The Launch Party by Lauren Forry

 

376 pages

Publisher: Zaffre

Publishing Date: June 22, 2023

NetGalley

Blurb

THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME. YOU'D DIE TO BE THERE.

Ten lucky people have won a place at the most exclusive launch event of the century: the grand opening of the Hotel Artemis, the first hotel on the moon. It's an invitation to die for. As their transport departs for its return to Earth and the doors seal shut behind them, the guests take the next leap for mankind.

However, they soon discover that all is not as it seems. The champagne may be flowing, but there is no one to pour it. Room service is available, but there is no one to deliver it. Besides the ten of them, they are completely alone.

When one of the guests is found murdered, fear spreads through the group. But that death is only the beginning. Being three days' journey from home and with no way to contact the outside, can any of the guests survive their stay?

 

Review

A mystery set in the first hotel to open its doors on the moon. When I saw the blurb, I knew I had to read the story. I adore intriguing blurbs almost as much as I love mysteries, so diving into The Launching Party as soon as I could get my hands on it was a no-brainer. And I’m really glad I did.

In many ways—apart from the setting—this is a classic closed-circle murder mystery. We are introduced to a group of ten people who don’t know each other but find themselves in a situation where they have to spend time together in a location they can’t leave. When they discover that they are literally the only people in the vast hotel they are surprised and upset. Their feelings transform into fear when one of them is discovered dead in a scene that was obviously created to disturb and scare. Who can be trusted? Who is hiding what and why? Because even before the murder takes place it is clear that all of them have some sort of issue that may or may not be relevant to what happens next.

I’m not going to list and describe each of the ten guests here. One of them, Penelope Strand, is a police officer and as such automatically falls into the role of trying to find out what happened, although she struggles with some issues of her own.

I loved how the story developed. How the atmosphere changed after the first murder and became even more fraught after a second victim is discovered worked really well. As did the changing loyalties between these people. The mystery captured me early on and held me in its grip right until the final pages.

Having said that, the setup of this story raised one or two questions as well.

For starters, I have to wonder about the logistics involved in getting the people who were at the centre of this mystery all in this location. I’m also not sure the scenario where the group of ten ended up in the hotel on their own, without any staff available, made complete sense. Given the scope of the venture and the amount of money involved, I would expect a stunt like this to be (next to) impossible to pull off.

Do I mind? Did it upset me while I was reading the conclusion?

The short answer is no. While I was reading it didn’t even occur to me that there might be a plausibility issue; that thought only came to me after I finished the book. And even when the thought did cross my mind, it was quickly followed by the realisation that I’d just read a mystery set in the first hotel on the moon and I decided that if I could accept the setting without question, maybe I should show the solution the same generosity. 😊

I feel I should also mention that this story is told from multiple points of view and that it wasn’t always immediately clear when the point of view changed. This may or may not be because I read an ARC rather than the final e-book version, though.

When push comes to shove, what we have here is a closed circle mystery, much in keeping with the genre’s tradition. I’m not sure if the reader is given all the clues they need to solve the mystery before the investigator does, but I wasn’t left with any unanswered question when the story ended. What’s more, I thoroughly enjoyed my reading journey while the investigation was going on. It seems to me that the author allowed for the possibility of more mysteries set in Hotel Artemis and if she writes those, I will definitely read them.

No Man's Land by Theo Fenraven

No Man’s Land by Theo Fenraven

Pages: 170

Date: July 18, 2016

Details: ARC received from author

E-book

The blurb:

Amateur ghost hunters Cy and Zelda are invited to the BWCA in Northern Minnesota to investigate an alleged haunting at Brighton Lake Lodge. Mac, the owner, has returned home from London with plans to restart the family business, but the ghosts have to be dealt with first. 

Interesting things happen the moment they arrive; it seems there isn’t one ghost, but many. One of them uses Zelda’s robot, Orwell, to communicate with them, and they find out the ghosts aren’t ghosts at all. 

Set in a time in the not-so-distant future, the story destroys ideas of what is real, what isn’t, and the lengths people will go to in order to survive.

My review:

It is funny how I find myself obsessively following authors for what appear to be conflicting reasons. There are some whose books or series I keep on returning to because I know exactly what to expect and I need that comfort of familiarity. J.D. Robb is one such author for me.

