My Murder by Katie Williams

I saw this on the Books We Love list for 2023 and thought it looked interesting. We meet Lou who is a clone but who has all the memories of her previous body. As you can imagine, there is some dysmorphia over whether she really is "her" and some exploration of what it means to be yourself.

With four other women, Lou was brought back by the Replication Committee. All five of them were killed by a serial killer whose name is now famous and he is in prison. They are all trying to figure out what it means to have been brought back with all of their memories, with their same faces, but with a gap missing of what actually happened at the end (ascribed to trauma.)

Lou is having problems since the daughter who she wasn't even sure about before she died certainly wants nothing to do with her now that she has returned. She's also struggling in her job which seems to be virtual cuddling (human touch in a virtual age.)

A really interesting book that was a little disturbing a points but overall an interesting read. 

Four stars
This book came out June 6, 2023

Borrowed as hard copy from Library

Opinions are my own

Board to Death by C.J. Connor

Ben Rosencrantz used to be an English professor (yes, he's heard all of the Shakespeare jokes) but he came back to Sugar House, a neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah, to help his father run their family's board game shop. His father is ill and can use the help but their shop has been in a slow decline for years as Amazon has taken over. Newly divorced, Ben is just in a constant state of nervousness because nothing has gone the way it should have and now he's back, still gay, in the heart of Mormon country. 

It really doesn't help that a patron shows up on his doorstep, with a knife sticking out of his chest, and promptly dies. The man had claimed to have the prototype for Monopoly which, if true, would have been worth quite a lot of money. Ben thinks that he may be a suspect in the murder so he decides to investigate on his own.

This was an okay start to a series. I don't love amateur sleuths who run into danger but Ben at least took someone along with him. There wasn't a lot of build up for the mystery other than Ben running around. The narrator also had some weird pauses that kept throwing me off but I did finish the book and I'd probably read the next one. 

A Board Game Shop Mystery #1

Three stars

This book came out August 22, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber

At the end of the last book, Sebastian had gotten word that his father had been attacked. He and Kiera took their whole family, including their four-month-old daughter. He is being housed in a small village near where he was attacked, in the home of a former army doctor, so he at least has good care. 

However, when Sebastian and Kiera try to investigate, they run into a series of problems. There are few in the village who are willing to talk. They are also attacked. Someone is really working to make sure that the reasons for Lord Gage's attack aren't uncovered. And even the people who appear to be helpful aren't actually what they seemed. 

This book was fine but there was a lot going on. It may have been the time of my life and I'd like to re-read it again later because I did enjoy the character building, both the new characters and between Lord Gage and Henry, his son who was claimed by a duke.

Lady Darby Mystery #11

Three stars
This book came out June 20, 2023

Follows A Perilous Perspective

Followed by A Deceptive Composition

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Witch Before Dying by Amanda M. Lee

Bay and her cousins are having to deal with dual issues, both stemming from Mrs. Little. One is that she is planning a Renaissance faire. Well, there hasn't been a lot of planning but she has brought in a troupe. It's one of their members who has been killed and Bay is worried that people will think that one of them did it. 

But trouble is also coming from the new witch, Scarlet Darksbane, that Mrs. Little has imported into town. And it will be up to Bay and her cousins as well as their significant others to figure out exactly what is going on. 

It took me a long time between picking this book up and finally finishing it. There was somehow simultaneously too much and not enough going on. It was fine but I may be nearing the end of my reading this series.

Wicked Witches of the Midwest #11

Three stars

This book came out November 5, 2017

Follows Murder Most Witchy

Followed by A Breath of Witchy Air

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Monthly Rereads January 2024

As always, opinions are my own

The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston

Pride #1

Three stars

This book came out September 25th, 2007

Followed by The Beast in Him

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston

Pride #2

Three stars
This book came out April 1st, 2008

Follows The Mane Event
Followed by The Mane Attraction

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

The Mane Attraction by Shelly Laurenston

Pride #3

Three stars
This book came out November 1st, 2008

Follows The Beast in Him
Followed by The Mane Squeeze

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

The Mane Squeeze by Shelly Laurenston

Pride #4

Three stars
This book came out November 1st, 2009

Follows The Mane Attraction
Followed by Big Bad Beast

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

Beast Behaving Badly by Shelly Laurenston

Pride #5

Three stars

This book came out May 1st, 2011
Follows The Mane Squeeze
Followed by Big Bad Beast

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

Big Bad Beast by Shelly Laurenston

Pride #6

This book came out May 25th, 2010

Follows Beast Behaving Badly
Followed by Bear Meets Girl

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston

Pride #7

Four stars

This book came out March 27th, 2012

Follows Big Bad Beast
Followed by Wolf with Benefits

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

Wolf with Benefits by Shelly Laurenston

Pride #8

This book came out March 25th, 2014

Follows Bear Meets Girl

Followed by Bite Me

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston

Pride #9

This book came out March 25th, 2014
This book follows the Mane Squeeze
Followed by Hot and Badgered

Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston
Honey Badger Chronicles #1
Three stars
Follows Bite Me
Followed by In a Badger Way
This book comes out March 27, 2018
Audiobook from Audible 

In a Badger Way by Shelly Laurenston
Honey Badger Chronicles #2
Three and a half stars
Follows Hot and Badgered
Followed by Badger to the Bone
This book came out March 26, 2019
Audiobook from Audible

Badger to the Bone by Shelly Laurenston
Honey Badger Chronicles #3
Follows In a Badger Way

Followed by Badger to the Bone
Audiobook from Audible

Badger to the Bone by Shelly Laurenston

Honey Badger Chronicles #4

Four stars

This book comes out August 31st, 2021

Follows Badger to the Bone

Followed by Born to Be Badger

Audiobook from Audible

Born to Be Badger

Honey Badger Chronicles #5

Four and a half stars

This book comes out November 8, 2023

Follows Breaking Badger

Audiobook from Audible

Pack Challenge by Shelly Laurenston

Magnus Pack #1

Followed by Go Fetch!

