Backstage

The drama builds in this second book in the Boy Band series! And all of the secrets floating around Mel definitely keep her on her toes as she tries to simply enjoy her new relationship before the band takes off on their third world tour. But things are never that easy, especially for a world famous boy band and those closest to them!

With this second book we get a closer look at the turmoil laying just beneath the surface for this tight knit group of boys and the two women they feel closest to. With everyone keeping secrets and the stress building before the tour starts, there was bound to be plenty of ups and downs! This book was definitely a page turner as I eagerly read it to see what would happen between all of the characters that are really starting to grow on me! And while I feel confident that I know Jacqueline's writing style and I would love to feel secure in Mel's relationship, Smith is great at throwing twists and turns that can completely upend a character's life! So with the end of this book I eagerly grab up the next one and settle in for a world tour that is promising to entertain both the fans of The Kind Of Summer and Smith's readers!

Boy Band

It's been a little while since I picked up and finished a novel. With moving homes and school starting, things have been too chaotic for a book to really grab me. But I was looking forward once more to the Texas Teen Book Festival in Austin, because I knew I was going to find some great new books and authors! I also knew I would be given the chance to once more see a local author that I love to read, Jacqueline E. Smith!

If you have read any of my past posts you might have seen her name as she wrote the awesome Cemetery Tours Series that I love so much! After reading the 3rd book in that series and seeing that the next book wasn't due out until this month, I knew I was going to have to pick up her other series to enjoy more of her fun writing style! Boy Band did not disappoint! As soon as we got in the car to head home from Austin, only a 4 hours drive for us, I picked up the book and began reading. I finished later that night with only breaks for when the car was stopped and cooking dinner! I couldn't put it down!

Boy Band follows the story of The Kind of Summer, a hot new boy band that is about to release their third album, and their closest friend Mel, who happens to be in love with one of the band's members. Told from the point of Mel as she travels with the band taking pictures and video for them while also managing online courses to please her parents, the story is filled with relationship drama, hilarious moments of friendship, and lots of flyer miles! It makes this trope fun to visit one more time as we cheer for Mel and ride on the roller coaster that is her life at 20 years of age.

Jacqueline Smith is such a great writer! Her stories are light and fun with an underlying element of drama that is ever-present in real life! Her characters are relatable and very real, making mistakes and trying to figure out how to navigate life just like everyone else. Of course, the fact that they also have to deal with world wide fame, outrageous rumors, and the stress that comes with being on the road and constantly together, just makes the story all that much more interesting. This first books was incredible and I finished it way too fast! I am already elbow deep in the second book and can't wait to see how the story unfolds!

After Death

Jacqueline E. Smith is a local (Dallas) writer whom I discovered on the shelf at a small town library. I read the first two books in her series, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the books, I didn't push the issue when we didn't go back to that library. Fast forward to a Texas Teen Book Festival as we are leaving the main room when a book catches my eye. "Hey, I've read those books. They were great! Wonder if the author is here?" I was going to just keep walking (thanks social anxiety), but my mother refuses to pass up the chance to tell an author they have a fan. Twenty minutes later, I walk out with 3 new autographed books and Jacqueline and I are mutually following each other on Instagram. Awesome day!

I meant to read this third book back in January, for the "A" in this year's alphabet challenge. But between house hunting, moving house, the end of the school year, things have been chaotic and I have finally sat down to finish a book for the first time this year!

Guys! This books was great! I already love Jacqueline's writing from the first two books, and her characters are funny, real, and just the best. So it isn't a surprise that I was immediately in love at the start of this last book. That I finished it in one day should have been expected. The story follows Michael, Kate, and Luke primarily with appearances from the always wonderful Brink as well as some truly confusing and vile lesser characters. The story left me second guessing things left and right up until the end when I was pleasantly surprised. Oh, and yes, I teared up at the end, it was beautiful. I am so glad I have this series on my shelf to revisit in the future! And of course I am looking forward to trying out her other books! Go read these, now! You will love them!

Between Worlds

Finally I got around to reading this second novel in the Cemetery Tours series and my only regret is not getting to it sooner!

After Micheal Sinclair declared to the world that yes, he does in fact see ghosts, his friend Luke Reiner approaches him once more asking to join him on his show Cemetery Tours. This time, his presence is a stipulation one of the home owners has placed on their allowing the tv show to film there. Michael reluctantly agrees after Luke and Kate, Micheal's now girlfriend, team up against him. We join Michael, Luke, and Kate once more on a ghost hunt that gets out of hand as the crew learns more about the ghost haunting a home in Maine.