And then there are authors like Theo Fenraven, who I search out because I never know what he’ll present me with next. No book is exactly like any of the previous releases. He hops from genre to genre with an apparent ease that leaves me both awed and somewhat jealous. Opening a new book by this author is always an adventure because I won’t know what I’m dealing with until I’m well into the story, by which stage the characters and the storyline will invariably have captured me.

In No Man’s Land, the author takes this trait of his one step further than he has done in the past. What I thought I was reading when the book started turned out not to be what this story was really about. I apologise for being vague, but discovering where this story was going was such a riveting and delightful surprise for me I don’t want to spoil that experience for anybody else.

What can I say about the story? Well, it is fascinating and gripping right from the start. It features characters who will intrigue you, and not all of them are exactly human J. And it brings us a tension-filled tale filled with both mystery and questions to ponder. In fact, while I loved this story and the way it was written at least as much as I’ve adored any of Theo Fenraven’s previous books, it was all the ‘what-if’s’ and ‘what-would-I-do’s’ it left me with that really hooked me.

Because that’s the thing with this author’s books; while they invariable give me a good and riveting story, they also force me to think about bigger and very topical issues. Not that you need to reflect on the story-line and what it means in order to enjoy this story. It can, very successfully, be read as a thrilling speculative tale. But if you enjoy lingering and reflecting on what you’ve read after you’ve finished a book—as I do—this book will leave you fulfilled on both counts.

Do yourself a huge favour and read No Man’s Land. Not only will you treat yourself to a fantastic story, which while not a romance does feature at least one love story, you will also find yourself pondering about the choices we make. And that’s before I even go into Theo Fenraven’s mastery of the English language, his carefully constructed sentences which paint detailed pictures without ever using a superfluous word.

Enjoy! I know I did.

Buy Links:

Amazon         Amazon UK    

DEVOTED IN DEATH by J.D. Robb

DEVOTED IN DEATH by J.D. Robb

 

Pages: 374

Date: October 13, 2015

Details: no. 41 In Death

Library / Hard back

The blurb:

“It's a new year in New York city, and two star-crossed lovers have just discovered an insatiable appetite...for murder.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas has witnessed some grisly crimes in her career and she knows just how dark things can get on the streets. But when a much-loved musician is found dead, Eve soon realises that his murder is part of a horrifying killing spree, stretching right across the country.

Now the killers have reached New York, and they've found themselves another victim. Eve knows she only has a couple of days to save a young girl's life, and to stop the killers before their sadistic games escalate. Eve's husband Roarke is ready to put his brains and his considerable resources behind the search. But even as the couple works closely together, time is running out...”

My thoughts:

As any follower of my reviews may have noticed, I’ve switched genres over the past two years or so. In the process I’ve started to neglect some series I used to read compulsively. Right now they’re just not calling my name and until they do that again, I’ll leave them be. The In Death books by J.D. Robb are an exception to this rule. Whenever a new instalment arrives in the library I make sure to be the first person to bring it home, eager to catch up with Eve Dallas, Roarke and the rest of their crew again.

These books are my go-to comfort read. I know exactly what to expect before I read the first word. There will be a gruesome crime(spree), a hard to solve mystery, an enticing and sexy ongoing romance between Eve and Roarke, lots of snarky and laugh-out-loud conversation and not a single dull moment. Yes, I guess these books are formulaic, but as formulas go, this one works very well.

As even the characters in Devoted in Death agree, the crimes in this book are more horrific than what we’ve seen in previous books. In fact, it makes me wonder about the way the author’s mind works. She describes the feelings and motivation of the killers so well I could almost believe she knows what she’s talking about. But I guess, that’s part of the magic; the fact that J.D. Robb / Nora Roberts has this wonderful gift when it comes to portraying characters – both the sympathetic ones and those you’d never want to meet in real life.

It feels as if I’ve build a relationship with the characters in these books. With Eve and Roarke for sure, but also with the other regulars. All their stories progress as the series moves on and it is fascinating to observe. And because I’m totally wrapped into all their stories now, it is safe to say I’ll continue reading the In Death books for as long as J.D.Robb continues to write them – regardless of what direction my reading taste may veer off in otherwise.

JUGGERNAUT by Amelia C. Gormley

JUGGERNAUT by Amelia C. Gormley

 

Pages: 378

Date: August 9, 2015

Details: No. 0.5 Strain

            Copy received from Riptide

            Publishing through NetGalley

E-book

The blurb:

They helped destroy the world. Now they have to survive the new one.

