Book Review – Golden Boy by A. J. Symon

 

Golden Boy is about a young girl, Emma Branch, who will do anything to save her dog. Emma is a teenage genius who loves science and spends much of her time caring for the animals on her family farm. She is used to feeling like the odd one out among her family and classmates, especially since everyone around her seems obsessed with football. Emma doesn't mind spending time alone as long as she has her best friend, her golden retriever, Hudson.

Hudson was the last gift her mother gave her before she passed away. Emma promised her mother that she would always look after him, so when Hudson is involved in an accident, she is devastated. She cannot bear the thought of losing her only friend and her last connection to her mother. Determined to save him, Emma is willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means testing an experimental drug on him. However, instead of helping Hudson heal, the drug turns him human. Emma must find a way to help Hudson before it's too late.

The book is a cute and entertaining read. However, I was a bit confused about the time period and how Emma was able to access some of the chemicals needed to create the drug. For much of the story, I did not realize it was set in modern times because there was very little mention of electronics or other aspects of contemporary life. It also caught me off guard that the Branch family seemed to hold some fairly antiquated views about family roles and values.

Setting aside the implausibility of creating such a drug in a classroom lab, I still found the story enjoyable. It was fun watching Emma come out of her shell and develop stronger relationships with her family and classmates, even if she could be a little annoying at times. The book also offers positive messages about treating others fairly, allowing people to shine in their own ways, and showing grace and understanding.

Readers who love golden retrievers will especially enjoy this story. Hudson's antics provide plenty of humor and charm, making the book a fun treat for animal lovers.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and were not influenced by the publisher or author. 

 

June 2026 Empties!

 

 

 

I can't believe we're already halfway through June! It feels like the year just started. I'm also not looking forward to the rest of the summer. We've already had a few scorching-hot days, and it's only going to get warmer from here.

One product that didn't quite live up to my expectations was the Advanced Clinicals Collagen + Peptide Firming Body Cream. I had hoped it would help firm and tone my legs, but I didn't notice much of a difference. The cream had a lightweight texture and, unfortunately, didn't provide as much moisture as I prefer. The standout feature was the packaging. The tub with a pump dispenser made it easy to use every last bit of product.

I have enjoyed several Amika hair products over the years, so I was excited to try their I'm Glistening Body Oil. While I liked the formula, I wasn't impressed with the value. The bottle is quite small and designed to appear larger than it actually is. The oil has a dry-oil feel initially, but it still leaves a slight greasy residue on my skin. It did leave my skin feeling soft and moisturized, but I would only consider repurchasing it if the price were significantly lower.

Another disappointment was the Pixi Beauty DetoxifEYE eye patches. I love Pixi's makeup products, so I had high hopes for these. Unfortunately, they didn't do much for my under-eye area. The patches seemed to contain very little serum, and after using them, my skin didn't feel any different. This is one product I won't be purchasing again.

My favorite product from this group was the Papa Recipe Retinol PDRN Daily Mask. The container includes around 30 sheet masks, and each one is generously saturated with serum. While the masks are fairly basic, the cost per use comes out to less than a dollar per mask, making them a great value. They left my skin feeling soft, hydrated, and refreshed after each use. Overall, they worked well, and I would definitely purchase them again.

 Did you finish anything good this month that you would recommend? 

Book Review - Outside by Jennifer L. Holm

 

Outside by Jennifer L. Holm is about a young girl, Razzi, who has spent her entire life in a compound isolated from the rest of the world. Razzi has heard her entire life not to go outside because it isn’t safe. Her parents and other adults have told her the world ended and that only people and creatures that are “Poisoned” remain and will hurt them. Their only safe space is their refuge.

Razzi’s friend Ollie was curious about the outside, and that led to his death. So Razzi tries to tamp down her feelings about the outside world. She is the oldest kid left, and she wants to set a good example for the younger kids.

After an accident, Razzi has to undergo a heart transplant. She receives a heart from a greyhound, which causes her to have these weird feelings. As Razzi gets used to her new heart, she feels the urge to go outside again, but will she listen to her heart or be safe and stay inside?

