October 2022 monthly rereads

As always, all opinions are my own

Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters

Jacqueline Kirby #3

Four stars

Follows The Murders of Richard III
Followed by Naked Once More
This book came out January 1st, 1974
Audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

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Naked Once More
Jacqueline Kirby #4
Five stars
Follows Die for Love
This book came out August 1st, 1989
Borrowed from Audible Premium Plus

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Four and a half stars
Originally published January 1, 1995

Follows Captives of the Night

Followed by the Mad Earl's Bride

Listened to this book on Audible Escape
Opinions are my own

Lord of the Wings by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #19

This book came out August 4, 2015

Follows The Nightingale Before Christmas

Followed by Die Like an Eagle

Audiobook from Audible

The Cloisters by Katy Hays

Ann Stillwell is delighted to leave Washington, leave behind her grieving mother and the memories of her father. When she gets to New York however, all of her dreams are dashed. The man she was supposed to work under has left the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the summer. Luckily, even as her heart is falling from the news she's just gotten from the Director of Human Resources, hope springs. Patrick Roland, the curator at The Cloisters, needs help and, well, Ann is available. While slightly disappointed that the job isn't going to be what she expected, at least she has a job.

It's this job that introduces her to not only Patrick but Rachel and Leo as well as a handful of other people but those are the two that are going to affect her the most deeply as she is dragged into theories of 15th-century fortune telling. Could a deck of cards really tell the future? Especially a particular set of cards? And what does it have to do with her father's work? And her mentor's?

When their work leads to someone dying, Ann suddenly has to decide what she believes in and how much fate really does play a hand in our lives. 

I am not usually a reader of darker books like this but around the Halloween season, I often turn towards these and this was a perfect book for this time of year. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 1, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

I am not a huge fan of time jumping stories. And this one was especially dizzying since you go into so many different characters' points of view. However, this is still a really fun book that I absolutely devoured.

Mallory has been surrounded by death her entire life. And not just death but murders. No, seriously, she's been in the vicinity of no fewer than fifteen murders in her life. That's way too many. So, when the aliens arrived, she got herself up to a space station in the hopes that not being around other humans would mean that there would be no more murders. Eternity (the sentient space station) has allowed her to stay and Mallory is figuring out her life even as the aliens around her are figuring out her and the other two humans on board. Well, the one ambassador sanctioned by earth and the one who is somewhat AWOL from the American military. However, that is not going to be the case for long since there is currently a shuttle full of humans on its way up to Eternity, one filled with people who have connections to either Mallory or Xan (the military guy.) But right before their ship docks, the sentient being attached to Eternity is murdered and the station freaks out, whacking the shuttle and sending a number of people hurtling into space. It's up to Xan and Mallory to first rescue the survivors and then figure out just what the heck all of these people are doing up in space.

Four stars

This book came out October 4, 2022

Followed by Chaos Terminal

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie

Probably Crusie's best story. Or at least my favorite.

Agnes Crandall's life seems like it should be perfect, she's got the house of her dream, a great-looking fiancé, her best friend's daughter is getting married with Agnes providing the food, and her Cranky Agnes food column has spawned her one bestselling cookbook with another in the works. But lately, her writing is about the only thing that seems to be going well. Her fiancé is being evasive and the wedding on which her keeping her house hinges, is threatening to implode. But the worst happens in the opening scene of the book when an armed intruder comes into the house wanting to kidnap her dog. Agnes has a history of violence and it comes to good use when she smacks the intruder with a frying pan and he flies through a previously hidden door into the unknown basement, breaking his neck.

Opening up this basement opens a door to the past, when Joey, her cooking mentor, and Frankie Fortunato along with another man robbed a train of five million dollars. But then Frankie disappeared with the money and the basement was covered up. 

Joey immediately calls in his nephew Shane to protect "Little Agnes." Shane is on another job but he immediately comes back to his hated hometown to help his uncle. The situation is not one that he's excited about but he is excited about Agnes. He likes her disposition as well as her figure. When Agnes' fiancé turns out to be a total jerk, Shane is there to help her get over her disappointment.

