JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Girl in the Rearview Mirror by Kelsey Rae Dimberg

Desperate to put her past in the rearview mirror, Finn Hunt leaves the Midwest for Phoenix, Arizona, where no one knows her story.

While she’s working a dead-end job, a chance meeting with Philip Martin, son of a prominent US Senator, leads Finn to a position as nanny for Amabel, his precocious four-year-old daughter. Quickly seduced into the Martins’ privileged world, Finn can almost believe she belongs there, almost forget the dark past that haunts her.

Then, in the stifling heat of a desert summer as the Senator’s re-election looms, a strange woman begins to follow Finn, claiming a connection to Philip and threatening to expose the family to scandal. As Finn tries to protect Amabel, and shield the Martins, she’s inadvertently drawn deeper and deeper into their buried secrets.

The family trusts Finn, for now, but it will only take one mistake for everything she holds dear – the Martins’ world, her new life – to fall apart . . .

Girl in the Rearview Mirror by Kelsey Rae Dimberg is a mystery thriller novel about privilege, power, family and expectation. Set in Arizona, twenty-something Finn works as a babysitter for a very high profile family and she quickly finds herself entangled in a dangerous web of lies.

The family that Finn nannies for — the Martins — are rich and very powerful. Philip Martin is the son of a prominent U.S senator, and there’s nothing they can’t buy their way out of. No scandal they can’t weasel their way out of. No undesirable blackmailer they can’t pay off or make ‘disappear’.

When a woman shows up claiming to hold a secret that could destroy the Martins’ lives, Finn tries desperately to fix the situation before it implodes. But has she bitten off more than she can chew? Will she just make the situation worse?

“Marina would never miss her own party. She wouldn’t retreat from Philip Martin and let Iris have him. Yet that’s exactly what she was doing…I could tell her I knew about Iris. Offer to help. But knowing of my involvement would make her quiver. If she found out I’d know for days, she’d fire me on the spot.”

Initially, the pacing is incredibly slow. The first third of the book doesn’t move fast enough to grab the reader’s attention, and you have to hope the reader continues to invest in the storyline. Girl in the Rearview Mirror is a fantastic read, but the beginning had me bored.

Finn’s mysterious and secretive past isn’t really mentioned until the second half of the book and I couldn’t really see how her past and present were going to link. And the first third of the book is all about Finn’s babysitting, and the world of US politics — two things that I found pretty boring.

“I put together their childhood in pieces: the album, the anecdotes Philip let slip, Bryant’s longer knowledge of the tension between Philip and his father, and something else — a feeling I had of knowing Philip.”

Finn’s paranoia grows over the course of the novel — she’s an unreliable narrator. She second guesses everything and questions every moment. She embarks on some rather absurd (and unbelievable) investigatory trips. At times, she’s incredibly naive and really rather stupid. It’s super obvious that *spoiler alert* her boyfriend is drugging her at night and I’m pretty sure she realises it and yet she just keeps on downing the drinks that he makes for her and then she’s really ‘surprised’ when she wakes up the next morning feeling rubbish. It’s hard to sympathise for her and her situation when she’s so clueless.

Kelsey builds tension really well, revealing little snippets of information and secrets to intrigue you even more and pull you in further. There are plenty of plot points that I didn’t see coming. Sometimes with crime novels, the structure of the plot can be fairly predictable, but I honestly didn’t know where this one was going and so I was more than happy to keep reading.

“The redhead observed us, arms crossed, and I swore she was smirking. She was older than I’d guessed at the fair, early twenties, maybe. Even in the shadow of her hat, her skin was pale, almost opalescent. Against it, her hair was bright as a flag.”

The writing is sleek and sophisticated, the characters all unique and dynamic. Girl in the Rearview Mirror highlights issues of wealth and privilege, and how those two things can mean a lot of collateral damage for a lot of innocent people.

Recommended for fans of mysteries, crime and thrillers. Stick with the book, because the first 100 pages may be a struggle, but the effort is worth it in the end.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Girl in the Rearview Mirror
Kelsey Rae Dimberg
July 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

REVIEW AND AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Relic by Bronwyn Eley

In the city of Edriast, there is no deadlier duty than to serve as the Shadow.

As the personal servant of the powerful Lord Rennard, the Shadow’s life is all but forfeit. Rennard possesses one of five rare and dangerous Relics – a jewel that protects his bloodline, but slowly poisons everyone else in its proximity. When the current Shadow succumbs to its magic, nineteen-year-old blacksmith Kaylan is summoned to take his place.
It’s an appointment that will kill her.

