Housebroken by Laurie Notaro

I picked this book because of the similarity of the author's name to Tig Notaro (who the author TOTALLY references). I loved Lauren's breezy style and her conversational writing didn't grate on me as much as another recent read. I especially loved "Frankly, if I walk into your house and you don't have two hundred books in there somewhere that you haven't read yet, I don't trust you. I don't want to know you as a human." (27-28).
Fast and fun, this is most definitely an author I want to read again.

Four Stars
This book comes out July 5

You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein

So. I obviously skimmed the description on this one. I really thought it was either about coming out as gay or transitioning (I think I also got that from the title). And it made sense when the author started describing herself as a "tom man" but it got a little confusing from there until I finally figured out that the author is actually a straight woman. Yep. But she is a funny lady, evidenced by her bio at the end that enlightened me to the fact that she's the head writer on the Amy Schumer show. Finally got it figured out!
But this was a collection of essays she put together over the course of a couple of years. Reflections on her life, some about growing up, others about past loves. I liked it quite a bit. Not a ton of laugh out loud moments but some nice gentle humor that I enjoyed.

Four Stars
This book comes out July 5

Wrong Place, Right Time by Elle Casey

So, you know how annoying a plot moppet is? Well, this plot moppet had a lisp (lithp?) and he talks a lot. A LOT. I usually give ARCs a little more leeway otherwise this would have been a fast DNF for me.
Which I'm glad I did finish because this was mostly a pretty decent book. Yes, it was outlandish and there was way more sex than romance, but I generally liked the hero and heroine. The height differential seemed a little extreme but considering I know some similar couples, I've seen it work.
Jenny is a single mom with three kids and an ex who is pretty worthless (of course). Her sister (who has her own book) asks her to come do some computer work for the Bourbon Street Boys. While she's there, Jenny meets Dev and then gets to spend some extra time with him courtesy of the loud thump that sends them running (well, Jenny gets dragged, more or less) to the panic room. They're only there for a bit but it gives her a chance to spend some extra time with the super-tall, shaved head man. She starts working for the Bourbon Street Boys and spreading her wings.
This book reminded me of a Julie Ann Walker book but she does NOT usually throw in lisping, annoying plot moppets.

Two and a half stars
This book comes out July 5

A Gift for Guile by Alissa Johnson

After finishing "A Talent for Trickery," I was immediately ready for the story of Esther Walker-Bales. In the first book, she was portrayed as feisty and knowing her own worth but doubting some of her past. And Sir Samuel Brads seemed like a perfect foil, handsome but no-nonsense.
This book opens with Esther waiting on a train platform because of a mysterious note that had been sent to her. Samuel has followed her to London because... Well, he tells himself it's because her sister is married to his best friend. But the readers know it's all bunk.
This book wasn't quite as good as the first one in terms of the sense of fun but three and a half stars is still an enjoyable read.

This book comes out July 5
Three and a half stars

Devil and the Deep by Julie Ann Walker

Bran Palladino has been exchanging emails and sat phone calls with Maddy Powers since he kissed her on her father's yacht. Where he had just helped free her from kidnappers. Or pirates. Let's just say she was hijacked. Now she's back in the area (well, ish, she's close anyway) with three high school girls that her dad had her choose for a chance to become engineers in his company. The problem being that Bran doesn't seem to have shown up, even though she invited him. Well, that's not actually the biggest problem. Nope. It's the four men who have arrived on the island and are trying to kidnap her and possibly the girls.
From Bran's point of view, it's a cluster. Especially when he gets shot in the thigh. Actually, he takes that pretty well. It's when the high school girls start flirting with him that he starts to wig out a little.
I liked the first book in the series. It was sort of bat-shit crazy but in a "highly enjoyable read" way. This book was maybe a little too frenetic but about the same.

I am very much looking forward to the story of Alex (the very talkative researcher helping the men look for the Santa Cristina) and Mason (who doesn't talk very much at all) but I think we're actually going to see why Wolfe (who I can't remember at all, but must have been in the first book) and Chrissy (who is a leggy blond who runs an adventure travel company (?)) don't like each other first.

Book comes out July 5
Three and a half stars
Follows Hell or High Water

Followed by Ride the Tide

Always My Girl by Samantha Chase

We know from the first two books in the series that Quinn Shaughnessy has been willfully blind to the fact that his best friend Anna has been in love with him pretty much forever. But she's finally making a move to get on with her life. Quitting her regular job and starting to wear girlier clothes. And yet, now is when Quinn finally starts to notice that she's a woman.
Quite frankly, I didn't like Quinn all that much. The man used Anna most of his life and then got upset when he got called on it. And Anna was so wishy-washy, wanting Quinn then not wanting Quinn. Not my favorite book in the series but I'm certainly not going to stop reading them because of these two.

This book comes out July 5
Two and a half stars

Previous book Love Walks In
Followed by This is Our Song

Clover Honey by Rich Tommaso

I requested this book from Edelweiss because I liked the cover and the description of a woman working on becoming a hitwoman really hooked me. As I started paging through the ebook, I noticed that this is a reprint, that this book was originally published in 1995. And that makes a lot of sense, not only from the subject but also the illustrations.
The description is a bit disingenuous. I don't see that Abigail is really wanting to become a hitman (hitwoman?) as much as move up in her uncle's organization and be more helpful to him. Unfortunately, as she gets deeper, she realizes that she's a lot more naive than she thought she was. In fact, this whole story is about her world turning upside down as she realizes that almost everyone in her life has sides that she didn't realize.
I wish this book had been a little longer and that we had gotten more of Abigail's story. It's a book that I definitely would have enjoyed a little more when I was younger but still liked today.
This book comes out June 30
Three stars