Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh

Dave has been after Thea for a long time. He knows that she went through a bad time with an asshat of an ex. But this band member is in love with his publicist and he thinks she might like him too (and he's a little stalker-y in the beginning. Not so romantic). But then her sister (Molly from the first book) tells Dave to write her a memo. That Thea listens to memos. So Dave composes a memo. And Thea writes one back. Except for the vaguely stalker-ish moment and the reaction to the first memo, it was a nice novella and a good read, quite possibly my favorite story in the series. Can't wait to read the next book.

Rock Kiss #1.5

Four stars

This novella came out September 30, 2014

Follows Rock Addiction

Followed by Rock Hard

Audible book I own

Opinions are my own

Reread as Audible audiobook February 2024

Lightning in a Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz

For the other books in this series, the Rancourt family has been set up as a former Big Bad. But in this book, Harlan Rancourt returns and appears to be on the side of angels. Or at least the same side as Olivia Le Clair.

Olivia is an investigator and an aura talent. She's not the oracle Harlan believes he needs. but he promises her a chance to solve her mother's murder. 

The resulting investigation will include characters that we've seen from other books but not to the point of making it confusing to new readers. Regular readers will finally find out the secret to the camera in Swan's antique shop that has been teased in previous books and Olivia will find a man who is willing to walk through hell to find her.

Three and a half stars

This book comes out January 18th, 2022

Follows All the Colors of Night

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Reread August 2022 as audibook from Libby

Rate a Date by Monica Murphy, Emma Wilder, Patrick Zeller

What would you do if your friend set up a profile for you on a dating account? Would you keep dating, even if you weren't sure that meeting people online was the way to go? Eleanor Murray is trepidatious but goes for it. And she meets this guy Mitch. He's evasive about his job and never gives up his last name. He is also moving from California to Las Vegas. But he's hot so she's all in. 

There is not a lot of relationship development in this book so if that is your catnip, this is not going to be the book for you. Eventually it does come out what Mitch does but they get over it faster than he deserves.

Three stars

This book came out March 16, 2021

Follows Hate to Date You

Followed by Wedding Date

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price

In America, (I can't speak for other countries) it is thought that if you aren't doing SOMETHING, you are lazy. And even those "somethings" are rated. Bubble bath? Not important. Working every minute of every day? Incredibly important. No matter whether you are becoming irritable or unmotivated.  And the truth is, now we're being told that we need to make sure to take time for "self-care". More work! But Price, very convincingly, argues that laziness (at least as it is often defined), does not actually exist. The whole book is worth a read but there were a couple of points that I really resonated with. Burnout is very real and can cause people to act in both small and big ways, from small, petty actions to larger scale. I really loved the point in Chapter 2 that said, if you fail to meet a goal and don't feel guilty about it, it might not actually be a priority.

Four stars

This book came out January 5, 2021

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh

The Smart Bitches have been raving about Nalini Singh for years. Years. And I never got on the bandwagon. Mostly because I thought all of her books were shape-shifting novels and I've only recently gotten into those as well. I finally picked this book up from the library. And while it wasn't totally my cat nip, I really did enjoy it. 

Zachary Fox, known as Fox, is a big time rock star. Which means that Molly Webster really doesn't want anything to do with him. Her whole life was destroyed when her famous father was discovered not to be the saint everyone thought he was. So, even though there are almost-visible sparks when she sees him across the room, she doesn't plan on doing anything with them. Until he follows her into the elevator. Okay. She'll do a one-night stand. But he wants more. In fact, he wants forever.

I didn't love Zach or Molly but they were pretty well fleshed out and I definitely am anxious to read ab out her sister, Thea, and Fox's bandmate, Dave. (I originally wrote this in 2016 but my feelings haven't changed).

Rock Kiss #1

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 9, 2014

Followed by Rock Courtship

Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Reread as Audible Plus audiobook February 2024

Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman

A famous assassin is going on safari? Does that make sense? Maybe not but it does mean that Mrs. Pollifax is pulled back into service AND she gets to see an old friend again. 

When Bishop turns up asking if Mrs. Pollifax will go on a safari and take pictures, just take pictures, of the participants, she readily agrees, visions of Tarzan dancing in her head. Of course, that is not what really happens and Mrs. Pollifax ends up in mortal danger once again. She also finds an admirer in a retired judge who is on vacation with his daughter.

Fun, fast, and fluffy. Just what a Mrs. Pollifax book is expected to be.

Four Stars

This book came out in 1976

Follows A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax

Followed by Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are their own

His for the Holidays by Samantha Chase

When you are in your mid-to-late-twenties in a romance novel, you are likely either going to be already successful or just about to get that Big Promotion. Hannah Christy is in the latter group. She is an interior designer who spent most of Thanksgiving and the last month getting ready for a big presentation that is going to guarantee her a new position according to her boss. The last thing she needs is to be trapped in an elevator. In her comfy traveling clothes. And especially with her Very Attractive neighbor. But she gets to know him, finds out he has an overly interfering family, and suggests he needs a fake relationship. Oh, not her! she is much too busy. Then she finds out that one of her scheming coworkers has secured the contract that she was supposed to get and her promotion is now off the table. Instead, she has a few weeks of paid (forced) vacation. She still isn't going to help but then she meets his mother and sister and impulsively steps in. 

Gage Lawson is immediately attracted to Hannah and he hopes for a longer relationship but he will take what he can get, especially if that means that Hannah will come with him to his family Christmas which they are having a few days before the calendar date. 

As the two are spending time together, getting to know each other, Gage falls more and more in love and Hannah becomes more despairing because she is guaranteed a move (either staying with her current company and taking a job in another state or finding another job completely which means she'll have to leave because there are no jobs in Raleigh). 

I didn't love that Hannah kept throwing up roadblocks. It seemed artificial in a woman who was otherwise shown as being mostly together. She has a Big Realization about herself at the end but... it's not something we've either seen or heard about anywhere else in the story. Gage was a nice guy with enough flaws that save him from being too perfect. A fast, fun, and fluffy book for the holiday season but not a lot of depth and from introduction to proposal is about two months.  Cottle, the narrator, really elevated the story and made it a fun listen.

Three and a half stars

This audiobook comes out January 11, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Dreamscape Media and NetGalley

Opinions are my own