The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating by S. K. Golden

I got to read this as both an audiobook and an ebook and enjoyed both. The voice of Evelyn is brought together perfectly by Amara Jasper who brings to life the well-meaning but pampered princes who is only just starting to figure out how the other half lives.

When the book opens, Evelyn is hosting a fancy dress fundraiser for the mayor at the Pinnacle she is talking to Judge Baker and his heavily pregnant wife Elena as well as Doctor Smith. After checking on some details for the party, Mac, her assistant and beau, convinces her to go with him to Yonkers now that everything seems to be running smoothly. They're in the Pinncale's garage (which Evelyn has never been in before) when she notices a shadow in a nearby car. Curious, she opens the door and discovers the judge with a needle in his arm, apparently dead of a heroin overdoes. Detective Hodges is on the case but with a new partner,  Detective McJimsey. The latter is not impressed by Evelyn. 

The mystery ends up being a little bit convoluted but I was especially impressed by the end of this story and look forward to reading the next in the series with bated breath. 

Four stars

This book comes out October 10, 2023

Follows The Socialite's Guide to Murder

Followed by The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets

ARC kindly provided by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Hooked On Hollywood by Mia Summers

Ryan Jones has a bad reputation in Hollywood after he went off on a director and it was captured on someone's phone. Of course, it spread like wildfire. Now he's gone back to his hometown to lick his wounds. It's not like he really enjoys the limelight anyway. Plus, he's going to help raise money for his local theater run by his first acting coach. He doesn't expect to be put up for auction, nor to be won by Olivia Bloom with whom he had his first dance (one he still apparently talks about.)

Olivia isn't expecting to win the dinner. She used to have the mother of all crushes on Ryan but that love died when she saw the infamous video. She also didn't expect to spend the dinner handcuffed to Ryan. She definitely didn't expect for the key to be lost and the replacement won't be back for almost a week. Suddenly, she's spending 24/7 with the man she now despises, taking turns covering ears while the other person uses the restroom, and trying to get dressed with one hand not available.

This was an okay story but I got a little tired of the back and forth. For supposedly mature people these two sure argued like children. Also, Olivia never just asked Ryan what had happened with the video. I also wasn't sure how the two of them were going to have an HEA as their relationship didn't seem to have a lot of the depth you'd need for longevity. 

Three stars

This book came out September 26, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Sterling & Stone and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Black Arts, Tarts & Gypsy Carts by Erin Johnson

The carnival is in town! Imogen is startled to find out there is another witch who is a swallow. It is Edward, the strongman, who she meets when a pole falls on the tent and he saves them from certain death. He also offers to take on training Imogen as the only other swallow they know is Prince Henry and their relationship is... complicated. 

While at the carnival, Imogen overhears the necromancer/seer get in a fight with Rhonda. When Rhonda is later found holding a saw and the necromancer has been cut in half, she seems like the obvious suspect, at least to Inspector Bon. Imogen is determined to prove her innocence. 

Three stars

This book came out October 8, 2017

Follows Seashells, Spells & Caramels

Followed by Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews

A main reason I love these books is that Meg Langslow is just so darn pragmatic. Is she an amateur detective? Yes, she is. Does she share all of her information with the police chief? Does she actively hide evidence or mess up crime scenes? No she does not. She's smart, she solves crimes, and she does so without being an bumbling idiot. 

Even better, she's competent at any number of things (though she has her failings) and her blacksmithing, which sometimes takes a back seat, is out in full force during this book. There is a reality competition being filmed at Ragnar's estate and Meg is there as a general dogsbody. She has been asked to be in the show but prefers not to. However, when someone attacks her friend and mentor Faulk, Meg reluctantly joins so that he won't lose the investment money he and his husband put into the filming the show which was thought up by another one of Faulk's students. 

I got ARCs of both the ebook and audiobook. The ebook was not as good though I had some personal stuff going on which made it harder to concentrate. The audiobook, and Bernadette Dunn, were amazing as always. 

Meg Langslow #34

Four stars

This book comes out October 10, 2023

Follows Birder, She Write

Followed by Between a Flock and a Hard Place

ARC kindly provided by MacMillan and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Buccaneer at Heart by Stephanie Laurens

Aileen Hopkins is looking for her brother Will. He disappeared into the jungle and no one seems to be worried about finding him. She is pushing the issue but is unaware of the danger she is putting herself in. 

Captain Robert Frobisher sees that danger. He knows that people have been disappearing from the local town but is trying to be more circumspect in figuring out what is going on. Together, they get to the next step in trying to uncover a massive plot that won't be solved until two more of the Frobisher brothers get involved.

Like other books in this series, it could have been shorter but both Aileen and Robert are well developed. 

Three stars

This book came out April 26, 2016

Follows The Lady's Command

Followed by The Daredevil Snared

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy; Sierra Simone

I did not read the first book in this series and didn't feel like I had missed much except how steamy this book was going to be. I go back and forth between enjoying so much sex on the page and this was a little bit more than I could enjoy at this point in my life but this was still a really interesting story. 

Winnie Baker was a shining star of the Hope Channel. She married young, kept Hollywood thin, was a beloved TV character but her marriage still failed. Her husband has convince her that it was all her fault (of course.) Now, having gained a little wait and a very little courage, Winnie is ready to star in a slightly naughty movie for the Hope Channel's steamier side.

Kallum Lieberman was part of a boy band growing up. He was the only one who didn't get a solo deal with the group split up and has settled into a life running a number of pizza parlors and having sex with any number of bridesmaids. He is all in on starring in this movie. Too bad Winnie seems so hesitant. When she asks for help with some homework so that she can convincingly have an orgasm on screen, Kallum is all in. 

Four stars

This book comes out October 10, 2023

Christmas Notch #2

Follows A Merry Little Meet Cute

Followed by Jingle Bell Mingle

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Good Day to Pie by Misha Popp

I didn't read the first book in this series but didn't feel like I missed much other than the fact that I was vaguely surprised that there was magic in this book. 

Another mystery riff on the Great British Bake off, this time Daisy is a baker but she has a side business killing bad men by infusing her pies with magic. She finds her customers on the dark web. It seems like she has a significant other (couldn't tell if he knew about her side business) and a partner who does know. 

The story proceeds along as the show does, with the different bakes. It's just too bad that it turns out that Daisy's latest target is one of her judges. It's also too bad that one of the contestants ends up dead. And there's another body that shows up before the end of the story.

I liked this book well enough though the ending was a little bit more complicated than I thought it needed to be. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out February 7, 2023

Follows Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies

Followed by The Last to Pie

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own