I have to say that, especially after the Southern Charms Mysteries, Ruby was fairly unlikable. She has literally every other "good guy" character in the book telling her not to use the crystal ball but she defies them all and uses it anyway because she is just smarter (and more stubborn) than anyone else. I had hoped that after she was proven wrong she might mellow out a bit but it doesn't seem like it. I will probably give this series one more chance just to see if she changes but I have a feeling she's not going to.
Like most things in my life, my reading journey proceeds in a convoluted and undirected fashion. The reading cut ends up being about 75% romance, 25% everything else. Almost all of the books will have been supplied by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Monday, September 14, 2020
Flea Market Magic by Bella Falls
I have to say that, especially after the Southern Charms Mysteries, Ruby was fairly unlikable. She has literally every other "good guy" character in the book telling her not to use the crystal ball but she defies them all and uses it anyway because she is just smarter (and more stubborn) than anyone else. I had hoped that after she was proven wrong she might mellow out a bit but it doesn't seem like it. I will probably give this series one more chance just to see if she changes but I have a feeling she's not going to.
Sunday, September 13, 2020
The Origin of Evil by Ellery Queen
The mystery ends up being incredibly convoluted and Ellery comes off as a major asshole (he lusts after Delia who does nothing to encourage him then gets pissed off when he finds out that she’s sleeping with the secretary - why? He wanted to sleep with her too. Boo, Ellery, boo).
I heard about this book on the Classic Mysteries podcast.
Two stars
This book came out 1951
Borrowed from the library
Opinions are my own
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Lucky the Hard Way by Deborah Coonts
Three stars
Friday, September 11, 2020
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
The ending is just a little too pat and both Zafire and Dani are just a little too perfect so this was more of a three and a half star book than tipping over into four stars for me but obviously quite enjoyable.
This book came out June 23rd, 2020
Book borrowed from library
Opinions are my own
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Cast Away by Annabel Chase
But the person she thought was her ally turns out not to be and all of her plans fall apart. Then her deeply held secret is exposed in front of the town and they react in the worst way.
Emma is very much becoming a Mary Sue. There is looking at the world through rose-colored glasses and then there is willful ignorance. This is the latter.
Three stars
Follows Better than Hex
Followed by A Touch of Magic
This book came out May 24th, 2017
Borrowed as an audiobook from the library
Opinions are my own
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria
And this is a wonderfully enjoyable story about two stars of a new series. The leading lady, Jasmine Lin Rodriguez, has just made it into the tabloids for all the wrong reasons. Her other big problem is that she doesn’t really speak Spanish. She understands it just fine and has the accent mostly down but it’s not a language she uses every day.
The leading man, Ashton Suárez, is aging and he knows it. He is definitely tending out of “hero” in the telenovelas he’s known for and into “villain.” He didn’t even make it to the finale of his latest series! This series is his last chance to break into American television. He has always avoided interviews because of a fairly valid but secret reason. And, even though he finds himself falling quickly for Jasmine, he doesn’t disclose this secret to her. That does cause a misunderstanding at the end but it is quickly cleared up when both come to their senses.
The melding of Jasmine and Ashton’s stories with the telenovela storyline was just wonderful. It took me a bit to get into the book but when I did get into it, it was just a fun ride.
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
The Palace Guard by Charlotte MacLeod
Max and Sarah have been spending a lot of time together. He has a lot of free passes to various events (at least that's what he's telling Sarah) so they've been stepping out. Too bad an evening of music at Madam's (a building the Kellings have a fraught history with the building's original owner) is ruined when one of the security guards plummets off a balcony to the floor below. One of Sarah's many cousins is substituting in as another guard. He is able to tell them some of the behind the scenes information. When another guard dies though, this time by paint remover put into the alcohol bottle he kept hidden in his locker, it all starts to get very, very serious.
A quick read - we get to learn more about Max and Sarah and the mystery is sound. Unfortunately, there is some casual racism in the book which made me uncomfortable and I'm hoping it doesn't continue in future books.
Follows The Withdrawing Room
Followed by The Bilbao Looking Glass
This book came out July 1st, 1981
Borrowed this book from the library
Opinions are my own