WHAT ARE WE READING & REVIEWING IN SEPTRMBER 2025? This will Remain Up Until October 5th

CAROL'S READS FOR SEPTEMBER
📕 - ★ (Sept)
49/49
M/M ROMANCE BOOKS
📕The Hideaway Inn- Philip William Stover -5★
📕My Mother’s Ridiculous Rules for Dating - Phillip William Stover -5★
📕See Me - T.L Travis - 5★
📕Hit or Miss to Kill or Kiss - Romeo Alexander -4.5★
📕I'm Straight, Right? - Romeo Alexander - 4.5★
📕Two Straights Too Many - Romeo Alexander - 4.5★
📕Drawing the Doctor - Romeo Alexander -5★
📕Blank Canvas - E.M. Lindsey -5★
📕American Traditional - E.M. Lindsey -5★
📕Secrets - Romeo Alexander -5★
📕Stick and Poke - E.M. Lindsey -5★
📕Scarification - E.M. Lindsey - 5★
📕Scratcher - E.M. Lindsey - 5★
📕Ornamental - E.M. Lindsey - 5★
📕The Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy - Roan Parrish
📕Stand by You - A.M. Arthur - 5★
📕French Martini - Mia Monroe - 5★
📕Daddy's Little Camping Trip - Della Caine & Kaytea Kat - 5★
📕Bad Idea - Felice Stevens - 5★
📕Tall, Dark & Ginger - Mia Monroe - 5★
📕The Enlightenment of Daniel - Eli Easton - 5★
📕A Little Christmas: Ralphie - TL Travis - 4.5★
📕Manner of Death - L.A. Witt & Cari Z - 5★ (23)
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BOOKS - OTHER GENERA
📕I'll Come Back for You - Charish Reid -5★ (Friend #11)
📕Blood Work - Michael Connelly -5★ (Sept group read)
📕Stranger in The Lake - Kimberley Belle -5★
📕Two Cabins One Lake - Shayne Marlow - 3★
📕206 Bones - Kathy Reich - 3.5★
📕Cold Light of Day - Elizabeth Goddard - 5★
📕Old Country - Matt & Harrison Query -4★
📕Undertaker's Moon - Ronald Kelly (Tennessee) -4.5★
📕At the Bottom of The Garden- Camilla Bruce - 5★
📕The Lies You Wrote - Brianna Labuskes -5★
📕The Gathering - C.J. Tudor - 5★
📕The Haunting of Henderson Close - Catherine Cavendish -5★
📕The Angel Maker - Alex North - ★ (England)
📕Model Home - River Solomon - 4★
📕Escape! - Iain Rob Wright - 5★
📕The Supernatural's - David L. Golemon - 4.5★
📕Toll - Cherie Priest - 3.5★
📕Staircase in the Woods - Chuck Wendig - 5★
📕Save Me A Seat - Sarah Weeks- 5★
📕Sounder -William H. Armstrong & James Barkley - 5★
📕Pup Fiction- Laurien Berenson - 4★
📕The Only Purple House in Town - Ann Aguirre - 5★
📕Stranger in the Lake - Kimberly Belle - 5★
📕Necessary Lies - Diane Chamberlain - 5★
📕The Silent Sister - Diane Chamberlain - 4★
📕Wakenhyrst - Michelle Paver 4★ (26)
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Hit or Miss to Kill or Kiss - Romeo Alexander
Heroes of Port Dale Series Book #2
Genera; M/M Romance
4.5★
Clay: I’m an assassin, and I’m not ashamed of it. I’m good at what I do, and the people I kill deserve it. Elliot: After years in the Marines, and playing personal bodyguard, I thought I’d seen it all. An assassin coming after the philanthropist I’m paid to protect was a surprise, but not really a shock. The shock came later. The assassin is a killer with the most beautiful eyes, and damn it, I even trust him...and more.
Clay is an assassin who...according to him, has no morals or ethics but always makes sure his targets are really unredeemable monsters and that no one else is killed while he's doing his job. We learn about his heartbreaking past, how he became what he is, and we see the glimpses of light within him.

Elliot is an ex-Marine working for himself as a bodyguard. We learn his history and find that he is a good man with ethics, integrity, and morals, but when it comes to the assassin, he finds himself inexplicably looking beneath the surface.

These men are intelligent and quick thinking, confident without being smug. They excel in their job and have met their match in one another. One has been hired to protect the same man that the other has been hired to kill... which makes for very entertaining encounters and leaves both of them frustrated and confused.

Mixed in with all the action are some really good laughs, a lot of intrigue, along with a truly unexpected attraction, deviousness, intense passion, hope, genuine love, and an absolutely beautiful ending that will have you smiling and might even bring tears to your eyes.

The only negative I could see was that some parts felt to be incomplete, but perhaps there is going to be a sequel. We can only hope!

I love this author's work and own almost everything he's ever published. I would definitely recommend this book, or any of his other books.

Pup Fiction - Lauren Berenson - (Connecticut)
Melanie Travis series Book #27
Genera: Cozy Mystery
4★
While usually protective, Melanie feels comfortable sending her sons to the Graceland School’s summer camp for two reasons: the institution is well-regarded and proprietor Emily Grace is a trusted friend. But Emily has been acting strange since three rambunctious Dalmatian puppies suddenly appeared on her doorstep. The unusual arrival marks the first of several mysterious happenings at camp, each more intense than the last. It’s a rough streak that takes a frightening turn with a discovery in the nearby woods...a body.
Just look at those little faces! One look at those adorable Dalmatian puppy faces. All the books, this is #24, revolve around the theme of Melanie who raises show dogs for competition, and solves mysteries with her indomitable Aunt Peg, a dog breeder and dog show judge. The books can easily be raed in any order.

Melanie drops off her sons at summer camp, only to learn that Emily, her friend and camp owner, is being bothered by a mysterious run of mishaps. Fortunately, no one has been hurt, but with events like her Dalmatian puppies running into traffic, a truck rolling into a lake, and a kitchen fire, it’s only a matter of time before someone is. Then the body of Emily’s ex-husband...her “biggest mistake” ...is soon found in the woods close to camp. Emily is a suspect and asks for Melanie’s help to prove her innocence.

Everyone knows that cozy mysteries are not my favorite genera...but they usually work well for challenges. I love animals, I spent 28-years of my life working with them. I really like mysteries...if they have a dog or a cat even better. These Dalmatian puppies are adorable. Their arrival on Emily’s doorstep a few months ago came at the same time that her ex-husband reentered her life, and while the mystery didn’t actually revolve around them, they turned out to be a valuable clue.

Melanie’s Aunt Peg was hilarious! She gets involved in this story supposedly to help Emily with her money problems, but she's really, much more interested in Emily’s Dalmatians, which I can totally understand. There’s also a subplot about Melanie’s son Davey showing one of Aunt Peg’s dogs at a competition, where we get a bit of an inside glimpse into the world of dog competitions. I suppose that the other books in the series would take a reader even deeper into that world.

The mystery itself was interesting. The author did a good job in setting up a handful of side characters who may have been involved in the murder, and while I knew who the murderer was early into the story, the book did a good job of trying to keep the readers guessing.

Anyone that likes cozy mysteries will like this series.

I'll Come Back for You - Charish Reid - (New York)
The Beck Sister Hauntings Book #1
Genera: Paranormal
5★
The past doesn’t stay in the past, and the dead don’t stay dead.
Whitney and Helen Beck have inherited their grandmother’s bed & breakfast in upstate New York. Whitney has had a career in hotel management and Helen is a chef, but something isn’t right at the bed & breakfast. Though their mother didn’t like to talk about it, their grandmother was a witch who could see and talk to spirits. Other than the family's attitude towards ghosts, "if you think you heard something, no you didn’t", Whitney and Helen are not prepared to deal with a ghost who is driving their clients away. Helen calls in the professionals, TV paranormal experts on a cable show called "Ghost Punters", a retired NFL player and his cast & crew, to exorcise the ghost. Of course, there are some problems with this plan:
1. The Ghost Punters show is fake, and the "experts" have no clue how to deal with a real ghost.
2. The camera man, Deon, is Whitney’s crush and English tutor from high school.
3. A snowstorm is about to cut them off from any help.
4. The ghost is malevolent and getting much stronger.
The ghost is that of an angry white man who does it’s best to terrorize everyone and fixates on Whitney as being the weakest link in the chain. Whitney is dealing with the emotional aftermath of a natural disaster combined with human error. She’s not as confident as she deserves to be and the ghost right away plays on that.

Whitney and Deon still have a lot of unexplored feelings for each other, and their burgeoning and hopeful romance lightens the creepiness of ghostly activity. As a call back to the days when Deon tutored Whitney in literature, he now seduces her with poetry. It wasn't very good poetry, but Whitney doesn't care.

I liked this one a lot. After the ghost is dealt with, Helen decides she wants to explore her witchy heritage. Her grandmother’s friend and fellow practitioner comes to stay for a while to train Helen, and brings her a familiar, a strange thing for a familiar...a rabbit named "Henry". Helen is struggling with the ADHD curse of wanting to be good at something but not especially liking the process of perfecting her craft. Meanwhile, in town, Everett has been longing to see Helen, but he’s not sure how to approach her. His grandmother suggests that he take her a pie.

Helen and Everett finally do start talking to one another which happens on her first successful solo magic ritual, which binds them in a "lust fog", can't even picture that one...but no more walks for me if there is the fog in the weather forecast...and Everett realizes his grandmother bought some haunted furniture at a yard sale. More creepiness ensues. Word to self...don't buy furniture at any yard sale.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I have to say that she writes an excellent and what could be called "interesting" story... and she gives us a couple of topics that you don’t often see in contemporary romance, or any other type of romance for that matter, the “get naked to share body heat for survival” maneuver, and a "virgin sacrifice". Helen and Everett are a delightful couple, and it would be interesting to have a couple of stories centered on them dealing with the supernatural and making food.

"The Beck Sister Hauntings" are small town witchy contemporary horror romances. I've been assured that no bunnies, dogs or toads, are harmed in this series.

The Hideaway Inn - Phillip William Stover - (Pennsylvania)
Seasons of New Hope Series Book #1
Genera; M/M Romance/Enemies to Lovers
5★
No one in the charming river town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, needs to know that Vince Amato plans on flipping The Hideaway Inn to the highest bidder and returning to his luxury lifestyle in New York City. He needs to make his last remaining investment turn a profit…even if that means temporarily relocating to the quirky small town where he endured growing up. He’s spent years reinventing himself and won’t let his past dictate his future. But on his way to New Hope, Vince gets stuck in the middle of nowhere and his past might be the only thing that can get him to his future. Specifically Tack O’Leary, the gorgeous, easygoing farm boy who broke his heart and who picks Vince up in his dilapidated truck.
Vince spent a lot of time recreating himself. As a kid he had been bullied and then let down by the person he thought was his close friend. He ran from his town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, as soon as he could and became a much stronger man, both physically and emotionally. At least, that’s what he thought before he headed back to flip an old, run-down Inn. Vince believes that he can get in and then escape from New Hope without being hurt or even thinking much about his old life and old tormentors.

Vince no sooner has arrived in town than he runs into the “friend” from his past...the very one that broke his heart, Tack. Sweet, funny, solidly built and suddenly rescuing Vince from the side of the road.... Tack! Let's just say that things didn’t end well between them back in the day, and Vince has tried to put all his feelings behind him, but now seeing Tack is more...much more, than he had bargained for.

Vince finally gets to the Hideaway Inn and finds that things are much worse than he had expected. He is without a chef and quickly discovers his only option is …you guessed it... Tack. Tack has changed a lot more than Vince ever thought was possible. He’s been married and divorced...and now is the father of a 6-year-old son, Jules... whose pronouns are "them & they" and who is sweet, adorable and absolutely marvelous.

At first working together with Tack is hard for Vince. The last thing he wants is to be attracted to him; he doesn't even want like him. However, as they spend more time together, Tack finally manages to apologize for how he had treated Vince when they were younger. He admits to the things he did wrong; the things he has spent his entire adult life trying to change for other kids. Finally, he wears down Vince’s protective walls and they become close.

Of course, there are issues… Vince fails to tell Tack about his plans to sell the Hideaway and make a profit and possibly get himself a new fancy, high paying job in the city. Now he goes over in his mind the questions...what if he has changed his mind? What if there’s a possibility of him learning to love life in New Hope…. What if he wants to create an “us” with Tack and Jules? What if Tack finds out about the plans t sell before Vince has a chance to figure it all out himself?

This isn’t an unfamiliar or new plot for a gay romance, but it was well written, and I really liked the dynamic of Vince and Tack. Tack had changed. He has tried to raise his son with an open mind and create a loving environment. This was a demonstration that he had indeed changed. In some ways, we can see that it was Vince who hadn’t been able to move past what happened in his and Tack's younger days.

This book touches briefly on the bullying in Vince’s youth, but it’s not an angst-ridden story. I'm really looking forward to book two.

Save Me A Seat - Sarah Weeks & Gita Varadrajan - (New Jersey)
Genera: Immigrant Family, 5th grade boys
5★
A new friend could be sitting right next to you. Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they're both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL. Joe's lived in the same town all his life, and he was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own. Ravi's family just moved to America from India, and he's finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in. Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common -- but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.
The story is told from the point of view of two fifth-grade boys with seemingly nothing in common. We have Ravi, who is "fresh off the boat", His father has received a promotion and accepted an IT position in America...New Jersey. Ravi assumes that the only other Indian student in his class, Dillon Samreen, will quickly become his best buddy. Dillon is an ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) who dresses and speaks more like an American. Dillon finds school not so challenging academically, but socially and culturally, he has a lot to learn.

Then with have Joe. Poor Joe. He's not only the biggest kid in the class, but he's also the loneliest. His two closest friends have moved away. Joe has an "auditory processing disorder", which makes most of school hard for him. He also is an easy target for bullies like Dillon, who prey on other kid's vulnerabilities. Dillon unmercifully picks on Joe and does it sneakily so that the teachers will be unaware. To make matters even worse, Joe's mom has recently lost her job and has just started a new job...working in the school cafeteria as a lunchroom monitor. Dillon puts that fact to use right away to torment Joe even more.

The new 5th-grade teacher, Mrs. Beam doesn't realize at first how intelligent Ravi is and sends him to go to the resource room with Joe to be tested. Ravi takes this request as an enormous insult, making him angry and frustrated. Joe is more than happy to go to his resource teacher, Miss Frost, who understands Joe and provides him with support and lots of M & M's. Chocolate will heal a lot of really bad things:)

Ravi finds out just how cruel Dillon can be when he tricks him into eating chili that was made with meat.... something that Ravi's religion does not allow. Joe and Ravi are pretty smart and use these torments to both learn a valuable lesson... that things are not always what they seem.

Anyone who has ever experienced bullying will identify with Joe, who was a lovable character with a kind heart. Joe also has gotten to know Ravi and feels empathy for him knowing he is in for a rude awakening when Dillon finally shows his "true colors".

Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan have done a good job of portraying these characters and succeed in telling a moving and realistic story. It did have some things that I didn't understand the author's reasoning for. The authors never reconcile the fact Ravi has anti-learning-disabled prejudices and Joe’s dad is apparently a raging anti-immigrant "nut job". But those things can be over-looked since it has many, many valuable lessons embedded in the 234 pages. I won't hesitate to give it five stars.

Secrets - Romeo Alexander - (Washington)
Greenford Series Book #3
Genea: M/M Romance
5★
Do a quiet but cheerful doctor and an ex-gang member in hiding really stand a chance together? Well, they say opposites attract, but when the past catches up with Alex, will he stay, or will he run?
Cid is a doctor in residency at Greenford University. This story is, as you have probably figured out from the title, is all about secrets. Cid's, and Alex's. Alex is a 29-year-old big, buffed, gay man and the janitor at the school.

