Tag: books

Review: Planted 4 Murder

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Sophie Kimball Mystery Series

4****

Blurb: When the seniors of Sun City West take over a garden plot, they have no idea they’ll unearth a plot for murder . . .At the urging of the guys in the pinochle club, the members of the Sun City West book club decide it’s time to grow their own vegetables and join the local agriculture club. But when tending to their plants turns up a skeletal hand, the gang begin to feel like they’re working in a graveyard instead of a garden. It’s clear that whoever the bones belong to was the victim of foul play, and soon the seniors are pleading with Sophie “Phee” Kimball to step in and help them weed out the killer. As rumors and speculation flourish, Phee begins to grow suspicious of the other members of the community garden. Certain that one of them chopped up a body and scattered the parts, she has to deal with invasive insects, sabotaged crops and her mother’s hairbrained schemes as she digs for evidence. Her efforts are finally rewarded when a ring found on the skeletal hand yields a clue that will lead her straight to the culprit. The only problem is that the killer is one step ahead of her, and Phee discovers too late that she’s in for a whole lot of trouble . . . And when one of the other gardeners turns up dead, it’s up to Phee and her mother’s friends to figure out who the killer is.

THOUGHTS: This is a hilarious addition to the series. The seniors at Sun City West are at it again – much to Phee’s dismay. Her mother’s hijinks are laughable and her mother’s dog? That dog (and maybe her mother!) really needs a trainer. In this book, the seniors have taken over several plots in the community gardens. When the dog digs up a human hand, Phee has no idea what they’re all in for. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Phee’s aunt’s literary group is doing a reading of Poe’s “The Raven” at a local restaurant. They are dressed in black dresses and veiled hats – and a patron misunderstands. And calls in a SWAT team and Homeland Security for the “terrorists”!

This is a good addition to the series. The characters from Sun City West and Phee and her friends are all here and up to their usual shenanigans.

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”

Review: Holidays and Homicide

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Short stories/Anthology

5+++ stars

THOUGHTS: This book isn’t coming out until December 2, but it is definitely on my “must buy” list. And it should be on yours. In most anthologies, there are often stories that you love and others that are okay, but there are no “okay” ones in this anthology. They are all fun, entertaining, and satisfying–and have characters that are in the authors’ full scale books. And a few of them have delicious recipes as well. They are quick reads so easy to grab over lunch (though some are a little longer and may take more than a lunch break to read) and give you a glimpse at each author’s unique style.

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” #GemmaHallidayPublishing

BLURB: From twelve USA Today bestselling and award winning authors, comes a short story collection stuffed full of mirthful mysteries, clever criminals, and holiday cheer! These short holiday bites are perfect for enjoying between rounds of wrapping or binge-reading over a cup of cocoa! Stories: A Hometown Christmas Caper (Hometown Mysteries) by Rosalie Spielman; Gossip, Guilt & Gingerbread (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries) by Lena Gregory; Larceny & Twinkle Lights (Jamie Winters Mysteries) by Kelly Rey; Holidays & Heists (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries) by Anne Marie Stoddard; Ornaments, Surprise & Dead Guys (Gianna Mancini Mysteries) by Jennifer Fischetto; It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Mischief (Northwoods Mysteries) by Annie McEwen; You Can’t see the Forest for the Christmas Trees (Modern Midwife Mysteries) by Christine Knapp; Jingle Bell Rocker (Sunny Side Up Mysteries) by Misty Simon; Holly, Handcuffs, and Hearsay (Camelot Flowers Mysteries) by Erica Wynters; Search for the Silent Santa (Ghost Town Mysteries) by Jamie L. Adams; Nothing But Truffle (Cookies & Chance Mysteries) by Catherine Bruns; A Heartland Homicide (Bourbon B&B Mysteries) by Gin Jones

Review: Home Fries and Alibis

HOME FRIES AND ALIBIS by Lena Gregory

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

THOUGHTS:
This is the eighth book in the All-Day Breakfast Café mysteries and has all the usual suspects. Gia and Samantha and Leo and Hunt along with Alfie and his crazy computer skills. I will admit, Alfie is one of my favorite characters.

In this story, Gia has a new neighbor who is downright nasty. When she knocks on Gia’s door, accusing her dog of digging up her yard, Gia loses it. With the help of Alfie, she sets out to prove that it is not Thor that is doing the digging. But what they uncover is murder. And Gia is the main suspect.

The friends come together to find out who killed the nasty woman and in doing so, uncover some hidden nastiness in their town. Blackmail, embezzlement, cheating, and more are discovered in their search, but it is Alfie’s skills that finally help Gia solve the mystery – but not before her own life is endangered.

I love the characters the author has created and the small-town vibe. I want to go sit at the diner and have some sweet potato hash. I love that Gia gets to experiment with new recipes that sound so good that I want to try them. I also really liked the ending and can’t wait to read the next one in the series.

