High Intensity by Dara Joy

I remember enjoying the first of the Tyber and Zanita books but not the second. I couldn't really remember why. I now know. It's because Zanita was charming and whimsical in the first book while Tyber was bemused and enchanted (this was well before manic pixie dream girls became oversaturated in our culture.) The second book, she's a nut and he's a prankster know-it-all.
Zanita proposed to Tyber but then tells him she doesn't want to get married because they'll become boring. He decides to prove her wrong by whisking her off to an island adventure where there may be ghosts. Blooey (cook) and Hambone (cat), of course, are going to come along. Zanita's Auntie shows up as well. We even see Mills and Gregor (and his son Cody) a couple of times though the conversation is basically the same in both.

Two stars

This book came out October 1, 1998 

Tyber and Zanita #2

Follows High Energy

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Mrs. Brodie's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies by Shana Galen, Theresa Romain

I can't remember why I put this on my wishlist in 2018 but I finally got this book this year. It was... fine. Not worth the wait though.

In the first story, Jack and Marianne were childhood sweethearts. He married someone else and now he's hunted her down for... reasons? Closure? She's a cook at the school and he's there to sweep her away from a life that she basically enjoys. He's an ass and she's not much better. 

In the second story, Bridget and Caleb were sweethearts (a theme) but he left her to pursue his career as a spy. He's not even really back right now but, when he finds out they had a son, he's ready to help her find their boy and head for a new life in Canada.

I can see how this would have been an amazing series but was woefully underdeveloped in two short stories by authors I normally enjoy.

Two stars

This book came out September 14, 2018

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Starlit Winter Nights by Nora Roberts

I hadn't read the Cordina series in awhile and this book reminded me of why. This series didn't age well and this book is definitely a product of its time with Hanna supposedly being a kickass secret undercover agent (we learn this pretty quickly) but she is helpless against Prince Bennett and his ... charms(?).

Bennett is worried about his family. An old enemy is about to be released from from prison and he knows that his family is going to be a target. He is even more worried about the fact that he seems to be falling for a woman who is not his normal type. He usually dates models and striking women but this one is... not. but she's captured his attention.

Lady Hannah Rothchild is drab and tends to be overlooked. That is because she has cultivated that personality. It allows her to melt into the background becoming the perfect bodyguard for people like Princess Eve. She has the background and she has the skills. Hannah is about to take down the Big Bad but is apparently distracted by Bennett and his forceful (emphasis on force...) ways.

Two stars

This book came out October 1, 1987

Follows Command Performance

Followed by Cordina's Crown Jewel

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Charms and Firearms by Trixie Silvertale

Mitzy is going on a trip with Rory Bombay. She's been warned against him but she's decided that she knows best. They are going just out of town to a ski hill that's seen better days and an owner who is a decided lush. Of course, it's Mitzy who discovers a body on the hill. She and Rory also do a quick search of the body (who, even in 2020 when this was written, doesn't know to leave a body where it is?). It's a photographer who has some incriminating evidence on an SD card that eventually makes its way to the police.

I'm going to read the next book in the series because I got a three-book file from Kindle Unlimited but I am really not liking Mitzy. I get that she's young but she is not listening to anyone in her life and is doing things that will actively get her potential love interest in trouble. 

Warning for racist stereotyping: thieving "gypsy"

Two stars

Finished March 17, 2020

Follows Sparks and Landmarks

Followed by Bars and Boxcars

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm by Betty MacDonald

I like the first two books in the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series but after that... eh. The books are usually charming with their magical realism. This book features a lot more magic, a lot less realism.

We start off with the Not Truthfulness Cure. We've got a young gentleman who can't seem to tell the truth and there are a lot of different stories going around town. So he's left with Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for a month. Yes. His parents just drop him off at a woman's farm, out of town (she's moved since the first two books) and this is someone they don't really know. Okay. 

Next up is the Pet-forgotten cure where a little girl can't take care of her many, many pets. 

In the Destructiveness Cure, we meet Jeffy who likes to take things apart. Of course, being at Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's will show him why that's not a good idea. Suddenly in this book, Penelope the parrot, who was a regular parrot before, talks in full sentences.

There is also the Fraidy-Cat Cure. Phoebe is scared of everything but when Mrs Piggle-Wiggle gets trapped and getting over being a fraidy cat has to happen quickly.

Lastly we have the Can't Find It Cure where Morton comes up with a fabulous treasure... which was how the last book ended.

You can probably tell that I was frustrated with this book as being a retread of a lot of earlier stories.