I thought the book was an okay read. It went in a different direction than I was expecting. I thought it was a bit weird that they were able to perform a complicated open-heart surgery with seemingly few supplies. I had mixed feelings about Razzi’s new heart influencing her decisions, affecting her senses and thoughts. I thought some of it could be believable, while others seemed far-fetched. I am not sure why the author went that route instead of saying Razzi was missing her friend, which caused her wanderlust. While it wasn’t my favorite novel by the author, I would be open to reading more by her.

Book Review – How to Deceive a Duke by Samara Parish

  

 

How to Deceive a Duke by Samara Parish follows Fiona McTavish, a woman who enters a risky arrangement with her former lover, a powerful duke, only to find that lingering attraction and hidden motives threaten to unravel both her plans and her heart.

Fiona is a brilliant chemist and engineer, but also a rebel who defies society’s expectations. She has no interest in being a proper lady and would much rather spend her time in the lab than planning social events. Her latest invention, friction matches, has the potential to secure her financial independence. However, her plans are derailed when she is arrested for a crime she didn’t commit. The only person who can help her is the man who broke her heart years ago.

Edward Stirling, the Duke of Wildeforde, is determined to restore his family’s reputation after his father’s scandalous death. When Fiona turns to him for help, he can’t refuse, even if it means agreeing to her condition that she live under his roof after her release. As they spend more time together, old feelings resurface, but gossip about their arrangement begins to spread. Edward must decide what matters more: protecting his name or following his heart.

I thought the novel was an okay read up until the ending, which left me very frustrated. Many of the characters acted in ways that felt illogical or immature. Edward often made major decisions for others without giving them a choice. Edward decides to marry Fiona and then break up their relationship without even talking to her.

Edward was furious with his brother for making a mistake and essentially cut him off, yet the brother is never mentioned again, and there’s no indication of any reconciliation. Meanwhile, Fiona damages Edward’s reputation similarly, and he forgives her without much consequence. The inconsistency was frustrating.

Another issue was the repeated references to the scandal surrounding Edward’s father. It’s treated as a major plot point, yet the details are never fully explained. If it’s meant to be central to the story, it feels incomplete without that context.

As for Fiona, she started off as a strong, compelling character, and I was rooting for her early on. But by the end, I found her increasingly difficult to like. She often acted selfishly, rarely considering how her decisions affected others. She constantly doubts Edward’s feelings, despite his actions showing otherwise, yet she blindly trusts her father, Alistair, who repeatedly abandons her. Her stubbornness also became frustrating. She refuses help even when her situation is dire, insisting on doing everything her own way, or this must be another way, even when she, herself, admits there is no other way. She claims she doesn’t want to marry Edward, yet she becomes upset when he shows attention to other women.

I also found parts of the plot difficult to follow, particularly Fiona’s time in prison and her eventual release. Her insistence on disguising herself as a man, “Finley,” didn’t always make sense. At first, it seemed tied to selling her matches, but she attends many business meetings openly as a woman and is frustrated when she isn’t taken seriously. If the concern was avoiding legal trouble, it seems like she could have created a different alias or approach from the beginning.

I did enjoy parts of the novel, especially in the beginning, but the ending fell short for me. Despite my frustrations, I would still be open to reading more books by this author.

 

Book Review – It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

 

 

  

It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica follows Courtney Gray, a woman whose family vacation turns deadly. Courtney is looking forward to spending time with her immediate and extended family. Still, everything changes one morning when she discovers her brother and sister-in-law murdered in their lakeside cottage. Her niece, Reese, is missing, while her nephew, Wyatt, is found upstairs, unharmed but asleep.

As the police work to uncover leads, Courtney grows increasingly desperate for answers and for any sign of her niece. Unable to sit back and wait, she takes matters into her own hands. As she digs deeper into the case, she uncovers dark secrets from her family’s past. The truths that someone is determined to keep hidden. Will Courtney be able to uncover what really happened?

I found the book entertaining. It alternates between multiple points of view, primarily Reese in the past and Courtney in the present. The short chapters made it a quick read and helped build suspense. There were several twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.

There were a few elements that felt underdeveloped or not fully explained. Some details seemed included mainly to mislead the reader rather than to meaningfully contribute to the story. Even so, I found it engaging overall and would be open to reading more books by this author.