Thank you to Devney Perry and her team for the advance reader copy of The Dandelion Diary: A Mason Jar Novella.
The Maysen Jar novels are still two of my favourite works from Devney’s backlist. When I found out she was returning to that world I was ready to be emotionally wrecked again. I am here to report The Dandelion Diary is heartwarming and will be enjoyed by all, even if you have never experienced the joy of reading a Devney Perry story.
I am a Devney Perry review team member but remain honest and genuine in my reviews.
From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Devney Perry comes a new story in her Maysen Jar series…
Dear Diary,
My dad needs a girlfriend, and I’ve already picked her out.
Miss Adler would be perfect for him, right? She’s super pretty. She has the best smile and she gives the best hugs. And she’s, like, the most amazing teacher in the world.
Dad is my hero, but I can tell he’s lonely. He tries to hide it from me, but sometimes at night, when he thinks I’m asleep, I’ll sneak downstairs and find him sitting on the couch, staring at nothing. He’s never had a girlfriend, not since the divorce. Mom messed him up. She’s good at that.
He’s smart and funny, but he doesn’t laugh enough. I’ve seen other moms at school check him out so I guess he’s handsome. (Eww.) And he makes up the best nicknames. He calls me Dandelion. I bet he’d give Miss Adler an awesome nickname too.
They’re perfect for each other. I just know it. Now I only have to show them I’m right.
Wish me luck.
Katy
Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
- Characters: Our leads are Josh and Della, a single dad and his daughter’s teacher. Josh is Katy’s dad and he was pretty damn great. He’s hardworking and determined. He is such a strong fighter for his daughter, in the face of a messy ex. Josh is very deserving to have his second chance at love, and Della was perfect for him. She teaches middle school and is loving, caring, and kind. She had harboured feelings for her colleague/roommate, but he’s only been showing some interest more recently. It is Della who loves frequenting the Maysen Jar.
- Setting: The story is set in Deveny’s version of Bozeman, Montana. The Dandelion Diary is the return to the world of the Maysen Jar and I loved getting to check in on many of my favourite characters especially, Poppy.
- Pacing: For being on the shorter side this was paced extremely well. The buildup of the relationship happened at the right story beats and was given ample breathing room. The ending was a bit rushed but that was necessary so we had more pages for character development and the characters evolving into more than friends.
- Romance: I am such a sucker for characters so deserving of great love. Also in a single dad romance when the heroine falls hard for the kid, it is just so perfect! There was only a bit of steam, but with the constraints that makes sense. This had the heart of both Maysen Jar and the Coppersmith Farmhouse (loved the Prescott reference.)
The Dandelion Diary receives five out of five stars.
You can pick up the story here.
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Thank you again to Devney and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
