Down the Aisle with Murder by Auralee Wallace

A return to the Wallace that I enjoy reading.
The book opens with Erica Bloom attending Candace's bachelorette party. Is it weird to celebrate the wedding of the woman who dated Erica's one true love? Not in a small town. The big hit of the party though is the maid of honor, Lyssa. That would be the same Lyssa who turns up dead the next day.
Erica and Freddie would normally insert themselves into the case but Freddie is acting strangely; in fact, he has told Erica that they need to have a break.
And there are a lot of strange things going on at Otter Lake. Erica's mom has brought in a new guru, Zaki, and there is... something strange about his seminar. Like, the fact that it's for singles but Erica's mom isn't forcing her to go. Grady, Erica's erstwhile love of her life, is taking a vacation; something he's never done before. Sheriff Bigly is there in his place and she's not amused by Erica and Freddie.
I liked this book so much better than the last one. Yes, Erica is still a little immature but she seems to be getting better. I wish that the murder victim had been better fleshed out.

Four stars
This book comes out May 1
Follows Ring In the Year with Murder
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Today I'll Be a Unicorn by Dana Simpson

Would've been five stars if this book had been longer (8 pages!). There is a nice story of Marigold deciding that she is going to be a unicorn for a day but then deciding it is not for her. I'd call it an entrance drug to the Heavenly Nostrils series.

Four stars
This book comes out May 8
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

The Other Lady Vanishes by Amanda Quick

Like the other heroines of this series (only one other so far, but we're given the pattern), Adelaide Bankcroft has a reason to hide her past. She's in Burning Cove after escaping from an insane asylum; the place her husband consigned her to in order to get control of her inheritance. Now she's working as a tea shop waitress who also creates specific teas for the shop's customers - the tea can do things like create calm or help with insomnia.
Jake Truett is in Burning Cove ostensibly to relax his overworked nerves. But he has an ulterior motive, one that perfectly aligns with keeping Adelaide safe.
I quite enjoyed this book and hope that we get to see the full story of what happens between Raina and Luther.

Four Stars
This book comes out May 8, 2018

Follows The Girl Who Knew Too Much

Followed by Tightrope
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Reread August 2022 as audiobook from Audible

Until There Was Us by Samantha Chase

Two years ago, Megan Montgomery and Alex Rebat hooked up at her cousin's wedding. But then they were torn apart by living on opposite sides of the country and by the fact that Megan was working long hours. Now she's in the same city and their connection isn't any less strong. But can they make it work on the second time around.
Okay. I like Chase's writing and she has pretty great characters... usually. I just couldn't figure out why Megan fell in love with Alex. He was sort of an asshat. She doesn't like the outdoors -- but he's going to force her. Sure, he says he's going to go to museums with her, but we never actually see it happening. He thinks she works to much and doesn't share with her. But he hides that he is seeing his best friend every week and then runs off when there's a traumatic event. Other than the fact that Megan and her cousins think he's super hot, I don't see any reason to fall in love with this person.

Two stars
This book comes out May 1
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billerbeck

I really liked the premise of this book. Self-help author falls apart, gets forced on a cruise by her friends, finds love hate with the man of her dreams who has Big Secrets. Seemed very similar to Breathing Room which is a favorite I reread fairly often.
I wish the description of the book had been a little more explicit that it had Christian overtones. It's fine to read when it's done well but the religious themes were wedged in with a fairly heavy hand (jamming a Bible into a character's hand then prolonged wondering about why it's there... really?) that became distracting. It was neither this though nor the first-person-narrative that dropped this down a star for me. It was a fairly pleasant if unexciting read except that it pitted the narrator against her friend for the interest of a man. Just, no. And, ew, can we just get rid of that trope already?
For those that don't mind that trope or spots of Christianity or first-person narrative, this is generally a light and fluffy read that you would probably enjoy.

Two and a half stars
This book comes out May 1
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Falling for You by Becky Wade

Model and a football player? Yes please. Christian themes? Hm. Not my favorite. But I'm going to try it. I'm not a practicing Christian but I've read books with religious undertones that I have enjoyed (as long as I'm warned about it ahead of time)
And the book starts off well. I generally like Willow Bradford and Corbin Stewart. They were a couple a few years ago but broke up. Now they're both in Washington and his "niece" wants help. Specifically, she wants help from Willow. And this was a bit of a stretch for me. Why her? Just because she's nearby? But I enjoyed Wade's writing and kept going. Then we're told over and over that Willow's ashamed because she's illegitimate. Um, in this day and age that seems odd -- and why would she feel ashamed? Okay... still reading. Then we find out that Willow always thought God would break them up because they were having sex outside of marriage. That... is an incredibly narrow view but I'm still liking Wade's writing. The thing that made me DNF this book? That Corbin told Willow that she HAD to forgive him because Jesus told her to. Um. No. That is not how forgiveness works, you do not get forced into it.
I definitely enjoyed Wade's writing but the narrow view of Christianity really turned me off.

DNF
This book comes out May 1
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Ask a Manager by Alison Green

I read the Ask a Manager blog pretty religiously. Like, every new post, going back and reading old posts, following comments. I was really excited to get this book. And it really is a good book with practical details for everyday working life (more geared toward office work.) There are sections based on your role in the office (boss, employee, etc.) and they include bullets of practical advice, scripts for difficult situations, and stories taken right from Green's blog. It is a little dry in points but it's a nonfiction advice book. I liked the stories pulled right from the blog, they injected some life into the book.
If you are already an Ask a Manager reader, it's all the advice you've read but organized into neat lists. Nothing new really so longtime (years) readers probably won't gain much. For people just entering the workplace, just becoming mangers, or conducting interviews, this would be an invaluable book.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out May 1
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley