Tag Archives: K.J. Farnham

Book Review: SPIN by K.J. Farnham

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SPIN by K.J. Farnham

A Young Adult Novel published by K J Farnham Publishing LLC (04/11/19)

Summary:

Jenna Kemp likes to run and hang out with her three best friends at the local park. She is your average teenager, but she is also hiding a huge secret. She has succeeded in pushing down her secrets so deep that she can live her daily life in peace, but those secrets will slowly bubble to the surface. Jenna will try anything to numb the pain, from nighttime pain meds to weed and alcohol. Her friends don’t understand why she is spinning out of control until the day Jenna doesn’t come home one night and her years of secrets begin to unravel.

Keywords:

Sexual Abuse, Child Abuse, Teenagers, Drugs, Alcohol, Parties, Friendship, Love, Missing Teenager, Diary, Teen Angst, Anger, Emotions, Family, Runner, High School, Blame, Guilt, Shame

My Review:

Spin was incredibly riveting. I was entirely engrossed in the book from the first chapter. What happened to Jenna? What will happen to Jenna? I had to find out and I was not disappointed in the ending. The plot was incredibly well paced and Farnham breaks up the narrative into two time periods: before Jenna’s disappearance and after Jenna’s disappearance. Slowly the days count up and down until they finally meet in the end with the exciting conclusion that answers all the questions.

Jenna Kemp was incredibly well written. Her diary entries seemed a little too polished for a teenager going through emotional torture and turmoil, but her actions and thoughts were very realistic. Her friends’ reactions and thoughts were also incredibly realistic. Their guilt after Jenna’s disappearance is so heartfelt. The emotions that Farnham describes are so authentic that I felt like Keely, Dustin, Delaney, and Leighton could be real people.

The interactions with the police felt real. The interactions between Jenna’s parents and her were also incredibly well written. I loved getting all the different perspectives. Each character had a unique personality and connection to Jenna.

Jenna herself was complex. From the outside she appears like a troubled and rebellious teenager. When you get inside her head and see what she writes in her diary entries, you see her for the adult that she truly is and the baggage that is slowing her down, overwhelming her at times, and growing heavier and heavier through her repeated exposures to her childhood sexual trauma.

The writing style is incredibly polished and this book is the best one of Farnham’s to date. I’m very excited for what she writes next.

This novel was published by K J Farnham Publishing LLC on 04/11/2019 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.0

Links for more information:

Goodreads

K.J. Farnham’s Website

Book Review: A Case of Serendipity by K.J. Farnham

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A Case of Serendipity by K.J. Farnham

A YA Teen Drama Novel published by K. J. Farnham Publishing LLC (03/20/2018)

Summary:

Ruth never signed up for Bucky’s Beans promotional tests and if they keep spamming her with their discounts, she’s going to go nuts! After failing to stop the messages herself, she resorts to a final plea on the company’s Facebook page. The company isn’t the one to respond to her, but a lawyer trying to sue Bucky’s Beans. At her wit’s end, Ruth signs up with the lawyer, Henry Mancuso. After adding him as a Facebook friend, Ruth and Henry keep bumping into each other offline. As they create the legal case against Bucky’s, their friendship grows. They both like each other, but can their relationship be more than professional?

Keywords:

Coffee, Lawyer, Suing, Biking, Running, Farmer’s Market, Spam, Promotion, Facebook, Romance, Friendship, Exes, Flirting, Quirky, Workaholic, Unsubscribe

My Review:

Another adorable and well written novel from Farnham. Every book I read from this author is better than the last. This book’s writing style was seamless. The romance was adorable and well-built. This book was a fun and lighthearted easy read.

I absolutely loved the quirky characters. I loved seeing Ruth from Henry’s perspective and from her own. She became more quirky through Henry’s eyes and I loved that about her (and the writing).

I enjoyed the lawyer talk, and thought the balance between the plot against Bucky’s Beans and the budding romance was done well. I did think some of the plot dragged a bit through the middle of the story.

This novel was published by K. J. Farnham Publishing LLC 03/20/2018 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

K.J. Farnham’s Website

Book Review: Click Date Repeat Again by K. J. Farnham

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Click Date Repeat Again by  K. J. Farnham

A Chick Lit Novel Published through CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform  (4/19/17)

 

Summary:

Jess never thought she’d try out online dating, but her best friend Chloe gifts her a three month subscription and tells her to try until she’s had at least three bad dates. Jess starts to really get into the swing of online dating when she meets a few good prospects, but one date turns into two bad dates. Will the third bad date make her quit altogether or will she meet that special someone?

