Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Beast Business by Ilona Andrews

The Book Devouring Horde (fans of Ilona Andrews) have been clamoring for an HEA for Augustine Montgomery. After all, he is not only a single man with a good fortune, he is the head of his family. He's been aware of Diana Harrison (the head of her own family), as the sister of one of the employees that the Baylors employ. When she comes to him for help finding an animal that was stolen from her family, he's willing to help. 
The story is less about the two falling in love than it is about kicking butt and taking names, but we do see them acknowledging that they are each other's HEA.

Four stars
Hidden Legacy #6.5
This book came out January 29, 2026
Follows Ruby Fever
Ebook of mine from Bookfunnel
Opinions are my own

Friday, February 13, 2026

He's Not My Boyfriend by Jackie Lau

A fast, fun, and fluffy book that isn't very deep but is still a fun read. 
Iris Chin LIKES her life. She's a structural engineer who hangs out with her other perpetually single friend and hooks up with guys when she feels like it. But her landlord's daughter is coming back to town so Iris is moving in with her grandmother. Right before she moves in, she has a super hot one-night-stand with Alex Kwong. Does he turn out to be the lead on a project she's assigned to? Of course! This is a romance novel, after all. As they spend more time together at work, they spend more time together outside of work. Their eventual happily ever after is a little hand wavy (this is a short-ish read after all).

Three and a half stars
Chin-Williams #2
This book came out November 20, 2018
Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla
Opinions are my own

Thursday, February 12, 2026

And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips


Dancy Flynn is a movie star, mostly known for being married to an even more famous movie star. At least, she was, until he dumped her for a younger model. It's just too bad that she drinks too much one night in a very public place. In the same public place her husband's new wife has just debuted her very pregnant belly. It is...  a debacle.
So Dancy make her way to a cabin. Her ex-boyfriend's cabin. Her HIGH SCHOOL ex-boyfriend's cabin. I mean, it's a very nice place to stay on the lake. It just doesn't help that her ex is Chicago Star's quarterback Clint Garrett. 
This one had a little too much drama for me and the ending was a little fast but it follows the Phillips formula and regular readers will enjoy.

Three and a half stars
Chicago Stars #12
This book comes out February 10, 2026
ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

Twenty years ago, Clio's mom, Alexandra, wrote a moderately successful story about their house being possessed by a demon. She wasn't the best mother and, now that she's dead, Clio is the only one of the three daughters who wants to go to the funeral. She is also the only one who is willing to go back to the house. While there, she finds a copy of the book she had promised to never read. However, there are annotations written directly to her that we get to read along with the book that Alex wrote. It certainly points to the fact that the demon might be real. And Clio is starting to see evidence of that as well.

Three stars
This book came out September 9, 2025
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Fair Play by Louise Hegarty with Aoife McMahon, Andrew Wincott

Abigail is known for her fun murder mystery parties that are thrown on New Year's Eve. A group of friends get together, dress up, and then celebrate her brother's birthday the next day. But this year is different. This year, Benjamin is dead. And the famous detective Bell has been called in to solve the mystery. 
This is very much like a Golden Age mystery but rather than an homage like "Miss Winter's Library", it's a play on the classics, more like a twist on the classics like "Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone."

Three stars
This book came out April 20, 2025
Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla
Opinions are my down

Monday, January 26, 2026

Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver, Samantha Brentmoor, Robert Hatchet

Harper Starling is just trying to live her life. Sure, she's trying to cover up the crimes her elderly landlord committed. And she's trying to stop him from committing any more as he is battling dementia and forgetting which secrets he needs to keep. But she can help him keep them just fine. She just adds them onto her own. Like what she does to ensure her picturesque seaside town stays safe, even from tourists. 
Nolan Rhodes has been searching for Harper Starling, saving her for last. But what is a serial killer to do when he realizes he might be in love with his intended victim? Because she sure isn't acting how he would think she should when he leaves a dead body in her back yard. Well, part of a dead body anyway. 
I hadn't read this author before and didn't realize that the spice level on this one was pretty high. If I had read this as an ebook or hard copy, it probably woulnd't have hit as hard, but listening to it was a little too much for me. Not sure why the gore didn't hit the same way, but an overall fun read. 

