NORTHERN LIGHTS IN HIS EYES by Andrew Grey

Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Gay, Steamy Heat

5*****

Blurb: When Garvin Haverton lost his husband, he lost himself. Unable to bear the reminders of their love, he left his friends in Los Angeles for the remote Alaskan wilderness, cut ties with his old life, and started over. Model William Moreau has let Garvin hide for long enough. He misses his friendship, and he has to know if the spark he felt between them could ignite the love of a lifetime. So he packs a bag, books a flight, rents a car… and almost gets himself killed in a blizzard. When William shows up half-frozen, Garvin is furious. Unlike William, he doesn’t need to be rescued. He has a life in new friends, a dog, a job. But he can’t kick William out into the cold, and it doesn’t take many long, cold Alaskan nights before he realizes that he may have a life, but he hasn’t moved on. He could do that with William. The chemistry between them could heat his little cabin all on its own. But William’s life is in LA, and Garvin can’t go back. Is their unlooked-for romance doomed from the start?

Thoughts: It’s rare that a setting is so well done that it comes across almost as a character in and of itself. This story is one of those rare occurrences. Set in a small village in the Alaskan wilderness, the descriptions are so vivid that you can really picture it. Especially when the artist friend Devon describes the way the light plays off the snow and how it’s not all white. I don’t believe I’ve ever read a description so beautifully done. Kudos to the author for this.

Then there’s the bits about the cold and how dangerous it is and how dehydrating. I actually laughed at the one point where Garvin wants to go out the next day because it might actually get up to freezing and be nice for an outing.

Finally, there are the characters. Garvin is perfectly flawed in that he buried himself in his grief and hid away from those who cared about him. Enter William, a friend who wants to be more, but he has to track down Garvin and convince him to join the living. Then there are the friends at the general store and how everyone helps everyone. And there’s a little bit of danger with the explosion, the avalanche, the miners… and it’s amazing how William jumps in to help. The pull between the two men is well-done and their issues give them conflict. And the HEA ending satisfied.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

CRUEL CHARADE by Alana Lorens

Fiction, Thriller,

4****

Blurb: Miami attorney Bet Lenard has had a rough year. She’s battling an unknown illness that drives her to drink to cope with her pain. Her lawyer husband has divorced her and taken the best part of their business, their home and their children. On the night of May 16, 1996, Bet finds herself in the Everglades in the middle of the night, drugged, lost and next to a burned car with a dead body in it. Hoping she’s hit bottom, Bet must drag herself out of her living hell and discover who tried to kill her. Was it her ex-husband, not satisfied with stealing everything that mattered? An angry client, unhappy with the outcome of their case? Her best friend’s husband, livid that Bet’s restraining order kicked him out of her life forever? Police officers fuming that Bet helped a client convict a dirty cop who was their friend? She has no idea.
As she tries to sort out the motives behind her would-be killer, even more suspects come to light. The only thing keeping Bet sane is her relationship with her therapist, who encourages her to struggle and survive, despite everything that’s gone wrong. How will Bet discover the truth and bring her enemy to justice before they strike again and, this time, succeed?

Thoughts: There is a lot going on in this story. It’s all about Bet Lenard, and the story is in her POV, but it goes back and forth from present time to her past so you get all the reasons behind what’s happening in the back story. Bet is nearly killed in the Everglades in a car fire. She barely gets back from that before other things start happening. As a criminal lawyer, she’s often worked with dangerous people, but she’s not sure who is doing this to her—and there are a lot of possibilities, including her ex-husband.

There’s enough going on in this story that you definitely will not get bored – right up to the last page! Just when you think everything is solved, you turn the page and… it’s not! Nicely done. The only thing that kept me from giving this five stars was the back-and-forth in past/present. Not one of my favorite types of writing, but overall, the story is excellent.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

TRUTH AND DARE by Ann M. Trader

Fiction, Contemporary Romance

4****

Blurb: A bright and talented environmental engineer, Goldie Vreeland understands facts and figures, but Max Corda, her secret office obsession, remains a puzzle. On the eve of a business trip to a coastal island, fate intervenes, pairing her with her sexy crush. As she thinks about sharing the same space with Max for a week, her world veers dangerously off course.
Fueled by success as engineer and president of his family’s firm, recently divorced Max needs to jumpstart his life. When his father unexpectedly assigns him to Goldie’s project, his closely guarded attraction to her comes front and center. Thoughts of spending a week alone with this beautiful intelligent woman make his internal compass glitch. Romance stirs with the island breeze, so simple when they’re hundreds of miles away from normal. But as Goldie and Max return to reality, will they discover real love is more than a game?

