Love Walks In by Samantha Chase

For me, Samantha Chase can be uneven. Some of her stories I really enjoy, others I can barely finish. The book before this one, Made for You, I didn't enjoy so much. This one, I liked.
When we meet Hugh Shaughnessy, he's a rebellious teenager whose biggest act coincides with the night his mother dies. That completely changes him and he swings to the other extreme, becoming very rigid.
When we meet him again as an adult, he's the owner of twelve resorts and in a panic because his events planner (the same person for all twelve) has just left. No two weeks notice. Just gone. And Hugh does NOT deal well with change. He is definitely not amused to find pink luggage not attached to a person on the resort's immaculate lawn. Nor is he later amused to see a woman with a proclivity for tiny underwear.
Aubrey is a Runaway Bride who has just had the luck to meet the man who is about to make Hugh a LOT of money. The man, an eccentric, immediately decides he loves Aubrey and he demands that she be the new point person for the events he is having at Hugh's resorts. An immediate reason for Aubrey and Hugh to spend more time together without being gross because he's not really her boss.
I wish we had seen Hugh open up to Aubrey about his OCD (though we didn't really see any evidence of actual OCD except with the dinners, mostly he just talks about having it). It was almost like love magically cured him of all his issues with the past. So, either his issues were overstated or we have a magic hoo-ha situation here.
There were issues, as I've noted, but the pacing was nice, I liked both Aubrey and Hugh and this was a sold "OK" book for me.

This book comes out April 5, 2016
Three stars

Followed by Always My Girl

The Semester of our Discontent by Cynthia Kuhn

Lila Maclean is a new professor at Stonedale University. Specializing in American Literature, she is one of two first-year teachers, the other one being Simone who doesn't seem to like Lila very much. Another person who doesn't like Lila? Roland Higgins, the chair of the department. He's a martinet, very much against any author who isn't white, male, and long-dead. Unfortunately for Lila, who is studying a female mystery novelist from the 1970s, this puts her firmly in his "does not like it" category which she finds out to her dismay on her first day of work. It's too bad that that day coincides with his murder. And Lila (along with her advisor Judith) is first on the scene. And then another body turns up. Then her cousin is arrested for murder. And it's up to Lila to get her out.
A nice first book in a series. There were some issues but overall a very good book and one for which I can't wait to read the next in the series.

Followed by The Art of Vanishing

The Bitchy Waiter: Life on the Other Side of the Menu by Darron Cardosa

I had not read this blog before but I was a server so I thought I'd give this book a chance. Having been a blog, it took some getting used to reading. Almost 30 pages in, I was seriously considering DNF'ing this book. It was just too choppy. But I'm glad that I stuck it out. It was a good book. I could have done without the fiction section but I have definitely had those afternoons where no one comes in and your mind wanders.
If you've been a server, you'll enjoy this book. If you've never been a server, welcome to the world of food service.



This book will be published on April 5th

The Norths Meet Murder by Frances Lockridge, Richard Lockridge

When I requested this book from NetGalley, I assumed it was like the recent Nero Wolfe that I had read -- a new book by a recent (currently alive) author. I know the Norths from old time radio stories and was confused when they met Lieutenant Weigand. Didn't they already know him? Oh! This is a reissue is the first book in the series!
It starts when Pam decides to throw a party. She's been to quite a few parties and "owes" her friends. She decides that it might be nice to use the empty apartment in their building. And it seems fine when she goes up to visit in the afternoon. But after Jerry comes home and they go to check it out together, they open the bathroom door and find a body.
Thus opens their eyes into the world of crime. This book is very fairly clued, especially if you know the Norths, it will be easy to figure out who the killer was.
I loved the exchange between Weigand and Mullins, "He could of" "I think you mean would have" "That's what I said." One of my pet peeves and in a book from  1940.

This book was reissued on March 8
Four stars

Foxing the Geese by Janet Woods

There is definitely a Trigger Warning for this book.

I hadn't read this author before so I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. And this was an okay book. Vivienne was a strong character who knew her mind and I mostly liked her although she did fall in love with... well... Yeah. Alex was a pretty big asshat. He got better at the end. Mostly.
Vivienne Fox has inherited a fortune. Lord Alex LeSayres needs a fortune. But he doesn't know that she has a fortune and seems to be falling in love. The two met when they were younger and Alex dumps her in a pig sty. Now he's going to help lend her some countenance during the Season and in return, he gets some time to pay back some of her father's debts.
The more I think about it, the more problems I have with this story (her uncle starts off as a menacing character but ends up benign for no good reason, Alex really is an asshat, etc.) but I had an overall good feeling reading this story so it ends up being a three-star for me.

Three stars
Book comes out April 1.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

I requested this book from Edelweiss and was surprised to see it a little later featured on the Mighty Girl Facebook page. And this is definitely a story about a mighty girl. One who is a regular (unnamed) girl who likes to hang out with her dog doing the normal things (racing, eating, exploring, relaxing) and also creating. Until the day that she thinks of the *Most Magnificent Thing.* But this time creation doesn't go so smooth. "It was not her finest moment." I can just see two- and three-year-olds parroting that and being absolutely adorable. The language is not too difficult but it wasn't dumbed down either.
I loved the lessons about learning from your mistakes and adored that the little girl was an inventor. The illustrations were fabulous as well and fit the story perfectly.

This book comes out April 1, 2016

Six Degrees of Scandal by Caroline Linden

I have been wondering what the heck was up with Olivia Townsend and we finally get to find out. I definitely preferred this book to the last one in this series though.Olivia Townsend has loved James Weston for most of her life. They grew up together and then fell in love. But after a romantic interlude... James decides that he knows what's best and wanders off rather than immediately asking for her hand. Because Olivia's family is in dire straights, they can't wait to get her married. Especially now that she's "damaged goods." So Olivia marries another. It's been two years since her husband died of the flu and she's not sure what's going on. Not only has all of the money from his inheritance mysteriously disappeared, one of her husband's friends is getting more and more insistent about pressing his intentions. And now she's got this mysterious book that just showed up. It seems to be one of her husband's diaries (according to the back cover, but really it sounds more like a ledger). When she takes it to a lawyer, he not only denies knowing exactly what it is, he claims that it was supposed to be burned. Going to her cold and lonely cottage (where she's hiding to get away from her would-be suitor), Olivia is beset upon by a shadowed man. One with a very familiar voice. It's James. He's been recruited by his sister Penelope to come to Olivia's rescue.As readers, we travel with James and Olivia to find out what her husband was really up to all while watching the two of them fall back in love. Or acknowledging that they still love each other. Parts of the story were a little too smooth and other parts dragged on a bit but overall a fairly good story.

This book comes out March 29, 2016