WHAT ARE WE READING & REVIEWING IN MAY 2025?- WILL REMAIN UP UNTIL JUNE 5TH

WHAT ARE YOUR READING PLANS FOR MAY?

CAROL'S READS FOR THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY
🌸 - ★
52/52
M/M ROMANCE - HOOPLA
🌸Convincing Cole -Jaclyn Quinn - 5★
🌸Hard to Let Go - Jaclyn Quinn - 5★
🌸Hard to Get - Jaclyn Quinn - 5★
🌸Hard to Hold - Jaclyn Quinn - 4★
🌸Alpha's Sacrifice - Nora Phoenix- 3★
🌸Haunted- K.C. Wells - 4.5★
🌸Without You- Marley Valentine - 4.5★
🌸With You - Marley Valentine - 4.5★
🌸Drawn to You- Jaclyn Quinn - 5★
🌸Landing Levi - Jaclyn Quinn - 4.5★
🌸Inked Temptation - Carrie Ann Ryan - 4.5★
🌸Saint - Sierra Simone - 4★
M/M ROMANCE BOOKS
🌸A Real Good Lie - Kate Hawthorne - 5★
🌸In the Nick of Time - Elle Keaton - 4.5★ (Friend #6) -
🌸Sometimes Love Needs a Heping Hand - David Cox - 5+★
🌸Aisle Be There - Charlie Cochet - 5★
🌸Daddy Down Under- Nora Phoenix - 4.5★
🌸Service Call - Alex Silver - 5★
🌸Stud Muffin - Alex Silver - 4.5★
🌸I'm His First, He's My Forever- Romeo Alexander- 5★
🌸Equalizer - Morgan Brice - 5★
🌸Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts - Charlie Cochet - 5★
🌸A Cold Hard Truth - Kate Hawthorne -5★
🌸Color You In K Evan Coles - 5★
🌸The Billionaire's Game - Ryan Moore - 4.5★ (free copy)
🌸Deadly Lover- Jocelynn Drake - 5★
🌸Daddy Ink - Ali Lyda -5★
🌸Until I Saw You - Dianna Roman - 5★
🌸A Matter of Fact - Kate Hawthorne - 5★
🌸Immersion Play - Katherine McIntyre - 5★
🌸Fly Away Home - Felice Stevens- 5★ (30)
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BOOKS - OTHER GENERA
🌸The Bone Labyrinth - James Rollins - 5★
🌸What Kind of Mother - Clay Chapman - 5★
🌸The Last One at the Wedding - Jason Rekulak - 4.5★
🌸The Impossible Dead - Ian Rankin - 3★
🌸Something in the Walls - Daisy Pearce - 5★
🌸The Night, We Lost Him - Laura Dave - 4★
🌸The End of Temperance Dare - Wendy Webb - 5★
🌸Bluebird, Bluebird - Attica Locke - 4★
🌸The Boyfriend - Freida McFadden - 4.5★
🌸The Guise of Another -Allen Eskens - 5★
🌸This Thing Between Us - Gus Moreno - 4★
🌸Twelve Nights at Rotter House – J.W. Ocker- 4.5★
🌸Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty- 4.5★
🌸Keep It in the Family - John Marrs - 5★
🌸The Book of Doors - Gareth Brown - 5★
🌸Sleep Tight- J. H. Markert - 3★
🌸The Mirror - Nora Roberts - 5★
🌸Library of Lost Dollhouses - Elise Hooper 5★
🌸The Road to Little Dribbling - Bill Bryson 5★
🌸The Teacher - Freida McFadden - 1.5★
🌸Death by Dumpling - Vivien Chien - 3★ (21)
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Yes.... I do know it won't be May for another day...but I'm a "Bad Girl"...again


Haunted - K.C. Wells
Salvation Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance/ Ranch
4.5★
Still haunted by his past, the last thing Butch wants is someone from that past intruding into his present. But what if Sol is exactly what he needs?
Salvation Ranch is home to men who come from a variety of backgrounds, but they all have one thing in common...they are all looking for a home.

Sol Davenport hasn’t seen Butch since high school, but there he is...in the flesh, with his handsome face inviting back memories to Sol of himself...memories that he’d much sooner forget... memories of the ghost of himself that he thought had been left behind. He decides that the reason Butch might be avoiding him is that Butch also shares those memories. How is it even possible that Butch is now more handsome and so much hotter than he was back when Sol first met him...back when Sol was still firmly wedged in that tiny little "closet" that he had built in his head...stuffed himself into.... slammed and locked the door...and God forbid he let anyone even try to get in!

However, years have gone by...and lots of things have happened. Things like the heartache that he wants desperately to forget. The heartache he will do everything in his power to keep far away from that closed closet door. No sir...he’s not about to let himself get entangled again with a man who’d win the award for the "World's Gayest Straight Man". A man who doesn’t play his kind of games.... that is...not yet.

Change is coming to Salvation Ranch... a different type of "guest"...new and different activities. Butch thought that he would be ready...that he would actually crave the changes, but; is he ready for the collision that’s about to rock and turn his world upside down? There’s going to be changes for Sol also...but is he brave enough to accept what is on its way?

In a nutshell we have two "haunted" men who are giving their past ghosts a home in their heads. They will need to forgive themselves for their past...but can they? They will have to find some way to do just that if they are to have a ghost of a chance of happiness.

Haunted is a slow-burn, bi-awakening, hurt-comfort story about discovering your kink, excepting a newfound family, excepting redemption and learning to simply live again. It’s also about two men finding love, and a lot of "firsts" for one of them.

Convincing Cole - Jaclyn Quinn
Shore Thing Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/friends to Lovers
5★
Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.
When Cole's ex, Drake, starts humiliating him in the bar Aiden can't just stand by and allow his friend to be hurt. He quickly thinks; why not pretend they have started seeing each other, no problems could come with that, right? Oh yeah...famous last words.

Between the gossip about Aiden having turned his back on his family...his new budding relationship with Cole... and Cole's nosey interfering mother, it was a wonder these two even slightly managed to remain sane. Somehow, along the way, they discovered that they really never had to go to the extreme of faking their attractions or their feelings of contentment when they were with each other...those feelings had genuinely been there all along.

The way Aiden helped Cole realize that he was worth so much more than he had, for his entire life, been led to believe, and them learning to trust and lean on each other made the story sweet and amazing. With the help of their friends, they will surely come out on the other side and still together. They will just need to stick solidly together and pay no attention to the gossip or the hateful words being spewed by some people... and above all, ignore the hateful, vengeful ex that is "hell-bent" on destroying their newfound and still rather fragile relationship.

This story is so worth the reading time just for the humor that takes place between the friends.

Daddy Down Under - Nora Phoenix - (Australia)
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
I’m such a cliché. Rich, successful…and bored out of my mind. A classic case of a midlife crisis probably, but instead of buying an expensive sports car, I go on a long business trip to Australia. Alone. I haven’t trusted myself to be with anyone since my best friend betrayed me, leaving me bleeding and heartbroken.
Until a gorgeous surfer dude named Ocean falls into my lap, literally.
Cash is a rich and successful businessman with all the luxuries that his vast amount of money can buy. He also works too hard, never relaxes, and is bored and not very satisfied with his life. He isn’t sure what has come over him, but he experiences a sudden impulse to go to Australia for a month to see to a potential deal in person. He's never done or wanted to do this before...but there is a first time for everything...right? He never before would have taken this much risk with this kind of deal, plus he rarely ever travels without his assistant, which read more like his butler...to assist him with literally his EVERY single need. "Sheltered" was a word that hardly described his life, and I was expecting disaster of some kind, before he even got on the plane. But for some unexplained reason Cash wanted, needed to explore a little more. So off he goes to Australia.

On the plane Cash meets a beautiful and intriguing younger man...Ocean. (have to love that name). Ocean is very "take charge" and bossy. He always seems to be in control, and somehow, he "understands" Cash almost immediately. This is all a new experience for Cash...he has ALWAYS been the one "in charge", both in his business and in his personal life. He also has a more "submissive" side that he absolutely refuses to ever allow to come out. Yet there is something about Ocean that seems to allow Cash to breathe, to let go of that control and simple...enjoy. The two men, surprisingly, are very comfortable together. They decide that while Cash is in Australia and Ocean has some free time between surfing contracts, they will share Cash’s hotel suite and just enjoy spending time together. It's supposed to be a short-term fling, but weeks go by with the guys of course falling more and more for one another. The age gap doesn't seem to matter anymore, and Cash begins to get more comfortable with his submissive side. However, old habits die hard, and Cash begins to revert to his "old habits".

This is an age-gap story featuring a younger, very dominant "Daddy" and an older, very wealthy, "boy". I don't know how often this pairing actually works in "real life", but it usually eventually works in these types of stories. This story turned out to be a lot more fun than I had thought to start with. We met Cash at the time that he was struggling with his feelings when nothing was exciting or intriguing him anymore. He's wealthy beyond imagination, he has a successful company, but all he does is work, and he simply isn’t enjoying his life. Though taking off to Australia was a whim on his part, it turned out to be a change that he desperately needed. Cash and Ocean have immediate chemistry, and they quickly realize they have an unexpected connection.

I enjoyed this story...but of course I did... It was written by Nora Phoenix, one of my favorite authors of this genera. It was a fun story with two likable and believable characters, as well as a sweet sexy romance.

Sometimes Love Needs a Helping Hand - David Cox - (North Carolina, New York, California)
Genera: M/M Romance/a Hockey Player & a Symphony Concert Piano Player/Some heavy augst
5+★
Growing up in a small North Carolina town, Sam and Bobby came from very different backgrounds. Bobby was the 'All-American' jock, popular and good-looking. Bobby's future was set, a basketball scholarship, and then on to play for the NBA. Bobby’s life seemed to be complete, but one vital part was missing...Sam. Sam on the other hand, was the poster child for the wallflower. Raised by an ultra-conservative and overly domineering mother, Sam's destiny was changed, and set in stone, by his father's death. His dreams were destroyed by his mother, causing Sam to retreat into a deep, dark closet. His only hope for the future was to get into the college of his dreams. A note and a surprise encounter changed the world for both Sam and Bobby….
Have you ever had a book that was good, so mesmerizing, so "everything" that there's just not enough words to describe it...one that you just never wanted to end? That's exactly what this one was for me. I, from my heart, thank the author, David Cox, for every single page, every single word of this 742-page story. I have never been so glad that I bought a book as I am that I bought this one.

Bobby rescued Sam....first he gave him the love and acceptance that he had never had from his beyond words, horrible, overbearing, mother... he experienced; for the first time in his life the freedom to be himself...to live his dream in front of his piano on the concert stages around the country....and he had Bobby's everlasting love and devotion which Sam returned a hundred fold.

Sam gave back to Bobby, when he encouraged him to live his dream and move to New York to play professional hockey. A horrible lie related to him by one of his hockey coaches, set in motion a 3-year separation and what seemed a rift that might be too deep to repair. Sam had good supportive friends as well as the love of Bobby's wonderful parents that helped him to carry on and survive...even with that huge piece of his heart missing.

The characters, both Sam and Bobby were wonderful. The events that took place in the story were sometimes sad, like the little sick, dying boy that attended Sam's concerts, the unexpected, always unannounced arrivals of Sam's toxic mother to demand money and love she didn't deserve...the three-year separation of Sam and Bobby...I kept reading and I am so glad that I did...Sam and Bobby got...well I'm not going to spoil it for you. Get yourself a BIG box of tissues and read it, Be prepared to laugh, cry, cheer, be angry dance for joy...and experience more emotions that I ever knew existed. Again, Thank you, David Cox for this delightful joy.

Something in the Walls - Daisy Pearce - (England)
Genera: Mystery/Horror
5★
She's looking for the truth, but something else is staring back
It's 1989, when we meet child psychologist, Mina. Mina is new to both the psychology field, and to what goes into an investigation of this type. Along with her to the village, comes a local journalist, Sam, whose specialty is disproving "imaginary" myths. Mina and Sam are off to deepest, darkest Cornwall to investigate this strange case, that of a teenage girl, Alice, whose increasingly bizarre behavior and her totally unchanging insistence that she's absolutely being haunted by a witch. Alice has set her family and her little village on the edge and has put them on the road to a massive confrontation.

Mina and Sam's welcome from Alice's family was a bit over whelming, but i guess at this point anyone that offered help would have been more than welcomed. The family isn't rich by any means, actually they are financially stretched with a psychopathic dad and a tired and run-down mother, plus there are two other children besides Alice. The family is stretched in every area of life and find themselves trying to deal, as best they can, with Alice's strange and horrific behavior. There are a few warm and helpful neighbors, but most of the village locals are not so friendly and welcoming, turning into an almost a "mob mentality".

The art of science finds no place here whatsoever. Rather than looking at the already established means of helping Alice, Mina's arrival causes a further descent into even more outlandish traits. Mina has now taken on the role of "the bad guy". There is, what I would call, a "sub-plot" about Mina's "love life"... which seemed to me to be superfluous but, I guess it did further establish her personality and how she came to be mentally where she was at by the midpoint of the story. The entire village is a rift with secrets...layers-upon-layers of deceit...cover-ups...and a great deal of plain old unpleasantness. Mina and Sam add to the mix, secrets of their own ...secrets which do somewhat help to explain some of their thoughts and actions.

The story is creepy....no other word for it. Alice's almost supernatural situation and the uncovering of the many secrets of the village and its inhabitants only adds to the creepy atmosphere. The reader will need to remember that the story takes place in 1989...not a vast age ago, but before mobile & smart phones and the internet was still fairly new, so that helps to reenforce into, and gives the story, that realistic feeling of isolation. I struggled a bit with the rating as I have not read this author before, but I finally decided on the full 5-stars as the pacing was excellent, and the writing was very well done. The story remained me a lot of the novels of two of my favorite authors of this genera, Ramsay Campbell and Shirly Jackson.

In the Nick of Time - Elle Keaton - (Nevada)
Part of the Subpar series (Can be read in any order)
Genera: M/M Romance/Subpar Agents
4.5★
"Have you always thought you were special?" Unemployed loner Nick Sedgewick applies to an online job opening with that exact phrase but expects nothing to come of it. It was likely a not-so-funny prank after all. Again...WRONG!
You have to feel just a little bit sorry for Nick. He has a "power", a really underdeveloped power, that, with some training, could be a lot more effective than it currently is...yet he still gets the job and is recruited to partner with a former hero, Doug...who plans to soon leave the game. He plans on retiring very soon...and doesn't need, nor want... in any way, shape or form, a trainee, or any other type of partner for that matter. Well, that's just TOO DARN BAD. He is told that he's getting Doug...so "tough luck Charlie" ...that's that!

This story, I must say, is slightly, but very slightly, more serious than the others have been. That's mostly because of the dead and missing agents. Doug wants to figure it out and find those missing agents before they are all dead agents...and unfortunately, he has to drag Nick along. Oh....And also a 50-pound tortoise that Nick has rescued from the middle of the road and named Tim. There is diffidently some comic relief in this one.

It's an M/M Romance, so naturally, both Doug and Nick are gay, so it's doesn't take a "rocket scientist" to see where this is going. I did like how Nick teased Doug. Never in a mean way, but to get him to relax a bit.

A little more background story on Nick would have been nice, but no biggie. It was fine. So, we have an experienced subpar hero, inexperienced wannabe subpar hero, a 50-pound rescued tortoise, and Las Vegas. Combined it becomes a fun new part to this series.

