The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige

It took me awhile to get into this book. Possibly, it's my reading temperament at the moment but part of it was sort of not being captured by the characters until a few chapters in (there was almost too MUCH information about them without creating any depth). But, boy, am I glad I stuck it out. The Big Bad is sort of obvious from the beginning but it is an emotional journey to see how Vivi, who doesn't know that she's a witch, and saddled-with-an-overachieving-witch-family-legacy Scarlett will band together with the other Kappa Rho Nus in order to save them all.

The joys in this book were the way Morgan wove together some familiar themes (sororities, witches, sisterhood, opposites becoming friends) in what feels like a fresh way. Teenage drama with a resolution that still leaves room for a sequel.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out November 3rdARC kindly provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Happily Hereafter by Nova Nelson

 If you wanted a Parks-and-Rec-type finale to this Eastwind, you got it. Everyone in Eastwind is acting strange and it's really bothering Nora. At least she's getting to spend some time with her father (even if she is a acting like a teenager around him.) The weirdness is hyped by a string of mysterious notes that seem to hint at something dire coming to town. Something that will affect Nora personally. As she moves from note to note, we get to see almost every major character (or ponder on them) from the series.
A sweet, if somewhat insubstantial, story to end the series. I skipped quite a few books in the middle (I just wanted to see how the series ended without all of the push and pull of a sort-of-love-triangle) but didn't feel like I missed anything.

Three stars
This book came out January 31st, 2020

Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Love Sucks by Cynthia St. Aubin

Hannalore "Hanna" Harvey is still reeling from the news she found out in the first book (I highly recommend reading that book before this one.) She's not sure she wants to make any big choices at this point in her life but that doesn't sit well with her boss and love interest Mark Abernathy. In fact, he decides to make himself scarce for a good portion of the book leaving Hanna with some quirky characters including some names that almost every reader will know. She is suddenly also besieged by suitors, most of whom she doesn't really want.
A light, fun read. Hanna does have some feelings (and interactions) with the man who is being built up to be the overall hero of the series so if that gives you feelings of squick, this may not be the series for you. A little crazy, lots of mythical creatures, perfect reading for when you need a book just to pick up and plow through.

Three and a half stars
Follows Love Bites
Followed by Love Lies
This book came out May 19th, 2020
Ebook from Kindle
Opinions are my own

Love Bites by Cynthia St. Aubin

Sometimes you have to stretch the truth just a little. Sometimes you feel like you have to stretch the truth a whole lot which is what happens when Hannalore "Hanna" Harvey does with her resume in order to land a job as an assistant in a... well, it seems like a cross between an art store and a curiosity shop. But all is not as it seems. There are artists that live on-site and some interesting... quirks... about her new boss, Mark Abernathy. Inspector Morrison of the local police is trying to make Hanna believe that Abernathy is a killer. And Hanna is beginning to believe that all the clues are adding up to prove just that. 

This book is nuts. There are some weird plot points and obvious plot holes and just some things that make no sense but I overall loved the book, stayed up WAY too late reading it and ordered the second book the next day.

Four stars

Followed by Love Sucks

This book came out November 4th, 2019

Ebook from Kindle

Opinions are my own

Black Witch Magic by Mila Nicks

In the seventies, Selene Blackstone's grandmother royally pissed off another witch who cursed the family; none of the women in their line will be allowed to leave Brimrock (Brim-rock; Black-stone -- I was expecting more of a connection but none ever came up) and none will find love. In fact, the Blackstone family has been blamed for every evil in the town since then. Which makes it really fun to be there but Selene still does the best she can, even working at the library where her boss hates her but she still gets to spend time with books.

Aiden O'Hare is making a living as the skeptical part of a duo of paranormal hunters on an online platform that seems to be similar to YouTube. He really doesn't believe in magic or the paranormal and he really doesn't enjoy the holidays but he is in Brimrock with his best friend/co-host in order to spend Christmas with the co-host's family (very much against his will but it seems like he's got nothing better to do.) Little does he know that he is about to find a real-live witch.

This was a nice start to a series. A little jerky in places and it seemed like some parts weren't developed while others were developed too much but I liked both Selene and Aiden. And their sex scene was very much more realistic than some which I really enjoyed (I'm guessing that there are few people who have male partners who haven't experienced this at one point or another.) Some of the other characters didn't get as many dimensions (especially the Big Bad) but I'm hoping that further books will give us more insights into some of them. Plenty of sequel bait.