I just got this as an audiobook and was really disappointed. The points when we get to hear Agnes's thoughts are faded and a completely different volume than the rest of the story. And that happens a lot in this book. 

Five stars as hard copy; three and a half as audio

This book came out August 21, 2007

Audible book I own

Opinions are my own

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Maud is just trying to help her brother and his partner. She knows that going on a voyage across the ocean will help them. She also knows that she's going to meet some people on the way who will help her. It's too bad that the woman she's traveling with dies so soon into the journey. Maud is launched into a world of magic that she barely realizes exists and definitely doesn't understand. Now she's working with an aristocrat, a thief, and a notorious actress to try and stop a conspiracy that began over a hundred years ago. 

I suspect some people may not like the ending but I actually did. It made sense to me. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 1, 2022

Follows A Marvelous Light

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley 

Opinions are my own

Sassy Witch by Danielle Garrett

Valentine's Day has hit Beechwood Harbor and Holly is trying to help Cassie lure tourists to town by hosting a week long singles party. Too bad someone is killing off their male participants. The obvious choice is the vampires in town but something seems off about that solution.

At the same time, Posy is getting ready to leave after having sold the house to SPA. No one, however, suspected that they would be getting kicked out sooner than the 90 days they were promised. So, while dealing with a pile up of bodies, Holly is also looking for new places to live. None of them seem quite right however.

Another fast, fun, and fluffy book. We get a little movement in the overall arc of the series but not much in the characters themselves.

Three and a half stars

This book came out April 28, 2020

Follows First Place Witch

Followed by The Witch is Inn

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Foes, Friends, and Lovers by Stephanie Laurens

Gregory Cynster is the last of a certain set of his cousins to remain unmarried. He knows that it's in his future but it's not imperative. Except that he's just inherited an estate. A really good estate. He's not sure exactly how the estate is producing so much money.

Caitlin Fergusson knows exactly how and why the estate is doing so well. In fact, she's running it as the chatelaine. And doing it well. No one really needs to know how or why she ended up there. But Gregory's arrival is putting them all on teneerhooks, not knowing what he will do. 

It actually turns out that both are thoughtful, intelligent people who are attracted to each other though each has some secrets. And there is some external conflict from a neighbor who is overly enthusiastic about trying to buy the property.

Three stars

This book came out March 17, 2022

Follows The Secrets of Lord Grayson Child 

Followed by The Time for Love

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

First Place Witch by Danielle Garrett

The day she's hoped for is finally here; Holly is opening her shop! But it's even better, she's been asked to join the reality show for cauldron witches. Of course, one of the contestants just has to be an entitled jerk who runs his assistants off their feet and treats women as if he is God's gift and they can't resist.

Three stars

This book came out July 1, 2021

Follows A Royal Witch

Followed by Sassy Witch

Borrowed as audiobook

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

I can see why this book is very popular. The world building is clear, the characters are crisp and well-defined, and the cover is charming. For whatever reason, I just didn't connect with this book at this time. I think I was expecting more in the romance and this was about creating a found family. 

Mika Moon grew up lonely. Witches become orphans so she was raised by a series of tutors and governesses but she couldn't get attached. As soon as they discovered she had magic, her guardian Posy would erase their memory and shuffle them out the door. The quarterly meetings with other witches is not enough for Mika to create the kinds of bonds she is searching for. Because, of course, too many witches in one place would start to gather attention. 

But when her YouTube channel attracts the attention of the inhabitants at Nowhere house, and Mika discovers that there are three young witches there (as well as a handsome librarian) her world is turned upside down.

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 23, 2022

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Royal Witch by Danielle Garrett

New roommate=new troubles. This time, a princess who is under threat is brought to the Beechwood Manor in an attempt to hide her from the unrest in her own kingdom. But someone manages to kidnap her and spirit her away so that even Adam can't smell where she went. 

