"The Blooming of Delphinium" by Holly Varni

The Blooming of Delphinium (Sept. 24, 2024) by Holly Varni.*

<This is the second novel in a series.>

When it comes to hidden talents, Delphinium Hayes has a unique one. She’s a synesthete and knows someone’s best or worst characteristic with one whiff of a person. Only she will smell their unique floral (or herbal) scent. For example, honeysuckle means bonded with love, while petunia always indicates anger and resentment. Her parents have never understood her, and the one person who did, Annie (her grandmother), has passed away. Her nose always knows until two men flabbergast her scent-driven world. Mason McCormack, real estate lawyer, is a player who uses Delphinium’s bouquets to impress and break up with women, and she cannot smell him. That’s never happened before.

            Then there’s Elliot Sturgis, the clean-cut, uptight-looking director of The Gardens Assisted Living Facility who’s so put together that he looks like he should be her parents’ kid. He smells like violets, and those individuals exude a “high standard of loyalty and love.” His scent is so intoxicating that she too easily loses her train of thought. He likes rules and maintaining order. Some of his mature residents at The Gardens do not appreciate this. They want tater tots twice a week, and Bob would eat tapioca every day. The residents continue to hang out at Delphinium’s shop long after the A/C is fixed at The Gardens, and they no longer have to hang out in Delphinium’s floral refrigerator to keep cool. The residents claim that Elliot lets them keep coming to her shop, because he has a crush on her. Sparks are definitely flying, but Delphinium’s got more on her mind. Her shop is about to be foreclosed on. This shop is her dream, for she loves flowers, but it’s also her tie to her late grandmother. How can love bloom when she’s mired in failure?

            Moonberry Lake is a fictional small town in Minnesota, and this second in the Moonberry Lake series is overall charming. There’s one moment where Delphinium’s outburst strikes me as childish, and it read as contemporary fiction versus Christian contemporary fiction, so subtle seems the faith or even faith’s growth (it is there, though). Delphinium is spirited in her bright, floral prints, and I chuckled aloud multiple times, just as I teared up when an earthly goodbye sprouted up. It’s refreshing like a cool drink and sweet, but not toothache-inducing sweet. As a Minnesotan, I can’t help but adore a Minnesota setting, even fictional, and Moonberry Lake is exactly the idyllic town I’d love to visit. Four out of five floral bouquets!

            Book One: On Moonberry Lake

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Fireworks" by Alice Lin

Fireworks (June 7, 2022) by Alice Lin.

<This is a standalone novel.>

Newly minted high school graduate Lulu Li has her summer all planned out before she and her best friends, Stephanie Nguyen (Vietnamese) and Ester Tan (Filipino), head to college. A culinary adventure in New York City and a day at Hersheypark are part of this plan. Avoiding her estranged father is also part of her summer plan. Not part of this plan? Kai Xu a.k.a. Kite. Lulu hasn’t seen Kite since junior high, when he left the U.S. for South Korea, eventually debuting with K-pop boy group Karnival. They’re now a major K-pop group, though they’re not at the megastardom level of BTS. Kite is supposedly home for health reasons, but there’s definitely more to it than that. Lulu is trying to find the easy friendship they once shared to balance the Firework (Karnival’s fandom) that she is but doesn’t claim to be. Lulu vehemently denies her feelings for Kite, which, naturally, only makes her feelings for him stronger. But how could a K-pop idol fall for an ordinary, everyday person like her?

            This YA romcom gives K-drama vibes and K-pop excitement with main characters who are Taiwanese American (Lulu) (or, more specifically, she identifies as Chinese by way of Taiwan, pp. 173-174) and Chinese American (Kite). The lighthearted moments balance the weightier themes present throughout: social media toxicity (including the very toxic fan behavior of sasaengs), mental health, and anger towards the divorced parent who cheated. The lack of privacy for K-pop idols is a topic, as is Korea’s workaholic culture for idol groups. For those who like to know, Lulu is bisexual. This standalone is engaging and contemporary, fast-paced and short enough for those with busy schedules (only 298 pages). I’d easily recommend it to anyone who enjoys K-pop. This teen romp has ups and downs and showcases the importance of connection and moving forward, because life often takes the squiggly path, not the straightforward one.

Rutabaga's Reads 2024: Part 9

Welcome to my only Christian/inspirational fiction post of 2024. For those who do read Christian fiction, who are your favorite authors and why?

A Beautiful Disguise (Aug. 22, 2023) by Roseanna M. White.

<This is the first novel in a series.>

With a flair for the bold, Lady Marigold Fairfax’s wardrobe isn’t fashion-forward because she’s style-obsessed. Instead, her eye-catching choices as Lady Marigold disguise her alter ego as Lady M and also one of the founding members of The Imposters, Ltd., with her brother, Yates, and two friends, Gemma Parks (a.k.a. G.M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her high society stories) and Graham Wharton. Left with an estate (and an earldom for Yates) on the brink of bankruptcy after their father’s death, the brother-sister duo opened a private investigation firm for the elite to spy on the elite. They have collected many secrets and are shocked when Lieutenant Colonel Sir Merritt Livingstone finds their card and hires the anonymous group to investigate Lord Thomas Hemming, their late father’s good friend. He might be a traitor, as someone is leaking information to Germany as tensions mount (it’s England in 1909). Sir Merritt has been a dedicated man of the Crown with exemplary service, having recently spent a decade serving the reigning monarch in the Coldstream Guards, but pneumonia lands him a desk job in the War Office Intelligence Division where Lord Hemming also works. The Imposters, Ltd.’s investigative services are beyond compare, but will they find innocence in their father’s friend? Or something nefarious?

            From bejeweled ballrooms to covert intelligence offices in London to an acrobatic Tower in Northumberland, the first in The Imposters series is engaging from the first page until the last. It’s a story showcasing hard work, up to and including manual labor, in an aristocratic society where money isn’t oft seen as an issue, but for the Fairfax siblings, the burden to keep afloat and maintain appearances is a weighted one. White crafts a series starter replete with great characters and a forward-moving plot set in Edwardian England that is interspersed with romance and investigation and fueled by faith. It’s a delightful, inspirational fiction, sleuthing adventure!

            Favorite line: “She simply preferred not to sit like a letter of the alphabet and pretend a ruler was jammed into her corset.” (p. 211)

The Heirloom (Sept. 12, 2023) by Beverly Lewis.

<This is a standalone novel that’s a prequel to The Shunning.>

With grief over her mother’s passing still feeling fresh with her father already remarried and reeling after a breakup with someone she thought was the one, 19-year-old Clara Bender doesn’t feel like she fits in in her more progressive Amish community in First Light, Indiana. With a new stepmom, Clara isn’t needed to manage her dad’s household, and there are few available young men in her small community. When she comes across letters from her mother’s dear aunt Ella Mae Zook, and reaches out to this great aunt whom she’s never met, she soon finds herself invited to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania’s, Hickory Hollow and the Old Order Amish community where Ella Mae, the Wise Woman, resides. Clara’s arrival for a week turns into a summer, and it’s an answer to prayer, because Ella Mae isn’t ready to move from the home she made with her late, beloved husband. The two women form a close bond quickly over their love of Clara’s mother and quilting. Together, the two of them set to restoring an heirloom wedding quilt from 1911 that once belonged to Ella Mae’s mother. Clara finally opens up about the relationship that fell apart, and Ella Mae shares the “unspeakable” tragedy from her courting years. Clara makes quick friends, including Katie Lapp (features in The Shunning), Lettie Zook (granddaughter to Ella Mae) and Rosanna Ebersol (a shy 16-year-old). She also meets some eligible young men from Hickory Hollow. Will she become flirtatious Tom Glick’s sweetheart girl? Or might thoughtful Aaron Ebersol catch her heart?

            Lewis’ prequel to The Shunning is an intergenerational novel of healing, love, new beginnings and moving forward. If Clara follows her heart, she’ll stay in Hickory Hollow amongst the strict Old Order Amish with their straitlaced bishop, but her father’s been adamant that she’ll return to First Light at summer’s end, where their Amish community focuses more on grace than excessive rules. Lewis graces readers with another tender, heartstrings-tugging, clean romance. Make a sweet, minty batch of meadow tea, find your favorite lap quilt and settle cozily in for this gladdening tale.

