Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie

Probably Crusie's best story. Or at least my favorite.

Agnes Crandall's life seems like it should be perfect, she's got the house of her dream, a great-looking fiancé, her best friend's daughter is getting married with Agnes providing the food, and her Cranky Agnes food column has spawned her one bestselling cookbook with another in the works. But lately, her writing is about the only thing that seems to be going well. Her fiancé is being evasive and the wedding on which her keeping her house hinges, is threatening to implode. But the worst happens in the opening scene of the book when an armed intruder comes into the house wanting to kidnap her dog. Agnes has a history of violence and it comes to good use when she smacks the intruder with a frying pan and he flies through a previously hidden door into the unknown basement, breaking his neck.

Opening up this basement opens a door to the past, when Joey, her cooking mentor, and Frankie Fortunato along with another man robbed a train of five million dollars. But then Frankie disappeared with the money and the basement was covered up. 

Joey immediately calls in his nephew Shane to protect "Little Agnes." Shane is on another job but he immediately comes back to his hated hometown to help his uncle. The situation is not one that he's excited about but he is excited about Agnes. He likes her disposition as well as her figure. When Agnes' fiancé turns out to be a total jerk, Shane is there to help her get over her disappointment.

I just got this as an audiobook and was really disappointed. The points when we get to hear Agnes's thoughts are faded and a completely different volume than the rest of the story. And that happens a lot in this book. 

Five stars as hard copy; three and a half as audio

This book came out August 21, 2007

Audible book I own

Opinions are my own

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Maud is just trying to help her brother and his partner. She knows that going on a voyage across the ocean will help them. She also knows that she's going to meet some people on the way who will help her. It's too bad that the woman she's traveling with dies so soon into the journey. Maud is launched into a world of magic that she barely realizes exists and definitely doesn't understand. Now she's working with an aristocrat, a thief, and a notorious actress to try and stop a conspiracy that began over a hundred years ago. 

I suspect some people may not like the ending but I actually did. It made sense to me. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 1, 2022

Follows A Marvelous Light

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley 

Opinions are my own

Sassy Witch by Danielle Garrett

Valentine's Day has hit Beechwood Harbor and Holly is trying to help Cassie lure tourists to town by hosting a week long singles party. Too bad someone is killing off their male participants. The obvious choice is the vampires in town but something seems off about that solution.

At the same time, Posy is getting ready to leave after having sold the house to SPA. No one, however, suspected that they would be getting kicked out sooner than the 90 days they were promised. So, while dealing with a pile up of bodies, Holly is also looking for new places to live. None of them seem quite right however.

Another fast, fun, and fluffy book. We get a little movement in the overall arc of the series but not much in the characters themselves.

Three and a half stars

This book came out April 28, 2020

Follows First Place Witch

Followed by The Witch is Inn

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Foes, Friends, and Lovers by Stephanie Laurens

Gregory Cynster is the last of a certain set of his cousins to remain unmarried. He knows that it's in his future but it's not imperative. Except that he's just inherited an estate. A really good estate. He's not sure exactly how the estate is producing so much money.

Caitlin Fergusson knows exactly how and why the estate is doing so well. In fact, she's running it as the chatelaine. And doing it well. No one really needs to know how or why she ended up there. But Gregory's arrival is putting them all on teneerhooks, not knowing what he will do. 

It actually turns out that both are thoughtful, intelligent people who are attracted to each other though each has some secrets. And there is some external conflict from a neighbor who is overly enthusiastic about trying to buy the property.

Three stars

This book came out March 17, 2022

Follows The Secrets of Lord Grayson Child 

Followed by The Time for Love

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

First Place Witch by Danielle Garrett

The day she's hoped for is finally here; Holly is opening her shop! But it's even better, she's been asked to join the reality show for cauldron witches. Of course, one of the contestants just has to be an entitled jerk who runs his assistants off their feet and treats women as if he is God's gift and they can't resist.

Three stars

This book came out July 1, 2021

Follows A Royal Witch

Followed by Sassy Witch

Borrowed as audiobook

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

I can see why this book is very popular. The world building is clear, the characters are crisp and well-defined, and the cover is charming. For whatever reason, I just didn't connect with this book at this time. I think I was expecting more in the romance and this was about creating a found family. 

Mika Moon grew up lonely. Witches become orphans so she was raised by a series of tutors and governesses but she couldn't get attached. As soon as they discovered she had magic, her guardian Posy would erase their memory and shuffle them out the door. The quarterly meetings with other witches is not enough for Mika to create the kinds of bonds she is searching for. Because, of course, too many witches in one place would start to gather attention. 

But when her YouTube channel attracts the attention of the inhabitants at Nowhere house, and Mika discovers that there are three young witches there (as well as a handsome librarian) her world is turned upside down.

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 23, 2022

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Royal Witch by Danielle Garrett

New roommate=new troubles. This time, a princess who is under threat is brought to the Beechwood Manor in an attempt to hide her from the unrest in her own kingdom. But someone manages to kidnap her and spirit her away so that even Adam can't smell where she went. 

A little bit of movement on the Holly/Adam front otherwise not much to further the overall arc but I think regular readers will enjoy the book.

Three stars

This book came out June 28, 2019

Follows One Bad Witch

Followed by First Place Witch

Borrowed as audiobook

Opinions are my own