Alex's "secret" is that he's in Witness Protection Program waiting to testify against a murderous gang in a nearby city. That's how the secrets in this story are introduced and further explored.

These two guys are perfect for each other. Cid, the product of the foster care system has no family and few loyalties, despite being an active of what some call overactive, carouser of the local gay scene. He's not thinking about or looking for a relationship. Alex finally has an opportunity to come out sexually now that he's away from the gang. His fellow gang members considered being gay an offense punishable by violence, and even death. He had been forced to pursue only women... until now.

Alex and Cid meet by accident as the result of a medical emergency and that becomes the start for a what eventually goes on to the end of the book when a lot of very bad things takes place. Before that happens, however, we get is a sweet and very sexy story of two men who are inseparable while pretending to be completely emotionally detached.

The epilogue is one of the most surprising you might find in a book like this, but it's in keeping with all that precedes it and gives us a fresh start on moving onto the next book in this utterly enticing series.

Cold Light of Day - Elizabeth Goddard - (Alaska)
Missing in Alaska series Book #1
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
5★
Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community. Grier is in Alaska for the same reason many others are--to disappear--when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he's not sure even Autumn could save him.
Police Chief Autumn Long is the woman in charge in Shadow Gap, Alaska, but someone wants her out of office and out of the way. A sudden unexplained crime spree has erupted in the town, and someone has attacked Autumn's father. This adds "fuel to the fire" of those wanting to remove her from office.

Now we meet Grier Brenner....he's a mysterious man. Autumn soon realizes that he is not the simple man that he portrays. He has had some serious training which she feels can only come from a law enforcement or military background. Who IS this man?

Grier and Autumn feel a connection. This quote directly from the book shows the emotional connection between the two. "Her heart spasmed at the connection. The emotion that flashed. The sting of betrayal. He'd said the words as if they meant something personal to him. Like he'd gone through something similar." The words and emotions behind this quote were powerful, and they spoke of the true depth of the character's feelings and emotions. The plot had great deal of emotional depth, along with an inspirational message as well.

It's a good read for anyone that likes romantic suspense with lots of twists and turns along with tension between the hero and heroine. We learn that Grier has a past that he needs to keep hidden, but he is drawn to Autumn and wants to help her... almost like a hero who feels the need to help "the damsel in distress". His values of right and wrong will not allow him to just walk away even though remaining with her will him in danger. "That she sought him out shouldn't warm his insides, but it did. In the end, it only meant she was desperate for help. And he would eagerly give it, but he feared she would eventually discover the truth he fought to hide."

It's a captivating story with characters that will pull you into the story along with them as they are running for their lives, while battling an unseen enemy. Both characters have secrets of their own to hide. It "high octane" action that will lead up to an explosive and tense ending.

Sounder -William H. Armstrong & James Barkley
Genera: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction
5★
Newbery Medal award winning classic novel about the courage and faith, and the love of a dog, that give a family strength in the face of inhumanity.
Life as a 19th century African American sharecropper in the South is hard. Food was scarce, and money was even more scarce. Every day is a struggle. One day, the father comes home with a large ham. Maybe life is going to be a little bit better.... that is until the sheriff and his deputies show up and take the father away for stealing.

It explores the racial tensions that divided the north and the south after the Civil War. The main character, a boy whose name we never knew, is the son of black sharecroppers who struggle to earn enough to eat. After a particularly unsuccessful hunt, the father steals a ham from a white man’s smokehouse, and this one desperate act changes his life and his family forever.

The book includes the usual topics: the hard life of the poor, both black and white... the sharecropping system that kept families in virtual slavery, the mistreatment and unimaginable attitude of the white folks holding on to old ideas of supremacy, and the prejudice of the era, but it tells it much gentler than it probably was as we hear it through the voice of a bewildered child searching for his father.

While several characters, though unnamed, lend depth and power to the story, it is this boy we grow to love. For a mere 118 pages, we see the world through eyes that do their best to comprehend injustice. His simple insights, the profound comparisons he makes to characters from the Bible, the hope he draws from family and his endless determination make us not only like him but also admire him. The boy also takes us on a journey. Through personal tragedy, endless seeking, and the love of one big lovable dog, the boy gains an understanding of his world. I couldn’t help but cheer when he determines to rise above circumstances through the power of literacy.

This book is sure to encourage meaningful discussions about poverty and racial injustice. It's also an excellent tale of perseverance, hope and courage. Parents of sensitive children may wish to either pre-read this story or read it withyour children. The book ends, with a strong quote “Only the unwise think that what has changed is dead.” I grew up in the south and my best friend was a little black girl whose parents and 5 older brothers worked in the fields in exchange for the house they lived in and to put food on their table. I didn't understand why my best friend, Cordelia couldn't use my bathroom or drink from my water fountain, and if we rode a bus she had to sit in the back. She was my best friend. She and I played together and spent most nights sleeping in the same bed at either her house or mine. My poor grandmother didn't have the words to explain it to 5-year-old me...I don't think she understood it herself. I do believe and hope that such active prejudice and racial contention is, for the greater part, a thing of the American past in most parts of America. Still, it's a past that must be taught to each new generation so it will not be repeated toward any race or culture ever again in the United Staes of America.

I'm Straight, Right? - Romeo Alexander
Men of Fort Dale Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Best Friends to Lovers
4.5★
The military taught me a lot. About being a man, a leader, about working as a team toward a common goal. What didn’t they teach me? How to deal with this irrational, uncontrollable jealousy I suddenly feel when my best friend announces he’s seeing someone. I should be happy for him. But I’m not. All I can think about is how he should be mine. Which isn’t fair to either of us, since I am absolutely, unequivocally straight. At least, that’s what I thought. Until one drunken kiss changed everything. And now I have to decide if I want things to go back to the way they were before that night…Or if I’m finally going to admit I’m in love with my best friend
When Sloane and Dean first met, as recruits in the military, in spite of their differences, something immediately clicked between the two of them, but only platonically. At least, that is, for Sloane. Dean had kept his love for his best friend as his most closely guarded secret, until Sloane's annoying ways forced Dean into an emotional corner. After that happened, the truth flowed as freely as water, creating an awkwardness in their friendship. The remainder of the story consisted of a few steamy scenes and a lot of thought and discussions about how they might be able to go back to the close friendship they'd shared before Dean revealed his true feelings.

I liked Sloane's confidence. No matter what happened, no matter what they ultimately decide, there was never going to be an acceptable outcome where his life wouldn't include Dean. This wasn't just a "two gay guys hooking up" story...This was a "two gay guys wanting ONLY you" story. I found it completely believable and entertaining. I hate stories that are full of angst...The angst in this one was moderate and tolerable, and the story was enjoyable, I'd recommend it to anyone who likes military men, without an actual war taking place on the pages.

Two Cabins One Lake - Shayne Marlow - (Alaska)
Two Cabins One Lke series Book#1
Genera: Romance/Comedy
3★
Helly is a volatile blonde with a passion for fishing, a grudging tolerance for the fishermen she guides, and a part-time job putting her sexual fantasies in writing. She lives a quiet life in the Alaskan bush, alone on her little lake with only a spooky dog and her gun collection for company. But then Gary, the most obnoxious man Helly’s ever met, roars into her life. The mysterious helicopter pilot moves into the cabin across the lake with a vengeance. And fire. And karaoke. He’s a despicably early riser with a penchant for public indecency, a talent for trespassing… and he’s handsome as the devil, with abs she’d like to lick. Helly quickly realizes her little lake isn’t big enough for the two of them. After an initial attempt at being reasonable, and responsible, and mature, she gives up and gives as good as she gets. What follows is a feud of eardrum-battering intensity; a no-holds-barred water fight to the tune of a screaming chainsaw, with her panties caught in the crossfire. Just when Helly thinks things couldn’t possibly get any worse, her crazy brothers crash the party. In an unforgiving land where even the wildlife is out for blood, can the pair survive long enough for Gary to capture Helly’s heart, along with her wrists? Or will Gary’s past be the final blow, after Helly loses her boat, her dignity, and what’s left of her ammo?
We meet Helly Hanson. She is a fishing guide during most of the summer, and in the winter she lives off her royalties since she also writes Erotic Romances.

Helly loves living in the middle of nowhere, Alaska. She can write in with the peace as there are hardly any neighbors and she can be left to her own company which she really loves. That is until she gets a new neighbor, The people across the lake have sold their house to a guy...Gary. This begins the "Across the Lake - Neighbour Wars"... Alaskan style with everything from gunshot holes in her lacy underwear, to burning patches of blueberries, and the worse...being awoken at 4in the morning by the noise of his 'ever-loving" chainsaw.

As the bickering goes on and the petty fights continue, we also see some chemistry developing, and not just on the pages. To appease the fans of erotica, there are snippets of Helly's manuscripts and the pair of them acting out their sexual fantasies. Two Cabins, One Lake was a bit of a slow read, and though I did enjoy the warring neighbors and the backwoods setting. I am still more partial to other romance series.

I am not in any way, a fan of "cozy- type romances"...but this sounded bearable and it was for a group challenge category...so I thought "what the heck"? Go for it! Parts of it were really funny...parts were really aggravating and over the top just plain silly. I thought that these two characters were more of what you could imagined that a really "backwoods character", from any of the 50 states, would behave like....not two adult tourist who were only going to be there for a short time.

Drawing the Doctor - Romeo Alexander
Heroes of Port Dale Series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
After an embarrassing first encounter in the ER, Theo and Grant are drawn to each other, their feelings deep right from the start. They have nothing in common; they are opposites in every way. But somehow, it works…until it doesn’t. Their feelings are suddenly keeping them apart, and it’s hard to find a way back. Can they heal each other?
The romance between this 44-year-old doctor and a 26-year-old emotionally scarred artist was at times beautifully sweet and at other times it was emotionally wrenching.

The underlying pain that Theo had bottled up inside was well portrayed. The kindness and acceptance in Grant’s feelings toward Theo were real. They didn't have an easy way in their growing love for each other. Grant had never had anyone special or lasting in his life other than his parents and his meddling nurse friend...who I didn't at all like...at the hospital. Theo was an outcast in his family. All ties with them had been broken when he left when he was 17. He did still have some family feels for his cousin Blair that he had grown up with.

I've said many times before how much I like this author. He allows each of the characters in his books to be individuals, all with different personalities and responses to different situations. They come across as real people with real problems seeking real solutions and the right to love who they wish to. If you like M/M Romances and haven't read Romeo Alexander, then you're missing out on some really great stories.

The Supernaturals - David L. Golemon - (Pennsylvania)
Supernatural Series Book #1
Genera: Summer Place/Horror/Paranormal/Non-Fiction
4.5★
Built at the turn of the twentieth century by one of the richest and most powerful men in the world... tucked away in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania...Summer Place, is a retreat for the rich and famous, and seems the very essence of charm and beauty, “a scene borrowed from a wondrous fairytale of gingerbread houses, bright forests, and glowing, sunny meadows.” Behind the yellow and white trimmed exterior lurks an ancient evil, waiting to devour the unwary. The luxurious mansion was built at the turn of the 20th century to serve as a retreat for the rich and famous and is known as "Summer Place". It is also alleged to have inspired Shirley Jackson’s famous horror masterpiece, "The Haunting of Hill House".
While it’s hard to imagine such a beautiful place as the inspiration for such evil and terror, the mansion does have a somewhat "checkered" past....to put it mildly. The most recent incident having occurred in 2003, when a team of university students led by behavioral psychologist, Professor Gabriel Kennedy, ventured into "Summer Place" to try and debunk that there was any presence of paranormal activity. The group re-emerged from the visit traumatized, and without one member. To this day, Gabriel Kennedy has never forgiven himself for the loss of one of his students, who disappeared mysteriously without a trace that night, as though swallowed up by the very walls of the house itself.

The house sat untouched, and unvisited, for seven years, then Kelly Delaphoy, a television producer looks at "Summer Place" as being the story to give her, her "big break"... an ambitious undertaking to broadcast a live ghost-hunting event to millions of viewers on Halloween night. To lend legitimacy to the project, she convinces a understandably very reluctant Gabriel Kennedy to serve as a consultant on the show, and he in turn, brings in a few old friends to help, including a Native American "dream-walker"; a young woman who seems to be possessed by the spirit of a 1950s singer; another bad choice... a convict who is also a clairvoyant; and to top off this doubtful crew...a former gang member who is also a computer genius. Along for the ride comes an investigative field reporter who sees the huge opportunity for an expose...oh, and last but not least, a homicide detective who has always suspected that Gabriel was responsible for the disappearance of his student.

There were quite a few characters to keep track of, and I can’t say most of them were very likeable, though I believe this is what the author had intended. Unfortunately, far too many pages and time was devoted to these unlikeable characters, and not enough on the really interesting ones like John Lonetree, George Cordero, Julie, and Lionel...all of them were Gabriel’s really outstanding team of real “Supernaturals”. Each of them had a compelling talent and an interesting backstory. It also probably comes as no surprise that the story became a lot more interesting once Gabriel’s team entered the picture, but that doesn’t occur until well into the book. This also became the story's biggest weakness. It felt like the plot ran all over the place, much like puzzle pieces that almost; but not quite, fit together, and the result was just "ragged" and "uneven"

The final 100 pages was the real "meat" of the story...and what a "meaty" conclusion it was! It was filled with the thrills and chills that we could have had long before, as all the build-ups finally came to a head for Kelly Delaphoy’s live Halloween special. Secrets were revealed and mysteries were unraveled, and if some of the answers ended up being a little too predictable, at least they provided a lot of fun.

If you're a fan of horror, this might be your book, just be sure to go into it with the right expectations. Though it did seem to draw a bit from Shirley Jackson’s "Haunting of Hill House" classic, this one is in no danger of being the next "Hill House". It was, however, a decent bit of light entertainment, and despite some of its weaknesses, I would put it on a list of paranormal activity novels that are well worth the time to look into, especially if you’re a fan of haunted houses and/or reality TV.

My Mother’s Ridiculous Rules for Dating - Phillip William Stover - (New York)
Seasons of New Hope Series Book 32
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
It’s hard to prove Mom wrong when she’s found Mr. Right. Dumped by his boyfriend and stuck in an unfulfilling job, jaded ghostwriter Sam Carmichael can’t be more miserable. Until the eve of his thirty-fifth birthday when his mother, Gloria, arrives with a present from the past.
This is the second book that I have read by this author, and I can't say enough good things about his writing or his characters.

There are a couple of characters that you will find yourself rooting for through the entire story...and they do end up finding their happiness at the end, however this book is so much more than that.

This is foremost about self-acceptance and self-confidence. It's about putting yourself out there and believing in what you can do and who you are and who you can be. Our main character, Sam, is surrounded by a group of people who all see how much he's worth, how wonderful he is, and how much potential he has to realize his dreams. But unfortunately, Sam is the only one who doesn't see it, and worst of all, he doesn't believe for one minute...that he deserves it. We all should know, and Sam has yet to learn, that until you can love yourself, you can't expect anyone else to love you...well except your mom.

Sam's Mom Gloria, or Glory, loves him. She is a wonderful mother. I had so many laughs (my husband say they were snorts...but what does he know?)...all because of Gloria. She is "authentic", for lack of a better description. She's that mother that we all know, and hopefully all have been blessed to have, (I certainly was). There are so many relatable things that she says and does, that sounded exactly like my mother. She is also one of the FIERCEST advocates for equality and acceptance that I have ever encountered in real life or in literary life. At the end of the day, Sam is her son, and she loves him unconditionally. She does everything she can to demonstrate and advocate for who he is and that he has the right to love whoever he wants, without judgement from anyone. Not only is she an advocate for the LGBTQA+ community, but she is also a strong fighting ally.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who might be in need of a reminder to love themselves and accept others without judgement...or just could use a good laugh.

