Book Reviews by Roundtable Reviews

Release Date - April 2015

Tilia Klebenov Jacobs
Linden Tree Press

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

I loved Tilia Klebenov Jacob's Wrong Place, Wrong Time. Give that, I was eager to read Second Helpings at the Serve You Right Cafe. Sadly, I didn't find this one anywhere near as appealing or enjoyable.

Eden Rose owns the Serve You Right Cafe and her employee, Emet First, has a bit of a past that, for some, makes him a less than desirable character. Emet served almost 10 years in prison, but he's thriving at the coffee shop and is making many friends. Unfortunately, the brother of the woman he just dated is determined to ruin Emet's life, and Emet has to carefully watch his every move if he wants to stay out of prison.

Let's start with the fact that it was supposed to be a romantic novella. It is a short read at just about 200 pages. As for the romance, I just didn't see much basis at all for a romance. There was a date that led to the possibility of a romance, but…

Release Date - February 24, 2015

Sarah Morgan
HQN Books

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

She's lost her job, her long-time boyfriend dumped her, and the cherry on top is that her estranged half-sister is dead and made Emily Donovan guardian to a six year old. Emily wants nothing to do with a child. She's not cut out to be mommy material, but right now, her focus is getting the child to safety. As Emily's half-sister was a Hollywood starlet, the paparazzi are hot on Emily's heels. Keeping Juliet away from their prying eyes is her number one concern.

Taking up her friend's offer of a summer cottage on Maine's Puffin Island, Emily hopes the little girl will be safe. She never expects to gain the attentions of a local business owner, Ryan Cooper. It isn't long before Juliet (now called Lizzy for her safety) is longing for a solid family life with Ryan and Emily living happily ever after. Emily, however, is just out of one bad relationship and wants nothing to do …

Release Date - February 2015

Rick Mofina
MIRA

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

When teens come across a woman on fire, police never expect the case to take a very dark turn. In the hospital, the badly burned, dying woman tells the lead detective "there are others." Soon enough, a second body is found. What appears to be a murder-suicide becomes a journey into a madman's mind as more bodies appear.

For journalist Kate Page, the case becomes a priority. Two decades earlier, Kate's parents died. She and her sister were with foster parents when the car they were traveling in went off the road and into the river. Kate's sister was never found. Now, her sister's necklace has turned up at the first crime scene. Her gut instinct that her sister survived now seems to have validity. As police refuse to share more information, Kate decides to look into the murders, the disappearance of a girl who would have been around her sister's age, and see if she cannot unravel t…

Release Date - June 2015

Laura Nicole Diamond
She Writes Press

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

Following the tragic death of her infant daughter, Sarah Shaw is lost. Though, years later, she has two sons, she cannot move past the loss of her daughter. She walks a thin line between depression and trying to cope with being a wife and mother. One day, she spies a homeless woman pushing a stroller. The urge to help this woman becomes overwhelming, even if it means keeping a secret from her husband. When the young, homeless mother needs help, Sarah realizes how far she will go to help a virtual stranger, no matter what the consequences may be.

Shelter Us is told entirely from Sarah's point of view. This makes it easy for the reader to identify with Sarah and the choices she makes. It's definitely a roller coaster ride of a story. You may agree with Sarah's decisions or you may not, but you'll definitely get why she does the things she does.

On a more personal level, I lost a …

Release Date - March 2015 (Reissue)

James Beard
Open Road Media

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

James Beard was a talented chef, if you did not already know. If you haven't picked up any of his cookbooks, you're doing yourself an injustice. Personally, I think anyone who cooks should have a copy of The James Beard Cookbook. It's a comprehensive cookbook that covers every category possible and offers more tips than you could ever imagine.

The James Beard Cookbook is ideal for beginners, as it covers the basics like cooking an egg, which anyone should be able to do. It covers measurements, the equipment you should have in your kitchen, and important terminology. It goes into harder cooking techniques, too, such as cooking crepes or squabs. You'll find recipes for everything: meats, vegetables, desserts, appetizers, soups, breads, salads, fruits, seafood, dressings, and sauces.

Release Date - June 23, 2015

Patti Callahan Henry
St. Martins Press

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

I've read other Patti Callahan Henry books and loved every second of them. With The Idea of Love, I admit I struggled a bit more. However, given my past experiences with her books, I kept reading because I knew I was missing something.