To Spark a Match (Nov. 14, 2023) by Jen Turano.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

Even though she’s a member of the New York Four Hundred, with multiple unsuccessful Seasons and a penchant for catastrophe, Miss Adelaide Duveen has long since resigned herself to the wallflowers section at parties and accepts that she’s destined to remain a spinster forever at her overripe age of 23. She doesn’t view this dismally, for it allows her to concentrate on her favorites: cats and books. She delights in spy novels, and when she inadvertently stumbles upon Mr. Gideon Abbott engaged in a clandestine activity during a dinner party, Adelaide is all but convinced that she must help Gideon solve the case. This is the last thing that former naval intelligence agent Gideon wants. A well-known gentleman amongst the Four Hundred membership, he doesn’t want others to know the “accounting firm” he works for is a front for an investigation service. He also doesn’t want to risk others getting hurt. Considering he’s prevented Adelaide from pitching over a steep edge and put her out when she caught on fire, there’s no way Adelaide can be involved. He asks Miss Camilla Pierpont, a good friend of his, to take Adelaide in hand. Camilla, another member of the New York Four Hundred and an Incomparable when she debuted, has her work cut out for her. Adelaide’s putting up with it, because her mother’s overjoyed at Camilla’s involvement. Gideon, meanwhile, wonders aloud how Adelaide’s still alive, doing things like taking the El alone and shopping at Bainswright Books, which is in a seedier area of the city, and wandering down shady alleys unaccompanied. When Adelaide’s books are stolen right out of her hands, the potential for danger becomes real, and reinforces Adelaide’s drive to be part of the investigation. There’s clearly a spark between Adelaide and Gideon, but is it a spark of love or disaster?

            As someone who also loves cats (though I only have two, not 20+) and books, I definitely felt a kinship with Adelaide’s character. Turano’s stories are always charming, suffused with engaging characters, including forward-thinking, independent women, humorous dialogue and a fast-paced, energetic plot. Turano’s fans will sail through this fun, lighthearted romp amidst another matchmaking season. There is elegance and refinement mixed with sleuthing and adventure -- oh, and plenty of misadventure, too.

            Book One: A Match in the Making

Rutabaga's Reads 2024: Part 8

Here I finally am with my first YA compilation of 2024. I’ve published more solo YA posts, which is why I didn’t create a second compilation post this year, as I originally thought I would. 

The Headmaster’s List (Feb. 28, 2023) by Melissa de la Cruz.

<This is a standalone novel.>

Her ex-boyfriend, 18-year-old Ethan Amoroso, is known as a reckless driver, so when 15-year-old Chris Moore is killed in a high-speed car crash with a tree, it’s easy for the public to skip over ‘innocent until proven guilty’ and proclaim him guilty, since he said he was at the wheel, but Spencer Sandoval, also 18, knows he wouldn’t be careless with the lives of others. His own? Sure, but not others’. Spencer dives into her own investigation into the crash, trying to find the memories of that night that she can’t recall. Was she drugged? Is it the trauma of the night? A brain injury? Why can’t she remember? And why is the picture of Ethan in her memory screaming her name “all wrong?” She has an ally in Jackson Chen, Ethan’s soccer teammate and best friend, and her new, loyal sidekick, Ripley, a service dog for her PTSD. She’s asking lots of questions, becoming obsessed (and dependent on her Vicodin Rx), and someone clearly feels threatened. Spencer receives a threatening note and someone tries to run her off the road one night as she’s biking home after work. Is it someone she knows? Or someone who’s heard her name through Peyton Salt’s popular, true crime podcast? What kind of truth is she getting close to that someone else doesn’t want to see the light?

            Like ripping off a bandage, I’ll state right off that I struggled with this book. I’ve enjoyed so many of de la Cruz’s stories, but this one drug on, and it began with guessing something [correctly] early on. It’s atypical of me to quit a story, so I read the novel in its entirety. Ripley is definitely a win for the story, her training a good balance to Spencer’s increasing obsession, likely related to her Vicodin dependence. Just because this story wasn’t a victory to me doesn’t mean it’s without merit. Indeed, it does have fascinating facets, venturing in a place ruled by pedigree and privilege. In an elite LA private school, race still stands out (Spencer occasionally refers to herself as the “brown kid”). This thriller has plenty of cute boys, a range of diversity and teen snark. Where it glitters, it’s also sinister, and the humanness can be razor-sharp. It’s a likeable YA thriller, just not one that resonated with me.

Revelations (May 9, 2023) by Bella Higgin.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

<Casual spoiler if you haven’t read the first story.>

When Renie Mayfield first entered Belle Morte, one of the vampire houses in the U.K., where vampires are A-list celebrities, living a life of luxury in their top-brand attire, she was a human selected as a donor to try to find her Vladdict (obsessed with vampires) sister, June. Now Renie is a new vampire, and the vampire responsible, the love of her life, Edmond Dantès, is confined to the secret cells of Belle Morte in cuffs of painful silver. June appears to have escaped and her whereabouts are unknown. June is beyond any help, but Renie continues to love the sister she once was. Renie’s desperate to free Edmond, locate June and punish the one who killed her sister. That someone isn’t working alone, and the betrayal runs deeper than the secret passageways of Belle Morte. The other U.K. houses are likely also compromised, as becomes apparent after they flee. It isn’t only the smell of blood that lingers within Belle Morte’s walls, but corruption, too.

            I’ll be frank. This is a vampire novel, so it’s not a story that I read expecting to be deeply complex. Indeed, the plot never wades into the deep end, but it depicts a lush setting, the allure of a glitzy lifestyle, the glamour associated with vampire novels and a fresh take on the genre. The world-building is detailed, especially if you like fashion. Renie is 18, making this a YA novel, but the intimacy in the story and the many adult supporting characters in the book make this a better choice for older readers. I don’t have children, but if I did, I wouldn’t want my 14- or 15-year-old reading it. There’s a centuries-wide age gap between Renie and Edmond, so maybe there’s a book club discussion in there about power dynamics if one wants to make this story into something deeper. If you like brooding vampires who are tall, dark-haired and handsome, this has got that. I’d recommend this for vampire aficionados and those who haven’t read any vampire novels since Twilight.

These Deadly Prophecies (Jan. 30, 2024) by Andrea Tang.

<This is a standalone novel, as far as I can tell.>

“I will die at the hands of my best beloved. So shall it be.” Chinese American teen Tabatha Zeng is the daughter of a lawyer mom and an engineer dad, and she’s chosen to pursue sorcery, much to the disappointment of her parents. At least she’s an apprentice to one of the world’s most famous sorcerers. It’s too bad that he predicts his own brutal death, and it comes true. Detective Elena Chang is the one-woman show of the occult crimes unit with the local police department. She’s very anti-magic. Callum is Sorcerer Julian Aurelius Solomon’s youngest son, and the only one of his children who’s a fortune teller (prophecy sorcery) like Tabatha is and his dad was. The twins and Callum’s half-siblings are Felix (the eldest, who excels at kinetic sorcery) and Circe (who casts illusions, which are often seen as fluff sorcery). Felix is believed to be the favorite child, but it’s Callum who has the gift of prophecy, the most coveted of the magics. Who is Sorcerer Solomon’s best beloved, and who will be bequeathed the Solomon Family legacy? There’s a murder to investigate, and with Tabatha and Callum being the last two to see him alive, they’re the prime suspects.

My first story from Tang is a YA murder mystery thriller with paranormal elements. While I didn’t love it, it’s sharp and clever with witty banter to boot, and it reads quickly. It’s a magical madcap mystery with the narrator (Tabatha) sometimes in reflection mode. For those who are drawn to YA novels with dark and light elements, this is an intriguing choice if they only decide to pick it up. Callum might’ve dubbed her the “squishy wizard,” but Tabatha is serious about her prophecies. She might be reciting one out to the world right now. Please handle with care. So shall it be.

Helpful note: “Not all spell casting is the same, but the three classes of sorcery – illusion, kinetic, and prophecy – can be broken down in broad strokes like so: wishing, willing, and wondering. Illusionists create their mirages by wishing them real, the same way you might wish to be married to your middle school crush by writing their name over and over again in your notebooks. Kinetics, meanwhile, take it a step further. Instead of simply wishing, they will their desires into true existence: the crack in the ground that starts an earthquake, the whirlpool curving the center of a calm sea, or, well, a fireball flung at a spoiled teenager’s Lexus.” (p. 83)