I loved getting to join the team once more for a wild and humorous ride. Jacqueline has a unique gift in building up the world of Michael Sinclair where he can talk to ghosts, Kate can sense them, and Luke likes to poke them with a stick. The banter between the characters, including Brink, Michael's ghostly roommate, really makes you laugh out loud at least a half dozen times. Also in this one is a tragic love story that focuses around the ghosts the team is trying to find evidence of, and the heartbreak leads to some pretty crazy moments for everyone.

Jacqueline also steps outside her zone and takes us to the stunningly beautiful Maine, describing an incredible home and a quaint town that made me wish I could take a trip up there while reading this one.

Of course I am going to recommend everyone read this second great novel from Smith. Specifically to those that took the chance in reading the first one. This was a great follow up novel and I am looking forward to the third one.

Cemetery Tours

So I picked this book up at the library simply because it had a sticker on the side that said "local author." Well of course I was going to pick it up to help support someone nearby! Now I can't wait to be able to buy a copy of this book and her other ones to add to my bookshelf to really support her, because I really enjoyed this one! Meet Jacqueline E. Smith!

The story follows 2 main people: Michael, who incidentally can see dead people, and his new neighbor Kate, who moves into the cursed apartment next door and brings along one mean looking ghost. So, I know it sounds kinda cliche, of course he can see dead people so of course she has to be haunted. But the story is more than that. For one, Michael does nothing about the fact that he sees the dead. To the point that he goes out of his way to ignore and act normal when in the presence of ghosts so that they won't follow him home expecting things from him. Of course this doesn't always work because sometimes they do follow him home and now everyone in his apartment building believes it is cursed and the landlord can never keep tenants in the one right next to Michael. So for a brief afternoon as Michael helps the pretty new girl and her brother move in, he is all smiles because, well, he can't help himself around pretty new girl. Until he sees the very angry, very scary looking ghost glaring down Kate's brother Gavin, and so he turns tail and runs back to his own apartment.

But Michael can't stay away from Kate, he is drawn to her, for reasons outside the usual she is pretty and new and single, but you don't get to know about those 'till much later. He finds himself drawn into multiple ghost-related scenarios that he has been trying to avoid his whole life, and tries his best to help to not only impress the pretty neighbor girl, but also because he has realized that up until this point he has been a little selfish by not helping. Things, of course, get out of hand and twisted around because nothing is ever simple or straight forward. There are a couple of heartbreaking moments where you just want to hug some characters but you can't, because they are fictional, and ghosts mostly. And there is plenty of humor to have you laughing.

I thought this book was a breath of fresh air. The characters are people I know. Michael is selfish, just wants to be normal. Kate is fanatical about a TV show about ghost hunters and so fangirls when she meets the lead actor. Gavin is the protective big brother who ignores his own failing health because he can't stress his sister out. They are normal people who make you laugh, drive you crazy, make you roll your eyes, and draw you to them all at once. The book being based in Texas really helps for me, too. I love it that no one bats an eye at it taking them an hour and half to drive somewhere and it getting far too late in the evening in the process, because that's just what happens when you live in this big state. And of course the parents of these almost thirty year olds are so involved in their children's lives, making decisions for them, giving advise, still trying to parent even though their kids are grown, because that is just how we are in the South. I loved being able to relate to these characters!

The only drawback I feel the need to point out is that it take a little while for the plot to thicken. We find out plenty about the characters, what has happened to them, that they like one another, and it seems like most of the book goes by before any conflict arises aside from the "boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy is too shy to ask girl out" bit. But it's necessary I think, after reading it. After all, the author is introducing you to this guy that she wants to follow for a few books. You need to have some background, some setting. Instead of cramming story, big events, the main plot into one book, this is the beginning. I think in book two will be more of the main climax of Michael's story, if the ending to this one is any indication. And there is still more than enough drama in this one to keep a reader satisfied with having read it and looking for more. Just, if you find it starting off a little slow, know that I did too, but if you keep going, I think it will really be worth the wait!

So pick this book up! Discover someone new with a lot of potential. And let me know what you think! Because I am headed to the library for the next one!