Thoughts: Have you ever played the game “Truth or Dare”? The game is the basis of an important conversation between Max and Goldie. That was the beginning of their relationship. The entire book is about the sexual draw between the two of them. They work in the same company, but not together (except on rare occasions), so there is no conflict there, but there is plenty later on because of miscommunications. Both of them have a lot of baggage that makes relationships difficult.

This was a romance in every sense of the word. The first night with the “phone sex” was hot even though nothing happened. The heat continued through the book with them ending up together in spite of everything. (Come on, it’s a romance! Of course they end up together – the story is about how they get there!) I loved their families, especially Goldie’s (and the family names). There wasn’t a lot of “setting” done, but that wasn’t a problem as the emotions carry the entire story.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

MISTAKEN IDENTITY MURDER by Leslie Langtry

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Merry Wrath, ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader, is having a hard time dealing with the fact that the girls in her troop are now at that extremely dangerous age—the middle school years. Bearing this in mind, Merry should have anticipated what disaster chaperoning the school dance would be. Chaos reigns with everything from a rogue attack penguin to a punch-induced hallucination brought on by the very latest synthetic LSD. Things only get worse when a man is murdered, and the killer has been caught on camera—and is none other than Merry Wrath!  Merry knows she’s innocent, but proving it to the police is another matter. And family issues are keeping her awake at night too, now that Merry’s hosting the Holy Mud Man from Chechnya and his goat Warren, to see if her new twin nephews are prophets. Add to that the zoo is considering revoking Scout Lauren’s junior zookeeper status, and there’s a howler monkey loose in City Hall, and Merry may just be in over her head. Can she control her girls and solve the case before Officer Kevin Dooley and his hamster patrol throw her in jail?

Thoughts: This was a hilarious, sometimes confusing, oddball cozy mystery. If you take all the weird characters you’ve read about, put them in a town called “Who’s There”, and add in the CIA, hamsters who are cops, a hermit who parades as a Hobbit, a Holy Mud Man, and a town mayor who’s a thirteen-year-old girl (who likes to take animals from the zoo for fun), and you’ll get an idea of what’s going on here.

Actually, no you won’t. But all of the above is in there and plenty more. Merry is an ex-CIA operative. Her best friend is an ex-assassin (and enemy!). Merry’s husband, Rex, is the town cop and he shows her a video of her stabbing a man to death. And Merry and friends are off and running to prove her innocence. Merry also runs the local girl scout group—but those girls are scary! While the demon cultists aren’t. There are a lot of suspects in the story for Merry and friends to track down.

I found the story to be a fun read with a satisfying ending, but, like most series, coming into it not from the beginning, can be confusing at times. Though the author does an excellent job at weaving in the various connections between everyone. I would have liked a little more scenery, though, but overall, a decent story.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

PINNED 4 MURDER by J.C. Eaton

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, #13 in series

5*****

Blurb: When a dead body shows up in the pin return at Sun City West’s bowling alley, it’s only the beginning of a tumultuous league season for this retirement community . . . With a killer in their midst and a high-tech developer threatening to overhaul their beloved bowling alley, the seniors of Sun City West turn to amateur sleuth Sophie “Phee” Kimball to strike back at both culprits. She’s been recruited by her mother’s friends before, but this time Phee finds herself pulled in two directions when one of the book club ladies gets tangled in the clutches of a dangerous cyber-scammer who pretends to be the love of her life. Phee’s investigation grows even more complicated when the bowling alley is sabotaged and a flimflammer is found dead in the nearby bushes. With the league tournament in limbo and one of the seniors pegged as the likely murder suspect, Phee will have to cut the cord on the cyber-criminal and pin the killer—before they can strike again . . .