A little bit of movement on the Holly/Adam front otherwise not much to further the overall arc but I think regular readers will enjoy the book.

Three stars

This book came out June 28, 2019

Follows One Bad Witch

Followed by First Place Witch

Borrowed as audiobook

Opinions are my own

Murder at the Majestic Hotel by Clara McKenna

It's Stella and Lyndy's honeymoon and they've just arrived at the Majestic to discover that the honeymoon suite has been stolen by Horace Wingrove, the eccentric owner of a well-known confectionery and he's handing out chocolate boxes right and left. The happy couple are disappointed but are distracted by... well, the honeymoon. 

Unfortunately, when they wake up, they discover that Mr. Wingrove has suffocated in his room overnight. The room in which they were supposed to have stayed. And his nephew and secretary are both in the hotel and acting strangely. 

The policeman on the case is not very impressed by Stella and Lyndy trying to help. In fact, he doesn't understand why this American woman cares at all. But Stella has connections that the inspector doesn't and she will be the one to ultimately figure out what exactly happened at the Majestic. Oh, and thwart a plot to kill the queen.

There was a lot going on in this book again but it was a fun read nonetheless. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 25, 2022

Follows Murder at Keyhaven Castle

Followed by Murder on Mistletoe Lane

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Spy x Family Vol. 3 by Tatsuya Endo

Loid, Agent Twilight, has put together the appearance of a perfect family so that he can pass under the radar. His wife, Yor, has her own reasons for needing to be under the radar and welcomed the marriage. His "daughter," Anya is trying to be helpful as well, using her telepathic abilities to the best of her power. Currently, they are all trying to get Anya to succeed in school so that she can get closer to the son of a man Loid is trying to take down. However, there is a recent spoke in the wheels as Yor's brother has come to visit and seems to be suspicious of their marriage.

Yor's brother is a creepy dude who seems to be in love with his sister. I'm sure that's the way he's meant to be portrayed, especially as he works for the bad guys and is trying to track down Twilight.

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 4, 2020

Follows Vol. 2

Followed by Vol. 4

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau

In Donut Fall In Love, Vivian Liao, banker, met a man she's had a crush on forever, comedian Melvin Lee. That meeting... was awkward as hell. Mel derided her profession and couldn't believe that she would be happy with her life doing something boring for her job while leaving her art on the side. He had done the same and it crushed his soul. 

Now, the two are going to be thrown together as the characters from that book are getting married. Mel is the best man and Vivian is a bridesmaid. 

The relationship between them moves slowly from antagonism, to a sort of friendship, to sex, to love. It is a lovely journey and we get to see a lot of growth from both Mel and Vivian. Not all of the side stories that led to who they are get entirely wrapped up and I kind of like that (life isn't a neat package tied with a bow) but other readers may find that frustrating.

Four stars

This book comes out October 25, 2022

Follows Donut Fall in Love

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai

This book is a lot of wacky and requires a LOT of suspended disbelief but, if you can buckle up for the ride, it's awfully fun. 

Amira Patel (actually, Mira) ran away from most of her family, changed her name, and became an upstanding citizen. Of course, not having a "good family" is hindering her matchmaking prospects. In the past two years, she's been out with thirteen men, all introduced to her by Hema Auntie, one of Los Angeles's premier Indian matchmakers. She was accepted because her good friend's mother is a former client of Hema's and vouched for her. She dumped all of the first twelve but now the thirteenth has dumped her. She knows she's not getting any more matches. Not from this matchmaker. Which stinks even worse because the one family member, her aunt, that she was in touch with has just died leaving her alone in the world. Mira is shocked to hear her aunt left a will and even more shocked when the attorney ends up being her first match. The one she dated for six months and then basically ghosted after a short text.

Naveen Desai is shocked to see Mira in his office. He thought they were done for good. He's even more shocked when she is attacked in the parking garage and the attackers take him as well. 

