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Silver Linings By Kaylee Baldwin

Grade: A
Rating: 5 Stars
Recommendation: Read this series


Here's me doing a happy dance for being the first one to receive a signed copy!  Yayee!

Kaylee Baldwin is a fantastic writer!  I enjoy all of her stories and will pretty much buy anything she's ever written.  What's neat about this book is that it is part of a series.  So if you like this book, and I think you will, there are five other books you can enjoy!  Kaylee did a great job of creating a great story and setting up the next story in The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series (I can only imagine how difficult it would be to do that!).

Silver Linings is about Drew Westfall and Eden Torresi.  Drew Westfall stumbles into Silver Linings one night after a series of unfortunate events.  Eden discovers him and the romance takes off from there... except, well... there are a few complications!


What I liked:

SO much!  I love how Kaylee is able to create such a visual with her words.  I was able to picture the snow and the old house.  I could see Silver Linings and the people who lived there, and it was all so beautiful.  This story was a sweet romance.  Totally clean and cute and fun, but so completely romantic at the same time! I loved Drew.  He started off a little gruff but as soon as he got all cleaned up, I saw the cute, wonderful amazing Drew.  I loved that he really cared about Eden.  He didn't just say that he loved her (like so many romance books seem to do) but he really showed her!

And I loved Eden.  She was so giving and caring and put other first.  She was a likable MC and I really rooted for her to get her HEA.

What I didn't like:
Um... It ended? ( Luckily, I get to read Jace's story next!)

Such a great story, I can't wait to read Jace's story next!

The Skeleton in My Closet Wears a Wedding Dress by Sally Johnson

Grade: B
Rating: PG


SUCH A CUTE COVER! Right?! So, I really love contemporary LDS fiction books that discuss difficult subjects. I love that author's and publisher's (of LDS fiction) are publishing books that talk about real-world situations!

What I liked:
I loved the concept of this book.  A girl trying to overcome her past so she can have a future. And I think that the author did a good job of writing about depression.  In some ways, the tone of this book reminded me of Mile 21 by Sarah Dunster. 

The MC, Sophia 19, is just returning to BYU after a messy divorce. I think, the author did a great job conveying the MC's depression after returning to school...From the ward activities, to her roommates, to dealing with her own feelings in therapy, the author created a realistic picture of what life would be like for a 19 year-old divorcee.  Because Sophia is going through such a hard time, it would be easy to get bogged down in the sadness of her situation (because it is sad) but, the the MC's voice was sarcastic and funny and made the story feel light. There were few parts of this book that took my by surprise too! 

What I didn't like:
There were parts of this story that were frustrating. Sometimes the MC made decisions that I just wanted to shake her for. But realistically, were probably very accurate, so it's hard to nit-pick over this.  Her roommates, oh my... I'll leave it at that. And Travis... Oh Travis!  As much as his decisions were so incredibly infuriating, I found myself wanting him to spit out his side of the story!  I wanted answers to questions like:  What was up with the mom?  Why was he always running away?  Did he change at all?  Why did he want out of his marriage to Sophia so badly? Was HE depressed?  What did Sophia not know/understand about their marriage/past? But this wasn't Travis' story, so those questions weren't so important either I suppose.  

Overall:

This was a good book that I would recommend it.  Not as light hearted as some LDS fiction books, but has some good meat and morals. 

If you liked this book also try: Mile 21 by Sarah Dunster

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The List by Melanie Jacobson

Grade: A/5 stars
Rating: PG

Recommendation: Must read! This and it's companion novel Second Chances are both Whitney Award finalists!

This month it's my turn to host my local book club! And you guessed it, I picked my favorite book, The List by Melanie Jacobson.

If you've been following this blog at all, you know that my love of clean reading, and of LDS fiction in general, began with this book.  (If not, you can read my journey here) so I figured it was about time that I wrote a review on it.

Do the names Jack Weyland Richard Paul Evans sound familiar?  Well, they should. These are some of the authors I grew up reading and if you were an LDS teen growing up in the 19 ::cough cough:: then you probably grew up reading them too.