Four stars
Seasons of Carnage #1
This book came out September 23, 2025
Followed by Harvest Season
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own


Sunday, January 25, 2026

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

Julie Parker is looking forward to a chill Christmas. Her grown children are doing their own thing so she's just going to spend the day with her boyfriend. Her twelve-years-younger than her boyfriend. The one her children don't... technically... know about. Then, plans change. And change again. And change again. Julie, her children, her boyfriend, and their partners all have to be flexible. 
Mainly told from Julie's third person point of view, this is a holiday story like most, there's a lot going on so nothing is really developed.

Three stars
This book came out October 1, 2024
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Friday, January 23, 2026

The Grumpiest Billionaire by Pippa Grant

Oliver is trying to run away from his life. He's a billionaire so it should all be sunshine and roses, but he's tired of the responsibility, of the weight of bringing his family's company back from the brink of disaster. He wants to live like a normal person. Unfortunately, he has a stowaway in the back of his car. 
Daphne knows how Olivere feels. She rejected her own family's wealth and has figured out a way to live her life without being under their thumb. But it took her a long time to figure out how to do that. So she's been exactly where Oliver was, not really understanding how the real world works (he gets confused every time someone tests the hundred dollar bills he's throwing around.) Daphne was just trying to make sure he wasn't getting back with her sister, but now she's got a new mission; help Oliver learn how to make it through life on on his own. 

Three and a half stars
Small Town Sisterhood #1
This book came out January 8, 2026
Followed by Faking Cinderella
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

The Spite Date by Pippa Grant

After their parents died in a fire, Bea raised her three brothers. It wasn't easy since teenage boys are  going to teenage boy. But she's gotten the last one launched and would be focusing on her own dream (well, her father's) if her ex-boyfriend hadn't stolen it from her. And to make things worse, his brother has just arrested her because of a prank. And not even a prank she pulled! One that was pulled on her. Someone ordered a LOT of fish from her food truck (which is usually hamburgers), and then invited her to Simon Lockwood's house. Yes, the super-famous Simon Lockwood who wrote and acted on the television series about weed.
Simon is despairing. He's not sure what to do with his twin teen boys. He grew up with absent, disapproving parents and doesn't want to do the same with his kids. Their mother and he never got married but they are great co-parents. 
It's a convoluted and over-the-top story which is what Grant does best. 

Four stars
Small Town Sisterhood #1
This book came out September 4, 2025
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle
Opinions are my own

Saturday, January 17, 2026

Vision in White by Nora Roberts

Mac has known she wanted to be a photographer since she was a little girl playing Wedding Day with her three best friends. One day, while changing her shirt, she runs into Carter Maguire, or, he sees her and then runs into a wall. Though he's clutzy, Mac is immediately attracted to this man who was a Yale professor but gave it up to come back and teach at his high school academy. Carter was just at Mac's studio because his sister is getting married at Vows, the wedding service that Mac opened up with her friends.

He's able to get past her defenses, past her distrust of men and relationships in general. Her mother is a complete bitch and a thorn in Mac's side which Carter is able to help her deal with.

