Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Love You by Stacy Finz

Love You by Stacy FinzWin Garner and Darcy Wallace have both been introduced in this series before. Win is the playboy of his family, the one who wines and dines women but never gets serious. In fact, he tries not to get too serious about anything. Or that's the perception; there have been glimpses of a deeper Win.
Darcy doesn't want Win to be deep. She just wants to break her dry spell. So she's fairly astonished when she crawls into his bed one night but gets rebuffed. Because her mother has been wearing on her self-confidence her whole life, she assumes that it's her. But Win is just trying to stay on the straight and narrow. He suggests they be friends but can't stop flirting.
The two are thrown together in order to help bring in a corporate account for their family business, Garner Adventures. It lets them both shine as well as spend some more time together.
This is a fast,fun, and fluffy with some toe-dips into the serious but nothing deep. Perfect reading for a summer's day.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out July 31
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley
Follows Want You

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

What Ales the Earl by Sally MacKenzie

What Ales the Earl by Sally MacKenzieTen years ago Penelope Barnes was kicked out of her father's house because she was pregnant. She was able to go to her aunt's for a whort while but eventually found her way to Puddleton and the Benevolent Home there. Her daughter has the distinctive stripe of white hair that all of the Grahams have. But no one knows that her daughter is a Graham. Penelope has been claiming to be a widow. But now there's a new mother/daughter duo at the home and they've identified Harriet as a bastard. Of course, they think she's the earl's daughter.
And she is. Well, not the former earl who was an incorrigible rake and left bastards all around the countryside. No, she's the daughter of the current earl. The one who left Penelope before she knew she was pregnant. The one who has just wandered into Puddleton...
A nice world-building book that suffers a little from so much introduction (I wish we had seen more of the brewery if that's what the series is based around) but I'm definitely looking forward to more in the series.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out July 31st
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

A Bite-Sized History of France by Stéphane Henaut; Jeni Mitchell

A Bite-Sized History of France by Stephane HenautTold in very-readable chapters, this book delves into the history of France. I like the way that the history was divvied up into portions. It still took me a long time to read but was overall pretty enjoyable.

This book came out July 10
Four stars
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne

Kill The Farm Boy by Delilah S. DawsonThe subtitle for this book is "Once. A pun. A time." I think that give fair warning that this book is not going to be a very traditional fairy tale nor is it going to be very serious.
When the book opens, we are treated to a glimpse of a fairy castle that is under a spell that has made everyone (except one troubadour) fall into a deep sleep. They are waiting for someone to rescue the princess. It is possible that it might be the farm boy, Worstley (his brother Bestley was killed for being too handsome). At least, the pixie, Staph, tells him that he is the Chosen One. But is he?
Filled with puns and plays on the most popular fairy tale tropes; this was an interesting story that dragged in a few places and got a little long in others but was overall a pretty enjoyable read.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out July 17
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Rose by Elle Casey

Rose by Elle CaseyRose Lancaster is running her animal clinic in Maine on a wing and a prayer. She doesn't have a lot (or any) funding and the only veterinarian who was willing to help her has just bowed out. Now her clinic has been robbed. It is NOT the time for a new romance. Too bad her fathers' lawyer, Greg Lister, is so dang cute.
Greg doesn't plan on falling in love with Rose, especially since he can't give her anything but bad news (at least he feels like it.) But their chemistry is just too strong (and her sisters are just too eager to put them together.
This book was not as disjointed as the previous book but still didn't flow smoothly. It felt like the ending didn't wrap up the loose ends (maybe there'll be a book for Smitty? But he wasn't portrayed well in this book).

Three stars
This book comes out today
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Blood on the Tracks Martin Edwards (Edited by)

Blood on the Tracks by Martin EdwardsThe collections put together by Mr. Edwards can sometimes be hit or miss for me. This one was more on the hit side. With a number of familiar names like Baroness Orczy, Lord Peter Wimsey, Doctor Thorndyke, this book hits the spot for a good collection of favorite reads.

This book came out July 3
Four stars
ARC kindly provided by Edelweiss

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

How to Keep a Secret by Sarah Morgan

How to Keep a Secret by Sarah MorganSisters know how to keep a secret. Lauren and Jenna learned that when they were young. Even if htat secret still haunts them, they know not to let it out. It's 24 (ish) years later and they're now adults. Adults who are in the middle of crises. Jenna has the perfect husband, the perfect job but can't seem to get pregnant. Neither can turn to the mother, except when Lauren's husband dies and her whole world implodes. Lauren and her daughter, Mack, move back to the States to stay with her mother. But Nancy has problems, and secrets, of her own.
At the end of the book, Morgan mentions that this book is a departure for her. This is true and it is one I most heartily enjoyed. Her last two fast, fun, and fluffies were a little too shallow for me. This book was a welcome change. Did I love all the characters? No. And we didn't get to see enough of Lauren and Scott's new romance to feel like this was anew love not just echoes of their puppy love. But I really enjoyed this book.

Four stars
This book comes out July 10
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley