The Great Jewel Robbery by Elizabeth McKenna

This is the first book in a series and suffers a little bit from trying to set up everyone and everything. I, unfortunately, didn't connect with the first-person narrator. She was just a little to fluffy for my tastes but I think other readers will enjoy the chance to see the inner workings of a sports reporter/budding detective. 

Emma is traveling with her friend Grace to a fancy-pants auction in Wisconsin. Grace would like to be a hard-hitting reporter but she has been stuck in Life and Style because she has connections that get her into things like this fundraising auction. 

The auction is at the mansion of Grace's family friends. Emma goes with because Grace was allowed a guest and her latest boyfriend has proven feckless. While there, Emma discovers the brother of the owner nearly dead in their library. In addition, the beautiful diamond necklace that was the star of the auction has disappeared.

Three stars

This book originally came out May 28, 2019 and is being rereleased

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska

Greta Plank actually really enjoys her job as a library director in a small town. She's new and she's settling in after leaving a larger town and her rat of an ex-boyfriend. One of the things she's started doing is bringing library books to her neighbor as he is in a wheelchair and it can be hard for him to get around. She's delighted to learn that he seems to have a new love interest. It makes it that much more difficult to believe when she finds him dead. Even worse, it looks like it may have been a murder.

Of course, the detective sent to investigate is new to town from a big city. Also not a surprise, he's fairly handsome. I did appreciate the addition of two friends from the library and some parents that seem to appreciate and love Greta. A decent first book in a series. 

Three stars

This book comes out December 6, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Level Best Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones

Sunny's day is not going well The local pervert has been stabbed with a knitting needle, right after one of the town's older ladies threatened to do that exact thing. Her daughter is still pushing all of her buttons and Sunny is still reeling with the knowledge of who her daughter's father actually is. Now she just has to figure out how to tell Auri. Oh, and now there's a girl on the side of a cliff who has been assaulted and left for dead. So, a lot going on. 

Like other books in this series, there's a lot of disbelief suspension required and there's a LOT going on. Still. It's fast, fun, and fluffy and there is a lot of character and plot development in all of this. 

Four stars

This book comes out December 6, 2022

Follows A Good Day for Chardonnay

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca

Louisa Malone, also known as Lulu to her cousin Mitch, is trying to live up to her mother's expectations. But it appears that the partners of her law firm are never going to promoter, not while they're still bringing in young men. So Lulu, who makes this realization while at a Ren Faire, decides to quit her job and join the faire. Luckily, one of the people in the fair knows her cousin Mitch so she's able to travel with them and take some time out of her life.

This book leans much more heavily on Lulu's self-discovery than the romance. Lulu does find true love with Dex, who we met in earlier books though you do not need to have read them in order to enjoy this one. I was surprised that I didn't miss the romance more but DeLuca does a nice job of showing Lulu's own growth and I didn't even notice it until the end when I wondered really how the two of them had gotten together since so much of the talking and connection was done off page. 

Four stars

This book comes out December 6, 2022

Follows Well Matched

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

November Rereads 2022

As always, opinions remain my own

When She Dreams by Amanda Quick

Burning Cove #6

Follows The Lady Has a Past

Followed by The Bride Wore White

This book came out May 3, 2022
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

No Choice But Seduction by Johanna Lindsey

Three stars

This book came out June 17th, 2008

Follows Captive of My Desires

Followed by That Perfect Someone

Hard copy borrowed from library

Witcha Gonna Do? by Avery Flynn

Matilda "Tilda" Sherwood is the black sheep of her witchy family, the only one without magical power, an outré. When the book opens, she is sitting in a cafe, waiting for her date from a matchmaker to show up. Her three-hundred-yearl-old sprite matchmaker had even instructed her to sit under the dragon's blood tree in the corner, the one with really gummy leaves, yes, the one that seems to want to be near Tilda. Tilda's just hoping that this blind date is not her nemesis (somehow they've been set up three times already...) but, alas, it seems she is to be disappointed. 

Gil Connolly is playing a long con. He's a part of the Council but also the Resistance. The Council is a secret (even from the witches) society that seem to believe that Tilda is faking her non-magicalness. So, Gil is setting up these dates in order to see if he can figure out her deal. Too bad it seems like it may be that her deal is setting his own magic, calling out the desires of people whether it be wealth, knowledge, power, whatever, on fire. 

In general, this hits about the same as Flynn's usual stories but with a paranormal twist. This book starts and ends as though Matilda is speaking straight to the reader which was a little odd since the rest of the book is alternating first person for Matilda and Gil. This book also sets up at least three more in the series as the epilogue is five years later and lets us know how everything (overall) turns out. Otherwise, this was a first book and there was so much going on in trying to set up the world and the characters that it got a little confusing. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out December 6, 2022

Witchington #1

Followed by Head Witch in Charge

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Witch and Famous by Angela M. Sanders

Daphne Morris, A-list movie star, is coming to visit small-town Wilfred. Why? Because she is featuring one of Roz's books in her celebrity book club. The town is abuzz. And Josie knows this because everyone is still gathering in the library since the other places in town for gathering are either closed or burned down. 

When Daphne arrives, she brings her entourage (assistant, personal chef, stylist, etc.) She also brings a stalker and a lot of heartache as the men in town seem to fall for her good looks. 

A dead body is found in Daphne's tub but it's not Daphne. It's up to Sam (and Josie) to work through what is going on.

There are a lot of stories with bumbling sleuths doing stupid things and Josie isn't among the worst offenders but I'm not sure why she keeps poking around without talking to Sam if they are supposedly such good friends. I am enjoying Sanders' writing but the characters are a bit infuriating at times. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out July 26, 2022

Follows Seven-Year Witch

Followed by Witch Upon a Star

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own