As the time Kaylan has left ebbs away, hope begins to fade… That is, until she discovers a plot to destroy all five bloodlines in possession of the Relics.

A rebel force plans to put an end to Rennard’s rule and Kaylan suddenly finds herself embroiled in a cause that might just be worth fighting for.  But no cause is without its costs…

As her life hangs in the balance and rebellion bears down on Edriast, Kaylan must decide where her loyalties lie – and how she’ll leave her mark on the world.

Relic by Bronwyn Eley is the first novel in the dark YA fantasy series, The Relic Trilogy. Set in the fictional city of Edriast, teenager Kaylan is selected as the new Shadow — a cursed role serving Lord Rennard, that guarantees imminent death.

Bronwyn’s debut novel is an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the premise, and the characters, and the pacing. At times, I felt the stakes weren’t that high but I still think fantasy readers will be entertained by this debut story. The relationship between Lord + Shadow is an interesting one, and certainly something that readers will be intrigued to find out more about.

“I flinched when Lirr’s hand rested on my lower back, firmly pressed against me as I tried to back away from his approach. I didn’t look at her, though, keeping my focus on Rennard. When he stopped, he was so close I could smell the heavy wine on his breath, so strong it was as if the fumes were pouring out of his skin.”

Friendships and alliances are a strong element in this book. Kaylan forms connections with a few other people whilst living as the Shadow, including Lord Rennard’s wife Jesper, and the delightful Markus.

Family is also a strong element in this book. Kaylan is really close with her family, particularly her siblings. It pains her to leave them behind when she is chosen as the new Shadow and she does her best to try and reconnect with them and check in on them after she’s left. It’s a heartwarming element to the story.

A few of the characters didn’t feel like they were fully fleshed out — Lord Rennard is an interesting character, although I didn’t feel like he was as three-dimensional as he could’ve been. I imagine we’ll come to know more about him and his motivations as we progress through the series. Additionally, Bellamy is a character we only hear about from other people. We don’t fully understand his intentions — good or bad — but I imagine this is setting things up for the sequel.

“Pride flourished in my chest briefly, suddenly replaced by a dark knot. In doing my job, I was helping Lord Rennard get one step closer to Bellamy. And what did I know about him? Nothing. Lord Rennard had put me in the middle of a dance without me knowing any of the steps.”

Kaylan is a relatable character that readers will sympathise for and empathise with. She’s a likeable character — a young girl who has been thrust into an unfortunate situation that she can’t do anything about. And it has a huge ripple effect on the rest of her family and friends.

At times, we’re dealing with an unreliable narrator and that’s always a welcome and enjoyable element in the fantasy genre. Over time, Kaylan’s mind falls victim to being Shadow and Kaylan can’t tell what’s real and what’s not. As a result, sometimes the reader is in the dark about the events in the book. This helps build the tension in the story,

“Better to come clean now, tell him why I wouldn’t be attending the celebration as a guest. Remove that look from his eyes. Quell any hopes of dancing under the stars with me. It couldn’t happen. And yet, I couldn’t stand the idea of those eyes turning cold and sorry.”

The world-building feels a little underdeveloped, and the plot points a little similar to many other fantasy novels. And the pacing is a bit slow in parts. But, the story kept my attention and the characters are interesting and I think YA readers will be entertained by this debut.

Rebellion is mentioned a lot in this book, but we don’t ever get to see any acts of rebellion. I look forward to the next book in the series, where the tension between Bellamy and Lord Rennard will no doubt reach boiling point.

Recommended for teenage readers and fans of fantasy novels. 12+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Relic
Bronwyn Eley
September 2019
Talem Press

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH BRONWYN ELEY

How do you juggle full-time work and writing?

Quite easily, honestly! I actually have three jobs (including my authoring) – my full-time work at Booktopia and I’m also a barista on Sundays at a cafe. Basically, I leave work and go to sport and then sit my butt down in front of the computer with some yummy snacks and beautiful instrumental music and just write! I always write after work and on the weekends, never in the morning before work. I don’t know how people do that – I like sleeping!

What skills from the military helped you write fantasy?

I’m not sure if my skills from the military helped write fantasy specifically but it helped writing in general. This is because I am a much harder worker now than I used to be. Being in the military got me to used long working days and that’s what writing with a full-time job is! It also showed me that I can do and be a lot more than I think. It made me believe in myself, so if I’m ever having a long day and finding it hard to write after work, I just remind myself of all the crazy and incredible and hard things I got through in the military. Then I think that sitting in front of a computer with some tasty snacks doesn’t sound too bad after all!

What element of novel writing do you think is your biggest strength?

