Matchmaking a Roommate by Angela R. Casella, Denise Grover Swank

Ivy is licking her wounds in  her hometown. She doesn't particularly want to be there but between her dad's health and her own situation, she's stuck there for a bit. As an independently published romance writer, she's part of the new breed of writers. Not like her father's tenant, Lou. He's an agent for Ivy's sister's fiance (if that is easy to follow). 

Older than Ivy, Lou is in a different place in his life. He's trying to regroup after finding one of his writers in bed with his fiance. He's bemused by Ivy. And, of course, attracted.

The two start by trying to create a profile for each other for dating but quickly realize they'd rather be dating each other. But Lou belongs in New York and Ivy seems like she's ready to settle in North Carolina. Can they make it work?

Lots of big words like immolate and erudite in this book that I don't remember in other books of the series. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out February 9, 2023

Follows Matchmaking a Grump

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

It is a testament to Susan Elizabeth Phillips writing that there is some major WTFery and I still somewhat enjoyed the book.

Molly Somerville is the younger sister of Phoebe from It Had to be You. In that book, we saw her as a gawky teenager. She doesn't feel like she's changed much other than becoming a fairly successful children's author. And she has a crush on Kevin Tucker that results in the aforementioned WTFery.

Molly is a complicated character; she does a bad thing but she does realize (belatedly) that she was very, very wrong. She's a screw-up who has been masquerading as someone who's perfect. But she's not and Kevin takes great delight in pointing that out. Not that he's perfect. He knows he's getting close to the end of his football career and his childhood was... interesting. Most of his summers were spent at a summer camp run by his minister father and attended by gray hairs. When he and Molly need to get away for awhile, the camp seems like the perfect place to go.

But it's not the place he remembers. It's full of family, fun, and now... Molly.

Three stars

This book came out February 6, 2001

Follows Dream a Little Dream

Followed by Match Me if You Can

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

How Data Happened by Chris Wiggins, Matthew L. Jones

I liked the title of this book and thought this might be an interesting read; I work with databases every day so my life is data.  There is interesting material in the book but it can be dense so sometimes takes a little time to get through. It covers a wide range of topics from Guiness to Bletchley Park to AI. 

The authors do note that data can be manipulated and I wonder sometimes what the authors have done with their work but overall an interesting read.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out March 21, 2023

ARC kindly provided by W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit P.G. Wodehouse, Jonathan Cecil

Bertie has been invited (commanded?) to Brinkley Court. He is not excited to go because some of the other guests include Percy, who had recently applied to Bertie for a thousand pounds to put on a play, Florence, formerly engaged to Bertie, and her current fiance, "Stilton" Cheesewright who definitely has it in for Bertie. Stilton is convinced that Bertie would like to once again be engaged to Florence (though nothing is further from the truth; on the other hand, Bertie does sort of end up engaged to her again.)

As usual, there are a series of misunderstandings and shenanigans that follow the Jeeves and Wooster formula but still somehow feels fresh.

Four stars

This book came out in October 15, 1954

Follows Ring for Jeeves

Followed by How Right You Are Jeeves

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Prime

Opinions are my own

The Benson Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine

I quite enjoy the classic radio mysteries featuring Philo Vance and thought this book might be fun. It was really interesting and definitely a product of its time, especially since Vance solves this case using a type of psychology which, lo these many years later, is suspect at best. 

The writing was certainly interesting and, since I was listening to the story I can't be sure, but it seemed like the room the murder occurred in got as much if not more descriptive lines than Philo Vance himself. 

The general conceit of the story is that the author got to tag along on these cases and, many years later, is finally publishing their exploits a la Dr. Watson. This time, though, the author takes great pains to tell us that Philo Vance is a pen name.

For the first story in the series, there is a gentleman, Mr. Benson, who has been murdered in his home. As with many mysteries, there are many people who might have wanted him dead. The police are stymied and Vance is dropping oblique clues. And they really are oblique; I might be able to catch them in future books but didn't get it until close to the end.

Three and a half stars

This book came out April 4, 1926

Followed by The Canary Murder Case

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

After Effects by Catherine Aird

Mrs. Gallagher's son is upset she's dead. But it's not the fact that her physician was young, female, not-English, or wearing jeans that spurs the police to investigate. It's the anonymous phone call saying she's dead as a result of a study that's happening. 

That alone is worrying. So is the fact that her primary physician, Paul Meggy (sp?), the man in charge of the drug trial, is missing. And another one of his patients is dead. 

This book is not fairly clued and might be a bit more meandering if you are trying to read it but was fun as a quick little audio book. 

Four stars

This book came out in March 22, 1996

Follows A Going Concern

Followed by Injury Time

Borrrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Vera Wong is an older woman who has lost touch with her son as well as the larger world, though she would argue against that since she keeps up on the lingo and surfs the internet to search for the latest trend. She runs her tea shop (Vera Wang's (not a spelling error on my part) World-Famous Teahouse) and sends her son a wall of text but no one seems to respond except her one regular customer. She does the same thing every day and feels some tiredness but isn't sure how to get off the treadmill. Until she's violently shaken by the discovery of a dead body, that of Marshall Chen, in her shop. 

An inveterate watcher of crime shows, Vera knows just what to do. She pats down the body, draws a chalk outline, then calls the police. While waiting, she tidies the shop and makes the police tea. She doesn't understand why they are so upset with her, nor why they get so annoyed at her asking if they want a drink. She made her best tea, one that will help them think clearly. 

Well. She's going to find out what is going on and puts out an obituary for the body. From that come three people: the man's wife, his twin, a mysterious young man claiming to be a reporter, and a young woman who puts out true crime podcasts (although that also seems suspect as Marshall's death was declared a suicide).

Vera bulldozes into these characters lives and we get to see them come together to solve the mystery of why Marshall died. A bonus? Vera gets to spend a little time with her son as well.

Sometimes it can get a little much with alternating view points but Sutanto handles it wonderfully providing glimpses into a number of characters without losing pacing. I'm really hoping there is another book in the series and that it shows Vera and Gladys (the old woman in the other hospital bed) becoming friends. 

Four and a half stars

This book comes out March 14, 2023

Vera Wong #1

Followed by Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own