Two stars

This book came out in 1954

Follows Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic

Followed by Hello Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Less of a Stranger by Nora Roberts

Megan Miller (who the hero calls "Meg" throughout the book though the narrator and her grandfather both use her full name) is twenty-three and an artist. Well, she's an artist when she's not working at her grandfather's amusement park. The same amusement park that Katch is interested in. Oh, but now he's interested in him as well. But she's not interested in him. Now she is. Now she isn't. But he's going to control the whole relationship. Just... blergh. One of Roberts's early romances that just didn't age well. 

Two stars

This book came out June 1, 1984

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Tangled Reins by Stephanie Laurens

When the book opens, our hero (the Marquis of Hazelmere) mistakes our heroine (Dorothea Darent) for a country miss out picking blackberries and decides to steal a kiss. When she reacts undecidedly unlike a country miss, he has to reevaluate. What he finds is a girl outside what he's used to dealing with. For one thing, she's a bit older (twenty-two and unmarried, gasp!) and also a bit less than impressed by his prestige.

He again encounters her in an inn yard where she is being heckled by some of his compatriots. After coming to her rescue, Marc is only more entranced by her innate beauty and lack of artifice.

Of course, there are going to be trials and tribulations but these two strong-headed characters will eventually fight their way toward love.

There is a lot of tell don't show when it comes to Dorothea in this book. The entire book roles around the premise that she is so much more than the other debutantes but nobody tells her anything that's going on. Of course she ends up in the situation she does. Blergh.

Two stars

This book came out September 11, 1992

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

Sleight of Mouth by Robert B. Dilts

I can't remember why I added this book to my TBR list but I can't believe I actually finished it. After the fifth spelling error (all within the first third of the book), I pondered whether I really wanted to read it.
After the first instance of a completely unscientific example used to prove one of the author's points, I pondered even harder. Then, an instance of pseudoscience. Strapping myself in, I decided to enjoy the ride.

There are some valid studies in this book but overall I am disappointed I left this on my TBR shelf for too long. 

Two stars

This book came out November 5, 2001

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Art of Deception by Nora Roberts

Ufda. This book really did not age well. The hero leans close to alphahole and our heroine tends toward an early manic pixie dream girl. She and her father veer from arch and loving to over the top in a sort of annoying way.
All Adam Hastings wants to do is figure out what is going on with some art forgeries. He has a mysterious friend he's talking to while he's staying at Phillip Fairchild's house because... somehow they know Phillip is connected? But he doesn't realize that Phillip has a daughter and is shocked by her. But attracted! Because Kirby, an accomplished sculptor, screams sex. Well, her body does. Her personality is also attractive, so why not? But the plot is more twisted than it appears and becomes more and more convoluted.

Two stars

This book came out February 28th, 1986

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door by Chelsea Bobulski

There is a romance trope of falling in love with the girl next door and that's what Graham Wallace has done. About 2 years ago is when it happened even though they'd been friends for years. But Sarah is dating his best friend Jeremy. However, a wish on a falling star makes it so that Graham gets everything he ever wants, he's the one who's been dating Sarah for two years.

It takes him a little time to find his feet but he VERY quickly starts to figure out that this life might not be the one he actually wants. And it's that swiftness that surprised me a little bit and actually made me like Graham a little less. It would have been nice to see a little more joy in his wish and not just a guy falling in love with another girl at what is basically the outset of his dream relationship. It made the whole thing rather joyless. And there was a LOT of focus on the girls' appearance. I'm assuming this book is going to be aimed at teenage girls with the "love" story but... there is so much focus on weight and outer beauty as being what is attractive to Graham. I generally liked the writing but there was a lot of internal misogyny included in it that is sort of ridiculous in a book published in late 2021. And most of the book was three stars until the last 10% which got beyond dramatic, really highlighted Graham's self-centeredness, and it really didn't need to be included.

Two stars

This book came out October 28, 2021

Followed by All I Want For Christmas is the Girl in Charge

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Nobody Does it Better by Samantha Chase narrated by Carly Robins

Oh man. I generally enjoy Chase but this book was basically a "no" for me though other regular readers may not mind it as much.  Carly Robins is a fantastic narrator though and I enjoyed her interpretation of the story. I will be looking for more books that she is involved in. 