Hunter Adderman, aka Hollywood screenwriter Blake Hunter,  is in a small coastal South Carolina town posing as a writer of history books. His last couple of movies were flops, and he's trying to find that one idea that screams blockbuster.

Ella Flynn, a local salesperson, spins a tale with Hunter/Blake about being a widow. She says her husband drowned trying to retrieve her hat that fell into the ocean. The truth is that her husband left her for her best friend's sister, but she'd rather have people believe she's a widow.

As the two get to know each other, they continue spinning their lies. They figure this is a brief romance, but soon …

Release Date - July 7, 2015

Lara Avery
Poppy

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

She had the best of intentions. Kelsey Maxfield and her identical twin sister Michelle seem to have it all. Kelsey is a talented dancer, captain of her high school's dance team, and girlfriend to a college student. Michelle is a talented artist, a bit more of a rebel, and dating Peter, a young man who is about to be deployed. Kelsey's world shatters when Michelle dies in a car accident.

When letters from Peter arrive, Kelsey realizes she needs to tell him the truth. One night, when he calls Michelle, Kelsey sits down in front of the computer to reveal Michelle's death. However, she cannot bring herself to do it. Especially not when Peter says Michelle is the reason he's able to keep going. Instead, Kelsey begins to pose as Michelle, knowing someday she'll have to break his heart and tell the truth.

A Million Miles Away is a gripping read. While the reader knows what Kelsey is doing is wrong,…

Release Date - July 7, 2015

David Bell
NAL

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

It's just supposed to be a shopping trip. Nick Hansen is picking up the typical bachelor fare when he sees a woman who looks exactly like his former girlfriend, a woman who died in a tragic fire. He calls her name, and the woman drops everything she's carrying and runs off. Nick is stunned. Worse, police arrive the next morning to question him. The woman is dead, and Nick's name and address were found in her pocket.

Now the prime suspect in a baffling murder, With police focusing on him, he teams up with a college friend to discover the truth. Could his girlfriend possibly have survived the fire? If so, why has she remained hidden for 20 years?

Somebody I Used to Know is a book I read in one sitting. I had to know. I had my suspicions on what was really going on, though I was wrong, but it was still a delightful mystery that kept me on my toes. Nick's a really nice guy, that is clear from the star…

Release Date - May 2015

Neil Smith
Vintage

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

Boo is just 13 when he dies. He's always had a weak heart, so his death is understandable. He doesn't remember much of it. He was at his locker, studying the periodic table as usual, and the next thing he knows is he is in a strange bed, learning he is dead and in "Town," a place where all 13 year olds go when they die.

Town is an unusual place. He soon learns that everyone lives in their own realm filled only with people of the same age. As he settles in, another of his classmates appears with shocking news. Together, they set off to unravel the truth about their deaths.

So many books have a similar plot, and this can make it hard to get into some books. Boo is so unique that I dove in and couldn't stop reading. It's part teen fiction, part paranormal perhaps, but there's also the perplexing mystery regarding how the boys died that was the main attention-getter for me.

I definitely…

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Release Date - July 2013

Sam Ryan
Hazel Mitchell
Mascot Books

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

One night, young Roshi awakens to find the moon is much larger, much more colorful, and much lower in the sky than usual. Quietly, he tiptoes outside, gets his net, and sets off to capture the moon. Catching the moon is not quite as easy as he imagined, however.

Luna Luna is a cute children's book. It has some more challenging vocabulary for the advancing reader, such as words like "beckoned," "triumph," or "whither." But, with the pictures and length, I think it would be a great option for a child who is learning to read.

The illustrations are striking and capture the soothing feeling that a moonlit night does bring to many. Paired with the story, this is a book I'm glad I discovered and recommend it to parents and their children.

Release Date - April 2015

Nancy Atherton
Viking

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

It's been a while, but I have read a couple books from the Aunt Dimity series in the past and really enjoyed them. My aunt, however, was a huge fan and read the series over and over. I've always liked the thought of having much of the series revolve around the magical conversations between Lori and Aunt Dimity. I also know and love the appeal of life in a small British town, after all, my mom and her sisters all came from a tourist town on the North Sea coastline.

