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

Monday, March 18, 2024




Three stars
This book comes out March 19, 2024
Follows Dread and Buried
ARC kindly provided by Moose Island Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Sunday, March 17, 2024

A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian


stars
This book comes out March 19, 2024
ARC provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own



Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano

Vero and Finlay ended the last book missing someone important to them missing and they want to get that person back. To that end, they are heading to Atlantic City. They say it's for a girls' trip but somehow Finlay's children, mother, and ex-husband all end up coming along. 
They get to Atlantic City and meet the loan shark, but it all goes downhill from there. They're unable to make a deal and then the loan shark ends up dead. But how are they supposed to handle this situation? Especially when Finlay's sister and boyfriend show up on the scene.
These books are so well plotted with all of the pieces fitting together nicely and the ending come to a nice knot but still with a bit of a cliffhanger. There is always some disbelief of suspension that goes just a little too far for me but an overall nice read. Definitely read the other books in this series first. 

Four stars
This book comes out March 5, 2024
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Christmas Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

I hadn't read a Hannah Swensen book in a long time but a friend told me that they had gone off the rails in sort of a fun way. So. I wasn't expecting this one to be a prequel to the series. This story involves Essie, an older woman who has been beloved by the community for her storytelling skills, and the hotel that she and her husband used to own. 
It is set three weeks after her father died so her family is grieving and figuring out what they are going to do next. Hannah's mother has retreated to her bedroom and isn't coming out. But when Essie goes to the hospital, her friends rally her under the guise of helping Essie. When Hannah and her mother go to Essie's house, they find a stack of writing that becomes a story within this story. This becomes a second mystery that is connected to the "present" but, gosh, it made both mysteries simplistic. In addition, there's a lot of filler and the need for a total suspension of disbelief. 

Hannah Swensen #23
Two and a half stars
This book came out September 25, 2018
Follows Raspbery Danish Murder
Followed by Chocolate Cream Pie Murder
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

Friday, February 23, 2024

I Only Read Murder by Will Ferguson, Ian Ferguson

Miranda Abbott was once Pastor Fran, itinerant pastor solving crimes. Fifteen years later, she can't even get on "Real Has Beens of Hollywood." Her money has run out, her assistant is leaving, and a mysterious postcard has come. Finally. Her husband wants her back. But does he?
When Miranda travels to Happy Rock, she finds Edgar in his shop, selling only mysteries. He is happy but he is sure it's time for them to figure out their relationship. Miranda is not sure they have the same end goal in mind. She decides to stick around, even going out for the local play. 
I have to admit, I really didn't like Miranda. Her lens was very well fleshed out in  its narrow, self-centered focus but it often left me feeling icky. It took me awhile to finish the book but I would definitely be interested in the next one in the series if we get to see some personal growth from the main character. 

Three stars
This book comes out February 27, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Mira and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own


Thursday, February 22, 2024

A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley

Calladia Cunnington is proud of her physique. She's strong and really quite bad ass. Just because her mother and a former boyfriend tried to break her down doesn't mean that she's willing to listen to them. Plus, there's a hot demon who thinks she's all that. Not that she's going to pay attention since he tried to kill her and all.
Astaroth is gunning for power. He made a bad (demon) bargain and now he's been cast out and turned fully human. He's also lost his memory. Luckily, Calladia has taken pity on him. Unluckily, his major enemy is still gunning for him.
This was an interesting book. I read it because I picked up the third book in the series and thought I should read the first two. I didn't feel like I needed to have read the first book to understand this one. I didn't really like either of the main characters but made it to the end. Two and a half stars rounded up for Goodreads. 

Glimmer Falls #2
Two and a half stars
This book came out November 28, 2023
Follows A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon
Borrowed as hard copy from library
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

A Date to Die For by E.V. Hunter

Alexi Ellis is leaving London to hang out with her best friend and she's bringing along her feline with an attitude, Cosmo. She just got cut from the journalism job that she loves, her ex knowing about it and not telling her was just icing on the cake. So, now she's in a small town, living in a hotel, and wondering about a local woman who has disappeared.

