Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Even though the title says that the book is for people in a hurry, I wasn't expecting it to be just over 100 pages but that was a nice surprise because I'm not the worlds best science-y type person. In addition to being short, this book is very readable taking the history of the universe and making it well, not easy to understand, but at least palatable. I'm not sure how much of it I'm going to retain, but I'll takeaway the feeling of having read a very nice shorts intelligent book.

Four stars
This book comes out May 2

Nothing Like a Duke by Jane Ashford

I'm sure we know more of Laura and Roberts backstory from earlier books in the series, but I've only read the first one. I didn't especially feel like I was missing out because of that mostly because of the superlong expository scene where Robert picks up a small dog and then talks to him. And, while I realize the dog isn't child, it is a plot moppet extraordinaire. He always seems to know what's going on, he always wants people to follow him into places they should go, and he always seems to be the wisest of all the characters.
This was a nice little story, even with the dog, it was slow and gentle but there seem to be a lot of extraneous subplots. Robert is attending a house party, trying to get Flora, but then he's delighted that she's there. There is literally no angst about the fact that the woman that he's trying to get away from her suddenly showed up where he is. And we get the daughter of the house trying to wrangle her self into position as Roberts wife, but she is easily shaken off as well.
One of my biggest peeves with this book is not the fault of the author but with the back cover blurb which was nothing at all like what the story was, and less the blurb author was reading some different version of the story. They played up the villain who ended up not being in the book very much at all except for a scene that was sort of thoughtlessly tacked onto the end.
A nice enough read but with a lot of problems.

2 1/2 stars
This book comes out May 2

Sweet Tea and Spirits by Angie Fox

Verity Long and her skunk are back along with her ghostly friend, Frank. She's been hired by the newest president of the local heritage society; the one who beat out her boyfriend's mother (who hates, HATES Verity.) Too bad Julia is dead. But Verity is concerned that Julia appears to have been moved. Was it something on the physical plain or a malevolent ghost? Julia had hired Verity because somebody in the heritage house keeps moving the mannequins into... inappropriate positions.
But who would have wanted Julia dead? Her husband whose previous two wives both died? Or someone else from her past? And why would the ghost of a former Widows and Orphans house be moving items around the house?
Not a lot of plot but I don't think regular readers will be too upset.

Three stars
This book came out April 25
Follows Deader Homes and Gardens
Followed by

Four Bridesmaids and a White Wedding by Fiona Collins

Jojo is aghast. She's booked a hen's weekend (bachelorette party) for her friend Wendy, their two other friends from college, as well as Wendy's soon-to-be sister-in-law who none of the other ladies have ever met. Instead of a weekend of pampering, Jojo signed them all up for a boot camp run by none other than Wendy's serious boyfriend from college. The One That Got Away.
All of the women are struggling in their lives: Rose's marriage has become humdrum with three teen daughters and a husband who travels incessangly; Sal spent ten years in a bad relationship and has just started sleeping with the chef of the pub she owns and she isn't sure what to do about it; Jojo is so involved in her work that her personal life has fallen to the side; Wendy isn't sure six months is long enough to get to know the person you're marrying; and Tamsin... well, Tamsin is a little less developed than the four friends so we don't get to know her as well other than that she also seems to be a workaholic.
This was a fast and fun book. Because it was short and we got glimpses of four different women's lives, no one story was really well-developed. But if you go into it knowing that, this is an enjoyable book.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out April 28

Murderous Mayhem at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison

Once again, Kat Stanford is pulled into a murder investigation when the local postmistress turns up dead. Muriel Jarvis was also the local gossip. It was she who lost Hannah's mother's latest creation, another story written under her pseudonym, Krystalle Storm. It is also Muriel whose husband had recently died and left her deep in debt. Could it have been that Muriel was using her position to ferret out people's secrets and then making them pay for her to keep them?
This was an interesting book that had a nice mix of new and familiar characters. Harry is back as is his philandering father and slightly-dim-but-sweet mother. So is her brother who I didn't particularly like and I have a feeling we're going to see more of him. A lot of story shoved in to this book and I don't particularly love all of the side characters (the Iris/Alfred combo wears a bit) but other than that a nice addition to the series.

Three stars
This book comes out May 2
Follows A Killer Ball at Honeychurch Hall

The Thing Lou Couldn't Do by Ashley Spires

I didn't even realize that this book was by the same author as The Most Magnificent Thing.  I just liked the cover. And the story lived up to the cover. Lou is a little girl who can do anything. Except one thing. And her friends don't make fun of her for it, they just try to help. And whether she ends up doing it or not, they can still have fun.
Looking forward to more Spires books.

Five stars
This book comes out May 2

Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt by Ben Clanton

Another lovely book with three little vignettes, three linked stories. Narwhal has decided that he is going to be a super hero and Jelly offers to be his sidekick. They have fun, help a friend, and discover their own super powers.
I'd still characterize Narwhal as overenthusiastic but with a good heart. Jelly is still hesitant but game. A lovely story and one worth sharing.

Four Stars
This book comes out May 2
Follows Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea
Followed by Peanut Butter and Jelly