Bluebird Bluebird - Attica Locke - (Texas)
Highway 59 series Book #1
Genera: Mystery & Suspense, Racial
4★
When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules--a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home. When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders--a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman--have stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes--and save himself in the process.
Darren Matthews leaves Texas to attend law school in Chicago but soon finds himself back in his Texas hometown doing his job of a Texas Ranger. He’s been sent to Lark, Texas, to unofficially investigate two murders...that of a local white woman, and the other of a black man from Chicago. He must solve the crimes while feeling that he is almost a stranger in town. He finds that he is still the outsider, not trusted by either the black or the white communities. The worst thing is that as a ranger, he's not trusted by the local police either. In spite of those difficulties, he still must save himself, protect the wife of the murdered black man, and solve two crimes.

Matthews is fairly sure that the crimes are racially motivated even though the local police try to sweep the racial aspects under the rug in an attempt to maintain a resemblance of goodwill between the two races, where at present there is in reality, no goodwill. He uncovers old and new secrets, as he works to solve the murders.

I'm sure that racial issues are both a difficult and touchy subject to write about, but Attica Locke does a good job of it. The story simply reeks with the atmosphere of the country during the timeframe that the book was set in, as well as a strong sense of malice. This solidifies for the reader the idea that nothing much has changed between the races since the antebellum days. Hopefully this is not the case and is only the author's way of further setting the "feel" for the story. It doesn't help matters any when we encounter the presence of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, a white supremacist group, based in Lark.

As he investigates, Ranger Matthews is not without his own haunted past; his new alcohol habit, his vivid memory of his usually intoxicated mother, and his wife who is very unhappy with his desire to be a ranger. His personal journey is intriguing, but it colors the rest of the book and takes away somewhat from the story itself. The title, "Bluebird, Bluebird", is what drew me to it to star with. It's in references to the John Lee Hooker song of the same name. In spite of mostly liking this one, I'm not sure if I will read the other 2 books in the trilogy.

Hard to Let Go - Jaclyn Quinn
Haven's Cove Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance, Enemies to Lovers
5★
Owen Richards lives a quiet life in his small hometown of Haven’s Cove. He has a rewarding life consisting of three very supportive, not to mention feisty women, and a successful bakery that he owns and absolutely loves. Yet, Owen can’t seem to shake this emptiness inside or the intense feeling that something is missing. A sudden encounter with a man from his past, one he despises, turns his entire world upside down.
Owen Richards seems to be generally happy, but one thing is missing even though he has a live-in boyfriend, Jonah. Owen and Jonah have simply "outgrown" one another...they're not in love anymore. They've stopped kissing, and while they are still sleeping in the same room and in the same bed, they haven’t done more than just sleep, in months. Also frustrating for Owen is that kitchen remodel project that Jonah decided to do all on his own. It’s certainly not going well. It's already been a difficult day and it's still just early morning. Just when Owen thinks that things couldn't get any worse, life proves him wrong when he almost gets hit by a truck, and then he sees who's driving the truck, and becomes angry.

The driver of that truck is none other than Brody Walker. He’s come back to Haven’s Cove after being away for 15-years. Brody doesn't really know where he actually wants to be, but he knows to the depth of his soul that he doesn’t want to be in Haven's Cove!! The only reason that he's there now, is because his mother is dying, and he knows that he needs to put some of his "demons" to rest. This includes an apology to a certain man who he had treated very badly in high school. Things had gone from bad to worse when Brody is hired as a contractor to do...you guessed it... a kitchen remodel project and guess whose house it is.... you got it. None other than Owen Richards.

Both men know that there’s a mutual attraction...there always has been... but they’re each "broken" in their own way. The story is based, from this point on, on Owen learning to let go of the past, and Brody learning to face a future without his mother, while trying to come to terms with who he is and continuing to work for forgiveness for his past sins.

We meet other characters that have either played or are currently playing a role in Owen's life and happiness. Jonah, of course, who above all else was Owen's friend even when they realized they were no longer in love. Some had smaller parts, like one of Brody’s high school friends. He was still as much of a loser and a jerk as he had been back then, but the part of the story that he appears in was a pivotal point to the rest of the story.

The ending was wrapped up nicely. It was entirely predictable, but that was fine. I love a "Happy Ever After" ending, and this one was heavy on the "Happy". I felt like I’d made some new friends, as well as found a new series to enjoy.

The Patron Saint of Liars
Ann Patchett
4/5 stars
In Kentucky, there was St. Elizabeth, a nun's home for unwed mothers. A young woman, Rose became pregnant, and she came to stay there while she gave birth to her child, Cecilia though she was wed. She wanted to give up her child. However, she stayed there and made a place for herself but Rose's past eventually comes to her new home. 1992

I'm His First, He's My Forever - Romeo Alexander
Genera: M/M Romance /Best Friends to Lovers
5★
Two lifelong best friends, one straight, one gay, fight their own emotional storm in the middle of a raging hurricane. Who will win, heart or hurricane?
I have yet to find a book written by Romeo Alexander that I have not liked, and this one was NOT the exception. There were so many things happening other than Ethan and Cole's friendship. The story of how they met when they were both 8-years old, captures you from the very start and lasts all the way to the end. There are so many emotions, everything from heartbreak at the start, a hurricane, health battles, feelings of much more than merely friendship, and so much more.

As adults both Cole and Ethan have professions in fields that requires them to perhaps face danger at any given moment, every day...one as a firefighter, the other a police officer. Their jobs also had them answering the "call to duty" during Hurricane Ada, to help get the little town's residents to safety and help those that stayed in town. Ethan and Cole both put their lives on the line more than once during this time, while yet trying to figure out the next step of their friendship. Should they stay as best friends or take the next step to become romantic partners?

Their supportive family consists of Louis, who is Ethan's dad and Pam, who is Cole's mother. They long ago started out as friends and later bloomed into a joined family. The story also includes other "found family" who are such fun characters.

I discovered this author several years ago and have enjoyed everything he has thus far written, most of which I own and reread when I what something that I know is sweet with a happy ending...so of course I thoroughly enjoyed this book and how sweet these two guys were together even before they formed a romantic relationship.

If you don't mind a same sex couple, i highly recommend this book or any book that bears Romeo Alexnder's name.

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel – K J Charles
3***

This is the second in the Doomsday Books series of Regency romances, but I think it can easily be read as a standalone work.

Major Rufus d’Aumesty has come to Stone Manor as the newest Earl of Oxney. This was a surprise to him and to the rest of the d’Aumestys. The family lineage is a tangled web and it’s been a fight to take his place, but his uncle Conrad, and Conrad’s wife, Matilda are still determined to oust him. Enter Luke Doomsday, one of the notorious Doomsday clan of smugglers in Romney Marsh, Kent. Rumor has it HE was the son of the late Raymond d’Aumesty. Luke convinces Rufus to hire him as a secretary, a position with which he has experience and past success. Luke will search the family records for any proof that HE is the rightful heir, and also help Rufus, who has no experience being a lord, organize the estate and begin to put things right. But sparks fly between these two rather different men and the outcome is inevitable.

This was quite a fun and steamy romance. Their passion could easily heat the entire drafty manorial compound! Of course there are several twists and turns in the basic plot to keep one turning pages. But let’s be serious … the best parts are the naughty ones!

I will have to go find the first book in the series, now, to read about an earlier generation of Doomsdays.

Sleep Tight - J.H. Markert - (Montana)
Genera: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
3★
Beware the one who got away. Father Silence once terrorized the rural town of Twisted Tree, disguising himself as a priest to prey on the most vulnerable members of society. When the police finally found his "House of Horrors," they uncovered nineteen bodies and one survivor–a boy now locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane. Nearly two decades later, Father Silence is finally put to death, but by the next morning, the detective who made the original arrest is found dead. A new serial killer is taking credit for the murder and calling himself the Outcast. The detective’s daughter, Tess Claibourne, is a detective herself, haunted by childhood trauma and horrified by the death of her father and the resurgence of Father Silence’s legacy.
This is a nightmare of a thriller. We have a damaged detective Tess Claibourne, who's a bit of a pill pusher that tries to solve her shambled marriage problem with alcohol. Her parents have been murdered, and her daughter is missing; to make matters worse she's forced to work with her ex-husband to solve the case. The core cast of characters, Tess, her husband Justin, their friends the Gomeses; are all solid characters with depth and vulnerability and, despite the MANY, MANY, MANY horrors and traumas in this story, there is a strong line of hope and decency throughout that really rather surprised me.

I cannot warn you enough that the book has...A LOT....of everything. A lot of characters, a lot of multiple back stories, a lot of twists and turns, and what about trauma? There's A LOT of that also. Combine all this and mix with child abuse, kidnapping, murder, mutilation, drug abuse, rape, insanity, multiple houses of horror...this book has it. There's also a character that has multiple personalities, and the lead character, Tess, has submerged memories; an amnesia that protects her from the horrors of her past. I thought from the start that she was an unlikeable and very unsympathetic character. Actually, the entire book was almost "too much". Too many characters and so many psycho murderers that someone should perhaps look into the water supply of this little town. It was actually an exhausting read. About a-third of the plot could have been cut down. I went into this with "high" expectations for this story.

I read a lot of what most people would consider "over the top" thrillers but this was almost more than I could endure.... but hey...I did give it 3 stars! If you like thrillers that closely borders on horror, with a wee core of true decency running through it, with an ending that is way too neatly tied up, then step right up... this is your book! However, if you start to get annoyed after the fifteenth or sixteenth unimaginable, horrible discovery of immeasurable misery that has usually been enacted on the body of a small child, then you will absolutely want to search out something else...otherwise... go for it.

In the Land of Second Chances – George Shaffner
3.5***

In Ebb, Nebraska, life is slow, and people are nice. There is no big box store, and no fast-food chain restaurant, though they do have a Starbucks. That’s the way they like to live. Wilma Porter runs the Come Again Bed-and-Breakfast, and also is a founder of the Quilting Circle, which is comprised of virtually every woman in Ebb. And then, on the first day of Spring, Wilma gets a call from a Mr. Vernon Moore who wants to rent a room for a short while. He says he is a traveling salesman, but he doesn’t seem to be selling anything. Still, his presence makes a difference in this community.

I was completely charmed by the residents of Ebb, and by the mysterious Vern Moore. I really enjoyed the philosophical discussions he engaged in. And I loved that the women of the town really ran the place, despite the local real-estate mogul thinking HE runs things.

This little book made me think while it entertained me. It’s a wonderful fable about hope and faith and community.

The Night, We Lost Him - Laura Dave - (California)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
4★
Estranged siblings chase a fifty-year-old secret that shaped their father's mysterious life.
As the story opens, we learn something that none of the characters in the book know...yet. Hotel magnate Liam Noone did not fall by accident. He was pushed...but by whom and for what reason we haven't been told yet. The police have called it an accident and closed the case, but his son, Sam, is not so sure.

Sam hasn’t seen his half-sister, Nora, in years, but he goes to her workplace in New York to ask her to go with him to California to investigate. This part of the story is told by Nora, and we get a lot of information about Nora. Seems that she has recently lost both her parents; she’s an authority on neuroarchitecture; she is engaged to a chef but has an ex still n the wings but somehow all this isn't much of a "feel" for Nora as a person. She and Sam race around investigating leads and having a lot of defensive, snappy conversations.

Then a second narrative takes place 50 years in the past. We learn about a romance that took place between Liam and Cory, a woman that is not one of his three ex-wives, nor is another woman...Cece, with whom he had a mysterious connection. The story relies heavily on the tension created by all these missing puzzle pieces, but continues to plunge forward, with nothing really at stake...no strong suspects...no "wrongly accused"...no contested inheritance; it’s all just lots of secrets. The secrets of a person now dead so his children can understand him even though it’s too late now.

Actually, nobody really understands each other in this story, and the characters suspiciously keep each other at arm’s length. This lack of understanding comes off the page and extends to the reader as well. I learned about other interesting topics, such as "neuroarchitecture" (designing spaces that support emotional well-being), the hotel business... I learned about hotels that I probably will never visit because a room cost more than the average person's monthly wages. It wasn't a bad story, but it was filled with a lot of interesting but useless information.

Hard to Get - Jaclyn Quinn
Haven's Cove series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Gabe D’Angelo has it all. Designer clothes, luxury cars, a cool confidence most would envy, and a never-ending supply of money and men. When he arrived in Haven’s Cove to be there for his best friend, he never imagined he’d end up extending his stay indefinitely. Small town living isn’t so bad after all, and the views are magnificent...especially the view of a sexy, rugged blond
No matter what anyone else tells him, Gabe D'Angelo is convinced that Nate Black is gay. So, what if he's got a wedding ring on his finger? What does it matter if he's overheard the guy talking on the phone in a loving manner to someone named Lily? Neither of those things mean that he isn't gay, and as far as Gabe's concerned, he intends to make Nate his no matter how hard the thirty-four-year-old contractor pushes him away. The thing is, Nate isn't playing hard to get. He just wants the thirty-five-year-old guy with a silver spoon in his mouth to leave him alone. Doesn't he understand that Nate isn't the least bit interested in getting together with a spoiled, entitled guy like him? But Gabe won't take "no" for an answer, and once he set his sights on Nate, there was no turning back for him. Will Nate see past Gabe's wealth and privilege to get to know the caring man that has been there all along? That's what we will soon find out.

I really liked this second book in the Haven's Cove series! I was a little worried that I wouldn't like Gabe all that much, mainly because I really liked everything about Nate right away. He was quiet and wary, someone who didn't like being badgered into doing anything. He won me over in the first few chapters. Then the more I got to know Gabe, the quicker he became one of my favorite characters.

The more I started liking Gabe I found that Nate, who started out as my favorite, now was the one I wanted to shake. He had preconceived notions about the type of guy Gabe was, because of an experience he had had a few years before his move from Boston to Haven's Cove. He was slow to give his trust, even though he already seemed to trust Gabe, but making baseless assumptions was what he automatically did. He quickly became frustrating...but I still liked him. Nate and Gabe were perfect for one another.

The feeling of community and family was also highlighted in this story along with the love that was being shared. Jaclyn Quinn did a fantastic job of putting together a romance that had an "enemies-to-lovers" feel, even though the "enemies" part was one-sided. This is the second book in the series that I've read and see no reason that books in this series couldn't be read as standalones or out of order. You can't help loving the characters and hoping for their happiness.

Hard to Let Go - Jaclyn Quinn
Haven's Cove Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance, Enemies to Lovers
5★
Owen Richards lives a quiet life in his small hometown of Haven’s Cove. He has a rewarding life consisting of three very supportive, not to mention feisty women, and a successful bakery that he owns and absolutely loves. Yet, Owen can’t seem to shake this emptiness inside or the intense feeling that something is missing. A sudden encounter with a man from his past, one he despises, turns his entire world upside down.
Owen Richards seems to be generally happy, but one thing is missing even though he has a live-in boyfriend, Jonah. Owen and Jonah have simply "outgrown" one another...they're not in love anymore. They've stopped kissing, and while they are still sleeping in the same room and in the same bed, they haven’t done more than just sleep, in months. Also frustrating for Owen is that kitchen remodel project that Jonah decided to do all on his own. It’s certainly not going well. It's already been a difficult day and it's still just early morning. Just when Owen thinks that things couldn't get any worse, life proves him wrong when he almost gets hit by a truck, and then he sees who's driving the truck, and becomes angry.

The driver of that truck is none other than Brody Walker. He’s come back to Haven’s Cove after being away for 15-years. Brody doesn't really know where he actually wants to be, but he knows to the depth of his soul that he doesn’t want to be in Haven's Cove!! The only reason that he's there now, is because his mother is dying, and he knows that he needs to put some of his "demons" to rest. This includes an apology to a certain man who he had treated very badly in high school. Things had gone from bad to worse when Brody is hired as a contractor to do...you guessed it... a kitchen remodel project and guess whose house it is.... you got it. None other than Owen Richards.

