The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

A coworker mentioned reading this book but that she was having a hard time getting through it. I've been on a streak of business-related books and the parts that she described sounded interesting. 

I totally get it what she means about the slog. It took me a long time to get through this book. It's not just the fact that this book is almost 20 years old and that life has changed so much. While Ferris has a number of thoughts that sound good on the surface, it's like listening to a car salesman. It's all too good to be true. Ferris has a giant blindspot in regards to his own privilege that makes it hard to think that everyone could follow his suggestions and get to where he is. 

Is anything imminently wrong? No, but hindsight (and probably even a bit of thought at the time) shows that most of his suggestions aren't going to work in the ways that he is promising.

Two and a half stars

This book came out January 1, 2011

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Linchpin by Seth Godin

The basic premise of this story is that you should find what makes you unique and use it to make youreself indispensible to your company. An artist can't be outsourced. At least according to Godwin. And he tells us that. A lot. In many different ways. Over and over. If you like Godwin's keynotes, those are entertaining and much more concise. 

Two and a half stars

This book came out January 26, 2010

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Gift of Gold by Jayne Ann Krentz

Jonas Quarrel doesn't expect to find the true love of his life in a slightly scary cantina in Mexico but sometimes life is funny. He ends up finding her and becoming the dishwasher at her upscale vegetarian restaurant. He knows they're fated to be and he's going to push and push until he gets his way.

He's also got a talent for touching an object, ones used for violence, and reliving the moment that the item was used.

This book is incredibly a sign of the time in which it was written. It did not age really well. I remember enjoying the book but winced through most of it in re-reads. 

Two and a half stars

This book came out in 1988

Gift #1

Audiobook from Audible

Opinions are  my own

Snowed in with Mr. Heartbreaker by Pippa Grant

I'm not much for age gap nor for novellas but this one was fine. Fine-ish. I finished it. 

We've got a friend of a heroine from a previous books and the next-to-last member of Bro Code. 

Aspen and Cash were texting each other before she started living in the smaller house behind his house. Then they met in person and were instantly attracted but each have their own reasons for not wanting to make a move on the other. 

Now, it's Christmas and they're at a Christmas party. They are caught under the mistletoe but Aspen runs. Cash follows her to a small cabin but they are in the mountains, there's a storm, and a bear, and a tree. They have to spend some time alone but near enough to each other to share heat. 

There was the whole storyline of Aspen not liking Christmas but then it was resolved "off screen" and that annoyed me.

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

Opinions are my own

Tea, Tiramisu, and Tough Guys by Harper Lin

Franny is contending with another death when a local man is murdered outside a gym. She is bemused to discover that the man who owns the gym was the big man on campus from her high school, Todd. She's even more surprised to find that he's more handsome than ever. He also seems to be the prime suspect. And that, Franny decides, is a shame. So she's going to investigate. Because Todd's too hot to be a killer. 

This was a two and a half star book for me. Franny was ridiculous, Matty was being kind of a jerk, and the killer came out of nowhere. I would probably stop this series and concentrate on Harper Lin's others which I like better, except that I do have the third book already from the library. 

Two and a half stars

This book came out September 18, 2015

Cap Bay Cafe Mystery #2

Follows Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse

Followed by Margaritas, Marzipan, and Murder

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Christmas Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

I hadn't read a Hannah Swensen book in a long time but a friend told me that they had gone off the rails in sort of a fun way. So. I wasn't expecting this one to be a prequel to the series. This story involves Essie, an older woman who has been beloved by the community for her storytelling skills, and the hotel that she and her husband used to own. 

It is set three weeks after her father died so her family is grieving and figuring out what they are going to do next. Hannah's mother has retreated to her bedroom and isn't coming out. But when Essie goes to the hospital, her friends rally her under the guise of helping Essie. When Hannah and her mother go to Essie's house, they find a stack of writing that becomes a story within this story. This becomes a second mystery that is connected to the "present" but, gosh, it made both mysteries simplistic. In addition, there's a lot of filler and the need for a total suspension of disbelief. 

Hannah Swensen #23

Two and a half stars

This book came out September 25, 2018

Follows Raspbery Danish Murder

Followed by Chocolate Cream Pie Murder

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley

Calladia Cunnington is proud of her physique. She's strong and really quite bad ass. Just because her mother and a former boyfriend tried to break her down doesn't mean that she's willing to listen to them. Plus, there's a hot demon who thinks she's all that. Not that she's going to pay attention since he tried to kill her and all.

Astaroth is gunning for power. He made a bad (demon) bargain and now he's been cast out and turned fully human. He's also lost his memory. Luckily, Calladia has taken pity on him. Unluckily, his major enemy is still gunning for him.

This was an interesting book. I read it because I picked up the third book in the series and thought I should read the first two. I didn't feel like I needed to have read the first book to understand this one. I didn't really like either of the main characters but made it to the end. Two and a half stars rounded up for Goodreads. 

Glimmer Falls #2

Two and a half stars

This book came out November 28, 2023

Follows A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

Followed by A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Big Nate: Next Stop, Superstardom! by Lincoln Peirce

I knew that Big Nate had been turned into a TV show and wondered if this was the book version of that. It is. And, at some point it may be successful to go that way with a comic book but this book... is dark. Like, physically dark. There's a running internet joke about how hard it is to see television and movies these days because the producers make things so dark and I feel like the artists in this book took that to heart. I thought at first it might be a metaphor for being at school because some panels have Nate in his house which is fully lit but I was really overthinking the process. 

There are three stories in the book. The first is a decent one about a baking competition against Jefferson middle school and trying to fake a haunting and Nate's dad dressing up as clown to go to a funeral. 

The second has Nate being pushed into figure skating for gym. He needs a partner to make it work but the only decent skater, Chad (who seems to have a lot of chest hair?) is forbidden from skating by a family curse. 

This one has a subplot with Nate's friends trying to teach his dad how to say no to Nate. 
The third story is Nate's dad trying to find a job which leaves an opening for Nate's band to step into a wedding. 

At the end of each of the stories is a page from the original comic is was based on. And, I feel like a curmudgeon typing this but, the (original) book was better. 

Two and a half stars

This book comes out May 25, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon

I heard about this book on an episode of Smart Podcast Trashy Books. They made it sound fun and interesting and Kindle Unlimited had it available so I thought, "Why not?" 
This was one of the few times that SPTB and I will have to agree to disagree. I never connected with Esther or could tell what kind of person she was outside of the fact that she really, really, really likes to have sex. And I'm not slut-shaming here, I just would have liked to know more about her or any of the gentlemen that she gets to know throughout the story.  

Two and a half stars

This book came out March 23, 2021

Followed by The Basilisk of Star Manor

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Murder at the Seaside Hotel by Sonia Parin

Oh. My. Lanta. This book was SOOOOOO slow. I'd estimate that half the book is just Evie coming up with wild theories about the death of a maid in a seaside hotel. And we're never really given a reason she's so involved other than the fact that the police never interviewed her (seemed like this was tongue-in-cheek) and that she didn't like that the police weren't giving this maid respect. We never really do find out why the police didn't look into the death but luckily Evie has an old friend (Inspector O'Neill) who is
willing to come down and take a look. Also involved? Evie's maid, chauffeur, and "good friend," Tom. 