For rentboy Nico Fernández, it’s a simple job: seduce a presidential advisor to help cement approval to launch Project Juggernaut. He’s done similar work for General Logan McClosky before, and manipulating people for his favorite client beats the hell out of being trafficked for slave wages in some corporate brothel.

Zach Houtman feels called to work with the most vulnerable outcasts of society. But his father, the Reverend Maurice Houtman, insists that Zach work for him instead as he runs for Senate. Zach reluctantly agrees, but is horrified to see his father leave behind Christ’s mandate of love and mercy to preach malicious zealotry and violence instead. Zach even starts to suspect his father is working with fundamentalist terrorists.

When Project Juggernaut accidentally unleashes a deadly plague that claims billions of lives, Nico and Zach are thrown together, each bearing a burden of guilt. With only each other for safety and solace, they must make their way through a new world, one where the handful of people left alive are willing to do anything—and kill anyone—to survive. 

My thoughts:

When I read Strain, almost eighteen months ago, the book took my breath away. It shocked me, enthralled me and left me thinking about the subjects it broached for days after I’d finished it. In fact, there are still days when the story-line or a detail from it jump into my mind and bring me back to the events in that book. With the amount of books I read it is safe to say this is not something that happens very often.

So when I discovered that both a prequel and a sequel to Strain were to be released in quick succession this summer I was a very happy bunny. Juggernaut tells the story of how the virus that wiped out most of the human race came to be unleashed upon the world through eyes of two young men who unwittingly find themselves caught up right in the middle of the disaster.

Nico Fernández is a celebrated rentboy who doesn’t think twice about doing his favourite client, General Logan McClosky, a favour. The night with the presidential advisor leaves Nico traumatized and injured but that is nothing compared the devastation he experiences when he realises his compliance was instrumental in setting of a global disaster of unimaginable proportions. My heart broke for this charming young man on many occasions during this story. The guilt he carries with him everywhere is overwhelming. Add to that the fact that he is a highly tactile person and suddenly finds himself afraid of intimacy and it’s difficult not to be touched by the turmoil he’s going through.

Zach Houtman is the quintessential  good guy. Very religious he firmly believes that God’s message is one of love and tolerance. When his preacher father veers off to a political career, Zach doesn’t like the changes this brings and he fears his father may be in cohorts with religious terrorists. By the time he is faced with the choice between saving a stranger and staying with his father and younger brother, Jacob, it isn’t a dilemma anymore and he leaves. From that moment forward Zach tries to define faith as a personal rather than a universal truth. His journey as he comes close to losing his faith altogether is a thing of beauty.

The young men are attracted to each other and Zach has remarkable little problems embracing his feelings for Nico (or Nico himself for that matter). The fact that Nico has infected himself with the Alpha strain of the virus puts serious limits on how close they can get though.

Zach and Nice travel towards what they hope will be safety together only to be separated. Individually they have to find the courage to live in a world where all the rules have changed and the love they’ve developed for each other may never have a chance.

I loved this book almost as much as I loved Strain but reading it was somewhat of a strange experience for me. It was wonderful to read about the events that led to the story as described in Strain and Nico and Zach were wonderful characters and very easy to fall for. In fact, I think it’s impossible to read about these two men and not have your heart break for them while you wish a solution will be found somewhere, somehow. The dilemmas they face and the constant choice between selfish desires and what is best for all involved made this a heart wrenching and captivating book.

However, despite the book being a prequel it felt at times like an ‘in between’ story, a bridge between what we’ve read before and what may happen in the next book, Bane. Juggernaut , as far as I can tell, gives the reader all the information they need for a climatic conclusion. I’m not sure which book I’d advice readers who haven’t read either Strain or Juggernaut yet, to read first. What I can say is that this book can easily be read before Strain and that I didn’t miss the information provided in this prequel while reading Strain. And, more than that, now that I have all the necessary information and all characters are in place, I can’t wait to read Bane (coming September 21^st).

The world as created by this author in these books is fascinating because the premise of a military super-weapon creating  a devastation as described is, to me, all to plausible. Watching these characters as they try to hold on to common decency and their morality in a world that doesn’t invite or accommodate either is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking and I have no doubt Bane will tear me apart as the characters I’ve come to love face what will without a doubt be unimaginable decisions and sacrifices.