Two Straights Too Many - Romeo Alexander
Heroes of Port Dale Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Best Friends to Lovers/Firefighters
4.5★
"What started out as a joke turns into something more…something that could cost me the best friend I’ve ever had."
Elias is the strong silent type, a bit of a grump sometimes, but definitely someone you can depend on. Cade is not leading the life his mother especially wants. Furthermore, he doesn't intend to and doesn't give two figs how "unhappy" she is. What is wrong with the parents in these stories? The man is 27 years old! Anyway...Despite being opposites in personalities and how they were raised, Cade and Elias are the best of best friends as well as work partners at the fire station. Over the years they've formed a solid friendship...but after an act born out of desperation, their mere friendship soon becomes a lot more "complicated". The way they worked this out was sweet and sometimes funny. Try to ignore Cade's mother...he'll take care of her, and you can cheer as loud as you want:)

Like all of Romeo Alexander's books this one was well written and gave us some really wonderful characters along with an intriguing storyline that has some unexpected twists, laughs, and action, while dealing with family issues, confusing emotions, long lasting and new friendships,(I hope Matt soon gets his story )... sizzling chemistry, passionate encounters, genuine love, and a "Happy Ever After" that will leave you smiling.

206 Bones - Kathy Reich - (Illinois, Canada)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Police
3.5★
There are 206 bones in the human body. Forensic anthropologists know them intimately, can read in them stories of brief or long lives and use them to reconstruct every kind of violent end. The story opens with Tempe regaining consciousness and discovering that she is in some kind of very small, very dark, very cold enclosed space. She is bound, hands to feet. Who wants Tempe dead, or at least out of the way, and why? Tempe begins slowly to reconstruct...
Temperance Brennan and Detective Andrew Ryan, former lovers and co-workers in the present, are escorting the remains of a Chicago woman who died in Quebec back to Chicago. For Temprence it's a chance to visit with her ex-husband's family but Ryan is supposed to fly home after leaving the body. Someone has called the survivors to tell them that Temperance has messed up the cause of death. They then spend hours detailing and explaining the work that went into their investigation their finding that the death was accidental. This delay puts them right in the middle of a Midwest storm, and Ryan can't fly out...so he also stays. Temperance's family feeds him...gives him a place to stay. The case...a mystery of a lost nephew...entails many hours in the Cook County Coroner's office.

Both Temperance and Ryan receive calls saying that there is another case in Quebec that needs their expertise. That case involves the skeletal remains of an old woman, but soon another woman's body is also found...another older woman. They wonder if there is there a killer out there that is targeting older women who live alone? Temperance had to count the bones, and she counted 206 bones that were recovered from the first case... but several finger bones which could help identity the body, are missing when she begins to look for them. While she's gone for the Christmas holidays the newly hired person from the lab goes back out to the burial site and finds the missing bones. That makes our Dr. temperance Brennan look bad. Any way you look it...it's not good for her reputation. Then if it could possibly get any worse...she misses a crucial bit of evidence with some other bones and she starts to doubt herself. She even wonders if the Chicago woman really did die of accidental causes.

Interwoven with this plot are chapters with Temprence finding herself in an underground cell with her hands and feet tied. We know that there must be some connection to the lab cases, but she can't remember anything from the recent past.

The two-time lines were hard to follow and sometimes didn't seem to connect very well. I've read this series for a long time but for some reason never read this one. If this is your first time with the series, I would suggest that you not start with this one. The books can be read out of order as events that may have appeared in other books are fairly well explained.

Blank Canvas- E.M. Lindsey - (Colorado)
Irons and Works Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
When a car accident changed the trajectory of his life at fifteen, Sam Braga set out to find his own way in the world. It never occurred to him he’d find home in Fairfield, Colorado, working with a childhood friend at a tattoo shop, and the legal guardian of a gorgeous little girl who was abandoned by her mother at birth. Sam has his life organized exactly the way he needs it. Maisy, work, and his found-family. There isn’t room for anything else.
When his NHL career ends two minutes after it begins, Niko flees the East Coast in search of somewhere to settle. He finds home in the form of his accounting firm and his gym buddies who never abandon him on leg-day. There isn’t room for anything else.
This is Sam's and Niko's story. We first met Sam in book #1. He's part owner of Irons and Works and one of Derek's best friends. Derek is in what appears to be a complicated process to adopt Maisy, his cousin's child, who happens to be paralyzed.

Needless to say, it's a complicated book, but it has some great characters, amazing relationships, and it a "slow burn".

The level of detail and easy incorporation of disabilities was well done and presented. I liked how they were written in. The characters were all rally "messed up", but they never whined or complained. They just got on with their lives the best they could while dealing with what had been dealt to them.

The thing I enjoyed the most though was the male friendships. They weren't all jumping into bed after saying hello. Not that I'm opposed to the bedroom scenes, but good heavens at least take time to find out something about one another other that where the bed is located. Sure, it took away time from the main point of the story, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing those bonds develop and deepen between the non-romantic characters. It was startling and actually heartwarming and refreshing.

Sam and Niko were both trying hard to make something of their lives. After the accident, Sam struggled to find where he belonged until he opened the shop at a tattoo studio. He found and created a family there, and then he took in his cousin's little daughter and things began to get complicated. Niko lost his chance at a career in the National Hockey League, but instead of feeling sorry for himself and giving up, he took a chance at making a life as an accountant. He admitted that he never before had felt complete. He had never had close friendships, or close family ties... until he befriended Sage, Sam's coworker. Sam and Niko navigate their feelings, Sam's adoption battle, Niko starting a new career, and how their lives are changing.

You'll laugh, you may shed a tear or two, but you'll be glad that you read this book. The characters from the other books all roam in and out so it does appear that this series needs to be read in order.

The Little Old Lady Who Struck Lucky Again!– Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg
2**

Book number two in the League of Pensioners series, featuring elderly Martha Anderson and her friends – Brains, Rake, Christina and Anna-Greta. They’ve escaped the nursing home and are living the high life on their ill-gotten gains, but they long for “home.” So, they return to Sweden where they purchase a secluded property where no one will find them. But they discover that their nest egg has gone missing and now they need to plan another robbery so they can continue their mission of improving the lives of the elderly.

The first book was a hoot, and I rather enjoyed the outlandishness of it all. But this one…. Well, it took me over a month to read it because I kept getting bored and putting it aside. It seemed to me that the author was just trying too hard to make this a comical crime caper, but it came across as tedious.

I’m crossing the rest of the series off my tbr.

Staircase in The Woods - Chuck Wendig
Genera: Paranormal, Horror
5★
Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what. Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something extraordinary: a mysterious staircase to nowhere. One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears. Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods?
One summer night, Owen, Hamish, Nick, Matty, and Lauren went camping. "The Covenant", as they called themselves, was bound by solemn promises to protect each other from bullies, to collaborate on homework so none of them fell behind, and so on. That night in the woods, high atop the cliffs, they find something impossible. A staircase, spiraling upward with no other structure around, and no indications of how it had gotten there, or why. When no obvious answers could be found, most of the boys decided to leave and go back to their campsite. But there was something about the staircase continues to worry at Matty... so he invokes "The Covenant", despite being told that’s not how it is supposed to work. to get the others to go back with him to find out what awaits at the top. Reluctantly, the other four boys go along only to watch in shock and horror as, at the final stair, Matty vanishes and there’s no sign of him again.

The weeks afterwards are chaos as the four survivors struggle to understand what had happened and to come up with a cohesive lie to tell the police about what happened to their friend. There is relentless questioning about where they had last saw him, who they had talked to, and where he could have possibly gone. The only problem was that none of them actually knew where Matty had gone...and the staircase is also gone. There was no possibility that any of them could have followed after him.

The weeks become decades, and the four surviving members of "The Covenant" have done their best to move on with their lives... until the email arrives from Nick. Nick tells them that he’s dying of cancer, and he wants to get the gang together one last time before he’s gone. He offers to fly all of them to see him. He even invokes "The Covenant" to ensure that, despite all of the issues they’ve developed as they’ve aged, they all return.

We they arrive, they quickly learn that Nick wasn’t being entirely honest with them. Instead of the nice maybe last get-together, he takes them off into the woods where, against all possibility or reasoning, they find the staircase again. It’s not in the same place, but they know that it’s the very same one. He urges them to climb with him. A chance, he says, to do the right thing....to finally find Matty and to bring him back. In the name of "The Covenant", they follow him.

This story is a brilliant, dark piece of horror from Chuck Wendig, presenting much like Stephen King’s It with friends coming back together again as adults to face the evil they couldn’t defeat as kids. The members of "The Covenant" have drifted away from one another, and they’re going to have to confront more than just the mystery of what lies at the top of that staircase if they’re going to have any chance of making it out of those woods again. I love Chuck Wendig’s horror and I’m certain that most of you will too. After all you'll need to find out what happens with the staircase:)

Old Country - Matt and Harrison Query - (Idaho)
Genera: Supernatural, Horror
4★
The authors, brothers Matt and Harrison Query explore the ultimate in buyer’s remorse: What if the house of your dreams wants you dead?
If I were the characters, I’d probably never go outside my front door again.

Marine veteran, Harry Blakemore and his wife, Sasha, have left their old lives behind in order to follow their dream of living off the land in the rural country. The couple has just purchased a house nestled in the beautiful wilderness of Teton Valley, Idaho...forty acres of meadow and forest all to themselves and their golden retriever, Dash. I thought early into the story that NOTHING had better hurt Dash!!

At first, they are happy and absolutely thrilled. Their new home is everything they’ve ever wanted, and their closest neighbors, Dan and Lucy Steiner, are also the nicest folks that are more than willing to help them get settled in. That is, until the Steiners give them some really strange advice. They tell them that they are not alone in the valley, that the land is also home to a malevolent spirit that can show itself in many different ways and unless Harry and Sasha do exactly as they are instructed, some very bad things will happen. At first this angers Harry and he believes that the Steiners are trying to pull some sick prank. He refusing to listen to anymore and asks the couple to his property, and certainly intents to forget it all. Then spring arrives, along with the first manifestation of the evil spirit, exactly as he had been told. Harry and Sasha realize that everything the neighbors had told them was true, but unfortunately, it’s much too late for any regrets.

If you like horror, you will find this to be a fun trip. The plot was simple but 100% effective. Think of Old Country as a haunted house story, except the setting is a huge mountainous wilderness. The year goes on and each new season brings fresh terrors and more dangerous and extreme situations for Harry and Sasha.

This is not a long book, and it's a good thing because this limited the lengths and numbers of flashbacks and made them less distracting. Harry had been a Marine who had served in Afghanistan. His experiences there had led to PTSD. Until he met Sasha, his life had been stuck in a downward spiral. The authors did a good job establishing the couple’s relationship and convincing the reader of the love they have for each other...making you believe that they are an inseparable team. However, the characters might have been written a bit too well. At times I found Harry’s personality to be "too" much. His stubbornness and difficult attitude sometimes made sense when you think of the things he has seen and lived through, but it often became a crutch for the story, with the plot filled with many questionable decisions on his part, many of which just seemed to be there to push the story along.

On the whole, it was an enjoyable story. The ending does leave you with a lot of questions, almost like there could be a second book. Horror lovers, you will want to check this one out. Especially the fans of Stephen King and Paul Tremblay and Dean Koontz.

The Museum Detective
Maha Khan Phillips
4/5 stars
Interesting story about a Museum Detective, Dr. Gul Delani whose niece has gone missing for 3 years. She has also undertaken a narcotics investigation in Pakistan. Will she find her niece? Off My Reading List

Undertaker's Moon- Ronald Kelly - (Tennessee)
Macabre Ink Resurrected Horrors - Book #1
Genera: Horror
4.5★
A graveyard feast beneath the summer moon …The rural town of Old Hickory, Tennessee was a quiet, picturesque community … until the O'Sheas came to town. Becoming the new proprietors of the town's only funeral parlor, with the help of their charming patriarch, Square McManus, the Irish family was wholeheartedly accepted by the local town folk. Then things began to happen...strange things … horrible, unspeakable things … in the dead of night. (of course.)

This was my first book by Ronald Kelly, and I was very impressed. I believe I will search for and be reading more of his books. I didn't realize that it was werewolves when I picked it up and added it to my reading list for this month...not my absolutely favorite horror characters. However, the human characters were well worth the read.

It takes place in the town of Old Hickory, Tennessee. Old Hickory is like any other small town anywhere...sometimes boring. It stopped being boring when the O’Shea's come to town. Strange things and stranger sightings begin to happen.

I liked almost every character, that in itself was also unusual. The few evil folks were well written. Even though you might hate them, you still want to know what is going to happen to them. Will the town believe poor Jake? Who will survive? Do the werewolf's get away, or do they end in in the "great wolf-den in the sky"? If you are a "dyed in the wool" horror fan, or if you are a fan of Stephen King or Ronald Kelly, you will want to read this. You will not be disappointed with this book.

American Traditional- E.M. Lindsey - (Colorado)
Irons and Works Series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Traumatized by a complicated childhood and losing the love of his life, Sage Osbourne pours everything he’s got into keeping his routine, and trying to avoid the not-dates he keeps getting set up on, content to be single and determined to keep it that way. He attempts to maintain that decision when a gorgeous newcomer opens up a new café just doors down from the tattoo shop. It doesn’t help that Will is not only perfect for him but seems to be interested in taking their relationship further than just friends.
Sage still carries the trauma that he and his twin, Derek shared from their childhood, but... Sage also carries something else...grief. After losing Teddy, the love of his life, he's rebuilt, not what you would think of as a "life"...but an "existence" at the tattoo shop, Irons and Works, and has resigned himself to being alone.

Will Rahman has been estranged from his family after he changed career paths. While he desperately tries to escape his abusive ex-boyfriend, he finally opens his dream café down the street from Irons and Works. When they first meet, something shifts in Sage. It felt an awfully lot like hope. Sage starts to tutor Will's little sister, and the two men grow closer...but both are held back by the pain they carry from their pasts. With some honest conversations and vulnerability, they think that perhaps they can build a future together.

This was the slowest burning story in the series. E.M. Lindsey has given us a beautiful story with two protagonists that you just can't help but love. These books continue to have hurt/comfort vibes. When Sage details his trips back to Arizona to visit Teddy's grave, your heart will hurt for him. This book takes place during the same time as the first two. We get a lovely look at the meeting with Sam and Will at the child services building, and I always enjoy getting the perspective from the other characters.

Sage couldn't be more different than Derek. His grief was palpable and felt realistically portrayed. That's one thing I really like about E.M. Lindsey's books - they feel realistic, and her diversity and representation are always right on. Will was an awesome new character, and we got a quick meeting with him in Sam's book when they went to have a coffee in his café. Will is struggling to fully rid himself of an abusive relationship. Although I was definitely wanting to shake him when he started seeing that awful man again to start with. It served a useful purpose to readers as it was a realistic portrayal of the different ways domestic violence can present itself. it's not always physical.

I felt the end of the story was fitting...some reviewers have criticized it but considering what the characters have been through...it was right. I really enjoyed this one, as well as the first two. Overall, this series was a very good time spent.

People of Darkness – Tony Hillerman
3.5****

Book number four in the Leaphorn & Chee mystery series focuses Navajo Tribal Police Sergeant Jim Chee, as he tries to unravel a 30-year-old mystery in pursuit of a missing box of “trinkets and mementos” that has been stolen from a very wealthy man.

I came late to the Tony Hillerman fan club, but I’m glad I got here and I’m enjoying the series. I read one of the later novels, written by Tony’s daughter, Anne, after his death in 2008. While each mystery can easily stand alone as a story, I thought I should go back to the beginning to get a better sense of the relationships between the characters in the series, as well as to understand their growth over time.