Two and a half stars

This book came out July 28, 2019

Follows Murder in the Cards

Followed by Murder in the Third Act

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Difference Between Us by Rachel Higginson

Molly Maverick is happy for her BFF, Vera. Vera's in love and getting married.  It's just too bad that Vera's fiance comes along with HIS BFF, Ezra Baptiste. Model-gorgeous, Ezra is a multi-bazillionaire who seems to have a fascination with Molly. Apparently, nobody else in his life tells him "no" and the fact that she did means that she is unique. So he basically strongarms her into helping him, even after a pretty decisive turn down from Molly by doing an end run and hiring the firm she works for as a designer and specifically requesting her. And Molly already has enough to deal with given the fact that her boss's son doesn't seem to have gotten the memo on the things that constitute sexual harassment. And there is a LOT of this book that is devoted to the description of that harassment. Which would have been fine had it not all been resolved in a couple of sentences. So much build-up for so little in return. Higginson's writing saved this from being a DNF for me and she handled Molly's reactions and why she acted the way she did pretty well but I wanted more on-page justice.

Two and a half stars

This book came out June 25, 2017

Opposites Attract

Follows The Opposite of You

Followed by The Problem with Him

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Reread June 2025

Resting Witch Face by Juliette Cross

There are trigger warnings at the beginning of this book and they are accurate. I hadn't been enjoying the violence in this series but really wanted to read the story of Jules and Ruben. It was fine but there was a lot of woe-is-me from Jules because she broke up with Ruben and a lot of I'm-the-best-boyfriend-ever-with-no-missteps from Ruben. She is a super powerful witch who doesn't even get to save herself.

Her work is about to come to fruition. Jules has been campaigning to get the werewolves on the witches council (which also includes vampires) and is enjoying some success. Now she needs to take it to a higher power. But her ex-boyfriend is the one who is coming with her and she's not excited.

Ruben, on the other hand, is delighted. It's been twelve years since they broke up and it's time for him to claim his fated mate.  

Two and a half stars 

This book came out October 31, 2022

Follows Always Practice Safe Hex

Followed by Grim and Bear It

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Always Practice Safe Hex by Juliette Cross

This is a series with a lot of "alpha male" archetypes but Gareth, though a reaper, may be the alpha-est of them all. And, while that is not my favorite character type, I can usually enjoy a book as long as the other person in the relationship can hold their own in terms of character. Livvy, unfortunately, did not. Gareth's personality took up so much of the book that I feel like we didn't get to know Livvy except as the one who needed saving. She is supposed to be an equal partner in the ... marketing contest?... but didn't seem to contribute much at all other than to be in a swimsuit.

Definitely hoping that Juliette fares better in her story. 

Two and a half stars 

This book came out May 24, 2022

Follows Walking in a Witchy Wonderland

Followed by Resting Witch Face

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year by Jackie Lau

Zachary Wong knows that he needs to be preemptive. The last two holidays, his parents have invited prospective partners for he and his siblings. So he asks his friend, the town dentist Jo MacGregor, if she will pretend to be his girlfriend. From there, this book beats exactly along the fake-relationship-trope lines and does not veer from them. Zach and Jo go out to dinner to convince the townsfolk that they really are dating, they both have deeper feelings for the other but don't want to say anything, etc. Lau is an amazing writer but this felt like more of a duty book than one she enjoyed writing.

Two and a half stars

This book came out January 7, 2020

Follows A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas 

Followed by A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day

Kindle book I own

Opinions are my own

Sizzle by Julie Garwood

Never really connected with Lyra. She's not so different from many other Garwood heroines, plucky, rich-but-lives-simply, career-driven until she meets her man. But she was just a little shallow.

Lyra is a graduate student (graduate? never really stated) who gets mixed up in something that has at least three different men trying to hunt her down and kill her. When the men break into her apartment and tie up her roommate Sidney, the Buchanan element is involved. Alec, one of Sidney's brothers, immediately sends in the man who saved his life, another FBI agent Sam, who we later learn is in line to be the Earl of Kincaid, a reference to one of Garwood's other series.

The relationship is... Garwood-esque--  young girl, older male in somewhat of a teacher/protector role.  I liked the new-age-Alpha-male Sam though not as much when I read it ten years ago. Subplot with Lyra's grandmother stealing holy water was also pretty fun. Not my favorite in this series.

