Nine Times Nine by Anthony Boucher

The Classic Mystery podcast again describes this better than I ever could. The biggest drawback was the fact that this book was written in a time where political correctness didn't exist so there are some discordant notes and the mystery is a little out there.
Sister Ursula's first mystery doesn't have her in it very much. Instead, a lot of the story is focused on Matt Duncan. Through a series of odd events, he ends up the protege of Wolfe Harrigan, a journalist who thrives on exposing cults. When the latest cult he's researching heaps the curse of nine times nine on his head, Wolfe is not worried. But then he is killed behind locked doors with Matt as one of the witnesses. The leader of the cult was distinctive in his yellow robes but was also on stage at the same time.

Three stars
This book came out 1940

Followed by Rocket to the Morgue

Borrowed as an ebook from the library
Opinions are my own

See the Light by Kate McMurray

Jeremy and Max are best friends and used to be roommates. And now that Jeremy's been dumped, they're roommates again. Well, Jeremy is crashing on Max's couch. Both work on Broadway, Jeremy as a dancer, Max as a makeup artist. Both seem on the brink of success but can they achieve it both in their personal lives and professionally.
This was a really good story but, and I rarely say this, could have benefitted from being a little bit shorter. There was a last Big Misunderstanding that really made me think less of both characters and didn't exactly feel true to the story. But McMurray's writing was fun and I liked them both up until then and will definitely read more of her stories.

Three and a half stars
This book came out January 28th, 2019
This was a hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan

Heavy cramps aren't fun and Charlotte Langley sure knows that. Her sister, Nora, has potions that work but this month's potion tastes different. It turns out that Nora has been experimenting. And this experiment? It makes Charlotte horny. Which is a problem because the man she finds is not her fiance but the illegitimate stepbrother of her sister's husband.
Samuel Kingston is considered lucky by some because his father, though never married to his mother, has acknowledged him. And that has allowed him to participate in his father and stepmother's rather dissolute lifestyle . But since he has seen what that lifestyle did to his mother, he has rejected it. Even if he hasn't participated in that lifestyle for quite some time, that doesn't mean he's good enough for a woman like Charlotte. When she throws herself at him, he's shocked but not prepared to take of all that she's seeming to offer. However, that doesn't mean that he believes that her fiance is the right one for her either.
I wasn't going to read this book but then I heard Sophie Jordan talking about it on the Fated Mates podcast. Love potions? Phhttt. No interest. But then she talked about the issues surrounding have a character under the influence and how you build a love story around that and I reconsidered, "hm, this might not be what I thought."
Great character building; subtle building on a previous book (that I hadn't read) and following books; nice relationship growth. Still some cringe-y moments that prevented a five star book but was still three and a half stars for me.

Three and a half stars
This book came out April 28th, 2020

Followed by The Duke Effect
Borrowed this as an ebook from the library
Opinions are my own

Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik

Ada von Hasenberg is a child of one of the three head houses of the High Council but, as a younger child, she is of little value unless she marries. And her father did contract a marriage for her to Richard Rockhurst. Ada decided she didn't want to get married and fled. She's got a bounty on her head and, two year later, has finally been captured by a merc ship. But she's not their only bounty. The ship also has the notorious Marcus Loch, the man who was rumored to have killed his entire troop during the Fornax Rebellion. If Ada wants to escape, she's going to need to team up with Marcus so that she can figure out why she has suddenly become so valuable to the Rockhurst house. What she uncovers will shake the entire High Council and lead to a house war.
Great world building and an introduction to a world that is just fun to read. I like the second book in the series just a little bit more but this is second in my heart.

Four stars
This book came out February 5th, 2019
Followed by Aurora Blazing
Borrowed this book from the library
Opinions are my own

Murder at the Tea Party by Sonia Parin

While the mystery is better in this book than the first in the series, the character development is what continues to delight.
Evie Parker has returned to the estate of her husband's family. Both her mother-in-law and her grandmother-in-law are still living but have inexplicably moved to the dower house. Evie thinks that Sarah and Henrietta may be sending her a message. She's not quite figured out what it is but they are distracted by the fact that a band of local ladies seem determined to wrest the Hunt Ball from the Woodbridges who have always hosted it. During the war, Woodbridge Hall was turned into a convalescent home and the dowager countesses were busy helping so the location moved. Now, the ladies want to take it back over but a newly relocated matron has decided that the local villagers should stay in charge. Unfortunately, this is the same matron who falls dead after visiting Evie for tea.
Evie is viewed with some suspicion but it gets worse when another woman from the same committee dies after another tea party at Evie's. Working again with Tom Winchester, as well as Phillipa, an Australian motorist who has been staying at the house since her motorcar broke down right outside the house, Evie is going to solve this murder to prove her own innocence.

Four stars
Follows House Party Murder
Followed by Murder in the Cards
This book came out March 19th, 2019
Borrowed as audiobook from the library
Opinions are my own

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

Not everyone wants to go viral. Samiah Brooks is one of those people. And yet, when she along with two other women all learn they're dating the same man and confront him, the all become famous. Samiah especially since she works in the tech industry. And as a Woman of Color, she usually tries to keep her head low and just do a stellar job.
Daniel Collins admires Samiah and the way that she is handling the situation. He also admires the way she works. And the way she looks. She's just all-around an amazing woman who anyone should be delighted to be with. Too bad that he's not exactly telling her the truth about who he is.
I cannot WAIT for Taylor and London's stories though the excerpt for Taylor's story makes me a little nervous. There is definitely some set up in this book getting ready for their stories but it isn't intrusive. I got a little checked out in the middle of the book but I can't tell if that was the story or me so I erred on the side of me since I generally enjoyed the book.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out June 9th

Followed by The Dating Playbook
ARC kindly provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

And Then One Day by Samantha Chase

Courtney Baker doesn't necessarily want to leave Magnolia Sound but there's not a lot keeping her there. Her job has been made redundant, she can't find another one, there are no good men who are looking at her, and her best friend is caught up in a whirlwind romance and pregnancy, leaving Courtney in the dust. It's at that friend's rehearsal dinner that Courtney finally gets a kiss from the man she's been dreaming of for years, her best friend's oldest brother.
Dean Jones didn't know that Courtney thought of him as anything other than a pseudo-brother. But when she lays one on him, he's all in. Her plans to leave town are stalled when her car runs through some water and her trailer comes unhitched. They're further stalled when Dean's sister asks him to take his time fixing the vehicle so Courtney will stay in town longer...
This was fast, fun, and fluffy. Not a lot of depth but nothing to slow the read.

Three stars
Follows In Case You Didn't Know

Followed by Can’t Help Falling in Love
This book came out January 28th, 2020
Borrowed as ebook from the library
Opinions are my own