Review: The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller.  Georgia has been accused of murdering her younger sister, but instead of prison she has been placed in a psychiatric institution on hold while she awaits trial.  She is completely aware of what is going on, but to give herself time she is pretending to have a mental break.  Unbeknownst to Amanda, Georgia is her twin and the only one she wants to talk to while she is locked up awaiting trial.  Amanda and Georgia were both adopted as newborns but neither  knew they were a twin.  They both lived very different lives growing up, and Amanda is determined to find out how they are connected and find out the truth about her new sister.  She unravels a web of lies and manipulation in a world of wealth she doesn't understand.  As she pretends to be part of Georgia's world to find the truth, she realizes that there is much more to the story than anyone let on.  

I found this to be very entertaining and fast paced.  The story alternates between Mandy and Georgia's points of view.  We get to learn about their lives growing up and who they are today.  How their relationships with their families shaped them and how things progressed to the night of the murder of Annabelle the younger sister.  There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and a big unexpected twist at the end that I never saw coming.   

January LaVoy remains one of my favorite narrators and she did a wonderful job with this.  She is so talented and did different voices for the different characters so you can always tell what is going on and who is speaking.

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Review: Angel Down: A Novel by Daniel Kraus

Angel Down: A Novel by Daniel Kraus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided a ARC of this book via Netgalley and Atria books, all opinions are my own.

I loved Whalefall by Daniel Krause, however this book is much different.  This is set on the battlefields of WWI and follows Cyril Bagger as he trudges through the trenches and the mud (there is so much mud).  Bagger isn't the best soldier nor is he a great guy, however when he stumbles across an angel his tune changes a bit.  He spent his time prior his service in the Army running cons, and now he swindles his fellow soldiers every chance he gets and he stays as far away from the action as he can get.  When he and his mates are sent to rescue a shrieking comrade they find something very different.  The each have very different experiences with the angel that Bagger finds and it either brings out the worst or the best in each man.

This book while it has chapters is written as one big long sentence.  There are plenty of commas, but there isn't much other punctuation if there is any.  It was an interesting choice for writing style.  I'm not a huge fan of stream of conscious style writing, and it typically doesn't work for me.   The pace is also very slow.  We don't meet the angel until many chapters in and much of that time is Bagger and his fellow soldiers tromping through mud contemplating their existence, which is probably a fairly accurate portrayal of what a soldier was going through at that time in France.  The story focuses on Bagger's experiences and what is happening around him.  Parts of this story are very gory and graphic which adds to the atmosphere.  Each person who lays eyes on the angel has a very deep and personal reaction, and is forced to have an internal struggle the longer they are in her presence.  They battle their internal demons and see who wins.

Overall I thought this was a very unique take on WWI historical horror.  I really enjoyed Bagger's growth and his relationship with Arno.  Overall the writing style and pacing on this one wasn't for me, I tend to enjoy this style more as an audiobook especially with the slower pace.  The conflict and challenges each soldier faced were interesting and really captured the human condition.

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Review: The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties Program.  In full transparency I did end up listening to the audiobook via my library, but as usual all opinions are my own.

This was such a fun cozy mystery.  I hope this ends up being a series, I would love to go on future cases with Olivia and Merritt.  Aubrey Merritt is a renowned Private Investigator, and she is looking for an assistant.  Enter Olivia Blunt, a fact checker for an online news outlet with no investigative experience but a fascination in detectives and mysteries.  Eager to learn the business and earn the respect of the famous PI, Olivia is determined to do her best and become a PI herself.

When a case takes them to Vermont, Olivia and Merritt must determine if a socialite and matriarch of the Summersworth family took her own life or was murdered.  Olivia's empathy for the family, the deceased, and the suspects often leaves her questioning Merritt's tactics and investigative practices.  She often jumps to conclusions and goes with the easiest solution instead of slowing down and looking at the bigger picture, something Merritt coaches her on.  As the duo questions friends and family members the case has many red herrings and slowly reveals several different motives.  Olivia makes lots of mistakes and thinks she is doing a terrible job on the case, however she uncovers several key clues that Merritt is able to use to solve the case.  

I thought this was really entertaining and fun.  Olivia at times bumbles around trying to please Merritt and ultimately displeases her grumpy boss, but she learns new skills and finds clues at every turn.  Merritt was very gruff and stoic and essentially impossible to impress, so nothing Olivia ever does is going to be right which adds to the humor of the book.  The banter and sarcasm isn't going to be to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed it.  I expect if the series continues these two are eventually going to get along swimmingly.  I liked how the author kept you guessing who-dun-it with all of the characters and plot lines.  I wasn't sure until the very end, I was close, but who I thought ended up not being the culprit.

Overall if you are looking for a fun, cozy mystery, I highly recommend this one.  

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Review: The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw

The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is a strange one!  If you liked the way A Deadly Education was written, this is told in a similar style which I enjoyed, however this does bounce back and forth between "then" and "now" which made me feel like I missed something.  Frequently I hadn't been given that information yet, but with only the audiobook with was hard to reference. I had alot of "ah ha" moments with the reveals as the book progressed.  This is one of those books that I feel will make sense on a reread where you can really take in all of those points that you missed the first time.  Having read several of Khaw's books now, this on par for their writing style and you are either going to love it or leave it.  Khaw uses alot of deliberately descriptive words that you don't hear very often which again is going to appeal to some while it will be a turn off to others.

This book is fairly gory, so if you aren't a fan of descriptive gore, viscera, and blood this isn't a good one for you.  There is far more gore than dark academia.  The characters don't spend much time in the classroom developing skills or learning about their abilities.  Hellebore Academy is a place for children who have developed paranormal abilities or who are paranormal by nature.  Some students apply for entrance, but some like Alessa Li are going about their lives and appear at Hellebore in the next minute against their will. Alessa wants nothing to do with Hellebore, however she isn't able to leave the grounds.  Hellebore promises students they will be able to live normal lives after their tenure at the academy, but the education is strange and graduation day proves to be an even stranger and gruesome event.  Those who survive the graduation ceremony are locked in the library and must work together in the days they have left to survive.  This is filled with strange relationships, monsters, body horror, prophesies, and more.  This is one you really have to experience for yourself.  Once I understood the format of the book and the timeline I really became hooked into the story and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The narration was well done.  The narrator does different voices for the many characters and really captures the creepy tone of the academy.

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Review: Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was delightful. I'm a huge fan of cozy scifi and cozy fantasy and this fits more of the cozy scifi bill. This follows a found family of robots who were abandoned by their humans several months ago. They were all contracted to make mediocre food for takeout, but now they have no purpose. They put their heads and coin together and decide to open their own restaurant making food they want to serve as their head chef has always wanted to make noodles that humans would actually want to eat. They each have talents to support their venture and when the their noodle business starts becoming a success they are all elated. Then the negative reviews come in threatening their hard work. The robots have to band together again to save their beloved noodle shop and thrive in a world that despite having rights for robots, still doesn't love them.

This was so wonderful. For being a novella, this packs in a ton of social commentary while still having a great storyline about found family and hope even if the characters are robots. The author's choice to use robots as metaphor for humans in this post-war San Francisco was brilliant.

I really enjoyed the narrator, they did voices for each of the characters which was important to distinguish which bot was which. If you are a fan of Becky Chambers or Travis Baldree I highly recommend this.

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Review: The Golden Age of Magic by Luanne G. Smith

The Golden Age of Magic by Luanne G. Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC via Brilliance Audio and Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Set in 1920s Hollywood, this follows Celeste, who is essentially a junior fairy godmother out on her first solo mission.  She left France when another of her order felt slighted and her mentor felt it was best for her to leave the country until tempers settled.  She is in search of her first protégé to nudge them to greatness with their inherent talents.  In Hollywood she is drawn to a talented yet unknown seamstress working hard on the set of a movie.  She also finds darkness and chaos on the set, which makes her mission more complicated than anticipated.  

I thought the author did a good job explaining the magic.  The sisterhood of the Fées Gardiennes and their counterparts the Skulks were also well explained, though it does take until the end of the book to get the information.  This has a slight romance subplot, but it doesn't really go anywhere.  Perhaps that develops more as the series progresses.  I anticipate we will get to know Celeste more as well as the series progresses and she grows into her role as a full fledged Fées Gardiennes.  I'm anxious to see how the series progresses and learn more about the other members of the order.

Overall I really enjoyed the plot and the concept of the book.  The narrator did a good job with the story and the characters.  

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Review: In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy

In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows Imogen, a siren in hiding.  She is the ward of a strange and abusive king who is making a show of her upcoming marriage to the captain of his guard.  When the handsome king from a neighboring country recognizes her though they have never met, things begin to unravel for Imogen.  She decides she must escape her prison of a home and the friendly king Theo may be her only hope of protection.  Imogen and Theo form a blood bond and embark on a journey to not only save her from her keeper but to save Theo's kingdom.  

I seem to be in the minority, but I thought this was just OK.  The concept was really interesting, but as a fantasy lover, so many things were left unexplained.  For example, why do the sirens have wings instead of tails? That is clearly a deliberate choice the author made to deviate from other siren/mermaid tales we've seen in the past, but we never get an explanation why or what they are for.  Also Imogen doesn't spend much time in the water so we never get to see her use her wings and she doesn't fly.  Maybe that will be made clear in the future.  As a romance reader I didn't feel the tension and chemistry between the two main characters, so I wasn't drawn into the romance aspect of the story.  I wanted more development of their relationship and character development overall.

