Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank: A Review

“It all started when I saw myself dead.” For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn’t enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect. Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen– do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own. Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.

I simply adored this book. Rose's innocence, from beginning to end, was absolutely endearing.  Her ability to see the short spurts of the future, and her inability to keep those visions to herself, gets her into a lot of trouble.  The day she sees her own death, she ends up finally standing up to her unloving and abusive mother – making a scene in front of the neighbors – and heads to the library, her safe haven.  Not wanting to go home just yet, knowing her death will be coming, she decides to make a list of 28 things she’d like to do before she dies. 

After creating the list, she comes home to find her vision true... only it was her mother who died. Without knowing what to do, she went to her new neighbor, Joe. The vision of her death sucks her into a world she knew nothing about. The death of her mother freed her in a way she didn't know she needed and, while being sucked into a situation that was beyond her control, she managed to find herself and live her life the way it was meant to be lived.

The story is very well written and highly enjoyable.  I wasn't a fan of Rose's sister, Violet, because there were a few moments where she was just as controlling as her mother, but I ended up warming to her later in the story.  I thought Joe was pretty awesome and, I think, he really cared for her from he get go and wanted to just come clean with her but wasn't able to. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  I laughed and cried and would highly recommended giving this a read.  I'm looking forward to more books from Denise Grover Swank!

For me, it was definitely a 5 star book!

Confessions of a PTA Mafia Mom by Elsie Love: A Review

Elaine Jackerson has found herself in quite a predicament. Her husband, Bob, is sleeping with his secretary, her daughter is experimenting in the backseat with random boys, and her eight year old wants nothing to do with her. In an attempt to get herself out of her midlife rut, Elaine joins the Herschel Grammar School PTA. 

Elaine Jackerson, a stay at home mom who lost herself while her children were growing up, needs a little something more in her life. She needs a life of her own. On the first day of school, she walks into the coffee breakfast the PTA is hosting and finds herself trapped. With the members of the PTA blocking her way to freedom, she chooses a seat in the back of the room hoping to remain anonymous. Next thing you know, she's volunteering to organize a festival that no one seems to want to be involved in. When she finally caught her husband cheating red-handed, the PTA stepped in to help and she found herself in a world-wind of one problem after another. 

Confessions was a fun read. I really enjoyed it. I did feel for Elaine, everyone around her seemed to realize that her husband was cheating on her but she was clueless until she received an accidental phone call. Having to deal with an obnoxious teenage girl and 3rd grader who is easily embarrassed by Mom isn't easy but Elaine was trying her best when she caught her husband cheating red-handed.  With no one to turn to, she calls her new PTA friends and ends up getting more than what she bargained for.

Without giving too much away, there were certain things that came to light in the second half of the book that completely surprised me. I love a book that can make me say "I did not see that coming!" It was the perfect book for a nice summer day! If you are looking for a fun, fast read, this is definitely the book for you. 

You can check out Elsie Love's website at: Elsie Love