Leaphorn is just in the background, offering advice once or twice, but Jim Chee is really at the forefront of this story.

Regardless of which character is front and center, Hillerman does a marvelous job of weaving Native American (particularly Navajo) traditions, culture, and myths into his mysteries. In this case it is the peyote religious practices of the “People of Darkness.” I really appreciate learning more about this very rich culture through these books.

Stick and Poke - R.M. Lindsey - (Colorado)
Iron and Works series Book #5
Genera: M/M Romance/Tatoo Artist/Friends to Lovers
5★
Mat Harlow had his life figured out. He married his college sweetheart, and his residency at the hospital was showing a promising career ahead. Then, at the hands of a reckless driver, all of it changed. A traumatic brain injury derails his life, and Mat finds himself dumped by his wife, out of a job, and rejected by his family. He escapes into the world of tattooing, settling in Fairfield, Colorado, surrounded by the only people who had ever offered him unconditional support. Wyatt Adley has dealt with his fair share of disaster when it comes to marriage. When his husband is involved in a scandal with a student, Wyatt spends all of his energy to clear his name, then quickly escapes Canada for Colorado. He settles in a sleepy little town just outside of Denver, renting a small house from the local mechanic, and trying to lay low until he figures out what he wants to do with his life. It’s not that easy to start over, and his ability to keep himself isolated is strained when he meets the young tattoo artist recovering from a head injury. Wyatt falls quickly and deeply, but there’s one problem...as far as he knows, Mat is straight. Except, that might not be entirely true.
The story in this book is built on strong emotions, intensities, and hopes. The men of Iron and Works are so good at showing that you don’t have to be blood kin in order to be a family... it's the people who are there for you when you need somebody the most that are your true family members. This is book #5 but it can be read as a stand-alone. The characters from the previous books also weave in and out in this one as they have in the past 4 books. I really like that they're all still hanging around and we never really lose them.

Mat and Wyatt’s story is beautifully written with highly developed and complex characters. It flows along nicely, and I was engaged from the very first page. Their story is as good as the men in the past four books, and I guarantee that it will not in any way, be a letdown.

Mat and Wyatt have both been disappointed and rejected by their families because of who and what they were. They had both had numerous obstacles to overcome when their lives, separated and then fell apart. Wyatt’s life fell apart with the end of his 10-year marriage, the loss of his job, the death of his guide dog and his selfish, cruel family. Mat’s life fell apart because of a life changing accident that left him with a brain injury that destroyed his promiseing medical career as well as his marriage. Don't despair...it will all work out. With a few "chosen" family members and wonderful close friends standing with them, they will eventually get their "Happy ever after."

The book had many, many good parts. I especially loved the "Tombstone" movie references, and the cheesy French pick up lines that were scattered all throughout the story.

Overall, it's a fun revisit with the folks from "Iron and Works" shop. I liked how this story, as well as all the others, allows the reader to see different scenes from different perspectives. I do so highly recommend this book...well actually the entire series. E.M. Lindsey has again created something truly amazing. I hate to see this series end, but I have all her books and there is always time for rereads.

Toll - Cherie Priest - (Georgia)
Genera: Horror/Paranormal/Mystery Thriller
3.5★
The Toll, a tense, dark, and scary treat for modern fans of the traditionally strange and macabre. We take a road trip into a Southern gothic horror novel.
A disturbing dark tale of the supernatural, seasoned with gothic horror. The story takes us to a tiny backwater town on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia called "Staywater". Every thirteen years or so, someone goes missing. Their disappearance is usually preceded by reported sightings of a mysterious seventh bridge along the west-to-east route on State Road 177, though of course, only six bridges exist according to any map. None the less the little southern town is visited every thirteen years by a hellish creature who lives inside a ghostly covered bridge.

We start out by meeting a couple of quarreling newlyweds, Titus and Melanie Bell, who are traveling into the Okefenokee Swamp for a camping honeymoon that Melanie never agreed to. Of course, they get lost and find the bridge, then they of course take the bridge and then...ready for it? Melanie suddenly is missing and Titus, for reasons which are never explained, is still there. I felt kind of sorry for Titus who was a tragic figure in this story. He wasn't very likable or laudable in any way. He did very much want to find his wife though. At least he's not the hero of the story. That honor belongs to Cameron, the ward of the real heroes of the tale, old spinsters Daisy and Claire, who killed the "bridge monster" thirteen years earlier. Seems that it wasn't enough to keep its ghost from somehow coming back to kill people.

It seems that Cameron somehow is the only teenager in this town, and he's hopelessly in love with Jessie, a much older woman and the town's bartender. Don't get too attached to her as she also has secrets that end up making her a much less sympathetic character than she originally seemed to be. Cameron is the one that fills us in in this story. Cameron mere existence is strange. Seems that he was somehow mysteriously delivered to Daisy and Claire years ago and you'd think his story would become part of the mystery of the place, but no, think again. Cameron just reacts to the various incidents in the story and becomes involved later but only after he discovers how badly he's screwed up everything else.

Back to Daisy and Claire, who, as they themselves admit that they are way too old to save the world. Besides they thought they taken care of this "problem" when they were thirteen years younger and better equipped. Their discussions about the problems of their age and lack of energy and mobility is one of the more truly original ideas in this entire story. Honestly, the book had such a casual, matter-of-fact treatment of the ghosts and the supernatural in seemingly these folks' everyday lives, that this whole idea took away some of the horror that it started out with.

I didn't dislike the book...there were things about it that I liked...but there were more things that made me not. Too many incidents were set up but were never again delivered or explained. Cameron is a character who never really got a chance to shine, and Daisy and Claire seemed like they would have been more interesting if it had been their story that was told. The story of their first encounter with the creature as opposed to this later one. Supporting characters like Titus and Dave have parts that we were teased with but was never really developed. Jessie never gets an explanation for her actions and as for what happens to her at the end.

I have never written a book, so I don't feel that I can be too critical, and I don't want or intend to be. Overall...there was some really good parts in this book, and I have read this author before and I know that Cherie Priest, is without a doubt an extremely talented writer. It's just that somewhere in all this, lived a much better story and book waiting to be born.

The Haunted House Diaries: The True Story of a Quiet Connecticut Town in the Center of a Paranormal Mystery
William J. Hall
4/5 stars
The title actually gives away the story line. This is the true story of a haunted house in Connecticut. I thought it was very well written. Horror/Non-Fiction

>33 JulieLill: I'll have to search this one out. Love haunted house stories.

See Me -TL Travis - (Washington)
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS: Verbal abuse, bullying, physical abuse, self-loathing, self-harm, thoughts of suicide, dealing with death of loved ones.
For Raphe Lombardi, life hasn’t been easy. Permanently disfigured as the result of a car crash at the age of nine that claimed the lives of his parents and had set him on a never-ending path of doctors and painful surgical procedures. “Never judge a book by its cover, Il mio piccolo,” Aunt Sophia would always say, tapping the space above her heart. “Trust what’s inside. Even beauty sometimes has an evil lurking beneath.” Over the years her nickname for me, "my little one", was shorted to "Mio". Calling me little when I now towered over her five-foot frame by more than fourteen inches made it even more adorable to hear her say it. Is it best to see someone for who they truly are, or was it safer for my heart to hide in the shadows and avoid the pain?
The old proverb that we probably all grew up hearing...I heard it from my grandmother in both English and Gaelic..."Pretty is as pretty does" is the main theme of this story. Of course, it means If you're a kind, loving person, you are pretty. However, even if you are very nice looking, but are not good to others, then you are not truly a beautiful person. This proverb may not have been the entire basis of this story, but it rang throughout, and I clearly heard my grandmother's voice when I read it.

Raphe had had horrible treatment from childhood well into his adult years, due to his misfortune as a kid. Something that was in no way his fault. The car crash was not his fault. The severe burns to more than half of his body...was not his fault. My heart broke for this poor boy/man. He was 9-years old when this accident happened, so he had suffered this torment for more than half his life. Growing up, people didn't take any of that into consideration when their paths crossed with him. All they saw was a "freak". The poor kid/man was never given a chance, nor did anyone once ever take a chance to get to know him. Until.......

Cooper Dryden was one of the name-calling mean kids from Raphe's childhood. He may not have done or said anything directly to Raphe, but he never stood up for him either. So...at no time in Cooper's life did he deserve any kindness from Raphe. But remember..."pretty is as pretty does". Raphe shocked Cooper one night when he saved Cooper's life from a hate crime. Raphe recognized Cooper from his childhood, yet he still acted like the "better person" and helped him when he could have simply walked away and left him to die.

Cooper knew who his hero was, and now he no longer saw the ugly, burned "freak" from his childhood, but the most beautiful man he had ever seen. It was the Ralphe's beautiful actions of that allowed Cooper to finally see past the scared, burned, ugly exterior and see the beautiful man beneath that was Raphe. Raphe never thought he would ever find kindness, much less happiness and true love ...but that one selfless act changed his life forever.

This story is a roller coaster ride of twists and turns. Raphe and Cooper finally come to the point in their lives where acceptance drowns out the fear. Cooper accepts Raphe as the beautiful, kind person he is, and Raphe accepts the kindness and love that he so truly deserved. From that point on, the two begin the soulmate journey to the rest of their lives.

It's not an easy read but stick with it. It's well worth it.

Model Home - Rivers Solomon - (Texas)
Genera: Haunted House/Transgender
4★
The three Maxwell siblings have kept their distance from the lily-white gated enclave outside Dallas where they grew up. It wasn’t being the only Black kids in the neighborhood that pushed the children to flee, but rather the strange and inexplicable things that began to happen in the house as soon as they moved in. Was it some cosmic trial, a demonic rite of passage into the upper-class? Whatever it was, the Maxwells, steered by their formidable mother, stayed put, unwilling to abandon their home, terrors and trauma be damned. As adults, the siblings finally got away from the horrors of home, leaving their parents all alone in the house. But when news of their parents' death arrives, Ezri is forced to return to Texas with their sisters, Eve and Emanuelle, to reckon with their family’s past and present, and to find out what happened while they were away.
Weird things had always happened in the Maxwell house while growing up in an all-white gated neighborhood. Mom refused to believe any of it was real and would not move. Now, all three of the Maxwell siblings are grown and had left home but now have returned to their childhood home after both parents die. Were the events of their youth really supernatural, or were they because they were the first black family in the neighborhood?

It's true that this is a story about a haunted house, but it's also the story about haunted people. At the heart of this story are family secrets, as well as surprisingly, meaningful touches of love and hope. Two bodies lie in the garden of a sprawling property in Oak Creek Estate, a wealthy gated community in Dallas, Texas. The bodies belong to the parents of our three sisters, Ezri, Eve and Emmanuel, who long ago ran from their childhood home leaving their parents remaining. They hoped to never look or come back. Though the local police say that the Maxwells had planned a murder-suicide, the girls are far from being convinced, and they can’t agree whether their parents were killed by entirely human or supernatural forces.

They could agree, however, that this was a place they would never again call "home" and that they had also all been haunted, both spiritually and physically throughout their entire lives in this ritzy, white neighborhood where they grew up as the one and only, black family. It was, to no stretch of the imagination, a happy childhood. The girls had only hoped to survive this place that they always felt had wanted to expel them; ruin them; and eat them alive...all at the same time. They tried not to think about the childhood they spent there at all...but after their parents’ death, the girls are forced to confront the many reasons they had left...the nightmares that have held them captive, and the possibility that there are absolutely multiple and unspeakable realities that actually exist beyond those that they have encountered and been molded by, thus far.

The story can be described as scary, bold, tender, and powerful, all at the same time and sometimes even on the same page. The reader will join the girls to consider the power of memory, loss and most of all...identity.

The Haunting of Henderson Close - Catherine Cavendish - (Scotland)
Genera: Paranormal
5★
Ghosts have always walked there. Now they’re not alone…In the depths of Edinburgh, an evil presence is released.
At the start we meet Miss Carmichael, a woman who lives in Edinburgh and pays many visits to a place called Henderson Close where she helps the poor as much as possible. However, one day, she is viciously attacked and killed.

Then we advance several years, after building had resumed in the area and a tour company opens and allows visitors to come in through the gift shop and go underneath to explore the old area. There are guides to talk about the ones that used to live there, and answer questions. The tour is supposed to be historic, but many visitors are there just hoping to see the rumored ghosts.

Now we meet Hannah. After she joins the tour company, she begins to see some very strange things. At first, she was skeptical. Soon she realizes that her experiences aren’t just her friends or fellow workers playing tricks since she was the newbie on the crew. These rumored ghosts have proven themselves to be very real, and they say need Hannah’s help.

I love ghost stories, but this book gave me with quite a chill. Of course I was immersed in the story immediately! I got the entire book read before realizing I hadn’t paused to eat...and it was now 6:00...P.M. My husband is used to me losing time while reading, but even he had come to see if I was still breathing:) I don't remember when I had read a book that made me feel like I was there with the characters like this one did.

The horror is steadily increased throughout the story. It starts with a few little tingles of spookiness, we it soon things turn up that produces chills... and then the all the way at to the max where we saw some brutal and terrifying things! The "ghost story junkie" in me loved every minute of it!

The plot was nothing short of brilliant and the storyline was organized in a way that slowly gives the reader more information from various perspectives until they see the entire picture....and WHAT an ending! I've read enough of these types of stories over the years that I'm usually pretty good at figuring out how it's all going to turn out...but not this time. I did NOT see any of that coming! This was an awesome story from beginning to end.

Scarification - E.M. Lindsey - (Colorado)
Irons & Works Series Book #6
Genera: M/M Romance/Tattoo Artists
5★
Missing his dominant hand and half his face covered in scars, Miguel Ruiz can kiss his dreams of a happy future goodbye. He resigns himself to a life of servitude in a badly run club until one day, a tattoo artist in a random bar sees both talent and a future in the scarred artist. He makes an offer Miguel would be a fool to turn down, and Miguel decides it’s finally time to start living for himself, even with the ten tons of baggage he’s carrying on his shoulders.
I have really loved every one of the Iron and Works books, so this one was no different and will get a big shinny 5-star rating. We didn't know much about Miguel as we barely meet him in book #5. You can't help but love him right from the start, and hope that he gets the happy ending he so deserves. Amit was his perfect match. Amit's journey to self-acceptance was beautiful. When he finally talks to his family about who he is there'll be a tear of two.

One thing that always impresses me about this author's books is how much the reader will learn about physical disabilities, mental health issues, and cultural traditions and differences. Her characters are some of the most diverse that I have ever read, and I believe that it's wonderful that she brings these uniquely special people not only to their "happy ever after's" but also is giving her readers a better and more compassionate understanding of physical disabilities.

One more book in this series to go. The Irons and Works series has been nothing short of wonderful! I am happy that I own it all, and it will always get 5 big bright, shiny stars no matter how many times I reread it.

The Third Reich Of Dreams: Nightmares of a Nation
Charlotte Beradt
3/5 stars
Interesting book about the people who were exposed to the horrors of the Third Reich. The author started collecting these internalized dreams of the people who were exposed to Nazi regime, both Jews and non-Jews. Non-Fiction

Escape- Iain Rob Wright
Part of The Dark Trifecta
Genera: Horror
5★
Can you figure out the secret and escape before it's too late? Cheryl wants to get to know her co-workers. That's the only reason she agreed to go on a 'company outing.' She and six of her colleagues are going to be locked inside a room with only their wits to help them. If they escape in time, there'll be prize money. Fail, and the repercussions might be deadly.
Cheryl, the "star" of our story was having a really hard time after losing her father to a sudden heart attack. She has dropped out of school to be closer to her mother and had pretty much put her life on hold. When she decided to join a few of her coworkers on a company weekend trip, she was excited. It was rather sad that she lost this spark of excitement throughout the remainder of the book, but it helped the reader to feel empathy for Cheryl.

