What the Hex by Alexis Daria

It's been five years since Catalina Cartagena left Isla Bruja. She was a clothing bewitching whiz and burned out early. She's been in New York and hasn't used her magic since then. Now she's back for her oldest sister's wedding. But something is amiss on the magical island and the only other person who seems to realize that something is wrong is Diego Paz, Cat's high school nemesis and brother of the groom. Not wanting to alarm anyone over the fact that the groom seems possessed, Cat and Diego work together to make sure that their respective families' power isn't overtaken and they don't have niblings that are literal demon spawn. 

A short story but richly woven. Alexis Daria creates a magic world with deft strokes and minimal description. The characters have a depth that is surprising in such a short story. My only complaint is really how short it is. With Daria's skill, this would have been an amazing full-length novel. I really hope this isn't the only book set in this world. 

Four and a half stars

This audionovella came out July 1st, 2021

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own

The Grumpy Player Next Door by Pippa Grant

Tillie Jean Rock is the sister of baseball superstar (well, at least he's really well known in Copper Valley) Cooper Rock. She got involved with one of his teammates ONCE and now her brother is paranoid about her seeing anyone else. Sure, she flirts with most of them but they all know it's not serious. The only one who might reasonably hold her interest is Max Cole but he's avoiding her because Cooper is his best friend on the team and he doesn't want to screw up that relationship. Plus, he had a really complicated childhood and doesn't want to inflict his angst on to anyone else. 

But Max has moved next door to Tillie Jean in the off season and suddenly the close proximity means all bets are off...

One of my least favorite tropes is the "we can't date because you're my sibling's friend." And this book leans hard into Cooper not taking their relationship well. Grant tries to turn it around and make the prank war between Tillie Jean and her siblings amp up because of it but it didn't really click for me. Also, I never really saw that Max was trying to work through his issues with romance. In a romance novel. I wish we had seen more introspection and working toward healing from his crappy childhood but it mostly seemed magically resolved. 

Three stars

This book came out July 8th, 2021

Copper Valley Fireballs #3

Follows Real Fake Love

Followed by Irresistible Trouble

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

The Herring-Seller's Apprentice by L.C. Tyler

What is a mystery writer but someone who sells red herrings? And Ethelred Tressider certainly counts as a writer. In fact, he counts as three of them -- two mystery series and one romance. His publisher, Elsie Thirkettle doesn't think much of any of them but they earn him enough to live on so he keeps churning them out. Until his life is derailed by a real-life mystery, the murder of his ex-wife, Geraldine. It seems she left him for his best friend about a decade ago but never really changed her will so Ethelred is still in charge of her estate. 

Elsie is immediately suspicious because she is immediately suspicious of anything having to do with Geraldine. The woman was a menace and she still kept Ethelred flopping on a line. And apparently he wasn't the only one. Geraldine was building some sort of scheme and had bilked a large number of people out of money so there were lots of reasons for someone to want her dead.

Told in alternating viewpoints between Ethelred and Elsie, this book is an interesting introduction to a new series. Rather than have a stellar author with all bestsellers, the main protagonist (we have far more Ethelred chapters than Elsie chapters) is middling at best. His "partner" looks down on him with some scorn, some affection and she too sort of bumbles into the solution in the end. 

The book occasionally got bogged down and, even with this being my second Ethelred and Elsie book, I'm not sure I like either of them but I'm definitely going to still read the next book. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out in 2007

Followed by Ten Little Herrings

Kindle ebook

Opinions are my own

August Rereads

No rereads this month. Too busy running, paddleboarding, and biking, I guess:)

Be My Ghost by Carol J. Perry

Maureen Doherty is reeling from the fact that her job at a clothing department store is gone now that the store is out of business. She's not sure what she's going to do and is grateful that her boss gives her a last check and a lucky coin that falls out of her desk drawer as she's leaving. When she gets home, she discovers that she's inherited an in in Haven, Florida, a place she only visited once. What is she to do except pack up her belongings and her beloved golden retriever, Finn and head on down?

When she gets to Haven House Inn, she's surprised to discover that not only does she have a full staff, there are also some year-round residents in addition to the short stays and also some... well, some not so alive guests. Including one who was alive only a little while earlier.

This is a really fun start to a new series (I think) with not too much world building but enough to make it understandable and relatable. Do we know why there are ghosts in the hotel? Maybe not but it's not a necessary part of the story so why add it in? The ghosts didn't add much to the actual mystery other than the fact that the man who was killed was a ghost hunter who may or may not have figured out how to capture the ghosts on film but I think that may be added in to later books in the series.

Four stars

This book comes out August 31st, 2021

Followed by High Spirits

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing Corp. and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Big Nate: Aloha! by Lincoln Peirce

We get the span from the end of the school year and prank days, through the summer, and some back-to-school shopping. As usual, a fantastic look at the life of Nate with a bit more Dee Dee and not as much Gina (I wish we saw more between those two; the crossover is always fun; it would have bumped up my reading score for sure). 

One of the more interesting stories is that, while working as an intern at the comic book store, Nate sees Randy shoplifting. Randy, of course, being one of Nate's bullies. Nate calls for help, but when none is forthcoming, he tackles (literally) Randy. This also spins off a few strips where we discover yet another job of School Photo guy as mall cop. 

Of course, Nate is still interested in romance. He goes on a date with one girl, tires the pencil trick with two others, and then works his charm on the beach. Spoiler, none of them work.  

We get glimpses of other summer activities such as busking with Enslave the Mollusk and once again playing on the Cupcakes baseball team.

Four stars

Follows In Your Face

Followed by Beware of Low-Flying Corn Muffins

This book comes out August 31st, 2021

ARC kindly provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

At eighty years old, Kathleen is ready to get out and <i>live</i> again. She used to host a series called the Summer Seekers where she went around the world and was televised doing it. Her daughter, Liz, was rather resentful that her mother was never home. That's why she's the consummate homemaker now. But that means that she's always having to be six steps ahead of whatever her husband and their twin daughters are doing so that everything goes right. But that's exhausting. And now her mother has had an intruder. True, she took care of the man with a frying pan but that's just evidence that the woman isn't eating correctly. 

But Kathleen isn't ready to go to the "peaceful rest home" that her daughter is pushing on her. She wants to have one last adventure: Route 66 in America (Kathleen is British.) But she knows she shouldn't drive so she puts out an ad.

Martha is mid-twenties and already divorced. Her family continually favors her prettier, more successful sister. Does she like to drive? Maybe not but it's a) a job and b) a chance to get out of her family's house. 

So Kathleen and Martha are off. Of course, they are going to learn some truths about themselves because this is a fiction book. They will also have some fun. But Liza will learn the same thing staying home in England and reconnecting with the life she had before her twins were born.

For everything that is going on in this book, it's a rather quiet read. Morgan's non-romance books are often like that. I didn't like that there were so many threads that it felt like a few stories got shortchanged.

Four stars

This book came out May 18th, 2021

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own