The Gloss

This book hooked me in right from the beginning and never let go. It is an absolutely wonderful story that has fabulous characters and had me laughing out loud more than once. 

Ava is what you think of when you picture a mad scientist. She likes to be alone working in her lab which goes far to explain her total lack of social skills. She also has a huge problem controlling what comes out of her mouth and basically tells it how it is with no filter whatsoever. 

So for Ava to venture out of her lab is a stretch but her best friend Rani convinces her to present her work at a big competition. I have to take a minute to talk about Rani as well. She’s awesome and the friendship between the two was great. They are both fiercely loyal to each other and Rani is just as funny as Ava but in a different way. Anyhow this is how Ava finds herself staying at an actual castle with lots of people who make her uncomfortable and maybe even staying in a haunted room with a ghost or two roaming about. 

It all turns out to be life changing for Ava especially the part where she finds out her AI program decided to create himself an actual human form based on what Ava would want in a man. He’s gorgeous and smart which makes sense since it’s Ava’s program and his one purpose is only to ask Ava on a date. Hold on though because we have Forrest as well who is a pure gorgeous human man. However Ava and Forrest immediately get off on the wrong foot when she spills wine on him. Did I mention that Ava has no social skills and therefore handles the situation badly. As the competition moves forward a Ava is faced with dealing with real life and all the emotions that come with it. Does she pick Hal, the perfect creation who really should be perfect for her, or does she throw caution to the wind and go for the messy real life hunk of man who is Forrest?

This story is so fun and sweet. I adored Ava and her quirky ways and pretty much any time she talked I laughed. Behind it all though is real life emotion and how hard it can be for some to come out of their shells to experience life. I loved how she wanted her AI to be a good force in the world and to help people. To see her find love was just icing on the cake. 

My Brilliant AI Boyfriend is pure escapism and I loved it. It is the perfect book to curl up with in your favorite reading spot and enjoy!

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Previously published on The Gloss.

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How the Story Goes is the debut novel from Andrew Forrester. It’s a story of grief and loss, but also one of hope and new beginnings. I felt such a strong connection to both the main and side characters that I came away feeling like I truly knew them, which is something I always love in a story.

Whit, an author, loses his wife Helen—herself a famous children’s author—to cancer. He is left raising his eight-year-old daughter, who is grieving, while also facing what he calls the monumental task of finishing the final book in his wife’s beloved fantasy series. Whit is deep in his grief and unable to write his own books, let alone hers. As the deadline looms, he becomes increasingly desperate. When he meets Merritt, things begin to shift. Merritt has returned home after a difficult breakup and works at a local bookstore, where Whit discovers she is a devoted superfan of Helen’s books. As luck would have it, she’s also a writer, and she agrees to help him complete the final installment. What follows is a story of two people, both carrying their own pain, slowly beginning to open up through writing and through each other. Of course, things don’t stay simple, and when Whit learns something about Helen’s wishes, everything is thrown into turmoil.

This story really touched me. Anyone who has experienced grief and loss will likely connect with Whit. He’s such a likeable character, just trying to do his best. Watching him slowly come out of his shell and begin to navigate life—and love—again was genuinely heartwarming. I’ll admit there were moments I wanted to shake him a little when he kept second-guessing himself with Merritt, but it also felt very real. Merritt was just as easy to like. After a damaging relationship that upended her life, it was nice to see her begin to trust again and open herself to the possibility of something new.

I also really appreciated the side characters in this novel. They stood out in a way that doesn’t always happen for me. Whit’s sister was quite funny, and his writing friend was a really supportive presence as he worked through his grief.

At its heart, How the Story Goes is a story about hope. From the first page, I was pulled in, and I genuinely felt a sense of sadness when I reached the end and had to leave these characters behind. It’s the kind of novel you want to sink into your favorite chair with and truly savor.

Review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own. Previously published on The Gloss.

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Penny and Nix are sisters. Born three minutes apart the two have always been extremely close, doing everything together. When Nix dies tragically after college it changes Penny’s life forever. 

Years after her sister’s death, Penny, wanting to make the world a little safer as Nix had always wanted to do, has become a police officer. Her very first murder scene hits hard. It is the body of one of the men she blames for Nix’s death and not long before another of them had been found dead. Is someone seeking justice for her sister’s death. This thought really doesn’t bother Penny at all. They deserve to pay for what they did. Then she notices a woman covered in blood at the scene and Penny feels an instant connection with her. This woman utters a single word, ‘sisters’, while implying this death has to do with the sister bond and revenge. That’s all it takes for Penny to forget she’s a cop and tell this woman to run. As Penny begins to investigate on her own and try to find this mystery woman she finds that not only is her career in jeopardy, but also her life. 

Penny is a great character with a fierce love for her family especially her sweet, if not troublesome, niece. Being a good person and wanting to do good yet at the same time wanting justice for her sister weighs heavily on her. What kind of cop is she letting a murderer go?  She just can’t find it within herself to feel sorry for the deaths of men who hurt her sister. It makes you question what you yourself would do or feel in this situation. 

I always love to be surprised by an ending and this story unfolded in many unexpected ways. As I turned the last page I felt a sense of loss at having to say goodbye to these characters I had grown to care about 

but also a sense of satisfaction with where and how the story ended. As a note there are some really sensitive issues in this novel such as addiction, sexual assault, and violence so take care. 

In Missing Sister, Joshilyn Jackson takes us on an intense, page-turning ride and I loved it!  It is a suspenseful story that will keep you guessing until the very end. I adore anything Joshilyn Jackson writes and Missing Sister is another to add to the list!

Previously published on The Gloss. Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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