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 30th

ARC kindly provided by Mila Nicks and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Thread Doodling by Carina Envoldsen-Harris

A little bit of a different look at crafting. You get the requisite beginning pages teaching you some basic stitches. I hadn't seen the butterfly before so that was neat. I also liked that Envoldsen-Harris really encourages you to make designs your own but also has suggestions on how to do that if you aren't particularly a natural at doing things like that (points to self.) 

Is this book going to set the crafting world on it's head? Not really. But there are fun designs that you can print out and transfer, vibrant colors, and a sense of whimsy that you can gather in and update in your own style.

Four stars

This book came out August 4th

ARC kindly provided by Search Press and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

The Duke Effect by Sophie Jordan

A female in a time when women aren't allowed to be doctors, Nora has taken on her deceased father's name in responding to correspondence about medical matters. But one specific set of letters comes back to bite her.
Formerly of the King's army, Colonel Constantine Sinclair's three male cousins have all died and he is now the direct heir to a duke so he's back in England to learn his new position. He is not happy to learn that the man whose letters he so looked forward to are from a twenty-year-old girl. But then she decides that she is going to insert herself into solving a family medical mystery and proving to Constantine that she really can do the things she promised.
I really struggled with the rating on this one because Jordan is an amazing writer but... I really disliked Nora. She was SO annoyingly headstrong, not listening to anyone else in the story. That can sometimes be overcome if a character's decisions make some sort of sense but Nora's aren't very logical to the context of the story. 

Two and a half stars

This book come out October 27th

Follows The Virgin and the Rogue

ARC kindly provided by HarpersCollins Publishers and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

My Last Duchess by Eloisa James

Hugo Wilde, the Duke of Lindow, has just received his divorce decree. His faithless second wife is no longer "his wife." His twin sister is encouraging him to go to London and try to find a third wife. Hugo is not excited at the thought but he is realistic. While his oldest four children are close to grown, his younger four will definitely need a mother. At his first ball, he spots Ophelia, Lady Astley and falls immediately in love. And for the purposes of the novella, it is a pretty true love but when she says to back off, he does (what? I love it!) because the course to true love can't run smooth even for a duke in a novella. 

This was a fast and fun read even with one of my least favorite tropes (love at first sight). Getting to see how Hugo convinced Phee to marry a man with eight children (though his kids seemed to do most of the convincing) was the light story that I needed right now.

Four stars

This book comes out October 27th

Prequel to Wilde in Love

ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins Publishers

Opinions are my own

One True Pairing by Cathy Yardley

Hailey Frost loves Mystics, a sci-fi TV show with three male leads, but that doesn't mean that she expects Jake Reese to wander into her second job, hiding from a horde of screaming, clothes-ripping fans. Nor does she expect that she will enter into a mutually beneficial fake relationship with him; she'll help boost his Q store but creating a romance story between a star and his fan while he'll boost her family's failing bookstore.

A fun and quirky story with characters that were easy to relate too. Hailey might have been a little too prickly and Jake just a little too cinnamon roll but I did get past that eventually.

Fours stars

Followed by Game of Hearts

This book came out July 25th, 2017

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible Escape

Opinions are my own

The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman

 I've had mixed results reading the books off the NPR's Book Concierge. I had read Lolita in high school and reading about the story behind the book seemed interesting. 
The book is an okay read if you can past the subject matter (for instance, I could only read this during daylight hours). There's not a lot of focus on the story and Weinman talks a lot about the lack of information surrounding the case. Instead, we get quite a bit of speculation. Which, to be fair, she does clearly state when it's happening.

Three stars

This book came out September 11th, 2018

Borrowed as a hard copy from the library

Opinions our my own

Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen

 The President is in town and that means his most ardent supporters, including a group of wealthy white women known as the POTUSussies. Too bad one of them has disappeared... and in a truly gruesome manner. What follows is a classic Hiaasen romp with a story that layers upon itself in delightful ways. You've got a one-handed, vindictive poacher who is chasing down the person we follow most in this series, Angela 'Angie' Armstrong, former felon and vet student, now someone who comes in and cleans out the animals you don't want in your home. Or on your golf course...

If you like Hiaasen, you will enjoy seeing characters from earlier books in the series. If you've never read Hiaasen but enjoy a good political satire, this is also going to be the book for you.
Four stars

This book came out September 29th, 2020
Borrowed as a hard copy from the library
Opinions are my own

The Vampire’s Fake Fiancée by Kristen Painter

This was one of my favorite books in the series with a heroine who hides her light under the bushel of being a librarian. She does love books but part of that is an effort to run away from what she was born to be, a Valkyrie. But right now, she’s a fake fiancée.
Sebastian Ellingham promised his mentor that he would marry the man’s daughter, a cosseted brat who didn’t get any better once she was turned into a vampire. Now, she’s back in town but Sebastian just wants one thing, to get a divorce. That’s where Tessa Blythe comes in. He needs a fiancée, she needs a job. It turns out he has a job to offer if she can pretend to be his lady love until his wife leaves.



Three stars
Follows The Werewolf's Christmas Wish
Followed by A Vampire's Valentine Surprise

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible
This novella came out February 8th, 2016
Opinions are my own

The Convivial Codfish by Charlotte MacLeod

Not a lot of Sarah in this book and I definitely felt her absence. Instead, the focus is Max as he infiltrates a Christmas party hosted by one of the men in the Comrades of the Convivial Codfish, Tom Tolbathy. He does it to help out one of Sarah’s many uncles, Jeremy. It seems that Jeremy, who is the current Exalted Chowderhead, lost the ceremonial chain at a recent Dickens Christmas Carol dinner. Jem can’t go to the party himself because he fell down the stairs at his house and broke his hip, very nearly his head. Max is sent in his place to see if he can recognize the chain. And he does but the party (on a train, by the way, so cool) goes horribly wrong when the train stops suddenly. Tom’s brother is found dead and the rest of the party starts failing, a result of poisoning. 

Lots of big words which are great for vocabulary building and a good story but not fairly clued - even the last big hint is kept cloaked. And the relationship between Sarah and Max is one of the draws of the series but it was almost nonexistent in the book.

Three stars
Follows The Bilbao Looking Glass
Followed by The Plain Old Man
This book came out 1984
Borrowed this book from the library
Opinions are my own

Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder by Reshma Saujani

 This is a message that has come out more and more since 2012; women have been taught to be perfect but we really need to be more brave. And that's hard because a lot of society doesn't want us to be. But there are ways to train ourselves (and upcoming generations) on how to makes sure that our sense of needing to be 100%before we try to be outweighed by our need to do the fun thing, the scary thing, the things that frighten us. 
For me, the most useful section was the one on ways to be braver. There are the ones that are obvious (at least to me) about taking care of yourself and examining which outcomes scare you more. Then there are the ones that scare me: asking for criticism and surrounding yourself with rejection. Ufda.

Four stars
This book came out February 5th, 2019

Borrowed as an ebook from the library

Opinions are my own

The Greatest Challenge of Them All by Stephanie Laurens

Very few of us like to think that our lives are decided for us since birth. Lord Drake Varisey, Marquess of Winchelsea, heir to a dukedom has been running, it feels like, since birth, trying

to get away from Lady Louisa Cynster, known to the ton as Lady Wild. But he's been dragged into trying to foiling a plot involving a LOT of gun powder and he needs help. Particularly, he needs someone who knows the ins and outs of the tonnish families. And there is no one better at that than Louisa. He knows, though, that if he gets too close, he'll probably fall in love. And that's not such a bad thing.

Louisa has been much more accepting of her fate. She's also cognizant of the fact that Drake is a strong personality and, if she wants to have a marriage where she is an equal partner, she'll have to start as she means to go on. Including making sure that Drake doesn't believe that he can run her over. 

A decent story. A lot of it is devoted to the mystery and bringing in the couples from the first two books.

Three stars

Follows An Irresistible Alliance

Followed by A Conquest Impossible to Resist

This book came out March 11th, 2017

Opinions are my own

A Resolution at Midnight by Shelley Noble

 Philomena "Phil", Lady Dunbridge (please don't call her dowager) is loving her life in New York. It's Christmas, and she is figuring out who her real family is (hint, not the ones she's related to by blood.) The Mr. X calls on her again. She is to go to an address, sit in the last row, and... well, she doesn't really know. But she sure doesn't expect to sit next to a dead man. And certainly not one that has had his throat slit.