Six office colleagues get an opportunity to go on this outing. Unlike most of the other extravagant trips they had shared, this time they had been invited to play a game. A "panic room" was set up, and each of the participants had to play in order for them to get out of the room.

Cheryl was never supposed to be a part of this trip, but something happened, that she included herself. As it turns out the panic room was completely underground and consisted of more than one room. There were creepy cells, and each held a cryptic message from the sponsors of the game. After they start to decode these mysterious messages, it becomes more evident that someone was keeping track of some of their previous deeds and secrets.

Each one of them, except Cheryl, had committed a crime, but had never been punishment for it. The panic rose to a high level when one by one, they begin to be "punished" and then murdered, after they confess their crimes. What was supposed to have been a fun weekend had turned into a stage to display their true natures. The only way out of this hell hole was by acknowledging the acts committed in order to bury the truth. Cheryl was really an innocent bystander in this group of murderers, opportunists and criminals, some of them were aiding and abetting. Now she was struck with all of them without any real hope of getting out. She desperately tries to solve the puzzles before the time runs out. When the final cell opens and all the facts are out, Cheryl realizes that the one person who she thought was helping her to get out is the one she should have been afraid of all along. Now she has to wonder if she can ever find her way out or will she be buried alive?

This is the third book that I have read by this author. He is an absolutely amazing writer, and his stories are gripping from beginning to end with shocking twists and turns that kept you glued to, and turning the pages. I have to confess that I was not expecting this particular ending. An absolutely well-earned 5-stars read. On to number four.

Blood Work - Michael Connelly - (California)
Terrell McCaleb series Book #1
Genera; Mystery & Suspense
5★
When Graciella Rivers steps onto his boat, ex-FBI agent Terrell McCaleb has no idea he's about to come out of retirement. He's recuperating from a heart transplant and avoiding anything stressful. But when Graciella tells him the way her sister, Gloria, was murdered, Terry realizes he has no choice. Now the man with the new heart vows to take down a predator without a soul. For Gloria's killer shatters every rule that McCaleb ever learned in his years with the Bureau-as McCaleb gets no more second chances at life...and just one shot at the truth.
I was surprised when this one came up as the September read on the Mystery & Suspense group's "Group Read" on Library Thing. 6-8 of us have done this group read for years even before joining LibraryThing, and the Harry Bosch series has always been a group favorite. I was a bit surprised that this was about a former FBI agent Terrell “Terry” McCaleb, instead of our usual LAPD detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch.

I was surprised, but not especially disappointed. It was in its own right, a good story, and even has a reference to another Michael Connely character, Michael Haller Jr., seven years before The Lincoln Lawyer had even been published. On to this one. We follow McCaleb’s investigation into the murder of Gloria Rivers. At first, her murder seemed to be the random act of the robber of a convenience store...but as McCaleb starts digging into the case at the request of Gloria’s sister Graciela, he uncovers a much deeper and more sinister background to the case that is hitting just a little too close to home.

I've always felt that Michael Connelly had a bit of trouble with the "romance" parts of his books...but he's a top-notch mystery writer, not a romance writer so I'll forgive him. What Blood Work is, is a good solid detective story with a good plot. The trail of clues was exceptional. The personal life of the main character and his encounter and experience with love was rather "flat", for lack of a better word.... but I've already covered that. I also couldn't make much of any connections with his friend, his girlfriend, or the orphan boy, or the villain. Sorry, Mr. Connelly. Good thing that I really liked the character of McCaleb.

The police were depicted as is usual with this author, as being almost more of a threat then the serial killer was. Poor McCaleb may never come back to another book since he was constantly under attack by the people that he worked with...his fellow police officers. They gave him absolutely no respect and seemed to always be trying to block him at every turn. My husband was a police officer and believe me; they do HAVE each other's backs when it counts no matter how they may personally feel about each other off the job. None of them want to hear "Taps" played over a flag draped coffin. That really wasn't at all realistic. The only other thing that I found a bit odd, but I believe it was to build the audience for future books, was that for someone who had recently had a heart transplant Terry seemed to be entirely too active and undertaking way too many stressful situations....and it was being allowed by the people higher up.

I love the movie by the same name, that was based on this book with Clint Eastwood as the new lead detective, Terrell McCaleb. This was fun, as usual, to read with our group. I'm not going to be too picky with the story and give it 5 big stars. I may not be so generous with the next one if things don't change a bit.

The Berry Pickers – Amanda Peters
Digital audiobook narrated by Aaliya Warbus and Jordan Waunch.
5***** and a ❤

In 1962, an indigenous family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer, a family and tribal tradition. A month into the season the family’s youngest child, four-year-old Ruthie, vanishes. The last person to see her is her six-year-old brother Joe. Authorities aren’t too helpful, but other pickers join in an exhaustive search to no avail. This will haunt the family, and Joe, in particular, for decades.

In Maine, a girl named Norma grows up in an affluent family. Her father is kind but distant. Her mother is overprotective and suffers from headaches. Norma is plagued by dreams which seem real to her, but which her parents and extended family insist are just the stuff of childhood imagination. But as she grows to adulthood, Norma comes to realize that her family is hiding a deep secret from her.

This was a wonderful book. The characters come alive on the page. Their hurts, joys, struggles, connections, love, tenderness, anger, frustration and pain are shown through their actions and reactions. The author uses dual narrators, Joe and Norma, to tell the story. Of course, neither is aware of the other so the truth comes out slowly and painfully through their memories and efforts to deal with the trauma of their childhood. Through Joe and Norma, the reader also learns about the families – Joe’s parents, and siblings; Norma’s parents and aunt.

Were I in Norma’s shoes, I’m not sure I could have forgiven the parents who raised me for their subterfuge. And while I may have understood the underlying reasons for my parents’ actions to at least understand, I would have an ever harder time overlooking Aunt June’s complicity in the lie. On the other hand, they clearly raised a loving and compassionate child, so there is that.

I appreciated learning more about the racism – both subtle and overt – the indigenous peoples endured.

The audiobook is narrated by two talented voice artists: Ailiaya Warbus handles those chapters narrated by Norma and Jordan Waunch takes on Joe’s chapters. This was very effective, and really brought the characters to life for me.

Scratcher - E.M. Lindsey - (Colorado)
Irons & Works Series Book #7
5★
There are things Micah knows about himself: he loves hard, he loves fast, and he’s always a bit too much. And his life has done nothing but prove him right until a man shows up at the bar where he’s working and offers him more than just a new job—he offers him a family. Micah settles in in Fairfield, Colorado as Irons and Works’ newest tattoo artist, happy and only a little jealous of all these men who found their happily ever afters.
We return to the Irons and Works tattoo shop in Fairfield, Colorado with a new artist and a lot of familiar faces. Our two main characters, Micah and Ryan, each have their share of baggage, but that doesn’t stop them from having the most epic hookup imaginable and coming to a strict no-strings-attached arrangement for future encounters. After all, no matter the attraction between them, both men have rules and limitations to their lives that doesn't leave much room for a relationship. Of course, this arrangement lasts for all of five minutes as anyone that reads many M/M romances already knew.

The story that unfolds is a perfect example of the relationships E.M. Lindsey does best. Neither Ryan nor Micah can “fix” each other or their lives, but it becomes clear that the men are much better together than apart. They just have to get past their own ingrained believes in order to get there. Luckily, this author is also known to not write heroes that exist in a vacuum, so both these men have secondary characters; friends, on hand who care enough about them to support them the best way that they can. I especially loved that tattoo shop owner, Kat. gets a decent number of scenes in support of Micah, since she’s someone I don’t remember seeing much of outside of “Tony and Kat” previously.

This book could work well as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend that any interested readers start at the beginning of this incredible series. I was thrilled to be back with them, even during the moments that made me cry. Other readers should definitely check out this amazing "found family" universe of Irons and Works Tatoo shop. You won't want to leave.

The Angel Maker - Alex North - (England)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense, Horror, Detective
5★
Growing up in a beautiful house in the English countryside, Katie Shaw had lived a charmed life. At the start of her graduation year, she had big dreams, a devoted boyfriend, and a precious little brother that she protected fiercely...until the day a violent stranger changed the fate of her family forever.
This is a classic Alex North story that is composed of tense gripping narratives. It's difficult to select a single genus for it. It's a little bit horror, a well-done mystery, and with the horror and the mystery elements it diffidently makes it, a detective story, and something dark and enigmatic lives in the shadows between these three genres. Deeply complex and carefully crafted...this novel is a "question mark" all the way to the end.

We first meet Katie Shaw. She grew up in a beautiful house surrounded by a loving family, but that changed one day when a deranged stranger attacked her little brother, Chris. As a result of the attack, Chris became a problematic young man and eventually became completely estranged from his family, while Katie became haunted by guilt and developed a continuous sense of worry and insecurity. Now, we advance 17 years later. Katie has a young daughter, she's struggling to keep her relationship afloat, and her brother, Chris. is missing, which means that he needs Katie again.

Now we meet Detective Laurence Page and his partner, Detective Caroline Pettifer, who are investigating the gruesome murder of Alan Hobbes. Alan was a distinguished professor who was killed in his home hours after he had fired his entire staff...had given instructions to his lawyers and was getting his affairs in order. The case is strange, but a few pieces of evidence point to Chris Shaw being somehow involved in the crime.

As the detectives uncover new leads and Katie tries to find her brother, we learn more of the stories of Alan Hobbes, Chris, Katie, and a new character...Jack Lock, who is a notorious serial killer, but also a religious zealot who claims that he can see the future. It all now becomes deeply and complicatedly, intertwined.

The story is creepy...but it moves quickly, with the revelations starting to come quickly. The tension mounts with a every chapter. There are also a lot of elements at play and the story jumps between past and present, but it's not confusing as you might expect...everything stays clear and easy to navigate, which means readers are basically forced to just "sit there and keep reading".... this is a "good thing". The ever-mounding truckload of questions ensures that it's impossible to stop reading anyway.

Philosophy, religious zealotry, and murder are the very dark trio that dwells, smack-dab at the very heart of this story. A bit of warning to readers with weak stomachs...Jack Lock's story is fascinating and gory, in equal measures, "You have committed blasphemy, and it WILL be corrected," are the words on the threatening note that Hobbes received more than thirty-years ago...thirty years before his murder, and those are the words that underlies the violence of this entire novel.

If you are a fan of hard-core murder mysteries...then this was written for you. THIS IS YOUR BOOK!

The Most Unusual Hunting of Edgar Lovejoy- Roan Parish - (Louisianna)
Genera: Cozy Mystery/M/M Romance/Ghosts
5★
Jamie Wendon-Dale, (transmasc pronouns they/them) creates haunted houses for a living. Haunting is their life...but nobody working in New Orleans' spooky circuit actually believes in ghosts. Edgar Lovejoy (cis pronouns he/him) is 100% haunted. No, really. Ghosts have tormented him since childhood, and he's organized his life around attempts to avoid them. The two opposites get ready to try to attract. But while Jamie's biggest concern is that Edgar sometimes seems a bit distracted, Edgar's fears are much greater. Not only is he scared of encountering the dearly departed whenever he leaves the house, but he's terrified of making himself vulnerable to Jamie. After all, how do you tell someone who believes ghosts only exist as smoke and mirrors that you see them everywhere you go? How can you trust in a happy future when you can't even believe in yourself? it's a little spooky, a little magical, and a whole lot of cozy.The Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy will leave you feeling like you've found a brand-new family of your own.
A haunted house designer meets a man who has been running into ghosts since childhood. This little gem can best be described as a queer contemporary from one of my favorite M/M romance authors, Roan Parrish. I thought she was never going to give us another book...it's been WAY TOO LONG!

New Orleans resident, Edgar Lovejoy, is a perpetually anxious, but so undeniably adorable...and also a part-time delivery man and...I love this job...a cat café worker. Edgar only wants to lead a peaceful life...a life that is totally free from frightening ghosts. Unfortunately, he has "second sight". The best way to avoid interacting with unwanted spirits is to stay confined to his house and never leave it or at least try to leave as little as possible.

When the very handsome and confident Jaime Wendon-Dale, who is a transmasculine burlesque performer whose day job involves designing highly detailed "scare mazes". He starts to flirt with Edgar on one of his rare nights out...and wouldn't you know it...he is instantly captivated. He's interested enough to risk leaving his self-imposed isolation to get to know them better. They have a first date, but it didn't go very well...not because they weren't enjoying one another's company...their perfect date is interrupted, of course, by a ghost. Poor Edgar. He wonders if he will ever feel comfortable and brave enough to explain why he appears constantly preoccupied and so distraught.

Through alternating chapters from Edgar and Jaime, Roan Parrish creates a delightful, sometimes, funny, nothing short of satisfying slow-burn romance. She Beautifully balances humor with poignant moments and thoughtful discussions of mental health struggles. The result is a simply delightful romance celebrating all the courage that is often times required to fully embrace one’s true self.

Beyond the Board: The Untold Story of the World's Most Daring Big Wave Surfer
by Maya Gabeira
4/5 stars
Amazing story of Maya Gabeira who became a famous big wave female surfer who traveled the world surfing. Biography/Sports

The Gathering - C.J. Tudor - (Alaska)
Genera: Mystery, Horror
5★
"A detective investigating a grisly crime in rural Alaska finds herself caught up in the dark secrets and superstitions of a small town of Deadhart, Alaska. Population: 673 - living. In the small Alaskan town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The inhabitants of Deadhart haven't seen a killing like this in 25-years, but they know who's responsible: a member of the "Colony", an ostracized community of vampires living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods. Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampire killings, is called in to officially determine if this is a "Colony" killing and authorize a cull. Old suspicions die hard in a town like Deadhart, but Barbara isn't so sure. Determined to find the truth, she enlists the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life. Since then, Tucker has become a recluse. But he knows the "Colony" better than anyone. As the pair delve into the town's history, they uncover secrets darker than they could have imagined.
Spooky and atmospheric are adjectives that best describe it. We travel to a remote part of Alaska with specialist police officer, Barbara Atkins, when she is called to make a very explicit and unusual determination about the murder of a teenage boy. It's unusual, because the town of Deadhart is not a normal town, by any stretch of the imagination...at least not in the way most people think of "normal". Now, we’re heading into what has been made very clear in the first few pages. I will always tell you that if you are looking for a a story that is only a police procedural, you have the wrong book. However, you will be missing a treat.

The story is filled with, supernatural, folklore, and mythology. Deadhart, Alaska, where Barbara is heading is very remote, with heavy snows, complete isolation, is almost entirely cut off from the rest of the state...and very much on the verge of a crisis. While the majority of the town’s residents are your common everyday garden variety of humans, there is another community... which, shall we say...is not. Or at least not anymore.

C.J. Tudor’s present world is one in which humans and vampire (or Vampyr) colonies live side by side, if not quite in harmony, then as close as prejudice and legislation will allow. You can no doubt imagine how well that's working, and, when faced with a teenage murder victim, just where the suspicion is immediately going to be directed.
just happens to be a cop specializing in Vampyr based investigations. The reason for her specialism becomes clear in the reading, but I have to say I really liked Barbara. Her determination not to just bend to the will of the court of public opinion. She is very much on her own for most of the book, viewed with suspicion and under pressure to close the case so that the ultimate justice can take place. But she’s strong and focused and infused with the kind of character that lets you know she has seen, and heard, it all before.

