Hope you find yourself somewhere between the first pew and the back row: THE GOLDEN BOY'S GUIDE TO BIPOLAR.

The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar by Sonora Reyes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an achingly honest look at mental illness, as teenager Cesar Flores struggles with both his sexuality and his bipolar disorder.

Cesar broke up with his boyfriend, Jamal, fearing that their relationship was going to send him straight to hell. But he keeps coming back to Jamal and the strong feelings the two have for another. Cesar also struggles with intrusive thoughts and deep highs and lows. The pressure he feels from his family to be the "perfect teen" is just too much sometimes.

This is such a well-written story: so beautiful, and so real. You can truly feel Cesar's emotions and problems coming through the pages. It captures how difficult it can be for teens to come out, as well as how hard mental illness can be. We see how tough it is for Cesar to grasp that he has an illness. Even better, the story is happy but realistic.

This is a great book for teens, but my adult self loved it too.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Versify in return for an unbiased review.

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It's midnight on the highway I'm coming back for you: CALLER UNKNOWN.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a slightly different one. Half thriller, half treatise on motherhood.

Simone leaves the U.K. to visit her daughter Lucy in Texas. She wakes up after her first night there and discovers Lucy is gone. She soon finds a burner phone in Lucy's place and realizes her daughter has been kidnapped. A message on the phone warns that Simone should not involve the police. Her husband wants her to call them anyway, but Simone refuses, going rogue to save Lucy, especially when she realizes that the kidnapper doesn't want money.

It's a captivating plot, but unfortunately it starts to border on preposterous fairly early on. Simone and Lucy make some insane decisions and are unwilling to listen to reason (e.g., lawyers, family). Much of the book focuses on Simone's fears of Lucy going to university, portraying her (justifiably) as a clingy mother unwilling to let her only child go. She thinks she loves Lucy more than her husband does, and makes statements on how mothers love kids best or children need two parents. It just wasn't necessary and the story spent much too much time focusing on it.

There are some good twists here and the plot is tense, but marred by annoyed decisions and outlandish developments. Add in Simone's crazy ramblings about motherhood and a plot that wraps up too easily and this is a decent read, but not a great one.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and William Morrow in return for an unbiased review.

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Trouble is you got to have yourself an alternate plan: THE LONG CON.

The Long Con: A Novel by Jenna Voris
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I will preface this review by saying that I have absolutely adored all the YA work by Jenna Voris that I've read and that I will continue to read anything else she writes. This one--an adult mystery--just didn't work for me. Sadly, it was a bit of a slog, featuring unlikable characters and an unbelievable plot. Two warring hotel moguls fighting about stuff... who cares? Meanwhile, we have Chloe, a con artist, and her accomplice friends Logan and Priya and then Chloe's nemesis, Harper, a rich girl who likes conning other rich people.

The idea is that there will be a slow burn romance between Chloe and Harper as one hotel exec hires them to steal from another. But there's no slow burn, just a slow... nothing. The two have no chemistry, no witty banter, just anger--with zero pay off. And the con they unite on is not exciting (and not a long con, maybe a week-long con).

The ending is slightly redeemable and Priya and Logan are enjoyable. This one had a lot of promise, but it wasn't my favorite. Others may enjoy it, and I love seeing Voris writing different in genres and across all ages. I can't wait to see what's next, even if this one was a miss for me.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House/Dial Press Trade Paperback in return for an unbiased review.

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I'm on my way to your house, guided by the stars: IN HER SPOTLIGHT.

In Her Spotlight by Amy Spalding
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tess Gardner is a well-known actress, most famous for a Marvel-type role entitled Princess Platinum. She's famous but also held to a pretty high standard--and has to hold to pre-existing expectations. Ready to prove her acting chops, she get a theatric role, but a #MeToo scandals forces out her famous director. The replacement, Rebecca, just happens to be the same Rebecca whose heart Tess broke years ago at theater camp, since Tess was unwilling to admit her sexuality to herself, or Rebecca.

I love this series, though this book was a bit slower than the others. It wasn't quite as fun, with no big queer group of friends, and Tess was certainly hard to like. She's especially mean to her best friend, taking her for granted. And she lives up to her actress name, acting as if the world revolves her. (I could go without hearing the phrase "Professional Actress Tess Gardner" ever again.)

