Quick Reviews

My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (2022)

The author trio is back with another series, this time focusing on famous Marys of history and literature.  Their first offering retells a period in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots.  Although technically Queen of Scotland, Mary spent most of her life in France, betrothed to the dauphin, Francis, and this story looks at the time when Mary and Francis are wedded and soon after become rulers in their own right, although this Mary is hiding a big secret.  The Lady Janies was such a fun series, so I was happy to dive into this new book, which brings the whimsy and charm I've come to expect from the trio.  It also has some ties to the first Jane book, and it was great to revisit that world.  In this story, Mary has her flaws, but she's also determined to be a great leader, and she and Francis make a good pair.  I like how the authors make the "adults" in these books seem a little ridiculous and over-the-top while still somewhat staying true to the historical record.  They do take a lot of liberties (obviously, the real Mary, Queen of Scots did not have the ability to change into a mouse), and while I like that mostly everyone gets a happy ending here, the conclusion was a little jarring knowing how things really ended for Francis and Mary.  4 stars

The (Half) Truth by Leddy Harper (2019)

 

After her fiancé dumps her, chef Tatum is still working at the same restaurant as him, along with his new girlfriend.  One day she tells a little lie that she's seeing a new guy, who just happens to be her best friend's cousin that just arrived in town.  What will happen when Tatum's lies start to spin out of control?  This is why I need to write reviews right after I finish a book, because this one has almost completely faded from my memory already.  Maybe I misread the blurb, but I expected a fake dating scenario, and that's not what happened here.  Tatum concocts a story that she's dating Jason, never cluing him in on the scheme, while also starting a no-strings-attached relationship with him.  Tatum was just the most frustrating character.  She constantly lies and her awkward, bumbling personality wasn't cute, just obnoxious.  The person I felt for was Jason - Tatum's lies meant that other people got the wrong impression about him, and his cousin just kept bringing up his player days from high school (totally ignoring the fact that he just got out of a five-year relationship, so clearly he's changed).  Overall, just a miss for me.  2.5 stars

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