Siren's Call by Jayne Castle

I would definitely recommend reading more in the series before this one but I don't think you'll be very lost if you don't. 

Ella Morgan is a Siren(!). She can literally sing (along harmonic lines, out loud? She can't carry a tune) a person to death. And we see her use her talents almost to that point in the beginning of the story. There was a lot of action bunched at the beginning which was a little annoying but we get an immediate introduction to Ella's talent and a glimpse of our hero, Raphael "Rafe" Coppersmith. 

There is a gap of three months between Rafe and Ella's first meeting. I was a little annoyed because Ella kept thinking "Oh, he's never going to call" and then getting mad because he didn't call, but I guess that's normal(?). 

Also, the reason that Rafe and Ella are together gets solved awfully quickly. I'm guessing there was a LOT of set up in this book for the rest of the books in the series because there were also some plotlines that were started and never finished (DND, Vortex, actually doing any mining).

I know this review seems nitpicky, especially for a four-star review, but overall, this was a book that I really enjoyed and now I am already ready for the next book.

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 26th, 2014

Rain Shadow #4, Ghosthunters #12

Follows Hot Zone

Followed by Illusion Town

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

Would you like to be stuck in a time loop? Davi sure isn't enjoying hers. She's on round 300-somethinig (is she keeping count correctly? Who can tell?) Davi hasn't been killed by the Dark Lord or their minions on every round of her life but it's been more often than not. So her question becomes, does she keep getting killed or does she become the killer?
I had a hard time connecting with Davi. Yes, there was some language. Yes, there was some sex. Yes, there is a surprising amount of pop culture for a woman stuck in a time loop. All are parts of this story that pointed at this being a catnip book for me. But. There just wasn't much character development for her. The sex is overused. The violence is overused. The footnotes were interesting but became annoying. I found myself skimming just to get to the end.

Three stars

This book comes out May 21, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Orbit Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Sunshine State by D.P. Lyle

Billy Wayne Baker, admitted serial killer, has contacted Jake and Nicole. Sure, he's killed some people; but he's offended. He's only admitted to five but has been convicted of killing seven. He wants them to figure out which two are the ones he didn't kill. But he's not going to tell them which ones.

So, with the help of Pancake and Ray, they are going to head to Pine Key. They are going in under the guise of seeing whether the story of the murders there would make a good movie. Luckily, Nicole's Uncle Charles is a major producer and is willing to go in on the plan.

At first, the solution seems obvious, but as they dig, some town secrets will be uncovered. It's a good thing both Jake and Nicole have been taking Krav Maga.

Three stars
This book came out May 21, 2019

Jake Longly #3

Follows A-List

Followed by The OC

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Lights, Camera, Bones by Carolyn Haines

There's a movie production in town and everyone is atwitter. Famous actor Marlon Brandon is doing a film about his family who have been movers and shakers in Greenville for a very long time but this film focuses on the flood of 1927. But, this being Greenville, there's something going on. A gaffer, Jules is missing. And there are people in town who aren't happy that this movie is being made. 

When Marlon goes missing, there are any number motives that come out of the woodwork though most seem to center around the past. So who is behind the murder and the disappearance?
The Sarah Both Delaney stories are often a little out there (I mean, there's a ghost in every story) but this story includes a shark. Yes, in freshwater. I get that this is a thing that can happen but... it was set up as a major part of the story. 

Three stars

Sarah Booth Delaney #27

This book comes out May 21, 2024

Follows Tell-Tale Bones

Followed by Blue Christmas Bones 

ARC kindly provided by Minotaur Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann

Lucky Hart is auditioning to be on a reality show. But not just any reality show, one that involves a haunted house. See, she has powers and thinks that she may be able to connect to the house. If chosen, she'll become the caretaker of Hennessee House. 

Through her explorations, there's also the people she meets along the way including a man named Maverick and his daughter, Rebel.

The first two-thirds of this book were really great. I enjoyed the character building and the world building. We get to see some characters that really communicate with each other. However, then there's too much going on and Lucky and Maverick stop talking for... reasons (?) in the third act and the whole story just sort of fell apart from there. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out May 21, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Last to Pie by Misha Popp

I'm still rather bemused by this series. The characters are well-developed, the premise is interesting (murder by magic pies... cool). The plots are not always coherent and heavy topics are sometimes explained oddly. I think regular readers won't find this book to be very different from the first two.

Daisy is up against a crooked cop in this book. He is beating his wife and she needs help. But it's not just one cop and, in the end, Daisy and Melly may be fighting for their own lives in addition to the client's. 

Three stars

This book comes out May 21, 2024

Follows A Good Day to Pie

ARC provided by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma

Have we read books before where the two best friends of the hero/heroine from the first book fall in love? Why, yes, yes we have. But have they perfectly played off the repartee of Beatrice and Benedick? Maybe. But I haven't read them. Highly enjoyable book although I thought the B-plot was a bit rough and really could have been left out.
Bobbi and Bunty have been thrown together for some wedding planning. He became her number one enemy when he, well-known chef, turned her down in for catering a wedding. She lost a lucrative contract and her uncle lost confidence in her. Now the man that raised her seems like he is pulling her dream further and further out of reach.
Bunty is trying to juggle the life he wants with the expectations of his family. While he is still in food, his father is trying to woo him back to the family business, frozen naan. To add to the complications, it is on the West Coast while his friends, and Bobbi, are on the East Coast. What is going to be more important in the end?

Three and a half stars

If Shakespeare Was an Auntie #2

This book came out August 1, 2023

Follows Dating Dr. Dil

Followed by Marriage & Masti

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own