Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree

We met Fern in a previous book in the series. She's a ratkin bookshop owner. In this book, she's sold her old bookshop and has moved to be closer to her friend Viv, thinking that the move might help her fill the emptiness she's been feeling. And though it's good to be near her friend, she's still not feeling fulfilled. Trying to fill the emptiness, she overdrinks one night and decides that it's going to be a good idea to crawl into a cart. She wakes up well outside of town and discovers the cart belongs to Astryx, the one-eared elf also known as the Oathminder. She's taking a redhaired goblin to get a huge reward.

A lot of adventure in this book and some good character growth for Fern.

Four stars

Legends & Lattes #2

This book came out November 11, 2025

Follows Goblins & Greatcoats

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao

It starts off so sterotypically, Kathryn has had a bad day and just wants to talk to her boyfriend. When she gets to his house, there are rose petals leading to the bedroom and her boyfriend is on his knee... in front of another woman. She decides to go on the romantic vacation she had planned with her boyfriend but with the other woman instead. When they get there, they discover a third woman! The three get together and decided to prank the heck out of him. Instead, they find his dead body. That sets off a chain of events where Kathryn becomes one of the main suspects. At least she gets to spend some time with the super hot cop.

This book was fine but I didn't feel like any of the characters were fully developed. 

Three stars

Hu Done It #1

This book came out June 24, 2025

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite

It is supposed to take hundreds of years for the Fairweather to reach its destination. There were supposed to be no additions to the living creatures who boarded; their memories would just be inserted into new bodies. There aren't even supposed to be cats and dogs. So why is Dorothy's nephew asking her questions about babies?

I don't know how Waite manages to build so much world into such short snippets but she does, adding on to what she already started in the first of this series. I don't think you have to have read Murder by Memory but I would anyway.  

Four stars

Dorothy Gentleman #2

This book comes out March 10, 2026

Follows Murder by Memory

ARC kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Murderbot is still trying to stay under the radar. It would, in fact, prefer if people would forget it existed. But the investigation around GrayCris is still ongoing. Murderbot has decided to go to Milu to uncover what GrayCris was really doing there. Then, humans get on the same transport along with a robot that Murderbot gets to know. And when they're attacked, this SecUnit gets involved. 

Short but with a lot of action. 

Three and a half stars

The Murderbot Diaries #3

This book came out August 7, 2018

Follows Artificial Condition

Followed by Exit Strategy

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

Stephane Breitwieser is one of the most prolific art thieves of recent times (at least who has been found.) But he doesn't steal for money. Instead, he keeps all of the art for himself, to look at.

This book covers his early life as well as his meeting of Anne-Catherine, the woman who opens up his world. Previously, he had not really connected to anyone, but mainly to objects. And it is likely that love of objects that helps to spur on his urge to steal art. He doesn't steal for money, at least not before his jail stint, but for the love of the items. 

He is eventually caught though and, due to the vagaries of the law, is not jailed though he stole millions of dollars. But they are all non-violent so his time is not as long as one might expect. 

The author took some time in building this story, even getting to inteview Breitwieser. 

Four stars

This book came out June 22, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Witches of Honeysuckle House by Liz Parker

Everyone knows about the Caldwell curse and, knowing that this is the 13th year since a Caldwell has been claimed, the town is staying at arm's length. No one wants to get be caught in the splash zone because it's not just the Caldwell's that die, it's the people they love.

In different ways, both Evie and Florence have been trying to stop the curse. Florence has mostly given up magic. Evie is still living in Caldwell house and trying to work off of her mosther's notes. She's raising her daughter. 

We get flashes back to the 1960s when the curse began as well as snippets from the 70s and 90s. 

I liked the idea of this book but it didn't land for me. I made it through and it was fine but also felt like there was a little too much going on. 

Three stars

This book came out October 21, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Peanuts Treasury by Charles M. Schulz

A huge book of Peanuts comic strips. pages range from four to five strips. It includes the origin stories for the Great Pumpkin, Lucy's psychiatry stand, and the kite-eating tree. We also get the little red-headed girl, little league, and the Christmas program. 

A wonderful book of nostalgia. 