Keywords:

Online Dating, Chick lit, Twenty-somethings, Dating mishaps, Dating baggage, One Night Stands, Attraction, Love, Friendships, Yahoo Personals, Flight Attendant, Bars, Blind Dates, First Dates

My Review:

Farnham delivers again with an easy, delightful, and fun to read chick lit book in Click, Date, Repeat Again.

I love how she uses characters from book one, like the world we knew expanded. It was so cool to read about Chloe and to see how her relationship from book one with Daran is still going strong.

Jess has some serious faults and vices, like all of us in the real world, but she is also compassionate and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. She’s realistic and lovable, despite her flaws.
I do think the ending was a bit rushed and some of the pacing was rushed, but I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a light read, a chick lit novel, or reliving the ins and outs of dating.

This novel was published through Createspace Independant Publishing Platform 4/19/17 and is available on Amazon here.

TLDR Star Rating: 4.25

 

Links for more information:

Twitter
KJ Farnham’s Website
Goodreads

All About the Donuts: Donuts in an Empty Field (For the Love of Donuts Book 1) Publication Day June 3rd (Tomorrow)!

by in author platform, Author Thursdays, For the Love of Donuts, Local Events, Rachel Barnard and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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TOMORROW it’ll be here!

Have you joined the release party for Donuts in an Empty Field? Go RSVP now.

Here’s the lineup of my blog tour for Donuts:

May 31- Fluffygolarky – https://fluffygolarky.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/blog-tour-donuts-in-an-empty-field/

June 1 – FreeValleyPublishing – https://freevalleypublishing.com/2016/06/01/just-two-more-days-until-donuts/

June 1 – T.A. Henry – https://tahenryauthoress.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/wed-no-cafe-suprise/

June 2 – K.J. Farnham – https://kjfarnham.com/2016/06/02/facts-about-donuts-in-an-empty-field-by-rachel-barnard/

June 3 – A Spark in the Dark Blog – https://clrozelle.wordpress.com/

June 3 – Jo Michael’s – http://jomichaels.blogspot.com/2016/06/release-day-donuts-in-empty-field.html

 

 

And Oddmall in Everett is coming up this weekend! Be sure to stop by our booth (8) and say hello, maybe take your picture with me.

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Local young adult writer, Rachel Barnard, will release the first novel in her young adult For the Love of Donuts series titled Donuts in an Empty Field with Life’s a Book Publishing, June 3rd, 2016 (AKA National Donut Day). Pre-order your copy HERE.

Letting go of anger is life’s greatest challenge.

Vanessa hasn’t been the same since her father’s death. A hero until the end, he died saving a restaurant owner’s son from a burning building. Nessa blames the boy, but her best friend Nichole thinks it’s time to let go of the past. In a last ditch effort to break Nessa’s obsession, Nichole hopes signing up for the local food challenge will bust her out of her shell. A single choice defines the road ahead for Nessa. Doing the right thing isn’t easy, but living with the consequences of doing nothing might be worse.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Rachel’s newsletter to receive important updates and promotions, if you haven’t already. Signup HERE

Come celebrate the awaited release of the first book in the For the Love of Donuts series – “Donuts in an Empty Field” by Rachel Barnard,  Online Here

Don’t forget: Enter the free raffle to win neat goodies HERE

Add the book to your Goodreads shelf HERE

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Book Review: Don’t Call Me Kit Kat by K.J. Farnham

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don'tCallmekitkat

Don’t Call Me Kit Kat by K.J. Farnham

A YA Teen Drama Novel published on amazon.com (05/15/2015)

 

Summary:

‘I’m the “kind of sick” that makes you not want to go to school and fake being happy every day. The “kind of sick” that is caused by having your best friends practically disappear from your life—sort of like the way dad up and disappeared when I was little. The “kind of sick” that results from hearing your mother say that your dad never wanted you in the first place. The “kind of sick” that Orchard Hills types of girls with perfect families, clothes and bodies don’t get.’ (Kindle Locations 1538-1541).

Does anybody remember middle school fondly? Certainly Katie Mills aka “Kit Kat” won’t. Unfortunately her problems at school aren’t forgotten when she gets home. Katie has another whole set of personal issues that have nothing to do with school. If only she can be like the OH girls. If only she can be like her older sister Kelsie. If only she could have new clothes, better dance moves, a thinner body, a dad who is there for her, a mom who won’t criticize, and on and on.

Katie is stuck in the middle of her problems with no way to get herself out of them. And then she discovers a way to fix some of her problems, but what will it ultimately cost her?