Just like that, Phil is embroiled in another mystery. This one introduces new characters, friends of Bev and part of the upper crust. It's too bad that they too will be sucked into this whirlpool that touches all their lives and reaches into the highest echelons of New York government.

A lovely story perfect for the holiday season. I don't know that I would start with this book in the series but they are not slow reads so a person would be able to get to this third book in the series quickly. There are some things that I don't love about Mr. X but I'm guessing we'll get to know more about him as Phil does.

Four stars

This book comes out November 5th

Follows Tell Me No Lies

Followed by A Secret Never Told

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

It’s the holiday season and Meg is, as usual, in charge. This time, she’s riding herd on a Helping Hands group. People can call up and ask for help, Meg organizes groups of volunteers to get projects done. Current projects include spreading fertilizer, finishing a quilt, and helping a hoarder clean out his house. Harvey, the hoarder, is the bane of his neighborhood. And his family. But both groups are strangely against the Helping Hands coming in to clean out his junk. It gets to the point that someone bonks him on the head. 

Not a super deep story but we see all of the characters we’ve gotten to know and love as the series has built and there is a feel-good ending that regular readers will appreciate.

Four stars

This book comes out October 20, 2020

Follows The Falcon Always Wings Twice

Followed by Murder Most Fowl

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Reread January 30, 2020, as audible book December 2023

Happily This Christmas by Susan Mallery

 Many a romance has started with the guy next door and this one is no different. Wynn Beauchene has a 14 year old son but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t admire Garrick McCabe, the cop who lives next to her. When he comes to her asking for help with a pregnant 21 year old, Wynn is taken aback,
until she realizes the woman is his daughter. It seems that Garrick and Jolyn were close when she was younger but now their relationship is more strained, especially since Jolyn’s pregnancy has been difficult and that isn’t helped by the fact that her husband is currently deployed.
As Wynn and Garrick spend more time together, attraction starts to grow. Both have been burned in the past though and the upcoming holiday season brings family obligations and outside expectations that they might not be willing to bend to.
A typical Mallory novel: mostly closed doors for the romance; nice character development; an attempt to involve almost everyone from previous stories in the series; just a low-stakes, sugary, and fun read.

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 29th

ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

A Garland of Bones by Carolyn Haines

It's Christmas and Sarah Booth is off on a trip with her friends. They are going to Columbus, MS to stay in a B&B and participate in a series of Christmas activities. Columbus seems very much like her own hometown with it's gossip and cliques. However, someone seems to have a grudge against this particular group with little accidents adding up to big mischief. An electrocution, some cement being dumped in a car, a fall down the stairs... as things escalate, it seems obvious that someone is going to die if the perpetrator is not stopped. 

Sarah Booth is not impressed by this group. It is filled with people only concerned with their own pleasures and images. But one of them offers the Delaney Investigators a big check if they can figure out what is going on.

This story was a little confusing with betrayals on betrayals and there were a few things that were repeated a little too many times but this was overall a fun story that I think regular Sarah Booth Delaney readers will enjoy.

Three stars
This book came out today
Follows The Devil's Bones

Followed by Independent Bones
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own 

Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas

Thomas has crafted another amazing mystery that not only fits together tightly but advances our understanding of the series characters and the overarching tension of the series itself. This time, much of the focus is on Inspector Treadles: a man who is rigid in his beliefs, both for how

he himself behaves and how he believes others should behave. But now he's in a bind, suspected of killing two men. He refuses to talk about the fact that he was found in the house with the two men. Nor will he discuss what he has been doing so secretively the past two weeks. 

Both Holmes and Lord Ingram are convinced Inspector Treadles is innocent but it will be a race to the finish to make others believe it as well. Especially with Inspector Brighton, specifically brought in to investigate the case, seems so determined to use it to make a name for himself.

Four stars

Follows The Art of Theft

Followed by Miss Moriarty, I Presume?
This book came out October 6th
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

On Borrowed Crime by Kate Young

 Lyla Moody has put together her life after some obsessive behavior (which is oft-referenced, never fully explored). Part of the joy in her life includes a book club called the Jane Does which reads mystery stories. But they recently also seem to have discussed some nearby Jane Doe cases and that becomes a major clue into what happened to one of their members. 