Four and a half stars

This book came out in 1968

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

The Late-Night Witches by Auralee Wallace with Robyn Maryke

Cassie Beckett lives on Prince Edward Island in a neighborhood she loves. The book opens with her enjoying the quiet of her neighborhood but she does feel a gentle quiet, like she's supposed to be doing something other than all of the other things she does as a mother with three kids who's husband is away with Doctors Without Borders.  Then, her sister Eliza appears with a story about going to battle with a car. There's a lot going on. This is really not the time to find out she's The Chosen One. Well, the thirteenth witch. There's a Big Bad and, if he kills her, she's the thirteenth witch and he can escape the curse her great-great-whatever-grandmother put him  under. 

There was some character development but not a lot. There was also a lot of time hopping and glossing over parts. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 19, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

Sinek first focuses on the Navy and how the leaders eat last. This contributes to the circle of safety that their teams feel. And those circles are important to making sure that teams can survive and thrive. Circles are our relationships, and, if people don't feel like they are in a circle, they become disconnected and disaffected. 

He talks about the fact that leaders are not always the people with the titles of "Being in Charge," and, indeed, ends the book with an admonition for us all to become leaders. 

Sometimes, we follow the people in charge, just because they look like the people who we should be following. But we need to pay attention to our own higher moral authority as well. Sinek explores a number of stories and studies where the people in charge subvert the moral authority and how people reacted. And, while we may follow the strict law of the land, that may not be the same as having a high moral character. He points to the Titanic which knew that the lifeboat laws were going to be updated soon but still set out with only enough for about 1/4 of the people on board.

Like many authors of the time, Sinek falls into a familiar trap; he more or less ignores Generation X. He speaks long about millenials and quite a bit about Boomers, but barely touches on a whole swath of the population. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 21, 2014

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood

Willowjean Parker (not the name she was born with) meets Mrs. Pentecost on a fraughte evening when they both almost die. Willow grew up in a small town then moved around frequently with a circus so she hadn't heard of Mrs. Pentecost, the famous detective. But after that night, Mrs. P sought her out and hired her. Three years later, Willow is still working with Mrs. P. They are approached by the Collins twins and their "uncle." Their father committed suicide then, during a party with a seance, their mother is bludgeoned to death. They want to know what is going on. 

Willow and Mrs. P are on the hunt for a murderer and getting pulled into the world of a medium who, past the time when most were moving into the world of tarot readers, is still working with the richest people (including Mrs. Collins.)

The set up very much reminds me of Wolfe and Goodwin with Parker being the legs, though she is not just the muscle, she is very much being trained to take over the agency some day.   

Three and a half stars

Pentecost and Parker #1

This book came out October 27, 2020

Followed by Murder Under Her Skin

Opinions are my own

I Haven't Been Entirely Honest by Miranda Hart

I knew of Miranda Hart from her show, "Miranda," and didn't look to closely at what this book was before requesting it from the library. I didn't realize how much of this would be talking about her illness. I was newly dealing with my own brush with a scary illness and had to take a break from the book for awhile.

She talks a lot about what worked for her in coming to terms with the life she has versus the life she thought she was supposed to lead. Instead, she had to become very introspective, to go into a metaphorical cave to find the treasures of her life. 

As Hart reads the biography, it becomes apparent that many of the most delightful parts of her fictional character are a part of her own true life. Speckled with poetry and suggested dance breaks, this was an interesting story that I may have enjoyed more if I were in a different place in my own life. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 10, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn

Veronica and Stoker are itching for a new adventure. When Mornaday comes to them with the story of a man who read a note and then jumped out of a window. This story leads them to cemeteries, vampires, a cult, and a crossover.

This is a lovely addition to the series. Not much character development but lots of atmosphere and an interesting story. 