I would have liked more development and information on the myths and lore of the world.  It was only in the last few chapters that we get a bit of backstory on the goddess Ligea and the deity Eusia.  We don't get much information on the other gods and goddesses of the world.  We also don't get alot of development of the magic system.  Imogen knows she is a siren, but she can't control her power at the beginning of the book.  She has one lesson with Theo then she seemingly is all powerful and can control her powers with no problem.   The concept of the Mage Seer was interesting but it left me confused and I felt like I missed something despite reading those parts over a few times.  I'm hoping we get more in the next book as Imogen's journey continues.

Overall this is a good start to the series, and I'm interested to see where it goes.  

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Review: Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge

Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was compared to Fourth Wing and Iron Widow, but I don't think those are fair comparisons.  The romance is very tame, the enemies to lovers aren't really enemies, and while Kel has her convictions about how the phoenixes should be treated there isn't a war going on and there aren't any battle scenes.  This isn't quite as action packed as those two books, so I don't want readers to expect one thing and get something else.  This is in my opinion YA whereas both of those books were New Adult/Adult when it came to the romance and violence.

I wanted more backstory on the phoenixes and the world.  The phoenix racing was a really cool concept, but the origin story of the creatures was missing as to how the creatures came to live among humans and it wasn't clear if they had magic or not and how that worked.  There is a poem or tale of sorts that Kel mentions several times, but it isn't clear where it came from.

This follows Kelyn aka Kel and her phoenix Savita.  Kel's father found Savita and raised her from a young age.  Kel is essentially a phoenix whisperer, she is Savita's handler and works with her and her team to race in elaborate and dangerous phoenix races.  Their team isn't sponsored so they don't have the best gear or tech like some of the other teams.  When a race goes sideways and they lose their rider, the team has to join forces with exiled members of a rival team.  They are also approached by a sponsor who can really help their racing progress.  The problem is Kel's least favorite person Warren Coupers aka Coup is their new rider.  She doesn't really like him for his reckless stunts.  Kel is a bit uptight and prickly and wants everyone to do things her way, it kind of makes her unlikable.  Coup is fun and has no fear and he wants Kel to loosen up and live a little.  As Kel actually gets to know Coup, she realizes he isn't that bad.  They also uncover some questionable practices within their sponsor's research facility that don't add up to what they were told.

Overall I think this book was enjoyable, but there were some things I felt were underdeveloped.  I wanted a bit more worldbuilding from the perspective of the magic system, the lore, and the character development.  The descriptions of the races was done well and that concept was really cool.  I think as an adult I want more from my books these days and I think a younger audience would really enjoy this.

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Review: The Code for Love by Anne Marsh

The Code for Love by Anne Marsh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ALC and an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This unfortunately didn't work for me.  The narration was a bit too monotone for me and the characters were far too immature for my liking.  As this is told from Pandora's perspective I found that much of it felt as if Pandora was rambling for 26 chapters.  I felt like it was one big rambling inner monologue.  This is marketed as an enemies to lovers, but Ozzy is never really her enemy, Pandora is just a workaholic introvert.  Their "meet cute" is super awkward, all of their interactions are immature, their conversations make no sense, and they have no chemistry.  Pandora is constantly objectifying Ozzy and his body or she is complaining and self loathing, it makes for a weird dynamic and the plot suffers.

Having worked in software development for much of my career, I question if the author did any research or has experience in development.  I often found myself saying "that is not how that works" in many situations.  I admit it is possible that my experience could differ from someone else's however many of these situations were inappropriate or just unrealistic for a professional setting.  Inaccuracies like that are an immediate turn off for me in a book.  I also didn't need to be told 50 times that Pandora is an engineer and that is her entire personality.  Engineering is a profession and not all engineers are nocturnal introverts who ignore basic hygiene. 

Overall I think this had a good premise, but this suffered from trying to throw every romance trope into one book.  I wasn't a fan of the rambling style of stream of consciousness style of delivery.  The character development and plot were also lacking.

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Review: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This book was the cozy hug I needed.  Sera lost most of her magic when she cast a spell to save her beloved Aunt Jasmine.  Sera is always sacrificing and taking care of others, despite the grumpy facade she puts on.  She helps Jasmine run the Batty Hole Inn (great and appropriate name by the way), where people who need a comfortable and safe place to stay always find one for as long as they need.  Together they have built a wonderful found family with a skeleton chicken, a talking fox, a knight, and a quirky gardener among others.  When an old friend gives Sera the key to gaining her magic back, it just so happens that Luke Larsen is the only one who can help her translate the spell and he and his sister happened to show up at the inn shortly after the spell lands in Sera's hands.  Coincidence?  I think not!  Luke much like Sera will do anything to take care of his sister Posy and the people who mean something to him, but he has spent years building walls and conforming to the rules of magical society.  He wants nothing to do with the shenanigans that make up the inn, but soon realizes that it might be what is best for Posy and maybe for himself.

I absolutely loved the dynamics of the Inn and Sera's family and friends.  While I don't run an inn, I related to her so well with taking care of the people around me.  I wish I could magic all the laundry away and make my appliances more efficient with magic.  I really loved that we got to see her both with an without magic in the book on her journey of self discovery.    Sera and Luke's romance was super slow burn, but they were really cute together.  Every character was so lovable and while there were big conversations on big topics, at the end of the day they just wanted to be near each other  The characters were wonderful, the messages this book holds are even more wonderful, and I delighted in every moment spent within the pages of this book!

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Review: The Situation by Adriana Locke

The Situation by Adriana Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ALC via the author, all opinions are my own.

I really felt old when Tate didn't know who Kelly Kapowski was, but it was really funny when finally figured it out.  Saved by the Bell was such a big part of my childhood.  Aurora has not been lucky in love, so when gorgeous Tate Brewer sits down next to her on a flight to a conference she is not interested in his charm.  Tate is used to getting what he wants, and right now he wants her.  She gives him a fake name and they have some witty banter until their flight lands, but she turns him down when he asks her to dinner.  Undeterred, Tate meets her for dinner anyway and they have a night to remember.  Aurora returns to her life in marketing, only to reunite with Tate when she finds out his family owns the hockey team she is working to rebrand and he is taking over the marketing efforts.  He also isn't backing down on his efforts to woo her.

Tate is a little over the top with his overtures and spoiled brat mentality.  Then again he's still in his twenties and the baby of his family.  He is used to getting his way and is rarely told no in any situation.  Aurora on the other hand is while not old, older than Tate and has had more experience with relationships and knows what she wants and doesn't want.  She has been burned by men in the past and is willing to ask for what she wants.  Their relationship moved a bit fast for my taste, but they were entertaining.

Can I say how much I loved Mimi?  I'm a sucker for a good grandparent character and Mimi was such a great one?  She gave great advice and was hilarious.   I miss my grandmother so much, so when I see a character like this where there is such a loving and genuine connection it fills my heart.  I also love that she loves to bake and they bake together!

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Review: An Irish Summer by Alexandra Paige

An Irish Summer by Alexandra Paige
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Chelsea made me so angry as she wasted her opportunity to explore Ireland during her summer abroad. I have always wanted to visit Ireland, my great grandparents on both sides of my family immigrated from Ireland and I would love to visit one day. I hope to get there someday and get to experience some of the magic the country has to offer.

This follows Chelsea, who has her future all mapped out. She has a comfortable job working at a cozy bed and breakfast, but when the couple she works for unexpectedly decide to retire and sell the property all of her plans some to a screeching halt. As a consolation, the couple offer Chelsea and opportunity to work at their sister property The Wanderer, a hostel in Ireland. This will give her the summer to figure things out. Chelsea is not thrilled with this opportunity, she likes plans and order and is not a fan of change. Encouraged by her more spontaneous best friend and her parents to take a chance on Ireland, she takes the job at the Wanderer. There she meets the staff who despite her best efforts become a found family of sorts for Chelsea and encourage her to make the most out of the time she has and live in the moment. The biggest proponent of this is the hostel's tour guide and charmer Collin. He is determined to to show Chelsea the magic of his country and get her to slow down and enjoy life a little.

Chelsea was really hard to like. Collin and Flo were so lovely and likeable, I can't imagine them as actual real people being friends with Chelsea. It would have been more realistic that they would have given up on her after a few interactions as she was so whiny and standoffish. Chelsea was so rigid and unwilling to accept her situation. I am all for a plan for your future, but she always putting Collin down for his choice to work at the hostel. Their relationship, while sweet, wasn't very realistic and lacked chemistry. Fortunately, Chelsea figures herself out before it is too late. I also wanted more world building. Ireland is one of my bucket list places to visit and I wanted to experience Ireland through Chelsea and Collin's eyes.

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Review: Pretty Good Science Jokes: 230 Peer-Reviewed, Lab-Tested, Nobel-Worthy Jokes, Puns, and Zingers

Pretty Good Science Jokes: 230 Peer-Reviewed, Lab-Tested, Nobel-Worthy Jokes, Puns, and Zingers by Steve Mockus
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Some of these jokes were really funny, while others were great puns, and the illustrations were great. Unfortunately some of the jokes required a more intimate knowledge of science to really get the joke making them not funny for the average reader. My husband and I are well educated, and we just didn't get some of these hence the lower rating. I've also heard some of these before, so some of the jokes are not original.

This would be a great gift for a science lover depending on their personality. There are some good ones in here.

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Review: Frosting and Flames: A Small-Town, Forced Proximity Romance by Allie Winters

Frosting and Flames: A Small-Town, Forced Proximity Romance by Allie Winters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

This book was super cute. Rachel has returned home to help run the family bakery. She has a head for finance, and wants nothing but to make the bakery a success. Unfortunately, her parents want to do things the way they have always done things, which is why the bakery was failing in the first place. Her conversations about staffing, inventory, and the price of ingredients fall on deaf ears, but Rachel knows that she has to make some changes fi they want to stay afloat. Fortunately the product is good and Rachel and her sisters love what they do. Nick is a local firefighter, who has spent years atoning for a mistake he made as a teenager. He had a rough childhood and his mistake impacted Rachel's family. When a small fire at the bakery brings them back together they are forced to face what happened when they were in high school. They find themselves running into each other often around town and through a series of unfortunate events (or fortunate depending on how you look at it) they end up running a fundraiser together. They are able to rebuild a friendship and more as they get to know each other.

I really enjoyed getting to know Rachel and Nick. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start, but that is expected once you understand the backstory. Rachel is overworked and stressed about the bakery, and she has just gotten out of a serious relationship where her trust was broken and she was deeply hurt. Nick on the on the other hand is a super easy going bachelor, who while his teen years were rough and he made some bad choices has turned his life around and has become a model citizen. His crush on Rachel goes way back, and he is willing to put the work in to earn her trust and be ready for her to be in a relationship at her pace. Their lines of communication got crossed a few times, but they quickly worked things out without a ton of prolonged angst. Most of the drama was caused by Rachel's ex, who is nothing but drama.

This was a great small town romance, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Allie Winter's always delights with her characters and romantic plotlines.

By the way, I want a recipe booklet for all of the delicious things they were making at the bakery 

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Review: A Royal Mile by Samantha Young

A Royal Mile by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

I’m really enjoying the second generation of the Dublin Street kids. This follows Lily, Liv and Cam’s eldest daughter who is a student working towards her degree in psychotherapy and also has a dating podcast with her friends. She hasn’t had the best luck with dating and relationships, but she hasn’t let that keep her down. Sebastian on the other hand doesn’t want a serious relationship. He’s k own as a player and only wants to be friends with Lily. Their relationship has gotten off to a rocky start, but with time they become inseparable and feelings become more than friendly.

I really enjoyed getting to know Lily and Sebastian. I also loved getting to see all of the characters from the original Dublin Street series all grown up and as parents. Both characters have a great friend group to support them through think and thin. Our characters face some obstacles as they sort out their feelings for one another, and having a strong support group was key to them figuring things out. They also had great chemistry and communication once they started working together on how they felt about each other.

This reads as a complete standalone, but if you want to get to know Beth and Callan who are mentioned several times I. This book I highly recommend On Loverose Lane.

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Review: Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare

Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This was a super cute multi-verse romance. It borders on cozy, however the stakes are pretty high as Tressa Fay and her lady love Meryl's relationship deepens. This follows Tressa Fay an outspoken hairstylist, who has great friends, loves her job, and wants to sit at home with a nice bowl of soup with her cat. When a text from a wrong number beckons her to meet a mystery woman who never shows she is not only irritated that she left her perfectly good bowl of soup, but that she feels like she was catfished. When Meryl's sister shows up demanding to know what is going on between them and where Meryl is, Tressa Fay and her friends are determined to figure out how Meryl and Tressa Fay are connected.

I really enjoyed the multi-verse aspect of this romance. I appreciated the science aspect and explanations, but that may not be everyone's cup of tea. I am a huge scifi fan, so I enjoyed it. Tressa Fay and Meryl weren't always together or even in the same time period, but their interactions were fun and flirty as they got to know each other through text message. When they were together in the same time and place, they were always aware of Meryl's eventual disappearance or working to change that part of her timeline. Their in person interactions were again fun and flirty and the multi-verse aspect was unique take on a romance. This has some great humor, some spice, and a great group of friends to support the characters.

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Review: The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided and ARC of this book via Sourcebooks and Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this suspenseful, family drama. This follows ghostwriter Olivia in the wake of her social ousting. She had the gall to speak her mind at a conference and now she has essentially been cancelled and what was once a successful career ghostwriting memoirs and nonfiction has completely dried up. No one wants to be associated with her after she angered one of publishing's most successful writers. When a new project crosses her desk she has to take it, it just so happens to be her estranged father's memoir and the story everyone has wanted him to tell about what happened to his family. The problem is Olivia isn't sure if this is another one of his horror novels, another way he is trying to manipulate her, or if he really is telling the truth about what happened.

I haven't read a good thriller in quite a while. This alternates between the present day from Olivia's perspective, her father Vincent's perspective in 1975, as well as her Aunt Poppy's perspective also in 1975. In the present, Vincent's health is failing and he wants to tell the truth about what happened to his brother and sister as he is the only one who knows the truth. In bringing Olivia on to tell his story, it was almost as if he was making amends in a way for many things. Olivia is given very specific stipulations on how she must write the book, but being a good writer and a prior journalist she is able to seek out the information she needs to make sense of what her father tells her and the notes and clues he's left her. As we travel back in time and hear from Vincent and Poppy we learn of the tension and dark emotions that were running among the 3 Taylor siblings. There were plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing as to what really happened and why Vincent was so secretive about it all of these years.

If you are looking for a book full of secrets and scavenger hunts, this is a great read.

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Review: Sunshine and Spice by Aurora Palit

Sunshine and Spice by Aurora Palit
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program.

