A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

As the title says, this is a very Curious Beginning to what seems to be a series that I'm going to enjoy. If you've read Raybourn's Lady Julia series, you will immediately recognize the style of writing.
The protagonist is Veronica Speedwell. The book opens at the funeral of the second of two women who raised her. Veronica is not very sad since this particular "aunt" was not the warm and fuzzy type. Though she tried valiantly to pass on some sort of message before she died. Too bad it didn't get delivered. Veronica arrives back at her house to find that it's been thoroughly searched. But for what reason? The women who took her in when she was a baby weren't rich. There's no secret treasure. And then there's the strange German man who whisks her away to London.
Now, at this point, a reader might wonder why Veronica, a woman, now alone in the world, allows herself to be taken away like that? Well, as a botanist, she's a world traveler who knows how to take care of herself and has weapons secreted on her body. And she's a pragmatist. It will cost less to go to London if this gentleman is paying for her. She then finds out that he knew her mother and knows more about Veronica's origins.
However, once they get to London, he drops her off with his friend, Stoker. At this point, I got worried because -- duh -- Bram Stoker. Are there vampires in this book? No (phew). Stoker is a scarred and tattooed man who is NOT happy to have Veronica in his space. And it gets even worse when the German man is murdered and the two have to go on the run...
I really, really liked that Veronica is not your normal heroine. And she's not the type of "modern thinker" that is dropped anachronistically into a story. Nope, in addition to being a pragmatic botanist, she's a follower of the free love movement. But she's got rules, she won't have sex with an Englishman and she won't do anything of "that sort" in England. So her growing attraction to Stoker (who has his own mysterious backstory) is becoming a problem.

Four Stars

This book came out September 1, 2015
Followed by A Perilous Undertaking

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Reread November 2023 as audiobook from Libby

Keeper's Reach by Carla Neggers

A solid addition to the Sharpe & Donovan series.
This time the stories of Emma and Colin coincide with those of Colin's brother and his old flame, Naomi. Naomi is in England working. But she took a quick side trip to the Cotswolds where she interacts with Oliver's (big-time thief Colin and Emma were chasing in the first four books) handy man who has been hit on the head. But was it an accident or did someone knock him out? And for what reason?
Nothing spectacular but it is a solid addition to the series that longtime readers will enjoy. I would suggest that new readers start at the beginning. It's nice to see Emma and Colin progress but it does occur at the expense of Naomi and Mike's story.

Followed by Liar's Key

Thirteen Guests by J Farjeon

I requested this novel on a whim from NetGalley and liked it well enough but it's definitely not one of my favorites. There were definitely some parts in the middle that dragged for me and I had some trouble keeping characters straight.

The whole story is set at a weekend hunting party hosted by Lord Aveling at his country house, Bragley Court. We follow along as the guests (and two more people) arrive at the local train station. One of the uninvited guests is a young man who hurts his foot at the station and is invited to the house by one of the guests. The other lurks mysteriously in a hotel across from the station and watches the guests roll in.

There were supposed to be 12 guests but the injured man brings the number to an unlucky 13, the last to arrive being Mr. Chattery when he follows his wife in. Mysterious events begin to occur-whispered meetings between unmarried people, a sinister threat overheard, a dog stabbed, and then people start dying. What is the purpose of these murders and why were they committed?

This didn't hit my sweet spot but if you enjoy classic mysteries, it may hit yours.

Uncle Scrooge: Pure Viewing Satisfaction by Jonathan Gray

I remember reading Disney comics when I was a kid in the 90s. For nostalgia factor, this was an 8/10. Except for two little phrases, I could have been reading a book from my childhood (oh, and the fact that it was an ebook....). Purely fun reading. Nothing spectacular but a very good book.

Comes out in a week, you should give it a try!

Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good by Kathleen Flinn

Yet another memoir interspersed with recipes? Hasn't that been done to death? Kathleen Flinn proves the answer is no. In this delightful book that moves seamlessly between time periods, Finn gives us an intimate glimpse into her life. I don't know who Kathleen Flinn is (probably a famous chef or cook?) but this book is a fantastic look at no only her own life in 1970s Michigan but how her family operated even before she came along. There are fantastic passages like "Burnt toast makes you sing good. Be thankful; no matter how little you've got, someone's always worse off than you. You can't give anything away, it always comes back. [My parents] handed down these simple life lessons to me as surely as they did their recipes."
I can't tell you yet how good the family recipes are, but I can tell you that I can't wait to read the rest of Ms. Flinn's story.

If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins

A recent "Smart Bitches, Trash Books" podcast episode called Kristan Higgins an author who writes "all the feelings" (or something close to that) and this book certainly brings them all out.

The book is about the changes two sisters are going through, different points in their life. Jenny Tate is a well-known wedding dress designer. She's had a modern divorce; she's still friends with her ex and his new wife. In fact, the book opens with Jenny attending the new wife's baby shower. And yes, the ex didn't want to have kids while he was with her. But she's moving out of town, and hopefully these meet ups will lessen. And luckily, she has a hot new landlord to distract her. A hot, new landlord with a tragic backstory.
But Jenny's story line pale for me in comparison to that of her sister, Rachel. Rachel has what appears to be a perfect marriage. A man she loves, two gorgeous little girls, house, etc. But an unexpected text reveals that her marriage isn't as picture-perfect as she had thought.
Are their stories ones we've read in romance before? Certainly. But with her usual flair, Higgins manages to make something old fresh again.

What to Do with a Duke by Sally MacKenzie

In the 1600s, the Duke of Hart's great-something-grandfather seduced a woman who then cursed the family. If the men didn't marry for love, they wouldn't live to see their heir born. Also, she set up a spinster house which was to be available to any single woman, past a marriageable age, along with a stipend. 

Miss Hutting, Isabelle "Cat" Catherine, is the oldest daughter of the village vicar. Most of her nine siblings still live her parents' tiny house and she is desperate for privacy. So when the previous resident leaves rather abruptly, Cat knows that the house is meant to be hers. Too bad two of her friends are also anxious to have the house. And too bad the handsome Duke really seems to believe in the curse...
While not my favorite MacKenzie (I didn't buy that her friends would be so vindictive), I'm liking the setup for the series and am already ready to read the next book in the series.
This book goes on sale next Tuesday!