Book Review: All the Ice Cream in the Land by Emmy Kastner

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All the Ice Cream in the Land  by Emmy Kastner  is about a princess, the kingdom she lives in, and her loyal subjects. Full of twists and turns, children will surely delight in this story about ice cream. When I saw the title and cover art of this kid's book, it made me instantly think of my childhood and how I would've loved a book like this one. A huge shout out and thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for approving my request to read this book. I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. The storyline is very easy to follow, making it especially suitable for toddlers, preschoolers, and early readers, particularly children between the ages of two and six. Its straightforward narrative and clear structure make it an excellent choice for read-aloud sessions at home, bedtime stories, or classroom story time. While there is limited character development, which is typical for a picture book format, the princess is still an intere...
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Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich

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Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich
Book Review of Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich
Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich is the latest installment in the long-running and beloved Stephanie Plum series, and it opens with Joe Morelli asking Stephanie to dog-sit his famously quirky dog, Bob, while he’s out of town testifying at a trial. As expected, things quickly spiral into chaos when Stephanie has to bring Bob along while attempting to apprehend her usual lineup of FTAs. Between chasing fugitives, dodging danger, and juggling her complicated personal life, Stephanie also finds herself seriously questioning whether marriage is something she truly wants.

Each book in the Stephanie Plum series tends to follow a familiar and comforting formula, with everything wrapped up in a neat, tidy bow by the end. That predictability is actually one of the main reasons I keep coming back to these books. I always know Stephanie will get herself into trouble, Ranger or Morelli will step in to help, and the bad guy will eventually be caught. Sometimes I just want something familiar and reliable to read, and I don’t mean that in a negative way at all. These books let me escape reality for a while and provide plenty of laughs along the way. For me, the Stephanie Plum series is the literary equivalent of comfort food.

dirty thirty stephanie plum 30 janet evanovich
The last few installments felt a bit off to me, almost as if they had been ghostwritten, but Dirty Thirty feels much more in line with the earlier books in the series. I didn’t get that disconnected feeling this time around, which made the reading experience far more enjoyable. Unlike most previous endings, this one also leaves readers with a bit of a cliffhanger ... Stephanie receives marriage proposals from both Morelli and Ranger. Since she was previously engaged to Morelli earlier in the series and ultimately called it off, I’m genuinely intrigued to see if she’ll finally choose one of them and actually get married. I really hope she does.

One of my favorite characters has always been Bob, so I absolutely loved the fact that he played such a large role in Dirty Thirty. As an animal lover, I can’t help but adore this dog and the chaos he brings to every scene he’s in. Ranger was also a standout for me in this installment, and I really enjoyed how he was written in this storyline.

I gave Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich five out of five stars. I’m a little sad that I’ve finished it because I already want more, and now I have to wait another year or so for the next Stephanie Plum book to be released.

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