This was really cute! We follow Naomi as she works really hard to establish her independent brand consulting business aft work working at a corporate firm. Her latest rebranding job is a local bazaar who's owner is very hard to please. Naomi's mother did not raise her with a traditional Bengali upbringing, and she feels alienated when she is around other's who were raised in a traditional India home. She wants desperately to connect with her heritage, but she doesn't know who or how to ask. Enter Dev, son of the woman who's bazaar Naomi is rebranding. Dev much like Naomi's mother wants to break free of the confines of the traditions that are being forced upon him. His mother has hired a matchmaker and wants him to have an arranged marriage. He was forced into a career he doesn't really love because his father would only accept certain careers, and he never seems to be able to do anything right. While working with Naomi, things start to fall into place as she runs interference for him on his potential matches as his fake girlfriend and opens her world to the culture and traditions she has never experienced under the guise of research for the rebranding.

I thought Dev and Naomi had great interactions. Their grumpy sunshine dynamic played well with the plotline of wanting to fit in and know your culture and knowing and feeling overwhelmed by it. I still don't understand why it was a big secret that Naomi wasn't raised with the culture by her mom and that she wanted to learn more about her heritage. I get being embarrassed by that, and not wanting to make her mom mad, but that whole thread seemed a weak and underdeveloped. Perhaps I missed something. Overall, this has some spicy scenes, some emotional scenes, and I overall thought this was a fun read.

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Review: A Fate Forged in Fire: A Novel by Hazel McBride

A Fate Forged in Fire: A Novel by Hazel McBride
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  In full transparency I did end up listening to the audiobook via my Spotify subscription, which I pay for myself as I wanted to get this reviewed as close to release date as possible.

This is the first book in an adult romantasy duology.  There are several spicy scenes in this but the fantasy and political plotlines far out shadow the romance.  This is definitely adult as there are several triggering scenes and quite a few adult topics covered.  This talks about body autonomy when it comes to women and motherhood, there is a particularly gruesome scene where the main character is almost brutally sterilized by one of the priests of the opposing religion.  There are quite a few detailed fight scenes, so if gory details and blood aren't your cup of tea you may want to skip this one.  

This leans into Celtic lore and Ameyra our main character is the true born queen according to the laws of the kingdom.  She has been hidden away to protect her identity and now she and those loyal to her are making a play to retake the thrown and kingdom.  The reigning king has just died and his son is poised to take the throne.  He is supported by an opposing religion that claims Amerya and those like her blessed by the goddesses with magic are demons.  The road to the throne is not going to be easy as her people are starving and dying under the oppressive rule of their new King, and she is not able to seize power as easily has she had hoped.  Her forces must go to war but at what cost?

I thought the world building and fantasy elements were really well done.  The plot was well constructed and I loved the female based power structure.  Amerya on the other hand is supposed to be one of the most powerful magic wielders and trained to become queen, yet she makes some really poor decisions when it comes to her actions.  She is not the female leader that her people need and at every turn she is often thwarted by the opposition and by her own advisors.  I hope in the next book we see more character development from her and she grows into the queen she needs to be, not the damsel in distress she often was in this first book.  

I'm looking forward to the next book to find out how our characters grow and what happens now that the two sides are truly at war.

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Release Day: Meet Cute or Your Money Back by Katana Collins

That awkward moment when the matchmaker becomes the match…

Meet Cute or Your Money Back, an all-new grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, matchmaker romcom  from USA Today bestselling author Katana Collins is now available!

I know what women want in a man and they pay me a lot of money to find it for them. 

With the help of my fellow ex-special forces brothers, I opened up a matchmaking business where we use our military skills to help our clients find The One. And it turns out a little military strategy goes a long way.

I treat each new client in my matchmaking business like its own mission. And I’m proud to say that I have a one hundred percent success rate.

Or at least I did. Before Allie Larsen entered the picture. 

She’s smart. She’s beautiful. She’s charming…

… and she’s impossible to please.

But when it turns out Allie has secrets she’s been keeping, she not only jeopardizes her own matchmaking mission, but she puts both our lives in danger.

Except this time, it's not only my life at risk... it's my heart.

When they said, "All's fair in love and war," I'm not sure this is what they meant.

 

Start reading today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4khFW9E 

Add Meet Cute or Your Money Back to Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/mcoymbgr  

Keep reading for a look inside Meet Cute or Your Money Back!

I knew someone was following me from the moment I stepped out into the brisk city air. When you’re in my line of work, you learn not to ignore that prickling sensation on the back of your neck. I’ve had eyes on me enough times to know the difference between paranoia and the real deal. One surreptitious glance over my shoulder confirms that I’m right. Only it doesn’t appear to be some insidious threat lurking in the shadows; it’s a pair of round hazel, curious eyes that are trained on me.

“Okay,” I mutter under my breath, tightening my grip on my to-go paper coffee cup, “time to face the music.”

