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

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

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

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

Julie Parker is looking forward to a chill Christmas. Her grown children are doing their own thing so she's just going to spend the day with her boyfriend. Her twelve-years-younger than her boyfriend. The one her children don't... technically... know about. Then, plans change. And change again. And change again. Julie, her children, her boyfriend, and their partners all have to be flexible. 

Mainly told from Julie's third person point of view, this is a holiday story like most, there's a lot going on so nothing is really developed.

Three stars

This book came out October 1, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Home by Martha Wells

The last book left Dr. Mensah in a bit of a pickle. She probably needs therapy, but she can NOT tell anyone what happened. Meanwhile, she's getting cheeky emails from SecUnit requesting more and more outlandish equipment. 

Short, definitely need to have read the previous books to get the most out of this story.

Three stars

The Murderbot Diaries, #4.5
This short story came out May 5, 2020

Follows Exit Strategy

Followed by Network Effect

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

Lottie Jones is long past retirement. Not just work, but her early crime spree. So why is someone stirring up the past? It's too bad that the trend of docuseries has come to roost on her doorstep in the form of Plum Dixon. So she has to die. But cleaning up is harder than it was in her youth. And people keep following up on Plum.

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 12, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup

This was an interesting premise and I think Bearup did a fine job at having a story within a story but having so many characters started to weigh down the actual progress of any of them DOING anything.

Caroline Lindley just wants to finish her book. If only her characters would do what they are supposed to. But her characters don't really understand their motivations and they tell her so. Especially Lady Rosamund Hawkhurst. 

As the widow of a prominent nobleman killed in war, Rosamund us used to holding her family together. A new threat has come to the kingdom and she is required to go back to her home country to try and broker peace. She's to travel with one knight who most definitely is not going to be a love interest. No matter what Caroline tries.

Three stars

This book came out February 5, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The House with No Keys by Lindsay Currie

The Deltas are back. They've been helping out at the fun house but both Hannah and West could use more money. Big money. So when an invitation that promises them $10,000 each if they can finish a new mystery house. And there's a not-so-veiled threat it they don't. 

They go, but this is nothing like the previous book; these rooms feel mean. And it doesn't help that Sara has some secrets of her own. One of which will change the way the Delta's function forever.

This book was fine. Not as good as the first one but it's hard to follow up a mysterious haunted house with kids running round unsupervised. 

Four stars

This book came out April 2, 2024

The Delta Games #1

Follows The Mystery of the Locked Room

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

 This is a really interesting book that I hope to have the chance to read again. I highly recommend getting a copy of your own to be able to really dive into Le Cunff's suggestions.

Too much of our life is centered on "productivity" or "career" where we could be working toward happiness. There are a LOT of examples which dilutes the message a little but I overall enjoyed this book. 

Four stars

This book came out March 24, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

When she was young, Sera Swan used most of her fabulous amount of magic to bring her great aunt, her only parental figure, back from the dead. Since that day, her magic (described as stars like the univerese) has been more like the stars at twilight. Right now, she is managing her inn which, due to a spell that she cast before she lost her magic, only allows for visitiors who really need a place to stay but aren't going to be assholes. There are currently two more or less permanent visitors who are fabulous characters in and of themselves. 

Fate (and an old mentor of Sera's) bring back into her life Luke Larson who is just the person to be able to help her magic return to what it used to be. But doing so will bring her back under the eye of Albert Grey who is the only other magician currently living who has as much magic as Sera used to.

Four books

This book came out July 15, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

The setting is familiar. Its an exclusive invite to a private island by a reclusive author. All of the invitees are authors. And the first person narrators are all authors. Of course, they all have secrets. Even the woman who helped plan the event and is now overseeing it.
The first night, a riddle is served. Early the next morning, every camera goes out and one of the authors disappears. And it devolves from there. Who is the mysterious person who invited them all? Who will make it out alive?
Pretty standard thriller, interesting ending.

Three and a half stars

This book came out February 11, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts

Jude has recently upended her life, quitting her job as a professor and leaving Chicago to travel to Ireland, the home of her maternal grandmother. She's not sure why she's leaving, just that she is unsatisfied with her life and wants to find something more.

She meets with ghosts and Gallaghers and learns that there is sometimes more to life than being merely content.

Four stars

Gallaghers of Ardmore #1

This book came out November 1, 1999

Followed by Tears of the Moon

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Born in Fire by Nora Roberts

Maggie Concannon is a fiery artist who doesn't want to work for anyone, but Rogan Sweeney is determined to bring the glass artist into his fold. 

The snark between these two has not diminished over the years. It is still as endearing and sharp as when this book was first written. Enjoy it every time I read it. The first in the "Born In" trilogy, it is my favorite.

