Review: Young Buck by Kilby Blades

Young Buck by Kilby Blades
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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


This is a cute age gap romance following tenacious Loretta, a part time crime scene investigator by day with the local sheriff's department and a personal investigator by night. Her PI business specializes in scorned women and she keeps their identities and personal well being safe. Loretta knows what it is like to be hurt by an unfaithful husband, so protecting these women and their dignity is very important to her. Enter Green Valley Fire Department's newest Lieutenant, Buck Rodgers and Loretta's new neighbor. Their first meeting is a comedy of errors, but Buck and Loretta have instant chemistry. Loretta isn't interested in a relationship, let alone with a hot fireman 10 years younger than her. Buck is determined to wear her down with his flirting and firehouse cooking skills.


Just as Buck and Loretta begin to grow closer, he finds he needs her PI skills to investigate something strange going on with his own mother. As the two of them look into what she is up to, Buck uncovers a messy family situation that he isn't sure how to handle. As he's processing his own dark family secrets he manages to spoil things with Loretta in the process. She isn't willing to let what appears to be Buck's immaturity ruin her life plans that she has worked so hard to obtain. Will Buck be able to protect Loretta from his family drama and win her back before it is too late?


I enjoyed Buck and Loretta as well as the supporting cast of characters. They both had good character development, and I thought they had good chemistry. This is a bit on the slower burn side as all of the threads of the story come together, but every thing does come together nicely in the end. This tackled some really great topics as well. As with all of the Smartypants Universe books this reads as a complete standalone. View all my reviews

Review: The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic

The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This follows Anna, a detective with a secretive backstory that not even she completely remembers. When Anna shoots a perpetrator in the line of duty and is dosed with PCP suppressed memories from her childhood begin to surface. She thought she buried the person she used to be, but with the help of her therapist she is able to piece together her past with what she is experiencing now. This is especially helpful when she finds herself tangled up in a murder investigation that appears to be a copycat of her serial killer father. Unable to detach herself from the case, Anna is determined to use her knowledge of her father's case, and the outdoor skills he taught her to figure out the current case or if her father has returned from the dead to haunt her once more.

I found it hard to believe that Anna was able to hide her identity from so many people for so long. It is one of those plot points where you have to suspend your disbelief for the storyline to work. No one recognizes her and she makes really poor decisions throughout the investigation, yet no one picks up on it.  This might be a spoiler, but this leans heavily on the paranormal aspect, which I didn't mind, I love a good paranormal storyline but I wanted more information on that part. I love a good mythological element, however I appreciate when it is well explained and I felt it was a bit lacking in information on how the connection was made.  As for the thriller aspect, this has plenty of red herrings to keep the reader on their toes and adds in a nice bit of police procedural.

Overall, this was an interesting thriller and a solid debut.

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Review: The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

I mainly listened to the audiobook version, however it was extremely helpful to have the ebook handy while reading this book as there are a lot of characters to keep track of as this story unfolds.  I found myself referring to the print version often to keep track of relationships.  The narrator was good for the most part, however he did a very high pitched voice for one of the female characters.  It was almost whiny, which I didn't enjoy, the other characters were fine.

As for the plot, I found the first half of the book to be very engaging.  We get the first major plot twist around the halfway point, then the remainder of the book seemed to drag after that major reveal.  The plot is fairly convoluted as one of the main characters is found murdered, and an investigation ensues to find out what really happened.  The investigation takes a round about approach to get to the bottom of what is going on, mainly because the inhabitants of the island can't remember what happened the night before.  With only hours left to save everyone on the island before a deadly fog covers the island, Emory and Clara must solve the murder and uncover the secrets of the island itself.

This is a really hard book to review without giving spoilers.  The twist in the middle of the book was great, then it went down hill for me from there.  The murder investigation itself, was more procedural than suspenseful.  If you have read Turton's previous books you will get that same high concept storytelling that takes a complex path to get to the end.  The author often wants the reader to stay in the dark until the very end to prevent the reveal of whodunit, however I often found myself losing interest as I wasn't connected to the characters or the world.  The concept of this dystopian, science fiction society was really interesting.  As I mentioned, I really enjoyed the first half, but the author lost me in the second half as the investigation lacked action and thrilling moments to keep me engaged.

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Review: One Wrong Move by Olivia Hayle by Olivia Hayle

One Wrong Move by Olivia Hayle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This is the third book in the Connovan Chronicles, however it can be read as a standalone.  Each of the books follows one of the Connovan siblings as they navigate the daily grind of running a successful corporation while finding love.  This installment follows the middle sibling, Nate, who runs the London office and spearheads most of the European business for the company while his siblings head up the New York office.

Nate has been in love with his best friend's girl for 4 years.  He saw her first, but his lack of action that fateful night has lead him to years of misery.  Harper is a delightful art historian, but her former fiancé didn't felt her place was on his arm not in a gallery.  As her wedding date approaches, Harper decides that she doesn't want to be his arm candy and wants to continue to persue her art career and takes a chance on a training program in London to get away from her ex, her family and everything she knows.  