I really liked the atmosphere. Everything about the book felt right, from the alternative "morgue" to the prejudices, the calls for vigilante justice and antagonism that exists between the two opposing communities. In fact, remove the fangs and the colony could be just about any group of immigrants who are forced to exist together. I like both supernatural and police investigations, so everything about this worked for me. It has characters you can hate and those you can sympathize with. You will understand the motivations on both side of the fence, and the author uses deception, sleight of hand and misdirection to hide the truth in plain sight. I didn’t see that ending until right at the moment the author intended me to... but it worked.

If you like and want something a little different, are willing to look at a slightly "off the charts" way of life and are ready to embrace a bunch of characters that you wouldn’t find in your average thriller, this might be the book for you. It was a whole lot of fun. In a dark kind of way.

Stand by You - A.M. Arthur - (Delaware)
The Belonging Series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Three months after his rescue from an abusive boyfriend, twenty-two-year-old Romy Myers has landed his first legitimate job bussing tables at his friend's new coffee shop. The job has brought him some stability after years of abuse has left him feeling damaged and broken. He's working hard on his panic and social anxiety, and those things are often tempered by the big, burly presence of Brendan Walker. From the moment the ex-football player, Brendan helped rescue Romy from his ex's abuse, he's wanted to protect him. And he does, but from a distance, with joking text messages, a new gym routine to toughen him up and a genuine friendship. So far, it's been easy, but Brendan's feelings aren't just "friendly" anymore. When an argument spirals out of control, a hot and heavy make-out session causes Romy's friendship with supposedly straight Brendan to reach a new level. The last thing Romy wants is to fall for another guy who could potentially shatter him, but Brendan also wakes up a part of him he thought had been destroyed by violence...his heart.
This is the third book in this series and because the stories are interconnected, they should be read in order. The order is Book #1 No Such Thing, Book #2 Maybe This Time, & Book #3 Stand by You.

In the first book of the series, we briefly met Remy. In the second book we saw his rescue from his ex’s traumatic abuse. Remy was lucky that he had friends who were brave enough to help him escape and give him that second chance. That doesn’t mean Remy isn’t affected by what happened, though. In fact, he feels more lost than ever. Remy suffers from serious anxiety, and even PTSD, but he’s determined to get through it. He starts working in the café and that helps him at first, but his friendship with Brendan is really what makes everything good for Remy.

I loved Brendan from the start, even though at first, we didn't know very much about him except that he helps with "Street Feed". He’s one of the "good guys", and that shows on the day they rescued Remy. He and Remy eventually developed a solid friendship. Remy can turn to Brendan and is able to talk to him more than any of his other friends. Brendan, in turn, is the only person who is able to calm Remy down when his PTSD flares up. Eventually their feelings turn into more than friendship, and it causes them to examine what they each really want next.

Remy was always a bit snarky, but that was to hide how alone he felt. It made you want to wrap him up, take him home and cuddle him. Brendan was the one I was excited to see take the lead in this book. His solid strength and compassion really came through in the last book, even though he wasn’t "on-scene" much of the time. I was cheering for the two of them by the time things began to get hot and heavy. They both deserved to be happy and have someone that’s just there for them.

It's not an easy book to read. Theres's trauma and other issues... but the end result is so well worth it. A.M. Arthur has always been one of my favorite M/M Romance authors, The stories are well-written, and even though the characters are sometimes flawed they are always redeemable. Their ability to overcome whatever life gives them and find their happiness is what has always kept me coming back.

If you like M/M romances and don't object to same-sex couples, I would recommend this 3- book series to anyone that loves a good story with characters who can pull through whatever life hands to them.

Graceland – Nancy Crochiere
3***

Olivia Grant is still a soap-star diva, though it’s been years since she acted. Now, tethered to her oxygen tank, she insists on one more visit to Graceland. But her daughter, Hope, fled Memphis years ago and promised never to return. So, Olivia co-opts Hope’s daughter Dylan, newly licensed and with a second-hand bright pink VW Beetle, for the road trip. Once Hope realizes what has happened, she convinces her cousin, George (a cross-dresser whose alter-ego is Jordan) to drive her from Boston to Memphis to find the octogenarian and teen.

This was a fun read with over-the-top characters dealing with drama mostly of their own making. I liked the road trip aspect the best, though their various antics once they all arrive in Memphis also kept the plot moving along nicely. (Loved the scenes with the Elvis impersonators!)

While I saw the truth far ahead of the characters, I still enjoyed watching them discover it for themselves. And I like that Crochiere did NOT give us a HEA ending neatly tied up with a bow. Life, after all, IS messy.

At the Bottom of The Garden - Camilla Bruce
Genera: Supernatural, Horror
5★
Clara Woods is a murderous woman who gets custody of her two orphaned nieces, Lily and Violet Webb, after their parents die in a climbing accident on K2. Clara’s motivations are purely financial. She hopes to access the girls’ inheritance to fund her dream of launching a diamond jewelry line. However, her plans are complicated. Then nine-year-old Violet reveals an amazing gift...or curse, depending on how you look at it... the ability to not only see but also to communicate with the dead, and that includes Clara’s murdered husband, Timothy, whose body lies buried...you guessed it... in the overgrown garden.

Aunt Clara is a fascinating antagonist whose calculated cruelty it seems comes as a result of a deeply wounded past. The author reveals Clara’s history through carefully placed flashbacks, showing how her mother's rejection and manipulation nurtured and shaped her into the person she has become.

The contrast between fourteen-year-old Lily and nine-year-old Violet is well-defined. Lily "represents" the living part of their supernatural heritage, with her ability to see emotional auras as highly colored flames...and her sister, Violet focus on the "death aspect". Violet is able to communicate with and help the spirits cross over. Their abilities create an intriguing dynamic that drives much of the story’s supernatural elements.

The author does such a great job of creating a brooding atmosphere composed of taxidermized animals and dark secrets, serving as a perfect background for this tale of murder and supernatural revenge. The house is truly a character by itself with stained-glass windows and shadowy corners harboring both literal and metaphorical ghosts. Dina, the housekeeper, also had so much potential of being another great character but she seemed somewhat underdeveloped until very late in the story. Her relationship with the previous owner, Cecilia Lawrence, could have been explored more also to add another layer to the house’s haunted history.

Fans of gothic horror and ghost stories and Shirley Jackson's offerings particularly will more than likely really like At the Bottom of the Garden.

Ornamental - E.M. Lindsey - (Colorado)
Irons & Works Series Book #8
Genera: M/M Romance/Tatoo Artist
5★
It wasn’t that Luke was unhappy at Irons and Works. After all, that was his home, his family, his safety. But watching everyone around him fall in love was a bit much when every single relationship he’d tried to maintain fell to pieces. Was he just unlucky, or was there something about him that was just fundamentally unlovable? What Luke doesn’t expect in answer is an older man with greying hair and eyes that look like they’ve seen into the core of the earth. What he doesn’t expect is for Tony to introduce everyone to his half-brother. And what he most definitely doesn’t expect is for that man to zero in on Luke and decide whether Luke likes it or not—that he’s the only thing in the shop he actually wants.
Raf has lost his job and his marriage because he has Tourette’s and seizures. He relapsed and the people in his life wouldn't accept him. He’s broke and just lost, so he finally has to ask his brother for help. His brother owns Irons and Works, the tattoo shop...and also the shop where Luke works. Raf and Luke start hanging out together and soon they fall in love.

The romance in this book was as always...phenomenal. This is also a really slow burn story that allows us to get to slowly see Luke and Raf start to get to know each other and become friends. The more they spend time to together, the more we get to see them falling in love. It was nice how much time they spent together and how their love for each other slowly developed through all of those moments. All they wanted was to just be there for and with, each other. Their romance is sweet. Raf and Luke comfort each other and talk through everything, making the growing attraction easy for them.

I’m not a big fan of age gap romances...but this one so sweet. Luke and Raf have an age gap of over 20 years, but somehow, they managed to deal with it. It never appeared to really be an issue for them. They only wanted to be together and work to make their relationship work.

Raf was new to the M/M romance scene, and that was a big part of the story...him figuring out his attraction to a man.

Raf has Tourette’s, so there are seizures and some neurological issues. Luke treated him like even though the Tourette's was something that was a big part of his life...it wasn't what made him, "HIM". He knew that it was only a small part of who he really was. Luke did a great job of keeping Raf safe. He was just THE ABSOLUTE best, and this part of the book was absolutely perfect. We would expect nothing less from this author.

In a nutshell...this story is about finding people who will always "be there" for you and bounding with them and learning that they will always love and care for you, no matter what life hands you.

The Lies You Wrote- Brianna Labuskes
Raisa Susanto Series Book #1 - (Washington)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
5★
The double murder of a married couple in a small Washington town draws FBI forensic linguist Raisa Susanto into an investigation that mirrors a decades-old crime. Twenty-five years ago―to the day―Alex Parker murdered his parents, then took his own life, leaving behind a note admitting everything.
The story is told from two viewpoints that alternate between chapters. Between these points of view parts of the story are revealed as extracts from diaries, letters, newspaper articles, lectures, message threads on a true crime web forum and a true crime podcast. The chapters move backwards and forward in time but while a bit hard to manage at first, soon begin to really enhance the tension of the investigation into a multiple homicide in this small town in rural Washington that appears to be a copycat of a family murder-suicide in the same town twenty-five years ago.

The story starts with Raisa Susanto, a young FBI agent with a strange specialty: she’s a forensic linguist who works a magic that her colleagues have difficulty trusting, but which she is passionate about. Her specialty is far from the most unusual thing about her. She’s a kid from the care system who has fought her way to both academic success and begrudged but real prominence in the FBI. She’s a loner with trust issues has guilty secrets. Just about everyone in this story has secrets of some type.

Then there is Delaney Moore, a content moderator with the website, "Flick". She draws the FBI’s attention to the video of the aftermath of the murder that the killer has posted. She too has an unusual set of talents and secrets from her past that she needs to keep hidden. She’s obsessive about hunting sexual predators online.

As Raisa struggles to solve the copycat killing, she starts to question whether the police who closed the original case, and determined it to be a murder-suicide, had made a big mistake and if that mistake provided the killer to commit the current murders on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the original ones?

There was a lot to like about this book. I became completely engaged in the story. It's a story that the reader needs to slow down and let yourself think things through instead of rushing to the end to find out who had done what to whom and why. One thing I found that may have had a big impact on the outcome of the story was that almost all the action is driven by women with very strong personalities and have had a poor experience with, and opinions of men.

If you are interested, and I was, you will learn some interesting things about forensic linguistics, especially the concept of idiolect. the unique way in which an individual uses language. This was my first novel by this author, and I have to say that Brianna Lubuskes is a very talented writer. I liked the plot development, the character construction, and the amount of action that was well balanced, with an insight into the personal life of the agents. I will certainly be looking for more like this one.

The Gas and Flame Men: Baseball and the Chemical Warfare Service during World War I
Jim Leeke
4/5 stars
This is the true story of the men who went to WWI to work in the Chemical Warfare Service and who were baseball players. Some of them lost their lives in the service. Sports

French Martini - Mia Monroe
Last Call Series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance/Bar Owners & Best Friends
5★
Maybe asking my burly golden retriever contractor to be my fake fiancé was a bad idea. But as the saying goes, desperate times and all that. Listen, getting married again sounds about as fun as a shopping spree in a dumpster, so dating is definitely off the table. I’ve resisted Oakley’s tempting presence, knowing it can only lead to trouble, and I don’t need any more of that. Despite the obvious attraction, we’ve managed to keep a platonic and professional distance. That is until my Parisian past collides with my new, simpler world.
Things have been slowly simmering for Lowen and Oakley, and this is our chance to see just how good they can be together. They're both hot and completely adorable!

Oakley is a total sweetheart, proving what we've known about him all along, he's completely head over heels in love with Lowen... but...there's always a but...he is also nothing less than a complete gentleman. That is until things start to heat up. Lowen's past is heart breaking for him...the way his ex had treated him and the public fallout that had resulted from it. It's all explained in book #1 of the "Last Call" series. This had all led to him escaping and then to open a bar with some very loyal and good friends in a small town.

A surprise event has Lowen needing Oakley's help, who of course is only too happy to step up and give Lowen his support. What begins as a fake engagement quickly leads to something with benefits as Oakley slowly opens Lowen's closed-up walls with his charm, sexy ways and a commitment to Lowen being absolutely, 100% perfect just exactly the way he is. Lowen's self-esteem badly needed to be build back up after his ex-lover had tried to break him down. Oakley was the perfect guy for that; it's knowing that he could find that within himself that was truly special, and just for him. I loved the moment of unintentional revenge that comes at the end! Wait for it. It's worth the entire story!

This is another fantastic read in the "Last Call" series. I understand that there are two more yet to come and I cannot wait!! This group of men are such a perfect blend of "found family" who love and support one another through the good times and the bad. We should all be so lucky you have friends like these.

Daddy's Little Camping Trip - Della Caine & Kaytea Kat
Found By Daddy Series Book #14
Genera: M/M romance/Daddy & little
5★
My idea of roughing it is a 3-star hotel, and here I am signing up for a weeklong camping adventure. My ideal vacation includes, day spas, theater, and fine dining—not bugs, dirt, and bears. When Chained announces its Little Summer Camp, I have no interest. None. Why can’t it be a week in Paris or splashing in white-foamy waves and playing on the beach on some tropical island? I could really use a week of being little and surrounded by playmates. During a night of little fun, the hot daddy I’ve been eyeing asks me if I’m going. I forget the thousands of reasons I shouldn’t be and sign up on the spot. What am I thinking?
If Hallmark made a series of kink books this book as well as the other 13 in the series, would fit right in. None of them are long books so you are guaranteed a quick sweet read about a "Daddy" and his "little". This "little" would have rather stayed in a nice hotel than camp in a tent, but they signed up for the "daddy/little" camping trip anyway just to be able to spend more time together. Both men have stressful jobs. Quill is working overtime to make his boss look good and Gilbraith had to cancel his yearly already planned vacation because of a work emergency, so both are looking for some relaxing time. They both go to Chained...the kink club where they are both members. It's a place that they can be themselves and chill out.

Quill has had his eye on Gil for a bit now but that night he finally gets the courage to ask him to play, he agrees, and they have a great time. When Gil asks if Quill is going on the camping trip Quill says yes even though he hates camping, so Gil also signs up because Quill had and he wants to get to know him more. Their relationship progresses smoothly and they connected even more. Enough to see each other after the trip is over and want to start something real that neither man ever thought that they would find.

Like the other 13 books in this "Daddy/ little" series, this one is definitely a cute feel-good story about two people falling in love and sharing themselves and their lives. The 14 books can all be read by most folks, in a half a day or so, this one was only 94 pages long, and they can be read in any order even though we sometimes meet some of the previous characters at Club Chained, or in various places in town. It's a cute, sweet little series that always has a happy ending.

The Night We Lost Him – Laura Dave
Book on CD performed by Julia Whelan
3***

From the book jacket: Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was a self-made hotel magnate. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving if distant family man, who kept his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who loved her from afar – notably a cliffside cottage on the California coast where he fell to his death. The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her brother Sam have other ideas.

My reactions
I am Sooooo over the dual timeline device, and this one isn’t even done all that well. The reader knows that Liam has had a long-term relationship with a woman he never married (he asked; she refused). Nora and Sam, have no idea. So, as they try to investigate the circumstances involving their father’s fatal fall, they stumble across clues here and there, but get gaslighted by their uncle or their father’s office staff.

The fact that Liam was pushed is on page four, so that’s no surprise to the reader, though the culprit is unknown. But the result was that I felt Nora and Sam’s efforts to uncover the truth were just tedious. By the time they are certain he was pushed I had lost interest in who did the pushing.

And let’s not forget the other timeline … starting when Liam is in college and meets the girl he will love forever. Dave interrupts the mystery of what really happened to Liam on the night he died to give the reader various meetings between the two lovers over the years, despite both of them being married to other people. I never felt any great love there, but Dave definitely told us (over and over) how much they meant to one another.