This book came out October 1st, 2006

Audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own

Go Fetch! by Shelly Laurenston

Magnus Pack #2

Follows Pack Challenge
Followed by Here Kitty, Kitty
This book came out March 6, 2007

Audiobook from Audible

Here Kitty, Kitty by Shelly Laurenston

Magnus Pack #3
Three stars
Follows Go Fetch! 
This book came out July 3rd, 2007
Audiobook from Audible 

Tale of Two Dragons by G. A. Aiken

Dragon Kin #0.2

Four stars

This novella came out November 5th, 2013

Follows Can't Get Enough
Followed by Dragon on Top

Audiobook from Audible Plus

Dragon Actually by G. A. Aiken

Dragon Kin #1

This book came out September 1st, 2008

Followed by About a Dragon

Audiobook from Audible Plus

About a Dragon by G. A. Aiken

Dragon Kin #2

This book came out December 1st, 2008
Follows Dragon Actually
Followed by What a Dragon Should Know
Audiobook from Audible Plus

What a Dragon Should Know by G. A. Aiken

Dragon Kin #3

This book came out September 1st, 2009
Follows About a Dragon
Followed by Last Dragon Standing
Audiobook from Audible Plus

Last Dragon Standing by G. A. Aiken

Dragon Kin #4

Three stars

This book came out September 7th, 2010
Follows What a Dragon Should Know
Followed by The Dragon Who Loved Me

Audiobook from Audible Plus

The Dragon who Loved Me by G. A. Aiken

Dragon Kin #5

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 1st, 2011
Follows Last Dragon Standing
Followed by How to Drive a Dragon Crazy

Audiobook from Audible Plus

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy by G. A. Aiken

Dragon Kin #6

Three and a half stars
This book came out September 4th, 2012
Follows Dragon Who Loved Me
Followed by Light My Fire

Audiobook from Audible Plus

Feel the Burn by G. A. Aiken

Dragon Kin #8

This book came out November 24th, 2015

Follows Light My Fire

Followed by Bring the Heat

Bring the Heat by G. A. Aiken

Dragon Kin #9

Three stars

This book came out August 27th, 2017

Follows Feel the Burn

Characters next found in The Princess Knight

The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken

Scarred Earth Saga #1

This book came out August 27th, 2019

Followed by The Princess Knight

Borrowed as audiobok from Audible Plus

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Ernest Cunningham #1

Four and a half stars

This book came out March 29, 2022

Followed by Everyone on this Train is a Suspect

Audiobook borrowed from Libby

A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

Veronica Speedwell #5

Three stars

This book came out March 10th, 2020

Follows A Dangerous Collaboration

Followed by An Unexpected Peril

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Veronica Speedwell #6

Four stars

Follows A Murderous Relation

Followed by An Impossible Impostor
This book came out March 2, 2021

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

The Vanishing by Jayne Ann Krentz
Fogg Lake#1
Three and a half stars (bumped up a half star on reread)
Followed by All the Colors of the Night
This book came out January 7th, 2020
Audiobook from Libby

All the Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz

Fogg Lake #2

This book came out January 7th, 2021

Follows The Vanishing

Followed by Lightning in a Mirror
Audiobook from Libby

Lightning in a Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz 

Fogg Lake #3

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 18th, 2022

Follows All the Colors of Night

Audiobook from Libby

When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

Cutler, Sutter, and Salinas #1

Wildest Hearts by Jayne Ann Krentz

When Daniel Lyncroft, the head of Lyncroft Unlimited, disappeared in a plane crash some time ago. His creditors are getting restless but his sister Annie doesn't want to sell his company; she knows that he is alive. So she's pulling her nuclear option, contacting his former employer, Oliver Rain. Everyone knows that he not pulled his own family's company from the brink of disaster several years ago, he multiplied their fortunes by quite a bit. He's invested in Daniel's company so it's in his best interests to make sure that the company doesn't fail. So Annie proposes a marriage of convenience.

It is possible that some of my enjoyment of this book is nostalgia but I still like that both Annie and Oliver are able to grow in this story. Oliver becomes a little less rigid while Annie becomes a bit less naive.

Four stars

This book came out in 1993

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Prime

Opinions are my own

Solstice Spirits by Erin Johnson

Rudie Hollybrook is the only person in Holiday Haven who sees dead people. It's been a point of contention between herself and her best frenemy Hayley Swift. Except now, Hayley is also seeing ghosts. Well, ghost. It's just one ghost. But it's still scaring the bejeebers out of her. So she calls Rudie, at ridiculous hours of the morning (seriously, the lady has no manners.)
But her life view may be about to change. It may not be three separate ghosts but this particular ghost is trying to tell her something.
Not a ton of depth but a good story.

Three stars
This book came out July 1, 2021

Follows Holiday Hijinks

Followed by Merry Mischief 

Rudie last appeared in Cocoa Curses

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own