I was in the mood for a fun, sexy holiday romance between two charismatic leads & this book did not disappoint! To quote the hero Max, it was a "goddamn delight!"

Max von Hansburg, Baron of Lauden, travels all the way from his home near Eldovia (a fake kingdom from Holiday's previous book in this series, A Princess for Christmas) to meet up with his best friend Marie's fiancée’s best friend, Dani Martinez. Dani, an English professor in NYC, has been dumped by her husband for a much younger women who used to be his student and wants to show up at the university holiday party with a hot, debonair almost-Duke on her arm. This party leads to a friendship between Dani and Max, that eventually takes them to Eldovia for the Christmas wedding of their respective best friends.

To say Dani and Max have fun banter is an understatement. What's even better, behind the jokes "real" issues are addressed. Max's public persona as the "Depraved Duke" or "man-whore" (why, indeed, Dani, do we have to qualify that word with "man" when referencing an actual man's sexual activities?). Dani's repressing of her dreams for her domineering almost-ex. Max's tense family life and his parents' insistence on an arranged marriage. There are plenty of fun holiday nods (The Nutcracker in NYC! Snow angel making in Central Park!), including homages to my favorite movie of all time, Love, Actually. I expected to enjoy this because of the title, but I was pleasantly surprised by the real vulnerabilities expressed by the main characters and how they worked with the support of each other to find their HEA together & as individuals.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @Avonbooks for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this character-driven story. Antonia “Toni” Bennette wants nothing more than to leave small-town PA (and her neglectful parents) and play music…on her terms. No big stardom for her, she just wants to play her classic “Minx” guitar and rock out in Philly. She expected to make the journey with her childhood friend (and crush) Sebastian Quick…until he leaves their hometown without a word. Needing money to realize her dream of becoming part owner of a Philly recording studio, Toni becomes associated with The Lillys, an all-female rock band that’s on the cusp of stardom. Seb happens to be their acting manager. Can these two reconnect and will Toni let him into her heart, after he broke it?

Strong characters, particularly Toni, propel this story. I wish I was more versed in music…I don’t think I got as much out of those parts as I could have. Still, Axelrod, a musician herself, does a great job making it sound thrilling. While the scenes in the present did a great job of showing Toni and Seb’s strong chemistry, I felt like the short past scenes kept their shared childhood traumas from having maximum narrative impact. The members of the Lillys and their strong, female-centered dynamic was another highlight. All in all a rockin’ (if I say that, do I sound old?

I love reading historical fiction, particularly novels that touch upon the darker parts of American history. This story promised that and a strong, female character so I jumped at the chance to read it.

The setting is 1920s Tennessee, where Two Feathers, a Cherokee girl, is a horse-diver at the Glendale Park Zoo. Also working at the zoo are Crawford, a Black man who owns a plantation, and Clive, a WW1 vet haunted by his past. After Two suffers a horrible event while diving, a big secret is revealed and supernatural elements come to the fore. Many themes are touched upon in this book--the desecration of Native American land and lives by white people, Two's struggles with her precarious life as a "famous" Indian, the laws of nature/animal vs. manmade structures/cages, racism, etc. This novel spans only a few months, but the themes it incorporates are many.

When separated out by single storyline, this novel engages and entertains. But when viewed as a whole, it seems to plod along at parts and lack a cohesive tie holding it all together. Is it a romance? A mystery? A commentary on 1920s racism against Native Americans and Black Americans? Is it a ghost story? It doesn't seem to know what the main theme is and suffers for it. I loved the character of Two and really wanted to spend more time with her, instead of other characters that are given a lot of "page" time, but who ultimately don't move the story forward much. Crawford was intriguing as well, but again, his specific experiences with racism weren't explored as much as I would have liked.

The issues this novel brought up regarding the differences between Native American culture and the culture of the white people who took their land and caged their animals were its most interesting parts. I loved how Verble addressed each theme separately. I also enjoyed the character of Two. While relatively quiet and subdued, her strength and passion are still evident. Crawford and Clive intrigued as well. All in all, this novel explores important historical issues in a distinct setting with unique characters. I just would have preferred a bit more cohesiveness and closure.

Much thanks to @NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This expansive family drama from debut author Kirthana Ramisetti follows philanthropist & billionaire Dava Shastri, the matriarch of a big Indian-American family, on her last day alive. Dying of cancer, Dava decides to end her life on her own terms. Before that moment, she alerts the press that she has already died so she can see how she'll be eulogized. She also gathers her children, their partners, and kids at her home off of Long Island. While trapped by a storm, family secrets are revealed and Dava, an Indian woman who yearns for the clout and accomplishments of JD Rockefeller, tries to counteract the media's sensational narratives about her life by inspiring her children & grandchildren to carry on her legacy.