This was a little on the slow side for me.  I love a good slow burn, and while I appreciate Nate giving Harper space, Harper seemed completely out of touch when it came to Nate.  She was oblivious to his feelings for her, even after he put them out there.  Harper spent a bit too much time pushing Nate to maintain his relationship with her ex, a relationship that Nate didn't really put much effort into and wasn't really set on keeping.   Eventually they talk it out, but it takes a long time to get there.  I liked all of the sweet things Nate did for Harper to help her check things off of her list, which helped them get to know each other better and spend quality time together.  When conflict arises Connie, Nate's sister, has great advice for both Nate and Harper and she clearly explains both sides in such a wonderful way.  I really appreciated the author's commentary about agency and independence.

Overall this is a fun age gap (10 years) romance that really made me want to visit London and an art gallery or two.  I enjoyed the characters and getting to know them.  

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Review: Mind Games by Nora Roberts

Mind Games by Nora Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

I mainly listened to the audiobook, because January LaVoy is one of my favorite narrators.  As always she does a fantastic job voicing all of the characters in the novel so you always know who is speaking and what they are feeling.  

I actually really enjoyed this book!  This started out as a questionable read for me, as the main character Thea is a child when the villian Ray Riggs enters the storyline.  I don't enjoy thrillers where children are involved, but I really liked what the author did with the interactions between Riggs and Thea.  I thought it was a creative way for them to interact, while still protecting Thea as a child and as she grows up and she is ready to face him in person.  Make no mistake the interactions with Riggs are plenty ugly and at time vulgar, but knowing that he and Thea are never physically in the same space makes for an interesting plotline and easier to stomach when she is younger.  There are several scenes where you are going to want to check trigger warnings for especially when Riggs is in the drivers seat or when Thea is describing crime scenes to the detectives.  While short, they are disturbing.

I thought the pacing was good in this one.  I sometimes find Roberts book to be a tad on the long side and the pace to be slow, but I didn't find that to be the case with this one.  This follow Thea and her brother from childhood when tragedy strikes their family on their annual 2 week trip to their grandmothers Kentucky home.  Grammie becomes their legal guardian and raises them into successful adults.  Both Grammie and Thea have a gift, so this does delve a bit into the paranormal throughout the book as Thea has a connection with the man who killed her parents.  She works hard to keep him out, but he is working just as hard to break down her walls.  As we follow Thea through adulthood, we see her build a successful career and life, and when she least expects it love enters the picture.  I thought all of the characters had good character development and well defined storylines.  I loved all the side characters as well and felt they did a good job to support the story.  I was invested in Thea and Ty's relationship as their romance developed, and thought they had good chemistry.  This is pretty closed door when it comes to the spice, which I prefer.  I also loved all the references to home cooked meals.  This book should come with a supplemental cookbook for all of the yummy things Thea and Grammie cooked, as well as Grammie's secret recipes to her soaps, candles, and lotions.  

Overall I thought this was really entertaining.  Sometimes the author's work can feel a bit formulaic, and while that might have been true for this book that formula worked really well for me here.  If you are a Nora Roberts fan and like a thriller with a paranormal twist this, I recommend this one!

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Review: Muffin But Trouble by Talia Hunter

Muffin But Trouble by Talia Hunter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This as with all of the other books in the Smartypants universe reads as a complete standalone. It features other characters from the Pennyverse and other books in the Donner Bakery world, but you don't have to read them to follow along with Mags and Cy's story.

It pains me to say this, because I love what Smartypants puts out, but I didn't love this one. I had a hard time connecting with Mags. She was pretty insulting to the town and the people, yet Cy pretty instantly falls in love with her because she is pretty and all is forgiven. Mags does eventually get brownie points for helping rescue Cy's reputation with the townsfolk. This is pretty insta-love heavy, which is not my favorite trope. I don't feel that the two main characters ever really developed the love and trust they really needed to sell their relationship as believable. On the other hand, Cy was a wonderful character! The way he tried to earn the trust of his niece and make his house a home for her while she stayed with him was amazing! I think that is why I was so disappointed in Cy and Mags' relationship. The relationship between Gemma (the niece) and Cy was so well developed and flushed out. The author did a great job being respectful of the horrors Cy and his sister Ruth faced as children, and the depression they both suffered as adults because of it. Cy openly but respectfully discusses his struggles with mental health with Mags and Gemma, and only wants to protect those he cares about from being harmed physically and verbally by others.

Overall, this was just an OK romance for me. It was lacking some of relationship building elements that I personally like to see in an opposites attract romance.

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Review: When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This is told from three different perspectives, by three different narrators.  That was a nice touch from the audio perspective as each of the characters is very different and plays a unique role in this fantasy novella.  I always appreciate a multicast narration when there are multiple perspectives.  I enjoyed each of the narrators and how they brought this little book alive.

This book isn't very long, the audiobook was about 4 and a half hours long, but it kept me engaged the entire time and told a full story.  We follow along with three characters Dymitr, Ala, and Niko as they try to find the Baba Jaga to break a curse.  This is filled with Slavic/Polish myths, lore, and magic, while being set a modern Chicago.  Each one of our characters has secrets and trauma they have to sort through before the curse can be broken.  They face monsters and creatures from the mythology that are well described so that the reader or listener can picture them.  Our trio must quickly come to terms with their individual pain, fear, guilt, and mistrust of one another before the curse can be broken.  They have to work together to unravel the puzzles placed before them before the Baba Jaga will grant them an audience and solve the riddles of the curse as well and find their own salvation

This is a fast paced, quick read.  I didn't want to put it down, I always wanted to know what came next.  I love anything steeped in myth and lore and this is no exception.  I'm not well versed in Slavic lore, but Roth does a great job using the lore as allegory for other topics.  

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