The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis

This book mainly focuses on Harper Shaw though there are a number of other stories that get pulled in. Harper is moving to Lake Tahoe to open a bakery. She doesn't start off on the right foot with her landlord, Bodie Campbell who is mourning the loss of his father as well as his career. Harper also meets Ivy, a teenage runaway, who reminds Harper a lot of herself. 

As Harper begins to get closer to the people in the town, the ties she sees begin to get more and more complicated. There is also a B plot with Bodie's brother and a woman that Harper is slowly starting to make friends with.

This was a fast, fun, and fluffy book but I didn't feel like I got to know any of the characters really well and I wished for more interaction between Harper and Bodie to really get a sense of their HEA.

Three stars

This book came out June 13, 2023

Follows The Backup Plan

Followed  by The Bright Spot

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Legacies by Jessica Goodman

I saw that a friend of mine had read this books and reviewed it highly so I thought I'd give it a chance. It didn't capture my attention as much as it did her but it was an interesting book.

If you get into the Legacy Club, you are pretty much guaranteed that you are set for the rest of life. This year, there are three young people whose entree is pretty much ensured, Bernie, Isobel, and Skylar. They each of something which might prevent them from getting in but all three also want to make it through the week of hazing to capture a seat in the club. Who or what could possibly stop them? Not even Tori, the nominee from some no-known family in Queens. Will all four make it to the end of the week and be able to celebrate at the Legacy ball?

Three stars

This book came out July 25, 2023

Ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers

It is not in dispute that General Fentiman is dead. It's a sad thing. And on Armistice Day, too. The problem arises from whether or not he predeceased his sister. At stake? Half a million pounds. Lord Peter Wimsey is among the people who found the old man and he noticed something strange about the body. But what does it mean? And is that the only thing that is going to make this case complicated?

Lots of British culture included in this story. Lord Peter is a fantastic character to begin with but this book really paints a picture of what it was like to live in England following the first World War. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out in 1928

Follows Unnatural Death

Followed by Strong Poison

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

In Charm's Way by Lana Harper

I wasn't especially in love with the last book but I did enjoy this one. There is a lot more in this book about Delilah's personal journey than building a romance and the ending was a little convoluted but overall an enjoyable book. 

Delilah Harlow is still recovering from the events of the last book when she had her brain pretty much scrambled. When the book opens, she is driven to desperation and she tries a spell from a book that she normally would never touch. But she just wants to have her own mind back. Too bad this particular spell makes her a beacon to all of the creepy-crawlies that normally pass Thistle Grove by. 

Into town strides a champion, Catriona Quinn, whose name is just a little too much on the nose. Her mother did that on purpose but it doesn't mean she loves it. She steps into the hero role, even though her armor is a little tarnished. 

The Witches of Thistle Grove #4

Three and half stars

This book comes out August 22, 2023

Follows Back in a Spell

Followed by Rise and Divine

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

Yoga Inversions by Kat Heagberg Rebar

I really liked this book. The illustrations are really helpful. The writing gives a great idea of not only how to get into the poses but also how to cue them. I could have used just a few more prep poses or ideas of how long to use them to build up to the full inversion but, honestly, you probably need to be able to listen to your own body. 

Four and a half stars

This book comes out August 22, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Shambhala Publications, Inc. and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

This book was hard to follow because there are so many characters. I wondered if that was because I was listening as an audiobook but I read the follow up novella and it is a little hard either way. The idea is that two lawyers are reading emails after a specific crime and they are trying to figure out what actually happened. Even the reader doesn't actually know who got murdered until we are well into the book as the Fairway Players exchange information about their upcoming play which is meant to raise money for a toddler with cancer. But there are a lot of doubts being sown about whether everyone is who they say they are, whether everyone's telling the truth, and whether everyone mentioned in the story will be alive at the end.

Three and a half stars 

This book came out January 4, 2021

Followed by The Christmas Appeal

Borrowed as audiobook from Library

Opinions are my own

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

This is Shaffer's first published book and, while very enjoyable, reads to me a lot like a number of YA books that feature a reclusive artist setting up a game (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mr. Lemoncello's Library, etc.) except that the main focus is on Lucy Hart, 24 years old. When she was younger, Lucy became enchanted with a series of books set on Clock Island. They were written by Jack Masterson and Lucy, a younger child whose older sister was ill so she was often left by herself, wanted nothing more than to be his sidekick. So she went to the island. But she was sent home. Years later, she is a teacher's aide who wants nothing more than to adopt a boy in her school. But she is in debt, living with a number of roommates, and doesn't have a car. In other words, not a great candidate for adoption. But then, Jack announces a contest and the person who wins will get his latest manuscript. Lucy is one of the four people invited. 

In thinking about the book after I read it, I don't know much about Lucy other than the high points above nor anyone else in the book, including Hugo Reese, the man who ended up illustrating the newer editions of Jack's books and the other person featured in this story. And a couple of times I forgot I wasn't reading a YA book - I think it was partly the set up but also partly the language and perhaps a bit the fact that excerpts from Jack's stories are interspersed in the story. But I really did enjoy this book and hope that Shaffer keeps writing. 

Four stars

This book came out May 30, 2023

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own