Four stars

This book comes out March 3, 2026

Veronica Speedwell #10

Follows 
A Grave Robbery

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

February 2026 Monthly Rereads

The Worst Wedding by Pippa Grant

Three stars

This book came out April 13, 2023

Three BFFs and a Wedding #1

Followed by The Gossip and The Grump

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

The Gossip and the Grump by Pippa Grant

Four Stars

Three BFFs and a Wedding #2

This book came out October 5, 2023

Follows The Worst Wedding Date

Followed by The Bride's Runaway Billionaire

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

The Bride's Runaway Billionaire by Pippa Grant

Three and a half stars

Three BFFs and a Wedding #2

This book came out January 18, 2024

Follows The Gossip and the Grump

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

The Problem with Him by Rachel Higginson

Four stars

Opposites Attract #4

This book came out June 26, 2018

Follows The Difference Between Us

Followed by The Something About Her

Ebook from Kindle Unlimited

The Something About Her by Rachel Higginson

Three stars

Opposites Attract #4

This book came out February 26, 2019

Follows The Problem with Him

Ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews

Four stars

This book came out July 19th, 2011

Meg Langslow #13

Follows Stork Raving Mad

Followed by Some like It Hawk

Audiobook from Audible

Some Like It Hawk by Donna Andrews

Three stars

This book came out June 17th, 2012

Meg Langslow #14

Follows The Real Macaw

Followed by Hen of the Baskervilles 

Audiobook from Audible

Hen of the Baskervilles

Three and a half stars

This book came out July 16, 2013

Meg Langslow #15

Follows Some Like it Hawk

Followed by Duck the Halls

Audiobook from Audible

Duck the Halls

Three stars

This book came out October 22nd, 2013

Meg Langslow #16

Follows Hen of the Baskervilles

Followed by The Good, the Bad, and the Emus 

Audiobook from Audible

The Good, the Bad, and the Emus by Donna Andrews 

Four stars

This book came out July 8th, 2014

Meg Langslow #17

Follows Duck the Halls

Followed by The Nightingale before Christmas

Audiobook from Audible

The Primrose Murder Society by Stacy Hackney

Lily's life hasn't exactly been easy lately. Her daughter, Bea, is acting up (understandably) after Lily's husband embezzled millions of dollars and then left them in the lurch. They lost their home (feds took it) and Bea has been kicked out of her private school. Lily has had to take her mother's boyfriend's offer of cleaning out his mother's apartment. At least they have someplace to live, even though Lily still needs a job. 

The Primrose apartments are the most posh in town, but, while Lily is slightly intimidated by the wealth, Bea is mostly obsessed with a murder that happened there almost twenty years ago. A resident dies and leaves behind a will that will give two million dollars to whoever can give information leading to the arrest of the person who killed his granddaughter. Bea, an inveterate Murder She Wrote watcher is all in. Lily is much more hesitant but is willing to go along because this is the only thing bringing Bea joy right now. 

The mystery comes together pretty nicely although the final solution was a bit out there. The two main characters are fairly fleshed out but there is room for growth which will be fun to watch if the series continues. 

Four stars

This book comes out March 3, 2026

ARC kindly provided by William Morrow and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Photographic Memory by Bill Griffith

I live near Yellowstone and knew quite a bit about William Henry Jackson as one of the people whose work helped influence it becoming the first national park. This book was an interesting historical fiction of WHJ's life, done by his great-grandson who is also an artist, a cartoonist. This graphic novel explores the highs and lows of the original WHJ, of how he became a photographer and how he had an absolutely amazing life, traveling the world, but still struggled with mundanities like actually being paid for his work. 

Some of it was a little bit of a slog for me but I can see why it was included on the list of NPR Best Books.

Three stars

This book came out October 21, 2025

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts

A satisfying end to a series about four women who work as bridal consultants.

Parker Brown is the organizer of the group. She books the weddings and plans the details. She is happy that her friends have found love but a little jealous as well. That doesn't mean she's going to jump into a relationship with Malcolm Kavanagh, just because he's part of the group. But that doesn't mean that she isn't attracted to him. He's not a part of the elegant world in which Parker grew up but he's a good man and fits in well with the group. Mal was a stuntman in Hollywood until an accident almost killed him. He took the money from the settlement and bought a mechanics shop which is how he met the rest of the gang. 

The two are seemingly opposites but they have enough in common to make a happily ever after.

Was a little leery about this one since the second book pissed me off so much but it ended up being okay.

Four stars

Bride Quartet #4

This book came out November 2, 2010

Follows Savor the Moment

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Murder in Postscript by Mary Winters

Amelia's first marriage was not a love match. Her husband knew he was dying and wanted someone to take care of his elderly aunt and niece, both of which Amelia is doing. The niece is much easier to love than the aunt who is ingrained in society and is always meddling to make sure that Amelia is the perfect widowed Countess. 

What the family doesn't know is that Amelia also writes an advice column, Lady Agony. It is that column that has her embroiled in the killings of a young girl (and she's only the first.) Luckily, she's just met her late husband's friend, Simon and he's willing to help out. 

