Rotten to the Core by T. E. Kinsey

Lady Hardcastle and Flo are back! Lady Hardcastle is still involved in filmmaking and as they leave the grocer's, they meet a mysterious (and beautiful) on the way out who is looking for the Dog and Duck. They decide to visit the local pub themselves but it's overrun by the Weryers of the Pomary (the Guardians of the Orchard), twelve men who traditionally get the bar to themselves for their meetings. But suddenly, one of the Weryers is dead. And then another. 

We get to learn more about village politics and revisit a number of characters in the village. There is some self-reflection as one of the characters comments on the number of dead bodies that the two ladies run into.

Four stars

This book comes out June 7, 2022

Follows The Fatal Flying Affair

Followed by An Act of Foul Play

ARC kindly provided Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Unicorn Selfies: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure by Dana Simpson

Many more fun adventures in this book of Phoebe and her Unicorn. Pixies build a clubhouse that is amazingly splendiferous (and pixies are oddly like human contractors.) Also, Marigold gets stuck in her mirror (of course) and has some new-to-her emotions like envy and some self-doubt. The latter comes in the form of preparing for her family reunion.

One of my favorite things in reading Simpson's series is the language. Words are not dumbed down for kids and she plays with things like, "I'm a big fancy-butt! Pay attention to my big, fancy butt!" I love it. And the unveiling of Phoebe's name is built up to in this book (and some of the past books but the possibly more confusing second half is in this book.) 

Four and a half stars

This book comes out June 7, 2022

Follows Unicorn Playlist

Followed by Unicornado

ARC kindly provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

May Reread

Opinions, as always, are my own

Hot and Badgered

Honey Badger Chronicles #1

Three stars

This book came out March 27, 2018

Follows Bite Me

Followed by In a Badger Way

Audiobook from Audible

In a Badger Way

Honey Badger Chronicles #2

Three stars

This book came out March 26, 2019

Follows Hot and Badgered
Followed by Badger to the Bone

Audiobook from Audible

Badger to the Bone

Honey Badger Chronicles #3

Four stars
This book comes out March 31st, 2020
Follows In a Badger Way

Followed by Breaking Badger

Audiobook from Audible

Breaking Badger

Honey Badger Chronicles #3

Four stars

This book comes out August 31st, 2021

Follows Badger to the Bone

Audiobook from Audible

Murder on the Flying Scotsman

Lady Daisy Dalrymple #4

This book came out in 1996

Follows Requiem for a Mezzo

Followed by Damsel in Distress

Borrowed from the Audible Premium Plus catalog

The Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters

This book came out in 1982

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #1

Followed by Murder with Puffins

This book came out February 7th, 2006

Audible book of mine

Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews

Four stars

This book came out June 15th, 2001

Follows Murder with Peacocks

Followed by Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos

Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingoes by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow #1

This book came out October 12th, 2001

Follows Murder With Puffins 

Followed by Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon

Unicorn Famous by Dana Simpson

Phoebe and her Unicorn

This book came out April 6, 2021

Follows Virtual Unicorn Experience

Followed by Unicorn Playlist

Borrowed as ebook from Library

High Jinx by Kelley Armstrong

Kennedy Bennett is JUST FRIENDS with Aiden Connolly thank-you-very-much. Yes the luck worker is handsome and rich but that doesn't mean she is dating the man. In fact, they are very scrupulous about keeping romance out of their relationship. That doesn't mean she isn't bummed that he isn't texting her back. Suddenly, he is in her shop of previously cursed objects (even the creepy dolls her sister Hope really likes but Kennedy definitely does not). He takes over the bidding on a painting that Kennedy knows to
have been part of a quartet, each cursed based on the four children of a woman who some people would rather history forgot. When they go to pick up the painting, the experience is not textbook. From a woman who is not who she seems to a young girl rushing out of the painting, it is topsy turvy. Kennedy suspects that Mercy (also Hermes, Mercury, whatever-ever-name) is testing her. But the real story ends up being so much bigger and weirder. And they are working on finding the other three paintings at the same time Aiden is working to pay off his parents... a year earlier than he had expected.

A lot of plot holes but a fun ride and I like that we get to see the relationship between Aiden and Kennedy grow.

Four stars

This book came out December 7, 2021

Follows Cursed Luck

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Give Up the Ghost by Angie Fox

Verity Long has had problems with her boyfriend's mother since before the series started. Virginia Wydell destroyed Verity's family mansion taking all of the family heirlooms. And she has definitely tried to come between her son, Ellis, and Verity. But she's just called Ellis and needs help. 

See, Virginia has just discovered her best friend, Twyla Sue, dead on the floor of her beauty salon. The book her mother Erma Sue left behind contained a lot of gossip. Actually, it was a lot of blackmail material that she used to rule Sugarland. The book turned up in the recently opened time capsule and Twyla Sue spirited it away before anyone could read it. Now Twyla's dead and pages from the book are turning up. And all of them are revealing secrets Virginia would rather keep hidden. She begs Verity to take the case. Verity does, but only to help Ellis. And it turns out Erma Sue, once grounded, has figured out how to move around. This could have major implications for Verity and Frankie.

The mystery was really loose on this one but there was major character development, especially for Virginia. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out May 31, 2022

Follows The Haunted Homecoming

Followed by Dread and Buried

ARC kindly provided by Moose Island Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery

Three women come together to rent space on the boardwalk. They are strangers to begin with, each with a life that seems relatively perfect for them. But there are currents underneath and all three are about to find their metaphorical boats rocked.

Bree is a bookstore owner who holds her heart close, even for the author who is currently in town. 

Ashley loves her boyfriend and she's ready to take the next step but he doesn't appear to be.

 Mikki is divorced but she is still good friends with her ex. That might be a problem for the man she's dating. 

There is so much sturm and drang in this book. It was a little much for me this time but I think regular readers of Mallery's contemporaries will enjoy it. 

Three stars

This book comes out May 31, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Mitzvah by Erik Henry Vick

Someone is trying to set up Leery Oriscoe. There's a dead body and the witness describes his wolf to a T. He's taken off the case and it's up to Dru to figure out what is going on. This requires a trip to visit her parents in Hell. Then Leery and Dru are off across the country to talk to an old friend of her father's who seems to be the person pulling the strings.

Three stars

This book came out May 29, 2020

Follows Arms Dealer 

Followed by Silkie Stalkings

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own