Four stars
Bride Quartet #1
This book came out April 28, 2009
Followed by Bed of Roses
Borrowed as hard copy from library
Opinions are my own

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Murder, Mess, and the Tangerine Dress by Lynn Rankin-Esquer

This book reminds me of the Stephanie Plum series. The main character, Izzy Bishop, is a chatoic mess, getting food on her clothse and feeding one of her clients a weed cookie. She even has a best friend who is somehow even brasher than her and trying to lose weight. But Izzy has something that Stephanie doesn't - extrasensory powers. They grew after she had a near-death experience in the previous year. That is the the experience that threw off her plan to open an organizing business with her sister so now, rather than being a true partner, Izzy is actually working for her sister. Her younger sister. Her younger  sister who clearly doesn't trust her. Which, to be fair, Izzy is on the manic pixie dream girl end of the spectrum so she tends to have a dirty car and stained clothes (no shame, just not her sister is expecting.)
So, Izzy is late to her appointment for an older widow who is cleaning out her closet. While there, a death occurs and Izzy and the woman nearly die as well. The only reason that they're saved is the woman's dead husband tells Izzy that they need to leave. 
An interesting story that I mainly read because I had also gotten the second book and didn't realize it wasn't the first in a series and I really like to start with the first book in a series. 

Three stars
Order Out of Chaos Mystery, #1
This book came out February 2, 2025
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Thursday, January 8, 2026

The Pretend Fiancé Fiasco by Pippa Grant

Davis Remington is the last member of a former boy band group who isn't in a relationship or married. He was the one who broke up the band (at least in his mind) lo, those many years ago. Now, he does computer stuff. His friends and family are convinced that he is involved in the government somehow but he denies it. It's sort of a plot point but there are a lot of plot points. 
Sloane Pearce is a nurse but she is also a volunteer in the Shipwreck Museum. There's a lot going on since she is helping with a celebrity wedding the same day that her sort-of-ex shows up in town wanting to drag her back and someone breaks into the museum. The ex is there because Sloane told her grandmother that she was dating Davis. When she tells Davis, he's like, okay, let's get married. Because he's done this fake wedding thing before. Multiple times. 
So, lots and lots going on this book. The treasure aspect (oh yeah, there's buried treasure and Davis and a few other people are racing to figure out where it is) is most of the story rather than Sloane and Davis. Also, for a character who is called "Manbun," the guy on the cover sure has short hair. 

Three stars
Bro Code #6
This book came out May 8, 2025
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Monday, January 5, 2026

Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent

10 years ago, Martha's sister disappeared. Today, postcards are arriving at the Clarendon English Dictionary office where Martha now works. The postcards hint at the true series of events that happened. Some of Martha's coworkers today were Charlotte's coworkers then, so there are plenty of suspects, especially when previously held secrets start coming to light. 
I heard about this on NPR's A Way with Words and they were enjoying the wordplay. Knowing of Susie Dent from various game shows, I expected no different. I didn't think there was a lot of plot because there was so much built up around the characters. I also felt vaguely like I had read so many similar books but couldn't really pinpoint one. However, the word use exceeded my expectations. 

Three and a half stars
The Clarendon Lexicographers #1
This book came out August 13, 2024
Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla
Opinions are my own

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Murder, Hijinks, and the Peridot Cufflinks by Lynn Rankin-Esquer

A year ago, Izzy Bishop had a near-death experience that super charged her already average sense of others. In the last book, she finally accepted that she might have some psychic abilities. Now, she's fully embraced the idea but is trying to figure out how to wield it well. Her first sense  of the book almost breaks a couple up. Then she senses something mysterious about one of the organizing client's significant other. This particular client was a sports star who has a LOT of money. When she touches a pair of cufflinks in his closet, she gets a vision of violent death. The person who died? Her archenemy Shania's elderly husband. Ufda. Is Izzy somehow going to be accused of his murder? Yes. Is she going to get another love interest thus cementing my feelings about how similar this series is to reading Stephanie Plum? Yes. Did I still finish the book? Yes.  