Let's talk LDS fiction for a minute.  LDS readers seem to have an opinion one way or another about LDS fiction. Many readers like it, but there are also a great many readers who when they hear the term "LDS fiction" put two hands over their ears and run in the opposite direction.  About a year ago, if you had asked me what I thought about it I would probably have told you... "Well, Um... it's cute and fluffy?"... You see, I was a member of the latter group (how shameful- I know).  But now I'm singing a different song and it all started with this book.

What it's about (borrowed from Goodreads):

Ashley Barrett doesn't want to get married. At least, not anytime soon. She doesn't care how many of her friends and family members and fellow churchgoers had weddings before they finished college -- the last thing she needs in her fun-loving twenties is the dead-weight of some guy. And that's why she created The List. By the time she completes all twenty-five goals -- from learning a language to skydiving to perfecting the art of making sushi -- she'll be more ready to settle down. Maybe.

This summer in California is a prime time for Ashley to cross two items off the list: learn to surf (#13) and have a summer romance (#17). And Matt Gibson, the best surf instructor in Huntington Beach and the most wanted guy in the singles ward, is the perfect man for the job. Ashley hatches a plan to love him and leave him before heading off to grad school in the fall (#4, get a master's degree). But when Matt decides he doesn't like the "leaving" part, Ashley's carefully laid plans are turned sideways. Now Ashley faces an unexpected dilemma: should she stick to the safety of The List, or risk everything for a love that may tie her down —- or might set her free?

What I liked:

From the very first sentence I was hooked and I stayed hooked until I finished the book. In full disclosure, I read it about three more times after that and then I bought a hard copy so I could loan it to others. From Ashley's snarky voice, to the twists and turns throughout the book... It was pure serendipity.   There are so many things about this book that I like.  Let's start with the main premise.  If you spent anytime in young women's then you at some point have  probably made a list... But most likely it was a list about what the qualities you want in a mate, what you want to be doing in 1 year/5years/10years or some other marriage related topic.  What I love about the premise is that it turns the list idea on its head and gives Ashley a list of things she wants to do before she will even consider the m-word. So clever!

Now the characters.  Ashley is everything an LDS Young Single adult cliche is not.  Really!  A mormon girl who doesn't want to marry?  That's like a walking contradiction isn't it?  Okay, to be fair, she does want to marry, just not until she completes the list. What a breath of fresh air.   And then there's Matt Gibson.  Just love him!  Matt's character is written so differently than most book boyfriends.  He's cool and suave and gosh.. He was just great.  Perfect.

And this book is funny.  The banter is quick, the comedy witty and the twists and turns? Well,  enough said.

What I didn't like:

Well, if there were things that I didn't like, then I probably couldn't give this the title of my "favorite book" now could I?

So were LDS books of the past predictable? Definitely.  A bit cheesy? Yep (not to say that I didn't love them).  But, thanks to authors like Melanie Jacobson those are things of the past.  I urge you to try this book out if it's been a while since you've read an LDS fiction book. Write on Ms. Jacobson, write on.

What Makes a Book "Clean"?

Over the past few months, I've been on a "clean reading" journey and I've been asking myself over and over, What makes a book clean?  What makes it unclean?  Is there room in a "clean book"  for "taboo" topics or "darker issues" (For example:  Death and dying, alcoholism/drug recovery, divorce, death, disease, forbidden romance, crime, addictions, rape, infidelity, eating disorders, identity crises, crises of faith, you get the picture)?  And what about character traits?  Use of language, tattoos, killing in military or another uniform, piercings? Well, I'm still not sure on the answer, maybe each book is a case by case basis or maybe there's a hard and fast line, or maybe the definition of clean varies from person to person. What do you think?

