Review: Finding Her Edge

Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A sweet (is slightly stressful) coming-of-age romance featuring competitive ice dancers, a love triangle (love quadrangle?) where you love every one of them, and a second-chance romance to make you swoon. I love pretty much anything to do with sports, and really enjoy watching ice skating, especially the ice dance category. I definitely understand what Adriana was talking about when she said her dad didn’t see ice dancing as being as serious or prestigious as singles or pairs, and I think that’s often because it doesn’t have the flashy jumps. What it does have, though, is intricate footwork, incredible lifts, and so much emotion and chemistry, I’m pretty sure every successful ice dancing pair has either dated or dealt with dating rumors. It’s only in the past few Olympic cycles that I’ve come to appreciate ice dancing more, and it’s now my favorite to watch.

I could see why Adriana was struggling figuring out her feelings for her partner Brayden and her former partner Freddie. When you spend so much time together, trust one another, and genuinely like each other, those feelings are absolutely real, even if you aren’t in love. Adriana’s feelings for Freddie were also complicated by the intense guilt she felt at switching partners and breaking his heart when they were 14, and regardless of where their romantic relationship ended up, those two needed to talk through everything that happened back then, and how they feel about skating with other partners now. I also understand Brayden’s frustration and fear at the situation, especially once it becomes clear that he has real feelings involved, too.

One of the things I loved the most about this book was how supportive everyone was of one another, even though some of them were competitors. As much as they each wanted to win, and worked hard to do their best, they also wanted their friends to do well. I’m not sure I have the maturity for that, haha. The only thing about the competition that I would change is we didn’t need to know who won in the epilogue. I would have much preferred a sudden stop before the results were revealed.

I also love that Adriana (and her little sister Maria) had l caring and supportive adults around them like her coach Camille and their agent Charles, especially with how distant and financially predatory her dad is. I can’t say I loved her older sister much, but I can see how her attitude and actions were greatly influenced by being under their father’s influence and the pressure of having to “carry on the family legacy” for so long.

All in all, a fast-paced, emotional read full of the joy of young love, and the angst of unrequited love. Also, no wonder I loved this, I just read it was inspired by Persuasion! And I totally see it! ❤️

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Review: Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
#10 in the Wayward Children series
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

Another fantastic novella in the Wayward Children Series, this one following Nadya, a Russian orphan adopted by an American couple who wanted a virtue-signal and not a real child, who one day falls through a door in a lake and finds a real home and a real family, who loves her for who she is. In Belyrreka, Nadya is seen as perfect as is, not in need of fixing; and even though the River eventually gifts her a right hand, it’s a help, not a necessity.

In the land beneath the lake, Nadya grows up and becomes a kind, adventurous, caring person. She falls in love and gets married, and has many ties to Belyrreka: her mother Ina, her husband Alexei, and most of her, her best friend and beloved turtle Burian. She is sure of her life, and happy in it. But she’s also a hero at heart, always helping others and putting them ahead of herself. If you’ve read the rest of this series, you’ll know that heroes are often returned to their original world, whether they want to be or not. And we’ve also seen Nadya’s future: it’s not happy. I knew she was going to be returned to her old life, but I didn’t expect her to return to the body of a 10 year old (or I’d forgotten). That seems especially cruel: to have years of physical growth stripped away, on top of being forced back into a life you didn’t want with people who don’t truly love you. I definitely recommend this whole series, but you could read this one as a standalone if you want. You just wouldn’t have as much knowledge of how the doors between different worlds works, or any knowledge of Nadya’s future. But I hope you read the whole series; it’s full of so much joy and heartache, affirmation and pain. It will make you feel all the feels.

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Review: Sense and Sensibility

Sense And Sensibility by Jane Austen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jane Austen is one of my long-time favorite authors, and this is one of my favorites of her books, but I’ve read it so many times in the past (and not for a long time), and I’ve seen the movie adaptations so many times that I fear there are details I gloss over or misremember, and this excellent audio narration by Rosamund Pike allowed me to slow down and hear everything anew. I saw things I hadn’t never, and reveled in both the humor and pathos of this story of love lost, love unrequited, and love found.