A fun cozy mystery that Smexy Books did not oversell. 

Four stars

Lady of Letters #1

This book came out March 28, 2023

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts

Thank god this book was better than the second one in this series. There was no tempting me to toss my iPod across the room. 

Laurel McBain has been in love with her best friend's brother for... forever. She has recently gotten fed up with her own dating moratorium and one late night plants a kiss on Del.

He has always thought of Laurel as a sister. At least, that's what's he's forced himself to think. But, recently, he's begun to notice that Laurel is really an attractive woman. 

I like that they have a frank discussion about their starting to date. The description of their group as a tribe is pretty cute.

Very fluffy but amusing. I'm not sure if this book was really that good or so much better in comparison.

Four stars

Bride Quartet #3

This book came out April 27, 2010

Follows Bed of Roses

Followed by Happy Ever AFter

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read

Read goes through the history of MLMs, multi-level-marketing companies. She starts with Rehnburg and Nutrilite, detailing how the man started in business then started branching out to make money off of his salespeople, rather than off the product itself. Rehnberg was just one of the prongs though, it really took off when he met Meidinger and Castleberry, the latter at a Carnegie course. 
From Nutrilite, she goes through the histories of Mary Kay, Holiday Magic, Costcot, and Dare to be Great. 
Read walks us through the different ways these MLMs started, and how they grew. They might start with vitamins or makeup but then morph into self-help and or leadership courses. 
Woven in with these histories are the stories of women who took the MLM pill. Each one had a different reason for joining. All left, disillusioned. 
An in depth look at a number of MLMs and why they are still succeeding today. A good recommendation from NPR's Best Books.

Four stars

This book came out May 6, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts

Emmaline has always wanted to be a bride. She believes in romance and has more dates than the rest of her three friends/business partners combined. However, this florist never expected to fall in love with one of her best friend's-brother's-best friends. Jack is a part of the group. He's been a friend to the four ladies of Vows, a wedding planning company, for over a decade. He and Emma have always been attracted to each other but neither thought the other was interested and neither wanted to risk the group dynamic.

This book was not as bad to read; I had earlier listened to it as an Audiobook and wished I had a book so that I could toss it across the room.

Throughout the book, Emma keeps talking about how she knows Jack doesn't like entanglements and how she's not going to tie him down. When she tries to get all love-dovey and he gets pissed off, she acts startled. Seriously? This whole time she's a "modern woman" and then reverts to romance type? It was especially infuriating because the first book and the first three-quarters of this book were so enjoyable. Definitely the least favorite of this quartet of books, possibly of all of the Nora Roberts.

Two stars

Bride Quartet #2

This book came out 

Follows Vision in White

Followed by Savor the Moment

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

A visit to the dentist doesn't usually but end up with a visit from the police, but it happens to our favorite protagonist. After he sees Dr. Morely for a tooth issue, the man ends up dead. It is possibly a suicide but Japp would like to talk to Poirot anyway. Alistair Blunt had an appointment with the same dentist and there is a possibility that this was an assassination attempt on the banker. 

There is a sprawling cast of characters in this one including an actress who was also at the dentist but who has since disappeared, a political activist, and the people who live with Mr. Blunt. The solution is a bit convoluted but wouldn't be out of place in a story that was written today. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out November 11, 1940

Follows Sad Cypress

Followed by Evil Under the Sun

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Beast Business by Ilona Andrews

The Book Devouring Horde (fans of Ilona Andrews) have been clamoring for an HEA for Augustine Montgomery. After all, he is not only a single man with a good fortune, he is the head of his family. He's been aware of Diana Harrison (the head of her own family), as the sister of one of the employees that the Baylors employ. When she comes to him for help finding an animal that was stolen from her family, he's willing to help. 

The story is less about the two falling in love than it is about kicking butt and taking names, but we do see them acknowledging that they are each other's HEA.

Four stars
Hidden Legacy #6.5

This book came out January 29, 2026

Follows Ruby Fever

Ebook of mine from Bookfunnel

Opinions are my own

Murder on a Moon Trek by Diane Vallere

Sylvia Stryker has a Plunian mother and human father. Her family business is ice mining but she longs to be a part of the Intergalatic Cruise Ship Security team. Perhaps sneaking on board a ship and posing as the uniform lieutenant is not the way to do that but it's a way she can get on board ship. She just has to lay low. 