It is, in fact, Lyla who is one of the last people to Carol, a judge's wife before she disappears, only to have her body appear at Lyla's house in such a way that it is very apparent she couldn't have gotten herself there. Lyla works for her uncle's detective agency but she is just an admin. At least, she was before now. Now, she wants to know what happened to her friend. 

Lyla does start by being smarter than the average fictional amateur detective and giving her information to the police, even the slightly sinister Officer Taylor. He sure doesn't seem to like Lyla. But he does like her best friend which may come in to play later in the series.

I liked the idea for the series and will read the next book for sure but this book was a bit disordered and I sure hope that the publisher had a good line editor because there were a LOT of spelling errors/word choices (I didn't count it against the book.) The story was a little bit all over the place too. There was some world building but there were a lot of lines added to the story that weren't completely woven in.

Three stars

This book came out October 6th

ARC kindly provided by Crooked Lane Library and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Pretty Deceit by Anna Lee Huber

 A lot of good men were injured in the First World War in any number of ways. Verity Kent has her own issues that she is dealing with from being part of a spy network but she feels like she has it better than a lot of other people, including her own cousin. Reggie was blinded in the war and now his mother treats him like an invalid. Yes, he is a lord but that doesn’t mean that he was left any money.
And the estate is (according to his mother) falling down around the family’s ears. So Verity’s parents send her out to see what, exactly, is going on. 

Several mysteries overlap including the history of the estate, a modern day murder, and a matter that dates back to Verity’s time in the war. Another story, well-woven and well-written. I don’t think regular Verity Kent readers will be disappointed.

Three and a half stars

Follows Penny for Your Secrets

Followed by Murder Most Fair

This book came out October 6th

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Omniscients Script by Dugomier, art by Renata Castellani

 On an otherwise normal day, five teens are suddenly hit with tinnitus followed by omniscience. Well, up to a point. They hold all of the knowledge that people can read but don't know information that doesn't appear on the web (or, ostensibly, in books.) All are teens in the United States and four of them are quickly taken in by the Department of Health but there are other entities, including a very shady-seeming FBI, who would also like to have them under their thumbs.

A very nice beginning to what seems like it will be a fun series. The characters, even in such a short book, are starting to be sketched out and readers will probably empathize with at least one of them. There is a nice diversity including (gasp) one teen who isn't quite a US citizen (though his omniscience does cause the States to claim him quickly.)

Four stars
This book came out August 26th
ARC kindly provided by Europe Comics and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Reaping Havoc by Kel Carpenter

Salem no knows that she’s a isn’t a Grim Reaper. Instead, she is something more.But, because she can’t keep her mouth shut, it doesn’t stay a secret for long. And that’s important because Graves’s brother James has been caught but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t given up all of his secrets. And his next move might just turn all of the Grims against Salem but against Graves as well.
I really liked the world building and character building of the first book and this felt more like book part 2 rather than a whole new book. 

Three stars

This book came out

Follows Reaper’s Blood

Borrowed as an audiobook from RB Digital

Opinions are my own

An Irresistible Alliance by Stephanie Laurens

 Michael Cynster is startled and relieved at the beginning of this book to realize that, with the engagement of his older brother, he is no longer going to be as big a catch on the Marriage Mart. He can relax. But a hedonistic lifestyle hold no appeal; he's done that for awhile. Instead, he focuses on helping his brother with uncovering a plot involving some gun powder. Gun powder that is being moved by carts but none of them understand how shipping works. But Cleome Hendon does.
Cleo thought that working as her family's business as the manager would be exciting. And it was... for awhile. No, she's got it all figured out. So when Michael comes to her with a built-in adventure, she invites herself along. 
An okay story. Some light contortions to get a lot of people from previous books involved.

Three stars

Follows The Lady By His Side

Followed by The Greatest Challenge of Them All

This book came out March 11th, 2017

Opinions are my own

The Werewolf’s Christmas Wish by Kristen Painter

Bridget Merrow felt a connection to Sam Kincaid in the second book in this series (about six months ago.) But, other than some almost-kisses. He hasn't mad a move since. Now it's Christmas, it's snowing, and she needs a truck to deliver some champagne to a customer. And Sam is available to help. When the two get locked into a freezer, everything changes.

Short, sweet. Obviously not deep. Definitely need to have read the rest of the series to enjoy.

