and well written series, and this book ends with strong hints as to the couple to be featured next. I’m looking forward to it.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE INFAMOUS DUCHESS by Sophie Barnes. Avon (March 26, 2019).  ISBN 978-0062849748. 384p.

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SURFSIDE SISTERS by Nancy Thayer

July 25, 2019

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From the publisher:

A Nantucket woman returns home to find that reunions aren’t always simple, in this heartwarming novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Nantucket Wedding and Secrets in Summer.

Keely Green always dreamed of leaving the beautiful shores of Nantucket to become a writer. Now she’s a bestselling novelist living in New York City, attending glamorous cocktail parties and mingling with the literary elite. Keely is also dating a charming, perfectly fine pediatric surgeon who looks good on paper but isn’t “the one.” She just can’t bear to break it off—until he declares his desire to settle down. Then Keely’s editor rejects her latest novel. With her personal and professional lives suddenly in shambles, Keely longs for the soothing island way of life.

Growing up, Keely and her best friend, Isabelle, were inseparable. Nothing could come between them—except, as it turned out, Keely’s high school boyfriend, Tommy. Returning home would mean facing Isabelle’s bitter betrayal and seeing for herself the family Tommy and Isabelle have created, the life that might have been Keely’s.

But when Keely’s mother falls into a deep depression, Keely knows what she must do, even though she is reluctant to face her estranged friend. And encountering Isabelle’s older brother, Sebastian—Keely’s longtime crush—only complicates things.

In one incredible summer, Keely must confront the mistakes of the past if she has any chance of finding true happiness in the place she will always call home. Nancy Thayer shines yet again in this uplifting tale of forgiveness and self-discovery.

There is rarely a better setting for a beach book than Nantucket, and Thayer really nails the location here. It is an island of haves and have nots, the working class and the ultra rich. In this book, Keely is the only child of working parents. Her best friend Isabelle is one of the rich kids. She lives in a mansion on the ocean with her older brother Sebastian, who Keely has a crush on for most of her life, although she never tells Isabelle. Keely loves the hustle of her friend’s busy household, such a contrast to her quiet family home. But it takes her most of her life to realize that not everything is as it seems.

The girls’ friendship is strained to the breaking point over a man, always a sad statement to make. But their journey to that point and beyond makes for an engrossing read. The book starts out a bit slow with the coming of age story of the two friends. But once they hit adulthood, things start moving and shaking, and I couldn’t put it down.

Themes of self awareness and forgiveness are evident, but not in a pushy way. Thayer tells really interesting stories and I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SURFSIDE SISTERS by Nancy Thayer. Ballantine Books (July 2, 2019). ISBN 978-1524798727. 320p.

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WINDOW ON THE BAY by Debbie Macomber

July 24, 2019

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From the publisher:

When a single mom becomes an empty nester, she spreads her wings to rediscover herself—and her passions—in this heartwarming novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.
 
Jenna Boltz’s life is at a crossroads. After a messy divorce from her surgeon husband nearly twenty years ago, she raised her two children on her own, juggling motherhood with her beloved job as a Seattle intensive-care nurse. Now that Paul and Allie have gone to college and moved out, Jenna can’t help but wonder what her future holds.

Her best friend, Maureen, is excited for Jenna’s newfound independence. Now is the perfect time to finally book the trip to Paris they’ve been dreaming of since their college days. But when it comes to life’s other great adventure—dating—Jenna still isn’t sure she’s ready to let love in . . . until an unexpected encounter begins to change her mind.

When Jenna’s elderly mother breaks her hip, Dr. Rowan Lancaster saves the day. Despite his silent, stoic exterior, Rowan is immediately smitten with Jenna. And even though Jenna is hesitant about becoming involved with another surgeon, she has to admit that she’s more than a little intrigued. But when Jenna’s children approach her with shocking news, she realizes that she needs to have faith in love and embrace the unexpected—before the life she has always dreamed of passes her by.

Many of Macomber’s books end up as Hallmark movies and I couldn’t help but think about that as I read it, primarily because the main characters were not twenty- or thirty-somethings. They were grown ass women experiencing the empty nest syndrome. I like romances every now and then that remember that older women can fall in love, too. Of course, this being a Macomber book, these are chaste women, despite their ages, life experiences and the fact they have children. And being that one of them is a librarian with little dating experience struck me as being a bad stereotype that I really can’t stand. I am a librarian, so I have strong feelings about this! But since she was recommending books I looked past it and read on.