There's something weird going on in Finch. Cottages that are up for sale are sitting empty for far too long. Lori Shepherd cannot understand why, and with some gentle prodding from Aunt Dimity, she's going to look into it. After meeting a charming recluse who calls himself the Summer King, Lori is enamored. It isn't long, however, before she begins to suspect that this charming, friendly recluse, along with the help of a local …

Release Date - May 2015

Frann Preston-Gannon
Pavilion

Book Review by Bob Walch

Here’s a simple board book for youngsters just beginning to discover the joy of turning pages and looking at picture books. Large, colorful illustrations of sea creatures are featured in this counting book that only goes up to “five”.
First, the child will discover a large Blue Whale followed by two green sea turtles and three Grey Dolphins. Finally there are four seahorses and five starfish plus a concluding page of a school of small fish.
This book will work nicely with children up to about the age of two or perhaps three who are ready to identify the pictured critters as well as beginning counting. I like the book because the pages are easy for little fingers to turn so the youngster can begin to get a feel for handling a book without adult assistance.  

Release Date - March 2015 (Reissue)

James Beard
Open Road Media

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

Here is the cookbook that I'll be happy to say is my choice for "best of" so far in 2015. Yes, this is a reissue, but I'm betting many readers and cookbook addicts have missed it over the years. Delights & Prejudices is more than a cookbook, it's a story, a look at a man who made a name for himself in the culinary world. It's a book that I will be buying for my keeper shelf.

Part memoir, part cookbook, Delights & Prejudices shares Beard's recounts of his childhood. His mother's roles as cooks for area hotels and her progression to eventually owning her own hotel. He also discusses Let, his mother's Asian chef, a woman who helped raise him. Many of the recipes he shares in the cookbook/memoir are Let's recipes.

There are things that really hit home with me while reading Beard's book. First, I totally agree with him that home fries are some…

Release Date - January 2015

Matthew Reilly
Gallery Books

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

When anything says something along the lines of "in the tradition of Jurassic Park," you're going to have my attention. The book and movie are among my favorites and something I made sure to own. With The Great Zoo of China, I get the comparison, but there really is no comparison beyond the "creatures we didn't know existed now exist and are about to prove mankind a thing or two."

China's kind of tired of living in the United States' shadow, and they've finally found the thing they need to get them noticed - dragons. Dragons are real and they're about to put them on display for the world. Before the world can see them, however, a group of VIPs are asked to come tour the new "zoo" for themselves. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?

There's the premise in a nutshell. Does it deliver? Yes. I actually found myself engrossed, but it never gri…

Release Date - May 2015

Cynthia Ruchti
Abingdon Press

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

Living on a remote island on Lake Michigan seems to be exactly what Emmalyn Ross needs. Her husband's in jail, her dreams of becoming a mother are in tatters, and all she wants is to start anew in a place that no one knows her. She sells their home and turns her focus to restoring a waterfront hunting cottage.

It's on the island that Emmalyn begins to realize what she really wants. With the guidance of the quirky owner of Wild Inn and Cafe, Emmalyn's new life begins to take shape. And it's about to lead her down paths she never imagined.

First, this novel has Christian tones, which I wasn't aware of until I was into the book. I liked the characters, but I was baffled as to why Emmalyn's dreams of becoming a mother were over just because of what her husband did to wind up in jail. That's a key theme in the book and one I could never quite wrap my head around. Despite that ni…

Release Date - June 1, 2015

Jed Ringel
About Face Press

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

In Stuck in the Passing Lane, author Jed Ringel recounts his attempts at dating following his divorce. Rather than fall into the same patterns that led to his lengthy, yet failed marriage, he goes outside his comfort zone and begins dating women the newly-single Jewish man would usually avoid. Sometimes it leads to some very humorous moments that will have readers snickering.

Honestly, I found myself less entranced with the dating trials and tribulations than with Jed's interactions with his daughters. It was those moments when I found myself feeling emotionally involved in the story. Perhaps, my disinterest in the dating aspect was because I'm happily married and have been for almost 24 years, so I just haven't been in Jed's shoes for a long, long time.

In the end, I feel that Stuck in the Passing Lane will appeal to those who understand the ins and outs of dating in today's wo…