If it hadn’t been a selection for my F2F book club, I may have just abandoned it without finishing.

Julia Whelan is one of my favorite audiobook narrators, and she does her usual stupendous job performing the audio in this case. Too bad she didn’t have better material to work with. Still, her performance at least entertained me enough to keep me going, and elevated my rating by a full star.

The Only Purple House in Town - Ann Aguirre - (Illinois)
Genera: LGBTQ/ Paranormal, Witches, Shapeshifters
5★
Welcome to the coziest house on the block―where misfits become family, magic lingers in the walls, and healing comes in the most unexpected forms. Iris Collins doesn't believe in plans. As a self-declared chaos bunny with a track record of unfinished dreams, she's never been the reliable one in the family. But when she inherits a quaint purple Victorian in the quirky town of St. Claire, she seizes the chance to start over―on her terms. Her grand idea? Turn the rambling house into a haven for anyone who's ever felt like they didn't quite belong. A cranky vampire with a secret past. A werewolf with anxiety. A ghost with unresolved issues. And maybe even a mysterious man from Iris's past who seems too good to be true.
We could all sometimes use a house like this! I loved the found family of “misfits” and could genuinely care about them. The story starts with Iris Collins as she’s dealing with a bit of bad luck, then she finds out that she's inherited her aunt’s purple house. When she arrives there, she realizes it’s in fairly decent shape, so she decides to rent rooms in the house in order to make some quick money. She quickly finds two roommates... Eli and Henry Dale.

We learn that Eli has an interesting connection to Iris while Henry Dale is just looking to find a safe place to sleep. Eventually, Iris begins to gather more housemates which includes Sally, an elderly lady who is recently divorced. Then comes Mira who has been recently "dumped"...then Rowan, a non-binary teen who's had a horrible family life arrives. We watch as this ragtag band of misfits blend together and form a real family where they’re ALL accepted and loved for who they are, and it doesn't matter how they identify or who they love. They are just welcomed and accepted without question. Yeah...sounds like a fairytale that absolutely should be everyone's reality.

If you are looking for a steamy romance, you're going to be disappointed...this isn't it. Well, there is a bit of a slow burn romance developing between Iris and Eli that is sweet. I couldn't help but think that when there seems to be so much hate going on in our world today, this little gem is a pleasant escape from reality.

Bad Idea - Felice Stevens - (New York)
Brooklyn Kings Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Boss & Employee
5★
Losing your job to the boss's new wife. That's bad luck. Hooking up with a stranger to forget about it? Seems like a good idea. Finding out your new boss is that one-night stand? There’s that bad luck again. Except you both agree to put it behind you. That’s a great idea. Until you slip and hook up again—not the best idea. Catching feelings for the boss? Not the smartest idea. Falling in love with your boss? Now that’s a really bad idea…Or is it?
The story seemed to be filled with "bad ideas". When it comes to a boss and employee romance; Hayden had firm rules. However, it seems that he can't help letting his protective nature step in for Armi. An instant connection which only gets deeper but there's trouble ahead in the "King's" company with sabotage.

Hayden is 37, and a top PA to company bosses...but when he's fired from his job, he's shocked after all his hard work for his boss, Boris. A night out for a good time, and that's what he gets. Armand was close to the same age and was the owner of a football team. He was absolutely adorable when he met Hayden. Hayden was exactly who and what Armi needed especially when he’s being bullied at work. He may be the owner of his father’s company, but Hayden has his back when they meet, right from day one.

I really like Felice Steven's writing, and this was a fantastic story, but I wasn't surprised as this author had never disappointed me. We watched Armand as he learns so much about himself because of knowing Hayden. Their romance isn't always smooth, but they get their happy finish. The epilogue for the "big game" was sweet. I'm not sure some of the situations for the football team were handled realistically in the book but what the heck...it's only a story and a good one at that.

Stranger in the Lake - Kimberly Belle - (North Carolina)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
5★
When Charlotte married the wealthy widower Paul, it caused a ripple of gossip in their small lakeside town. They have a charmed life together, despite the cruel whispers about her humble past and his first marriage. But everything starts to unravel when she discovers a young woman’s body floating in the exact same spot where Paul’s first wife tragically drowned.
Charlotte married Paul, the wealthy widower less than a year ago. His first wife died unexpectedly, a little over four years ago. They live in a cove where the currents are swift & the water is dangerously deep. Drowning may not be such an unexpected event...however....

People said Charlotte, who is 26, married Paul, who is 37. just for his money. She comes from a less than stellar background. Her home was a grubby trailer-park. Her father is a convict. Her mother is a meth user. Everyone said that she was too young, too unpolished, too poor & too crass. Her friends & family think that "Miss High & Mighty" abandoned them for the comforts of a fancy home upon a hill.

Early one morning, Charlotte finds a woman floating face down in the water under their dock. She's absolutely dead. This brings back unpleasant memories to Paul. His first wife drowned under mysterious circumstances. Or did she? She was a completive swimmer in her younger days, and it seemed a bit odd that a former competitive swimmer would just sink to the bottom of the lake and drown. Two dead bodies under the same dock four years apart. That just seemed to be too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence. One body is a tragedy, but two the same way and in the same place...is a diffident pattern.

The town starts to buzz with theories and accusations. Conjecture spreads like a forest fire. There's not a person in town who isn't talking about the dead tourist who was found floating in the lake. Everything is now the total opposite of okay! This is now a murder investigation and there's a lot that Paul is not telling anyone, especially Charlotte. She was so eager to escape her "white trash" upbringing, that she didn't consider that she might be trading one set of problems for another....and this is only the beginning of this nightmare.

Not that long ago, a couple of recreational divers found a rusted-out Camaro containing a skeleton at the bottom of this same lake. Was that death an accident or a crime? Was he a victim of his own bad luck? More importantly...are these deaths connected?

Charlotte remembers that she saw the woman in town the day before talking in low tones to Paul. Then Paul lies to the police, saying he’s never seen the woman before. Charlotte must find out what Paul is hiding and then decide if his secrets are worth keeping...or dying for.

The Enlightenment of Daniel - Eli Easton - (Washington)
Sex in Seattle Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Business tycoon Daniel Derenzo lives for his work until his dying father reminds him life is short. When Daniel starts to reevaluate his world, he experiences a startling revelation...he’s attracted to his business partner and best friend, Nick, even though Daniel always believed himself to be straight. In typical type A fashion, Daniel dissects his newfound desires with the help of the experts at the Expanded Horizons sex clinic. He goes after Nick with the fierce determination that’s won him many business deals. Nick Ross was in love with Daniel years ago, when they were roommates in college. But Daniel was straight, and Nick patched his broken heart by marrying Marcia. Two kids and fourteen years later, they go through the motions of their marriage like ships passing in the night. But Nick’s kids mean the world to him, and he’s afraid he’ll never get joint custody if they divorced. If he can trust his heart to an awakening Daniel, they all might find their way to a happily ever after.
"if Type A had a Kinsey scale, I'd be at the far right. If it were a rainbow spectrum, I'd be black." These were Daniels opening, first words to his therapist. Can you say, "self-esteem issues"? Do you think? Daniel knows his strengths, his weaknesses and his quirks. He understands why he behaves the way he does, and he recognizes what he needs to do to get an answer to his sudden desire for his business partner and best friend, Nick, who is A MAN. A very good-looking and desirable, but none the less, still.... A MAN. One session with the clinic's sexual surrogate and Daniel knew he'd been "batting for the wrong team" his entire life...and he didn't even need to do more than kiss the surrogate. Whew! Big relief because he doesn't really want anyone but Nick anyway.

Nick was a rather sad case, but he was really easy to adore and have all kinds of fuzzy feelings for. He made you wish that you could wrap him up to make all that negative stuff go away. On the other hand, I had absolutely NOTHING in the "sympathy department" for his so called "wife". Actually, I could have happily planned her a quick demise...Humm..."I believe she should be shot". Why? Can you count to three? That's how long...3-YEARS!! In those 3-years, Nick had not received from her... even one hug...not one single kiss! The only two things in his life which made Nick happy were his kids, and his job with his best friend, Daniel. Nick fell in love with Daniel when they had been roommates in college, but he knew, without a doubt, that Daniel was 100% straight, so Nick moved on and married a woman he thought he might learn to love. Marcia was always working on ways to make him jealous. He knew without a doubt that she desired other guys. It was no secret...he'd seen it. But he doubted the other guys would ever get anywhere with her. Besides...even if they did, he'd knew that he'd been "voted off the island" so long ago, that at this point he didn't especially care who took his place on that island.

Parts of this story about family, disappointment and finding yourself, was actually quiet amusing. Other parts will break your heart...for both of them. The Enlightenment of Daniel" was a wonderful addition to the "Sex in Seatle" series and even though it's a bit more dramatic than the other books in the series, (Of course I've read them out of order, but that's fine with this series), it's well worth your reading time. I highly recommend this entire series.

Books in this series are:
The Trouble with Tony
The Enlightenment of Daniel
The Mating of Michael
The Redemption of River

Necessary Lies - Diane Chamberlain - (North Carolina)
Genera: Mystery
4★
The story of a small southern, North Carolina town fifty years ago, and the darkest–and most hopeful places in the human heart.
After losing her parents, fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm. As she struggles with her grandmother’s aging, her sister’s mental illness and her own epilepsy, she realizes they might need more than she can give.

Jane Forrester takes the position as Grace County’s newest social worker, she doesn’t realize just how much her help is needed. It isn't a good thing, but she quickly becomes emotionally invested in her clients’ lives, which of course causes tension with her boss as well as her new husband. As Jane is drawn in by the women of Hart County, she begins to discover there are secrets in the small farm town...secrets much darker than she would have ever guessed. She soon finds that she must decide whether to take some drastic actions in order to help them, or to risk losing the battle against everything she believes is wrong.

The story is set in the 1960's in rural Grace County, North Carolina. This was in the time when state-mandated sterilizations were taking place and racial tension were high. This book is the story of two young women who are at first, seemingly distant worlds apart, but both are haunted by tragedy. Jane and Ivy are now thrown together and must ask themselves: "How can you know what you believe is right, when everyone is telling you it’s wrong"?

This is an engaging and evocative story of a North Carolina state mandated program which was, believe it or not, still active in 1960. The vivid depictions of life and poverty on a tobacco farmland at that time are compelling and appear to be depicted quite realistically. You will learn more than you ever wanted to know about this sterilization program through these two well-drawn characters. Through Necessary Lies, Diane Chamberlain has written an unforgettable, thought-provoking story.

NOTE: I had to know a bit more about this North Caroline sterilization program, which seemed to me to have been an inhuman act that you would more expect to be taking place in Nazi Germany than in the United States of America. Here is what I found. I was appalled to say the least...especially when I have found out that even though this book was set in 1960, this program had been going on in 32 of the states since 1913.

The North Carolina sterilization program was driven by the belief in eugenics, which was a pseudoscience that claimed to improve society by promoting the "better" traits of the human population. The program aimed to reduce the number of individuals with mental illnesses and disabilities, as well as to prevent the spread of poverty through controlled reproduction. The Eugenics Board of North Carolina was responsible for overseeing the sterilization process, which was often coercive and aimed at benefiting the public good. The program was characterized by its negative eugenics approach, which discouraged reproduction by individuals with genetic defects or "undesirable" traits. Those "undesirable traits" included color, sexual identity, parentage, nationality, and the one that I somewhat understood...health issues.

The biggest question I had was WHO determines what those "undesirable traits" are, and what exactly is the end result supposed to "improve"? Sorry, I got so caught up in the entire horrible idea of this program that I almost forgot the rest of the story:)

The Silent Sister - Diane Chamberlain - (North Carolina)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
4★
Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. It was a belief that helped shape her own childhood and that of her brother. It shaped her view of her family and their dynamics. It influenced her entire life. Now, more than twenty years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina, cleaning out his house when she finds evidence that what she has always believed is not the truth. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why, exactly, was she on the run all those years ago? What secrets are being kept now, and what will happen if those secrets are revealed?
Riley grew up in a house full of grief caused by her older sister’s suicide, and while Riley doesn’t remember Lisa, since she was only two years old at the time of her sister’s death, she does remember witnessing the consequences of the loss every day in her mother’s depression; her father’s withdrawal; and her brother’s anger issues. When her father dies...and with her mother gone years earlier, Riley is left to clean out her childhood home and prepare her father’s estate to be sold. As she is sorting through her father’s papers, secrets start flying out of the woodwork, and everything she’s ever thought she knew about her family is all about to change.

This isn't the best Diane Chamberlain book that I have ever read but it is still a decent mystery with inventive twists, just nothing that I would consider to be earthshattering. Diehard mystery fans will probably find it a bit too predictable. However, it's a good one for when you need something a little mindless but still nicely entertaining.

A Little Christmas! Ralphie - TL Travis
Little Christmas Series, Season 3
Genera: M/M Romance, Daddy & little
4.5★ (it would have gotten 5 if it had been longer)
This is an M/M story with mature content and a BDSM-like DD/LB dynamic
Ralphie Davis, was never man enough for his father or worth his mother’s attention. His life began once he moved from his parents’ home and into his sister’s. Had he finally found where he belonged? Daddy Marcel Allard hadn’t been a daddy in ages. Consumed by grief after the loss of his husband and boy, when a cancer diagnosis quickly swept him away. He’d resigned himself to never put his heart on the line again. Nor step foot into the club they’d frequented until Miss Tess called and nearly begged him to help her pull off her first event, A Little’s Valentine’s party. Reluctantly—and after much begging on her part—Marcel accepted and left the house after a stern warning to himself, you are there to work and nothing more. That all changed when he saw him. The cute little in the cookie monster pj’s looking lost until Jacob and Orion came to his rescue. Briefly…
This is a short, but sweet story of how "little" Ralphie helped to mend "Daddy" Marcel's broken heart and in turn, found himself a kind and loving "Daddy". It was clever how Ralphie handled Marcel's past simply by including it as a part of their future. You can't help but love him right off. He was such a sweetheart.

Marcel had met Ralphie before, but he wasn't ready at that time to try having a "boy" again. With the encouragement of a few of his friends, he's finally ready to try it again. Marcel's backstory is very sad, but I liked how Ralphie included Marcel's past and kept Marcel's lost "boy", Elion's memory alive.

Ralphie is a very sensitive,19-year-old busboy. He's had no luck at all with relationship. He'd been left alone more times than he could count on both hands. His sister, Tessy. had been taking care of him, since their parents didn't want anything to do with either of them. Marcel Allard is a widower who is still grieving the loss of his last "boy", but there is just something about Ralphie that opens his heart to be maybe being able to fall in love again.

It was great seeing how much these characters cared about everything and especially about each other. Ralphie with his sensitive soul, and Marcel with his determination to help those that were less fortunate, makes this a really good Christmas story. It's an easy, quick read, with "feel good" feelings and true understanding.

Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey
3 1/2 ***

I was not taken with this follow up book to Dragon Flight, a book that seemed to get bogged down in so many details that the storylines got lost. And the unconscious sexism! Holy moly, what a reminder about how far we (may) have come.

The book has different characters narrating, starting with Masterharper Robinton, moving to dragonrider F'nor, and also Brekke, Weyrwoman of Southern Weyr on the Southern continent of Pern. And while Robinton is struggling to compose a fitting song for an upcoming wedding, F'nor is eyeing women and reminiscing on his various conquests. And Brekke just wants to do a good job without being belittled and harassed by the dragon riders of her Weyr.

