Murder at the Majestic Hotel by Clara McKenna

It's Stella and Lyndy's honeymoon and they've just arrived at the Majestic to discover that the honeymoon suite has been stolen by Horace Wingrove, the eccentric owner of a well-known confectionery and he's handing out chocolate boxes right and left. The happy couple are disappointed but are distracted by... well, the honeymoon. 

Unfortunately, when they wake up, they discover that Mr. Wingrove has suffocated in his room overnight. The room in which they were supposed to have stayed. And his nephew and secretary are both in the hotel and acting strangely. 

The policeman on the case is not very impressed by Stella and Lyndy trying to help. In fact, he doesn't understand why this American woman cares at all. But Stella has connections that the inspector doesn't and she will be the one to ultimately figure out what exactly happened at the Majestic. Oh, and thwart a plot to kill the queen.

There was a lot going on in this book again but it was a fun read nonetheless. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 25, 2022

Follows Murder at Keyhaven Castle

Followed by Murder on Mistletoe Lane

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Spy x Family Vol. 3 by Tatsuya Endo

Loid, Agent Twilight, has put together the appearance of a perfect family so that he can pass under the radar. His wife, Yor, has her own reasons for needing to be under the radar and welcomed the marriage. His "daughter," Anya is trying to be helpful as well, using her telepathic abilities to the best of her power. Currently, they are all trying to get Anya to succeed in school so that she can get closer to the son of a man Loid is trying to take down. However, there is a recent spoke in the wheels as Yor's brother has come to visit and seems to be suspicious of their marriage.

Yor's brother is a creepy dude who seems to be in love with his sister. I'm sure that's the way he's meant to be portrayed, especially as he works for the bad guys and is trying to track down Twilight.

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 4, 2020

Follows Vol. 2

Followed by Vol. 4

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau

In Donut Fall In Love, Vivian Liao, banker, met a man she's had a crush on forever, comedian Melvin Lee. That meeting... was awkward as hell. Mel derided her profession and couldn't believe that she would be happy with her life doing something boring for her job while leaving her art on the side. He had done the same and it crushed his soul. 

Now, the two are going to be thrown together as the characters from that book are getting married. Mel is the best man and Vivian is a bridesmaid. 

The relationship between them moves slowly from antagonism, to a sort of friendship, to sex, to love. It is a lovely journey and we get to see a lot of growth from both Mel and Vivian. Not all of the side stories that led to who they are get entirely wrapped up and I kind of like that (life isn't a neat package tied with a bow) but other readers may find that frustrating.

Four stars

This book comes out October 25, 2022

Follows Donut Fall in Love

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai

This book is a lot of wacky and requires a LOT of suspended disbelief but, if you can buckle up for the ride, it's awfully fun. 

Amira Patel (actually, Mira) ran away from most of her family, changed her name, and became an upstanding citizen. Of course, not having a "good family" is hindering her matchmaking prospects. In the past two years, she's been out with thirteen men, all introduced to her by Hema Auntie, one of Los Angeles's premier Indian matchmakers. She was accepted because her good friend's mother is a former client of Hema's and vouched for her. She dumped all of the first twelve but now the thirteenth has dumped her. She knows she's not getting any more matches. Not from this matchmaker. Which stinks even worse because the one family member, her aunt, that she was in touch with has just died leaving her alone in the world. Mira is shocked to hear her aunt left a will and even more shocked when the attorney ends up being her first match. The one she dated for six months and then basically ghosted after a short text.

Naveen Desai is shocked to see Mira in his office. He thought they were done for good. He's even more shocked when she is attacked in the parking garage and the attackers take him as well. 

This starts Mira and Naveen off on an adventure that will have them running all over Las Vegas, dodging shady FBI agents, and uncovering Mira's past. There is a lot going on in the book and, if I think about it too closely, there are a lot of thing that were left dangling but I really enjoyed the read. 

Updated to add that the audiobook is absolutely amazing. The narrators are just... perfect. 

Four and a half stars

This book comes out October 18, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook January 2023

One Bad Witch by Danielle Garrett

Still trying to replace Lacey (who left to be in her own series), Holly, Adam, and Evangeline are getting a new roommate. Again. We haven't seen all of them but we do get to meet Narissa. Narissa is a reporter who may or may not be involved with a series of werewolf deaths and is getting closer to their friend Nick.

Three stars

This book came out December 28, 2018

Follows Lucky Witch

Followed by A Royal Witch

Borrowed as audiobook

Opinions are my own

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

For the past couple of books in this series, Declan Chase has been the big bad. He's in charge of the group that has been capturing and torturing immortals. Or at least, he seems to be in charge. When Vakyrie Regin the Radiant is captured, she is devastated to discover that he is the most recent reincarnation of her mate, Aiden. The two have been cursed to be kept apart; any time they finally find each other and then have sex, Aiden dies. 

When he was young, Declan's family was tortured and killed by a group of immortal creatures. He was rescued by a group that would let him get revenge although they did drug him up quite a bit. Turns out, they were suppressing his true nature. 

When the facility they were in goes up in flames, Declan switches his loyalties to work with the Immortals. And they are surprisingly fast to accept him. True, one of the people he escapes with is an old friend but he tortured these people and now they accept-ish him. 

This was a really hard book to read. I see where Cole was trying to go but there was not nearly enough groveling. However, this book did set up the next in the series, Lothaire, very nicely. The Enemy of Old seems to be slowly moving over to the side of the good guys.

Three stars

This book came out February 15, 2011

Follows Demon from the Dark

Followed by Lothaire

Hard copy I kept

Opinions are my own

Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

I wish that either River and Dylan or Camryn and Jake had gotten their own books. Both relationships had some big problems (well, one person in the relationship had Big Problems) that were solved relatively quickly and it would have been nice to see a little more introspection. Also, I really don't love the meddling mother trope. 

Camryn Neff is only in Wishing Tree long enough for her twin sisters to graduate high school and then she's going back to Chicago. At least, that's the plan until Helen Crane picks her as a contender in a project to marry off her son, Jake. The first thing Camryn does is to find Jake and let him know what is going on. He's charmed, she's charmed by him and they decide to have a short-term affair. And there are a lot of little things that crop up that are usually solved within 2-3 pages, just, so many things. 

River Best is new to Wishing Tree. She's really good at computers and very shy having grown up with scoliosis and not really getting to participate in regular life growing up. But she consents to having her name put in for the Snow King, a tradition that has been dormant in Wishing Tree but is being resurrected, purely so that Helen (yes, Jake's mother) can also find a wife for Dylan Tucker, the local craftsman. And they're attracted, but Dylan has a big secret that he is unwilling to share with River, even though she's opened her heart to him.

Three stars

This book came out October 4, 2022

Follows The Christmas Wedding Guest

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own