A few months ago when I started adjusting my personal definition of clean reading, I looked to Deseret Book to help me out.  I knew if a book was listed on Deseret Book website, then it would steer pretty far to the clean side of the street instead of taking a nose dive into the gutter. That's where I found Edenbrooke, Second Chances, and other great books.  Unfortunately, I exhausted the website of new reading material fairly quickly. So I found new ways to find clean reads: adjusting the books I listed as "to-read" on my goodreads account and finding more friends with similar desires to read clean books on that site as well.  This is when I discovered we all have a differing idea of what makes a book clean or not.  

Let's Discuss the "Big Three": 

Language 

This is an interesting one.  It seems like you either really care about it or really don't.  There are probably a few readers in between these two extremes who are okay with a few "minor" instances of swearing in a book, but for the most part, it seems like readers are either in one camp or the other.  For me

I've noticed that there are a few LDS authors out there (some of whom I really like) who tend to write their non-LDS works under a different pen.  One author in particular (who shall remain nameless, because I like her and would never ever slam an author on this site ever) tends to have A LOT of swearing (both major and minor) throughout the entire book in both her new adult and young adult non-LDS works.  I'm not sure what I think about this. So this brings up another interesting question, Do you hold LDS authors to a different standard in terms of using language in their writing? I do.  For a few reasons.  First, I believe that it's possible to write an amazing book without ever having to use a a swear word. And second, if you're LDS I kind of count on you to write something that I can feel okay reading. There is a whole lotta smut out there that I already have to choose from without a fellow sister adding to it. Yikes, that sounds harsh doesn't it?  

Well let me step off my pedestal and say that I'm actually a pretty lenient reader in terms of language.  Minor language doesn't bother me as much as it does some, even widespread.  I am pretty forgiving.  I can even forgive the occasional "major" swear word.  That being said, widespread swearing of either minor or major words tends to get in the way of my reading experience.  In other words, when there are so many instances of profanity in a book I am so distracted by it that it detracts from the story.

Sexual Content

I haven't been shy about saying I love the New Adult genre.  But my oh my is it difficult to find a good clean book in this genre, especially in terms of sexual content.  This genre unfortunately, has become synonymous with the aforementioned "smut". Which, sucks. Really, it sucks, because  I love me a good college romance.  I'm pretty sure this love-affair with the NA genre, started way back when I was in junior high and started reading the Sweet Valley University series. Okay, I really don't remember what they were about, but I remember loving them  (that probably ages me doesn't it?).  So back to sexual content...  This is a pretty controversial one, isn't it?  For example, is it clean if it's a "closed-door" bedroom scene? Most would probably say sure, ya, I think that's fine.  Okay well, let's back up for a second, What if the couple isn't married?  Or what if the couple is made up of two minors?  Or maybe it's depends more on how it's portrayed? Now here's a more personal question... Why are you reading it?  Are you reading it because your addicted to the way it makes you feel? Can you enjoy a book if it doesn't have "that" scene? 

Here's what I think... I try to stick to the MPAA movie rating guidelines of a PG-13 level book.  Every once and a while a book will surprise me with a scene (usually at about 80% through the book) and I'll just skip over the pages with that content.  Since Fifty Shades came out a few years ago the industry seems to be flooded with books that I would consider pornographic or erotica.  I've even seen some of these themes and scenes showing up in YA fiction. Honestly, I've scene them on the shelves of my neighborhood library. That I am not okay with.  I'm not saying I think we should censure books, I'm just saying we should be able to have some rating system so we know what to expect in a book.  

Taboo Topics

This is what I have been mulling over for the better part of three months.  In LDS fiction, especially romance,  I've come to expect a "sweet read".  A book that doesn't deal with heavy topics, use language, or have sexual content (well maybe a chaste kiss).  But here's what I'm wondering about today: Can an LDS fiction (a book with LDS characters and/or intended for an LDS audience) book address topics of a less-traditional more taboo topics?  In earlier posts I've reviewed a few books that deal with more difficult subject matter: Becoming Bayley (bullying/alopecia), Mile 21 (death of a spouse/crises of faith), Taken by Storm (dating outside faith, the lines of sexual promiscuity), The Weight of Love (Forbidden Romance with a missionary/death of a spouse).  I've also read a few others: My Not So Fairy Tale Life (Unplanned pregnancy), Hidden in the Heart (Rape- done cleanly without sexual content) etc... All of these books I consider clean.  They were written without swear words, crossing the sexual line and most importantly these books didn't preach bad choices having good-consequences.  And I think maybe that's the key.  