I’m very impressed with everything Amelia C. Gormley has achieved in these books. Her writing is masterful, her characters multi-dimensional and her devastating story-line draws you in and holds you captive long after you’ve finished reading the last chapter.

THE TIDE OF WAR by Lori A. Witt

THE TIDE OF WAR by Lori A. Witt

 

Pages: 371

Date:  July 11, 2015

Details: No. 1 Defending Epsilon

             Received from Riptide

   Publishing through NetGalley

E-book

The blurb:

Lieutenant Commander Kyle West is one of Earth Fleet’s greatest fighter pilots. Every day, he leads his squadron into battle over Earth’s cities in a seemingly endless war against a vicious alien race, defending his home and his loved ones.

Millions of miles away, the Fleet’s Elite Squadron attacks from another angle, engaging the enemy on its home turf. Casualties are high, and the Squadron needs more of the Fleet’s very best. But joining the Elite is a death sentence—a surety Kyle isn’t willing to face. Until a devastating attack wipes out the family he refused to leave.

Commander Andrei Dezhnyov, an Elite Squadron gunner, isn’t sure what to make of the cocky new American pilot. Kyle is equally uncertain about the snarly Russian, but as they warm up to each other, their tentative alliance becomes a deep bond—one that endangers them both when a daring and disobedient rescue reveals secrets that call into question everything they’ve ever believed about their enemy. Secrets that their superiors would kill to protect.

My thoughts:

Anybody who has read my reviews before knows how much I love it when an author manages to surprise me. To say The Tide of War managed to amaze me would be an understatement. I knew I wasn’t about to start reading a typical m/m romance when I first opened this book, but little did I realize I was about to lose myself in a tale that would break my heart, make me angry, scare me and leave me with rather big and disturbing issues to think about. And while all of that happened, I also fell in love with two beautiful men. In other words, this book blew me away.

As I said, this is not your typical romance. While the Kyle and Andrei do come together in this book, the relationship between them isn’t what this story is about. In fact, when the story starts both men are married. Kyle is in a marriage of convenience to keep his homosexuality a secret with a woman he adores and admires in many ways, and who has reasons similar to Kyle’s for the facade. Andrei is bi-sexual and very happily married to a woman who not only accepts his attraction to men, but actively encourages him to explore that side of himself. So if you are worried about whether or not there’s any cheating going on in this book, the answer is no. There’s no cheating because there are no secrets.

There is also little to no sex. It happens and is referred to but don’t open this book in the hope of finding lengthy and exciting sex scenes because you won’t find any. Because that is not what this story is about.

This is a story about the horrors of war and the lengths our leaders are prepared to go to for what they perceive to be the greater common good – regardless of the price innocent bystanders may have to pay. This book is about good people doing what they think is right only to discover they’ve been used. This story tells about people stepping up to do the right thing, despite the personal risks involved. The conflict in this book is one without easy answers and all the more intriguing for it.

I realize I’m being rather mysterious in my description, but I feel I should be. It would be a crying shame if I spoiled this story for anyone who hasn’t read it yet.

This is not an easy read. There is an awful lot of pain and heartbreak in this story. Kyle and Andrei both face their worst nightmares and have to find a way to keep on going regardless. Their journey had me reading with tears in my eyes several times. But, while the reading may not have been easy, it was very smooth and I found myself unable to put the book down once the story and characters had drawn me in.

While Kyle and Andrei are definitely the main characters and stars in this story, I like that both their women were described as strong and at least equal to the men they shared their lives with. Truly strong women can be few and far between in novels and it was wonderful to encounter them in a book where they weren’t even the main focus of the story.

One thing puzzles me about this book. I had figured out what was going on almost from the start, but I can’t for the life of me figure out whether or not that was intentional on the author’s part. Should I have reached my conclusions at the same time the characters reached theirs or was I supposed to have a head start on them? Even now that I’ve finished the book I don’t know the answer to that question. Not that it matters. The fact that I knew what was coming didn’t make me hurt any less for the characters when they discovered the truth. I cried for them, stared at my screen wondering how anybody could find the strength to go on after what they’d endured.