Three stars
Follows The Witch's Halloween Hero
Followed by The Vampire's Fake Fiancée

This novella came out February 23rd, 2016

Opinions are my own

One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Gayle Mitchell did everything she could to make sure that her girls grew up stronger than she did. Unfortunately, that means that she alienated them when she found out her younger daughter was going to be a teacher, a “soft” profession; not at all what Gayle had steered her towards.
Samantha is shocked to hear her mother’s assistant on the phone. Even more to hear that her mother is in the hospital. She tells Ella that she doesn’t need to come but Ella does anyone. And they are both shocked when Gayle says that she wants to spend a family Christmas. Little does she know what that will entail.
Luckily, Samantha needs to check out a lodge in Scotland that she might start including in her holiday excursions business. So off the family goes. There’re hurt feelings,tears, and self-discovery. This is definitely not a a Morgan romance novel because there is no HEA or even an HFN but it was a nice family story.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out October 6th
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings by Liz Ireland

 I love Christmas. I love sweet stories but this one was a little too much for me. If this had been a second or third book and we had seen April and Nick start to date, fall in love, and move to the North Pole, I think it would have set up the characters and the world and made this book much more enjoyable. 

The premise was interesting, Mrs. Claus solving crime in Santaland while trying to fit in with a new culture. And elf-slaying certainly isn’t something that you would expect. If you don’t mind that the mystery isn’t just fairly clued, it’s fairly obvious from the first introduction of the murderer or that mystery is more treacly than a treat By Hannah Swenson, this might be the book for you. 

Two and a half stars

This book came out September 29th

ARC kindly provided by Kensington and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

Is this book exactly like “Groundhog Day”? No. For one thing, Maelyn figures out how to navigate her own little time warp in about three days. Is it just as heart-warming? Yes. Will regular Christina Lauren readers love it just as much as other books? I’m not sure. This is a comfortable, cozy holiday romance without any of the edges or real life issues that the authors often explore in other books. And their sense of humor is somewhat muted.
Maelyn Jones has just ruined a life-long dream. And she didn’t even mean to. It was just one stupid, drunken night and now her whole world is crashing down around her. And finding out that her family friends are selling the cabin where they’ve had Christmases since she grew up isn’t helping. Nor is the car crash that seems like it’s going to end her life. But then she wakes up six days earlier with the chance to make things right.
I have to admit that I wish that there had been a few more days while she figured things out. And the Big Misunderstanding at the end felt sort of “meh.” Still, any book by Christina Lauren is worth reading.

Three stars
This book comes out October 6th
ARC kindly provided by Gallery Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Gribblebob's Book of Unpleasant Goblins by David Ashby

A sister and brother realize there is a world beyond the veil when a series of events leads to Nils accidentally having a book insert itself into his body. The book belongs to Robert Gribble, a disguised goblin who is also known as Gribblebob. The goblin is at first irate but then realizes that Anna and Nils might be able to help in the fight against the queen of nightmares.
A little twee but I think readers will enjoy. The world building was quite lovely with snatches of fairly tales which create a base but then adding some other magical touches here and there. This book definitely seems like the start of a series as there is more magic hinted at that we don't necessarily see on page (e.g. the boy whose writings come to life) but it's not overwhelming. The story does build slowly and end fairly quickly but overall a nice start to a series.

Four stars
This book comes out October 6th
ARC kindly provided by Pushkin Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

About a Rogue by Caroline Linden

A nice play on “Taming of the Shrew” except the names of the sisters are switched. 

Maximilian St. James hasn’t had the best life but his father’s pronouncement that they were descended from dukes turns out to be true. And he’s in line (maybe) to inherit a dukedom. But the man ahead of him seems to be a lock. Even so, Max decides he needs to get married. He sets his sights on the Tate pottery factory, er, the eldest Tate daughter. Even as demure as Cathy is, she still decides that she’s going to marry her One True Love. That leaves her sister Bianca behind and right in their father’s crosshairs. 

Bianca isn’t excited to marry Max but, the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes he is a diamond in the rough. A diamond that is perfectly willing to be less rough by trying to make the factory even better than it currently is. He’s not going to just take the money and run, instead, he wants to make an even better company.

There was a whole subplot that frankly didn’t need to be in the book. It was a perfectly lovely story before then and the rest felt like it was shoehorned in.

Three stars

Followed by About a Scot

This book came out June 30th, 2020

Hard copy I didn’t keep

Opinions are my own