I'll explain what I mean with a story... My husband is a theater actor/singer.  On the stage he has given many opportunities to play many different parts. We use a quote from Brigham Young to measure the roles he considers against:

'Upon the stage of a theater can be represented in character, evil and its consequences, good and its happy results and rewards; the weakness and the follies of man, the magnamity of virtue and the greatness of truth. The stage can be made to aid the pulpit in impressing upon the minds of a community an enlightened sense of a virtuous life, also a proper horror of the enormity of sin and a just dread of its consequences. The path of sin with its thorns and pitfalls, its gins and snares can be revealed, and how to sun it." (Discourses of Brigham Young, p.243; Bookcraft, 1998)

What this quote essentially means is this: Portray good choices as having good consequences and bad choices as having bad consequences.  With each role he plays carefully analyze the role and see if it's something that meets this standard.  Now back to books, far too often I see the reverse of this quote happening.  Bad choices having good consequences... Drinking leads to meeting a cute boy and happily ever after- Not loss of the spirit and most likely making further bad decisions: promiscuity, getting behind the wheel leading to a car accident etc.  That's not good.  Of course there are many many other examples of what I mean by this quote, but I think you get the idea.  

For me, I enjoy reading LDS fiction that deals with these sorts of topics.  I want to see how LDS characters deal with mental illness, divorce, disease, unplanned pregnancy, addiction etc.  Of course it has to stay within the boundaries I mentioned above, but I think LDS readers are looking to read about issues with more weight.  What do you think? I'd love to hear! Do you have any suggested books?

Taken by Storm (Trilogy) by Angela Morrison

Grade: A-
Rating: PG-13

Recommendation:  This is a good trilogy told in a unique way, but only for the well-informed reader who enjoys LDS fiction that deals with taboo topics

Caution: High heat level,  (talk of crisis of faith and you get into a teenage boys brain... which is hmm a true teenage boys brain, so this book may not be for everyone, but overall it is clean, but may push the limits for some)

Taken by Storm had the potential to be quite a controversial trilogy. This book approached the subject of inter-faith dating and the "gray" lines that sometimes arise from dating a person not of your faith. This book is written in a very unique way, alternating chapters between Leesie's poem book and Michael's Dive log. It took me a few chapters to get used to it, but it didn't take away from the story line at all.

Leesie is a young Mormon teenager.  She is the only member of the church in her small High School.  Her family has very strict dating rules (like most LDS families): No necking, No petting, Not tongue, No fornification, No sex before marriage etc. and she is quite content and happy with this arrangement because she believes her faith and wants to live it.  However, because of her rules, she is known as the "Ice Queen" at school and is bullied:  name calling, butt pinching etc.  Leesie's side of the story is told in her Poem book, in verse.  I wasn't sure if I would like verse, and admittedly, I had a harder time connecting to Leesie's chapters then Michael's, but it was enjoyable overall.

And then there's Michael.  I really liked Michael and I really hated Michael.  He is there for Leesie and is a good guy, but he is a very typical non-mormon teenage boy.  Let's just say he has hormones. Well, to be fair, so does Leesie, but because he has different standards than her in regards to intimacy than well, it's easier to dislike him especially in this first book.  Michael has come to live with his Gram after his parents are killed during a dive trip.  He is grieving, and alone and suffering.

So this book is about what happens as these two teens begin to form a bond.  This was a difficult book for me to read, because I lived Leesie's life.  In high school and some of college, I dated a non-member.  We had many many many conversations about religion and my "limits".  He was a good guy, a really good guy actually.  Smart, kind, family-oriented, charitable... but we had very different standards.  And because we had different standards, we encountered many differences of opinion.  So as Leesie and Michael are trying to navigate their relationship through three books: Breaking up, getting back together, getting close to the line and backing away, missionary discussions, crisis of faith... It just felt like I was reliving my adolescent years again.  For better of for worse. In the first book they have one conversation about "churchy" stuff and he calls her Brainwashed.  That one really hurt.  This section is from his POV and it is really easy to see why he thinks that, of course being a mormon and sharing Leesie's beliefs, it just brought back a few too many sad memories.