Both men know that there’s a mutual attraction...there always has been... but they’re each "broken" in their own way. The story is based, from this point on, on Owen learning to let go of the past, and Brody learning to face a future without his mother, while trying to come to terms with who he is and continuing to work for forgiveness for his past sins.

We meet other characters that have either played or are currently playing a role in Owen's life and happiness. Jonah, of course, who above all else was Owen's friend even when they realized they were no longer in love. Some had smaller parts, like one of Brody’s high school friends. He was still as much of a loser and a jerk as he had been back then, but the part of the story that he appears in was a pivotal point to the rest of the story.

The ending was wrapped up nicely. It was entirely predictable, but that was fine. I love a "Happy Ever After" ending, and this one was heavy on the "Happy". I felt like I’d made some new friends, as well as found a new series to enjoy.

Stud Muffin - Alex Silver
Summer of Adventures Series Book #6
Genera: MMM Romance/Puppy Play and a variety of other types of kinks that may not be for some readers.
4.5★
Established polyam couple Nicholas and Clark have an open relationship, and Nicholas loves to explore his kinky side and his steamy urges with friends and boyfriends... Ethan, Nick's childhood "bestie", comes back into his life when he needs a friend or maybe something more... and Clark is wondering for the first time if Ethan is a part of his future too.
This is a fairly low angst, high steam story that features a variety of kinks including bondage, breath play, puppy play, daddy kink, ethical non-monogamy and many other kinky dynamics. There are M/M/M scenes and more. Beyond the kink, this is a sweet romance about being what all three guys needed from one another and having, and showing, compassion and strength in order to build a relationship that will work for all three of them.

This, for some reason, was not my favorite book in this series...I can't really put my finger on the "why" of it. I didn't have any problem with the topics...to each his own...and I have read books before with all the topics that this one contained...even books with those same topics by this same author. A friend suggested that perhaps there was just "too many" of them, thrown out all at the same time (??) Perhaps. At any rate, it's not a bad story by any means. Alex Silver always writes wonderful books. This one just left me feeling entirely over-whelmed. I loved Nick's "puppy side" along with his "shopping spree" and his attempt to cook dinner...but I especially loved the African Gray Parrot. That smart, sweet parrot and those scenes alone earned it a 4.5-star rating.

Without you - Marley Valentine - (Washington)
Without You Duet Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance
3.5★
Tragedy brought us together, but something stronger made me want to stay.
Deacon and Julian are both struggling with the death of Rhett, who was Deacon’s brother and Julian’s boyfriend. Rhett was always the favorite son and Deacon never felt that he "fit in" and his mother was horrid to him and his father allowed it. Julian, though not family, always seemed to fit in in ways that Deacon never could, and Deacon has always been jealous of the ease that Julian seemed to have with his own family...he always had lived in Rhett’s shadow. Then when Deacon sees how much Julian is struggling with Rhett’s death, he reaches out and wonders how he never noticed Julian before.

This is a story filled with intensity as Deacon and Julian struggle with first finding some "common ground" and then starting to acknowledge that they have feelings for each other. Deacon has never been attracted to another man before, but that doesn’t really throw him off much as the fact that the man he's attracted to is Julian. It’s not easy as both struggle with feelings of guilt. They are respectful of each other and acknowledge at one point that some things may simply not be "theirs to have...but also may not be "theirs to question", Soon they find that they actually "work"... in ways they truly never thought possible, and they not only find a close friendship, but a true love.

My only issue with this story was Julian and Deacon’s mother. It was never really made clear the reason why she had such disdain for one of her own children. Deacon had a sister, as well, who was also treated fine. So much of Deacon's story stems from the issues with his mother, I would have liked a bit more insight.

Otherwise, this was another really good book by a wonderful author that writes sweet stories and gives her characters happiness and love. I'm on to the second book in this series.

A Real Good Lie - Kate Hawthorne
Two Truths and A Lie series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Fake Relationship
5★
kissing that hottie at the bar two weeks ago and letting him leave without getting his phone number. Hobbies - art, photography, dancing, hanging out with my friendsCallahan and Jace couldn’t be less compatible, but they've been set up for the weekend and there's no going back. Callahan's pride is on the line, his mouth is all over Jace, and they need to put in the performance of a lifetime if they’re going to make their very fake relationship look convincing. To sell the lie, Jace and Callahan reach an agreement: real attraction, pretend emotion. But when make believe turns into making love, the only people they’re fooling are themselves.
Callahan McMillian grew up rich and privileged. He also had his life planned out for him. He went to the college his family choose, majored in marketing like they wanted, and took a job at the family business. While Callahan knows that he's in many ways lucky, he is also miserable, and he doesn’t know how to change it. Then his father died, he endowed a wing at their alma mater and the ceremony is soon happening. He doesn’t want to go, but he doesn’t see that he has much of a choice. To make matters even worse, he finds out that his ex, Rhys, will be there with his new fiancé. Callahan grudgingly agrees to his best friend Sebastian’s offer to set him up with a guy he knows that can pose as Callahan’s boyfriend for the weekend.

Jace Dare has always worked and scraped for everything he's ever had. He knows he won't really "fit" in Callahan’s world, but a luxurious weekend away seems like too good a deal to pass up. Jace is surprised when he boards the plane only to find out that "his" Callahan is none other than the hot guy, that he hooked up with a couple of weeks ago. He remembers that that man was open, warm and sexy...but THIS Callahan is closed off...prickly as a porcupine, and so uptight that he may break in two. Still, that doesn’t change Jace's attraction for Callahan, or the attraction Callahan feels for Jace. They both think that with the heat between them, they can easily fake being boyfriends, and when the weekend is over, they will go their separate ways.

Things get off to a rocky start as the pressure of expectations, and Rhys’ bad behavior, have Callahan showing the worst sides of himself. Jace is struggling with fitting into this world of wealth and privilege, as well as putting up with Callahan’s on again off again surprising nature. When they are alone together, it is just like that night in the bar. But as soon as they are around others, Jace can’t help but wonder which one is the "real" Callahan. The story looks at the duality of Callahan, and to a lesser degree Jace, as they have two sides to themselves.

I really liked how the story allows Callahan to remake himself and step back from that weight of obligation to choose what he really wants. Jace has a lot of doubts, not only about Callahan, but also about if he would ever be able to "fit" into that world. It was really a fascinating exploration of these two guys, and I loved watching how their relationship grew. It was at times, sweet and tender, but at other times... intense and not always easy. We got a chance to meet both Jace and Callahan’s best friends, and they gave us a different look at both men. Jace and Callahan are open with their friends in ways they can’t be with others and so it was a good means to get a better sense of who they really were. I like both the Remington and Sebastian characters, and I liked this story a lot. I found myself drawn in by Jace and Callahan’s journeys. It was also a nice twist on the "fake relationship" trope. I definitely recommend this one or almost anything that Kate Hawthorne writes.

>19 Carol420: Oh, No ... despite your rating that last paragraph gives me pause. And it's a selection for my F2F book club, too!

The Supreme Macaroni Company – Adriana Trigiani
Book on CD performed by Cassandra Campbell
3.5***

This is the third installment in the story of the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village, New York. Valentine Roncalli is the central character and the series follows her life over several years. I won’t say any more, because that might spoil earlier episodes for future readers.

I really like Trigiani’s books. She features strong heroines with complex backgrounds and conflicted feelings. They almost always end happily, or at least hopefully … even though there is plenty of tragedy involved (and isn’t life, itself, like that?).

Cassandra Campbell does a marvelous job of voicing the audiobook. She has a lot of characters to interpret, and she is more than to the task. Brava!

>25 BookConcierge: It's a good book and the information is interesting, but I just often felt pulled away from the story. With a group discussing it, there probably will be insights that I missed... Read it and I hope you enjoy it.

Hard to Hold - Jaclyn Quinn
Haven's Cove series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance
4.5★
POSIBLE TRIGGER: SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR
“I'm sorry. I don't trust myself when I'm near you because I want so much more than you're ready to give. You may never be ready, and that's okay too. If you do decide to give us a chance though, I'm ready when you are. Maybe that will help you figure out what you truly want. In the meantime, just know, I'll be here.”
Jaclyn Quinn's wonderful "Haven's Cove" trilogy is one of my favorite "discoveries" this year. This one, book three in the series, is gym owner Jonah Taylor and finance expert, Cameron Vaughn's story. If you're familiar with this series, then you'll recognize Jonah and remember his encounters with Cameron while he was still working as a trainer...before opening his own place in town. It's not one of my favorite things; but there is a lot of angst that intermingles with a lot of romance and sex, in this one...and it lost the story half a star in the rating. It does however do an excellent job of highlighting the importance of the "family" that you create for your own self, and how acceptance is, unfortunately, not a "given" commodity, even when it concerns those who you love and are the closest to you.

Cameron arrives at Jonah Taylor's new gym for the grand opening. Jonah didn't think he'd see the shy man again, but then Cameron shows up with a gift certificate from his brother and sister-in-law for a three-month membership and some "one-on-one" time with...guess who!! Yelp...none other than Jonah himself! As the two begin to form a friendship, Jonah realizes that there's a lot more to Cameron than just being "shy". There are things that he has experienced that has shaped him into the man that he's become...-things that have affected not just but him but also his entire family. He's confused and he's worried about whether or not he's ready to accept who he really is, and above all... if his parents will. Cameron is accustomed to running, but will he be able to run from that one man...the one who accepts him...as he is...with dark past and all without a single question...reservation or hesitation?

The three stories in this series takes on some heavy subjects but never just for the drama. This book does come with a trigger warning...sexual abuse of a minor...which I included at the beginning and again here, in order to give possible future readers a heads-up. If this type of topic is acceptable to you then I hope that you'll give this book...this trilogy... a chance as both Cameron and Jonah have a story that has them struggling to find their footing yet never making it feel as if there's no hope on the horizon for themselves as individuals or their relationship as a couple. Your heart will go out to Cameron for the confusion that was swirling within him with his head not being in sync with his heart, and the fear that was stopping him from being absolutely honest with himself. Jonah was just a really great, understanding and patient guy. If there was one character in this entire trilogy that I had been hoping would get his happily-ever-after, it was Cameron. If you are going to read this trilogy, it is best to read it in order.

The Impossible Dead - Ian Rankin -(Scotland)
Malcom Fox Series Book #2
Genra; Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
3★
A major inquiry into a neighboring police force sees Malcolm Fox and his colleagues cast adrift, unsure of territory, protocol, or who they can trust. An entire station house looks to have been compromised, but as Fox digs deeper, he finds the trail leads him back in time to the suicide of a prominent politician and activist. There are secrets buried in the past, and reputations on the line.
This is the second Malcom Fox novel that I really have tried to like since Ian Rankin "retired" Jon Rebus. (At least he didn't kill poor Jon Off). As with the first one in this series with this new man in charge...it's completely predictable...but I do have to admit that it's entirely accurate: It all boils down to that "Malcolm Fox is NOT John Rebus". It's not necessarily a bad thing, and the series isn't by any means bad either... but the fact, at least for me is, that Fox remains, after two books, a not overly compelling character. In this one his status as an investigator of internal police corruption is repeatedly being called into question due to the simple fact that he very often simply ignores orders and acts completely outside the bounds of his "pay grade".

He doesn't even break the rules in the same way as Rebus, and I thus far have not entirely understood just where Ian Rankin is trying to take us. In the book's favor, the author doesn't try very hard to inject romance into the life of his protagonist, I can't imagine Malcom and romance in the same universe much less the same room. He also doesn't make Rebus's teammates come across as irresponsible failures at their jobs the way that Rebus's often came across. Still, the job appears to be a bit "limiting" for him and he spends a lot of time desperately trying to claim a bigger piece of the "whole" for the men under his command.

Based on the zero number of books that I have written, I don't feel qualified to sit in judgement of an author's work...but after reading two books featuring the new leader, it just doesn't feel like this series is the same author's work...that penned the Jon Rebus series. "The Impossible Dead" is a well written book, but one with an ending that is both all too familiar and too convenient. That all being said, I have to admit that my judgement may be a bit on the off- colored side, because let's face it... Malcom Fox just isn't Jon Rebus, and he never will be.

The Boyfriend - Freida McFadden - (New York)
Genera: Psychological Thriller/On-line Dating Horror
4.5★
She's looking for the perfect man. He's looking for the perfect victim.
I've read a lot of this author's work before, so I wasn't too surprised that this story had a more than intriguing setup. It begins with an innocent date that quickly turns into a total nightmare. The author builds the tension with fast pacing making it almost impossible to put down. It is written in a way that makes for easy reading.... however, I thought that the female character was more than merely stupid...but I guess we needed her to be in order to get to the twist...that was really good!

Sidney Shaw is desperate to find "the one". She's close to 40, and her mother is after her to find a man. Needless to say; she's anxious. After meeting a guy who puts her down and makes her uncomfortable, she's pretty sure that she's had it with dating, until... she meets the potential "one". He's a doctor, he's handsome, and he's oh so charming. You know if it seems too good to be true...then it probably is...and it was.

Sidney has an ex, and he is the chief of police, so she's become privy to info about the slew of murders taking place in the area. The prime suspect is a man who dates them and kills them. But our Sidney feels safe, in the perfect arms of this perfect gentleman...She pays no attention to the warning signs... he doesn't want to meet her friends.... his phone doesn't ring when she calls it...and the BIG ONE...he has an obsession with blood.

The story is told from two perspectives: Sidney's and Tom's. We go back in time and meet Tom's obsessive crush, his best friend, and his parents. Tom comes from a toxic home life complete with an abusive father. Makes you wonder about how that affected "adult Tom"? Tom had always tried to protect his mother, so maybe that was enough.

Sidney can only be described as a "lost woman", and 'Lost' is a kind word for her. There has to be a way around this "bimbo lady". I wanted to shake her while trying to get her to notice some obvious "glitches about "perfect Tom"...Hey lady...the man that you're dating does very some strange things, but you think that it's, okay??? You just overlook it, right? Yeah...it's not 1924 its 2024...you have the internet...you can ask questions...your ex is the chief of police...ask him to check on "perfect Tom" it just was unbelievable how incredibly STUPID this woman was. "Sidney wake up and smell the coffee while you still can"!!!

The ending though, was absolutely sooooo worth the wait. Everything you "think you thought", isn't at all how it was. 4.5 stars for that perfect, twisty ending that was absolutely worth.... everything. I would recommend this book to anyone that’s looking for, and loves, a very creepy story with a very creepy character...and can overlook the very stupid woman.... although her stupidly was sometimes very entertaining:)

What Kind of Mother - Clay Chapman - (Virginia)
Genea; Supernatural/Horror
5★
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS: SUICIDE/ SOME GOREY VIOLENVCE/ LOSS OF A CHILD
“The story is one that will have you pacing the room, reconsidering your own sanity, and questioning that stubborn instinct to nurture.”
I'm a huge fan of Gothic horror...bet some of you thought the only thing I ever read are M/M romances:) My friendly librarian & best friend handed me this and said, "you have GOT to read this." Thanks to her I spend an enjoyable day and half the night listening to every squeak, creek and bump...and loving every freaky minute of it!

This is a very dark, creepy, and disturbing book, so of course I couldn’t put it down. It's been a long time since I have read a book that made me feel that I was physically THERE. Madi hasn't had the best life and is trying to start over back in her hometown, with her teenage daughter. It was this daughter's impending birth that made pregnant, teenager Madi escape the town seventeen years ago. She sets up shop reading palms and reading clients and telling them what they want to hear. Then she reconnects with an old flame, Henry. Henry's son Skyler had disappeared a few years prior when he was just a baby. Madi realizes that she is having visions of Skyler and thinks that she may be able to find him.

