It Happened One Night -- Anthology

The Fall of Rogue Gerrard by Stephanie Laurens

Rogue "Ro" Gerrard is on his way to London when a storm sends him off track. At the inn he stops at, he discovers Lydia Makepeace, a woman he has known since childhood. It seems that she is about to break into a house party in order to retrieve some indiscreet letters that her sister has written. Unfortunately, Ro knows the host and knows it's not the kind of party that Lydia should be attending. They go to retrieve the letter and, inexplicably, have sexy-times in the middle of the heist. Of course, they realize it's Twu Lurv and the story ends with marriage.

Three and a half stars

Spellbound by Mary Balogh

When Nora Ryder was hired by Mrs. Witherspoon, she didn't expect to have so much trouble getting paid. And she didn't expect to be stranded at an inn when the stagecoach is broken. She most certainly didn't expect to see the man she had married ten years ago. 

Richard Kemp, Lord Bourne, was just a secretary when he ran away with Nora. And her family caught up to them quickly and beat the tar out of him. But his fortunes have since changed and so has he. Is this a second chance at true love?

Three stars

Only You by Jacquie D'Alessandro

Cassandra Heywood is a duchess. But a lonely one. Her late husband's family has dismissed her and she's not looking forward to going back to her father's house. So she makes a stop on the way to visit an old friend, Ethan Baxter, a childhood friend who is now the proprietor of a roadside inn. The two sit and talk, have some sexy-times, but then she leaves to go home. Of course, there is an HEA but it's nice to see the journey for both of them.

Three stars

From This Moment On by Candice Hern

A lovely story about an older couple who were young lovers torn apart by circumstance. When her youthful lover disappeared, Willie was thrown out of her mother's home. She became an artist's model/lover, a famous courtesan, and then a duchess. Her erstwhile lover, Sam, is now a Captain in the navy on half-pay (not quite retired but not active duty). This is a sweet story with exposition through discussion and a wonderful example of two people <i>actually talking to each other</i>. 

Three stars

The Case of the Canterfell Codicil by P.J. Fitzsimmons

The description for this book was that it had a protagonist similar to Bertie Wooster so I thought it might be interesting. And I agree that the humor is very much like P. G. Wodehouse. The prose got a little overly flowery in the end and the mystery was a little too convoluted but overall a very fun story.

Antony "Anty" Boisjoly has just buried his father and gets called to help out his old friend Evelyn "Fiddlesticks" Fairfax whose uncle is dead by defenestration. On the train up, he meets a man in a trenchcoat; the man turns out to be the Detective Inspector Wittersham assigned to the case. That inspector is also focused on making Fiddly the bad guy. But Anty was on crew with the man and knows he couldn't be the murderer. Anty's not adept at solving murders but he was helpful in school so Evelyn is counting on him to save the day and hopefully so Evelyn can then live happily ever after with the visiting young woman.

Four stars

This book came out October 30, 2020

Followed by The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Eat, Pray, Love Made Me Do It -- Anthology

I didn't love "Eat, Pray, Love" but many people did and listening to their stories was an interesting way to pass time. Just more proof that literature can change people's lives, often for the better.

Three stars

This book came out March 29, 2016

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Thursday Murder Club Richard Osman

I read this book after the second and third in this series but that didn't bother me at all. The story is great, the narrator is fantastic, and the characters are in their pupal state but, knowing the butterflies, I enjoyed them maybe even more. I feel like we get to see Joyce quite a bit but not as much of Elizabeth, Ibrahim, and Ron who we see more of in later books.

When the book starts, we meet Joyce. Well, she keeps diary entries about her days. She's a former nurse and has been invited to join the Thursday Murder Club (on Thursdays because that was the only day the common room was available. It was started by Elizabeth and Penny as a way to solve cold cases. Now Penny is close to death and the crew is a little at loose ends. Right now they are working on the mysterious death of the man who wanted to develop next to their retirement home. Then there's another death. And they're somewhat connected to one of the cold cases the crew worked on.

Four stars

This book came out September 3, 2020

Followed by The Man who Died Twice

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn

I generally like Quinn books but there always hits some point where I wonder why I'm finishing a book. For me, it was about 60% through this book and Fallon was still with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend who isn't the hero. The overall book was fine and I really enjoyed Quinn's representation of living with a family member who suffers from Alzheimers but... ugh. I wish there had been more time seeing Fallon and Sawyer navigating their relationship. 

Just about a year ago, Fallon went on a blind date with Sawyer, just after his last girlfriend had left him for his best friend. Now, he's in small-town Canoodle, California and doesn't remember her at all. That's fine, she's too busy taking care of her grandfather and trying to put their family cabins back into repair.

Sawyer is a screenwriter. He writes something that sounds like a Hallmark romance. But he hasn't felt very romantic since his girlfriend and best friend fell in love on the last movie set. And then his studio strong armed him into pretending to be okay with it. At their wedding, he snaps and runs away, ending up in Canoodle.  

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 11, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Montlake and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

This reminds me of an early Langslow in the best of ways. Large ensemble of characters we know and love (though Michael and the boys weren't as prominent in this one, that's okay,) all of them gathered for holiday, getting glimpses of Caerphilly as Meg tries to solve a murder, and Mutant Wizards!

A Canadian genetics company has teamed up with Rob's computer folks to try and develop a better website. They are a small company currently headed by the owner's son, Ian. The son has decided that the entire genetics team needs to be in Caerphilly even though it means most of them will be missing Christmas with their families. Even worse, he did NOT plan well and they should up in town with no place to stay. In Caerphilly, known for their Christmas festival. So, once again, Meg and Michael are hosting any number of people in their house. 

At least the house is furnished and warm. And cousin Nora is there to feed everyone so all Meg has to do is keep her temper around Ian, even as she learns more and more and it makes her less and less impressed by the man. Of course, that means he's probably the one who will end up dead. 

Among the suspects are the young women Ian hit on, the woman who is stalking him, and a convicted killer who was released because their genetics company says that his DNA was not the one found at the scene.  

Four stars

This book comes out October 11, 2022

Follows Round Up the Usual Peacocks

Followed by Birder, She Wrote

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Reread December 2022 as audiobook

Bones of Holly by Carolyn Haines

Sarah Booth is Bay St. Louis, MS getting ready for the holiday season. While shopping, they come across Janet Malone and Sandra O'Day throwing merchandise at each other in a book store. And this is right after Sarah Booth has told Tinkie that the two are going to be part of the panel of judges for the town library's Christmas tree contest. Even though the two write in different genres (Malone does sexy thrillers and O'Day does nonfictions), they have a well-known feud that is front and center that has been going on since the nineties. 

On the night that Sandra is throwing a big party, she and her assistant, Daryl, go missing. Janet hires Sarah Booth and Tinky to find out what is going on. Is their disappearance linked to the feud with Janet or to the house that Sarah has recently bought? After all, it was built by Al Capone and there is a rumored treasure somewhere on the grounds. 

The overall story was fine but felt a little flat compared to some other books in the series. We get to see all of our favorite friends 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 11, 2022

Follows Lady of Bones

Followed by Tell-Tale Bones

ARC kindly provided by St Martin's Press and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own