The worrying thing, for me at least, is that it all made a horrible kind of sense. Not that I would or could condone what happened in this book but I have absolutely no problem believing that those in power might orchestrate something like what’s described in this book and even convince themselves it was the ‘right’ thing to do. And that scares the bejaysus out of me. I would like to say a whole lot more about this topic but I’m having a problem avoiding spoilers as it is, so I’d better stop now.

It is fair to say this book made me ask myself questions such as, how would I react? What would I do? How would I cope? Would I even cope? I love it when a book does that. I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next. While the book doesn’t hang on a cliffhanger, the story is far from over when we leave Kyle and Andrei and I’m delighted I’ll get to spend more time with them.

Finally I would like to say that I’m in awe of Lori Witt. It doesn’t matter what she writes, what genre she tackles, or what the gender or orientation of her main characters may be. Every single book I’ve read by this author has impressed me in some way, shape or form while the ideas behind one or two of them (this book included) will stay with me for a very long time. I’m truly grateful Lori A. Witt is as prolific as she is and that I’m nowhere near catching up with all her older titles yet. J

Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb

CONCEALED IN DEATH by J.D. Robb

 

Pages: 445

Date: 4.5

Details: no. 38 In Death

Library

The blurb:

“Between the wall he’d opened and the one barely a foot behind it lay two bundles wrapped in thick plastic. But he could see, clearly enough, what they were...

There’s nothing unusual about billionaire Roarke supervising work on his new property – but when he takes a ceremonial swing at the first wall, he uncovers the body of a girl. And then another – in fact, twelve dead girls in all.

Luckily for Roarke, he is married to the best police lieutenant in town. Eve Dallas is determined to find the killer – especially when she discovers that the building used to be a sanctuary for delinquent teenagers and the parallel with her past as a young runaway hits hard.”

My thoughts:

I can’t imagine anybody being surprised when I say I love the ‘In Death’ books by J.D. Robb. The fact that I haven’t missed a single title yet, is testament to that. But, it’s more than just the fact that I enjoy these books. J.D. Robb has, over the years, become my go-to author whenever I find myself in a reading slump. She is one of only a handful of authors who can always reignite my passion for reading and she succeeded this time as well as she has in the past.

As always the mystery was imaginative and more than just a little bit creepy. I had the solution more or less figured out long before our investigator did, but I can’t say it lessened my reading pleasure. And, also as always, Eve’s snarky comments and somewhat cynical look at life had me smiling. The interactions between Eve and Roarke as well as Eve and Peabody had me laughing out loud on numerous occasions. And it is hard to not melt at least a little bit at the love between the two main characters.

J.D. Robb (and her alter ego Nora Roberts) excel at writing witty, gripping and realistic sounding dialogue and couldn’t create a boring character if they tried. Thirty-eight books into this series I still find myself wishing the author will never stop creating more adventures for these Eve, Roarke and their friends and colleagues. I’m well and truly hooked. 

STATIC

TITLE: STATIC

AUTHOR: L.A. WITT

Pages: 236

Date: 11/02/2014

Grade: 5+

Details: Received from Riptide Publishing

            Through Love Romances and More

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

After two years together, Alex has been dreading the inevitable moment when Damon learns the truth: that Alex is a shifter, part of a small percentage of the population able to switch genders at will. Thanks to a forced implant though, Alex is suddenly static – unable to shift – and male. Overnight, he’s out to a world that neither understands nor tolerates shifters...and to his heterosexual boyfriend.

Damon is stunned to discover his girlfriend is a shifter, and scared to death of the dangers the implant poses to Alex’s health. He refuses to abandon Alex, but what about their relationship? Damon is straight, and with the implant both costly and dangerous to remove, Alex is stuck as a man.

Stripped of half his identity and facing serious physical and social ramifications, Alex needs Damon more than ever, but doesn’t see how they can get through this.

Especially if he’s static forever.”

----------------------------------------------------

My thoughts:

Every now and again I pick up a book that blows me away, a book that is more than a good story, a story that does more than entertain me. Some books manage to touch me on a deeper level and make me want to go out and shout the title from the rooftops, bully people into buying and reading the book now, immediately. ‘Static is one of those books.’

For starters there is the story of Alex and Damon who have been dating for two years. They have grown so close that Damon wants to marry his girlfriend, although she doesn’t seem to be as eager as he is to tie the knot. Damon knows there is something bothering Alex. She seems to have mood-swings, suffer with bouts of depression and uses alcohol to medicate herself on occasion. Damon has no idea why Alex is this way but accepts her as she appears to be, darker periods and all.