As a dark fantasy thriller this was already great. So, the romance between the two former lovers wasn't really necessary but is again connected over Madi's visions and Skyler’s potential presence. I couldn't help thinking that these two emotionally, mentally damaged characters were falling into something emotionally unhealthy. Can't say much more about the romance.

Now about the horror elements. Be aware that there is SO much really nasty body horror. How you will take this really does depend on your tolerance. I didn't find it disturbing or super gory, but I read some really weird stuff...but this may be way too much for some readers. Some of the descriptions are graphic and could be nightmare producing. However, it’s also incredibly creative in the direction it takes and what it means for the characters...but still it's definitely freaky and unsettling. There were the moments that the story unfolded in a new way that explored parental devotion and inability to either seek or accept closure. This part will stay with you for a long time.

Overall, this book is brutal, but most true horror fans will love it. If you haven't had the opportunity to check out this author, now may be the time. But be warned: you aren’t going to ever see crabs the same way after reading this. I strongly advise anyone that has any triggers whatsoever to pay very close attention to the trigger warnings. Otherwise...it's a story that is worth every minute of your time to read it.

Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts - Charlie Cochet - (Florida)
Genera: M/M Romance/Short Story
5★
Julian “Quinn” Quinetro, a gruff, tough Miami SWAT officer, has been injured on the job, and all he’s looking for is a little peace and quiet to recover—difficult to achieve with his large Cuban family. An adventure in picking up his prescriptions puts him in the path of his geeky, brownie-baking neighbor, Spencer Morgan. Spencer sweeps into Quinn’s life like a tropical storm of sunshine and rainbows.
Charlie Cochet is one of my favorite authors. I have read and purchased almost everything she has ever written. I just can't seem to get enough of her sexy and sometimes geeky characters, and she is a "master" at writing them and giving them life....and in this book I got both the sexy and the geeky. "Happy Camper!"

Humor is woven in throughout the story. The part of the story that shows us Quinn walking into his neighbor Spencer's apartment for the first time...that entire encounter had me laughing. Then when Quinn’s large and boisterous family shows up, unannounced... I again couldn’t help but laugh because Quinn’s large Cuban family, especially his mother... was simply amazing.

I have loved this about almost all of Charlie Cochet's books. Although this story is definitely about Quinn and Spencer, you can’t help but love the characters that surround them…well, almost all of them. Even the one characters that I didn't love or even like, Javier. I wished I, or someone, could have slapped him upside the head...are so well defined, that you are easily able to connect with them and relate to them. They all help to add another layer to what is, an already amazing story.

This story is short, but it is so very, very sweet. I wish it had been longer, but I do a lot of rereading, especially authors that I can always count on, and Charlie Cochet is diffidently one of them! This was a perfect example of why she is always an "automatic buy" author for me.

The Last One to The Wedding - Jason Rekulak - (New Hampshire)
Genera: Mystery/Thriller
4.5★
Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic and determined to finally make things right. He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate―very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire.
It's partly a mystery, and partly a thriller, with A LOT of family drama. There's also some very complicated family dynamics along with a dark side of having vast unlimited wealth, all crammed into the framework of a twisted wedding weekend.

Frank Szatowski’s estranged daughter Maggie calls him one day, and at first Frank is overjoyed. They haven’t spoken in three years, and he’s thrilled to again have the opportunity to talk to her...that is until she tells him she’s getting married. She's marrying a man she’s only been with for a few months. It turns out that this new husband-to-be is the son of one of the wealthiest and most powerful businessmen in America.

Right away, Frank gets a bad feeling. It’s all happening way too fast, and Maggie’s husband-to-be is Aidan Gardner, who presents a rather strange attitude about the whole affair. Despite all the misgivings, the wedding plans continue, and Frank finds himself at the Gardner family home in New Hampshire for the wedding weekend. Frank tries to figure out why the local people hate the Gardeners so much, and why the Gardners are acting so strange...but he knows that if he pushes too hard, he could lose his daughter forever. Soon there are "family secrets" that come to light, and absolutely nothing is what it seemed.

To start with you get "The Perfect Couple" vibe. Then it became one of those "rich people messes" and believe me these rich people are quite a big mess! Frank’s whole attitude...which turned out to be mostly justified...made me give the entire plot another guess. All the wedding information will have you also second-guessing. You'll ask yourself just how many people can one person possibly offended...accidently or otherwise???

This book is fast paced but nothing particularly gave me a reason to give it 5-stars. Every single character in this story behaved badly in some way, and therefore they all became suspicious. Even Frank, this supposedly loving father was ridiculous and stubborn a great deal of the time. He was difficult to really like or to root for, but so was the rest of the bunch.

There was a twist at the end, but nothing about it was particularly surprising. The ending was sort of realistic, yet still unsatisfying. All the questions are answered...but...it just didn't seem. to be complete.

Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty - (Australia)
Genera: Mystery, Suspense
4.5★
A murder...A tragic accident...Or just parents behaving badly? What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.
The story, I found out, takes place in Australia but in a fictional place in a part of Sydney. The town is a fairly laid-back beach community with a mix of the "mega rich" and "blue-collar" families, that all of their children attend the only Primary School, in the entire little town...Pirriwee Public.

This school year has already started when the new bunch of "little darlings" become embroiled in a bullying spree on orientation day. One little girl has bruises and quickly and almost gleefully, pointed out one of her classmates...a little boy, who along with his mother, new to the area. The mother was so young that she was mistaken for the nanny. This little incident is only the "tip of the iceberg" for this new school year, especially when you learn of the bullying that will go on among the parents in retaliation to all allegations against their children. As a result, Trivia Night ended in the murder of one of the parents. The story then takes us back six months to where it all began and follows three mothers who will be found to be "too close for comfort" to the investigation...Madeline, Celeste and Jane

Madeline: glittery as she is fiery...never happier than when she’s wearing righteous indignation, and lately she’s had cause to wear it often. Not only is she at the beginning of the terrible teenage years with her 14-year-old daughter, Abigail, but Abigail’s father, who walked out of their marriage and left Madeline the single-mother to their baby is living close by. He moved there with his new wife, and their baby daughter who will eventually also be attending Pirriwee Public with Madeline’s daughter from her second marriage. She thinks that there should be some law against ex-husbands and their "replacement" families sharing schools.

Celeste: half of a couple consisting of her, and her jet-setting husband, Perry, and their twin boys who are going to start their first year of school at Pirriwee Primary. They have a huge sprawling house, they enjoy the very best of everything and Perry makes up for his long absences with beautiful bits of jewelry for his wife. Perry’s Facebook page gloats on their "perfectly happy family".... except, it’s all a lie.

Jane: is twenty-five and single mother to a beautiful little boy, Ziggy. She's painfully thin and very self-conscious. She moved to Pirriwee on an impulse because she thought that Ziggy would like the beach. Before Ziggy's birth her family had been concerned about her since the day that she confessed to being pregnant as a result of a "one-night stand", but she has refuses to go into any more details about it. Let's just say that that little Ziggy won’t be meeting his biological father anytime soon, not so long as Jane has anything to say about it.

These three women quickly form a united front when, on the Pirriwee Public orientation day, one of their children is singled out and declared to be a bully. To make matters even worse, then was subjected to ongoing and unsubstantiated bullying by of all people, the supposed to be adults...the Pirriwee Public School parents, who want all three girls expelled.

The story was engaging and carried a powerful message against domestic violence and how we tend to often times simply ignore such things until they fester and boil over. I gave it 4.5 stars instead of the 5 stars that I originally had thought about because it became a little tiresome and a bit "too much", how the supposed to be adults acted worse than their children. I couldn't even work up much sympathy for the dead one.

A Cold Hard Truth - Kate Hawthorne
Two Truths and A Lie series Book #2
5★
Sebastian isn’t sure if he’s interested in men, but he knows he’s interested in Remington Dockery. The younger man is awkward but bold, and after calling on Remington for help one afternoon, Sebastian can’t stop thinking about him. Remington thinks Sebastian is a mess, but he might be just the kind of man Remington has been waiting for. After a string of e-mails, a lot of money changing hands, and some first-time encounters, Remington and Sebastian are about to find out how complicated and messy love can be.
The story can best be described as "reluctant intrigue that morphs into a solid bit of idiots in love,”, all written in a mostly narrative style. Kate Hawthorne takes these two characters who are stumbling around, to an unfamiliar dance between two beautiful men who inspire each other to go for what they truly want and need.

It's a story with medium-heat and relatively light kink. Both characters discover certain "truths" about themselves throughout the story. The "power exchange" dynamic that eventually evolves between the men exists but doesn't come out right away, not until the steamier bits of the story developed on both sides.

Most M/M romances that I have read...and I have read a lot, that involves a power exchange, tend to feature either two experienced characters, or one that initiates a "first-timer", into the lifestyle...but this was a glimpse into a new relationship, one that the characters will have to "grow" into their individual roles, and do so together...especially as it means that almost all of their new discoveries will be "shared firsts", for them both.

The books in the "Two Truths and A Lie" series or maybe trilogy, definitely needs to be read in order. this one read after A Real Good Lie in order to understand the full backstory between the characters of Callahan and Jace...and Callahan and Rhys. What transpires between these characters; Sebastian and Remington, is completely an event by its lonesome. Yes...it's a little confusing but you will understand it by reding in order.

The actual conflict here is mostly internal, but I find myself curious if the author intends a third book in this world. I believe there may be another one already written. I will be checking with my best friend "Mr. Amazon" I will happily go along for the ride if it means more time spent with another wonderful couples such as the ones we’ve met thus far.

P.S. YEAH...There is a book #3!!! Wonder if I can talk Kate into a book 4???

The End of Temperance Dare - Wendy Webb - (Wisconsin)
Genera: Paranormal Mystery
5★
A former crime reporter becomes director of an artists' retreat with a dark past. As mysterious events unfold at Cliffside Manor, she must protect the fellows and herself from sinister forces.
This was a really good story that was filled with interesting characters who really came alive. There were missteps galore as we are taken on a ghost hunt.

Eleanor has lost her job that she had held for 20 years, as a crime reporter. She has also been in therapy for PTS....or that is what her doctor was calling it. She learns that the director of the former TB asylum which is now a writer & artist retreat, is searching for a new director. The last if the Dare family...Penelope Dare, is retiring. She had met Penelope before when Penelope's father and her sister had been killed when their car went off the cliff on the Dare property. She is immediately hired, and at the start of the modern-day story, Eleanor is being driven to the Dare Manor. of course, it's a creepy, foggy day that is filled with excitement and also dread. What better way to start a ghost story?

Eleanor's journey begins with ghost and is, throughout the story, filled with more ghosts. Our Eleanor is a busy lady. Along with the ghost, she has two love affairs and a mystery to solve. The story will keep you reading and I would recommend it to all mystery lovers, especially if you like ghostly stuff. It's not so scary that it would give anyone heart-failure or nightmares...just some creepy times with a mixture of love, friendships and even some laughter.

As with all good novels, once the conclusion is revealed, it all seems so obvious!

Keep it in the Family - John Marrs - (England)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
5★
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS: FAMILY VIOLENCE, GRUESOME MURDERS, DRUG ADDICTION, MANIPULATION
A young couple’s house hides terrible secrets...and not all of them are confined to the past.
Finn and Mia have recently bought their first home. Their new house is in desperate need of a makeover, so they set to work making renovations. Soon after the work begins, Mia learns that she is pregnant. With their dream house nearly ready, they are surprised when an ominous message is left for them. The message speaks of something sinister being connected to the house and Mia and Finn feel that they must investigate. What they uncover is horrendous and beyond all imagination. The house that was once their dream is now a crime scene. Mia is particularly disturbed by the dark history of her home, and she feels the need to find out more about the house's past. Piece by piece the mystery of this "house of horrors" comes to light and Mia realizes that their lives could be in danger.

The story is told from the viewpoints of five different characters including the unknown killer. The author also gives us a number of vital excerpts and key articles that were interesting but became somewhat of a challenge to keep track of all the narrators and time periods. I did very much like the mystery and conjecture that surrounded the story. It helped and allowed for my theories, opinions and impressions to take form. I know I came up with some really wild theories and ideas...most of them...wrong. There is a lot of "darkness" in this story that may really, really bother some readers, and could possibly raise triggers. However, as much as some of this was really awful, you can't help feeling that there was a lot of truth in this story. You can actually imagine these things being reported by a handsome, smiling TV newscaster on your 6:00 news report in all its glaring gore.

I was highly suspicious of all the characters, except for Mia. I was Mia's biggest fan from the start, and I desperately wanted her to learn the truth, and still be alive afterwards. My opinion of her husband and his family...??? Well, I won’t say too much more about them other than John Marrs has given "life" to a bunch of "shady characters". Good job, Mr. Marrs...I didn't figure them out until it was too late. I know that sometimes it's skipped but be sure to read the epilogue. It gives the story and the reader, some much needed grounding, AND a shocking final twist. I don't remember when I have had so much gruesome "fun" with a book:)

What stayed in my mind the most when it came to the book was the old debate that surrounds the "nature versus nurture" theory... inherited family trauma, double lives, murder, secrets and psychological tendencies. These were very interesting topics, and I felt that the author really did these dark issues justice. This was a chilling tale, and I was glued to it from the first to the last sentence on the last page. I am certain that this one, along with John Marrs, its author, deserves every single one of these five stars.... maybe even more.

The Guise of Another - Allen Eskens - (Iowa, New York, Minnesota)
Max Rupert and Joe Talbert Book #2
Genera: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
5★
A detective's life spirals out of control as he investigates a complex case of identity theft, putting him in the path of a trained assassin who has been searching for "James Putnam" for years.
I, and many others, have read and really enjoyed this author's first book, The Lives We bury. This book is quite a bit different, although it is still a really great read. I liked the tie to that first book with the involvement of Detective Max Rupert. This story centers around Max's brother, Alexander, who is also a police detective.

The story starts with a bizarre car wreck. The driver of one of the cars is killed. When trying to identify the driver, it is discovered that he wasn't who his identification said he was...he was using some other person's identity. From there the story takes on some other interesting twists that leads to the discovery of a past unsolved crime, which then leads to the involvement of a brutal killer, Drago Basta. His tactics are extremely brutal, and he is also very clever in the manner that he pursues his intended victims.

The plot development of this one was absolutely one of the best I have ever read. You can almost share the victim's feelings that there is no place to hide from this evil killer. As if this isn't enough "adventure", a side plot has Alexander not only in in trouble with the law, but also his career, his personal life, and his marriage. It is a very fast paced story, filled with greedy "bad guys"... some unexpected, and the eventual revealing of a surprisingly huge secret. Some parts of this story will just stun you with things that you never saw coming.

Twelve Nights at Rotter House - J.W. Ocker
Genera: Mystery/Paranormal/Haunted House
4.5★
A desperate author holes up in a haunted house for thirteen nights in an attempt to flesh out the basis of his next book. His best friend joins him on the second night, and what follows is a story of two old but estranged friends in a bizarre old house, running through every haunted house trope known to man.
This was the month of May's read for my library group of senior folks. I was surprised that they wanted to read something that might be overly scary and also was very different from their usual fare. They mostly liked it, but didn't love it...but they are anxious to discover more paranormal themed reads. Maybe I can steer them to some of the Darcy Coates books. She writes paranormal books, but on the tamer side.

The Book:
Felix had a feeling that his next nonfiction book, "Thirteen Nights at Rotter House", is going to be the one that would take him soaring into financial success. He invites his friend, Thomas, to join him in his ghostly investigation of this haunted house to give the resulting book a balance between his own skepticism and Thomas’s absolutely well-founded beliefs in the paranormal. There was also another motive. A year ago, their friendship had been tested and neatly broken, now Felix is desperately using this joint visit hoping to repair that break.

