Thursday, June 12, 2025

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

I've been on an Ashley Poston kick lately, as seen by my previous post on The Seven Year Slip. I've also been reading the Once Upon a Con series - I read Geekerella back in 2016, but wanted to re-read it and then finish the series. I also have a post on The Dead Romantics coming soon.

But I think A Novel Love Story kind of ruined me. In the best way! This book sucked me in immediately, probably because I love escaping into fiction, and that literally happens in this story. Plus there are some books and shows I love so much that I'd kill to "live" in that town for a few days. (I kept thinking of the Gilmore Girls tours and Friends experiences as I read this book.) I started reading this book one evening and couldn't put it down - I even dreamed about it that night! I woke up excited to finish it, and did finish it that day, though I wanted it to stretch on forever.

I think what struck me most about this book was that Poston wasn't just writing the story she wanted to write, but also created this back story of another author and her series! It was really engaging and, as a writer myself, I can just imagine all the ideas and characters she was juggling and how they tangled together.

I love how the story came together, though the resolution kind of bothered me a bit. Soft spoilers...

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson

Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson

I love Kevin Wilson’s books and was lucky to get to see him at a bookstore talking about this latest novel. He has such a unique approach to his story ideas and fleshing them out. And then such an amazing way of putting these concepts into words.

I kept flagging certain lines that opened my eyes to how and why I (or other people) think and feel certain ways. It made me feel like I was getting to know these new people on such a deep level - not just the kids, but also their mothers. And then the dad… wow.

When the overall story concept was introduced, I had no idea how it would be resolved. Would they never make it to the dad? Would he be impossible to find? Would he be a jerk? Would he run away? I thought of everything except what actually happened, and it was perfect. It didn’t feel like a rip-off.

I think this might be my favorite Kevin Wilson novel yet, and that’s saying a lot. I think I'm actually going to re-read all of his books this summer.

Check out other posts about Kevin Wilson from the blog: