The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

Layla Patel has become famous. And not for a good reason. Too bad her loss of anonymity also led to the loss of her boyfriend, her apartment, and her job. Now she is trying to get her own recruitment agency started up above her parents' restaurant while also trying to live up to the ideal image her parents have of her brother who died. It was, in fact, his idea to move the family business to this larger location. Now she's also trying to keep it together when her dad has a heart attack the day she returns. She doesn't need to deal with a guy claiming that her office space is his own.
Sam Mehta has a rough family history as well. He gave up a promising career to become a surgeon when his sister's husband through her down some stairs paralyzing her. But the hospital where both Sam and the husband worked refused to hold him responsible. So Sam is now a corporate downsizer, the man who comes in and fires people. He's not exactly happy but he has plans to get even. But Layla is distracting him. Apparently her father was trying to find her a husband and the ten candidates are nowhere near good enough.
A lovely book. I read the second book in the series and enjoyed it a little bit more but this one was good as well.

Four stars

Followed by The Dating Plan

This book came out June 9th, 2020

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Harriet "Hal" Westaway is at the end of her rope. Her mother died three years ago and she is barely hanging on to her apartment and her lease at the pier where she tells fortunes. There is a loan shark after her and she is frightened. When a letter comes from a lawyer telling her that she has an inheritance, she is delighted. And then defeated. The letter obviously isn't meant for her but for someone else. She decides to spend the last of her money anyway and go to the funeral for Mrs. Westaway. 
It is there she meets the Westaway clan. They have a past like any other family but theirs seems especially dark and Hal is going to have to think quick to make it out alive.
I didn't like this book at first; it was sort of slow going. But then I got sucked in and enjoyed the story.

Three and a half stars

This book came out May 19th, 2019

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

I've had this book on my shelf for a REALLY long time. I finally started it and was surprised how readable it ended up being. After all, it is LIT-erature. Classics and readability don't always go together. And the out of order storytelling became a little hard to follow in places but overall, the story of Tomas and Tereza as well as some side characters including Tomas's side piece.

Three stars
This book came out in 1984
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

The Plain Old Man by Charlotte MacLeod

I didn't like the last book in the series very much because there was a decided lack of Sarah. This book balanced that with a decided lack of Max. It was an interesting premise but I have to admit, I missed the other person in each book. Though Sarah's family is always a nice mix that keeps the story moving. Overall, this was a fun book that, once you got through the beginning chapters, kept things moving right along.
In this book, her cousin Emma is the spearhead of the local community theater. Sarah has been called down to help out painting the scenes and doing other work. The regular players are all in attendance including the fresh-faced ingenue whose father is an aging roue and whose mother has mostly resigned herself to her lot in life. Then there is the slightly-older-than-the ingenue who is seemingly involved with the roue. There is also a plain old man who has been out with gout but has recently been able to rejoin the group. Too bad he dies in a bathroom fall shortly thereafter. But his childhood friend suspects that it wasn't quite the accident it seems. And since that friend is another of Sarah's relatives, she is pulled in to investigate that case as well as the disappearance of a family portrait worth a lot of money.

Three stars
Follows The Convivial Codfish
Followed by The Recycled Citizen
This book came out October 28th, 1986
Borrowed this book from the library
Opinions are my own

Mrs. Astor's New York: Money and Social Power in a Gilded Age by Eric Homberger

I can't remember why I picked this book up. There is something very intriguing about the 400 and the woman who ran them. Homberger excels when he writes about the neighborhoods of New York. Unfortunately, that is a small portion of the book. Well-researched, this book is mainly a litany of names with stories here and there to highlight... well, that's where I got lost. While each chapter had a theme (only six chapters but they are LONG chapters), some of the stories fit more loosely than others. An interesting read but definitely took some time to get through.

Three stars

This book came out

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

An Unexpected Pleasure by Candace Camp

American Megan Mulcahey is convinced that English nobleman Theo Moreland killed her brother ten years ago. And now her sister is having dreams that her family believes that they should take revenge. Megan gets taken on as a tutor for the two youngest of the Moreland children, twin boys who get into mischief in every book of this series. She doesn't actually know as much as them in some subjects but she only needs to hang on long enough to find proof that Theo murdered Dennis. Unfortunately, she finds herself charmed by the family and falling in love with Theo.
The Moreland family is unusual and that means that Theo doesn't necessarily think that finding the tutor in his father's study means anything malicious. He is more amused than alarmed. It doesn't hurt that said tutor is beautiful. 
It took me a little bit to get into this book because the beginning was just a little slow. I was pretty much considering a DNF at around the 80 page mark but read the last 30 pages and decided to wade through. And it was worth it. Most of the real story action starts about three-quarters of the way in but you need a lot of the slog to really understand what is going on. Like all of the books in the Mad Moreland series, there is a lot of mystical-type stuff going on but bringing that in is when the book really started to get good.

Three stars
This book came out August 29th, 2006
Follows Winterset
Followed by His Sinful Touch
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

Beyond Compare by Candace Camp

 I loved listening to the first book in this series and immediately ordered the rest of the series through PaperBackSwap.com. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I didn't like it as much because it wasn't audio or if this book was just harder to connect to but it took me a LONG time to finish this book. 

Kyria Moreland is incredibly beautiful but still unmarried. Rafe McIntyre is a friend of her sister's husband. American and incredibly attractive, Kyria is intrigued. She gets to spend more time with him when a mysterious box is sent to her family's house and the courier dies practically on the doorstep. His last words? Kyrie.

Bullets, knife fights, and kidnapping ensue. But it does go on a little bit long with not as much movement in the romance as there is in the mystery. 

Three stars

Follows Mesmerized

Followed by Winterset

This book came out April 4th, 2004

Hard copy I didn't keep

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

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

Her Scandalous Pursuit by Candace Camp

Thisbe Moreland is a scientist even if she is a woman in a time when women are not considered to be intelligent. HarrisoBut she still attends lectures. And that's where she meets Desmond Harrison.  Most duke's daughters wouldn't be interested in a shopkeeper's assistant, especially one who works for a scientist trying to prove that ghosts exist, but one of the Mad Morelands would definitely be willing to defy convention.
Thisbe hates the name but she can't deny that she is having odd dreams. Dreams that are connected to the artifact that Desmond is looking for, one that might prove the existence of ghosts. Something her grandmother, the feared Dowager of Broughton owns.
This book was written after the rest of the series, even though it is a prequel. It is a nice, quick story though sort of surface, even though it tops four hundred pages.

Three stars
This book came out January 8th, 2020
Hard copy I didn’t keep
Opinions are my own

Winterset by Candace Camp

Anna Holcombe and her brother have a family secret which means that, even though she loved Reed Moreland, she turned down his marriage proposal. The reason Reed even met her, living out in the country, is that he bough her uncle's estate. Now, knowing that Anna rejected him. He wants to sell. Except that he keeps having dreams that she is in trouble. And he just wants to make sure that she is okay.
For now she is, but someone is killing the local townspeople. And an old legend is resurrected. One that could bring the Holcombe family's secret out into the open.
A fun book with interesting characters.

Four stars

Follows Beyond Compare

Followed by An Unexpected Pleasure
This book came out January 8th, 2018
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding by Erin Nicholas

It's been a year since Josh Landry and Victoria (Tori) Kramer hooked up at Mardi Gras. They had made a pact to meet again at the same bar. Josh is there but Tori... isn't. He goes back to Autre to work at his family's swamp tour business... where Tori shows up the next day. She had been at the bar but, when Josh didn't show up, she kissed the man that she thought was him. Only it was her best friend who is getting married this weekend. The same man whose fiancee hates Tori because she thinks Tori is trying to talk her best friend, Andrew out of the marriage. Which Tori totally is. But not because Tori is In Love with Andrew but because she thinks the fiancee is all wrong for him. So Tori invites Josh to the wedding. That way she can prove that she's trying to break up the wedding for all the right reasons. Plus, fun make out times with Josh.

Josh is all in. Tori is his woman. Yes, the folks back in Iowa think she's a little nuts but she fits right in with the Landry family. He's determined to take this weekend to prove to Tori that he is the one for her. 

This book was a fun twist on some familiar tropes. There was no fake relationship (there could have been) and the best friends didn't fall in love. I hope that Andrew gets his own book as well as Josh's siblings, the surly Sawyer and goth-ish Kennedy.

Four stars
Followed by Sweet Home Louisiana

This book came out April 9th, 2019

Got this as an exchange from Paperback Swap and exchanged it again

Opinions are my own

My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding by Erin Nicholas

It's been a year since Josh Landry and Victoria (Tori) Kramer hooked up at Mardi Gras. They had made a pact to meet again at the same bar. Josh is there but Tori... isn't. He goes back to Autre to work at his family's swamp tour business... where Tori shows up the next day. She had been at the bar but, when Josh didn't show up, she kissed the man that she thought was him. Only it was her best friend who is getting married this weekend. The same man whose fiancee hates Tori because she thinks Tori is trying to talk her best friend, Andrew out of the marriage. Which Tori totally is. But not because Tori is In Love with Andrew but because she thinks the fiancee is all wrong for him. So Tori invites Josh to the wedding. That way she can prove that she's trying to break up the wedding for all the right reasons. Plus, fun make out times with Josh.
Josh is all in. Tori is his woman. Yes, the folks back in Iowa think she's a little nuts but she fits right in with the Landry family. He's determined to take this weekend to prove to Tori that he is the one for her.
This book was a fun twist on some familiar tropes. There was no fake relationship (there could have been) and the best friends didn't fall in love. I hope that Andrew gets his own book as well as Josh's siblings, the surly Sawyer and goth-ish Kennedy.

April 9th, 2019
Four stars
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

How to Find a Duke in Ten Days -- anthology

Three men decide to help a retiring mentor, Professor Peebles, prove that his life's work isn't a myth.

The Will to Love by Grace Burrowes
Philomena Peebles, the professor's daughter, decides to go out for a job helping Seton Avery, Earl of Ramsdale, decipher his uncle's will. His uncle was the professor's archnemesis and left a fairly convoluted will in Latin. The two quickly realize that they are just as interested in each other as unraveling the mystery.

Not a lot of time for relationship development even though the two have known each other before.
Three stars

How to Steal a Duke by Shana Galen
In the group, there is one person-duke (as opposed to the four folios also know as "dukes" or the Duke) and he is the one who intercepts a cat burglar one night. Well, she jumps on the roof of his carriage to evade the clerk in the jewelry store she was robbing. He decides she will be the perfect way to steal the Duke from it's rumored place in a house on top of a hill. Or something. This story didn't hang together very well but it was short.

Two and a half stars.

The Viscount's First Kiss by Carolyn Jewel
The longest of the three novellas, Viscount Daunt works with his country neighbor and long-time friend, Magdalene Carter to go through the contents of several libraries he bought just to look for the Duke. At one time, Magdalene's now-deceased husband had been accused of stealing one of the manuscripts so she is anxious to help and clear her name
A nice story but muddled by the introduction of a villain that was completely unnecessary and added nothing to the story.

Three stars

Three stars
This book came out October 3, 2017
Opinions are my own

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Short stories and comics tell the stories of the author's life. Most are funny but some are rather serious, documenting the author's struggle with depression. The book was well put together with different color pages for each of the stories. It is a fun read that includes stories about her dogs (one of which looks like a German Shepherd to me but I might be biased.) I wasn't expecting the mental health parts but should have guessed from the quote by Jenny Lawson (whose readers will enjoy this book and vice versa).

Four stars
This book came out October 29th, 2013
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

Marquesses at the Masquerade -- anthology

Once Upon a Ball by Emily Greenwood
Rosamund Shufflebottom has been relegated to being the seamstress for her aunt and cousins. The night before a big ball held by the Marquess of Boxham, they force her to stay up almost all night. But her uncle presents her with a ball gown and her own pearl necklace which her aunt demanded as payment for taking Rosamund in. And Rosamund gets to attend the ball where she meets the Marquess but also loses the pearl necklace. Her aunt finds out and casts her out of the house.

Two and a half stars - Rosamund was described as a firebrand but we never really see it or the reasons why the Marquess would fall in love with her. Yes, it's a Cinderella story but so short that there's not much built out from that bare bones beginning.

Only Unto Him by Susanna Ives
Lord Exmore knows that Miss Annalise Van Der Keer is not right for his cousin. And he tells her so in no uncertain terms, sending her from London. Three years later, she is back but the circumstances have changed. She is no longer so silly, having nursed her parents while they were dying and he is no longer held in regard, having gone off the rails after his wife died.
But then he sees Annalise in a print shop and realizes that she's changed. And with his own changes, maybe something they could work on.

The first part of the story, Annalise and Exmore moving from enemies to friends was captivating. It sort of fell apart when they got married and the Big Misunderstanding but the first three quarters was quite delightful.

Three and a half stars


The Governess and the Norse God by Grace Burrowes
Darien St. Ives,  Marquess of Tyne, loves his daughters and is grateful that his newest nanny, Lucy, has been able to help cheer them since the death of their mother. Lucy is forthright and humble, the perfect nanny. And when they both attend the same masquerade, it opens his eyes to the fact that she may just be his perfect woman.
There was a subplot of a love triangle that didn't need to be there in such a short story but overall an enjoyable read.

Three and a half stars


This book came out April 17th, 2018
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

See the Light by Kate McMurray

Jeremy and Max are best friends and used to be roommates. And now that Jeremy's been dumped, they're roommates again. Well, Jeremy is crashing on Max's couch. Both work on Broadway, Jeremy as a dancer, Max as a makeup artist. Both seem on the brink of success but can they achieve it both in their personal lives and professionally.
This was a really good story but, and I rarely say this, could have benefitted from being a little bit shorter. There was a last Big Misunderstanding that really made me think less of both characters and didn't exactly feel true to the story. But McMurray's writing was fun and I liked them both up until then and will definitely read more of her stories.

Three and a half stars
This book came out January 28th, 2019
This was a hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

A Fly for the Prosecution: How Insect Evidence Helps Solve Crimes by M. Lee Goff

I heard about this book from one of the ladies in a local book club. She made it sound very interesting. And it was, up to a point. After a while, the beats of the book get a little monotonous; there's no ebb and flow, just a steady stream of facts. If you are a big fan of scientific books, this is going to be very interesting. If you are having trouble concentrating on books right now, this may not be the book for you because it is very detail-heavy.

Three stars
This book came out September 1st, 2001
Hard copy that I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler

My mother encouraged me to read this book that in turns made me laugh and cry. Can you be irreverent about cancer? Especially if you are a "good Christian" and the diagnosis makes you question so many things? Yes. But not everyone does it with the grace and truth that Bowler writes with. A dip into "Prosperity Christianity" is included; the belief that, if you believe in God enough, if you are a good person, you will be blessed with whatever you want whether it is health or wealth or anything else. Her look at death made me cry so many times but this is the kind of glimpse into Christianity that I adore; brutally honest about the failings but steadfast nonetheless. This is the glimpse into death that I adore; brutally honest about how much it sucks and not just because you have lost or are losing someone but because of how inadequate our culture is in dealing with it.

Four and a half stars
This book came out February 6th, 2018
Hard copy I passed on
Opinions are my own

Take Me by Bella Andre

I heard about this book on one of my romance podcasts. It was supposed to be a book with a larger size heroine. And Lily Ellis is larger, a full size 16. Her best friend doesn't treat her any different but his twin brother, Travis Carson, has always been disdainful of her. Which is too bad because Lily has always been attracted to him. And she immediately recognizes that it is him in the audience, rather than her best friend, when she gets pulled into modeling some of her sister's clothes.
And it's modeling the well-fitting gorgeous clothes that finally make Travis notice Lily. So they have one wild night. But then he hires her to help decorate a house and they have to travel to Italy together. There, they really get to know the attraction that is burning between them.
The language in this one was a bit odd as though it wasn't edited very well. And I didn't love the way Lily was treated. I didn't feel it was as bad as some readers reviewed.

Three stars
Followed by Love Me
This book came out November 15, 2005
I had a hard copy that I passed on to someone else