The Office BFFs by Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey

If you listen to the "Office Ladies" podcast, you will already know many of these stories. But there is enough new content and the stories are edited and polished for a book versus off-the-cuff conversations on the show.

Discussions include story lines, the people they worked with, becoming mothers while on the show, and much more. The great tie is that this is not only a behind-the scenes of The Office, but of their friendship as well. 

I highly enjoyed this book and think that listening to the audiobook was the best way to go.

Four stars

This book came out May 17, 2022

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Singles Table by Sara Desai

Zara Patel is concentrating on her work. Being a celebrity lawyer is much more interesting than being matched up by any one of her meddling aunties. And she just wants to have fun at her cousin's wedding and everything leading up to it. Too bad the first gig up is paintball where she meets the infuriating Jay Dayal who is taking it all way too seriously.

Jay has plans in life. He wants to get married to a woman who is classy, likes society, and will decorate his arm without causing embarrassment. Zara shows that she is the exact opposite of... most of those things.

Even though they have a rocky introduction (Zara shoots Jay in the ass with her paintball gun), and it doesn't really get any better, the two finally come to a detente. Zara will help Jay find a wife if he introduces her to some celebrity clients. Of course, spending more time together does produce more fireworks.

I wish the ending hadn't had quite so many road bumps but otherwise enjoyed the book immensely.

Four stars

This book came out November 16, 2021

Follows The Dating Plan

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Blood Martinis & Mistletoe by Melissa Marr

In an alternate universe, Geneviève Crow lives in New Orleans and makes it her business to kill the draugrs, the people who rise from the dead. The problem being that she was poisoned in the first book of this series and nearly died. Now she's dealing with some really gross things (like the need to drink blood) that she had hoped would never have to. This, of course, in addition to still being engaged to a literal faery prince.

A fun interstitial with some character growth that probably would have been confusing in the second book had I not read it.

Three and a half stars

This book came out May 18, 2021

Follows The Wicked and the Dead

Followed by The Kiss and the Killer

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Matter of Loyalty by Anselm Audley, Elizabeth Edmonson

Hugo, Georgia, and Freya are back for a last adventure. This book was not quite as good which is explained at the end of the story. 

One of the scientists at the "Atomic" has gone missing. It is assumed that he is the one that was leaking scientific information which makes Sir Bernard very happy as he can close out that mystery with a sigh. At least, he could until the man's body shows up with a single gunshot wound in the neck. And Georgia and Polly are the ones to find him which shakes everyone up. 
Old favorites are included in this story. 
Saul Ingram is once again in hot water - he seems to be the easy target to point at for any number of sins
Uncle Leo-the priest and former spy
Aunt Priscilla- still managing  but lovable
New characters
Jarret - in from the Home Defense, was the best man at Freya's aborted wedding
Dr. Arpad Barandy - defecting Hungarian scientist staying at the castle
This was a good series and I liked how Edmonson was building on each successive story. I'm sad that we won't get to see the final stories. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 19, 2017

Follows A Question of Inheritance

Borrowed as Kindle audiobook

Opinions are my own

Murder in an English Glade by Jessica Ellicott

This is the first book I read instead of listening to it and I miss listening to Barbara Rosenblat. Otherwise, it is a fine story wherein Beryl and Edwina actually leave Beeches and stay at a nearby manor which is not only hosting the Girl Guides but also an artists gallery. It is an interesting "case" with the lady of the house asking them to pretend to "investigate" her sister-in-law. Constance knows her sister-in-law, Ursula, is of good virtue but they have a cousin who is determined to make up stories. Especially since Ursula is so mucjyounger than Hubert, Constance's brother, she is afraid that the rumors will be believed.

However, their time at the manor quickly changes when one of the artists, Louis Langdon Beck, is murdered. He was apparently not a nice man but just how not nice is going to be uncovered.

I liked the character building for both Edwina and Beryl in this book. The solution of the mystery felt a little unfinished, like we could have seen more about the killer's motive but it was an overall good story.

Four stars

This book came out October 26, 2021

Follows Murder Comes to Call

Followed by Murder through the English Post

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Wicked and the Dead by Melissa Marr

Geneviève Crowe makes money from killing draugr, the again-walkers of New Orleans. She also kills them because she feels she has to. She realizes the danger but she feels compelled to keep humanity safe. But something weird is happening. The newly risen draugr are acting like they've been dead for decades. Rather than shambling lumps, they are fast-moving and coherent.

As she starts to solve the mstery, the world Marr built starts to unfold. It's very much like ours, but a little more magical. It is also inhabited by fae, including Gen's friend Eli. There's an underlying attraction between the two but she doesn't want to ruin what relationship they have and a romance could change that. But they'll have to work together to figure out what this new venom is and why people who are generally against the existence of the draugr are the once being targeted.

This was an interesting start to a series but there was a lot of info dump and some of the plotlines were a bit disjointed. 

Three stars

This book came out September 2, 2020

Novella follows Blood Martinis & Mistletoe

Followed by The Kiss and the Killer

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

When She Dreams by Amanda Quick

Krentz revisits a former theme and has a main character who practices lucid dreaming. This book doesn't go quite as much into this skill as previous books and I wish we had seen more of Maggie using it to solve what exactly is going on at a California-based psychic dreaming conference. 

There is more reliance on the skills of Sam Sage. Former-police-inspector (now disgraced) private eye Sam doesn't believe in woo-woo type of stuff. But Maggie does make a comment about his coat rack that has him wondering. Really though, she's hired him to figure out who is impersonating her employer, Aunt Cornelia, an advice columnist. 

The romance was great but the mystery felt a little shaky. Still worth a read. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out May 3, 2022

Follows The Lady Has a Past

Followed by The Bride Wore White

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Reread November 2022 as audiobook from Libby