Monday, March 7, 2022

Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

Bertie never learns. In this book, he is absolutely certain that he knows best. However, it will come as no surprise that all he knows is how to create chaos. It is, of course, up to Jeeves to sort out the relationships between Gussie Finknottle and Madeline Bassett (else she might turn her eye back to Bertie(!)). There are also issues arising between his gambling aunt and Uncle Tom once again. 
When Bertie recommends the same course of action to both his aunt and Gussie, he ends two engagements and almost causes Anatole (the unparalleled chef from previous books). Luckily, Jeeves is there to step in.

Four stars
This book came out October 5, 1934
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus
Opinions are my own

Sunday, March 6, 2022

Trust Me by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is a book that is definitely dated (references to PDAs and characters who don't know how to email) but is still pretty fun.
Desdemona Wainwright meets Sam Stark because she caters his wedding. The opening scene has her talking to Sam about the bill for his aborted wedding. She knows that he is attracted to him and, as he comes out of his stupor, he realizes that he kind of likes her as well. Desdemona is a little worried that he is still upset over his wedding and invites him to an experimental theater show that stars members of her family. It is drilled into us over and over again that the Wainwrights are emotional, emoting, theater people and that Sam is akin to a robot (does he not have feelings or does he just hide them?). But he and Desdemona manage to get together, even managing a relationship around Sam's two half-brothers who show up at his house unexpectedly.

Three and a half stars
This book came out September 1, 1995
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

Saturday, March 5, 2022

Amor Actually -- anthology

A collection of short stories by various Latinx authors that takes the various story lines of Love Actually and turns them into stories with happy endings. I appreciated getting to read some new authors and those stories were fine but I ended up liking the authors which I had already read a little bit more, probably because I already know their voices and read them because I like them.


Three and a half stars 
This book came out December 7, 2021
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Friday, March 4, 2022

The Art of Deception by Nora Roberts

Ufda. This book really did not age well. The hero leans close to alphahole and our heroine tends toward an early manic pixie dream girl. She and her father veer from arch and loving to over the top in a sort of annoying way.

All Adam Hastings wants to do is figure out what is going on with some art forgeries. He has a mysterious friend he's talking to while he's staying at Phillip Fairchild's house because... somehow they know Phillip is connected? But he doesn't realize that Phillip has a daughter and is shocked by her. But attracted! Because Kirby, an accomplished sculptor, screams sex. Well, her body does. Her personality is also attractive, so why not? But the plot is more twisted than it appears and becomes more and more convoluted.

Two stars
This book came out February 28th, 1986
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Beware of Low-Flying Corn Muffins by Lincoln Peirce

I love the Big Nate books. Peirce does such a good job of creating a kid who would like to believe that he is smooth and worldly but he is actually usually short of the mark. In this collection, we get to see that in a series of stories including the low-flying corn muffin incident where Nate gets the coach in the head. We also find out that Nate and his nemesis Mrs. Godfrey share a surprising interest. Nate almost loses his status as the king of gossip around school. 

Four stars
This book comes out March 8, 2022
Follows Aloha!
Followed by Release the Hounds
ARC kindly provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

Leaving Thistle Grove was hard but for the current scion of the Harlow family, Emmy, returning is even harder. She left after a painful breakup with another witch, Gareth Blackmoore. She's finally back in town and learns that Gareth has cut quite the swath through town, seducing two of her friends. Well, one is her best friend and one is about to be something more... But can she get back at her ex and also fall in love? Yes, yes she can.
This is an interesting world that Harper built but the ending was a little too much wrapped up in Emmy's ego for me to really enjoy the book. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Four stars
This book came out October 5, 2021
Followed by From Bad to Cursed
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers


What happens when a doctor suspects murder but has no way to prove it? If he's overheard by Lord Peter Wimsey and his friend Charles Parker, police detective extraordinaire, he might have a chance.  A doctor believes that a niece has killed her aunt but can't prove it. The local village rallies around her and he is forced to leave town. But he still believes that the death was not accidental. Lord Peter helps him prove that the niece is not as innocent as she appears to be but not before a couple more murders.
Love, love, love Ian Carmichael as the narrator. He is simply amazing.

Four stars
This book came out in 1927
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus
Opinions are my own