Under the Sun Covered Gardenias

by J.I. Robbins

“Without that hope, we don’t have any reason to live.” All Quinn Reese is trying to do is make it through a long a soccer game against their biggest rivals, an AP English Exam, and yet another fight with her boyfriend, Powers. On top of all of that, Quinn’s parents are out of town, and she is struggling to help her grandmother take care of her three younger sisters and ailing grandfather. When Quinn’s mother calls from Greenville and reports that an unknown virus has overwhelmed the city, she shares that it has possibly already spread to Quinn and her sisters in Lexington. Quinn is vastly unprepared for what that means for her. Quinn and her sisters are quickly plunged into a nightmare when they return home. As they begin the journey to meet their mother, the true impact of the virus is revealed and tough decisions will have to be made. Quinn will have to rethink what it means to be the oldest sister and how far she will have to go to ensure that everyone survives.

342 pages, Paperback

Published May 4, 2023

About the author

J. I. Robbins is an educator with teaching and administrative experience in K-12 education. She believes that regardless of grade level, all students deserve to have meaningful literacy experiences and abundant opportunities access to high interest texts. J. I. seeks to create those high interest texts in her own writing. She misses her high school English classroom, most specifically building her own community of learners, matching students with the right book at the right time, and of course, teaching technical and creative writing. J. I. has an extensive educational background in literacy development, language acquisition, educational research, curriculum and instruction, and educational leadership. She is quite satisfied with her status as “ABD” on several advanced degrees and has no intention of continuing her formal education. While J. I. is an accomplished educator, she is also a proud mom to three wild and wicked girls. All three play soccer, basketball, run track, and keep J. I. on her toes with their antics. This makes her life very full and very busy! J. I. is married to her best friend and enjoys every day with him. Her husband is her teammate in parenting, her safe place, her comic relief, her comfort in every storm, and her biggest cheerleader. In addition to all of the things she does on a daily basis, J. I. is a voracious YA reader. She tries to read two books a month and often spends her summer break in a “Battle of the Books” contest with her children. J. I always wanted to write books and is blessed that life closed certain doors so that she could follow this journey wherever it may lead.

Reviews

[Stacey Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved that this was set in Lexington, SC and written by a local author! Can’t wait for book two!

[Alicia Upchurch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I opened this book on a plane ride and got lost in it. Could not put it down! I’m sure I could’ve finished it in one day had I not been on vacation. Well written, great story line, and I even cried a little. Cannot wait for the second book!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing book. I read it last summer and still cannot stop thinking about it. Praying for a sequel soon.

[Keila S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in just a few hours. Literally Could Not. Put. It. Down. Why?
This book is so well written. The story flows as if you’re reading the script for the next awesome Amazon or Netflix screen adaptation.
The author references local places that I could easily identify (including Lexington and Chapin high schools).
The characters are extremely well-developed and believable - the author does a fantastic job of pulling you into their personalities and lives.
This is a young adult novel with super strong female leads- physically, mentally and emotionally. What’s not to love about that?!
There isn’t a happy ending, which I think we tend to expect. Instead we are left with a bit of a cliffhanger, which leaves me on pins and needles waiting for the next book.
There are… zombies? Maybe. Maybe not. But there is definitely a weird virus out there and while it was a bit of a curveball for me when I first started the book, I easily bought into it because this storyline just flowed that well.

[Tina Stegmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under the Sun Covered Gardenias is one of those books that you can’t quite seem to put down (I’ve never read a book faster than I did this one!). The exhilarating, intense storyline is filled with impactful imagery that locks the reader in for the entirety of the novel and leaves them yearning for more upon completion. J. I. Robbins is an astonishing author that uses her talent with words and storytelling to create exciting new worlds for readers to dive into. You can tell that she puts her heart, soul, and entire being into her work. She undoubtedly utilized her passions and talents to create something beautiful to put back into the world. What a thrill this book was! I cannot wait to read the sequel.

[Barbara Marie Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under the Sun Covered Gardenias (Book 1)

Under the Sun Covered Gardenias (Book 1) Mrs. Robbins is an amazing writer and beautiful person inside and out. I read her book because I fell in love💕💓💞💖💗 with the cover and the name and my kids love Mrs. Robbins, they both had her when they went to PHMS, as their assistant principal!!!
I have to say I loved this book so much and normally I do not read about zombies even though I am a huge YA Reader!!! I couldn’t put this book down! I read it in one afternoon, I laughed, I cried and I saw such much love between these amazing sisters. It was simply fantastic and very well written.
I definitely recommend this book and look for to the next book !!!!

[Kaitlyn Colbourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put down this book!
Growing up in the town of Lexington, SC it was really cool to see some of the places I’ve known be mentioned. But, even if you don’t know the area, from beginning to end this book had me at its grasp and was so hard to put down. The story telling and the writing of this book is phenomenal and leaves you wanting more!

[Osceola Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrill seeking

Once I started reading the book, I could not put down at all!!! I read the book in two days!!! Nonstop reading and I am so excited for the next part!

[Emma Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book! I really enjoyed it and cried when I finished reading it! My mom got this book for me at the Market and I read it and I can't wait for a second book!

[Ashleigh White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this book down! It was amazing!
I cannot wait for book TWO! This author has a gift for writing. 110% recommend!

[Hailey Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so so good. Kept me hooked and I couldn’t put it down. I would stay up late just to finish it and know what happens next.

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

[Nikki Sparling · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dear friend wrote this book and it's PHENOMENAL!!! You'd never think this is her debut novel!! You will laugh, cry, have anxiety, and never look at a school bus the same.

[Anna Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect YA novel that is packed with excitement and emotion. I was not expecting so much emotion so early on but I was hooked and finished this book in a day.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down! I laughed and I cried - it was simply amazing and very well written. I can’t wait for book two! Such an amazing summer read! ❤️🧟‍♀️