Three stars
Order Out of Chaos #2
ARC kindly provided as ebook by XandL Press and Netgalley
Opinions are my own

Saturday, January 3, 2026

The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz

There has been a Harper-Wells feud for generations. Krentz tells us that quite a bit in this book. But that feud seems to have been broken by Sophy's aunt, Bea, and Luke Well's uncle, Deke. And the two have discovered that because Bea and Deke have disappeared.
Luke is in line to inherit his family's company specifically because he has no psychic talent. At least, that's what everyone thinks. However, he is unusually good at pulling data together and coming to conclusions. Most often, this happens when he dreams. He's come to the conclusion that he needs help because he needs someone who can read crime scenes.
Bea is a librarian. She also reads crime scenes and can clear bad energy from a space. In the recent past, she's also had a series of failed experiments, men who have seen her work and then run away. One even called her a succubus.
Of course, these two are going to fit together and they'll figure that out in the three days this book covers. If you enjoy Krentz, I think you'll like this book. 

Four stars
This book comes out January 6, 2026
Loosely connected to the Fogg Lake books
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Double Fudge by Judy Blume

There are two Farley Drexel Hatchers? That's what Pete and his family discover on a trip to Washington, D. C. There, Pete's father rediscovers his cousin, Howie. Howie also has two girls, Flora and Fauna, who are about Pete's age in addition to the Farley who is a couple years younger than the Fudge we've grown to know and love. 
We also get to see past series favorites like Sheila Tubman and Jimmy Fargo, the latter of whom is moving out of the neighborhood with his father which upends Pete's world to no end.
Everything is changing but many things stay the same. A little more out there than some of the books in this series but still enjoyable. 

Four stars
Fudge #5
This book came out September 30, 2002
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own


Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Alice Scott was sent an intriguing email. Margaret Ives, the heiress whose family was known for tragic deaths and over the top scandals, is supposedly living on a small island and selling artwork. When Alice tracks her down, she asks to write Margaret's biography. But it turns out that she's not the only writer in the running. As she's leaving, Pulitzer prize winning Hayden Anderson is walking in. It turns out the two will be in town for a month long audition. 
The town is small and super-sunshine Alice keeps running into grumpy Hayden and the two start spending time together. While we see the two of them getting to know each other, we also get a history of the Ives family. The story with Alice and Hayden was lovely.  The Ives instersitials were... fine but broke up the main story more than I would have liked. Overall a very nice story, though. 

Four stars
This book came out April 22, 2025
Borrowed as hard copy from the library
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

You're So Vain by Angela Casella

Ruthie is trying to get a bookmobile (like a book store not a library) off the ground. Shane is trying to get hired by the last firm in town that might take him on. He tries to hire her to be a pretend family so he looks better while trying to get this job. This is a romance, so, of course, they're going to fall in love. 
One of the conflicts in this book was solved a little too quickly but this is a fast, fun, and fluffy so I probably should have expected that. 

Three stars
This book came out February 1, 2024
Follows You're So Basic
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot by Alexis Hall

Though they've been broken up for quite awhile, Audrey Lane still hears the voice her ex-girlfriend berating her for most of her decisions. But she goes on the baking show in Britain anyway. And comes right up against Jennifer Hallett, the producer. It starts when Audrey asks for help for the contestant who is over ninety. She, quite rightly, would prefer that Doris not have to walk up a giant hill to get back to the hotel after a full day of baking. Jennifer just wants her show to work; she's (at least on the outside) more concerned 
I don't remember this from the other books in the series but this book includes some time hopping and a switch to a first person point of view by someone who isn't the main character. And, while that story is kind of lovely and helps Audrey grow, I wish we had seen more of the two characters growing together. 

Three and a half stars
Winner Bakes All #3
This book came out December 9, 2025
ARC kindly provided as ebook by Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume

It's summer (yay!) and Peter's parents have a lead on a place to stay. Too bad the tip came from Sheila Tubman's parents. And that he's going to be staying right next door to her all summer long. Add in shenanigans of Fudge wanting to marry Sheila, Buzz Tubman and Peter's grandmother getting along Very Well, and Peter not telling Jimmy where Sheila's actually staying before his best friend visits and you have a rollicking good story. 

Four stars
Fudge #4
This book came out in 1990
Follows Super Fudge
Followed by Double Fudge
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own