There was so much about this book that was cringe-y. Yes, there is an age gap between Parker and Ryder. How do we know? It's brought up. A lot. And Ryder sure does treat Parker like she is a little girl even though she is in her mid-twenties and is running a successful business. the two have seen each other at her family's events but they haven't interacted until he buys a business that she's been saving up for for years. And then she throws a fit. Which, okay. That makes sense. You're going in to cross the line of a goal you've had for years and someone has swooped in and taken it. So she runs and yells and then somehow falls in love after a near-death experience which culminates in a night with one bed. And, boom, relationship. One where every single male in her family seems to feel like they need to issue a warning and Ryder feels like he needs to rebuff (Patriachal Ew) instead of... maybe all of these males trusting Parker to know her own mind and stand up for what she wants. 

Then Ryder reverted to treating her like a child which is very much at odds with how he is treating her otherwise. And Parker is acting more like a New Adult character than one in a Chase romance. 

Two stars

This audiobook comes out November 11, 2021

Followed by Since You've Been Gone

ARC kindly provided by Dreamscape Media and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Ever After by Jude Deveraux

I'm pretty sure I had said that I would stop reading Deveraux's books but this one was available to borrow immediately, so I did. Of course, the characters are treacly sweet. Even the so-called evil step-sister wasn't as bad as she appeared. Was it a book I would read again? Maybe. It's mostly the time travel ones that drive me over the top. And the fact that this was Jamie, one of Cale's sons (one of my fave short story romances) made it a little easier to swallow.
So, Hallie finds out that her step-sister has been posing as Hallie and is about to claim her inheritance AND take over physical therapy on a wounded trustifarian. But Hallie finds out and jumps on the private jet instead of her sister and ends up falling in lust, then love, with wounded soldier/Doctor Jamie Montgomery.
I did end up reading it again and wonder why I didn't mention at all that there are two ghosts working to ensure the HEA. AND this is the first book that I think I know of Deveraux's that actually mentions condoms! It's a really stupid reason (OMG, the Taggert's are so fertile, you HAVE to use condoms... but don't worry about disease) but it's mentioned!

Three stars

Follows For All Time

Followed by The Girl from Summer Hill

This book came out June 23rd, 2015

Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary

Opinions are my own

For All Time by Jude Deveraux

I have such a hard time with Deveraux's time traveling books. They are just not as good as her other books. And this one was no different. 
Graydon is in town to watch his cousin get married. At least, that's why he's supposed to be in town. As the heir apparent to the Lanconian throne, he is most certainly not supposed to be ogling bridesmaid Toby. And yet... there's a draw. One more powerful than his mother's disapproval and even overriding his good sense to remember that he's supposed to be engaged. But he and Toby have a history. A long history. One that they're willing to go back time to make sure that at least one version of themselves can end in true love...
Oh. My. God. The push-me-pull-you lasted the whole damn book. No seriously. It only got resolved in the last... twenty pages? I mean, good God. Yes, most books have issues like this but the couple at least tries to do something. Not just sit around with an, "Oh woe is me" attitude the Entire. Freaking. Time.

Two stars

Follows True Love

Followed by Ever After

This book came out July 1st, 2014

Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary

Opinions are my own

The Love Talker by Elizabeth Peters

Definitely not one of Ms. Peters' best books. It has the usual mysterious atmosphere and a heroine in danger, but the "romance" aspects of the book were just a little too ooky for me. Somehow, thought it was published in 1980, it felt more dated than many of her previous books.
Laurie Carlson is working on her dissertation in the bleak winter of Chicago when she gets a letter special delivery from her usually parsimonious aunt telling her she needs to come back to Pennsylvania. Her brother who she hasn't seen in a number of years calls and the two decide it is past time to go back and visit their family. There are three siblings left from their mother's mother, their aunts Lizzy and Ida and their brother Ned, now all in their 70 living together in the family mansion holding to their Spencerian ideals.  Aunt Lizzy is a fabulous cook and up-to-date with fashions but she has followed every out-there idea there is. The latest seems to be fairies and it has Aunt Ida, frankly quite worried. Uncle Ned is not very worried but, then, he is incredibly laid back and just takes the world as it comes. 
Unfortunately, it seems that someone is working very hard to make Aunt Lizzy believe that fairies are real, but for what purpose? And why does it seem so sinister?

Two stars

This book came out in 1980

Audiobook borrowed from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own

Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

Ufda. The casual racism in this book does NOT hold up well. The story is, as usual, quite funny but it is not a book that aged like a good wine.

Bertie has gotten hold of a banjo. If you've read previous books in the series, you realize that this is going to be a problem. In fact, it not only gets Bertie kicked out of his apartment, Jeeves leaves him as well. Big Problem. Except Bertie doesn't see it that way. He hires another valet and gets himself out of London since one of his previous fiancee's was seen in the company of two of his former antagonists. Well, it turns out that he might not have reason to worry since the former fiancee is now more interested in his friend Chuffy. But the course to true love never does run smoothly in fiction and it may be that Jeeves's intervention is needed after all.  

