Book Review: The Price of Honey (Deadly Ambition #1) by Liane Moriarty

-
Image
The Price of Honey (Deadly Ambition #1) by Liane Moriarty is an Amazon Original Stories short story scheduled for publication on April 1, 2026. This short mystery story opens with Honey Beckett riding in an Uber on the way to her husband’s funeral, struggling to process the shocking reality that he is actually gone. The situation feels surreal to her, and as she arrives at the service, the emotions surrounding the day only become more complicated. Honey ultimately decides she needs to sit with Barney’s previous three ex-wives, and the gathering of these women creates a moment filled with tension, curiosity, and one final sense of betrayal that ties them all together. Because I am an Amazon Prime member, I received a digital copy of The Price of Honey for free through the Amazon First Reads program . A huge thank you goes out to Amazon for providing the opportunity to read this short story early before its official release. Programs like First Reads are a great way for readers to ...
Post a Comment

Book Review: Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

-

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau is a coming of age novel taking place in Baltimore, Maryland.

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau is a coming of age novel taking place in Baltimore, Maryland. During the 1970's, fourteen year old Mary Jane is caught in the middle of her family's conservative ideals and the progressive ideals of the Cone family where she is a summer nanny. Mary Jane is a sheltered teen who enjoys cooking with her mother, listening to Broadway Show Tunes, and singing in the church choir. On the first day of work, she is shocked at the mess in the Cone's home and introduces them to home cooked meals and keeping the house clean. In return, Mary Jane gets a front row seat to sex, drugs, and rock & roll.

This novel was the selected for the book club I belong to. Again, this is a novel that I likely wouldn't have chosen to read on my own, but I was glad I did. Mary Jane is the first novel I've read by Jessica Anya Blau, and I was impressed with her storytelling. 

Touching on race, class, and stereotypes, along with drugs and infidelity, it reminded me that there are people who still hold the conservative beliefs that many held in the 1970's. I loved the fact that Mary Jane was exposed to different viewpoints that she normally didn't hear and began to question the world around her, eventually leading to her developing her own opinions. Jessica Anya Blau got the tone and perspective of a teenager perfect in my opinion. Although the story is told from a child's perspective, it is not suitable for young children to read.

Some might find the beginning of the story a bit slow like I did, but as the story developed, I found it to be more interesting and couldn't wait to find out how the tale would unfold. The majority of the characters were likable and most were well developed. I found myself caring what would happen to them, even the ones I didn't particularly like. I wasn't sure if Mary Jane would have an ending I would enjoy, but surprisingly, I was satisfied with how the author wrapped it up.

All in all, I gave Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau four out of five stars. I will likely read other novels written by this author, and I would love to see her write a sequel to this book.


Follow Us On Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/runningbibliophile/https://www.instagram.com/therunningbibliophile/https://www.pinterest.com/therunningbibliophile/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review: The Dare by Natasha Preston

-
Image
The Dare by Natasha Preston is a young adult horror novel centered on Marley and her friends Atlas, Lucia, and Jesse, all seniors in high school. What begins as harmless, lighthearted senior pranks quickly takes a dark turn when Rhett starts assigning dares that are far more serious and dangerous. As the stakes rise, the question becomes whether Marley and her friends will survive the consequences of playing along. A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of The Dare by Natasha Preston. The last book I read by this author was well written and engaging, so I was excited to dive into her latest young adult horror story. From the start, the novel feels reminiscent of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series, which instantly brought back a wave of childhood nostalgia. Unfortunately, that initial excitement didn’t last. Before long, the plot shifts into territory that felt eerily similar to the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer . At that point, my interest started ...
Read more

Book Review: The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker

-
Image
The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker  was published on March 17, 2025. It opens with Detective Declan Shaw at a closed subway station trying to work up the nerve to commit suicide when he receives a call from his partner about a break in and homicide at the home of a true crime author. Shaw makes his way to the crime scene to work the case, and in a turn of events, Declan comes under scrutiny in another case loosely connected to this new case. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Writer  from NetGalley and Little , Brown, and Company for free in exchange for my honest review. I'm appreciative that my request for this book was approved. With this story opening with the main character trying to commit suicide, I almost didn't go any further with the book. However, I am glad I stuck with it as it took me on a fantastic ride and had my emotions all over the place. There were so many twists and turns that just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was ...
Read more

Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich

-
Image
Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich is the latest installment in the long-running and beloved Stephanie Plum series, and it opens with Joe Morelli asking Stephanie to dog-sit his famously quirky dog, Bob, while he’s out of town testifying at a trial. As expected, things quickly spiral into chaos when Stephanie has to bring Bob along while attempting to apprehend her usual lineup of FTAs. Between chasing fugitives, dodging danger, and juggling her complicated personal life, Stephanie also finds herself seriously questioning whether marriage is something she truly wants. Each book in the Stephanie Plum series tends to follow a familiar and comforting formula, with everything wrapped up in a neat, tidy bow by the end. That predictability is actually one of the main reasons I keep coming back to these books. I always know Stephanie will get herself into trouble, Ranger or Morelli will step in to help,...
Read more