My favorite relationship in this book is that between Elinor and Marianne, though for many years I held Marianne in much less regard. I sympathized with Elinor’s tendency to hide her affections, and found Marianne’s high spirits and lack of care immature and obnoxious. Maybe it was Emma Thompson heart wrenching portrayal of Elinor in the 1995 adaption forever imprinted in my brain, but when she says to Marianne, “What do you know of my heart? What do you know of anything but your own suffering? …Believe me, Marianne, had I not been bound to silence I could have provided proof enough of a broken heart, even for you,” my heart broke for her and raged at Marianne for being so heartless and thoughtless.

The thing is, though, Marianne is SO young. It’s easy to forget that she’s 16-17 years old, with all the talk of marriage, and though her personality already lent itself to throwing oneself wholeheartedly into everything, she also had the confidence of youth to assume you know everything and that your opinion will never change. Take her opinion early on that one can only really fall in love once, and if that love is lost, you’re destined to be alone forever - clearly that’s not true, and though I don’t wish upon Marianne the heartbreak she goes through with Willoughby, it was certainly a growth experience, as was her sickness and time of recuperation. And seeing everything Elinor went through with Edward, everything Marianne had missed with her own emotional preoccupation, really opened her eyes to the trials of those around her. She’s much more sympathetic and supportive to Elinor, once she knows the truth of the situation, than I recall. There is much miscommunication and misplaced assumptions in this book, but between the sisters, it’s more a case of the two having very different personalities and misunderstanding one another’s meaning of word and action.

If anything, I found Elinor to be a little self-righteous at times, especially about Marianne and Willoughby’s relationship, and later how much Colonel Brandon “deserved” Marianne for his incredible kindness and good nature. Elinor, women are not property! You should know better! I’m not even going to touch on the age difference; I think it’s enough to say it was a different time, and there were different expectations for who an appropriate marriage partner was back then. I’m satisfied that Colonel Brandon was eventually Marianne’s whole-hearted choice, and she wasn’t coerced or forced into that position.

As for the men in this story, they ranged from ridiculous to insipid to enraging at various times. I know the ladies eventually forgive Willoughby a bit, but I think he got less than what he deserved: a sad life full of regret instead of jail time. I’m still a little surprised that Colonel Brandon was just going to stand by while Willoughby married Marianne, even after knowing what he did to his ward, Beth. Surely you could have made that a little more common knowledge? As for Edward, he was much too oblivious and noble for his own good - it took him way too long to realize his feelings for Elinor, and he really should have broken off his engagement to Lucy when he did realize them. Also, I’m with the Jane Austen Society on this one - Hugh Grant was way too attractive to play Edward Ferrars.

On the positive side, at least most of these men finally followed their feelings. The second he heard of his broken engagement, Edward went to Elinor to confess and propose. Colonel Brandon did everything he could to help the Dashwoods, not only because he was in love with Marianne, but because he genuinely cared for Elinor and Mrs. Dashwood and wanted to ease their lives and bring them happiness. Willoughby…. I find it hard to say positive things about him, but at least he came clean about his initial intentions and eventual feelings towards Marianne. I think that knowledge helped Marianne feel vindicated in her read of their relationship, even though it didn’t change that it he as over. And his greed helped Marianne dodge a huge bullet, because I agree with Elinor - had he and Marianne married, he would have found something else to regret or be discontented by.

I’m looking forward to continuing my rereads of all Jane Austen’s books this year, as well as reading various adaptations!

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Review: The Jane Austen Society

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A lovely, thoughtful story about found family, mutual support through grief and loss, and how one can truly care for others. Interwoven with the stories of these people all drawn to one another in the small English town of Chawton are meaningful analyses of Jane Austen’s writing and characters, digging deep into why her work has enthralled people for so much time. Whether it’s her humor, sharp social observations, or realistic characters and relationships, there’s something about Austen’s work that continues to draw people in and soothe them, especially during their most challenging times.

I’ve been an Austen fan since I was a child - the first book I remember purchasing with my own money was Pride and Prejudice at age 12 - and am still finding new things to love in her work with every reading. This book has made me want to read them all again right now, and find people to talk about them with as Benjamin and Adelaide, Adam and Mimi, and all the others of the Jane Austen society do. I also love how much focus was given to the importance of maintaining Austen’s literary legacy in one place, in England, but also how that wasn’t as important as the emotional and physical well-being of one of their friends.