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” Thank you to the author, Beyond the Page Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

BLURB: When a belligerent woman moves in across the street, café owner Gia Morelli has to call off the welcome wagon and call in the homicide squad . . . hen a nasty new neighbor moves into their peaceful community, Gia and everyone else in the neighborhood is ready to blow a fuse. The spiteful woman has quickly made a nuisance of herself, complaining to and about everyone there. Then she makes the grave mistake of falsely claiming Gia’s dog tore up her yard, and Gia goes ballistic, telling the woman to back off . . . or else. It was an impulsive move for Gia, but someone else decides an even more extreme approach is called for, and silences the woman—permanently. Unnerved by the thought of a murderer living in her neighborhood, Gia begins digging into the victim’s life to figure out who would have wanted her dead. She soon discovers that the woman was not only malicious but was blackmailing people in the community. Even more surprising is that nearly everyone in the neighborhood has something to hide. Dead-set on rooting out the culprit, Gia has to determine who stood to lose the most if their secret was revealed, unaware that she’s perilously close to losing her own life . . .

Review: Dead, White, and Blue

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

5*****

Blurb: It’s the 4th of July in the Wisconsin Northwoods, and no one is more excited than Emmy Cooper. She’s happy to be back in her hometown, settling once again into small-town living and helping her family run Cooper’s Cove, their lake cottage resort. Emmy and her teen crush, police officer Dean Erickson, are enjoying getting reacquainted, while she and bestie Whitney are closer than ever. Lake Covington and its quaint namesake town are bustling with visitors celebrating during the annual three-day Independence Day Freedom Fest. Everything is Yankee Doodle Dandy until a local man with a reputation for trouble starts fireworks of his own. And the explosions just keep on coming when Emmy stumbles over a dead body at the celebrations! The dead man is Jordan James, and as Emmy soon finds out, there are no shortage of people who might want him dead. From a jealous jerk to a conniving cousin and even a former friend from his past, suspects are more plentiful than ants at a July picnic! Despite promises to stay out of the investigation, Emmy finds herself smack in the middle of it. Can she and Whitney figure out the truth and find liberty and justice for all?

THOUGHTS: I love these stories set in the Northwoods of Wisconsin at the Cooper’s Cove campgrounds. I love Emmy and how clutzy she is, her hunky cop boyfriend Dean, and her best friends. Plus her whole family. Emmy is a great character. And this town sounds like a great place to visit.
Well, except for the murder(s).
In this one, Emmy stumbles onto the body of Jordan James. While she didn’t know him well, she does know his uncle who is a nice businessman in town. And Jordan was a nice guy from what everyone says. So why was he dead?
Emmy and her friends can’t help looking into his death, even though she promised the cops she wouldn’t. But there are so many suspects, including a group of friends staying in one of their cabins.

This was a good cozy with lots of interesting characters and a satisfying ending. I am definitely looking forward to more books in this series.
Recommended.

Review: Road to Paradise

Fiction, Sweet Contemporary Romance, Neurodivergent Character

5*****

BLURB: Sometimes you just need flowers… It was supposed to be a routine meeting. A potential land sale that would give me the biggest commission of my career. The last thing I expected was a neurodivergent flower farmer who reminded me to slow down and enjoy life. Now, George Jamison threatens to knock me down a rung on my self-imposed climb up the corporate ladder when he keeps sliding into my thoughts with his wide grins and Southern charm. I hardly notice his social awkwardness and autistic tendencies when it’s just the two of us. And now, after ten of the most glorious days in country paradise, his touch and quiet strength have turned my world upside down. When I find out his grandfather is dying, I need to help George save the family farm, not sell it – even if it means giving up my career. But someone on the farm doesn’t want me to help George. They don’t want me there at all…

Road to Paradise is a gorgeous, heartwarming summer romance about the importance of family, respecting people’s differences, and finding the courage to slow down and open your heart to the unexpected.

THOUGHTS: I am very familiar with this author’s books – and have been in love with her work from the beginning, and this book is no exception. The world building/descriptions put you right there on the farm with George and Madison. I could almost smell the lavender in the fields. The way she introduces George and his neurodiversity is well-done. And having an autistic person be the hero of the story was so touching. I love the way she introduces him, and the back-and-forth between him and Madison. Plus Madison’s journey from big-city land procurer to farmer’s love interest is perfect. The last scene in the book was the crème-de-la-crème. A HEA ending that leaves you smiling.