What I liked:

Morrison approached this subject in a fresh new way. She was brave and committed to telling a story of a couple trying to figure out who they are, what they believe and how or if they can/should/want to fit together.  In fact, it was so honest, I know a few readers will be turned off by the subject matter (it isn't graphic and THE line is never crossed, but it is steamy).  But I commend her for taking on a subject that many/most LDS authors might be too uncomfortable taking on.  Actually, I better check my facts, I'm not totally sure she is LDS. Hmm.

The characters were spot on, the challenges they struggled with were so real it hurt and the characters were relatable and "hateable". Michael, was 100% perfectly written.  He was a teenage boy and unrepentant for it.  He challenged Leesie in some many ways: her faith, her boundaries, her thoughts, her future.  At times, I wanted to scream at Leesie just to walk away.  There's too much heartache waiting in a relationship like that, for both parties... and it's just not fair to either of you to continue on.  But at the same time, I understood the feeling of loving someone so much that the thought of walking away without doing everything you can do to teach that person the gospel is just as heartbreaking.

What I didn't like:  (*some spoilers below so read with caution)

This book has the potential of saying: "It's okay to date non-members if there are no members around" and the idea of "flirt to convert", which is such a dangerous and slippery slope, especially if this book has a HEA see my post here to read more about this. That being said, Morrison did a good job of conveying the real feelings the characters had for each other and the real difficulty in having a relationship with someone not of your faith, especially the physical side of it.  This is a difficult subject to write and I think she was really brave to take it on.  99% of interfaith relationships, especially between teenagers are going to end. If you are the 1% then I am happy for you, but it's still difficult to write without saying you condone it.  I guess what I mean is, if you commit to writing this type of story like Morrison did, there is going to be a lot of gray area that is very difficult to write both accurately and morally.  I believe that somehow Morrison has managed to do it.

Overall:

This was a well written trilogy.  It took a few turns that I didn't see coming, which kept me on my toes.    It was so real and so honest that I think it is a series worth reading, especially if you have a teenage daughter (or son) dating someone of another faith, because it can give an honest glimpse into the teenage mind. Another reason I would recommend this book is because it is LDS fiction that approaches subject matter that is taboo, without about being profane. In other words, it isn't a nice little  all tied together with a pretty pink bow... Nope,  It is real and gritty and because of that it can sometimes be painful and uncomfortable to read. But it will certainly make you feel something.  For that reason alone, I think this book deserves to be read. (You really will have to read all three to get a HEA though, so be forewarned).

The Outer Edge of Heaven by Jaclyn M. Hawkes FREE TODAY

Happy Hump Day! Enjoy this book for free by clicking HERE. 

I've read a few of the Rockland Ranch series by this author and enjoyed them.  They are a good, clean way to spend a day.  Hope you enjoy!

The Fortune Cafe: A Tangerine Street Romance

Grade: A
Rating: PG-13 (one minor swear words)
Content: Clean

What happens when you put an awesome premise together with three amazing authors?  You get an incredible little book named the The Fortune Cafe: A Tangerine Street Romance!  It's no secret that I love Melanie Jacobsen... Pretty much anything that has this ladies name on it is gold to me.  And Julie Wright? She's another one of my favorites, but combine those two with Heather B. Moore and you have one serious writing powerhouse.

Here's what you need to know:  This book is divided into three stories.  Part one is Misfortune by Julie Wright, next comes, Love, Not Luck by Melanie Jacobsen, and last is Takeout by Heather B. Moore.  The premise that ties these stories together (as explained at the beginning of the book) is that A Chinese Restaurant on Tangerine street has Fortune Cookies where the fortunes come true (at least the first one does). Super cute right?!