This starts Mira and Naveen off on an adventure that will have them running all over Las Vegas, dodging shady FBI agents, and uncovering Mira's past. There is a lot going on in the book and, if I think about it too closely, there are a lot of thing that were left dangling but I really enjoyed the read. 

Updated to add that the audiobook is absolutely amazing. The narrators are just... perfect. 

Four and a half stars

This book comes out October 18, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook January 2023

One Bad Witch by Danielle Garrett

Still trying to replace Lacey (who left to be in her own series), Holly, Adam, and Evangeline are getting a new roommate. Again. We haven't seen all of them but we do get to meet Narissa. Narissa is a reporter who may or may not be involved with a series of werewolf deaths and is getting closer to their friend Nick.

Three stars

This book came out December 28, 2018

Follows Lucky Witch

Followed by A Royal Witch

Borrowed as audiobook

Opinions are my own

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

For the past couple of books in this series, Declan Chase has been the big bad. He's in charge of the group that has been capturing and torturing immortals. Or at least, he seems to be in charge. When Vakyrie Regin the Radiant is captured, she is devastated to discover that he is the most recent reincarnation of her mate, Aiden. The two have been cursed to be kept apart; any time they finally find each other and then have sex, Aiden dies. 

When he was young, Declan's family was tortured and killed by a group of immortal creatures. He was rescued by a group that would let him get revenge although they did drug him up quite a bit. Turns out, they were suppressing his true nature. 

When the facility they were in goes up in flames, Declan switches his loyalties to work with the Immortals. And they are surprisingly fast to accept him. True, one of the people he escapes with is an old friend but he tortured these people and now they accept-ish him. 

This was a really hard book to read. I see where Cole was trying to go but there was not nearly enough groveling. However, this book did set up the next in the series, Lothaire, very nicely. The Enemy of Old seems to be slowly moving over to the side of the good guys.

Three stars

This book came out February 15, 2011

Follows Demon from the Dark

Followed by Lothaire

Hard copy I kept

Opinions are my own

Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

I wish that either River and Dylan or Camryn and Jake had gotten their own books. Both relationships had some big problems (well, one person in the relationship had Big Problems) that were solved relatively quickly and it would have been nice to see a little more introspection. Also, I really don't love the meddling mother trope. 

Camryn Neff is only in Wishing Tree long enough for her twin sisters to graduate high school and then she's going back to Chicago. At least, that's the plan until Helen Crane picks her as a contender in a project to marry off her son, Jake. The first thing Camryn does is to find Jake and let him know what is going on. He's charmed, she's charmed by him and they decide to have a short-term affair. And there are a lot of little things that crop up that are usually solved within 2-3 pages, just, so many things. 

River Best is new to Wishing Tree. She's really good at computers and very shy having grown up with scoliosis and not really getting to participate in regular life growing up. But she consents to having her name put in for the Snow King, a tradition that has been dormant in Wishing Tree but is being resurrected, purely so that Helen (yes, Jake's mother) can also find a wife for Dylan Tucker, the local craftsman. And they're attracted, but Dylan has a big secret that he is unwilling to share with River, even though she's opened her heart to him.

Three stars

This book came out October 4, 2022

Follows The Christmas Wedding Guest

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Case of the Counterfeit Colonel by Christopher Bush

Ludovic Travers runs a private inquiry agency in the days after the great war. One day, a man named Henry Clandon comes to him and asks if Travers can find a man by the name of David Seeway. Apparently, Seeway saved Clandon in the war and now Clandon would like to talk to him again. Seeway also mentions the name Archie Debbins and the town of Bassingford. So, Travers is off on a journey that twists and turns around itself. A fairly straightforward mystery throughout most of the book, Travers is able to locate one of the men, but, when he shows up, the man has been murdered. Then, it just gets really complicated and there is a giant exposition dump at the end of the story that I felt didn't so much fill in holes in the solution as create it from whole cloth.

I picked up this as a result of listening to the Classic Mysteries podcast.