      

I make a sharp turn down an alleyway, my boots echoing off the graffiti-stained walls. There’s a method to this madness—alleyways are good for confrontations, fewer prying eyes. I position myself around the corner behind a dumpster and wait, counting the seconds. Sure enough, the soft patter of footsteps crescendos as she rounds the bend, almost on cue.

  

I pull my gun from my waistband, ensuring the safety is still on and raise it chest height as I step out from the shadows. “Why are you following me?”

      

I cringe as she spins to face me, her pouty, berry-shaded lips parted in a gasp. “Oh my lord! That’s a gun!” she cries with the timbre of a kindergarten teacher.

      

“Wow, look at you, Detective Sunshine. So tell me…are you lost or just really into following people?” My tone’s casual, but my stance is anything but. I hold firm with the gun raised, waiting for her to stumble over some lie. But she stops short, blinking up at me with an expression that’s part surprise, part chagrin.

      

“Following you?” Her voice has that high-pitched quality of someone caught red-handed. She laughs—a nervous kind of laugh—and then looks away, searching for an escape route that isn’t there. “No, no, I...I was...”

      

“Let’s cut to the chase.” I step closer and see her swallow hard. Good. Keep her on her toes. “You’ve been tailing me since we both exited the coffee shop. What’s your game?”

She tugs at the strap of her bag, clearly buying time, and I can tell she’s not used to being cornered. Most folks aren’t. Then again, I’ve learned not to trust anyone. Especially some cute brunette playing innocent. I’ve seen firsthand how the doe-eyed Bambi can be trained to lie through their teeth and turn into the deadliest assassin in the room in a blink of those mascara-laden eyes.

      

I’m absolutely not falling for that act.

      

“Who are you?” I demand, not unkindly, but firmly enough to show I mean business. I can see the wheels turning behind those wide eyes, the cogs of her brain grinding as she sizes up whether to run or spill as she stares down the barrel of my gun.

      

“Okay, okay...” She exhales sharply, a half-defeated chuckle escaping her lips. “This is going to sound strange, but⁠—”

She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, and I notice for the first time how the setting sunlight catches in her wavy hair, turning it into liquid amber. There’s this playful glint in her hazel eyes that makes them shimmer like two drops of top-shelf whiskey. The sundress she’s wearing clings to her petite frame in a way that’s casual but deliberate, like a flag staked on the territory of her curves.

      

“I’m waiting.”

      

“Look,” she starts, tipping her head back to meet my gaze with a confidence that’s almost disarming. “I saw you back there, in the café. You were like some kind of cabernet Cupid, helping that girl with the spilled wine connect with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome.”

For more information about Katana Collins and her books, visit her website: 

https://katanacollins.com 

Review: Meet Cute or Your Money Back by Katana Collins

Meet Cute or Your Money Back by Katana Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Literally Your PR, all opinions are my own.

This was a really fun rom-com about an aspiring investigative journalist and a former Navy Seal turned matchmaker.  Allie is a food critic for a local newspaper, but her dream is to be an investigative journalist.  She hasn't hit her big break yet, but while writing her latest food column she spots an interesting situation that might just make for a great pitch to her editor.  Enter Thatcher, a retired Navy Seal who has started a covert matchmaking company to raise his son after tragedy struck his family.  Two of his special forces buddies help him run his company, and they also help him on a secret non-matchmaking mission on the side.  

Allie hires Thatcher to find her soul mate, and she plans to write the best piece of journalism she can about dating and matchmaking she possibly can without breaking her NDA.  The only problem in she and Thatcher seem to have more chemistry than any of the dates he sets her up on.  As Allie and Thatcher get to know each other better, she uncovers his side mission and that his special forces days aren't quite over.  While she is writing a piece on his matchmaking, she may be onto something much bigger and much more dangerous. 

You do have to suspend your disbelief a few times for the zany things Allie does and some of the situations our couple are put into at the end.  They get into some unrealistic situations, which make give the book plenty of humorous moments, which makes this an entertaining read. This has a big of a romantic suspense element on top of the humor.  

The epilogue with Maple the rescue dog was heart wrenching and beautiful.  That chapter alone gets 5 stars!  Biscuit was such a huge part of the book, but he really stole my heart during this scene.

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Review: The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle

The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

This follows Nora, an aspiring fashion designer and former model. She has moved to New York for a fresh start for several reasons, but the main one is to hopefully get away from the stalker who has been bothering her for months in Europe. Her brother's best friend has been tasked with keeping tabs on her and overseeing her security detail, and it is a job he takes very seriously. West watches Nora's every move, and is a bit overbearing, but he doesn't want to let down his best friends. He also has undue stress from running the family business and trying to gain access to his trust. Fake dating Nora solves a problem for both of them, he can be by her side at all times and his mother will leave him alone about getting married. In getting to know his charge he realizes that she has a hard time telling people no and hates letting people down. She also needs experience dating, so the fake dating is mutually beneficial especially since she has always had a crush on West.

