The Math of Life and Death by Kit Yates

Every one in awhile I like to try and stretch myself by reading a book that I don't completely understand. This was one such book. Did I understand everything about these math principles? Nope. Did this book keep me riveted? To be honest, not really; I kind of had to plow through a half chapter in a sitting before my eyes started crossing. But I finished it and found it very readable. As I was reading, I felt as though I understood what the author was saying though not enough to explain it to anyone else (which I would count as true understanding).

Four stars
This book came out January 7th
ARC kindly provided by Scribner and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

A fantasy story told through the letters of two cousins (fancy term-epistolary).
Generally speaking, it's London 1828. Only, this is a London with wizards. No, not like Harry Potter. These are wizards who are out and about in the world. But the story really focuses on two cousins, Kate and Cecelia. While Kate is in town for the London season with her very pretty younger sister, Georgy, Cecelia is staying in the country waiting to come out in the next year. Somehow, they both (separately) stumble into a wizards' feud and manage to get themselves involve.
I liked both Kate and Cecelia. They were pragmatic and strong-willed, brave, but not stupid. Each faced a powerful wizard and came out ahead. Yes, they each found their own true love but it was with the sense that it was icing on the cake for their HEA.

Five stars
This book came out April 15th, 1988

Followed by The Grand Tour
Borrowed as an ebook from the library
Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook from Libby February 2023

Fatal Accusation by Marie Force

Sam and Nick are in the soup again. When the president lands himself in another scandal, this time of an affair he had while the First Lady was undergoing chemo. It just gets worse when the woman in question ends up dead. Once again, Sam and Nick will have to deal with the threat that he may have to step into the role of Commander in Chief if the president resigns  while Sam is having to hunt down a murderer.
I really liked how much Sam grew in this story. Nick is still as perfect as ever but we got to see more about how and why their marriage works.

Four stars

This book came out December 17th

Follows Fatal Reckoning

Followed by State of Affairs
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Just for Now by Rosalind James

Is there a betrayal worse than finding your partner in your very own bed with someone else? Maybe, but Jenna McKnight can't think of that. It's been over a year and she's been traveling around New Zealand just trying to find herself. Normally she's a teacher but it's the middle of the school year and no one is hiring. Except there is a man who needs a nanny but he immediately insinuates that she's there to seduce him rather than be the nanny to his children.
Finn Douglas is tired of women throwing themselves at him. Yes, he's on the All Blacks but that doesn't mean he wants to live a high-flying life. He's content to stay at home and spend time with his kids. Jenna is a complication. She definitely loves his children but she's also incredibly tempting.
A nice story; we do get to see Jenna and Finn get closer and they are mainly very smart about starting a relationship while in the position of boss/employee which is what makes the ending sort of jarring.

Three stars
This book came out August 29th, 2012
Follows Just Good Friends
Followed by Just for Fun
Read on Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Just Good Friends by Rosalind James

Kate Lamonica moved from the United States to New Zealand in order to escape a stalker. She has zero interest in dating. But she does think that she can take Koti James down a peg. The man goes through women like most people drink water. So she makes a bet with him that he can't just be friends with a woman.
Koti isn't sure why he'd want to be friends with a woman but he figures it can't be that hard. Especially a woman like Kate who he has no interest in. She's not his type at all.
But forced proximity makes for some interesting romantic options and Kate and Koti soon fall in love. It's an interesting story and flows pretty well and we do get to see the two fall in love.

Three stars
This book came out August 30th, 2012
Follows Just This Once
Followed by Just for Now
Read on Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Without a Trace by Nora Roberts

Trace O'Hurley left his family behind many years ago but he still feels the bonds. Even so, when Gillian Fitzpatrick comes to him, asking for help to save her brother, he hesitates. He's mourning the death of his friend and doesn't really want to hop back into the spy world. But Gillian has the solution to an interesting scientific problem in her head and there are men who would like to extract it. So Trace takes on her case.
Not quite as good as the other books in the series but still entertaining. This book adds more suspense to the romance and, while it doesn't hold up extremely well, it is still fun to experience.

Three stars
Follows Skin Deep
This book came out October 1st, 1990
Listened to this book on Audible Escape
Opinions are my own

Skin Deep by Nora Roberts

From the outside, Chantal O'Hurley would seem to have it all. Blonde, beautiful, and a movie star, most people would trade places with her in an instance. Except then they would be the one being stalked; the ones being threatened with death. Chantal is over it.
Quinn Doran is willing to do a favor for his friend Matt, Chantal's agent. But he's sure he knows what's going on. An actress who needs drama in her personal life as well as on screen, Chantal O'Hurley may be beautiful but she's obviously a nut. Except that she really is getting notes. And phone calls. And flowers. The more time he spends with her the more he realizes that he may have misjudged her.
An interesting story but not a lot of character development. Some definite heat between the two characters. It's not aging very well with Chantal being a smoker (though maybe actresses still are) and Quinn being so very misogynistic.

This book came out September 1988
Follows Dance to the Piper
Followed by Without a Trace
Listened on Audible Escape
Opinions are my own