One night, after she has visited the parents she’s estranged from, Alex fails to contact Damon. Worried about the woman he loves Damon goes to her house only to be confronted by a handsome man when the door opens.

Damon is shocked to discover this man is Alex; that the girl he has been dating for two years is in fact a shifter, one of a small percentage of people capable of changing their gender depending on whether they feel male or female. Not that Damon has a problem with the idea of shifters. In a world where most people disapprove of shifters and would prefer to deny their right to live their life in whatever body they need to, Damon is among the accepting minority.

The problem is that Alex is no longer able to shift. Thanks to an implant that was forced on him without his consent, Alex is now static in his male body. And Damon is straight.

The problems Alex and Damon face are endless. Living in a world where shifting is considered an anomaly and most people only know Alex as a girl, the man Alex finds himself confronted by discrimination, gossip and bullying.

“This world is designed for people whose brains match their bodies, and fuck anyone who not only can but needs to change from day to day or hour to hour.”

Imprisoned in his male body even when everything inside him screams that he is female is almost impossible to deal with as is the thought that he is stuck in this situation thanks to an illegal operation inflicted upon him by his parents. And to top it all off there’s the fact that illegal implants can pose a health risk while removal of it is both very dangerous and not always successful. And finally there is Damon, the man Alex loves, the partner he kept secrets from, his very straight lover who may not be able to stay with him now that he’s no longer able to be female.

Damon has his own set of problems to deal with. He’s worried about his partner’s health both mentally and physically of course but there’s more. Once he gets used to the idea that his girlfriend is now male, and possibly locked into that body forever, Damon has to sort out his feelings for Alex.

“Of course he’s Alex. But he’s not. But he is.”

Damon is lucky that he has friends he can talk to, people who understand shifting as well as his doubts and confusion.

“What you need to do is stop looking for the woman you knew. Just look for the person.”

But advice, no matter how good, isn’t always easy to follow. If Damon is sure of one thing it is that he is straight. And Alex, at least for now but maybe forever, is male.

“I loved Alex and always would, but didn’t know how to love him now. What would happen when we got tired of not touching?”

Damon’s journey from confusion, through stubborn loyalty to the understanding that things haven’t really changed as much as he’d thought was breath-taking.

 “I loved him the same as I loved her because they were one and the same.”

The night when Alex discovers he has far more support than he could ever have imagined is the same night when Damon discovers that love is love, no matter what body your lover happens to be living in.

“The intimacy was still there from before this had all started, right there waiting this whole time for us to come and get it.”

This was the section of the book I read with tears in my eyes. The ending of the book put a huge grin on my face and made me happy. The scenes where it all comes together for Alex and Damon touched my heart and will stay with me for a very long time.

“I’d had to learn to navigate some unfamiliar terrain, but the desire was still there because I wanted Alex, in every way, on every level, I wanted Alex.”

This book was a compulsive read for me on every level. I loved the way in which it was written, found myself completely engrossed in the story, felt all the feelings for and with the characters and couldn’t stop reading until the very last page.

In the author’s Note L.A. Witt says the following:

“By the time I finished Static, I had a much deeper and more sympathetic understanding of people whose gender identity doesn’t fall into the culturally accepted binary of male-bodied men and female-bodied women.”

The author continues by stating that she hopes the same will be true for the reader and I can assure her that it was definitely the case for me. I can’t speak for anyone else of course, but I’d challenge anyone to read this book and not walk away with a better understanding of gender issues. I’ve no idea why it is easier for me to imagine how painful it would be to lose the ability to shift between genders than it is to imagine the feeling of living in the wrong body but for me that is how it worked. It is as if this book has removed blinkers from my eyes; as if I can suddenly see and understand things that were always there but out of focus for me.

This is the sort of book that should be required reading for everyone. Stories like ‘Static’ make a subject that is hard to deal with for a lot of people more accessible and will, hopefully and over time, create understanding and thus, a better and more tolerant world. I’m sure some will say I’m naive and overly optimistic but I have to believe that the day will come when people will be allowed to be who they need to be without the rest of the world feeling entitled to tell them they’re wrong.

The author added that she hopes her readers enjoy the story. I hope my review has made it clear how much I loved this story and the message it so eloquently shares.