The story shifts between the two women. Maureen is the librarian who is teased as “Marian the librarian” (if you don’t know that reference, Google is your friend) and Jenna, a nurse. Both are divorced and have been friends since they were girls, helping each other through life’s challenges. That continues here as Jenna’s mother has a bad fall, her son seems to be keeping secrets and her daughter is changing as she is now living on the college campus and is on her own for the first time in her life. Jenna is having a hard time with all of it. Maureen is just having trouble with her attraction to a plumber who likes to read, making her realize she needs to be a bit more open minded. Both are having relationships (finally) and both have a lot of hurdles to get over to make those relationships work. Some of those hurdles were pretty funny, others more serious. The ending was a bit muddy, I would have liked more clarity, but that is a minor quibble.

This is another good read from Macomber and her fans should be very happy with this book.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

WINDOW ON THE BAY by Debbie Macomber. Ballantine Books (July 16, 2019). ISBN 978-0399181337. 336p.

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ONE FINE DUKE by Lenora Bell

July 23, 2019

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School for Dukes, Book 3

From the publisher:

USA Today bestselling author Lenora Bell returns with her third book in the sexy School for Dukes series.

Ready.

Raised in the countryside by her overprotective uncle, Miss Mina Penny’s dream of a triumphant London season is finally here. She determined her perfect match long ago: Rafe Bentley, the wickedest rake of them all. There’s only one very large, very unyielding obstacle: Rafe’s brother Drew, the reclusive Duke of Thorndon.

Aim.

This was supposed to be simple. Duke goes to London. Duke selects suitable bride. Love match? Not a chance. But when Drew meets Mina, she complicates everything. How can a lady armed with such beauty and brains fall for his irresponsible degenerate of a brother? Drew vows to save her from heartbreak and ruin, no matter the cost.

Desire!

But Mina is no damsel in distress. She’s daring, intuitive, passionate…and halfway to melting Drew’s cold heart. And although Mina thought she knew exactly what she wanted, one breathtakingly seductive kiss from Drew changes everything. Now Mina must decide between long-held dreams and dangerous new desires. Could her true destiny lie in the arms of a duke?

I read the second book in this series but somehow missed the first (what else is new!) I have it loaded on my Kindle and ready to go because I really liked the books in this series (and her other series) that I’ve read. So the first book is What a Difference a Duke Makes and is followed by For the Duke’s Eyes Only and then this one. In case you want to read in order.

Mina is a twenty-first century feminist stuck in the 18th century but not really letting that stop her. She is determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a spy, even though both her parents were killed while engaged in their work. But she is not exactly like the mother she idolizes, only it takes a Duke to show her the error of her ways.

There is a lot of sex in this book and it is well done. I guess there is just too much twenty-first century in here to be truly believable as historical fiction, but really who cares when the story is funny, sexy and moves quickly. You can’t help but root for the damaged hero and heroine to find their way to one another. And for once, you can really judge this book by its cover as it is perfect – and that is not something I think happens very often.

If you like humor, sex, and adventure in your romance, you will love this book as much as I did. I will read the first book soonest and review.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ONE FINE DUKE by Lenora Bell. Avon (July 23, 2019).  ISBN 978-0062913074. 304p.

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RED METAL by Mark Greaney & H. Ripley Rawlings IV

July 22, 2019

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The authors, one whom is an experienced combat officer, have combined to present a picture of what real war is like. There are no descriptions of computers fighting one another, but of real men and women doing battle with modern weapons with many casualties as a consequence.

Several years prior to the opening of the book Russia was driven from possession of three Rare Earth Mineral mines located in Africa in the country of Kenya. The Russian prime minister now feels that it is time to retake those mines and orders two troop movements. The first is an attack across Poland and into Germany drawing the United States and NATO allies into defending those countries. Using this assault as a means of taking attention away from her real target the Russian military will than utilize a second assault into Kenya in order to capture the mines.