Finishing the novel? Haha. Seriously, though, I am good at getting the words down on the page. Sometimes too many words! I’m definitely a waffler. I also like to think that I’m good at dialogue, that it comes across as natural.

What element of novel writing do you most struggle with?

Condensing my word count! As previously stated, I am a waffler and having to cut unnecessary words and scenes – or condensing them – is really challenging for me. Luckily, my wonderful editor is a total badass when it comes to this!

Working at Booktopia must give you an insight into another side of publishing that most people don’t see. What benefits do you think there are to writers knowing more about the publishing and/or bookselling process?

Great question! Working at Booktopia has been both a blessing and a curse in this regard. It’s great knowing the backend of the book publishing process: the realities of selling books, of becoming a bestseller, of what interests the booksellers, of how enormous the demand is – all incredibly helpful knowledge. On the other hand, it sometimes makes me wonder if there is even a point in me trying to make this work. So many books don’t even make a tiny splash, while others explode.

I do think it would benefit writers to understand how their books are processed – from the suppliers to the bookstores – and if they can help the process along. It’s also just really interesting! Seeing the trends and the people behind the books… it’s an interesting little world!

The fantasy genre is often filled with a lot of familiar tropes, storylines and characteristics. How do you craft your writing to either avoid or embrace these common elements?

I start by reading a lot of books in the fantasy genre in order to know these tropes and elements. I then decide which elements I don’t like – which is easy for me – and avoid them like the plague. On the other hand, if some moment or character in a book sticks with me, I make sure to investigate why it did so. I don’t want to force anything into one of my stories that doesn’t feel natural or right but if I can include/avoid these tropes then I will.

What can we expect from the next book in the series?

I’m going to avoid spoiling things from book one but I’m so glad you asked this question. I love book two, despite it still needing a lot of TLC. It’s all about stepping forth into the world and experiencing everything for the first time. Kaylan has a lot of challenges ahead of her and she is going to come to understand things she never thought she would.

There are a few new characters – two who I love to write so much and I really think readers are going to adore both of these people.

RELIC, Bronwyn Eley’s debut fantasy novel, is slated for release September 12.

About the author
Bronwyn joined the military right out of high school, where she learnt (among other things) to disassemble and reassemble a rifle blindfolded. After that she spent a lot of her time travelling around the world. Her favourite places (so far) are Scotland, Mongolia, Iceland and Ireland.

Bronwyn finally found her natural habitat when she landed her first job in the publishing industry. While she has always been a writer, it was only when surrounding herself with books that she realised her life’s dream was to become an author. Relic is her first novel.
Bronwyn lives in Sydney and spends her time eating chocolate, reading and practising her martial arts.

You add Relic to Goodreaders HERE, and visit Bronwyn’s website HERE

Matters of the Heart by Fiona Palmer

A classic love story about manners, men and modern romance.

Western Australia, 2019: The Bennets are a farming family struggling to make ends meet. Lizzy, passionate about working the land, is determined to save the farm. Spirited and independent, she has little patience for her mother’s focus on finding a suitable man for each of her five daughters.

When the dashing Charles Bingley, looking to expand his farm holdings, buys the neighbouring property of Netherfield Park, Mrs Bennet and the entire district of Coodardy are atwitter with gossip and speculation. Will he attend the local dance and is he single? These questions are soon answered when he and Lizzy’s sister Jane form an instant connection on the night. But it is Charlie’s best friend, farming magnate Will Darcy, who leaves a lasting impression when he slights Lizzy, setting her against him.

Can Lizzy and Will put judgements and pride aside to each see the other for who they really are? Or in an age where appearance and social media rule, will prejudice prevail?

Matters of the Heart by Fiona Palmer is a modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice, set in farmlands in rural Western Australia.

Lizzy Bennet’s family have owned and run Longbourn for decades, and they’re not about to let a few rough years of drought force them to sell up and leave the town.

Charles Bingley, his sister Caroline Bingley, and his best friend Will Darcy soon arrive to the area after Charles buys the expensive neighbouring property Netherfield. If you’re familiar with Pride and Prejudice, you’ll know what comes next.

Despite the twenty-first century Australian setting, Matters of the Heart follows Pride and Prejudice pretty similarly. There are a few slight tweaks to the storyline, and some accelerations in pacing, but other than that, it’s pretty loyal to the original story. Any devoted fan of Pride and Prejudice – like me – will enjoy another fresh retelling of the classic tale.

“Ken Collins was shorter than Lizzy by half a head, and his hair was thick and black, resembling that of a Lego-man. He wore a leather belt with a shiny buckle as if he’d been a rodeo champ in his day. If you let him talk long enough he’d tell you about the time he rode a bucking bronco.”