This was a delightful book that I happily recommend, especially to those who enjoy Jane Austen’s work or World War 2 era historical fiction.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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Review: It's Elementary

It's Elementary by Elise Bryant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fun and engaging mystery featuring some clever and endearing (if improbably bad at being sneaky) adults as they try to figure out the Mystery of the Missing Principal, collect some sweet reward money, flirt a little, and try not to drown in their busy lives. Oh and not get killed by anyone nefarious. Mavis is incredibly relatable, both her longing to have someone to rely on and her frustration as always being seen as someone dependable but unimportant. Her relationships with everyone around her felt deeply real: there’s her supportive (and occasionally combative) bestie Jasmine; her new snarky mom-friend, Corinne; her new romantic prospect, the dreamy and sweet Jack; her first-love and ex-husband, Corey; and her adorable roomie, her dad.

As for the mystery in this one, I suspected who was behind it all pretty much from the start, but I really enjoyed all the twists we took to get there. It was also great to see someone of the overbearing and gossipy white moms get their due, and to watch Mavis connect with other parents on a more human level. And like Mavis, I sympathize with the “villain’s” situation and reasoning. It’s can be hard to be angry at someone who is doing the wrong things for the right reasons.

I’ve read most of Elise Bryant’s YA fiction previously, and really enjoyed her foray into adult genre fiction - I really hope she keeps writing more mysteries, and that we see more of Mavis in the future! Hopefully, she’ll have kicked that annoying job to the curb and can start focusing on the things she really wants to do - once she figures that out.

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Review: Chef's Kiss

Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So cute and sweet and swoon-worthy. I’m sure many of us can relate to Ben’s predicament - you’ve just graduated from college and you’re looking for a job, and NO one is hiring. And on top of that, you’re not even sure what you want to do in life. Ben found Le Cochon Doré at the perfect time - not only did he meet some fantastic people who encouraged him and built up his confidence, but he found something he was already pretty talented at and also working hard to learn and perfect.

I don’t blame Ben for hiding his new job from his parents, based on the way they react when they find him at the restaurant. That kind of familial pressure is hard to live up to, especially if you’ve been dealing with it your own life. Ben might love writing, but he’s also been forced to focus on it by his driven parents. Learning that he’s actually talented enough to be a real chef instead of just cooking at home, and making friends with Liam and the others, is exactly what he needed. Also, I’m so glad Ben took the time to self-reflect, without the influence of others, on what might make him the most happy. And super glad that he was honest with Liam about his feelings (even if it took a drunken confession he forgot to clue Liam in at first).

In addition to the great story and delicious-looking food, I loved the style and colors of this art! Everyone had so much personality, especially Watson the pig, haha. I hope we get to see more of Ben, Liam, Watson, and the others in the future!

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Review: Stephen Fry's Odyssey

Odyssey by Stephen Fry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fantastically funny and at times heartbreaking retelling of the aftermath of the Trojan war and the journeys home of each of the major players. The primary character is, of course, Odysseus, who takes the longest to make it home, has the most adventures, misses his wife and son the most, and somehow also fathers the most children along the way. But we also hear how other major players faired, from rapist Ajax and daughter-sacrificing Agamemnon to triumphant Menelaus with his Helen and Roman-founding Aeneas.

The gods, of course, are still interfering in frustrating ways, shaping the course of each person’s life (and death) as they see fit and arguing amongst themselves, but for some reason, I am less angered by them in this book. Maybe that’s because I feel like everyone who dies deserves it (other than all the oarsmen and slaves who had no decision making powers and were just along for their labor). Maybe it’s also because the gods themselves discuss how they are become less and less important in the lives of humans, now that there are so many of them, and perhaps it’s time they truly rule themselves.

Either way, I enjoyed this book immensely - Stephen Fry does a great job distilling what could be a confusing mess of storylines into a cohesive, interconnected narrative, drawing from Homer’s Odyssey, of course, but also other ancient sources. Relationships, conversations, and actions are clear, both in their practical and emotional impact and in what they would have meant to people at the time. And as always, I appreciate the frequent footnotes, reminding us of people we’ve met in previous books, as well as the maps in the front and cast of characters in back.

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