The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

Bree Camden and Nathan Donelson thought they would conquer their respective worlds. Nate achieved his dreams but Bree's were shattered by a car accident. Now he's an NFL quarterback and she's teaching ballet to an underserved populations (which she loves but it's not exactly the prima ballerina goal she thought she would achieve.) They're still best friends and have each other's backs in all situations. Nate even dumps an influencer who is rude to Bree. That influencer turns around and implies heavily that Nate has problems getting it up. One drunken night later and Bree has defended Nate to the point where people are now 'shipping them. And Nate's publicist sees this as an opportunity. 

This was a fun story that took the friends-to-lovers trope and tweaked it just enough to make it fun to read. Weirdly, I wish we had gotten a few more side characters because this book was so narrowly focused on Bree and Nate but overall a fun read.

Four stars

This book came out September 29, 2022

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

Ronnie, the prodigal son of Lila Macapagal's family is back. No one is quite sure whether his business is legitimate but they are all tentatively hopeful. Ronnie is in business with Pete and Izzy who are in a relationship though Ronnie may have more than business-type feelings for Izzy. They've been backed by Xander and Denise in creating the Shady Palms Winery. Xander and Denise are helped by twins Olivia and Quentin March. This, of course, adds to the already fairly large cast of aunts and business members that Lila is already dealing with. But, if you can make it past Chapter 6, the characters spread out a little and become more easily recognized. Especially since one of them gets killed off soon after and Ronnie becomes a suspect. 

Lots of changes in this book with secrets coming out and people getting tired of the status quo. A really good book and some growth for some of our side characters. Hopefully we get to see more Lila and Jae in the next book. 

Four and a half stars

This book comes out October 4, 2022

Follows Homicide and Halo-Halo

Followed by Murder and Mamon

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Narwhalicorn and Jelly by Ben Clanton

Narwhals have been called the unicorn of the sea but, according to one of our favorite main characters, unicorns are the narwhals of the land. When Jelly wonders what they look like, Narwhal wishes upon a star to become a unicorn and then to go visit with all of the other "*corns." However, while Narwhal is having fun, Jelly just wants to go to bed. So, a little lesson is a little shoehorned in about considering the feelings of others but this was, as always, a fun and joyful book.

Five stars
This book comes out October 4, 2022
Follows Narwhal's School of Awesomeness

Followed by A Super Scary Narwhalloween

ARC kindly provided by Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

September 2022 rereads

As always, opinions are my own

Close Up 

Burning Cove #4

Three and a half stars
This book comes out May 5, 2020
Follows Tightrope

Followed by The Lady Has a Past

 The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick

Burning Cove #5

Four stars
Follows Close Up

Followed by When She Dreams
This book came out May 4, 2021

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

Glamourist Histories #1

Four stars

This book came out August 3rd, 2010

Followed by Glamour in Glass

No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #7

This book came out May 8, 2006

Follows Owls Well that Ends Well

Followed by The Penguin who Knew too Much

Audiobook from Audible

Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews

Innkeeper Chronicles #4

Follows One Fell Sweep
Followed by Sweep of the Heart
This book came out December 2018
Ebook of my own on Kindle

Quit by Annie Duke

In American culture, quitting has become synonymous with failure. People who persevere are those who are admired. But Duke argues that we need to start learning when it is time to quit. Sometimes, it just isn't worth the fight.

She lays out example after example showing that leaving the option of quitting on the table means you've given yourself more choices. Of course, that means you have to be open to the fact that you will never know what might have been. Being open to change, even when your are happy, might make your life even better.

I really liked the last chapter and talking about setting goals. So many books talk about goal setting as a panacea but they don't talk about the drawbacks. One instance of a downside would be trying to meet your goals to the exclusion of all else. The suggestion of not making goals pass/fail and allowing for outs in certain situations seems much more reasonable and, frankly, less depressing. 

This book is incredibly readable and the author even inserts some of her own stories into the book. I wish there had been more scientific data to support her hypothesis but there are a lot of engaging stories to prove her point. 

Four stars

This book comes out October 4, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Penguin Group Portfolio and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

There is a saying that you can't go home and Lily Armitage doesn't want to. Endgame House holds bad memories for her; memories she'd rather not revisit. But her aunt Lillian has died and Lily and her cousins are back at Endgame for one last Christmas games revelry. They are to stay at the house, without cell phones, for the entirety of the Christmas season. Every day, one clue will be released leading the cousins to a key. One of the twelve keys they find will unlock the door of a secret room. Whoever has that key on the last day will inherit the house. Of course, they have to survive in order to win. Not all of them will.

This is an intriguing story and there are two games woven into the mystery. There was a lot going on in this story but that left some gaps that I would have liked to have had filled in. 

Three and a half stars

This book come out October 4, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Extra Witchy by Ann Aguirre

I've been curious about how Leanne and Trevor ended up married and this book explores their story and it is lovely. It is not really a fake relationship because they are definitely involved even though they get married so Leanne will be taken more seriously for the city council. There were some points that I wish had been a little smoother but I loved the end when the magic users out themselves to the world but there is so much other news going on that no one really notices. That makes a LOT of sense to me.

Leanne Vanderpol grew up with a mother who was more concerned with finding love (in all the wrong places) than in raising her daughter. She wanted to be different but she already has two divorces under her belt. At least she didn't have children with either of her ex-husbands. Now she just works in a sausage party where the men treat her as lesser than because she's a woman. But she's going to change that by running for city council and working from the inside.

Trevor Montgomery got out of a bad relationship and just sort of... collapsed. Now he spends his days doing odd jobs, smoking weed, and hanging out with his friend and his friend's friends (he doesn't think they like him for himself.) Sure, Leanne is hot and hooking up with her in a bathroom during a party at their friend's house seems like a good idea at the time. But getting married? And being her househusband? Well, at least it's a direction in life.

Of course, this is a romance so it might just be that this relationship that starts off so tentatively might just make them both a little stronger. 

Four stars

This book comes out October 4, 2022

Follows Boss Witch 

ARC kindly provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley

Opinions are my own