Too bad practically the first thing she does is discover a dead body which brings her right into the focus on the ship's Head of Security. Then she discovers two of the ship's crew passed out. What is going on on this ship? Neptune, the Security Head seems to believe her but still puts her in a cell. 

There is a lot going on in a relatively short book which introduces not only a number of characters, but a whole world. That means the end is a little rushed but I'd like to at least read the next book to see how the series builds. 

Three and a half stars

Sylvia Stryker Space Mystery #1

This book came out December 17, 2017 (reissued February 5, 2026)

Followed by Scandal on a Moon Trek

ARC kindly provided by Polyester Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

How to Winter by Kari Leibowitz

I love winter. After a Midwestern fall (yes, very specific to the Midwest) it is my favorite season. This book appealed to me because I thought I'd find ways to love it even more. And that is in there, to an extent, but there is a lot about how the author hates winter. And how she believes that all Americans hate winter. Which, you are allowed to have your own opinions about the season but she talks about it quite often. Quite. Often. 

All things being equal, there a number of good suggestions that fall under the broader categories of appreciating winter (get out into nature, speak positively about the season at least once a day), make it special (use low, warm light, extend the holiday feeling into the new year), get outside (how to dress for the weather, using friends, concentrating on the easy wins.)

Three stars

This book came out October 22, 2024

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler

Davi and her team are back. They are trying to have the humans and the wilders join forces. To do that, she and Tsav have donned disguises. Davi isn't sure how she's going to convince her erstwhile lover (not in this time loop) to join her cause, but she knows him inside and out. Or does she?

This Prince Johann is not only married, he seems to be in love. And the running of the kingdom is being left up to Duke Aster who is... less than receptive to Davi's overtures. Even though she has the super-good plan of pretending to be the new oracle. 

Everything is in shambles and there are enemies not only surrounding her, but coming from inside the camp. And an ancient evil is rising once again. 

A fun story that lagged a little in parts but was overall an enjoyable read. 

Four stars

Dark Lord Davi #2

This book comes out May 27, 2025

Follows How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

ARC kindly provided by Orbit Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz

Growing up as the ward of an evil lord, it's not like Violet could any way to be other than just evil. However, when Guy Shadowfade is killed, the hero gives Violet a chance to change her life. And she's trying. She's opening up a flower shop in the nearby town, starting to make friends. Then, the blight starts. Plants and crops are dying. Even worse, one of the other wizard's from Guy's parcel has returned to town, and he is hell-bent on... well, something nefarious. 

A cute story that moved along pretty quickly while still developing the characters. 

Four stars

This book came out November 18, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Strong Female Character by Fern Brady

Recent biographies I've led have seemed rather shallow. This, is not one of those. Brady lays out all of her stories and experiences in raw detail, most of it revolving around growing up as someone whose autism went undiagnosed until she was an adult. Even her own family just thought she was an asshole for awhile.

Of course, she grew up in a time when autism wasn't widely diagnosed, and even when it was, it was to a narrow band that she wasn't a part of. After all, as several doctors tell her, she has boyfriends! and can maintain eye contact! and isn't an "unattractive sea monster with no interest in forming meaning ful relationships." Instead, her quirks seem to have gotten her branded as a manic pixie dream girl. But her "quirks" include things like scratching her arms after people touch her and having episodes where she destroys rooms and furniture. Brady is also very up front about using people for housing, attacking someone with a bottle, and her life as a stripper. I wondered about the last as strippers are often touted as having good people skills (and she says several times she doesn't understand social nuance) but she talks about the fact that she was able to do the same routine every night in dim lights. 

There is quite a bit about her time in entertainment as well. I knew her from her season on Taskmaster where she was a bit chaotic but a lot of fun. She talks about that time as a dream job which makes sense because she was allowed, at times, to drop her masking completely.

Highly recommend the audiobook as Brady reads the story herself. 

Four stars

This book came out February 14, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

He's Not My Boyfriend by Jackie Lau

A fast, fun, and fluffy book that isn't very deep but is still a fun read. 