Eventually Tess' redemption arc makes it a bit easier to warm up to her--and the book. She's deeply closeted and hiding who she is: that's never easy. I found this more a coming out story than a true romance. The chemistry between Tess and Rebecca is a slow burn, without some of the wit and charm in other Spalding books. When the story focuses on Rebecca's exploration of her sexuality, it's nuanced and well-done.

We do get to see Max and Sadie (from the other books in this series) and a bit of Ari--that was fun, and I wish there was more of them. Over time, I warmed up to Tess' cast for the play and they were some strong foils for her. Overall, this story builds, culminating in a good ending.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in return for an unbiased review.

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Same things keeping us together are the very ones making it hard: MEET THE NEWMANS.

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, this is an interesting one. The Newman family--dad Del, mom Dinah, and sons Guy and Shep--are a real family. But they also appear on TV every week, playing themselves, as the perfect family.

Behind the scenes, things aren't so perfect. Del rules over the family with an iron fist, Dinah feels lost and numb, Guy is hiding his love life, and Shep may be going off the rails. Around them, the show's ratings are tanking and sponsors are running for the hills.

When Del is in a car accident that puts him a coma, Dinah snaps in action. She starts courting new sponsors and hires reporter Juliet Dunne to help her write the show's final episode.

At times, this story makes amazing points about feminism, women's rights, and more. At other points, it just seems like a group of people bickering about silly things. Juliet and Dinah, for instance--an unlikely pair who constantly fight and then reunite--often have a very annoying relationship.

My favorite was easily Guy, the beleaguered older brother who finally gets a chance to shine--both romantically and professionally--without his father around.

As Dinah steps up with Del (literally) out of commission, she starts to realize how imbalanced the world is, with power tipping all toward men. She and Juliet both see women being ignored and lost behind their male counterparts.

Even though the story takes place in the mid-1960s, the scary part is how Juliet and Dinah's story resonates now. Juliet wakes Dinah up to women's terrifying inability to have control over their own bodies, for instance being unable to buy the pill or condoms (without a husband's consent, or at all, if single), or get an abortion. We've come so far, you think, and then wonder... are we going back?

This ode to TV, family, and love is a different sort of read--funny at times, serious at others. It makes you laugh and think.


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My stride is slowed by memory but not innocent: MAD MABEL.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, MAD MABEL is just excellent--an utterly captivating read.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is in her 80s and lives a quiet life on her street, where her main duty is keeping an eye on the business of her neighbors. But when a turn of events reveals to said neighbors that Elsie is the infamous Mad Mabel, well known as Australia's youngest murderer, things take a turn.

This is such a compelling read, part-thriller and part-character-driven tale. Elsie is an intriguing, complicated, and wonderfully written character, who draws you into her story immediately. A close second is young Persephone, a child who lives near Elsie.

The story is nearly impossible to put down, especially with its then-and-now format, alternating between the present-day and Elsie's memories of her life.

This is one of the best thrillers I've read in some time, featuring a fascinating protagonist and a narrative style like no other.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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And for making me smile when things at home weren't great: GIRL NEXT DOOR.

Girl Next Door: A Hilarious Sapphic Rom-Com Brimming with Secrets, Yearning, and Heart by Rachel Meredith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a cute romantic comedy about MC, a freelance writer, whose best friend, Joe, encourages her to write an article about the current "It" book floating around, Girl Next Door. Why, you ask? Because Joe is convinced that the book's anonymous author is MC's old neighbor and the love interest is based on... MC. Joe, a writer at a popular publication, wants MC to reveal the author, Nora, to save his job.

If you are okay with this somewhat skeevy premise, the rest of the book is fine. Joe is a pretty awful friend, and MC has pretty much no ability to stand up for herself in any fashion! Sure, I'll return home and live with my brother and his wife and stalk Nora for you, Joe! I think I like Nora, but I'll risk ruining her life--and therefore mine--for you, Joe!

Nora and MC's "romance" (I wouldn't call it a romance, more of an awkward dance around one another) is sweet and can be funny. MC's family plays a pretty big role in the book--her brother is the local principal and he's married to MC's first crush, Gabby (seriously). It's often more a character and family study than a romance.

Overall, I think I might have enjoyed the book Nora supposedly wrote more than this one. Lots of secrets and bad decisions, but it's still witty.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Harper Perennial in return for an unbiased review.

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