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

His Wicked Charm by Candace Camp

Constantine "Con" Moreland is a little sad. His twin is getting married. Of course, he is happy for Alex but he wants the same kind of bond. All he has is a slightly antagonistic relationship with his twin's new wife's best friend, Lilah Holcutt. 

Lilah is also sad. She has been raised by an aunt who is sort of old-fashioned and she really has enjoyed the connection to the Morelands she had through her friend Sabrina. But with Sabrina on her honeymoon, she has no reason to see the family. Racking her brain, she remembers that she promised to drop off a book for one of the sisters-in-law, Olivia. While there, sister Anna has a vision that the rest of the family have been kidnapped. This sets off a series of events that lead Con and Lilah heading to her ancestral home where strange doings are happening.

A little bit better than the previous book but not much (both were good). I definitely connected more with Lilah who was smart and sharp and, generally, knew her own mind. Con was a little irreverent but generally about himself and his teasing Lilah never crossed into mean or creepy.

Three stars

Follows His Sinful Touch

Followed by His Improper Lady

This book came out March 27th, 2018 

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

His Sinful Touch by Candace Camp

Alexander "Alex" Moreland is wondering whether his life is too staid (especially when compared to his investigator brother's) when a strange-looking gentleman arrives on the doorstep of his brother's offices. Except it's not a gentleman, she's a lady. But she can't tell him anything because she's completely lost her memory. She has a few things in her pockets which help because one has the name "Sabrina" (apparently her name) and Alex is actually psychometric, he can tell the history of inanimate object just by his touch.

Alex can tell that she is a lady and he immediately takes her home to his parents. Their family is known as the "Mad Morelands" and one more person who is not quite normal isn't going to make a difference.  He also feels drawn to this woman, not unlike the "twin feeling" that he has with his brother.

Sabrina is bewildered that this man is so willing to take her in. Even without her memory she's pretty sure this is not what she's used to. But Alex's family is warm and welcoming and their open-arms are a reason that I'm enjoying the series so much. I didn't love the insta-bond between Sabrina and Alex but it was still an okay story.

Three stars

Follows An Unexpected Pleasure

Followed by His Wicked Charm

This book came out January 20th, 2018

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Weekend Wife by Erin McCarthy

Grant Caldwell has been coming to the same diner for waffles (which he hates) for weeks just because he has a crush on one of the servers. But that time is coming to an end. He can't continue to torture himself so he leaves a large tip and prepares to exit her life.
Leah has been flirting with Grant since he started coming into the restaurant where she works as a singing server. When she finds a hundred dollar bill under his plate, she thinks he made a mistake and rushes after him. That turns out to be a mistake when she is injured. But that does get Grant up into her house for one delicious afternoon. And that's all it's going to be. Until Grant shows up again asking her to play his fake fiancee so that his father will turn over the reins of the family company. 
A little thin in places, the sex is pretty hot and the story is pretty decent for a free book.  

Three stars

Followed by Five First Dates

This book came out February 3rd, 2020

Ebook from Kindle

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

Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

 The book opens with Bertie once again being engaged. Well, he's reminiscing about being engaged to a woman, Florence, who wants Bertie's help in stopping his uncle's memoirs from being printed. Jeeves appears to help but the manuscript making it to the publisher means that Florence has dropped the engagement. We also see Bertie almost get engaged but luckily Jeeves helps him out again. 

We also see more of Jeeves' family with his niece in one story and a cousin in another. And one story from Jeeves's point of view, how he is able to manipulate Bertie.

Wodehouse is just really good at weaving in stories and picking up threads from one book to another. If you haven't read previous books in the series, you are probably okay but if you have, there is so much more to enjoy in terms of humor because you get layers of the story.

Three stars

Follows The Inimitable Jeeves

Followed by Very Good Jeeves!

This book came out in 1925

Audiobook from Audible Premium plus

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Three Witnesses by Rex Stout

Three stories all hinging on the clues provided by one significant witness. In "The Next Witness," a man bribes an answering service to listen in on his wife's phone calls. When one of the women at the service ends up dead, the man is put on trial. It is during the trial that Nero Wolfe (who seldom leaves his home), has an inkling towards the truth and actually joins Archie in the field, interviewing the other women of the answering service.
"When a Man Murders..." features a man who makes it back from the war, only to be murdered in a hotel. Was it the man's wife who has now married another man? She also used her rather large inheritance to purchase her new husband's business though they both claim to be ready to give back the money if only they can stay together. Of course, it could also be the man's aunt or her two children  who mutually inherited the other half of the man's estate.
The last story, "Die Like a Dog" relies on some rather interesting coincidences for Archie to end up with a black lab whose owner has just been murdered.
A fun read and nice to have short stories that are easy to get through.

Four stars

Follows Before Midnight

Followed by Might as Well Be Dead

This book came out March 10th, 1956

Hard copy I kept 

Opinions are my own