July 2024 Reread

As always, opinions are my own

 'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick

Four stars

This book comes out April 19, 2016

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Wicked Widow by Amanda Quick

Madeline Deveridge is known to the ton as the "Wicked Widow." Everyone knows that she killed her husband, even if it was ruled an accident that he died in a house fire. She doesn't go out in Society, generally, but she has come out to force Artemis Hunt to help her find her maid, a girl who was kidnapped from the pleasure gardens that are run by him (of course, a secret from the rest of the world.)
Artemis isn't too happy to be pulled into the caper. He doesn't want anything to ruin his perfectly crafted plans for revenge and Madeline is poised to do just that.

Three stars

This book came out April 4, 2000

Vanza #

Follows I Thee Wed

Followed by Lie By Midnight

Borrowed as audiobook from  Audible

Opinions are my own

Snagged by Carol Higgins Clark

I really enjoyed reading this books when I was younger and picked an audio version up as a whim through Hoopla. These are short stories where many different threads weave together to create a story. In this book, the core story is around Richie who has created a pair of magic pantyhose (does that date the story or what?). They are no bag, no snag and seem like they are going to outperform anything on the market. There are people salivating to get them which is great because Richie wants money to help save his retirement home. 

Somebody would prefer he doesn't sell because there have already been two attempts on his life and the next one might succeed.

It is a dated book but I didn't think it aged TOO badly.

Three stars

This book came out July 16, 1993

Regan Reilly Mysteries #2

Follows Decked

Followed by Iced

Third Shift Society Volume One by Meredith Moriarty

Ellie has a bunch of bills to pay and has just lost her jib when she sees a man with a pumpkin head being attacked by a hell beast. She fights the hell beast with fire hands and helps save Ichabod's life.  He hires her to help him with his paranormal investigations. Suddenly, she's launched into a world of rare books with powers, giant insects, and... Alice in Wonderland?

I really liked this start to a series. The vignettes sometimes start and stop suddenly but there was an overarching story within each set of panels. 

Four stars

This book came out March 5, 2024

Followed by Third Shift Society #2

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Summer Escape by Jill Shalvis

When Anna Moore finds a coin in a collection of her dad's things, she doesn't expect Owen Harris to show up, accusing her father of having stolen a collection of rare goods including a necklace known as Ruby Red.

Owen's great aunt is his only family member left. She's ninety-five years old and, before she dies, he's like her to know that he recovered the property that was stolen so long ago. 

Together, they will solve the mystery of what happened oh so many years ago. All while Anna is also dealing with her sister Wendy who is pregnant with triplets. 

This is hypothetically part of a series but there isn't really a through line that I can see. This was a fast, fun, and fluffy book. Not much substance but an enjoyable book for a day off.

Three and a half stars

This book came out June 11, 2024

Sunrise Cove #6

Follows The Bright Spot

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Mischief by Amanda Quick

Imogen Waterstone needs help proving that her friend was murdered by her husband. And Imogen a has inherited a favor as part of her uncle's will. So she decides to call in that favor from Matthias Marshall, the Earl of Colchester, known around town as Cold-hearted Colchester. Imogen isn't worried about that sobriquet, she knows Colchester must be an amazing man, after all, he discovered the lost country (city?) of Zamar which has displaced Egypt in terms of its popularity. 

Colchester is bemused by this woman. She is intelligent, energetic, and blithely unconcerned with her reputation. Nothing at all like the other young woman of her age group. In fact, she seems more interested in translating a Zamarian tablet than finding a husband. And she also seems determined to rush into danger. 

Not only having to deal with a possibly murderous husband, the two have to deal with the rumors surrounding each as well as Colchester's half-sister showing up. Oh. And a murderer or two.

I remember this book fondly from my early days of reading romance and it is still a nice book. I think Quick's later books have more relationship development in them which is really nice to see.

Three stars

This book came out June 1, 1996

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my ow

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakias

Imagine you're an evil wizard. You've worked hard your whole life to be evil: set people on fire for fun, set people on fire for thwarting you.... done other things to people that aren't great. But, then you wake up one morning and all of your memories are gone. And maybe you decide... you don't want to be evil. In fact, you're going to stop it right now. But that just seems to confuse everyone around you. And then there's the problem that you seem to be in the middle of a Big Scheme. A Big Scheme that includes kidnapping a princess. Perhaps she's not quite as princess-y as you originally assumed. But then, as you are fumbling your way around, you discover that no one in your castle is quite as they appear.

I quite enjoyed this book and hope that it will be a series. 

Four stars

This book came out May 28, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from library

Opinions are my own