While looking into it, she runs into a private investigator, Jack Maddox. The two team up to try and figure out exactly what happened to Natalie.
The characters were a little flat and I feel like there is going to be a build up to Jack and Alexi having Twu Lurv but there was something that just didn't quite fit for me. Will probably read the next book in the series but may wait a bit to do so.

The Hopgood Hall Murder Mysteries
Three stars
This book came out February 3, 2023
Followed by A Contest to Kill For
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Friday, February 16, 2024

Gone with the Witch by Angela M. Sanders

The book opens with an old outhouse being demolished and a set of bones being discovered. But whoever could the bones have been? There is a thought that they could be Martin Garlington. He disappeared almost fifty years ago. But the DNA says not and, besides, his wife, Helen, has just seen a man on a quiz show that she's convinced is her long, lost husband. She prevails on Josie to find out about the man, Bruno Gates, and ask him to come to town. 
Josie does find him and the man comes to town but he is decidedly NOT Martin. What he is, is a flirt who drinks too much at the bar, flirts a little too hard with the women of the town, and is found dead near where the old bones were discovered.
That is just the start of a mystery that unwinds the past fifty years. This time, Josie has some help in solving it. Her powers must be growing because she is once again finding the same book everywhere, but this time, when she opens it, Sherlock Holmes walks out of an illustration and into helping her solve the mystery. He also warns her that her own Moriarity is going to be making trouble for her.
This was a fun story with a lot of foreshadowing for future books. I felt like some of the characters could have been developed a bit more if they were going to be a part of the eventual solution. There are also some new people who have moved to town including a new rare book dealer whose last name is the same as that of a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle. 

Three and a half stars
This book comes out February 20, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own



Thursday, February 15, 2024

Perfect Partners by Jayne Ann Krentz

When Charlie Thornquist dies and leaves Thornquist Gear to his niece Leticia (Letty), Joel Blackstone is in a fury. While Charlie was off fishing, Joel was the one to build Thornquist Gear into a burgeoning empire.  It was understood that Charlie would be selling the company to Joel in a year (we hear about it a lot.)  And now Letty wants to use the company to reinvent herself or somesuch nonsense. A former librarian from Indiana, she's chucked the cheating fiance and has decided to throw her hand in at being a businesswoman. And wants Joel to be her mentor. But Joel is also wrestling with the seeds of revenge that are finally coming to fruition. He is about to take down Victor Copeland, the man who killed his father. 
I go back and forth on how to rate this book. Joel does seem like a jerk but, at the same time, he's spent so much time of his own building up the company. Then this librarian from Indiana (ha!) comes in and wants to use his company to change her life. Is the romance a little thin? Maybe. But the scene with Letty's ex barging into Joel's office makes me smile every time I read it.

Three stars
This book came out in 1992
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus catalog
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz

When she was a teenager, Grace Elland stumbled onto a murder scene and rescued a child. An incident that left the killer dead. But now she's found another murder victim, that of her employer, Sprague Witherspoon, a motivational speaker.
The current murder investigation get entangled when the chief of police introduces her to Julian Arkwright at a blind date. The chief is married to graces best friend and they both think she need some companionship. As long as it turns out that she isn't a murderer.
Julian and Grace are drawn to each in ways that are more than just physical. Grace hires Julian is her consultant and Julian allows Grace to help him punch up his "Speech from Hell." But somebody sending Grace some nasty emails and now they're upping their game. So it's time for Julianne to step in and help Grace figure out exactly what's going on.
The story was very reminiscent of many of Krentz's older stories - in the very best ways. This book reminded me of why I love this author so much and why I continue to read all of her books under whatever name she's writing.

Three and a half stars
This book came out January 6, 2015
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Prime
Opinions are my own


Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Family Man by Jayne Ann Krentz

Katy Wade is the personal assistant for Justine Gilchrist, head of the Gilchrist food empire. Justine gave Katy a job when her parents died so Katy feels indebted to her. To the rest of the Gilchrist family, not so much. Even (especially?) the one Gilchrist Katy doesn't know. Justine disowned his father when he ran away with his secretary leaving a socialite bride at the altar. But Justine needs Luke now, he's the only one who can save the floundering company. And Katy is the one who gets him to come. But what will happen when he gets there?