Iris Chin LIKES her life. She's a structural engineer who hangs out with her other perpetually single friend and hooks up with guys when she feels like it. But her landlord's daughter is coming back to town so Iris is moving in with her grandmother. Right before she moves in, she has a super hot one-night-stand with Alex Kwong. Does he turn out to be the lead on a project she's assigned to? Of course! This is a romance novel, after all. As they spend more time together at work, they spend more time together outside of work. Their eventual happily ever after is a little hand wavy (this is a short-ish read after all).

Three and a half stars

Chin-Williams #2

This book came out November 20, 2018

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Dancy Flynn is a movie star, mostly known for being married to an even more famous movie star. At least, she was, until he dumped her for a younger model. It's just too bad that she drinks too much one night in a very public place. In the same public place her husband's new wife has just debuted her very pregnant belly. It is...  a debacle.

So Dancy make her way to a cabin. Her ex-boyfriend's cabin. Her HIGH SCHOOL ex-boyfriend's cabin. I mean, it's a very nice place to stay on the lake. It just doesn't help that her ex is Chicago Star's quarterback Clint Garrett. 

This one had a little too much drama for me and the ending was a little fast but it follows the Phillips formula and regular readers will enjoy.

Three and a half stars
Chicago Stars #12

This book comes out February 10, 2026

Follows Simply the Best

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Killer Guest List by Sarah Bonner

A mysterious invitation appears, a party is being hosted at the Holne House and Cassie is ready to go. She's not sure why she and her wife were invited but figures it may be down to a previous coworker she recommended to the venue. When they arrive, they are paired up with a brother-sister team who have also played the game before. 

On the other hand, Sadie has been going to the murder mystery weekends for almost fifty years. And every year she's taken care of somebody who... needed to be taken care of. This year, she's bringing her twenty-five-year-old goddaughter, her best friend's granddaughter. They are paired up with twins, young men for whom this is their first time playing.

There is a LOT going on in this book and we keep seeing the situations as they flip back and forth between Cassie and Sadie. I knew that this was going to be a book to REALLY suspend my disbelief but the ending was a little too much, even based on what we had read so far. An interesting read for most of the book. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out February 10, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Boldwood Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

Twenty years ago, Clio's mom, Alexandra, wrote a moderately successful story about their house being possessed by a demon. She wasn't the best mother and, now that she's dead, Clio is the only one of the three daughters who wants to go to the funeral. She is also the only one who is willing to go back to the house. While there, she finds a copy of the book she had promised to never read. However, there are annotations written directly to her that we get to read along with the book that Alex wrote. It certainly points to the fact that the demon might be real. And Clio is starting to see evidence of that as well.

Three stars

This book came out September 9, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Final Problem by Arturo Perez-Reverte

I didn't even realize that this book, another in the genre of actors who played detectives now becoming the detective, had been translated from another language. There was a bit of formality in some of the writing but I thought it fit with the personality of our first person narrator, an aging former movie star who is (mostly) philosophically "retiring" from acting. In his prime, "Hopalong Basil" (as named by an early agent) was in any number of films but is generally recognized now as The Definitive Sherlock Holmes of his time.

It is those movies that will become very helpful when, stranded on an island with a number of other people, Hoppy takes on the role of lead detective when a murder is committed. But why here and why this person? Everyone on the island is hypothetically strangers, caught by a random storm. Then another death occurs and the tension is ratcheted up.

I have somehow picked up a number of books that are written in the style of a Golden Age mystery. This definitely succeeds. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out February 10, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Little, Brown and Company, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Likeable Badass by Alison Fragale

Though women often talk about power and money, the author says to manage status first. The others will follow. The likeable badass will be the person who can walk the tightrope between warmth and power. Fragale recommends finding autheic, effective strategies to shape how your customers and coworkers see you. 

One strategy is to manage your status, to mold wahat others think of you. She talks about four quadrants that are made up of warm/cold on one side and assertive/submissive on another.  Women have ofthen been slotted as EITHER assertive or warm, which has lead many of us to believe those are our only options. However, Fragale defines "likeable badass" as being in the  warm/assertive quadrant. The more you show up as warm and assertive, the more value you are percieved to have. 

Interestingly, "powerless" speech (uncertainty) can be seen as "warmer", even though we are often told that we shouldn't self-deprecate or admit weakness. Other tools include humor, choosing the chair at the head of the table, helping others, being aware of verbal/nonverbal behaviors, and smiling. However, she notes several times that no one needs to do all of these things, find what works for you.