Thoughts: This is the thirteenth book in the Sophie Kimball series. Though I haven’t read others in the series, you can bet I’m going to be looking for them. The author had enough details that I didn’t feel left behind with jumping in. The characters are a hoot, especially Phee’s mother and her chaos-causing dog Streetman.

The story takes place in Glendale, AZ in one of the “senior” areas—Sun City West. The board of directors wants to update the activity center/bowling alley in order to attract a younger crowd, but the seniors want nothing to do with the upgrades. It’s their center. What follows are murders, sabotaged areas, and shenanigans, including cyber-scams with a good friend. Phee’s mother ropes her and her PI husband and his company into investigating what’s going on. But it’s never that simple.

This was a fun story – especially the scene with Streetman in the bowling alley. I laughed at the ensuing chaos. And the description of what was happening with Gloria and her scammer was all too real, and something that occurs much too often. Realistic characters and situations make for good reading.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

DANCING WITH DANGER by Kimberly Griggs

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

5*****

Blurb: What’s a Southern Belle to do when she dreams of being a hula dancer? Move to Hawaii, of course! Native Georgian Ruby Bell has her work cut out for her finding her niche among hip-swaying dancers of Kauai. But when she creates Hula Fit, a unique fusion of fitness and Hawaiian culture, she lands herself a job at the premier Aloha Lagoon Resort and Spa. Her class sparks attention from locals and vacationers alike, making Ruby feel she’s finally found her bliss. Unfortunately, things go from delightful to downright deadly when Ruby discovers her new friend, Phoebe, strangled by a coconut bra in the back of Ruby’s studio! With the local police investigating on “island time,” Ruby fears it’s up to her to find a killer, save her studio’s reputation, and bring justice to her friend’s memory. Navigating through a maze of deceit and betrayal, Ruby uncovers a cast of suspects more colorful than an island sunset, including a bodybuilder ex-boyfriend with a volatile temper, a troupe of senior citizens caught at a clothing-optional pool party, a jealous rival, an awkward admirer, and even the hunky owner of the local Smoothie Hut who seems to have his eye on Ruby. Between blackmail, deception, and a mysterious box of incriminating photos, Ruby finds herself tangled in a deadly dance. Can she hula her way through the shadows and unmask the killer… before the music stops for good?

Thoughts: This cozy mystery is set in a Kauai resort that is sort of like the usual small-town setting, but much more exotic. From the hulas to the luau to the flowers and ocean… The descriptions alone are worth the read. And the smattering of Hawaiian words helps with the setting. But the characters… Ruby Bell is perfectly quirky. Even though she’s a fitness instructor and very much into aerobics and weightlifting, she loves her smoothies (no green stuff please), diet cokes, and junk food. Give her a cheeseburger and fries and she’s in Heaven. And the “Golden Girls” were a hoot! Especially Mae.

The mystery is a good one, even though I kind of knew who the perp was from early on. But there are plenty of suspects for who killed Ruby’s friend Phoebe. I found it interesting that Ruby’s other friend Autumn was the one who kind of pushed her into sleuthing, but then left Ruby alone most of the time to do the hunting for clues on her own. But she did come to the rescue when needed.

Overall, a fun read in an exotic location.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

MISTAKEN IDENTITY MURDER by Leslie Langtry

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Merry Wrath, ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader, is having a hard time dealing with the fact that the girls in her troop are now at that extremely dangerous age—the middle school years. Bearing this in mind, Merry should have anticipated what disaster chaperoning the school dance would be. Chaos reigns with everything from a rogue attack penguin to a punch-induced hallucination brought on by the very latest synthetic LSD. Things only get worse when a man is murdered, and the killer has been caught on camera—and is none other than Merry Wrath!  Merry knows she’s innocent, but proving it to the police is another matter. And family issues are keeping her awake at night too, now that Merry’s hosting the Holy Mud Man from Chechnya and his goat Warren, to see if her new twin nephews are prophets. Add to that the zoo is considering revoking Scout Lauren’s junior zookeeper status, and there’s a howler monkey loose in City Hall, and Merry may just be in over her head. Can she control her girls and solve the case before Officer Kevin Dooley and his hamster patrol throw her in jail?

