New Witch on the Block by Louisa West

Running from her abusive ex-husband, Rosemary Bell just wants to lay low and raise her daughter, Maggie. She doesn't have a car nor any money, really, but she's found an inexpensive place in a quiet town where her husband isn't going to find her. Just a quiet life is all she needs. Definitely not a woman who seems out to get her. Nor a man who seems to believe she is a witch. And his bride. 

The foundation is a little thin and the characters aren't really rounded out but there's a charm to the story and it's nice to read about an older (not old) woman coming into her own.

Three stars
This book came out June 30, 2020

Followed by Jealousy's a Witch

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Spy x Family, Vol. 7 by Tatsuya Endo

The Forger family is becoming even more tight-knit with Yor even considering making her latest assignment her last now that her brother seems to be all grown up. We get a large section of Loid trying to connect with the opposition's head (Damian's father) and not succeeding. Anya's last chance to stay in the same group as Damian is coming up. Loid is given some vacation time that just happens to coincide with the trip that Yor is taking to protect the last of a family that someone is trying to wipe out. 

Four stars

This book came out June 4, 2021

Follows Vol. 6

Followed by Vol. 8

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham

Lauren Graham is a gifted actress and writer. These essays cover a variety of topics including her work on the Might Ducks television series, stories her father told her (that may not have been completely true), and her time during COVID. Like her other books, this one is quick, witty, all about herself, but doesn't really go deep into any topic. Still, highly enjoyable.

Four stars

This book came out November 15, 2022

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Sparks and Landmarks by Trixie Silvertale

There's good news and bad news when Mitzi wakes up to a fire next door. The good news? She gets out with her life. On the other hand, somebody else didn't. It gets worse when she finds out it's the judge who sentenced her father to jail. Sure, the man has lots of enemies but Mitzi's father is nearby. And he has another connection to the building that makes it even more likely that he is the arsonist. 

It will be up to Mitzi and her ghostly grandmother to figure out what is actually going on.

We get some movement with all of the characters which is nice. 

Three stars

This book came out January 28, 2020

Follows Wings and Broken Things

Followed by Charms and Firearms

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Not Your Ex's Hexes by April Asher

For most of her life, Rose Maxwell had been assumed to be following her grandmother to be the Prima Witch, a force in the supernatural world. In the first book of the series, it was discovered that her sister, Violet, is actually the most powerful of her triplets, it just came in late. And Rose... was relieved. Now, however, she's not really sure what she's supposed to be doing with her life. So she's trying to figure it out. Unfortunately, she misfires on her first foray and ends up neeeding to do some community service with the local veterinarian. Too bad he's her former one-night stand. The one she wouldn't mind repeating. 

Damian is a half-demon who tried to make his father proud until the night he accidentally broke a girl's heart and she hexed him. He wants to love Rose but is afraid of what will happen. And his old life still keeps calling and trying to drag him back in.

I didn't connect with Rose and Violet as much as I did with Violet and Lincoln and that's okay. I just didn't see her growing as much as Violet did and there were a few more glossings-over that were fine but could have been played out a little more. 

Three and a half stars
This book comes out February 7, 2023

Follows Not the Witch You Wed

Followed by Not Your Crush's Cauldron

ARC kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Bad Mormon by Heather Gay

Like a lot of other Housewives of Salt Lake City fans, I really related to the brash new star, Heather Gay. She tries to be there for her friends (doesn't always do it in the right way), she's always wanting the tea, and seems down to have a great time. While what we see may not actually be her authentic self, it sure seems like it is and it's something that normal viewers can relate to. Her book is the same way. We get to see Heather's life growing up in the Mormon church (or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and how she struggled between wanting to be a good Christian but also having real human urges and feelings. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out February 7, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Gallery Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Encore in Death J. D. Robb

Big time star Eliza Lane has fulfilled her dreams and is living her best life; even returning to the play that made her a star, this time as the mother. She is throwing a party to celebrate but it soon turns into panic when her husband, Brad Fitzhugh, big time star himself, dies. 

Dallas and Peabody are thrown in among the bright stars, many of whom have secrets to hide, some of them decades old. But is the motive for this murder rooted in the past or the present? And who really was the intended victim? 

There were a lot of red herrings and unexpected twists in this story. I was very much reminded of a particular Agatha Christie mystery which I won't name because I think there are hints to the ending of the story. Some of the red herrings were dealt with a little too quickly but overall I really enjoyed this addition to the Dallas series.

Four stars

This book comes out February 7, 2023

Follows Desperation in Death

Followed by Payback in Death

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own