Three stars
This book came out in 1952

Follows The Case of the Happy Medium

Followed by The Case of the Burnt Bohemian

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

A Poisoning in Piccadilly by Lynda Wilcox

The Great War is over and Lady Eleanor Bakewell is one of the Bright Young Things, living life to the fullest after being so close to death. But death can find you anywhere, even in a sparkling club as Eleanor discovers when Henry Eisenbach dies in her arms. Though the American millionaire was older, there is something suspicious about the way he went down. And Eleanor saw enough death during the war to know that something is terribly wrong. 

I've been suggested a large number of 1920s female sleuth mysteries by Kindle Unlimited. Two of them even have heroines with the same name. After this book, I'm definitely going to keep reading this series. Eleanor seems fairly competent and not ONLY a busybody which I do enjoy. 

Four stars
This book came out August 16, 2019

Followed by A Burglary in Belgravia

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

It Happened One Night -- Anthology

The Fall of Rogue Gerrard by Stephanie Laurens

Rogue "Ro" Gerrard is on his way to London when a storm sends him off track. At the inn he stops at, he discovers Lydia Makepeace, a woman he has known since childhood. It seems that she is about to break into a house party in order to retrieve some indiscreet letters that her sister has written. Unfortunately, Ro knows the host and knows it's not the kind of party that Lydia should be attending. They go to retrieve the letter and, inexplicably, have sexy-times in the middle of the heist. Of course, they realize it's Twu Lurv and the story ends with marriage.

Three and a half stars

Spellbound by Mary Balogh

When Nora Ryder was hired by Mrs. Witherspoon, she didn't expect to have so much trouble getting paid. And she didn't expect to be stranded at an inn when the stagecoach is broken. She most certainly didn't expect to see the man she had married ten years ago. 

Richard Kemp, Lord Bourne, was just a secretary when he ran away with Nora. And her family caught up to them quickly and beat the tar out of him. But his fortunes have since changed and so has he. Is this a second chance at true love?

Three stars

Only You by Jacquie D'Alessandro

Cassandra Heywood is a duchess. But a lonely one. Her late husband's family has dismissed her and she's not looking forward to going back to her father's house. So she makes a stop on the way to visit an old friend, Ethan Baxter, a childhood friend who is now the proprietor of a roadside inn. The two sit and talk, have some sexy-times, but then she leaves to go home. Of course, there is an HEA but it's nice to see the journey for both of them.

Three stars

From This Moment On by Candice Hern

A lovely story about an older couple who were young lovers torn apart by circumstance. When her youthful lover disappeared, Willie was thrown out of her mother's home. She became an artist's model/lover, a famous courtesan, and then a duchess. Her erstwhile lover, Sam, is now a Captain in the navy on half-pay (not quite retired but not active duty). This is a sweet story with exposition through discussion and a wonderful example of two people <i>actually talking to each other</i>. 

Three stars

The Case of the Canterfell Codicil by P.J. Fitzsimmons

The description for this book was that it had a protagonist similar to Bertie Wooster so I thought it might be interesting. And I agree that the humor is very much like P. G. Wodehouse. The prose got a little overly flowery in the end and the mystery was a little too convoluted but overall a very fun story.

Antony "Anty" Boisjoly has just buried his father and gets called to help out his old friend Evelyn "Fiddlesticks" Fairfax whose uncle is dead by defenestration. On the train up, he meets a man in a trenchcoat; the man turns out to be the Detective Inspector Wittersham assigned to the case. That inspector is also focused on making Fiddly the bad guy. But Anty was on crew with the man and knows he couldn't be the murderer. Anty's not adept at solving murders but he was helpful in school so Evelyn is counting on him to save the day and hopefully so Evelyn can then live happily ever after with the visiting young woman.

Four stars

This book came out October 30, 2020

Followed by The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Eat, Pray, Love Made Me Do It -- Anthology

I didn't love "Eat, Pray, Love" but many people did and listening to their stories was an interesting way to pass time. Just more proof that literature can change people's lives, often for the better.