A little repetitive but I didn't actually notice until I started to pull together my notes which means that she was able to frame her examples in different enough ways to add the repetition needed to teach people without making it overbearing.

Four stars

This book came out September 3, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb

Nathan Barrister, by all accounts a pretty nice guy despite growing up with a wealthy, entitled father, is found dead, bludgeoned in his own home. Nearby, a door opens into a vault that no one in the family knew existed. It turns out Nathan's father bought a number of stolen art items and hid them in the house. No one knew about them. Well, someone knew about them because Nathan is dead and an expensive item is missing. According to the log they find in the room, there is only one item missing. An item that Roarke knows well...

Eve and her team need to solve the murder, try to recover the missing item, and finally deal with a foe who has been haunting her since early in the series.

Robb's books have a familiar cadence without being exactly duplicative. In this book, we don't know who the killer(s) are at first but get to know the players before the truth is finally revealed. 

Four stars

This book comes out September 2, 2025

In Death #61

Follows Framed in Death

Followed by Fury in Death

Ebook ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

January 2026 Rereads

The Hero and the Hacktivist by Pippa Grant

This book came out November 9th, 2018

Girl Band #4

Follows Rockaway Bride

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Dirty Talking Rivals by Pippa Grant

Three stars

This book came out June 27, 2019

Part of the Bro Code universe

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Flirting with the Frenemy by Pippa Grant

Bro Code #1

This book came out March 1, 2019

Followed by America's Geekheart

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle

America's Geekheart by Pippa Grant

Four stars

This book came out April 5, 2019

Bro Code #2
Follows Flirting with the Frenemy
Followed by Liar, Liar, Hearts on Fire
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Liar Liar Hearts on Fire by Pippa Grant

Bro Code #3

Three stars

Follows America's Geekheart

Followed by Master Baker
This book came out March 24th, 2020
Borrowed this as a Kindle Unlimited book
Opinions are my own

The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob by Pippa Grant 

Follows Liar, Liar Hearts on Fire

Followed by Snowed in with Mr. Heartbreaker

Bro Code #4

This book came out January 7th, 2021

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Snowed in with Mr. Heartbreaker by Pippa Grant

Two and a half stars

Copper Valley Bro Code #5

This book came out January 7th, 2021

Follows The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

The Secret Hook-up by Pippa Grant

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 1, 2024

The Copper Valley Thrusters, #6

Follows I Pucking Love You

Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #1

Followed by Murder with Puffins

This book came out February 7th, 2006

Audible book I own

Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #2

Four stars

This book came out June 15th, 2001

Follows Murder with Peacocks

Followed by Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos

Audible book I own

Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingoes by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #3

This book came out October 12th, 2001

Follows Murder With Puffins 

Followed by Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon

Audible book I own

Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #4

This book came out September 6th, 2002

Follows Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos

Followed by We'll Always have Parrots

Audible book I own

We'll Always have Parrots by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #5

This book came out September 6th, 2002

Follows Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon

Followed by Owls Well that Ends Well

Audible book I own

Owls Well That Ends Well by Donna Andrews

Meg Langlow #6

Four stars

This book came out March 7th, 2006

Follows We'll Always Have Parrots

Followed by No Nest for the Wicket

Audible book I own

No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #7

This book came out May 8, 2006

Follows Owls Well that Ends Well

Followed by The Penguin who Knew too Much

Audiobook from Audible

The Penguin who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #8

Three stars

This book came out August 7, 2007

Follows No Nest for the Wicket

Followed by Cockatiels at Seven

Audiobook from Audible

Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #9

This book came out July 8th, 2008

Follows The Penguin Who Knew Too Much

Followed by Six Geese A-Slaying 

Audiobook from Audible

Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews 

Meg Langslow #10

Three stars

This book came out October 28th, 2008

Follows Cockatiels at Seven

Followed by Swan for the Money

Audiobook from Audible

Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #11

Three and a half stars

This book came out July 21st, 2009

Follows Six Geese A-Slaying

Followed by Stork Raving Mad

Audiobook from Audible

Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews 

Three stars

This book came out July 6th, 2010

Meg Langslow #12

Follows Swan for the Money

Followed The Real Macaw

Audiobook from Audible