Two stars

Follows Very Good, Jeeves!

Followed by Right Ho, Jeeves!

This book came out in 1933

Audiobook borrowed from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own

The Sweet Taste of Sin by Ember Casey

This might be an interesting series later but this book needed just a little more character growth for me to believe that this was going to be an HEA.
Ashlyn is happy (more or less) running her bakery and avoiding her one and only True Love Dante Fontaine, yes, of the Hollywood Fontaines. But then she runs into him (in a situation that is one that pops up in romance novels but isn't one of my favorites.) And he realizes that she is still his True Love and he might have a chance (or something like that). Then he keeps running after her because he wants her even though she repeatedly says "No, nope, nopity nope." Usually I would DNF after about the third instance of this but I was tired and somehow kept going. 
They eventually do end up together but there was not near enough groveling and I'm not exactly sure why she took him back other than her lady bits kept telling her to.

Two stars

Followed by The Lies Between the Lines
This book came out February 5th, 2019

Ebook of mine on Kindle

Opinions are my own

Christmas on Peach Tree Lane by Jules Bennett

 If you don't mind your heroines hyper-perky, this is going to be an okay book. Violet Calhoun is an event planner (with some sort of store front?) who is coordinating the fiftieth anniversary of the Tinsel Tour in her tiny town. With a photographer and journalist from Southern Homes. While planning her mother's wedding. What could possibly go wrong? Maybe the gentleman who owns the crown jewel of the tour (a plantation... with nary a discussion of the problems with plantation owning; just Violet being all moony over the big rooms) passes away in the summer. And his super-hot workaholic grandson won't respond to Violet's many, many, many, many attempts to get a hold of him. 
But it's okay. Brady is super annoyed by her until he notices that she's awfully cute. And she just wears him down. Not okay for a hero, not okay for a heroine. Seriously.
There wasn't even any competency-porn because we didn't even get to see Violet decorating for the tour or even planning the wedding (other than a dress shopping trip that gets interrupted.) I finished the book because I was so close to being done and I really liked Violet's friendships.

Two stars
This book came out November 30th, 2020
Borrowed from CloudLibrary
Opinions are my own

A Vampire's Valentine Surprise by Kristen Painter

Delaney Ellingham is feeling run down. But that’s not a surprise since she’s prepping to be in three different categories in the Valentine’s Day bake off. One in which her arch enemy’s daughter (who she actually likes) is also participating albeit in a different division. But is it just stress or something more sinister.

This is the novella in this series that made me realize that I really just need to stop reading Painter’s interstitials; I do not like them. The regular books are super fun, fast, and fluffy but when that gets compressed into a novella, it is just fast with not as much of the fun.

Two stars

Follows The Vampire’s Fake Fiancée
Followed by The Shifter Romances the Writer

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible
This novella came out January 11th, 2016
Opinions are my own

The Origin of Evil by Ellery Queen

 Ellery is in Hollywood. When he’s sunbathing in the nude one afternoon, he is interrupted by

 a young girl who is convinced her father was murdered. The means? A threat in the form of a dead dog. Now the man’s business partner is being threatened as well. Roger Priam, the business partner, is in a wheel chair and his wife, Delia, is running around with his private secretary, Alfred Wallace. Delia has a son who is living in trees and has a crush on the girl who came to Ellery in the first place. 
The mystery ends up being incredibly convoluted and Ellery comes off as a major asshole (he lusts after Delia who does nothing to encourage him then gets pissed off when he finds out that she’s sleeping with the secretary - why? He wanted to sleep with her too. Boo, Ellery, boo).
I heard about this book on the Classic Mysteries podcast.

Two stars
This book came out 1951
Borrowed from the library
Opinions are my own

The Detection Club by Jean Harambat

The premise of this book is quite lovely. Six authors from the Golden Age of Detection form a club and create rules of mystery stories - this is something that happened. Then, they are all invited to an island and a murder occurs.
I almost requested both the first and second volumes at the same time but am glad that I didn't. This was a quick read but was flattering to none of the authors with the three women getting the brunt the bad characterizations. I finished the book but just barely. The text is hard to read on my e-reader and there is a LOT of exposition from the narrator that slows down the story.

Two stars
This book came out January 12th
ARC kindly provided by Europe Comics and NetGalley
Opinions are my own