You should take notice that the title of the actual book and the title of the book that Felix wants to write in the story is different. His original tile was to be "Thirteen Nights" and the title of the book you are holding in your hands is "Twelve Nights at Rotter House", so right away we know something is going to prevent Felix from reaching that last evening in the house. I usually like slow burns... but this was more like watching a glacier melt. I don’t mind the slow burn approach in paranormal stories, but there needs to be a buildup of tension in the plot and some insight into the characters. What bothered me most was that some of the passages, especially in the beginning, although they were well written with unique perspectives and descriptions, but there was a lot of repetition of phrases and actions.

The atmosphere of the house itself was outstanding. The first two nights in Rotter House introduced the characters, and describes the almost unimaginable creepy setting, and relates some of the bizarre and horrific deaths in the home’s past. It gave the reader that feeling of settling in for an intense ride. However, after the initial set up the novel begins to stagnate until around the ninth night, (chapter twenty-three). I'm not saying that nothing happens in the story. believe me...creepy things do occur, such as the use of a Ouija board, porcelain dolls that seemingly move on their own, and disembodied screams shattering the night. The problem was Felix's entire approach and reactions to what was taking place...what he went there to feel, see, and hear, take place. Several times he would seem to discount things like the Ouija board, the entirely unexplained noises, even using a ghost as a character...when a ghost WAS the character. When something did happen, Felix and Thomas spent half a chapter discussing the occurrences...the first time it was interesting...the second time it was slightly annoying...after that it only managed to completely dissolve all of the tension that they should have been experiencing. One of the men in my group...said he nearly stopped reading after that happened a third time. He couldn't understand why Felix who WANTED to write a ghost story was dismissing the entire premise for his book when it was staring him in the face. I had to agree with him.

The entire story is told from Felix’s first-person perspective, but very little is revealed about him. There’s was a lot of room throughout the book to delve deeper into his thoughts and his past and his long-time relationship with Thomas, who we also learned very little about. There was simply no "bond" created between the reader and character... no established connection. So, we find ourselves left in a state of near apathy. It became one of those books that way too much information is held back. I assume it was an attempt to intensify the twisted ending... but instead it left a huge void through the middle of the story.

Overall, the group agreed that the "twist" was really good and pretty much unexpected. They enjoyed it and was glad they read it. They settled on 4.5 stars for the overall rating.

Drawn to You - Jaclyn Quinn
Beyond The Cove Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Tatoo Artist
5★
When tragedy makes you really open your eyes to the love that is right in front of you. When working together to save everything turns into love. Sometimes you need a little push.
Eli is a tattoo artist and is in love with Jake, the owner of Incubus Tattoos. Eli is the type to want a relationship, but Jake isn't...so it doesn't matter how many times Eli says he’s going to stay away. Whenever Jake shows up at his door at different, sometimes ungodly hours of the night...his heart always seems to be telling him to just let him in....but he is always hurt because Jake won't stay the night.

I felt really sorry for Jake. He's lived his life always feeling "not quite good enough". That "Not Good enough" feeling always makes him feel he can't ever be the best thing for Eli, so he won't encourage a relationship, but knowing what Eli wants won't allow him to try and find love with anyone else either. He plays along but always hurts Eli by telling him that he’s going to go off to sleep around. He tells Eli that he’s not built or meant to be in a relationship or to settle down or to have a family. He doesn’t think he’s built that way.

His parents disowned him once he came out, and they now only show that they care for his brother. The brother who is married... but they don’t care for his brother's wife ...and his brother and his wife don’t have any type of relationship with their parents.... but all that matters to the parents is that his brother's NOT GAY.

Tragedy strikes and Jake now has to take care of his brother's two sons. Although Eli wanted to separate himself from Jake, he finds himself just wanting...having to be there for him when he needs help, comfort and support.

It is truly a beautiful, 5-star worthy story. I may or may not go back and read it again, but I was happy to have had the opportunity to have met Jake and Eli this first time.

Equalizer - Morgan Brice - (Illinois)
Sharpe & Springfield Series Book #2
Genra: M/M Romance/Secret Service Agents/1890's venue
5★
Grave robbers, dark magic, mad scientists, and forbidden love!.
Morgan Brice has done it again, but I'm not too surprised. She was one of the first M/M Romance authors that I had ever read and I have NOT been able to, nor have I at any time wanted to, stop. I own and have read and reread every series she has put in print. I love her Badlands and her Tresure Trail series. If you like M/M Romances, you'll love the characters in those stories.

This is her newest series, and it's already joined the other two that I mentioned. Our two agents, Shapes and Springfield, are on their way...in their very snazzy train, to Chicago to investigate a series of grave robberies...most of the bodies never made it to the grave before parts, (hands, feet, skin), were taken. Some of the dead lost their appendages BEFORE they died and their deaths were the result of blood loss.

We have to remember that this was the 1890's and things were very different at that time. Replacements of many parts of the human body are common practice today...and on a personal note for our agents, Sharpes and Springfield...their relationship...though it is mostly, or at least is becoming, accepted, or at best, tolerated in most parts of today's world...but ABSOLUTELY NOT in 1890...but they are careful and there is some steamy scenes on their private train.

There's also a lot of magic...even our two agents have some of this talent. We are made aware of the reality of how little of the sciences that we take for granted today, there was in their time. This story takes place in Chicago, so it's no surprise that the mafia shows its face and becomes involved. Overall, it's yet another very good, beautifully written mystery and romance story. I will anxiously be awaiting the third, and I hope many more meetings with Agents Sharpes and Springfield.

This Thing Between Us - Gus Moreno - (Illinois)
Genera: Mystery/Horror
4★
"A surreal excursion into heartache and horror narrated by a man undone by grief . . . Along with allusions to Rod Serling and The Exorcist, there are shades of H. P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, zombie literature and, at least once, A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy . . . You may not want to read this book right before bed."
Vera and Thiago had moved into a Chicago condo and some weird things start to happen: They hear foot - steps at night, they experience cold spots throughout the entire condo and hear scratching on the walls. They take it all in stride, but then when Vera buys a smart speaker, remember "Alexa"?... things get, if it was even possible...much worse. Packages that nobody had ordered, containing everything from sex toys to industrial strength lye begin arriving; the smart-speaker turns itself on at odd times... talks to someone that isn't there; and plays random music all on its own.

The story is about grief with a bit of weird, cosmic horror. We follow Thiago, a young Mexican man whose wife, Vera, has just died in a freak accident. The time just before her death and especially after is filled with bizarre supernatural occurrences that maybe is related to the Alexa-like smart speaker Vera had bought a short time ago. I don't want to give away any details of the plot, but let's just say that things get creepy.... or creepier. There was the eerie music at odd hours, Thiago waking up to Itza, (the speakers "name"), giving light shows in a room that no one was, or had been in, and was totally empty. Thiago HAD to get away...he planned to move, especially after waking to the sound of Itza talking softly to someone in the empty living room...and someone that wasn't there...was answering!

You've heard about "the best laid plans of mice and men"... Thiago plans are soon null and void. Thiago soon realizes there is no escape...not from his simmering rage over Vera's death, and not from the evil that is hunting him, that's feeding on his grief, and is determined to make its way into this world.

I really liked the book...I gave it 4 stars, but I felt that it was a bit confusing at times. I believe that it's going to be a 'hit" or a "miss" for most readers, even die-hard horror fans.

The Book of Doors - Gareth Brown - (New York)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
5★
Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading. But this is no ordinary book…It is the Book of Doors. Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them.
This one has it all...time travel, magic, friendship, family love/loss, murder, a little espionage, a little mystery and an ending that illuminates and ties everything together. This book was wonderful! I’d recommend and read it again in a heartbeat.

To begin with I thought it was a bit slow for the first few chapters. It felt calm and simple at first...and for a good reason. Once you start to realize the name of this game in this time travel focused book, it picked up and was filled with action, shifts, realizations and intrigue, as everything started to come together. There are a few brief parts that are a bit dark because the villain has arrived.

It's one of those stories that you want to just go on and on. 400 pages were nowhere near long enough. The author maybe could have gone a little further on the conclusion. Some of the ending had seemed to have been implied...and the reader is left to draw their own conclusions. As I read the last page and the last words everything came together and made perfect sense...and a more beautiful ending could not have been asked for. I hope we are going to get a sequel.

I don't know what the author's overall intentions were for the story when writing this book, but if nothing else, it will make you think about cherishing your loved ones even more...everyday you have them.

Landing Levi - Jaclyn Quinn - (Florida)
Shore Thing Series Book #2
Genera; M/M Romance/Friends to Lovers
4.5★
I’ve wanted Levi ever since my friend Cole introduced us. When Levi moved to my hometown of Coral Pointe Inlet, I thought I finally had a chance to land the sexy, misunderstood man. After months of trying, though, it’s clear he doesn’t want me the way I want him. Putting some space between us is the only way to reclaim some of my dignity. I’ll suffer through as many bad dates as it takes to get over the oblivious man. It’s time to face the facts: He’s never going to notice me when he’s too busy looking at someone else.
Sage Rafferty is a happy, gay man living the best life while running his dream...his restaurant, Bluefin, in his hometown of Coral Pointe Inlet, Florida. Sage has lived there his whole life, and he was ecstatic when his childhood friend, Cole, returned to town a year ago. That meant Cole’s four college besties also moved to town to open their hospitality company. Finally, Levi Hansen, is around all the time, instead of only just for brief visits.

Sage first met Levi when he tagged along to Coral Pointe Inlet on trips with Cole, and Sage has been captivated by the tall, dark, broody man ever since. He has often flirted with Levi, but without much success. After a year of no progress of getting Levi’s attention, Sage is going to move on and find himself a husband. He wants a family. He'll even go on bad blind dates with men that he finds incompatible to find someone besides Levi.

Levi does like Sage...he likes him a lot. He sees Sage is smart and confident and attractive. However, Levi also believes that Sage is way out of his league. Levi’s always had a problem with connecting to people, mostly because of his childhood of the casual neglect from his self-centered single mother. Making friends with Cole and the rest of their crew was his lifeline in college, but his insecurity makes Levi a little insecure when it comes to Sage’s teasing. Levi doesn't know how to take it...and doesn't want to make any mistakes. His friends tell him to "go for it"...but just when Levi has convinced himself to ask Sage out, he learns that Sage has met a man that he seems to be compatible with. Levi is crushed...but he won’t leave a friend in need, so he pitches in at the Bluefin when Sage is short staffed due to illness....And...YEAH TEAM...they finally both connect.

This is a sweet romance, with lots of fun and flirty moments. I really enjoyed the story. I got lulled into it, even as the beginning overlaps with the time frame of the first book, Convincing Cole. Sage and Levi are great characters, with one being one "larger than life", and the other who just wants to be important to someone special. Their sweetness and their sexy times are fun and steamy. We also get to better know the other three friends. The way these characters all lean on one another was "special", for lack of a better word.

Mrs Nash’s Ashes – Sarah Adler
Digital Audiobook narrated by Mara Wilson
3***

Millicent is on a mission to deliver some of her friend’s ashes to her friend’s former lover in Florida. But a major computer SNAFU grounds all flights, so she winds up on a road trip with a virtual stranger, Hollis Hollenbeck. Over the course of their trip from Washington DC to Key West (complete with several detours and delays), they learn more about each other and about Mrs Nash, the 80-something-year-old friend whose ashes Millie is carrying.

This was a contemporary rom com, a road trip, and an historical F/F love story all wrapped in one novel. I was much more interested in Mrs Nash’s story than in the push / pull attraction between Millie and Hollis. I wish Adler had just told the story of Rose and Elsie who met and loved one another while serving as WAVES during WW2. Still, it held my attention and I enjoyed it.

Mara Wilson does a fine job of reading the audiobook. Several times when the story skipped back to WW2 era, I felt a little lost for a moment or two, but that’s a minor quibble.

Asile Be There - Charlie Cochet - (Florida) (not reviews anywhere else)
Runway Grooms Series Book #1
Gener: M/M Romance
5★
They say your wedding day is the beginning of your happily ever after. But I’m pretty sure they never stood on a sweltering Florida beach getting ready to promise forever… only to change their mind at the last minute and be assaulted by a crustacean while fleeing the scene.

I love Charlie Cochet's writing, not only her stories, but also her humor. Humor abounded in this book mostly because of Gage, and the situation he found himself in. This series has ties to her "Four Kings" which I also loved. I found the cameos from the security guys from the "Four Kings" series, noting short of delightful...like family coming home...which it was.

Jett and Gage had been in a past relationship that ended on a rather sad and diffidently sour note. Them running into one another again was a total fluke, but after the adrenaline-fueled escape was over, all those feelings came flooding back. Both the characters were sweet, and I was glad to see them finally get their happy ending in this light, sweet and fun story.

If you like hot, sexy romances, with a side of humor and just a small bit of angst, I highly recommend this book! I wanted to root for that crab...nice touch Ms. Cochet:)

The Mirror - Nora Roberts - (Maine) (not reviewed anywhere else)
Lost Brides Trilogy Book #2
Genera: Mystery/Paranormal
5★
When Sonya MacTavish inherits the huge Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, she has no idea that the house is haunted. The footsteps she hears at night, the doors slamming, the music playing, are not figments of her imagination. In her dreams she sees glimpses of the past. In the present she finds portraits of brides. And when she has visions of an antique mirror, she is drawn to it, sensing it holds dark family secrets.
This was excellent ghost fodder to feed me, the "Ghost Story Junkie"!

Sonya MacTavish inherits a mansion only to discover it to be haunted by ghosts known as "the lost brides". In 1806, Hester Dobbs, a not very nice witch, wanted the mansion and the mansion's owner. Thinking the best way to accomplish this, she kills his bride on their wedding night. She then sealed the curse by killing herself. Okay, I thought...not the best way to get what you wanted Hester. The curse did live on throughout the many future generations with the first woman in each generation being killed by the curse on her wedding day. Hester Dobbs has become the poltergeist that controls part of the mansion, while the rest is inhabited by the ghosts of her victims. This was becoming a really full house.

Nora Roberts follows what her readers expect to be the "typical trilogy plot" in this book. Somehow the "forces of good" manage to gather information, and build their forces, but seem to be saving the "final showdown" for the last book in this trilogy. Oh well...there are certainly worse things I could do than to HAVE to read the last book:)

Sonya has managed to build a small group of supporters around her; her cousin, her best friend, and surprise...her lover. Sonya and her four supporters discover not just. a mirror...but a magic mirror! One that shows them glimpses from the past, and as a dubious added bonus...as family members, Sonya and her cousin can travel through the mirror. On the other side, they become ghosts and are able to experience the murders of any or all of the brides. A front row seat. Now Sonya and her friends call these "visits" fact-finding missions. They are hoping to use the gathered information to out-smart Dobbs and end the curse. Meanwhile, Dobbs builds her own power, hoping to intimidate and frighten Sonya away.

I have always loved a Roberts book...she is nothing short of a masterful storyteller. She has woven together the tales of Sonya’s ancestors, not only the murdered brides but also desperate survivors who did monstrous things in order to avoid the curse. It’s a fascinating look at the destructive powers of ambition, greed, and weakness, overall: A mesmerizing story revealing how a family was impacted by a curse over the centuries. I think I'll try to talk my library group of seniors into try this sone.

