I am so behind on ARC reviews and I am fairly confident I will never catch up. However, here are three books that I think a lot of people will love that I’m delighted to tell you about my perspective on. I did receive e-ARCs of Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter and Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo via Netgalley, but I received an ARC of Shucked from Kate Canterbary who has been very patiently waiting for me to actually finalize a review. Oops. But here it is! And the good news is that all three of these books are available for you to read right now!
Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter
I used to really dislike second chance romances because I’ve been cynical about whether or not relationships deserve a second chance since, oh, I don’t know, I was 18. But then one of my best friends married a man she’d dated and broken up with because in the interim years, they’d both grown up and knew what they wanted. And slowly, over time, my position on second chance romances has really softened. But this book… Well, it brought all of those feelings rushing right on back. Because here’s the thing, abandonment is the one thing that I’m just really not sure I can forgive. And you might be saying, well, Jenica, it’s not your relationship. And you’re correct. But you know, it’s not a lot of fun to read a romance where the whole time you’re agreeing with the side characters who are telling Leo to get the f**k back out of town. Because when this man left, HE LEFT. You know?
So, here’s the thing. This book, it was not for me. But it DEFINITELY could be for you. What it has going for it is the angst, the well-developed side-characters, the Black history in the Greenbelt of South Carolina. It is honestly really well done for all that it IS, but at the end of the day, I just can’t get behind this book as a romance, which is why it took me a month and a half to read.
You might be wondering what this book is actually about as I’ve just rambled my personal opinions at you for two paragraphs… Right. So, essentially, Mira wins the lottery and that’s amazing because Mira and her momma, Patrice, are poor. Like, living paycheck to paycheck, but even then just barely scraping by, kind of poor. Anyway, Mira goes and talks to a financial advisor who is like, “So no one has a claim on this money, right? No husband?” And then she’s like, “Oh, time to actually finalize my divorce.” Because Leo bounced a LONG time ago and she hasn’t seen him since. But one call where all he gets from it is Mira saying “I need you,” and Leo’s on her front stoop trying to win her back. It’s a lot about the side characters too, though. Anyway, y’all already know my thoughts so moving on to Family Lore.
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
I finished this book nearly a month ago and still have no idea how to put my thoughts into words. Ultimately, I read this book physically and that was probably a mistake because although Acevedo’s words are stunning on their own, her narration has always brought her books to life for me in a way that my eyeballs and brain are ill-equipped to manage. But for me, the part that I think has left me so uncertain about how to think about this book is that I’m still not really sure I understand what the purpose of this book was. It’s told from multiple perspectives, arguably too many, although I followed and mostly kept them all straight and separate from one another, and tells the story of the lives of these three sisters and some of their children in the lead up to (and thinking back on their history) Flo’s living wake. There’s magic that’s interesting and I liked that part a lot. But ultimately, I think this is just one of those literary fiction books that has me going, “Oh, pretty writing! But, what did I just read?”
It’s a departure from her YA books where even if they are slice of life, they are also always coming of age novels and are about these young women coming into their own. And perhaps here, in Family Lore if there had been slightly fewer perspectives, we could have had more of that? But honestly, I appreciate this book for what it is, but I’m not sure I get it. That said, I definitely think you should pick it up because Acevedo IS a stunning writer and the worlds she creates, although contemporary in setting, are lush and full of people that feel real.
Shucked by Kate Canterbary
Essentially, this book is about Sunny and Beckett. Sunny is as sunshine-y as her name would suggest, though she’s got quite a sharp tongue for Beckett, her brother’s best friend and his partner in crime who used to torment Sunny. Beckett is so buttoned up. He has so many responsibilities and he is back in Friendship because his parents are under investigation for money laundering and someone (HE) needs to keep the restaurant running and take care of his youngest brother, and also manage the legal defense of his parents. He is shocked to find Sunny all grown up and the owner of the new vegan restaurant next door.
I loved these characters pretty immediately. They’re wonderful. There is such a full cast of characters and this town is so incredibly full of queer and poly people just living their lives. I loved that aspect so much because it’s just so casual. But what I really loved is the banter between Sunny and Beckett. Sometimes there felt like there was too much going on in the background with all of these side characters, but the way I gasped in delight when Noah and Shay made their brief cameos and when the firm in DC was mentioned… I mean, I love the Canterbary universe so much. Ultimately, while not my absolute favorite Canterbary, it’s another that I would definitely recommend! (In case you’re wondering, my heart will always and forever belong to the triplets. Just saying.)
Closing Thoughts
Have you read any of these books? I would love to hear your thoughts!!
xx
firewhiskeyreader 