Spark Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Book Reviews by the Portage District Library staff

Blood World

Chris Mooney

This part-thriller, partscience fi ction novel takes place in a world where a small percentage of the population, called Carriers, possess blood that has amazing properties. It can cure disease, lessen the effects of age, and essentially make people feel invincible. This blood is so in demand by the uber wealthy that an underground criminal enterprise develops where Carriers, the younger the better, are abducted and imprisoned, their blood commanding an astonishing price. Ellie Bautista is a patrol offi cer who goes undercover as a “stickman”, someone who identifi es carriers. Sebastian Kane is the head of Pandora, the secretive blood ring that caters to only the fi nest clients. Both of them carry secrets from their past that explode in the present, as Ellie works to destroy his criminal enterprise and he works to save it. This is a fast-paced thriller with complex characters and a tight, interesting plot.

The Ex Talk

Rachel Lynn Solomon

To save their jobs, rival public radio co-workers pretend to be exes for a new show and end up getting much more than they bargained for. Shay Goldstein hates her new co-worker, Dominic Yun. Their competition boils over during a stationwide brainstorming session when Shay suggests starting a new dating show hosted by exes, and Dominic writes it off as tawdry commercial radio. But their shouting match has unexpected consequences when the station’s program director tells them their verbal sparring and obvious tension would make them the perfect hosts for Shay’s show. As the show skyrockets in popularity, the fake exes become real friends, but a growing attraction might spell disaster. Shay and Dominic are brought to life with multilayered backstories. Witty dialogue meets steamy slow-burn tension while fun romance tropes take a refreshing turn. A vibrant supporting cast of family, friends, and co-workers helps round out the plot. Delightfully romantic and emotionally uplifting.

Tidewater Bride

Laura Frantz

In 1634, Selah Hopewell helps guide the women coming from England to the Virginia Colony who have been recruited to marry the colonial men. Her friend Xander Renick is one of the wealthiest tobacco lords in Virginia, and is married to Mattachanna, the Powhatan chief’s daughter. Xander and Mattachanna travel to Xander’s native Scotland. Unfortunately, Mattachanna dies of illness, causing Xander to return alone. As feelings develop between the widower and fi ercely independent Selah, one tragedy leads to another. Her love and faith are tested all around. With its well-rounded characters and tense frontier confl icts, Frantz’s entertaining romance will resonate with people who like a little romance with their history.

Joint Custody

Lauren BaratzLogsted & Jackie Logsted

This mother-daughter writing duo debuts with a laugh-out-loud romance set in New York City’s publishing world and narrated by Gatz, an erudite border collie. When the three-year relationship between Gatz’s owners, the Man and the Woman ends, the two agree to share custody of their beloved pooch. Gatz does not approve. Convinced that the Man and the Woman are meant to be together, he resolutely gobbles up two pounds of chocolate, hoping his resulting health crisis will bond them. But his plan backfi res, causing an argument that sends the Man into a series of meaningless affairs and the Woman into the arms of a possibly perfect New Man. Gatz, a Renaissance canine with an appreciation of all things literary and a love for Bruno Mars, provides a unique perspective on his owners’ human foibles and emotional vulnerabilities as they struggle to move forward with their lives. This touching, hilarious outing is worthy of two paws up.