The rural Australian setting was a nice touch to the story, and allowed us to see the Bennet family as a struggling but stoic unit. They’re supportive, compassionate, and they bond over the tough times they’ve had on the farm in previous years. The sisters are all vastly different – like in Pride and Prejudice – but they support one another and the older girls are a positive influence on the younger ones.

I did wonder if more creative liberties could’ve been taken, and if the storyline could’ve drifted a bit more from the original source. I love Pride and Prejudice, but I felt like I knew exactly where the story was going and so I didn’t feel a huge range of emotions when reading the book. I would’ve like a bit more of a difference between the book, and its source.

“You can’t save them all, her dad had said when she was six and saw her first mauled lamb. It’s nature; that lamb has fed a family of birds. It was a rough way to learn about the cycle of life, but in farming there was no shying away from it.”

This book showcases strong, independent women. Lizzie plans to take over Longbourn from her father and she is already running a lot of the operations on the farm. She’s capable, confident and she’s incredibly smart.

Lizzie is used to men assuming she doesn’t know what she’s doing. She’s used to being questioned about who will run the farm after her father passes. But she’s sure of herself, and she doesn’t let others sway her opinion. She’s feisty and she’s fun, and her romance with Will Darcy is really heartwarming. I enjoyed reading about their blossoming romance — their quirks and their clashes, and their respect for each other.

There are moments of humour scattered throughout the book. Ken Collins is ridiculous and clueless, just like his inspiration. Kitty and Lydia are overdramatic and self-centred, but they bring a smile to your face, and Will and Lizzie have incredible chemistry on the page that you can’t help but adore.

“The top envelope was addressed to Jane and Lizzy. The invitation was fancy, handmade with care, but Lizzy couldn’t imagine Charlie or Caroline making them. Probably paid someone to do them. Across the top it read Bingley Barbecue.”

I recommend this to Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen fans, although be aware the story doesn’t venture outside the original plot-lines quite like I’d expected.

Fans of romance will enjoy this, as will any Australian reader interested in rural settings or books set amongst farmland. Matters of the Heart reminded me of McLeod’s Daughters — strong women showing men how capable they can be on their own.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Matters of the Heart
Fiona Palmer
September 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

The Chain by Adrian McKinty

VICTIM. KIDNAPPER. CRIMINAL. You will become each one. You are now part of the chain. Don’t break the chain.

The morning starts like any other. Rachel Klein drops her daughter, Kylie, at the bus stop and heads into her day. But then a phone call changes everything. A woman has Kylie bound and gagged in her back seat, and the only way Rachel will ever see her again is if she pays a ransom – and kidnaps another child. The caller is a mother herself, whose son has also been abducted, and if Rachel doesn’t do exactly as she’s told, both children will die. Rachel is now part of a terrifying scheme – The Chain.

The rules are simple: find the money, find your victim, and then commit a horrible act you’d have thought yourself incapable of just 24 hours ago. Rachel is an ordinary woman, but over the coming days she will be pushed beyond ordinary limits to save her daughter. What the anonymous masterminds behind The Chain know is that parents will do anything for their children. But what they don’t know is that they may have met their match.

Can Rachel be the one person to finally break The Chain?

The Chain by Adrian McKinty is a thrilling crime novel about a large-scale kidnapping scheme involving children.

The premise is pretty simple to grasp. Kidnap another child to save your own child. But don’t tell anyone. You tell anyone, you try to call the police, and you’ll be found out and your child will be murdered.

The premise of the novel is, of course, absurd. Someone has to kidnap a child in order to save their own child, and this ‘chain’ has been going on for years and everyone has kept their mouth shut? Obviously wacky and crazy premise, and I totally loved it — a fun read, an engrossing read, and it’s really easy to finish this novel in the one day.

“She thinks about her mom. Her mom will be worried sick. She’ll go to pieces. She isn’t as strong as she pretends to be. It hasn’t even been a year since she finished her chemo. And her dad — her dad’s awesome but maybe not the most dependable guy in the world.”

The Chain explores the lengths that a parent will go to in order to save their child — what they’ll sacrifice, who they’ll sacrifice, and what they’ll pay in ransom.

Adrian McKinty is skilled at crafting characters who we grow to like and sympathise for. Rachel has overcome cancer once before but it looks like her breast cancer has returned. She’s divorced from her husband, she’s not wealthy, and now her only child — Kylie — has been kidnapped. Rachel must transfer a large sum of money as a ransom, but she must also kidnap someone else’s child to keep ‘The Chain’ going. She must now assume the role of kidnapper.