Service Call - Alex Silver - (Canada)
Summer of Adventures Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance/Trans Daddy, little
5★
Can a chance encounter lead to true love? A one-night stand with the sexy plumber who saves me from a leaky toilet sounds more like the setup to a corny porno than the secret to a lasting romance. Still, I can’t get Tate out of my head after he rocks my world. When he walks into my life again where I least expected to find him, it’s got to mean something.
Service Call is the third book in the "Summer of Adventures" series. The first book in the series, Knotty Boy, really should be read first, as some characters over-lap.

This is the story of Rory and Tate. Rory is a trans "Daddy" who has just moved to the city. On his first night there he finds that he is desperately in need of the services of a plumber and Tate answers his call and ends up having to shows up, as everyone else was out on other service calls. Tate is not only a plumber, but he is also a "little". To make his life possibly even more difficult; he has dyslexia. Things go well and Tate's problem is simply solved...but more importantly...Rory and Tate really hit it off. They agree to try going out but only one time. After this supposed to be "one-night stand", they meet again...at a place where they least expected to see each other. After what had happened with his last "Daddy" Tate wants to take it very slow and Rory isn't sure how Tate feels about him.

Rory had only just started to take the chance of being a "Daddy" again and he can't believe that he just might have been lucky enough to find the perfect "boy"...and it was just by chance. These two were so sweet and caring together. The patience that Rory showed Tate and the trust they had in each other was perfect. I really loved them as well as their story. It was sweet, sexy, and full of wonderful feelings. As with all of the many books that I've read by Alex Silver, this one was delightful and very well written.

Color You In - K. Evan Coles - (Massachusetts)
EMS Station Series Book #1 (not reviewed in any other thread)
Genera: M/M Romance/Firefighter & Paramedic
4.5★
Why are the hot guys always straight? EMT Gus Dawson is off men, thanks to his jerk of an ex. He’s set his sights on a promotion to paramedic and being the first amputee to hold that title for the city of Boston. Gus doesn’t care that his new rookie partner thinks he’d do the job better. Or that the straight, married dad is all wrong for him.
This is an emotional, slow-burn rivals-to-lovers romance that delivers all the tension, heart, and swoon-worthy moments you could ask for. Gus and Madoc’s journey from wary partners to something deeper is filled with vulnerability, growth, and just the right amount of angst. Their chemistry is undeniable, but it’s the way they support each other—through career struggles, injuries, and the challenges of single parenthood—that makes their love story so compelling.

Madoc’s daughter, Val, is an absolute scene-stealer, bringing warmth and joy to every moment she’s on the page. Watching Gus bond with her while Madoc comes to terms with his feelings is truly heart-melting. The book balances emotional depth with humor, making it impossible to put down.

The only thing that kept this from being *perfect* for me was the resolution of one of the side characters’ arcs—I wanted a little more closure there. But with only 372 pages to work with, it’s understandable that not everything could be fully explored. Still, this book absolutely delivers on its promises of a beautiful journey of self-discovery, found family, and a well-earned happy ever after.

Deadly Lover- Jocelynne Drake - (Illinois)
Exit Strategy Book 1)
Genera: M/M Romance/Assassins
5★
Even Assassins Need Love! Justin Mallory is an assassin. But he’s a good guy. Seriously. After selling his soul to the CIA for a few years, he’s working for himself. Now he’s choosing the jobs. And he always works alone. But he can’t go solo this time. Gabriel Prescott is an efficient, cold-blooded killer. Justin doesn’t want anything to do with him, but his skills are exactly what he needs to complete this contract. Bullets and secret meetings force them to depend on each other. And one hot, frantic night together leads to a hidden sweetness.
For an assassin, Justin is certainly a happy guy. He's also an excellent computer hacker. He came across as being rather like Robin Hood who "robbed from the rich to give to the poor" since he only takes jobs that are beneficial to society, and he ALWAYS works alone. However, this job he's taken on own.... is going to requires some assistance....by someone that is exactly like him.

Enter Gabriel. He's best described as a "tortured" hero. He also an assassin and he also only works alone, but he's willing to help out on this job with Justin because it’s a of LOT of good old American DOLLARS...and Justin is pretty easy on the eye....so maybe he can kill two birds with one stone.

There's a lot of push & pull in this story, the romance takes the lead over the actual job they’ve been hired to do. It would have been nice to have had a bit more of the actual job and a little more mystery, but their relationship was so incredibly sweet to watch develop.

These two get into so much trouble! I can’t imagine how they had actually managed to live as long as they had. They really took their own safety for granted and were constantly getting shot at while running into the bad guys.

It was an excellent M/M romance and a really good thriller. As with everything I have read by this author the writing was excellent.

Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris
4****

While I liked seeing more of Hero Jarvis and her efforts to reform her world, I found the number of ties between the murdered characters a bit confounding. There is the initial crime of burning down the Quaker reform house, the Magdalene House, and killing the inhabitants. And there are the prostitutes living in the Orchard Street Academy, who knew the main victim (Rose/Rachel Jones), but then we find out that several men who were killed, apparently at random, all have a part to play in these murders. Who was with whom, why they were killed, who is rescued and who is not all becomes a bit too over the top.

On the other hand, all of the investigative work that St Cyr does helps reveal more about the women's lives who go into prostitution via the various "houses" and "academies" in Regency England. He also begins to see how Hero is working to improve the lives of women trapped in these circumstances. But with both his friend Paul, the surgeon, and St Cyr's tiger showing up in bits of action and then disappearing, the storyline loses a lot of continuity.

The final bit of this book covers the assassination of the then-Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval and weaves it into the storyline. Seems that some skills learned on the battlefield are not just how to pull a trigger when killing the enemy.

Demons of Unrest by Erik Larson
5*****

A well-researched, well-written book into one of the most central times in US history. It is also timely and explores some of the forgotten plots that transpired during a deeply divided time in our country.

Drawing on only first-hand sources, Larson explores the crucial months between Abraham Lincoln's election as President in 1860 and the start of the US Civil War. Of course we all read those sentences in our history books: Lincoln won the election. He became President. Then a Southerner fired on Fort Sumter, and detail detail detail about the Civil War. The Battle of Bull Run. The burning of Atlanta. Pickett's Charge. The Gettysburg Address.

But this book is different. This book details the letters and writings of Edmund Ruffin, a secessionist who fires the infamous first shot. Who was he, and what did he believe? And Robert Anderson, who was the commander at Fort Sumter. He kept a diary and was in constant communication with the leaders in Charleston. While he grew up a Southerner, he knew his duty was to defend the US fort against the secessionists. Mary Boykin was married to a plantation owner and published a diary detailing what she saw in towns and cities during her lifetime.

And then there were the clandestine meetings in the end of Buchanan's government and the start of Lincoln's government. And the calls by the secessionists to march on Washington, D.C., to overthrow Lincoln, possibly even preventing him from taking office. And the states, one by one, that voted to remove themselves from the United States, happening in real time.

Anyone with an interest in history, in parallels between historical time periods, in political unrest and deep division, owes it to themselves to read this book. It will not take long.

Bringing Home the Rain by Bob McGough
4 1/2 ****

This is a duo of detective novels with a twist: the amateur detective, Howard Marsh, is a drug-addicted magic maker who is reduced to living in a storage unit. And as someone who rented a storage unit for many years for an on-line business, I have seen my share of folks in those circumstances.

This book has the grittiness of the late Andrew Vachss' books: absolute honesty about how people live and no apologies for folks doing what they gotta do to survive. It is set in a rural Alabama county with mostly unpaved roads; the author is drawing from his own experience living here. And the narration and dialogue are both from this rural area which lends more realism to the book.

The first book, "Bringing Home the Rain" involves a seven-week drought that is threatening all of the local farmers, especially the newest farmer, with financial ruin. This last farmer is the one who tugs on Howard Marsh's heartstrings the most, since he just started the farm and has none of the sprinkler systems the older farms have. Marsh begins to investigate this drought through magickal means and finds that his own grandmother crafted a Pooka that is contributing to the crisis. And she's not someone Howard wants to offend, or even chat up to ask for her help.

The second involves a missing woman, Inez, who was Marsh's friend in high school before their lives went off the rails. She has been trying to get back on the straight and narrow and was last seen at an itinerant preacher's tent revival. Her eldest son is trying to raise his siblings through help from his grandfather and through growing food around their trailer. But he hasn't seen his mom in more than a week and enlists Marsh's help to try to find her. Which he does, though not in the way anyone expected.

Daddy Ink - Ali Lyda
Get Ink'd Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Tatoo Artist/Single Dad with Baby
5★
He’s raising a baby, not looking for love … I don’t want a serious relationship, and certainly not with the single dad next door. But one look at Gordo? I’m smitten.
Gordo and Javi each have some serious baggage from their pasts. Gordo his a four-month-old daughter that he's raising alone after his dirt-bag of a husband walked out before she was even born. There is more, much more than enough about the sleezy "dirt-bag" later in the book. The story is heartfelt and real and crammed full of feelings...both good and bad...but not there's not very much of the bad. Gordo and Javi finally realize that they each had more love to give than they thought. The entire story strongly emphasized that "family" isn't always those who are blood related to you but those in your life that accept you entirely for who you are and support you and love you unconditionally.

Javi, the tattoo artist, was an absolutely exceptional character. He was a talented ink artist, he was great with kids, and supportive of his friends, but, at the same time he was so hard on himself. You just wanted him to see and understand that he deserved anything he wanted...the entire world. The eventual support and love of his life, Gordo, was his neighbor and a divorced, single dad that was trying to keep himself together while raising his infant daughter all on his own. I liked his character also, but it wasn't long before I started to wish that he had been a bit more careful in the way that he treated and spoke to Javi sometimes. He knew how sensitive Javi was. How "aware" he always was about his stutter. While I wasn't always a total fan of Gordo, I did understand what he had been, and was still, going through. Gordo, Javi and the baby girl made the perfect and adorable little family.

This was my first book by this author but certainly will not be my last. To date there are 7 books in the series, and I already have the other 6 coming from my best friend, Mr. Amazon.

The Billionaire's Game - Ryan Moore
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Theo never planned to crash an elite auction—let alone become the prize. Broke, overworked, and just trying to survive another night, Theo stumbles into a room where he doesn't belong. A room where power plays aren't metaphorical and the stakes are as personal as they are dangerous.
Dominic is wealthy, ruthless, and always in control. Until Theo. What begins as a forced agreement spirals into something neither man anticipated: seven days of guarded tension, smoldering desire, and unraveling secrets. But when one impulsive decision reveals Theo as more than just another pawn in Dominic's world, both men must confront the truth about what's real—and what's merely part of the game. One man with nothing to lose. One with everything to hide. Seven days that will change everything.
The last thing Theo expected when he walked into the room to serve drinks, where the event was being held, was to find himself being auctioned off and then being won by a domineering bidder. His entire life, Dominic has always got what he wanted, so he immediately figured ways to bid on and win Theo. This led to them coming to an agreement. Theo felt out of sorts with everything going on and was trying to get back some control, but Dominic has a overly domineering personality so it was difficult to keep any of the control.

I thought this was something that appeared that Theo hadn't agreed to do, so why would it ever work? It almost seemed like something unlawful. I wasn't surprised that their "budding romance" hit a stumbling block. Theo made a discovery that shocked him to his very core, and he walked away. I thought "smart man"...but surprise...I was wrong. Theo realized that he actually had feelings for Dominic and decided to take the risk. Maybe they could have a chance at a happy relationship.

This was, in spite of being a tad unbelievable...an intensely powerful romance story. There was a bit of humor thrown in. Depending on your level of belief, this either was an interesting way to meet the "love of your life" or your next "serial killer"...but as the saying goes..."all's well that ends well".

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Until I Saw You - Dianna Roman -(Illinois)
Broken Hearts Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/ Caretaker to Lovers/Abusive Ex
5★
A story of survival, healing, and finding the courage to love.
Riley Davenport recently lost his sight. We have to tolerate Val, his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend for a short while. She treated him like a three-year old child. She went so far as to even hide his cane because she said that it "embarrassed" her. Really??? Oh, she was a real "piece of work", and I was happy she was only around for a couple of chapters. She wouldn’t let him wear the clothes he that he liked and actually wanted to wear; always tricking him into wearing colored polo shirts which he detested with a passion. He finally had had enough of "Vicious Val" and dumps her in a really comical way. I thought it was hilarious, but it wasn't funny to Val. Oh, well, yeah...good-bye Val....don't let the door hit you on your way out!!

After Val left, Riley realized that he did need help, but he had fired every helper sent to him by the agency, all for some silly reason. I loved the reason for the last one's departure. Riley said that "she smelled like my Aunt Loretta did at her funeral". The author, thankfully...didn't elaborate on that one for very long. However, he did get lucky when the agency sent him Harper. I loved Harper. If Riley ever gets tired of him, he can send him to me:) The opportunity to work for Riley was perfect for Harper. It’s a live-in position, which Harper desperately needed because he’s essentially homeless after running away from Dallas his abusive, now ex-boyfriend. Riley was mostly blind so he wouldn’t be able to see the bruises and other injuries that Dallas had inflicted on his body.

The initial meeting didn't go too well; depending on how you look at it. I thought it was funny, but I’m almost positive that Harper didn’t see it that way. Harper was sure that he had lost the job before he had ever started it. Riley allows him to stay after sharing a bit of back-and-forth talk, and a granola bar. Riley did love food, so when he learned that Harper could cook...that was THE major plus, and they came to an arrangement... of sorts. Harper did a good job of laying it out just how desperate he was for this position. They soon fall into a routine with Harper being able to help Riley in ways that none of the others didn’t or couldn’t. Harper has experience both personally and professionally working and aiding the blind, so he’s a major help without being too pushy, but he didn't let Riley run over him.

Things really start coming to light regarding the feelings that Riley, who is supposed to be "straight", has developed for Harper during an emotional visit to the apartment Harper had shared with his abusive ex, Dallas. Riley wants to comfort him, and not just in a "he’s my employee & friend" kind of way. The story has some very emotional moments...some that will make you laugh, and some that will break your heart, but it also has those fun and hilarious times, like when Harper discovers his love of gay romance audio books...and when they get a dog that was "the ugliest dog in existence", and whose name changed daily...Jedidiah, Zeke, Boomer, Eisenhower, Copernicus, Bruce, Russel, Jose, Kevin, Bogart, Larry, and my favorite, "Barkus Maximus"... yet another funny part.

It took a little while for Harper to realize that what Riley was feeling was very real, and not just something that was temporary and expected because of all that Harper’s has done for him...but it was so worth the wait.

The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britan - Bill Bryson - (England, Wales, Scotland)
Genera; Travel
5★
n 1995 Bill Bryson got into his car and took a weeks-long farewell motoring trip about England before moving his family back to the United States. This book is about that trip,
Bill Bryson was one of my mother's favorite authors...so I was intrigued when I picked up this one...then I was fascinated as I followed on his journeys, and then I was HOOKED and REELED in! What a nostalgic and hilarious account by this misplaced man.

It wasn't just a travelog or a place-by-place account of the places that he went it was absolutely the funniest thing I have read in quiet some time...and I could imagine my mom reading along and laughing with me.

The section about how Britain got its road numbers and how it is sectioned off like an "odd-cut pizza" was one of the books highlights...and then his take on the imaginary meeting of yet another committee to upgrade a section of road, had me again laughing and thinking, "it's not just in England, Bill":) As always, he pays his deepest respects to his adopted country as well as his native land.