Concurrently, Thread is falling sporadically and not according to the timetables that F'lar has worked out from the charts of the Old Ones. And young Jaxom, heir to Ruatha Hold, sneaks off with F'lar and Lessa's son to see the Hatching Grounds where Ramoth's next batch will hatch. And the Oldtimers who came forward 400 years in the last book have now lived for 7 Turns on modern Pern and are causing dissension and animosity between Weyr and Crafters and Hold.

Any one of those storylines could have been its own book. But instead, McCaffrey wanted to write about her world so much that they all get jumbled together, the wedding becomes an episode that needs to be mentioned as an "Oh yeah! There's a wedding, so let's put this person/event in alignment with the wedding" and also provides a backdrop between the leader of the Oldtimers and F'lar. And then poof! The Oldtimers get banished to the Southern continent and no more mention happens of them. Or the wedding. Or, whatever.

I was sorry to see this mad jumble of things, especially when the Impressing of Fire Lizards was an important strand that changes how the hierarchy of Pern is aligned: no longer are the Dragonriders the only humans who can impress one of the giant species of flying dragons. Now, ordinary Crafters or Holders can have a small fire lizard Impressed to them for life.

I was really sad at how this book turned into such a porridge, though I was glad to know it wasn't just my 16 year old brain that couldn't grasp the plot.

Out of Circulation by Miranda James, Athena, MS
5*****

This was a fun read, full of Diesel (the Maine Coon assistant to the college archivist) and Charlie (college archivist) and a growing cast of characters. We get to see more of the relationship between Azalea (Charlie's housekeeper) and Kanesha (her daughter). Kanesha is the top investigator on the local police department but she is also answerable to Sheriff Tidwell who is not thrilled with having an African-American woman on his team.

The story opens with the planning for a fund-raiser that involves a costume contest as one's favorite fiction character. The committee includes the Ducote sisters, Miss An'gel and Miss Dicke, as well as Vera Cassity who is not a highly placed in the Athena old families as she would like. Miss Vera stomps off in a rage and a few days later visits Charlie at work, demanding she be allowed into the Ducote family archives. Which is a bit of a "no, ma'am" for Charlie.

During the fundraiser the costumes are fun for guest and board member alike. Both Hercule Poirot and Amelia Peabody make an appearance, as do Vera and her husband as Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. And as happens in mysteries, a mysterious death occurs and Azalea is a prime suspect. Which ups the tension even more.

Yet during the investigation, Charlie as the archivist begins to go through the papers of the Ducote sisters, thinking that the animosity between Vera and the Ducotes has its origins somewhere there. And he is right as he begins to read the diary of one Mrs. Cecilia Ducote that puts many family secrets onto the page. The tenor of the book becomes much more real, the animosity between the women much more tragic, and Charlie does the right thing by handing it to them to process in their own time.

Tall Dark & Ginger - Mia Monroe - (New Onyx Universe)
Last Call Series Book #4
5★
My hopeless crush has a plan to get over his ex by getting under me, and I’m up for the task. I’ve been pining for Wren since the minute I laid eyes on the handsome man with the perfect mouth, wounded eyes, and my personal kryptonite, ginger hair. Too bad he was hands off from the beginning, not only because he was our new chef, but he’s been tangled in a failing relationship the whole time I’ve known him. When he finally decides to dump his ex and needs a place to stay, enter me and my big house to the rescue. I want to be respectful, give him time to see me as an option, but one night he offers me an arrangement. My answer: hell, yes. Powered by need for each other, neither of us thought about what would happen next. We’re two guys without a clue, making decisions with the wrong head, but what we have together is too good for either of us to just walk away. Before Wren, I was firmly a beer guy, but now that I’ve tasted the sweet bite of the prettiest ginger ever, there’s no going back. This is one combination that’s never coming off the menu if I can help it.
I like low angst sweet stories full of healing, hilarious moments, steam, and heartfelt emotions...and Tall, Dark, & Ginger is just perfect. Wren is now single and wants to rediscover who he truly is; his needs and wants. He has his dream job but maybe he should start looking at his love life differently. Who better to help him explore but his sexy boss, Ridley. He has hit the jackpot!

Ridley is laid back, understanding, but always thought that he never wanted a relationship. But Ridley has had a crush on Wren since he first saw him. There was something about Wren that tugged at Ridley's heart and piqued his interest. When Wren approached him with a "special" request Ridley couldn't say yes fast enough. They both got what they wanted and needed while having a lot of fun. Little do they realize that fate has more in store for them.

There was no unnecessary drama...they both worked beautifully through their unexpected feelings, letting the strong emotional connection develop naturally. Neither was demanding or pushing the other for more than what was possible, just offered unconditional support, acceptance, and honesty. Best part was Wren realizing his self-worth. The communication between these two .... outstanding and so perfectly; perfect.

I can't wait to start the next story, and I am a bit sad that it's the last one in this series, but it will be great to see all the guys finally paired up when Jerryn and Bane, finally have their dreams realized. Great series and well worth the reading time as I have found all of Mia Monroe's books to be.

Return to Auschwitz by Kitty Hart
4 1/2 ****

This was a re-read for me; whether I read this book first in high school or college escapes me. It was grim reading then and it is grim re-reading it though very much worth the effort.

Kitty has a happy, adventurous life with skiing in the winters, beautiful mountains and a comfortable life in Bielsko, Poland. She is on vacation in August, 1939 when her father, a retired Austrian captain from the Great War, contacts his family to urge them to come home immediately. They are forced to flee to Lublin and the train containing their household goods was bombed in Cracow.

Once the Nazis invade Poland, on September 1, the Jews are eventually forced into the Lublin ghetto, and somehow Kitty's family survives intact. As time passes they decide to make a run for the Russian border (the Russians being less of a threat at the time than the Nazis). They are nearly across the frozen river when they are forced to turn back and go into hiding in the small community of Zabia Wola.

After a year, the family decides to split up for safety: her brother enlists in the Red Army, her father stays in Zabia Wola, and Kitty and her mother go into Germany as Polish-German workers. They are fluent in German as well as Polish, Kitty's mother taught English to young children, and for a while they work in Dresden.

In March, 1942, they and the other Jewish workers are betrayed, rounded up, and sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Her mother is assigned to the hospital, and Kitty does whatever she can to stay alive. She is able to figure out the unspoken camp rules, and she and her mother make a pact never to take food from a living prisoner. Kitty describes the horrible conditions in which she is now living: the mud, the constant bargaining for food, or better clothes, or clogs, the rolls calls, and how the anonymity of being one more shaved prisoner helped her survive.

Kitty is assigned to the Kanada Kommandos, the women who must sort through the belongings of the dead from the transports. Her recollections are especially necessary to Holocaust scholarship because before Auschwitz-Birkenau were liberated, the Kanada Kommandos were rounded up by the prison guards and shot. Kitty's mother was able to beg one of the camp guards to let her daughter stay with her on the train out of the camp, and he allowed it.

They survive the death march and are finally re-united with Kitty's maternal aunt who fled to Birmingham, England in 1938. Kitty then details her life after her Holocaust experiences, her studies to become a radiology technologist, and her marriage and two sons.

Wakenhyrst - Michelle Paver- (England)
Genera: Horror/Ghosts/Haunted House
4★
"Something has been let loose..." In Edwardian Suffolk, a manor house stands alone in a lost corner of the Fens: a glinting wilderness of water whose whispering reeds guard ancient secrets. Maud is a lonely child growing up without a mother, ruled by her repressive father. When he finds a painted medieval devil in a graveyard, unhallowed forces are awakened. Maud's battle has begun. She must survive a world haunted by witchcraft, the age-old legends of her beloved fen and the even more nightmarish demons of her father's past.
Maud is a memorable character... a smart, and courageous girl who lived in a time when females weren't valued much for anything except childbearing, and certainly not for any of their other abilities. Maud loved to read, and she had educated herself, but she is very naive when it comes to life in general.

The book rushes into how difficult life was for women at that time, being forced to endure so many things in order to just have a passable life. Social norms have trapped Maud in a life she never wanted and pushed her to be someone she wasn't. Then she falls for a gardener, bringing a little happiness in an otherwise claustrophobic, lonely existence. In spite of this, the "main man" in her life is and will always be her awful, tyrannical father, who rules her life as well as the entire household. Maud learning who her father really is gradually destroys her innocence and any idealism she may have had.

Her father, Edmund Stearn is a man who goes to church and talks about God, but neglects his wife, regularly visits brothels, and is hiding a secret so deep he has almost forgotten that it even exists. He doesn’t recognize his daughter’s intelligence but simply uses her as a tool for his work. When Maud discovers his hypocrisy, she promises to somehow make him pay.

The daughter vs the father storyline was a compelling one! The setting of the manor house in Wake’s End feels remote and cut off from the world. But Maud finds solace in the Fen. I felt like I was there through the vibrant and life-like descriptions of the place. Little details like the characters’ superstitions made for a vivid reading experience. Edmund’s diary entries take up a large part of the story. I thought the entries were interesting at first but after a while they became tiring as they were in reality, just the thoughts of a very unlikable, unredeemable, totally self-centered, man.

The book explores the class differences, the gender disparity, as well as religion, superstitions and madness. There are some hints of the supernatural, but it seems to become mostly an afterthought. The real horrors are the unwavering beliefs of this madman and the desperate life of his teenage daughter. A daughter desperately fighting to be free. When the truth of the murder finally comes out, it feels like the pieces finally fall into place.... but the effect is still devastating.

It's not a book that I would have rushed right out to buy or to read...but it was an interesting and thought producing novel...a gothic "slow burner" that is both chilling and heartbreaking. Something that is certainly capable of making the 20th Century reader thankful they didn't live in that period of history.

The Story Collector – Evie Woods
3***

Sarah and Jack’s marriage is ending. And though it’s Christmas, she decides to pack up and leave their New York apartment for her parents’ home in Boston. But after reading a story in an Irish newspaper about a “fairy tree,” and having drunk a significant amount of Irish whisky in the airport lounge, she instead boards a flight for Shannon, Ireland. Before she has a chance to rethink (or even to think for the first time), she finds herself renting a quaint cottage in the village of Thornwood, and finding a diary written a century before by Anna Butler.

This is a charming fable of love lost and love found, of superstition and faith, of family and community, of grief and recovery. Sarah was at times infuriating, but I came to understand her need to grieve and to face her demons. And I really liked the way her relationship with Oran developed.

I liked the historical timeline as well. Anna and Harold’s story is told through Anna’s diary entries. My only quibble is that I had a hard time believing that these were diary entries; it just wasn’t written the way I would expect a village girl to write in the early part of the 20th century.

Manner of Death - L.A. Witt & Cari Z
Genea: Mystery & Suspense/M/M Romance
5★
Detective Sawyer Villeray has his hands full. He’s got a mercurial partner whose personal life is deteriorating, a semi-estranged family whose drama he can never fully escape… and now a series of murders whose only connection is their sheer weirdness. A serious crush on the county medical examiner doesn’t exactly simplify things, but at least it’s fun.
The M.E., Dr Bashir Radim is called to the scene of a violent death. At first it appears to be a horrible accident, but the more he looks, the more he believes it’s murder. He just has to convince the detectives of that when they show up. One of them is Sawyer Villeray, a charming former child actor who has made no secret that he is attracted to Bashir. The doctor has sworn off dating cops for all sorts of reasons, but the detective is very hard to resist. As the bodies pile up, the two men need to work together to figure out who the murderer is before one or both of them ends up as victims.

This is a classic crime drama but combined with a little romance. The mystery is a series of murders where the cause of death is not what it appears to be. There are a lot of twists and turns as the bodies begin to pile up, but in the middle of all that, Sawyer and Bashir manage to steal a few moments to get to know each other a bit better...but even their relationship is not without its own twists and turns. The chapters and the "Point of View" alternates between Sawyer and Bashir.

Dr Bashir Radim is a man trying to do his best to bring peace and justice to the people who come to him. We also get to learn more about him with his back story and as he gets to know Sawyer Villeray much better. We get a very convincing, and well-rounded picture of a man whose hard work has earned him a top position in his profession.

Sawyer is a little more reserved about sharing his past, but we eventually learn enough to understand why he is like he is. Like Bashir, Sawyer has managed to be very good at his job. The two guys together make quite a team, even if they don’t appear on the surface to be that compatible. The question quickly becomes...will our medical examiner and our homicide detective ever be able to have a compete date...one that is not interrupted by yet another murder?

Overall, it was a book with a more than excellent mystery and extremely interesting characters. There were a lot of typos but that didn't take anything away from the story and was in no way the author's fault. The ending seemed to be a little bit abrupt...but maybe I just didn't want it to end:)

I own and have read and reread almost every book this author has ever written, and I have never felt that one of her books was anything less than a 5-star read. I really love this author. She is the one that first turned me on to M/M Romances a long, long, long time ago, and I will continue to look forward to her new releases as well as owning and reading her books...so I will give it 5 well deserved stars.

Blueprints - Barbara Delinsky - (Massachusetts)
Genera: Cozy Romance
3★
Jamie and Caroline are mother and daughter who work together in a family company that designs and builds houses and as part of a reality TV Show. Jamie is an architect and Caroline is a builder. Both think their life is all planned out, like a blueprint. Then an accident changes everything. Suddenly their world changes and they need new plans.
I have to be fair here because those of you that know me, know that I would have NEVER in a million year EVER even picked this book up, much less actually opened it and read it, if it didn't meet yet another challenge...and to make it even worse, a challenge that I created! Whoever would have thought that finding a book with a character that builds a house would have been this hard?

The story is interesting enough, and there are several good lines of action that each one carries its own various emotions. But good heaven's how many descriptions do you need??? In some places there were literally 3 entire pages of descriptions of facades. Facades with bay windows, facades with columns, facades with other types of windows, facades of verandas...come on! If I ever want to build a house, I now know everything and more about FACADES!!!

The two main characters, mother and daughter. Caroline and Jamie were just way too unrealistic. I'm going to give it 3 stars because it did serve the purpose that I picked it up for.

Helter Skelter / Vincent Bugliosi

2025 Reread:
4.5 stars

2025 Reread: This is, of course, the story of Charles Manson and his “Family”, who went on a murder spree over a couple of days (plus more murders, in addition) in August 1969. The first night, they killed five people, including actress Sharon Tate; the second night they killed a married couple. They were very violent and frenzied murders. It is written by the main prosecutor in the case; not only that he seemed to help out quite a bit with the investigation.

I read this in high school, then listened to the audio a few years ago. Unfortunately, I discovered that the library (audio) copy was abridged and I wanted to reread the entire book. It is long. Bugliosi, being so involved in the trial and also helping with the investigation, has a lot of information to provide, including info that was public that they were able to use in the trial, and what wasn’t able to come out or be used at trial.

I am rating this so highly due to all the detail, but there were a lot of people and there were a couple of times where I kind of lost where we were and what was happening. This time around, I was reading a 25th anniversary edition, so there is an afterward that was able to update readers on what was happening with many of the people involved at that point (I have, of course, also looked up more online!). As I reread my review of the audio, I commented on not being able to see the pictures included. Unfortunately, they were also not included in the ebook, either! (There was note, something about copyright, I think.)

2021 Reread (audio): 3.5 stars

In 1969, Charles Manson and a few of his “family” committed multiple murders two nights in a row. Vincent Bugliosi was the DA who got them convicted and sentenced to death. This book looked at the murders, the investigation, and the trials.

I listened to the audio, and unfortunately, this ended up being an abridged version of the book. As I ask in all my reviews of abridged audios – why? Why not record the entire book? Anyway, I read this when I was in high school (a few decades ago!), and it wasn’t as creepy as I remember. I can’t say for sure if the abridged version was the reason for that, but in part, I’m certain not seeing the photos was part of that. Charles Manson was a creepy creepy looking man. Since this was abridged, I still want to reread the entire thing. Overall, it appeared that the abridgement was done fairly well, though I’d much rather read the entire book.