The authors utilize back and forth reactions by both sides on the two fronts to tell a masterful story of war. First, the Russian attack driving through Poland brings reactions from a poorly outfitted Polish army, but than occasions the decision by armed citizenry to fight the invaders. A young Polish girl whose normal occupation is as a barista in a coffee shop becomes a hero as she begins to lead other citizens into the defense of their country. The Russian side is depicted by military officers who are in tune with the war and want to make sure that they stand out for recognition for their efforts.

The second phase is a defense by American forces of the mines in Kenya. At the point of undertaking this defense the U.S. navy is engaged in a “show the flag” contest with the Chinese and are forced to sail across the world to take part in the defense of the mines in Africa. Individual, and realistically described moments of courage are described on the part of both sides during the battles. A U.S.submarine commander manages to destroy a crucial part of the Russian fuel supply by brave movements against the Russian invasion fleet. An American aviator manages to do a good deal of damage to Russian air support, while brave men and women move into precarious positions in order to maximize their efforts against Russia’s tanks.

The book is an all nighter due mainly to it’s use of personal experiences encountered by characters that are fleshed out sufficiently enough to be believed as active participants in the horrors of a shooting war. Very well done indeed.

7/19 Paul Lane

RED METAL by Mark Greaney & H. Ripley Rawlings IV. Berkley (July 16, 2019). ISBN 978-0451490414. 656p.

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THE GIFTED SCHOOL by Bruce Holsinger

July 21, 2019

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From the publisher:

Smart and juicy, a compulsively readable novel about a previously happy group of friends and parents that is nearly destroyed by their own competitiveness when an exclusive school for gifted children opens in the community

This deliciously sharp novel captures the relentless ambitions and fears that animate parents and their children in modern America, exploring the conflicts between achievement and potential, talent and privilege.

Set in the fictional town of Crystal, Colorado, The Gifted School is a keenly entertaining novel that observes the drama within a community of friends and parents as good intentions and high ambitions collide in a pile-up with long-held secrets and lies. Seen through the lens of four families who’ve been a part of one another’s lives since their kids were born over a decade ago, the story reveals not only the lengths that some adults are willing to go to get ahead, but the effect on the group’s children, sibling relationships, marriages, and careers, as simmering resentments come to a boil and long-buried, explosive secrets surface and detonate. It’s a humorous, keenly observed, timely take on ambitious parents, willful kids, and the pursuit of prestige, no matter the cost.

The first hurdle I have here is in defining this genre. I would call this women’s fiction except it is written by a man, but I guess if Nicholas Sparks can write romance or women’s fiction or whatever you want to call it (please, no mail telling me it can’t be romance without a HEA, I’m a librarian, I define genres for a living) I am going to call it that. Amazon calls it family fiction which is probably more apt, and it also borders literary fiction as the story is pretty much character driven although without the main storyline, the plot, that wouldn’t happen. I am rambling quite a bit as I try to work this out so bear with me. Here’s the bottom line: it was a very interesting read, especially for me as I live in an area somewhat like the fabricated town of Crystal, Colorado; a mostly upper-middle class to wealthy community where the gifted schools are in such demand that the joke is there are so many gifted kids in this suburb that there must be something in the water. There are at least three, full time gifted elementary schools just in this town and the ways people get their kids into these programs, well, let’s just say this book illustrates some of it.

So the Gifted School in question isn’t just for gifted and talented children, it is for the uber-gifted middle & high school set. Of course the parents of the gifted children and even some of the kids themselves are intensely interested in testing in. This involves a standardized IQ test, in which the top achievers are then invited to submit a portfolio evidencing the child’s superiority. Needless to say, these overly involved parents go bonkers to try and get their kids in – cheating, lying, paying their way in if necessary. Of course it all blows up but rest assured, the truly gifted do get the recognition they deserve.

I think I enjoyed this book so much because I felt like I knew these people. A few are my neighbors, even fewer my friends, but many, many acquaintances. The super competitive helicopter parents are alive and kicking in this book, and I was alternately horrified and delighted by their shenanigans. If you know anyone like this, or aspire to be like this yourself, then this is your book. There are lots of tips on the right and wrong way to go about this sort of thing if you are open minded enough to recognize that. Even if you don’t have kids, gifted or otherwise, it is still an engaging read at the breakdown of societal norms when competitiveness gets out of control.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE GIFTED SCHOOL by Bruce Holsinger. William Morrow (May 28, 2019). ISBN 978-0062861214. 432p.

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