Recommended

Spotlight: Unearthly Desire

UNEARTHLY DESIRE

BOOK FIVE – OUTLAWED REALM

Erotic Urban Fantasy Romance

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FMQ2JVKG

Blurb: They’re fighting for their lives, freedom, and love…in the realm of the dead. Eeete, a pleasure slave, thought she’d found freedom in an underwater colony until a hated Palace guard abducted her for his carnal pleasure. Swept with him through a portal into E3, she faces danger from the deceased, grotesque monsters, and a dimension where few things are as they seem and nothing can be trusted…including her own desire. Running from sure death, she comes upon Makam, another guard, sentenced to E3 for treason against their dimension’s depraved ruler. She’s determined to hate him—as she does all men who imprisoned her in the Palace—but survival depends on them fighting together. Curious about Makam’s seeming honor and tempted by his untamed allure, she soon falls under his sensual spell, their nights filled with unrestrained passion, their days spent trying to stay alive…an increasingly impossible struggle. When all appears lost, an unexpected chance allows hope for them to flee together toward a promising future. Until a shocking secret threatens to tear them apart forever.

About Tina: Tina’s an Amazon and international bestselling novelist who writes passionate romance for every taste – ‘heat with heart’ – for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. She’s won Readers’ Choice Awards, was named a finalist in the EPIC competition, received a Book of the Year award, The Golden Nib Award, awards of merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competitions, and second place in the NEC RWA contests. She’s featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction. On a less serious note: she’s an admitted and unrepentant chocoholic, brakes for Mexican restaurants, and has been known to moan like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally while wolfing down tostadas. She’s flown a single-engine airplane (freaking scary), rewired an old house using an ‘electricity for dummies’ book, and is horribly shy despite the hot romances she writes.

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/tinadonahue

Bluesky: @tinadonauthor.bsky.social

Website/Blog: https://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/

Newsletter: https://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/p/newsletter.html

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tina-donahue

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/146988.Tina_Donahue

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/tinadonahue

Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/1ChWFkO

Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas: https://sweetnsexydivas.blogspot.com/

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/AuthorTinaDonahue 

Review: Road to Paradise

Review: ROAD TO PARADISE by Kelly Fletcher

Fiction, Contemporary Romance

5*****

Blurb: Sometimes you just need flowers…
It was supposed to be a routine meeting. A potential land sale that would give me the biggest commission of my career. The last thing I expected was a neurodivergent flower farmer who reminded me to slow down and enjoy life. Now, George Jamison threatens to knock me down a rung on my self-imposed climb up the corporate ladder when he keeps sliding into my thoughts with his wide grins and Southern charm. I hardly notice his social awkwardness and autistic tendencies when it’s just the two of us. And now, after ten of the most glorious days in country paradise, his touch and quiet strength have turned my world upside down.
When I find out his grandfather is dying, I need to help George save the family farm, not sell it – even if it means giving up my career. But someone on the farm doesn’t want me to help George. They don’t want me there at all…
Road to Paradise is a gorgeous, heartwarming summer romance about the importance of family, respecting people’s differences, and finding the courage to slow down and open your heart to the unexpected.

THOUGHTS: I am very familiar with this author’s books – and have been in love with her work from the beginning, and this book is no exception. The world building/descriptions put you right there on the farm with George and Madison. I could almost smell the lavender in the fields. The way she introduces George and his neurodiversity is well-done. And having an autistic person be the hero of the story was so touching. I love the way she introduces him, and the back-and-forth between him and Madison. Plus Madison’s journey from big-city land procurer to farmer’s love interest is perfect. The last scene in the book was the crème-de-la-crème. A HEA ending that leaves you smiling.

Recommended.

Review: Painted Dreams

REVIEW: PAINTED DREAMS by Darlene DeLuca

Fiction, Contemporary Romance

5*****

Tag: When New York City artist Katlyn Andrews is hit hard by a devastating career setback, she has to decide whether following the advice of up-and-coming television star Nick Summers will lead to success and fulfillment or send her back to square one with an embarrassing thud.

Blurb: Katlyn Andrews is a talented artist on her way to fulfilling a dream—her own show at a New York City gallery. Focused on her career, she’s ditched her hometown of Denver for the bright lights of the Big Apple. When she’s drawn back to check on her beloved grandmother, she finds a surprise—Nick Summers, a woodworker bidding on a job at her parents’ upscale home. Nick’s gorgeous smile and easy-going manner charm Kat. Too bad he lives in Colorado. Nick adores the mountains of Colorado, but NYC is on his radar. He’s auditioning to be a guest host on a home-builders network there. Since that’s a long shot, he’s still pounding the pavement closer to home to secure jobs like the high-end Andrews project. Meeting his client’s intriguing daughter has his thoughts going in other directions. Too bad she lives in New York. But distance can’t dim their undeniable attraction. Unfortunately, it turns out dreams can be shattered. While Nick’s career is on an upward trajectory, Kat’s unexpectedly takes a big hit. Devastated, she struggles to find a path forward. Nick fears her family’s status and wealth keep her from seeing reality—is she reaching for the stars before paying her dues? In her heart, Kat knows he’s wrong about her…but could her heart be wrong about him?

