Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

One day, scriptwriter Nora Hamilton's husband decided to leave. He just took off leaving her behind with her two children. This caused her to diverge from her usual Hallmark movie writing into a much more serious film. One that got picked up by a major studio and is going to star Leo Vance. Yes, THAT Leo Vance, a former Sexiest Man Alive. Even better, they want to film at her house meaning she will get to make some extra money. And that's good because Nora doesn't seem to have it in her anymore to write that old familiar script. Hollywood will show up for a week, film, and leave. And all of that happens, except that Leo doesn't leave. Leo stays. And that is the story that unfolds in this book. 
I didn't love the ending nor the Big Misunderstanding. And the ending was a little too formulaic but this was overall a delightful read. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out June 7th, 2022

ARC  kindly provided by Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

This book has gotten some delightful reviews and there is a good reason why. Henry has created a book that I think regular romance readers and newbies alike can enjoy. The book touches on so many of them and then upends them in a way that feels right for these characters.

The book opens with first person narrator, Nora Stephens, book agent, opining on the types of romantic tropes. She herself has been a part of no fewer than four instances where a big city-type goes away to the country and falls for some woman there, leaving behind theuptight ex in New York. Unfortunately, Nora is the uptight ex. But she is good at her job so why would she need to change? Especially when one of her clients is just about to hit the best seller lists. No matter what editor Charlie Lastra says about the book.

After that book does turn into a mega-hit, Nora's sister, Libby, asks Nora to go to the small town outside of Asheville where the book was based. Libby is pregnant with her third child and just wants to get away. For an entire month. Nora makes the arrangements to telework for that time and heads out. She and her sister, usually so in sync, have been out of a good rhythm lately and maybe this is a way to solve it. While there, Libby insists that they create a list of things to do while they are there. Nora reluctantly agrees because, really, most of the things on that list are things that only Nora can do. Like go out on at least two dates. What makes it even worse is that somehow, the town that the book was based on, is Charlie Lastra's home town. And he's back there, working in his parent's bookstore (apparently the only place in town with working Wi-Fi). He's all smolder-y and handsome and gets Nora's snarky sense of humor. He even admires that she's a shark. 

Of course, there are a few miscommunications that derail the Happy Ending but it does all work out. And even if I would've liked getting to know Charlie just a little better, this was a fabulous read and I look forward to more books from this author.

Five stars

This book came out May 3, 2022

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Rotten to the Core by T. E. Kinsey

Lady Hardcastle and Flo are back! Lady Hardcastle is still involved in filmmaking and as they leave the grocer's, they meet a mysterious (and beautiful) on the way out who is looking for the Dog and Duck. They decide to visit the local pub themselves but it's overrun by the Weryers of the Pomary (the Guardians of the Orchard), twelve men who traditionally get the bar to themselves for their meetings. But suddenly, one of the Weryers is dead. And then another. 

We get to learn more about village politics and revisit a number of characters in the village. There is some self-reflection as one of the characters comments on the number of dead bodies that the two ladies run into.

Four stars

This book comes out June 7, 2022

Follows The Fatal Flying Affair

Followed by An Act of Foul Play

ARC kindly provided Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Unicorn Selfies: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure by Dana Simpson

Many more fun adventures in this book of Phoebe and her Unicorn. Pixies build a clubhouse that is amazingly splendiferous (and pixies are oddly like human contractors.) Also, Marigold gets stuck in her mirror (of course) and has some new-to-her emotions like envy and some self-doubt. The latter comes in the form of preparing for her family reunion.

One of my favorite things in reading Simpson's series is the language. Words are not dumbed down for kids and she plays with things like, "I'm a big fancy-butt! Pay attention to my big, fancy butt!" I love it. And the unveiling of Phoebe's name is built up to in this book (and some of the past books but the possibly more confusing second half is in this book.) 

Four and a half stars

This book comes out June 7, 2022

Follows Unicorn Playlist

Followed by Unicornado

ARC kindly provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

May Reread

Opinions, as always, are my own

Hot and Badgered

Honey Badger Chronicles #1

Three stars

This book came out March 27, 2018

Follows Bite Me

Followed by In a Badger Way

Audiobook from Audible

In a Badger Way

Honey Badger Chronicles #2

Three stars

This book came out March 26, 2019

Follows Hot and Badgered
Followed by Badger to the Bone

Audiobook from Audible

Badger to the Bone

Honey Badger Chronicles #3

Four stars
This book comes out March 31st, 2020
Follows In a Badger Way

Followed by Breaking Badger

Audiobook from Audible

Breaking Badger

Honey Badger Chronicles #3

Four stars

This book comes out August 31st, 2021

Follows Badger to the Bone

Audiobook from Audible

Murder on the Flying Scotsman

Lady Daisy Dalrymple #4

This book came out in 1996

Follows Requiem for a Mezzo

Followed by Damsel in Distress

Borrowed from the Audible Premium Plus catalog

The Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters

This book came out in 1982

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #1

Followed by Murder with Puffins

This book came out February 7th, 2006

Audible book of mine

Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews

Four stars

This book came out June 15th, 2001

Follows Murder with Peacocks

Followed by Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos

Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingoes by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #1

This book came out October 12th, 2001

Follows Murder With Puffins 

Followed by Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon

Unicorn Famous by Dana Simpson

Phoebe and her Unicorn

This book came out April 6, 2021

Follows Virtual Unicorn Experience

Followed by Unicorn Playlist

Borrowed as ebook from Library

High Jinx by Kelley Armstrong

Kennedy Bennett is JUST FRIENDS with Aiden Connolly thank-you-very-much. Yes the luck worker is handsome and rich but that doesn't mean she is dating the man. In fact, they are very scrupulous about keeping romance out of their relationship. That doesn't mean she isn't bummed that he isn't texting her back. Suddenly, he is in her shop of previously cursed objects (even the creepy dolls her sister Hope really likes but Kennedy definitely does not). He takes over the bidding on a painting that Kennedy knows to
have been part of a quartet, each cursed based on the four children of a woman who some people would rather history forgot. When they go to pick up the painting, the experience is not textbook. From a woman who is not who she seems to a young girl rushing out of the painting, it is topsy turvy. Kennedy suspects that Mercy (also Hermes, Mercury, whatever-ever-name) is testing her. But the real story ends up being so much bigger and weirder. And they are working on finding the other three paintings at the same time Aiden is working to pay off his parents... a year earlier than he had expected.

A lot of plot holes but a fun ride and I like that we get to see the relationship between Aiden and Kennedy grow.

Four stars

This book came out December 7, 2021

Follows Cursed Luck

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Give Up the Ghost by Angie Fox

Verity Long has had problems with her boyfriend's mother since before the series started. Virginia Wydell destroyed Verity's family mansion taking all of the family heirlooms. And she has definitely tried to come between her son, Ellis, and Verity. But she's just called Ellis and needs help. 

See, Virginia has just discovered her best friend, Twyla Sue, dead on the floor of her beauty salon. The book her mother Erma Sue left behind contained a lot of gossip. Actually, it was a lot of blackmail material that she used to rule Sugarland. The book turned up in the recently opened time capsule and Twyla Sue spirited it away before anyone could read it. Now Twyla's dead and pages from the book are turning up. And all of them are revealing secrets Virginia would rather keep hidden. She begs Verity to take the case. Verity does, but only to help Ellis. And it turns out Erma Sue, once grounded, has figured out how to move around. This could have major implications for Verity and Frankie.

The mystery was really loose on this one but there was major character development, especially for Virginia. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out May 31, 2022

Follows The Haunted Homecoming

Followed by Dread and Buried

ARC kindly provided by Moose Island Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own