I really liked Nora and West together. They had good banter and some really sweet moments together. As their relationship develops they had some really spicy moments together as well despite the whole "fake" relationship thing. I appreciated the way that West encouraged Nora to ask for what she wanted and stick up for herself instead of always giving in to make everyone else happy and avoid conflict. The stalker plot was a little weak in my opinion, but it appears that is part of the evolving plotline for Nora's brother Rafe's book. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series as the other billionaires are very intriguing.

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Review: Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ALC and ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this romantic suspense.  This follows Sloan, a Natural Resource Police Officer, who was injured in the line of duty.  She moves back home for her slow and steady recovery with family surrounding her.  She also takes a new job in her hometown, but when a string of missing people pops up she can't help herself from investigating on her own terms.  Something just doesn't feel right about the cases and she is determined to figure out what is going on.  In the mean time, a new neighbor comes to town to flip a old house and start a handyman business with his brother.  Nash turns out to be great at building and fixing things, he is also a good listener when Sloan needs someone to bounce ideas off of.

I really enjoyed the alternating chapters between Sloan and the villains.  We really got to get into the heads of the bad guys and understand their motivations, as out there as they were.  While you don't have to agree with their mission, you can certainly see that they believed wholeheartedly in what they were doing misguided as it was.  This was almost like reading an episode of Criminal Minds, but you really got know Sloan and her family and you got to see the relationship with Nash really develop.  I also really enjoyed the setting, I've been to some of the places this is set in and I've driven past others in my travels.  Nora Roberts always does a great job describing the outdoor settings and building the character dynamics.

The audiobook is narrated by January LaVoy, who is always a pleasure to listen to.  She always does a fantastic job with every audiobook she narrates.

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Review: Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items

Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items by J.W. Ocker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting info on strange objects and the meanings people place on them. The author did a good job explaining the history and provenance of the objects without getting too detailed and repetitive while also weaving in some humor and common sense were applicable. This is a really short read that I've had on my TBR for quite a while. I love learning about old weird stuff and this was a quick, informative listen that covers quite a bit of ground.

I received this audiobook as a free promotion from Audiobooks.com, all opinions are my own.

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Review: Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen

Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this!  Ruby and Griffin were the perfect pairing!  She is a shy, small-town librarian who lives up to the stereotype with everything in her life being modest, regimented, quiet, and put together.   She feels like she is missing out on life and would like to be more spontaneous, but letting things out of her control gives her anxiety.  Griffin on the other hand is her exact opposite, he has a reputation for being the life of the party.  His agent has "grounded him" for his latest antics and sent him to spend a few weeks in Ruby's small town away from the media.  Ruby and Griffin were neighbors growing up, but she moved away.  Their reunion might be the perfect opportunity for her to practice putting herself out there and practicing talking to the opposite sex with someone she knows.  

There is real chemistry between our two main characters, however neither of them want anything serious to start.  They both have their reasons, which we learn as they get to know one another and get more comfortable around each other.  I loved that they were vulnerable with each other and that they were so patient with each other.  This had some great humous moments and great emotional scenes.  I also loved the side characters.  I don't want say much more because I feel it would spoil the book.  Getting to experience Ruby and Griffin's interactions first hand and unraveling their relationship one bit at a time was such a great experience.  

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Review: A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen

A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, however in an effort to clear it from my TBR I ended up listening to the audiobook from my library.  As always all opinions are my own.

This was a cute sci-fi romance.  This follows Marina and Carter as they get stuck in a 4 day time loop, and try to figure out how undo their predicament.  Carter is a maintenance tech at a particle accelerator, and Marina is a neuroscientist taking part in a memory project at the same facility.  Every Monday they have to relive the same events, but as their groundhog days repeat they begin to break out of their shells and being sharing their lives with one another as they try to solve their time loop problem.  Carter has an eidetic memory, but one day all of that changes and he begins forgetting key parts of their time together just as they are about to make a breakthrough into the time loop solution.  Marina may not have a photographic memory, but she is pretty smart and she is willing to do whatever it takes to save the people she loves.

I really enjoyed getting to know Carter and Marina.  This was really cute and alot of fun.  While there is some great science going on when it comes to time loops, the multiverse, and time travel, I didn't feel it was too overwhelming.  Even Marina would poke fun when the science was getting to complex because that wasn't here area.  This had great emotional scenes and good humor to balance out the science content.  I also appreciated that Carter was a foodie and didn't take himself too seriously, which was a nice compliment to Marina's more serious, academic personality.  They balanced each out out nicely.  The romance is very light and not a major plotline in the book, so if you were looking for a full on romance you are going to be disappointed, especially given the title of the book.  This is more of a sci-fi story with a sprinkle of romance.  The book is very clean though, the couple only kisses twice.  So if you are looking for something on the clean side with very little romance this is a good one to pick up.  

I do feel a bit underwhelmed by the open ending, otherwise I really enjoyed the book.  I prefer more closed endings with things spelled out but that is a personal preference.

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