Kit McBride Gets a Wife - Amy Barry

Publisher: Berkley (Penguin Random House)

 ISBN: 978-0-593-33557-4

Subject: Romance

Fourteen-year-old Junebug McBride, feeling suffocated by the amount of chores she does for her four older brothers, puts out a matrimony advertisement for her second oldest brother, Kit. Best part? He doesn't know anything about it until his "wife" stumbles into a rabbit hole, figuratively and literally, on their Montana land. The "wife" is a young lady named Maddy Mooney, an unpaid maid far from her birthplace in Ireland. The story builds between various viewpoints of these three characters, with the main romance starting halfway through the book. The romance builds slowly until an unfavorable character reenters the story, causing minor problems. Ultimately, the books ends the way most romance novels do: Kit and Maddy get married.

Where to start? First off, it's a romance. But a good one. It's not erotic or even wildly passionate. "Intimate" would be a good word for the romance between the main characters. It definitely has its tropes and clichés, but it works in this story. The most interesting character, by far, is Junebug. She's a wild child with a lot to say. She's also smart and perceptive. The story arc is kind of flat, with no real build-up, but a good introduction to the romance genre, especially for a more prude reader. Those into thrilling romances will find it boring. The writing is okay, though the author uses unnecessarily big words throughout. It fits in with Junebug's and Kit's characters, but not for Maddy. 

The author did a good job on her research of what Montana is like and how people in different cultures responded to various situations. She also did a good job portraying the time period, especially in different settings. 

I would probably give it a 6/10 in it's own genre (romance books don't break 2 in my general reading scale). 

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese - Deya Muniz

Publisher: Hachette Book Group

 ISBN: 978-0-316-53870-1

Subject: Graphic Novel

Count Camembert is a secluded count, keeping to himself. with only his servant/best friend Feta for company. Everything changes when he accepts an invitation to a royal ball held by Princess Brie. In he walks, making a statement that garners attention from everyone, especially the princess. This leads the two to become close, and as the Count (or Cam) spends more time with the princess and her friends (and more time eating royal grilled cheese sandwiches), the more he falls in love with Brie. Delightfully, she feels the same towards Cam. Until she discovers Cam's not-well-kept secret (but well enough to fool everyone). She abruptly ends things with Cam who is devastated and remains secluded, playing the Switch, until fate (and Feta) push Cam into a spiral of events common to a princess romance story. Soon, Cam is proposing to Brie with a grilled cheese sandwich, and a wedding is held, during which Cam's big secret is reveled in the most appealing way. 

I love graphic novels for the art, mostly. Especially Manga because there's something about the facial expressions and small details that make the story even better. This isn't a manga, but it definitely has the feel of one. The story was fast-paced, which made the arc seem more flat than it was, but it was funny and intriguing and unique. The artwork was great and the characters had their own personalities, though I think if the story were longer the personalities would be able to really come through in their differences. As is, they feel minimized because there isn't enough time to really develop a relationship with the characters. This story blends the modern with the antiquated, using the feel of princesses and counts while addressing modern ideas like feminism and LGBTQ+. The cover cleverly hides this treasure inside. I was surprised as I started the book but loved it all the same. 

I rate it an 8/10.