Three stars

This book came out March 29, 2016

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Thursday Murder Club Richard Osman

I read this book after the second and third in this series but that didn't bother me at all. The story is great, the narrator is fantastic, and the characters are in their pupal state but, knowing the butterflies, I enjoyed them maybe even more. I feel like we get to see Joyce quite a bit but not as much of Elizabeth, Ibrahim, and Ron who we see more of in later books.

When the book starts, we meet Joyce. Well, she keeps diary entries about her days. She's a former nurse and has been invited to join the Thursday Murder Club (on Thursdays because that was the only day the common room was available. It was started by Elizabeth and Penny as a way to solve cold cases. Now Penny is close to death and the crew is a little at loose ends. Right now they are working on the mysterious death of the man who wanted to develop next to their retirement home. Then there's another death. And they're somewhat connected to one of the cold cases the crew worked on.

Four stars

This book came out September 3, 2020

Followed by The Man who Died Twice

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn

I generally like Quinn books but there always hits some point where I wonder why I'm finishing a book. For me, it was about 60% through this book and Fallon was still with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend who isn't the hero. The overall book was fine and I really enjoyed Quinn's representation of living with a family member who suffers from Alzheimers but... ugh. I wish there had been more time seeing Fallon and Sawyer navigating their relationship. 

Just about a year ago, Fallon went on a blind date with Sawyer, just after his last girlfriend had left him for his best friend. Now, he's in small-town Canoodle, California and doesn't remember her at all. That's fine, she's too busy taking care of her grandfather and trying to put their family cabins back into repair.

Sawyer is a screenwriter. He writes something that sounds like a Hallmark romance. But he hasn't felt very romantic since his girlfriend and best friend fell in love on the last movie set. And then his studio strong armed him into pretending to be okay with it. At their wedding, he snaps and runs away, ending up in Canoodle.  

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 11, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Montlake and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

This reminds me of an early Langslow in the best of ways. Large ensemble of characters we know and love (though Michael and the boys weren't as prominent in this one, that's okay,) all of them gathered for holiday, getting glimpses of Caerphilly as Meg tries to solve a murder, and Mutant Wizards!

A Canadian genetics company has teamed up with Rob's computer folks to try and develop a better website. They are a small company currently headed by the owner's son, Ian. The son has decided that the entire genetics team needs to be in Caerphilly even though it means most of them will be missing Christmas with their families. Even worse, he did NOT plan well and they should up in town with no place to stay. In Caerphilly, known for their Christmas festival. So, once again, Meg and Michael are hosting any number of people in their house. 

At least the house is furnished and warm. And cousin Nora is there to feed everyone so all Meg has to do is keep her temper around Ian, even as she learns more and more and it makes her less and less impressed by the man. Of course, that means he's probably the one who will end up dead. 

Among the suspects are the young women Ian hit on, the woman who is stalking him, and a convicted killer who was released because their genetics company says that his DNA was not the one found at the scene.  

Four stars

This book comes out October 11, 2022

Follows Round Up the Usual Peacocks

Followed by Birder, She Wrote

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Reread December 2022 as audiobook

Bones of Holly by Carolyn Haines

Sarah Booth is Bay St. Louis, MS getting ready for the holiday season. While shopping, they come across Janet Malone and Sandra O'Day throwing merchandise at each other in a book store. And this is right after Sarah Booth has told Tinkie that the two are going to be part of the panel of judges for the town library's Christmas tree contest. Even though the two write in different genres (Malone does sexy thrillers and O'Day does nonfictions), they have a well-known feud that is front and center that has been going on since the nineties. 

On the night that Sandra is throwing a big party, she and her assistant, Daryl, go missing. Janet hires Sarah Booth and Tinky to find out what is going on. Is their disappearance linked to the feud with Janet or to the house that Sarah has recently bought? After all, it was built by Al Capone and there is a rumored treasure somewhere on the grounds. 