This was one of the earlier romance novels I read so it's hard for me to separate that joy from what I read now but I think it holds up.

Four stars
This book came out in 1992
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus
Opinions are my own

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Falling Awake by Jayne Ann Krentz

Isabel Wainwright has just been fired. She worked for a dream lab as a Level 5 extreme dream analysis. Her former boss had postulated that there were five levels of dreaming with very few people who are able to reach the fifth level. So far, Isabel is the only analyst they know of. There is an unnamed government agency who has been using Level Five dreamers to solve particularly nasty crimes. Isabel then interprets their more enigmatic dreams.
But her boss has died and his son fires Isabel. She is frantic since she just spent a lot of money on some very expensive furniture. Eventually she ends up asking her sister's husband, who runs a motivational center, for a job as one of his teachers.
The romance aspect comes in to play when one of Isabel's client, Ellis Cutler, who she had privately dubbed as "Dream Man," finds her and tries to draw her into the unnamed government agency. But he's not the only one who wants her expertise. There's someone else who is willing to kill to make sure Isabel doesn't leave with Ellis.

Four stars
This book came out September 30, 2004
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus
Opinions are my own



Friday, February 9, 2024

The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace

Jo Jones has had a very fraught couple of years. Her much-older husband sold their publishing company out from under her for a pittance and then divorced her. Right as that was happening her mother died. On the Monday before this book starts, she finds out that she's inherited an estate in England from her mother and the book opens with her arriving there with her solicitor, Rupert Selkirk. It's just unfortunate that the next person she meets, Sid Randles, the caretaker of her livable cottage, is such an unpleasant jerk. He even leaves a lawn mower running and seems to be the obvious suspect when a painting goes missing from a previously locked room. 
It is the painting that Jo focuses on during this story even though Sid turns up dead in her cottage. And it's very refreshing to see an amateur sleuth sort of staying in her own lane. 
This was a really nice read about an autistic main character. The author didn't avoid the dread love (interest) triangle but I think this is going to be the start of a series with characters I really enjoy. 

Four stars
This book comes out February 13, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Stepping out of her regular stories, Phillips adds a murder into this one. But, it doesn't detract from the romance, the genre she is really known for and trying to solve the mystery lets our two main characters get past their initial meeting which was both good... and not so good.
Rory Garrett (she uses the name Meadows so people are less likely to connect her to Clint Garrett, Chicago Stars football player) is used to things going wrong in her life. But her recent life is really taking the cake on that. A failed business, a bad attempt at a one-night-stand, and breaking up her best friend in Chicago and Clint are just some of the recent examples. But she's not prepared to find a body. Nor is she able to understand why Clint's agent is so darn hot, even if she knows there can never be a real relationship between them. 
Brett "The River" Rivers is used to being perfect. His life is built around being the best sports agent in the business. And that's about to be paid off with a promotion to Vice President at Champion Sports Management. But he's just made two massive mistakes and now he's not sure how to hang on to Cliff as a client. And it seems foolhardy to run around with the man's sister when Brett just can't help but be so darn attracted to her. 
I'm really not sure about the murder but it does create an external reason for Rory and Brett to be thrown together. Of course, there was a last Big Misunderstanding and a rather over-the-top end scene to the two being together but I overall enjoyed the book. 

Chicago Stars #10
Three and a half stars
This book comes out February 14, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley
Opinions are my own



Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Truth or Dare by Jayne Ann Krentz

I like this second book in the Whispering Springs series. 
Zoe Luce married Ethan Truax in the last book in order to be safe from being returned to the mental hospital she escaped. In this book, her fellow escapee, Arcadia Ames is the target. Her presumed-dead husband, Grant Loring, is back and wants the information about his shady business dealings that Arcadia tucked away. Zoe and Ethan have to help out Arcadia, deal with their own professional problems and try to balance their own marriages.