Two and a half stars

Follows Fire and Ice

Followed by The Ideal Man

This book came out December 15th, 2009

Opinions are my own

Crazy for Loving You by Pippa Grant

Daisy Imogen Carter-Kincaid is known in the tabloids as a billionaire party girl. She is footloose and fancy-free. Except that her cousin, famous for giving people one star reviews, has died and left Daisy her child. But Daisy isn't the only person left in charge of the child, so is West Jaeger, former Marine, current contractor. 

West thinks that this is one big joke. His brother Tyler is a hockey player and his team is known for their pranks. But then he figures out someone (who fired him by the way) has really left him a child. And that he needs to stick around so that the child doesn't go to his even worse paternal grandparents.

This may be one of Grant's earlier books because, while it has the absolute crazy-pants parts of the plot that she includes in all of her books, there are plot points that are thin to the point of invisibility and the character development is lacking. We hear that West and Daisy work but there isn't much explanation out of that. 

Two and a half stars

Follows Wild Open Hearts

Bluewater Billionairs #4

This book came out November 8th, 2019 (oof, not as early as I had thought)

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle

Opinions are my own

Reread as Kindle ebook October 2024

Badass Habits by Jen Sincero

Benjamin Franklin had a theory that some people are abstainers and some people are moderators. Jen Sincero is definitely a moderator and seems to assume that everyone else is as well. If you know yourself to be an abstainer, this book is not going to be for you. Otherwise, if you know that you are a moderator and that you love Sincero's books, I think you will delight in this new addition.

Two and a half stars

This book came out December 1st, 2020

ebook borrowed from CloudLibrary

Opinions are my own

The Fall of Shane MacKade by Nora Roberts

Shane MacKade's brothers are dropping like flies. He loves women as much as the rest of them, but, only one for the rest of his life? Uh uh, no way. 
Then, Regan's younger friend comes to town. Dr. Rebecca Knight is interested in... well, everything. She's a nerd. It's only been the last few months that she's been able to come into her own, as a woman. Before that, she was your quintessential workaholic. Shaggy hair, no makeup, the whole nine yards. But she's put herself together and is on to her latest research, haunted houses. And, well, Shane has one of those. 
So, the fact that they're highly attracted to each other is somewhat inconvenient. Especially since Shane's not a settling down kind of man, but Regan is most definitely a marrying kind of woman.
I usually read this book when I read the rest of the series but probably wouldn't read it otherwise because Shane is definitely an alphahole womanizer who is changed by the love a magical, virginal vageen.

Two and a half stars

Follows The Heart of Devin MacKade

This book came out April 1st, 1996

Ebook from Kindle

Opinions are my own

Cubicles That Make You Envy the Dead by Scott Adams

I hadn't read a Dilbert book in quite some time and had a chance to borrow this for free so I thought, "Why not?" 
Not much has changed. All of the characters are fairly one-dimensional. Nobody likes their job. Management is incompetent. Not much, other than the technology has changed.

Two and a half stars

This book came out November 6th, 2018

ebook borrowed from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Considering Kate by Nora Roberts

Kate Kimball has been on the greatest stages of the world. But she is done with the world of ballet; she just wants to retire home in West Virginia and open up a school. First, she will need to have her building renovated. But Brody O'Connell, her contractor, is infuriating. And handsome. And a good dad to his son.
Brody doesn't want to deal with a stuck-up woman like Kate. His wife was a woman from that world and her family turned their backs on her when she married Brody. But she is different. Decisive as well as beautiful and she fits so perfectly into his life.
This book very much mirrors the first book in the series down to the misunderstandings that occur when our protagonists meet. The frills are different and Katie is much more forward than her mother was but quite a bit of overlap that some readers may not enjoy.

Three stars
This book came out February 1st, 2001
Follows Waiting for Nick
Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary
Opinions are my own