Rachel doesn’t think she’s capable of doing that — can she really commit that kind of crime? But as we learn in the book, parents are capable of almost anything to save their child, and Rachel is not the only one. The Chain has been going on for years.

This novel is not just about Rachel and Kylie. Through flashbacks, we come to understand the people behind The Chain, and how their childhood and their adult lives led them to create a dangerous and risky kidnapping ring. The POV shift is a fascinating method of building tension.

“Kylie waits until she thinks it’s very late, but naturally she has no way of telling the time. No iPhone, no iPad, no Mac. No watch, of course, but who wears a watch these days?”

Two weaknesses in the book are dialogue and inner dialogue. I don’t think Adrian has captured an accurate female voice — younger or older — in Rachel and Kylie. Rachel comes across a little over the top, too flowery and cringe-y, and Kylie comes off as older and beyond her teenage years. Kylie’s voice often doesn’t match the voice of teenager, and many times throughout the novel, she’s just a little too self-aware for someone her age.

Additionally, some of the interactions don’t quite add up. Rachel is divorced from her ex-husband, but they still talk like they’re emotionally close, and despite his relationships with younger women, he seems to still care about her a little too much for an ex-husband. It comes across as loving and doting, which doesn’t quite add up to the rest of his characterisation as an unreliable, flaky Dad who is always dating a newer, younger girlfriend.

“The Hampton Mall is the perfect place to buy burner phones. She slides the car into a spot in the parking lot, opens up the trunk, and rummages around looking for Kylie’s Red Sox cap…she finds the cap, puts it on, and pulls it low over her face.”

The ending of the book is unrealistic, jolty and a little clunky, but by then you’re so hooked by the story that you don’t really care. Fans of psychological thrillers and crime novels will love this book.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Chain
Adrian McKinty
July 2019
Hachette Publishers

Somewhere Close to Happy by Lia Louis

Lizzie James is happy.

She has a steady office job (with a steady stream of snacks), has had the same best friend since school, and she sees her family every Thursday night for take-away and trashy TV. Lizzie likes her uncomplicated life.

Then a letter arrives one day from her first love, Roman. A letter dated the day he disappeared, 12 years before. As Lizzie uncovers the secrets of the letter, she discovers what really happened the year her life fell apart – and all avenues lead back to Roman.

Lizzie James thought she was happy, or somewhere close to happy, at least. Now she’s not so sure.

Somewhere Close to Happy by Lia Louis explores a past love, a childhood destroyed by mystery, and the lasting, crippling effects of mental health.

The story is mainly about Lizzie’s relationship with her childhood best friend Roman, who disappeared twelve years earlier. When Lizzie receives a letter dated shortly before he disappeared, she decides to start searching for Roman. Her close friend Priscilla is on hand to help her as well, and clue by clue, the two find out where Roman has been all these years.

“I hate the thought of that happening again. Seeing him like that, so pale, so cold, so vulnerable, but still showing up despite it all. If he’s here with us, he’s safe. He won’t freeze to death in the night or have to clean up his mum in the bath again. He won’t be pushed outside, to Ethan. To god knows what he does when he’s with him.”

We only ever see Roman through the eyes of others, and in particular, Lizzie. It’s interesting to read about her memories of Roman, about her time with him, and then as we start to track him down and find out where he went after he disappeared, we find out all these things about him that Lizzie either didn’t know or didn’t realise.

Roman’s mental health struggles and his addictions were two things that Lizzie didn’t understand the extend of until she started trying to find him again. The book shines a light on addiction and how crippling it can be, but also how well people can hide it from their close friends and family. Anyone who has a friend or family member who has gone through addiction, will be able to read this book and find comfort within its pages.

The book also tackles some other pretty heavy topics, such as abortion, anxiety, depression and death. Lia Louis touches on these issues very delicately and considerately — she’s a very talented writer.

“I can’t do it. I just can’t bring myself to speak. If I ask for him, and she says no, there’s nobody there called Roman, then what? Hopes dashed, another wild goose chase to another number, to another address where he won’t be; my elusive, disappearing, was-he-ever-real friend?”

I wouldn’t say I fell head over heels for this book. I enjoyed it, and it’s a layered story and it’s very well-written, but I didn’t experience much emotional attachment to the book. I suspect I’m not the target audience, despite being a similar age to the protagonist. The book does slow down after about three quarters and I felt like the pacing was dragging a bit, but there is ultimately a satisfying and enjoyable ending.

This book is probably best suited to readers of historical fiction, romance fiction, and fluffy, life-affirming novels about hope and family.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Somewhere Close to Happy
Lia Louis
June 2019
Hachette Publishers

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