The overall story was fine but felt a little flat compared to some other books in the series. We get to see all of our favorite friends 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 11, 2022

Follows Lady of Bones

Followed by Tell-Tale Bones

ARC kindly provided by St Martin's Press and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

The Book of Phobias and Manias by Kate Summerscale

I got this book because the cover was neat and the title was even more interesting. I wish that I had read a little bit more because this really was an alphabetical list of many phobias and manias with blurbs about each. It seemed well-researched though the footnotes weren't included in the audio version and there seemed to be a LOT of references to Freud (toward the end I was really wondering if there were no other people worth referencing.) 

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 27, 2022

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Stolen Suit by Angela R. Casella

In grad school, Grace Parker and Enoch Laskin were first and second in their class. They had a fairly contentious relationship that turned into a short-lived relationship that lasted until exactly when Grace discovered that Enoch had encouraged her not to work for her father but then accepted that same position. Not that Grace wanted the position (she wanted to be a romance writer) but she still felt betrayed. Now she works for Vera Valentine, the well-known writer, though she's more of a lackey than anything else. But Vera has promised to read her manuscript.

However, after years apart, Enoch is suddenly in town. In fact, he's Vera's new muse which means that he's going to be around pretty much... always. And he makes it very clear that he is still interested in Grace. But Grace isn't over her hurt and she's got the Fairy Godmother Agency on her side. And that's what's going to make things really interesting....

Four stars

This book came out September 29, 2022

Follows A Borrowed Boyfriend

Followed by The Brooding Bodyguard

Ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

Bree Camden and Nathan Donelson thought they would conquer their respective worlds. Nate achieved his dreams but Bree's were shattered by a car accident. Now he's an NFL quarterback and she's teaching ballet to an underserved populations (which she loves but it's not exactly the prima ballerina goal she thought she would achieve.) They're still best friends and have each other's backs in all situations. Nate even dumps an influencer who is rude to Bree. That influencer turns around and implies heavily that Nate has problems getting it up. One drunken night later and Bree has defended Nate to the point where people are now 'shipping them. And Nate's publicist sees this as an opportunity. 

This was a fun story that took the friends-to-lovers trope and tweaked it just enough to make it fun to read. Weirdly, I wish we had gotten a few more side characters because this book was so narrowly focused on Bree and Nate but overall a fun read.

Four stars

This book came out September 29, 2022

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

Ronnie, the prodigal son of Lila Macapagal's family is back. No one is quite sure whether his business is legitimate but they are all tentatively hopeful. Ronnie is in business with Pete and Izzy who are in a relationship though Ronnie may have more than business-type feelings for Izzy. They've been backed by Xander and Denise in creating the Shady Palms Winery. Xander and Denise are helped by twins Olivia and Quentin March. This, of course, adds to the already fairly large cast of aunts and business members that Lila is already dealing with. But, if you can make it past Chapter 6, the characters spread out a little and become more easily recognized. Especially since one of them gets killed off soon after and Ronnie becomes a suspect. 

Lots of changes in this book with secrets coming out and people getting tired of the status quo. A really good book and some growth for some of our side characters. Hopefully we get to see more Lila and Jae in the next book. 

Four and a half stars

This book comes out October 4, 2022

Follows Homicide and Halo-Halo

Followed by Murder and Mamon

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Narwhalicorn and Jelly by Ben Clanton

Narwhals have been called the unicorn of the sea but, according to one of our favorite main characters, unicorns are the narwhals of the land. When Jelly wonders what they look like, Narwhal wishes upon a star to become a unicorn and then to go visit with all of the other "*corns." However, while Narwhal is having fun, Jelly just wants to go to bed. So, a little lesson is a little shoehorned in about considering the feelings of others but this was, as always, a fun and joyful book.

Five stars
This book comes out October 4, 2022
Follows Narwhal's School of Awesomeness

Followed by A Super Scary Narwhalloween

ARC kindly provided by Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley
Opinions are my own