Four stars
This book came out October 1, 1994

Born in Trilogy #1

Followed by Born in Ice

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Heart of the Sea by Nora Roberts

The third in the Gallagher trilogy. I do really enjoy these books although they are starting to get a wee bit dated. Of course, with the way technology changes these days, most books are going to be dated pretty fast and this book actually holds up pretty well. 

Anyway, the last Gallagher sibling, Darcy, just got back from a trip to Paris. She's always wanted to travel and finally gotten just a snippet of her wish. But when she returns, the construction on the addition to her family pub is underway. And she meets the man in charge of the construction, Trevor Magee. He is everything that she has ever wanted in a man, handsome, kind and rich. And that's a big hang up for him. He wants to buy her and tries to... but as much as she talks about wanting money, she really just wants love.

Four and a half stars

Gallaghers of Ardmore #3

This book came out

Follows Tears of the Moon

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts

This second in the series focuses on Sean and Brenna. Sean is a cook and a composer, Brenna is by way of being a handywoman fixing cars and ovens in this book as well as building a nursery and remodeling a hotel. They've known each other forever but have always held themselves back as being "just friends." Well, Brenna's tired of that and she wants a fling to get these inconvenient feelings out of the way. Sean is shocked at first but then realizes that this could be a good thing... until he falls in love. Some misunderstandings occur (her younger sister thinks she's in love with Sean, Sean is pissed that Brenna sends off some of his music to a producer) but they get together in the end thus helping along the second of the three hearts that must be joined in order for Carrick, the fairy prince, and Lady Gwen, a ghost, to be together again.

Three and a half stars

Gallaghers of Ardmore #2

This book came out January 1, 2000
Follows Jewels of the Sun

Followed by Heart of the Sea

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

It took me awhile to settle into this book. It depended quite a bit on knowing characters from the previous book in the series. I never quite remembered who everyone was. And, for as often as I pick up books with the alternating timeline premise, it's still not one of my favorites although this book utilized it better than many others.

More secrets are coming up from the past. Annie's aunt, even though she was paranoid and alone toward the end of her life, spent a lot of time investigating people in her small village and putting together files on them. And those files will come in handy when a roof collapses and evidence from a decades old mystery is uncovered. That evidence leads to deaths in the present, some from characters that have been in both books. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out April 29, 2025

Castle Knoll Files #2

Follows How to Solve Your Own Murder

Followed by How to Cheat Your Own Death

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie

Sarah's father has chronic fatigue and it's affecting the whole family. It's to the  point that the family is about to lose their house and she might have to move. But that would be terrible since she finally found a place where she belongs and two best friends who need her too. And it's her friends who suggest that they go out to the old abandoned funhouse. It's rumored that triplets hid treasure in the building a long time ago and that it is still there. The three of them are really good at escape rooms so they're certain they can find the treasure.

This is a fun romp that I would have adored as a kid. As an adult, it makes me very nervous that they decided to go out to a building that hadn't been open in many, many decades iwthout telling anyone where they went. There were some parts that defied even my ability to suspend disbelief but I overall enjoyed the story.

Four stars

This book came out April 2, 2024

The Delta Games #1

Followed by The House with No Keys

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Goldsmith's Conspiracy by C.J. Archer

India's place in the world is being confirmed including her work with the government trying to bring magicians and the artless together. It's too bad that two of her biggest enemies have teamed up to try and bring her down. Most especially by trying to make sure that no peace is brokered. And the latest plot has one of their very good friends in the crosshairs, almost ready to be hanged.
I wish there had been more character development over the whole series. Basically people were set in the first couple of books and never really progressed. But the world building kept me engaged far enough into the series that I decided to finish the whole thing.

Three stars

This book came out March 1, 2022

Glass and Steele #13

Follows The Spy Master's Scheme

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

The Spy Master's Scheme Glass and Steele by C.J. Archer

Magic is becoming well known and the attacks surrounding it are ramping up. Everyone wants a little piece of India. Matt's family are using her for prestige. The local magicians want her to use her magic to extend their spells. The government wants her help in quelling the riots. India just wants to live her life peacefully and enjoy married life. But saying no to all of those people is not making them go away. Who does go away? The wool merchant who helped her build her flying carpet. In fact, he disappears and his wife is worried. So is India. Especially when she learns who the government has chosen as the magician's liaison in her place. 

Three stars

This book came out September 7, 2021

Glass and Steele #12

Follows The Toymaker's Curse
Followed by The Goldsmith's Conspiracy

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old by Brooke Shields

Shields reads her own book and you get to hear the woman herself talk about aging in Hollywood, especially as someone who was known for her beauty. She discusses a range of topics including learning to stand up for herself (against Tom Cruise, against bad contracts, against the tropes of aging), raising children, and her various roles, including just being herself. 

Four stars

This book came out 

Borrowed as audibook from Libby

Opinions are my own