Now here's my confession... Are you ready?  I've never read a short story (anthology) book before...ever. It's not that I had anything against them, I didnt', it's just that I didn't necessarily see enough appeal to actually pick one up (I know tragic, right?).  I mean how was an author ever going to get all the information from one story jammed a book 1/3 the size and make me fall in love with characters?  I just didn't think it could be done. Well... That was yesterday, before I read The Fortune Cafe. Today, I understand why "short story" format is so appealing...and just as satisfying.

What I liked about the book as a whole:  When I find a book that I like, I'm always sad to see it end.  I just want a little bit more...The same story, but different ya know?  What I really want is to replicate how the story made me feel. What's cool about this book is that it does exactly that.  You get to fall in love with the Tangerine Street World and then you get to revisit that same world, but from a different person in the next story. I love that.  (I'm kind of a sucker for alternative points of view.) And don't even get me started on the the premise, just so dang cute.  I'm also impressed with the subtle overlap of the books, just enough to make you go "Ah! Look at what they did there." It's clever, without going so far as to be gimmicky and cheesy.

Part One: Mis-fortune by Julie Wright.

I've read a few books by Wright and I've always enjoyed her writing style.  And this is no exception. Wright does a fantastic job of introducing us to Tangerine street. Part One introduces us to the cafe, it's owner Cai (who is expertly personified) and most importantly to Emma.  Emma is a waitress at the Cafe by day and writer/caretaker for her mother by night.  She is opposed to opening a fortune cookie if for no other reason than she just hasn't.  Well, that and she doesn't believe in the fortune cookie "voodoo".  Well, fate or luck smiles on her and she ends up opening one on the same day her high school crush sits in her cafe.

Wright does a great job at creating a well-rounded character and world very quickly.  Really she is very talented.  In a 1/3 of the overall book, I not only was introduced to her world, her hopes, dreams, fears and love interest, but wayyy more important I actually cared.  I won't give away much more than that though... You'll have to read it.

Part Two: Love, Not Luck by Melanie Jacobsen

It's no secret that Melanie's name on the book is the whole reason I picked this little diamond in the first place.  And she didn't disappoint. This part of the book is Lucy's story. She is visiting the cafe with her parents and her fiancé parents to finalize wedding plans. When she breaks her lucky Jade necklace, Lucky Lucy isn't so lucky anymore, in fact she's quite the opposite.  I love the banter between the characters. Really, Jacobsen is a master at writing Dialogue;  Snarky, flirty and fast-paced=awesome sauce. The love interest (name withheld to prevent spoilers) was my favorite of the three love interests.  Witty without being annoying,  Cute without being "too cute" and just the right amount of Mmm-mmm.  I also loved Lucy's relationship with her mother, it felt real and added something special to the book.  Especially after reading Emma's story in part one, I think this helped to round out the overall balance of the book as a whole.  Loved this section!

Part Three: Takeout by Heather B. Moore

Okay I'm embarrassed to admit this. But this is my first time reading anything by Heather... Please lower your weapons, I see now what a huge oversight that was and I will now be reading everything Ms. Moore writes.  Right from the first sentence, Stella Novak's and Evan Rockham's story draws you in. It's kinda of like a can of Pringles in that way, once you've had one sentence you just want to gobble the whole thing up.  Stella works at Spyglass Jewelry a few doors down from Tangerine Cafe and Evan is a chef/culinary teacher at the new Mariposa Hotel. I wasn't sure who the last story in this book would be about and I'm glad it was about Stella and her cute little jewelry store on Tangerine Street.  Can I just say I loved the run in right at the beginning with the two men... Fantastic story. Can't wait to read more by this author.


Have I got your interest piqued now right?  Great! Job done... Now go read the book.  You'll be happy you did. You can buy it HERE.

Free Book Today!

This book is free today!  I've read a few books by this author before, but I haven't read this book!  This author writes terrific clean romance stories, so I am excited to read this one.  If you would like to download it for free click here.  Happy reading!