THOUGHTS: Kat—aka Katlyn—is a gifted artist working at MoMA in New York. She’s been offered the chance to have her art featured at a prestigious art gallery and jumps at the chance, but it doesn’t turn out to be the wonderful opportunity she hoped for—especially when it gets cancelled after she’s paid for advertising, framing, and everything else. Then, she gets tasked with spending the holidays at home. To say she and her mother don’t get along well would be an understatement. Her mother is a socialite snob who doesn’t believe Kat is living up to her expectations. Fortunately, Kat’s grandmother—who is her stronghold—tempers some of the discord.

When she does go home, she meets Nick Summers, a woodworker who is doing some work for Kat’s mother. The two have a quick and intense attraction, but Kat’s mother thinks Nick is definitely below their social status and attempts to disrupt their connection. But Kat and Nick continue to meet up in New York and their romance grows until Kat’s job and the gallery showing fall through. Nick tries to convince her to try some lower-level ideas but she nixes them as being beneath her. When he accuses her of being a snob like her mother, the relationship completely falls apart – but also forces Kat to take a long look at herself and her life.

This is a lovely story about two people who have a shared love of art, but come from two different backgrounds. It is a deep romance that shows a lot of conflict between the two until they can put their differences aside and let love conquer all.

Recommended.

Review: The Room at the End of the Hall

REVIEW: THE ROOM AT THE END OF THE HALL By Susan McCormick

Fiction, Mystery

4****

Blurb: When rising star surgeon Michael Baker moves home to care for his estranged alcoholic mother, his life falls apart. One patient dies, another lands in the ICU, he loses his chairmanship, and the new chairwoman takes a nasty tumble on the roof. His mother cries murder, but did her alcohol-addled brain suffer one fall too many? Or…is he the cause?

THOUGHTS: Michael Baker is a surgeon who moves from his home on the East Coast to Seattle to help his aging mother. It’s been twenty-five years since he left there, and more than a year since he even talked to his mother. To say their relationship is difficult would be an understatement. Madge, his mother, is an alcoholic who knows what she is and refuses to give up her drinks. Hospitalized multiple times, she also brings into the room her pink nightdress and strong perfume, all against hospital rules. All Michael can do is shake his head and avoid her room as much as possible. But when her roommate, a young woman Michael operated on for a broken leg, dies suddenly—and then another one ends up in ICU, and then the new chairperson is seriously injured, and her son is blamed, Madge goes all out to find out who the real murderer is.

The story starts off with Michael doing what he can to a avoid his mother, but when his patient dies in her room, he has to figure out what happened and why. Then everything else starts happening that all points to him. As his life tanks, he discovers his lone support is his mother. Especially at the end.

This is a complex story with a lot of suspects and a different sort of sleuth in Madge. And having Michael inherit an almost 4-foot lizard named Frank was so different and made me smile. Nicely done.

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” 

Review: To Seduce a President

Review: To Seduce a President by Mark Reutling

Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Thriller

4****

Blurb: Sexually abused as a child, Suzanne Dahlstrom matures to become a highly skilled call girl, determined to get her own back against men by taking advantage of their greatest weakness, their sex drive. Suzanne is recruited by a shadowy cabal to seduce the president and thereby undermine his political power, the ultimate payback for her childhood mistreatment. But first she must seduce and marry the president’s younger brother, becoming the president’s sister-in-law, with free access to the president. The president’s political career will suffer irreparable damage if he is caught in bed with his own brother’s wife. Suzanne excels at her calling, and everything seems to be going well, until things get more complicated, and highly dangerous.

THOUGHTS: This is definitely not your standard romance. There is intrigue, betrayal, treachery, and more. And the main character, Suzanne, is definitely not your standard romantic lead. She’s a highly paid call girl who suffered immense abuse as a child leading her to hate men. She uses this hatred in ways that work for her as a femme fatale. When she is coerced to joining a secret group out to embarrass the president, she has few qualms about seducing his brother in order to get closer to him.

But then a problem arises and she falls in love with Adam, the brother of the president. Unfortunately, the cabal won’t let her fail her mission and uses her mother as the bait to get her to do what they want – which means not just seducing the president, but killing him.

The writing is fast-paced, though a little too graphic for my comfort with some of the scenes. The author tells the tale from several points of view, but Suzanne’s story is the main one. But with the themes of political intrigue, abuse, power, it is also a book that is very easily seen as possible in today’s political world. Which is frightening on many levels.

There is a semi-satisfying ending to this story, but it was a challenging read for me – others may love this political thriller. But if you have triggers when it comes to rape or violence, caveat emptor.

Recommended with reservations.

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”