Whispering Springs #2
Three stars
Follows Light in Shadows
This book came out September 1, 2003
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus
Opinions are my own


Monday, February 5, 2024

Devil of the Gridiron by Melissa Blue

Adam Carpenter is almost through the year that he's been put on probation for his football team. He's been caught a few too many times doing things that his team would rather him not be doing. Now he's run into a cute little redhead and has offered her a favor.
Charlotte West is, indeed, sweet and insanely attracted to Adam. And he seems to be changing his feathers, helping her out by creating social media buzz to help her program. But has he really changed or is he just using her too?
This was just a little too short for me. Could have used some more time rounding out the characters and making me believe in an HEA.

Gridiron Bad Boys #1
Three stars
This book came out November 8, 2015
Followed by Gridiron Heartbreaker
Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla
Opinions are my own


Saturday, February 3, 2024

Board to Death by C.J. Connor

Ben Rosencrantz used to be an English professor (yes, he's heard all of the Shakespeare jokes) but he came back to Sugar House, a neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah, to help his father run their family's board game shop. His father is ill and can use the help but their shop has been in a slow decline for years as Amazon has taken over. Newly divorced, Ben is just in a constant state of nervousness because nothing has gone the way it should have and now he's back, still gay, in the heart of Mormon country. 
It really doesn't help that a patron shows up on his doorstep, with a knife sticking out of his chest, and promptly dies. The man had claimed to have the prototype for Monopoly which, if true, would have been worth quite a lot of money. Ben thinks that he may be a suspect in the murder so he decides to investigate on his own.
This was an okay start to a series. I don't love amateur sleuths who run into danger but Ben at least took someone along with him. There wasn't a lot of build up for the mystery other than Ben running around. The narrator also had some weird pauses that kept throwing me off but I did finish the book and I'd probably read the next one. 

A Board Game Shop Mystery #1
Three stars
This book came out August 22, 2023
Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla
Opinions are my own


Thursday, February 1, 2024

A Witch Before Dying by Amanda M. Lee

Bay and her cousins are having to deal with dual issues, both stemming from Mrs. Little. One is that she is planning a Renaissance faire. Well, there hasn't been a lot of planning but she has brought in a troupe. It's one of their members who has been killed and Bay is worried that people will think that one of them did it. 
But trouble is also coming from the new witch, Scarlet Darksbane, that Mrs. Little has imported into town. And it will be up to Bay and her cousins as well as their significant others to figure out exactly what is going on. 
It took me a long time between picking this book up and finally finishing it. There was somehow simultaneously too much and not enough going on. It was fine but I may be nearing the end of my reading this series.

Wicked Witches of the Midwest #11
Three stars
This book came out November 5, 2017
Followed by A Breath of Witchy Air
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own


Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Wildest Hearts by Jayne Ann Krentz

When Daniel Lyncroft, the head of Lyncroft Unlimited, disappeared in a plane crash some time ago. His creditors are getting restless but his sister Annie doesn't want to sell his company; she knows that he is alive. So she's pulling her nuclear option, contacting his former employer, Oliver Rain. Everyone knows that he not pulled his own family's company from the brink of disaster several years ago, he multiplied their fortunes by quite a bit. He's invested in Daniel's company so it's in his best interests to make sure that the company doesn't fail. So Annie proposes a marriage of convenience.

It is possible that some of my enjoyment of this book is nostalgia but I still like that both Annie and Oliver are able to grow in this story. Oliver becomes a little less rigid while Annie becomes a bit less naive.

Four stars
This book came out in 1993
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Prime
Opinions are my own

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Goodbye's a Witch by Danielle Garrett

Though there is a bit of a mystery in this story, it is more about wrapping up the series, and if you go in expecting that, you'll be fine. There is a new character who is introduced but we don't see much of her. She comes through the portal that is on the manor property. But there is a problem. There are vampire's chasing her and Holly's magic is on the fritz. 
It was a little flat and a little predictable but still a nice end to the series. 

Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery #12
Three stars
This book came out June 15, 2021
Audiobook of mine in Audible
Opinions are my own