I listened to this audiobook and the narrator, Soneela Nankani, does a wonderful job portraying a large cast. This novel is stuffed with characters, storylines, and conflict. Dava's story, rightly, intrigues above them all...but it's so compelling, I became somewhat bored with all the other characters, who seemed very similar to one another. One other quibble--the story takes place in 2044, but I didn't really get a feel for anything "futuristic" in the details Ramisetti shares in each scene.

That said, Dava is a wonderful character and absolutely the star of this novel. Complex and distinct, she's a force of nature with a complicated core. The stereotypical narrative is reversed--she's the breadwinner and strong personality of her marriage, while her husband is the docile one who handles domestic matters. She makes no apologies for her ambition, which is refreshing. And while she is strong in her convictions, she's still relatable in how vulnerable she becomes when her life nears its end.

I enjoyed this book and the emotive narration by Nankani. Yet, the storylines were still a bit too convoluted for me to be fully invested in the secondary characters and their stories. If you're a fan of messy, dramatic, family-centered novels, you'll absolutely enjoy this debut.

Much thanks to @netgalley and @grandcentral for the #giftedcopies in exchange for an honest review.

As a long-time legal commentator, political campaign staffer, and a member of the Clinton administration, Keith Boykin knows politics. And as a gay, Black man he knows racism and bigotry and their pervasiveness in our political and social landscapes. His latest nonfiction book explores the history of systemic racism in politics and government and offers suggestions on how our country can truly confront and atone for its racist past and realize a future where all are truly equal.

The through-line in all of Boykin's commentary is this: Many white Americans, particularly white men, fear a country where people of color outnumber white people. Due to this fear, they continue to resist and, especially now, actively work against a political landscape and social order where Black Americans are truly equal to whites. As a political insider, Boykin's commentary is peppered with real-life examples of how racism flourished and anti-racism stagnated in various presidential administrations, particularly Bill Clinton, in whose White House he served. Each president, from George H.W. Bush to Donald Trump, is examined based on how they addressed America's racism and how they worked to perpetuate it, combat it, or, in some cases, do both.

Boykin's observations are astute, even if some are ones we've read before. I found his assessments of the Clinton and Obama presidencies particularly enlightening. While Clinton was adept at being the first southern Democrat to appeal to both white and Black voters, he also didn't promote racial equity as much as Boykin had hoped and even passed a crime bill that helped increase the incarceration of Black people. Boykin also believes that, as the first Black president, Obama didn't do as much as he could--and should--have to focus on the concerns of Black Americans. And, as you would expect, Boykin is most critical of Donald Trump and his particular skill at fueling and giving voice to white Americans' resentment of Black advancement (particularly the reality of America having a Black president).

Boykin is passionate about politics, which comes across very clearly in his personable, accessible writing. The narrative, does, at times, seem a little disorganized and convoluted, particularly a portion that has the reader imagine a future America (as enticing as that America is!). Yet, when Boykin wraps up the book with suggestions on how to make true progress and "fix" America, the reader is left both more informed and hopeful.

Much thanks to @NetGalley and @boldtypebooks for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

In her debut nonfiction book, Dereka Purnell, an organizer, lawyer & writer, offers a bold & provocative stance: Ending police and prison violence through an abolitionist framework. Purnell addresses this hot-button topic with historical assessment and her own activist experiences.

Purnell's passionate about her believes, but also honest about how they originated. What's refreshing about Purnell is how, through reading and experience, her own critical assessments of our country and its justice system have changed over time. While controversial, Purnell's beliefs are rooted in her own experiences on the ground in Ferguson, MI during the post-Michael-Brown protests and her extensive travel around the globe to learn how other countries address justice. She doesn't just say, "Don't do this," or "Let's end this." After discussing the history of police violence against Black people and their mass incarcerations, she also assesses how the "fixes" our government has implemented--police dept. reform (and its cost to taxpayers), the jailing of police (when it actually does happen), and use of body cameras--work..or don't. All in all her suggestions--and the process through which she came to them--are very detailed, supported, and intriguing. Her writing is conversational yet her passion for this subject absolutely comes through.

If you're interested in reading about bold ideas about and historical assessment of social justice issues, this book is a great resource.