The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish

This is very much like a gay version of the movie "The Holiday." Two people, Greta and Truman, who have a mutual friend. That mutual friend helps to arrange a swap when they both hit points in their life where leaving seems like the best way to move forward. For Greta, she has an overly-involved family who are loath to let her live her own life. Actually, they are actively interfering in her life, including setting her up in a bachelor/ette auction which a) they know she hates as a general premise and b)she's gay. 

Truman, on the other hand, has just discovered that the man he's been dating for a year is cheating on him. Or, really, cheating on his husband with Truman. He is ready to escape. A small island off the coast of Maine sounds like a perfect place to go. 

This was an adorable book though the romances both seem incredibly fast. But, we can all suspend a little disbelief for good fiction, right?

Four stars

This book came out September 6, 2022

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Tale of the Tenpenny Tontine by P.J. Fitzsimmons

Anthony "Anty" Boisjoly's reputation is getting larger. Another of his old school chums has asked for his help. This time, it's to prove who died first in a duel where both men died. It seems that the two were of the generation of the Tenpenny family and it was to the survivor that the riches of the family tontine would pay out. But who actually gets the money will depend on who died first.

Again, very funny but more than a little convoluted.

Four stars

This book came out November 30, 2021

Follows The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning

Followed by The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Flight Risk by Cherie Priest

Leda Foley has a new case. A man has come to her looking for answers to why his sister disappeared. She is just starting to get to work when Grady Merritt, homicide detective shows up. His dog found a leg at Mount Rainier. Just the leg. Well, he also swallowed a man's wedding ring. The two are able to track the ring back to the woman's husband. Which is odd since the man didn't seem to worried his wife was missing. He's a professor whose interest in his students may be a little too interested. But both man and wife are missing and it will take Leda and Grady working together to find them both.

I like this series. I like that Leda and Grady aren't love interests (at least not yet) and for sure there is no love triangle (a trap many cozies seem to fall into). I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 15, 2022

Follows Grave Reservations

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall

Wow. If you have any problems with self doubt, this book may not be the best as we get the first person view of Paris as he wobbles his way through a version of the Great British Bakeoff. He doubts every single thing he does and we get to read paragraphs of it. Lots and lots of paragraphs of it. And we don't get nearly enough of the romance in this book (same as in the first one in the series) but it is still an incredibly charming book. Hall is such an amazing writer that , in another's hands (words?) I wouldn't have kept going but I did. 

I wish we had gotten to see more of the behind-the-scenes as Paris finally figured out how to start the long road to being more confident. And how to be in a relationship with Tariq. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out November 1, 2022

Follows Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Modern Calligraphy by Maricar Concepcion Ramos

This was a very nice introduction to calligraphy though I was very surprised that the author suggested that you should pick your pen up after every stroke. I have watched a number of videos and read another book and none of them suggest that approach. It seems to me that would add a large amount of time to your projects. I also really wish that the author had interspersed the practice sheets closer to the actual description of the fonts. Lots of font options in this book as well as some art work that can be done with your brush pens. I highly recommend buying a physical copy of this book. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out November 8, 2022

Ebook from NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning by P.J. Fitzsimmons

Anthony "Anty" Boisjoly decides to make this book somewhat even more amusing to listen to as he goes to visit his Aunty. She has an extreme aversion to being anywhere in public but hers are the only footprints in the snow leading to her neighbor's house. The same neighbor who is now dead. 

Inspector Wittersham once again appears in this story and agrees with the local constable that Anty's aunty does seem like the most likely murder suspect as she has been spending time with the retired major and it is possible that something went wrong between them. The biggest problem that Aunt Azalea is facing is that the major was seen in the local pub after the snow started pinning her as the only suspect.

The solution is a bit convoluted and all of the townspeople have secrets that come out in the end but it was overall a very enjoyable story.

Four stars

This book came out July 1, 2022

Follows The Case of the Canterfell Codicil

Followed by The Tale of the Tenpenny Tontine

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Better than Fiction by Alexa Martin

Drew Young hasn't had time to mourn her grandmother's passing. Instead, she's been focusing her life on the bookstore her grandmother left her. She's feeling inadequate because she doesn't have her grandmother's charm or knowledge of books. She doesn't even have a love of books. Her love was photography but she had to give that up in order to run the store. Her grandmother's cronies are trying to help (probably) by getting a hot romance author to come in to talk to the book club. Drew is not impressed. Not by his handsome face, or gorgeous eyes, or charm... When the cronies set them up on a date, she is REALLY not amused. But Jasper manages to charm her anyway. But he's keeping some secrets that Drew might not appreciate.

Drews love for her grandmother and her grandmother's love for her both shine through and are the best part of this story. There are also some subplots with Drew's half-sister who is trying to get to know Drew better and Drew's father who is not nearly so nice. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 8, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own