 

Keywords:

 Teen drama, middle grade, 8th grade, girl problems, bullying, bulimia, eating disorders, hiding problems, evading issues, getting help, friendships, family, body image, recovery

 

My Review:

I like to read books that I can take something away when I’m done. Don’t Call me Kit Kat is more than a story about a girl working through her problems. It is more than plot and structure. This book delves deep into what it means to have an eating disorder. What does it feel like to want to binge and purge? What does it feel like to be so unhappy with yourself that you’ll go to extreme and unhealthy measures to change? What is day to day life like for a bulimic? How can one get better with an eating disorder? K.J. Farnham answers all these questions and more in her book. I got a lot out of reading this novel.

Though it has been some years since I’ve been a teenager, I believe Farnham captures the moodiness and insecurity of being a teenager in a world full of unrealistic expectations. Katie felt very real and the character seemed more than plausible. Her reality was very realistic.

I never thought about food the way Kit Kat does and it opened up my eyes a bit more to a different person’s experience growing up. “The funny thing about food, though, is that I love it as much as I hate it. I love that I can choose what to eat and how much to eat, or even not to eat anything at all. It’s the guilt I feel after a binge that I can’t stand. Because of the guilt, I sometimes find myself wondering if I control the food or if the food controls me.” (Kindle Locations 1516-1518).

The gradual downhill slide Katie fell into was told so well and captured the essence of how any of it could happen in a way someone without any experience with an eating disorder could understand. This book will really make you empathize and understand a world you may not and never be privy to.

Warning to those who read this book: As the narrator of her own story Katie’s experiences may be so close to reality that they cause their own type of trauma. Katie is very body negative, especially in the first half of the book where she gets no help or support. She is very down on herself and quite pessimistic and her feelings are very hard hitting.

 

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 05/15/2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

K.J. Farnham’s Website

Book Review: Click Date Repeat by K. J. Farnham

by in Author Tuesdays, Book Review, Dating and tagged , , | 1 Comment

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Click Date Repeat by  K. J. Farnham

A Chick Lit Novel Published thorugh CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform  (August 21, 2014)

 

Summary:

 Chloe is your average 25-year old. She hangs out with her friends, she goes to bars, she spends holidays with her families. On the urging of a friend she tries out online dating and almost every possible combination of hilarious encounters with questionable profiles ensues.

Keywords:

 Online Dating, Chick lit, Twenty-somethings, Dating mishaps, Dating baggage, Teachers.

My Review:

Click Date Repeat is one of those delightfully fun novels that is so relatable in today’s dating world. The story may be set in 2003, at the early stages of online dating, but almost every single detail and horrifying dating story is still applicable today. This book is everything you wanted and didn’t want to know about online dating. Farnham shows both the darker side of online dating as well as the hilarity of the situations that can and do arise from meeting potential partners online.

Chloe is a relatable character that any dating twenty-something will root for. She makes mistakes and poor decisions, but she maintains an unquenchable positivity in her experiences. “After a first-date kiss, guilt usually causes me to feel the need to continue seeing someone, regardless of any red flags. I get in too deep, too fast, often because of that physical intimacy.” (Page 59). Chloe is a loveable character, hopeful and able to see the good in people, giving them the benefit of the doubt to a fault because not everyone she meets is as well-intentioned as she is. But she is not without her own personality quirks and emotional baggage, which is the very reason you want her to succeed. She is like any person in the dating scene, vulnerable to the clutches of those who might have ulterior motives or those who lie about who they are to get what they want.

Not only did I relate to the main character, but also to the experiences she had with her first (second and third) dates. Who hasn’t had a bad first date at Applebee’s? Who hasn’t tried to assess the intelligence of a potential partner with the game of Scrabble, only to find the person didn’t  how to do simple arithmetic to add up the tiles? This book is like the quintessential online dating experience all wrapped up in a nice little package so that you can read about Chloe’s mistakes and potentially avoid making them yourself. The author also packages the novel with a great writing style, some well-worded phrases and well-laid out descriptions of all the characters. I was not at all confused between the myriad of dating prospects and Chloe’s friends because Farnham is able to give me short to-the-point unique descriptors. My favorite was: “Drew’s smile is contagious. He’s an eye-smiler: The type of person who isn’t capable of faking a smile. He also oozes emotion through his facial expressions.” (Page 54).

I absolutely love the author’s title, and her cover is spot on. The very first page contains the stats of the main character, an interesting choice, but perfectly placed considering the material of the book itself.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a light read, a chick lit novel, or reliving the ins and outs of dating.

This novel was published through Createspace Independant Publishing Platform is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating: 4.25

 

Links for more information:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClickDateRepeat
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8496528.K_J_Farnham