Thoughts: This was a hilarious, sometimes confusing, oddball cozy mystery. If you take all the weird characters you’ve read about, put them in a town called “Who’s There”, and add in the CIA, hamsters who are cops, a hermit who parades as a Hobbit, a Holy Mud Man, and a town mayor who’s a thirteen-year-old girl (who likes to take animals from the zoo for fun), and you’ll get an idea of what’s going on here.

Actually, no you won’t. But all of the above is in there and plenty more. Merry is an ex-CIA operative. Her best friend is an ex-assassin (and enemy!). Merry’s husband, Rex, is the town cop and he shows her a video of her stabbing a man to death. And Merry and friends are off and running to prove her innocence. Merry also runs the local girl scout group—but those girls are scary! While the demon cultists aren’t. There are a lot of suspects in the story for Merry and friends to track down.

I found the story to be a fun read with a satisfying ending, but, like most series, coming into it not from the beginning, can be confusing at times. Though the author does an excellent job at weaving in the various connections between everyone. I would have liked a little more scenery, though, but overall, a decent story.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

UNBRIDLED HAUNTINGS by Misty Simon

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal

5*****

Blurb: What’s a girl to do when the past comes back to haunt you? With her colorful past, Iona Hoover is hoping for a bland and beige future when she moves back to Chincoteague Island in Virginia to help her aunt run a pet treat store called Unbridled Bliss. But when she finds a dead body, suddenly her whole world goes topsy-turvy. She’d grown up in turmoil and had relied on her imaginary friends to vent to when she was little. But now the quartet she’d called the Silver Bettys is back and they weren’t her imagination, they’re ghosts. They want to help her solve the mystery but there’s only so much they can do according to the rules of the afterlife. Iona will take all the help she can get though and when she uncovers some secrets in the small town that others would like to keep hidden, she knows she’ll need every ghost on deck to figure out whodunnit or she could very well be joining the Silver Bettys on the other side.

Thoughts: I loved this book! The characters are fun, especially the “Silver Bettys”—the ghosts who make Iona’s life a lot more interesting. And the setting – the story takes place on Chincoteague Island, a place I have visited.

Iona is technically an ER nurse who burned out so left that job to help her aunt out at her specialized bakery for pets. But things really go strange when a man wanders in and demands coffee (thinking he’s at a coffee shop three doors down). Iona shares her pot with him and he leaves but drops something. When she tries to return it, she finds him dead. And then the fun begins. She and her best friend (who had a True Crime pod cast) and the man she’d had a crush on for years start gathering clues. And her “imaginary friends” from when she was a child are helping them. But no one can see the ghosts except her. It makes for some creative instances.

Overall, this is a fun story with great characters and a unique setting.

Definitely recommended.

June 30

Birthdays: Winston Graham (1908), Czeslaw Milosz 1911), Harry Blackstone, Jr. (1934), Assia Djebar (1936), Jose Emilio Pacheco (1939), David McPhail (1940), Ahmed Sofa (1943), Daniel Goldhagen (1959), Adam Roberts (1965), Dinaw Megestu (1978),

Czeslaw Milosz won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Quote: “Let’s try the library,’ I tell him. ‘We can find out anything there!” ― David McPhail

“Don’t think about how your characters sound, but how they see. Watch the world through their eyes – study the extraordinary and the mundane through their particular perspective. Walk around the block with them, stroll the rooms they live in, figure out what objects on the cluttered dining room table they would inevitably stare at the longest, and then learn why. Be generous to your characters: kill them, save them, break their hearts and then heal them. Stuff them with life, emotions, histories, objects and people they love, and once you’ve done that, once they are bursting at the seams, strip them bare. Find out what they look like—how they stand, talk move, when they have nothing left. Now put them back together, fill them once more with life, except now leave enough room for the reader to squeeze their own heart and imagination inside.” – Dinaw Megestu

Tip: In dialogue, try to avoid the “But as you know…” syndrome. If the reader should know it, then you should have had it in before this.

Jumpstart: Open any magazine to a picture and write a paragraph about what is happening or what is being advertised. You’re trying to describe this to someone who can’t see it. Be specific.