Wedding Date by Monica Murphy, Felicity Munroe, Stephen Dexter

While Kelsey has been a part of the series since the first book, we only met Theo in Rate a Date, the book right before this one. Kelsey is model gorgeous and has had problems in the past when men fall in love with her face without really figuring out who she is. The two of them have become friends and Theo needs help. His ex-fiancee is marrying his cousin (yes, the cousin she cheated on Theo with) and, in the way of romance novels, one of his cousin's groomsmen is in jail and he needs Theo to even out the lines. Theo needs a date so he and Kelsey decide to set it up. Of course, they'll need to attend a few family events first to really sell it. 

We do get to see Kelsey fall in love with Theo and with his family and we also get to see Theo finally confess his feelings but it's all sort of low stakes and I kept wondering why Theo said yes in the first place. And why Kelsey worked so hard to encourage him to say it.

Three stars

This book came out December 1, 2020

Follows Rate a Date

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Prime

Opinions are my own

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