If you need something to pass a few hours of your day....do not miss this book. Well worth your time...and you will learn so much. Bryson hasn't lost his sense of humor or his sense of adventure...You may even want to join him for a cuppa tea:)

Library of Lost Dollhouses - Elise Hooper - (California)
Genera: Historical Mystery
5★
When a young librarian discovers historic dollhouses in a hidden room, she embarks on an unexpected journey that reveals surprising secrets about the lost miniatures.
This story is historical fiction mystery with an interesting plot involving miniatures that have been hidden for the better part of a century. There is also a dual timeline with two female protagonists from the two different eras: Tilda from 2024 and Cora from the early 1900s. They may be from different centuries but they both learn a lot about themselves. The story will really get you to thinking...what would I do if I were to find a hidden room at my place of employment or my house that was filled with secrets that could potentially save the place where I live or where I work? I really loved learning the story of those miniatures.

As a 5-year-old, my grandmother gifted me my dollhouse. It had been hers and her sister's, build by their father that she had brought with her from Ireland. This delicate beautiful replica was nearly 100 years old at that time that I received it; and my mother was horrified that something was going to happen to it. I often wondered in later years, how it ever survived a long ocean trip from Ireland to America. I was so in love with that little house that I would have gladly protected it with my very life. As I got older, I remember making dioramas with my granddad. We created tiny, little decor with intriguing details. Hooper's discovery in the hidden room brought all these memories back. The details given of the dollhouses and the secrets hidden in them had me completely invested.
​
When Tildy, the head curator of the Belva Curtis LeFarge Library, accidentally stumbles upon a hidden room, a room which houses the two incredible doll houses, she is surprised, confused, and curious. She knows this library better than anyone, how could she not know about this room, and why are these beautiful pieces hidden? The same day, Tildy learns that her beloved library is on the brink of bankruptcy and in need of some serious repairs. Thus begins the total disruption of Tildy’s quiet and predictable life, as she searches for ways to save the library she loves and decipher the story of the doll houses hidden in the secret room. Her search will take her deep into many of her own experiences and bring her to an understanding of her own personal history.

​It's a story of Tildy’s self-discovery as well as a walk-through history, while beautifully blending truths about the way in which talented, influential women have often been overlooked and undervalued combined with a tale of love, loss, relationship and real life. The doll houses tell their own stories, of the lives of the women who commissioned them and the women who constructed them.

​The transitions move smoothly from the present to the past as each woman tells her own story and the author slowly brings all their stories together enabling the reader to understand and appreciate the secrets that we all carry and the importance of a safe place for each of us to tell our stories.

There was such a sense of hope in this story. If you are a fan of libraries, relatable lovely characters, and complex engaging plots, I highly recommend this one. You won’t be disappointed.

Inked Temptations - Carrie Ann Ryan
Montgomery Ink: Fort Collins Series Book #5
Genera: M/M Romance/Enemies to Lovers
4.5★
I thought I was moving on from my divorce, but now my ex is marrying someone else. I shouldn't be this broken up, but it's hard to put on a brave face when my family is basically an inked-up Hallmark movie. And I shouldn't be brooding about what I don't have, if it's going to cause me to fall off a roof. Right into the grumpy neighbor's burly arms. He'd make a nice distraction; except he wants nothing to do with the burning attraction between us. Until one accidental kiss leads to more.
Maybe not the most recommended way to meet your attraction...but it seemed to work for Killion and Archer. Their first meeting is when Killion catches Archer when he falls off the roof. Things are not yet perfect even after that. Both of the guys are coming to terms with all of the heartache from their pasts and are slowly beginning to heal as their new relationship grows.

There was ALOT of family to sort through that I could have done without...but I guess the author wanted us to know that the two men had a great deal of support from the people that mattered to them, and I know that same sex relationships are often missing that connection and support. Killion and Archer weren't entirely likeable. They both came cross a lot of the time as complaining and "whinny". The invitation to his ex's wedding only added to Archer's whining...and Killian was having difficulties after suffering a tragic loss. I just wanted them to suck it up and be happy...after all they were starting new life, and they have each other.

Overall, the story is good, the characters are believable even if they were a bit annoying at times. Yet they are two people who find love, healing and happiness with each other. The book is also about dealing with your past and letting yourself get to a new future.

A Matter of Fact - Kate Hawthorne - (Illinois)
Two Truths and A Lie Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Rhys doesn't know what he wants anymore, but he knows he wants to be in Myers Bluff and he wants to make things right with his brother, and maybe his ex-boyfriend too. The only problem is... he doesn't know how to do any of that. Beckett has a bad job and big dreams, and he's not going to let either of those things hold him back. He definitely doesn't have time to deal with a man like Rhys St. George, but there's something magnetic about the way too-rich-for-his-own-good man that Beckett can't deny. Rhys is used to buying whatever he wants but finds Beckett cannot be bought. For the first time in his life, Rhys isn't two steps ahead: he's half a pace behind. But maybe that's exactly where he needs to be to find what he's always been looking for--a purpose, personal redemption, and love.
Rhys St. George knows he has made a lot of mistakes in his life. His overbearing and cruel father demands nothing but obedience and, as the oldest son, Rhys has always borne the brunt of his attention. Rhys learned at his father’s side to always be in control, to stay steps ahead of everyone else, and to make sure to manage every situation to his advantage. Which also means Rhys isn’t always the easiest man to deal with and he is used to getting what he wants. What most people don’t realize, however, is that one of the things Rhys wants most of all is for his younger brother to live a happy life free from their father’s overbearing presence. That means Rhys has made plenty of hidden sacrifices to appease his father, so that he stays focused on Rhys and out of Sebastian’s life. Now, however, Rhys is tired of having his life controlled by his father and has moved to Myers Bluff where Sebastian lives. Rhys wants things to change, but he has no idea how to even begin.

Beckett Thatcher is a waiter that is struggling just to make ends meet. His lack of money has caused him to put aside his dream of opening a restaurant of his own. When Rhys dines one day at one of Beckett’s tables, Beckett can’t help but notice the handsome, and powerful man...and even more so when Rhys leaves Beckett a thousand-dollar tip. When Rhys returns and asks Beckett out for lunch, Beckett knows he is so way out of his element. Rhys lives in a world where money is so plentiful that it's almost entirely meaningless...Beckett feels like he is so out of place in Rhys’ life. It's clear that Rhys is used to getting what he wants...when he wants it. Beckett is certain that he is not going to be just another person to do Rhys’ bidding...but Rhys is surprisingly completely willing to adapt and compromise where Beckett is concerned.

These two should never have worked together, yet somehow, they did. When Beckett starts to know Rhys better, he learns more about the family drama...Rhy's traumatic past with an ex-boyfriend...and the control his father still exerts over him. But he also knows that Rhys is sweet and loving to him, and that he is opening his heart up to Beckett in a way that he never expected. Rhys finds himself "off balance" when it comes to Beckett. Beckett doesn't want anything but love from Rhys...something so different than he's ever gotten from past partners who only saw the dollar signs. These two men are falling hard and fast for one another, and they are beginning to imagine creating a future together. Of course, Rhys’ father is not willing to let his son go. The horrid old "Gesser" is rich, powerful, and above anything else, determined to see Rhys back by his side...whatever the cost is to anyone.

This is the third book in what I believe is a trilogy. Kate is asking us to do a huge turn-about here. From book #1 we have been led to hate and not fully trust Rhy ...so it's difficult to now think of him as someone we should forgive and love. Discovering new things about him soon shows him in an entirely new light. He also has had what appears to be, a complete "personality transplant". I have to admit that Kate Hawthorne more than accomplished her goal here with Rhys. This book, and this series, has one of the best redemptions journeys I believe that I have ever read, and I absolutely, 110%, loved this story. There are some really super sweet and completely believable moments in Rhy's and Beckett's relationship...the relationship that should have never worked at all.

Without a doubt, this is my favorite book of the three, and perhaps my favorite Kate Hawthorne series, and I believe I have read them all that she has written thus far. These three books absolutely need to be read in order to understand everything. I guarantee that if you love M/M romances you will enjoy following the journey of this family and friends that find love and connection in so many unexpected ways.

Whiskers Of the Lion – P L Gaus
3***

This is book number nine in the Amish-Country Mystery series, but the first one I’ve read.

It was an interesting mystery with a great cast of (I presume) regular characters: Sheriff Bruce Robertson, his wife (and medical examiner) Melissa Taggert, deputy (and college professor) Mike Branden, and detective Pat Lance.

New deputy Stan Armbruster is checking a farm from which a couple has gone missing when he spots Howie Dent’s distinctive yellow VW bug. What he finds in the farmhouse is horrifying evidence of a brutal murder. But where is Fannie Helmuth, the young Amish woman who can identify the notorious drug kingpin Teresa Molina?

There were a lot of twists and turns, and I got the distinct impression that this drug cartel business is a continuing theme in the series. Gaus doesn’t overly explain things that regular readers of the series would obviously know, so I felt a little lost at time, but I don’t fault him for that.

Readers who might assume that “Amish” means a cozy mystery will be wrong. This is a hard-hitting crime novel, that happens to be set amid the Amish communities of Ohio. I had never read any of his books before, and probably got this at one of the “mystery conventions” I used to attend, where we would almost always get a bag full of books provided by publishers. Given my experience with this book, I would recommend reading the series in order.

The Teacher - Freida McFadden - (Massachusetts)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
1.5★
Lesson #1: TRUST NO ONE! Eve has a good life. She gets up each day, gets a kiss from her husband Nate, and heads off to teach math at the local high school. All is as it should be. Except…Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal involving a student-teacher affair, with one student, Addie, at its center. But Eve knows there is far more to these ugly rumors than meets the eye. Addie can't be trusted. She lies. She hurts people. She destroys lives. At least, that's what everyone says. But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep it quiet.
Early into the story, we learn that Eve is miserable and really does hate her husband. She's having an affair with an employee at her shoe store. Speaking of shoes, Eve does love her shoes...she's addicted to purchasing them and hides them from her husband. I hated Eve!!!

Then there's Addie. To call her a "troubled student" would be the understatement of the century. Addie's father had recently died, so we are told that that's why she latched onto her last teacher. Nate isn't aware that Addie is "trouble going somewhere to happen", so he quickly becomes "closer" to her than he ever should have. They begin an inappropriate relationship after Nate gives her a poem that he said he had written for her. I now hate Addie and Nate!!!

Things soon begin to spiral out of control, and here is where I found the story to begin to take an unbelievable "how could these supposedly ADULTS be so STUPID" twist"! If even possible, Addie becomes more and more obsessed with Nate. She demands more time with him than he can or should, give her. She then shows up at his house. Eve catches her and tells Nate. DUH!... Nate becomes upset with her, and they have a huge fight. Addie again shows up, this time to talk to Eve. Addie tells Eve that she wants her to leave Nate. Eve tells her, "no-way Jose", and tells Addie that she needs to get this idea that there even IS a relationship, out of her head. Addie gets angry and hits Eve with an iron skillet and believes that she has killed her. We soon learn that Eve isn't actually dead, but by that point, Nate had been called and was soon making plans, with Addie, to hide Eve's body.

Eve begins to regain consciousness, and Nate quickly decides that he really doesn't want her to live. After all, she had made demands of him that he really didn't at all, care for. Nate chokes her until she is no longer breathing, Addie returns, and they take up their plan to bury her.... now comes another unbelievable plan from this "supposed to be", adult...he actually thinks that burying her in an abandoned pumpkin patch is a grand idea. After the 'deed is done", Nate talks Addie into staying at the pumpkin patch in hopes that she will "take the fall" if and when, the body is found. Addie has other ideas about that, calls a friend and goes home. Here's where the whole story takes another dive into the bizarre "Loony Tunes" universe. Nate goes to the police and files a "missing person" report. Afterwards he goes home and soon begins to have unexplained weird things begin to happen. Shoes keep turning up everywhere in the house...in the shower...in the kitchen...in the garage. Then we have a raven that comes into the house. Our Nate is not the "brightest bulb in the chandelier"...but he finally realizes that... READY FOR IT?? EVE WASN'T EVER ACTUALLY DEAD!! Here is where I gave a rousing cheer and the book went up to 1.5 stars instead of the 1, lonely star, that I was, to this point, planning on. Eve now buries Nate... ALIVE...yelp... in the same hole he had tried to bury her in previously. Three big loud cheers for Eve. Would it be too much to ask for Addie to join him???

TWO POSIBLE SPOILERS...but just as ridiculous as the rest of the book.
There were two plot twists in the end. "Number one": Eve had been Nate's student in high school. Their relationship started the same as his and Addie's had. Exactly the same, including the very same poem. "Number two": the man Eve was seeing and buying shoes from at her shoe store, was actually a friend of Addie's, AND... he was still in high school. So... both Eve and Nate were having inappropriate relationships with two high school students, only Eve didn't know it.

I found, and read, some other reviews for this book on several different sites, so I already know that I am diffidently in the 2% of folks that didn't find this absolutely Pulitzer Prize winning material. This author has done SO much better.

Alpha's Sacrifice - Nora Phoenix
Irresistible Omega's series Book ##1
Genera: M/M/M/M Romance/Omega Universe
3★ (This rating is totally my reaction to the book's subject and in no way was it meant to reflect adversely on the writing or this wonderful author)

Love can’t be turned off simply because the circumstances require it.
I can't say that I really like-liked it...but it was interesting. I have read "Alpha, Beta, Omega' character books before and found them at most..."tolerable". However, this was Nora Phoenix...one of my favorite M/M Romance writers, so I thought that I would see how she presented the "alpha/omega" subject. The characters were diverse enough that it was very easy to distinguish who was who when all four of them was together.
The characters were:
Lidon: - a powerful alpha-cop.
Enar: - an alpha-doctor who dedicates his life to serving omegas who need his help.
Palani: - a sassy beta reporter who will do anything to save his omega lover, even if it means watching another man claim him.
Vieno: - an omega who suffers from a medical condition that requires an alpha’s help.

All four characters are complex and fascinating and their dynamics, both in pairs and as a foursome make them easily distinguishable when they are together.
There’s a lot of political stuff in this "alternative paranormal world"...the world where omegas aren’t only second-class citizens but have been dumped down to the bottom of the pecking order and the Betas don’t fare much better.

Along with readers learning about our four individual citizens of this world, we also learn a lot about life there in general...like how potentially dangerous the police and journalistic investigation, which both Lidon and Palani are involved in is, and how it could have some huge irreversible repercussions for the entire Alpha/beta/omega society as a whole.

There is an actual mystery involved here also. We learn the why and how that omegas are suddenly so irresistible to the point that it could cause harm to both parties. The emotions were very tangible, and I was sympathetic to all their misgivings and their doubts, as well as their desires.

There isn't any actual sexual activity, involving all four guys together, in this book...but I have read that there is in book 2, but I'm not sure, as much as I love Nora Phoenix, that I will go any further with this series. We can't all like the same thing or there simply wouldn't be enough to go around.

On Beauty– Zadie Smith
Book on CD performed by Peter Francis James
3***

“What are the truly beautiful things in life – and how far will you go to get them?” (from the book jacket)

Smith’s novel focuses on the Belsey family: Howard, an Englishman art professor at a Massachusetts college; Kiki, his African-American wife of thirty years; and their three teenage children, Jerome, Zora and Levi. There are many references to art, not just paintings (although Howard’s book on Rembrandt is years overdue), but also performance art. And there is another family, the Kipps; Howard is feuding with Monty Kipps, Kiki has befriended Mrs Kipps (Carlene), and Jerome was briefly in love with Victoria Kipps.

Most of these people behave rather badly in their pursuit of “beauty,” whatever that may be. While they may want a beautiful life, none of them (save for Kiki and Carlene) seem to have any idea how to actually achieve that or what it may mean. One after another betrayal occurs within the family, between the families, across generations. University politics come into play to further complicate matters, and Zora seems particularly skilled at employing this tactic.

I was reading this for a book club meeting and that is the main reason I finished it. I was not in the right frame of mind to give it the attention it deserves, for Smith’s writing in places was stellar. Still, at the end I was left with a feeling of “is that all?” I think this was really my fault; the press of other matters in real life kept me from being totally present in the novel.

The audio book is narrated by Peter Francis James. He has a lot of characters to deal with and does a fine job of differentiating them.

Death by Dumpling - Vivian Chien - (Ohio)
Noodle Shope Mystery Book #1
Genera: Cozy mystery
3★
Welcome to the Ho-Lee Noodle House, where the Chinese food is to die for. . .
Ever wonder if your food could or would kill you? I don't believe that's something the average person would even consider...at least not the way that our Lana Lee had started to. Lana has had a simply awful, terrible, bad, and any other negative adjective you can think of; year...and that was before the poisoned dumpling showed up. She had broken up with her cheating, lying boyfriend, then she quit her job. She had to keep paying her part of the rent for the place she shared with her roommate, Megan Riley, so she finds herself now working for her parents as a hostess/waitress, and anything else that needs to be done, at the Ho-Lee Noodle House in Fairview Park, Ohio.

Lana had grown up with many of the neighboring shopkeepers at Asia Village, a shopping center owned by Thomas Feng and his partner, Ian Sung. When she arrived at Thomas Feng's office to bring him his lunch, she was almost plowed over by a furious Kimmy Tran, who had just finished screaming at Mr. Feng. Then later on that day, Mr. Feng is found dead. At first it was thought that he had had an allergic reaction to some shrimp, but all that knew him well knew that that was one of the foods that he was careful to avoid.

Enter handsome Detective Adam Trudeau who suspects that Feng's death was not accident at all, and he already has a prime suspect and that is the noodle house chef, Peter Huang. Feng's widow, Donna Feng, also appears to suspect Peter, though she says very little and acts with quiet dignity about Feng's death. Megan is tired of Lana moping around, and encourages her to investigate the death, even presenting her with a book on how to become a detective. I thought "oh, yeah...this is going to end badly"

Lana’s mother only wants to see her daughter happily married and is absolutely delighted to know that Lana finds Adam Trudeau attractive and that she has also been asked out by Ian Sung, who, with Mrs. Feng's blessings, plans to take over the operation of the Asia Village. If Peter really is innocent, Lana has to figure out who else could have switched the dumplings and taken Feng’s EpiPen, which he is NEVER without. Her snooping uncovers many hidden secrets, but determining which one was enough to kill for proves both difficult and dangerous.

Overall, this debut book can be described as "charming", for me...a bit too "charming". I read it to see if it might be something that my library group of senior citizens might be interested in reading and discussing. This is NOT in any way my "cuppa tea", so I am going to rate it based on what I believe my group would give it. The ladies would love it, and the guys will barely tolerate it while making a great deal of judgement calls about Lana's detective skills...or lack of detective skills. I just don't get it. Why are there so many of these books that feature folks with zilch, nada, NO investigation or police training...allowed to not only stick their noses into murder cases...and then actually solve the case? These amateur sleuths, in reality, wouldn't be allowed near the investigation of a dead cat, much less a dead human being. I'm guessing that my folks would give it a 3-star rating...so that's what I'm giving it.

Immersion Play - Katheryn McIntyre - (California)
Leathers and Lattes series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
5★
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS: Kink/Homophobic Family/Severe Depression
One bratty boy searching for somewhere to call home, one damaged Daddy Dom looking to escape his grief, and one kinky found family ready to help them both heal.
Micah Abrams has come to and past, his breaking point; in the middle of the night...without a second thought or a plan, he packs up and moves back to San Francisco, where he went to college, and as far away as he could get from his stifling, disapproving parents and his hometown.

Parker Edwards is a Daddy Dom who works at "Whipped", a coffee shop by day and a kink club by night, where he often does demos. He has managed to keep himself closed off from a committed relationship, He's seen how the committed relationship that his parents had has affected his dad after his mother’s death and Parker decides that he wants nothing to do with anything that would cause that...and he knows that all relationships end eventually. But then he sees the new hired guy. Micah is a bratty boy and that captures his attention, and Parker’s "inner Daddy" is demanding to "come out". Parker is desperately trying to get his father to want to live again, and Micah is dealing with his homophobic parents, so eventually emotions come crashing down. As they try to support each other, Micah realizes he’s fallen in love with Parker but also knowing how Parker feels about long-term relationships, Micah knows he has no choice but to walk away.
Parker realizes his mistake in letting Micah go, and with a few well-meaning good friends, he knows he has to get Parker back.

I first "met" this author, Katheryn McIntyre, when several years ago I received two of her earlier books to read and review"...so when I saw this one on Hoopla, I was excited to reacquaint myself with her and read it. If you have never read books that have a kink theme or element in them, you probably should be aware that there are a few scenes here that might be considered "heavy kink" to the newbies, and like all aspects of any story, they may not be for everyone...so please check the warnings here and the content warnings in the book, but overall I considered the kink here to be fairly light and not too extreme...but again, that will depend on your level of endurance with the subject. I found the homophobic parents MUCH more bothersome than any of the kink scenes...at least you know the players in the kink scenes loved and accepted one another.

Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches
Tim Matheson
4/5 stars
I have always admired Tim Matheson and have enjoyed his work in the movie industry. In this book he talks about his life as an actor, director and his family! Biographies and Memoirs

Saint - Sierra Simone
Priest Series Book #3
Genera; M/M Romance/Brother's Best Friend
4★
I can’t have Elijah Iverson. I can’t have him because he’s my older brother’s best friend. I can’t have him because I broke his heart five years ago; because he’s now engaged to someone else...someone kind and dependable who deserves his whiskey eyes, his soft mouth, his fierce intellect. I can’t have Elijah because I’ve chosen God instead.
This is the third book in this trilogy...you don't really need to have read the first two to get into this one. The other two feature different Bell Brothers all doing pretty much the same things only for mostly different reasons. The premise seems to be if you can't have the guy that you're head over heels for...join the priesthood. That will surely be the wisest move you ever made. Aiden, never in his whole life, felt worthy. He didn't feel worthy of God, and he never felt worthy of Elijah. To say the Bell Brother's didn't have the greatest track record when it came to vows would be a vast understatement. Only now God is having the last laugh because he has learned that Elijah is now coming with him on his monastic road trip.

Never fear...Aiden has it all worked out, at least in his head...all he has to do is convince his heart. Aiden and Elijah have not reconciled very much of their past, and now with kisses and worship for each other on their minds, Aiden is struggling with all he has worked for and all he needs to do in order to keep his mind quiet. Aiden starts to wonder, if he can have God and Elijah? He will have to search his soul for the answers and when he sees his path, he has to be sure that Elijah will walk that path with him.

A bit of back history is told for those that haven't read the other books. Aiden was a successful millionaire, that walked out of life in order to save his life. There was a backstory of depression, and his surviving his sister’s suicide. Aiden is introduced in an almost haunting manner. Elijah was/is Aiden’s older brother’s best friend. Yes...it's complicated and it becomes even more so. But one thing we are sure of at the end of book 3, is that we all soon know that Aiden is no saint.

Fly Away Home - Felice Stevens - (California)
Genera: M/M Romance, Author & Police Detective
5★
Maybe Colson Delacourt teasing those nosy ladies in the coffeeshop with the plot of his next murder mystery was a bad idea. But does that mean he deserves to be arrested for attempting to kill his elderly neighbor? Why won't the police believe he has nothing to do with her getting hurt? That detective Harper Rose won't listen to him-he's so annoying and arrogant. And sexy and gorgeous.
It was an engaging, low-angst romance. A murder mystery writer falls for a police detective who, very briefly, suspects he may be up to no good. The reasons for that were a rather silly, but when you think about it...understandable. Mystery writer, Colson Delacourt, while in a café while talking on his phone to his best friend about the plot for his next book, decides to put on a bit of a show for the group of nosy women at the next table and begins to talk about the plot for his next book. He tells how he’s going to "knock-off" his next victim; a rich old lady either by hitting her over the head or stabbing and cutting up the body. When they’re completely shocked, he leaves grinning, telling them, "Have a lovely day, ladies and I hope you get home safely… and in one piece.”

But when he arrives home, he finds that his elderly neighbor, Millie, has been the victim of an attack. Of course, the nosy over-hearing women point Detective Harper Rose in Colson’s direction. Fortunately, the misunderstanding is quickly cleared up. It was an unusual first meeting, and both men have reasons for not wanting to become romantically involved with anyone, but the pull of the attraction that flared between them at that first meeting is too strong to resist. They start hooking up regularly, planning to keep things between them casual. Harper certainly seems to have no trouble with that, but after a while, his general cageyness about his personal life, his refusal to spend the night or to elaborate about why he won’t stay starts to bother Colson. They agreed no strings; but the more they see each other, the more Colson realizes he’d like a chance at something more with the detective. Harper, too, is starting to think that maybe he could bend his "rules" and start something that could be real with Colson. Still, he isn’t sure he’s willing to risk it after a previous relationship crashed and burned badly.

I really liked the addition of the character of David, Harper's quadriplegic brother, who he is the care giver for and that he loves very much. He regards David as his "number one priority". He had made the mistake before of bringing a previous boyfriend into their life only to find that the boyfriend didn’t want anything to do with David and wanted Harper to put him in a home. Harper can’t ever risk that again. He can't chance getting close to someone and allowing them into David’s life only to find they can’t accept that he and his brother are a "package deal". Watching Harper’s interactions with David, his obvious love for and devotion to his brother is nothing but, heartwarming. Colson had met David previously in the park with the man that cares for him while Harper is working, but I would have liked for Harper to have told Colson about him sooner than he does.

Colson has had a zero, nada, nil, absolutely no type of relationship with his parents, who won’t accept anything about him. His mother is especially awful. She keeps talking about how he’s just "going through a phase". Colson had wonderful grandparents who raised and encouraged him to be anything he wanted to be, or that he was,

Alls well that ends well, and their romance is sweet as they learn to move past old hurts and open up to each other, finding real love and the family neither had expected.

The Lays of Beleriand by J.R.R. Tolkien
5*****
(Third in the "History of Middle Earth" series, edited by Christopher Tolkien)

A combination of a study of the craft of writing and the poetic origins of Tolkien's massive world of Middle Earth. Two of these poem groups have since been published as standalone novels, thus reaching a wider audience.

This book is divided into 3 chapters, "The Lay of the Children of Hurin," "Poems Early Abandoned," and "The Lay of Leithian." Each chapter contains the poem sequences that Tolkien first wrote in all their Edda-esque glory. There are characters who take shape and include details that Tolkien uses in later writings even when the name, such as Orgof, Turin's tormenter in the halls of Thingol, do not survive the world-building. And then there are elements, such as the friendship between Turin Turambar and Beleg the Bowman, that are created in this poem and continue into the published Silmarillion.

In "The Lay of Leithian," the longest section, Tolkien started in the summer of 1925 and finished later in 1931. It is the earliest telling of the love between Beren and Luthien, Beren's life story, and the forces that drove them to seek the Silmaril from Morgoth's crown. Also included at the end of this poem are C.S. Lewis' notes on the copy Tolkien gave him for review, and Christopher Tolkien's commentary on what Tolkien did (and did not) change once he received his friends notes.

Throughout each section are Christopher Tolkien's notes on names, commentary, and comparison of later emendations to the original. And he also includes the correspondence between Tolkien and the publishers of Allen & Unwin, and the mis-communication that resulted in the heroic poems as well as "Silmarillion" being turned down for publication, when, in fact, Unwin's reader never read the pages Tolkien provided for "Silmarillion" despite naming this work in his review.

Guinevere by Sharon Newman
4 1/2 ****

I think this is one of the best portrayals of Guinevere I've ever read. It may have been written for a young adult audience due to the point of view of the title character: we arrive at the end of the book when she marries Arthur, and do not go into Guinevere's queenship.

Guinevere is introduced as a child with an affinity for nature, and her parents, Leodegrance and Guenlain maintain their home in the style of the Romans who left nearly 200 years ago. But they also left behind a sense of order and running water, and Guinevere's parents know the value of both these things!

Making a prominent place in this re-telling are the incursions of the Saxon invaders as well as hints of an earlier religion. Flora, Guinevere's nurse is one of the practitioners of this Old Way, as are many of the house servants with their darker hair and slighter build. New characters are Geraldus, a traveling priest beset by an invisible chorus that only he can hear (though Guinevere can see several of them), and three older brothers to Guinevere: Matthew, Mark, and John. And Guinevere's mother, Guenlian, is mentioned by name and given a great deal of character. She is also cousin to Merlin.

As Guinevere grows, her affinity with nature includes her finding and bonding with a unicorn who is the most beautiful creature Guinevere has ever seen. It is while she is spending time with her unicorn that a young Arthur and several of his early band, including Gawain, come riding up. While the unicorn runs away from this armed band of men, Guinevere is still in her trance and the aura that surrounds her enraptures Arthur and he thinks he has seen the Virgin Mary.

Other adventures occur in Guinevere's life, fleshing her out as a whole person during her earlier years. It is well-written, full of detail, and describes this time in British history and develops this famous young woman's life.

What Remains of Heaven by C.S. Harris
5*****

This installment of the Sebastian St Cyr mystery series involves a crypt beneath a church and the bodies of two murdered men recently found in it. The most recent victim is the Bishop of London, and he was next in line for the position of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Who, as it turns out, is known to Sebastian's Aunt Henrietta. And who can turn down a request from both esteemed individuals?

As Sebastian enters the case, he begins to puzzle why the local Rector of the village of Tanfield went first to London to advise the Archbishop before returning to his home church and local magistrate. Thanks to his young tiger, Tom, Sebastian also comes face-to-face with Obadiah Slade, with whom Sebastian served during the wars and whom he almost hanged for his wartime atrocities. Seems that Obadiah has lost none of his bloodthirsty ways.

Meanwhile, Hero is shocked by the murder of the Bishop of London since he was the only person who knew of her condition. She knows that it is only a matter of time before her pregnancy begins to show and she must act quickly to save her standing and her child. The Bishop had been arranging an adoption, but with his death her options become even more limited.

Dr. Gibson is invaluable in this volume as he begins to solve the mystery of the older body that is found underneath the Bishop's. His desire to study more about the effects of death in the crypt is key to the ending.

A fine, gripping, well-explained read and one I am glad I settled down with over a weekend.

Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
4****

A re-read for me, and one that I liked more this second time around. It covers the journey to London of a chairmaker and his family who move from Dorsetshire after the death of a son. There are several ongoing POV as the events take place, and Chevalier combines them all well.

Jem and Maisie Kellaway are the two children of Anne and Thomas who stare agog at the great city around them. Thomas has been recommended to the circus owner, Philip Astley, because of his excellent Windsor chairs. While Philips Astley helps them find lodging, they meet young Maggie Butterfield, daughter of a laundress and a local wheeler-dealer (one could say con artist if one wished).

The novel gets its name from the proximity of the two Kellaway children to William Blake and his wife. They live next door and are soon taken into the Blake home as occasional visitors. Jem is very entranced with Mr. Blake's printing press. And he shows the two children not just his engravings but also his poems. They know their letters enough to pick out the sense of the words.

While Jem helps his father make Windsor chairs and Maisie helps her mother make Dorset buttons, Maggie's life is quite different and she is forced by circumstances to find a job in mustard then vinegar factories. Of the two, the vinegar factory is the better.

Their lives become intertwined with one another's and with the Astley circus with the backdrop of the French Revolution for the timing. Each chapter is a different month during that time, leading up to the day when the Lambeth Association forces the local publicans to sign a declaration in support of the King, and the Kellaways are caught in the aftermath. As are William and Catherine Blake. Both parties escape with their lives, and the aftermath of their lives are told from a much more personal POV.