Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Book Review: The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig

The Garden Intrigue
Author: Lauren Willig
Series: Pink Carnation (Book 8)
Publication: NAL; Reprint edition (December 31, 2012)

Description: Secret agent Augustus Whittlesby has spent a decade undercover in France, posing as an insufferably bad poet. The French surveillance officers can’t bear to read his work closely enough to recognize the information drowned in a sea of verbiage.

New York-born Emma Morris Delagardie is a thorn in Augustus’s side. An old school friend of Napoleon’s stepdaughter, she came to France with her uncle, eloped with a Frenchman, and has been rattling around the salons of Paris ever since. Now widowed, she entertains herself by holding a weekly salon, and loudly critiquing Augustus’s poetry.

As Napoleon pursues his plans for the invasion of England, Whittlesby hears of a top-secret device to be demonstrated at a house party. The catch? The only way in is with Emma, who has been asked to write a masque for the weekend’s entertainment. In this complicated masque within a masque, nothing goes quite as scripted—especially Augustus’s unexpected feelings for Emma.

My Thoughts: Our favorite bad poet, spy Augustus Whittlesby, needs to get to Malmaison to find out what top-secret machine is being demonstrated there. His ticket in is Emma Morris Delagardie who is New York born but an old school friend of Josephine's daughter Hortense. Emma has been quite a vocal critic of Augustus's poetry but she definitely likes the way he wears his pantaloons. She agrees to collaborate with him on a masque to be performed during the house party.

Emma is convinced the Augustus is in love with Jane who is the Pink Carnation. Augustus is pretty sure that he loves her too. Jane isn't interested which leads to some heartbreak for both Augustus and Emma who is sure that he will never see her as anything but a friend.

There are all kinds of fun hijinks at the house party as they prepare for the play, discover and steal Fulton's plans for a submarine, and fall in love. There are all kinds of misunderstandings until both Augustus and Emma decide what they really want and decide to take a chance on each other.

In the present timeline, a movie is being shot a Selwick Hall which has Colin upset. It doesn't help that his cousin/stepfather is hanging around the crew as is the man who dated and dumped Colin's sister just to get a chance to look at the Selwick papers. Eloise is coming to the end of her Fellowship year in England and has to decide whether to go back to Cambridge for a teaching position as she works on her thesis.

This is a fun series. I like the way it weaves a historical romance with a contemporary one.

Favorite Quote:
Undaunted, Miss Gwen stalked forward, her knee-high boots revealing a surprisingly spry figure. A gold ring bobbed in one ear as she said, with relish, "Wheat and berries? Deer? What is he? A gentleman or a gamekeeper?" She hoisted her cutlass imperiously in the air, like a ship showing its colors. "Turn him down and impound his ship, that's what I say."

"Er..." Emma looked from Miss Gwen to Augustus.

They hadn't even got to the pirate part yet and this was already turning from a rehearsal into a mutiny.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Teaser Tuesday: My Wild Irish Dragon by Ashlyn Chase

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:
She glanced in the rearview mirror. "Is that him?"

Ryan's jeep kept pace behind her in the evening traffic. "Ah, feckers! He's following me."
This week I am reading My Wild Irish Dragon by Ashlyn Chase from my review stack. Here is the description from Amazon:
ONE JOB OPENING
TWO SHIFTERS APPLY...
SPARKS FLY


Dragon shifter Chloe Arish is hell-bent on becoming a Boston firefighter. She uses her Irish charm and fake documents to score an interview, knowing she has to work every bit as hard as a man-harder if she wants their respect.

Born into a legendary Boston firefighting family, phoenix shifter Ryan Fierro can't possibly let someone best him on the training course or the job. He'd never hear the end of it. When a feisty new recruit comes along who's determined to do just that, Ryan plots to kick her out-until their sizzling chemistry turns explosive...

Monday, August 29, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 29, 2016)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Other Than Reading...

Summer vacation is over! We have teacher workshops/workdays Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and begin with students on September 6. I usually end up working the whole week to get things ready for school to begin. This year will be a little different as I need to return to Duluth for my house closing on Sept. 2. That will be 30 days from the time I first toured the house until the day I close on it. I'm told that we worked with blazing speed but it felt really slow to me.

It will be hard to leave again to go to work when I know there is so much to do to get ready to move. I'll be leaving a lot of it in my brother's hands since he is here in Duluth. I plan to have the movers come during my MEA break and have at least the big stuff moved so that we are sleeping in the new house after that. I'm sure that we will be making countless trips from the old house to the new house as we cherrypick what we want to keep (and have room for). Luckily, it is only a little over two miles from one house to the other.

Once we have taken out what we want, we'll be calling in specialist estate sellers to sell all the rest. Then, we'll be doing some updates like cleaning and painting and putting that house on the market. Hopefully, it will go on the market by spring. Apparently it is the size and price point that sells quickly in Duluth. At least, houses that size are selling quickly now.

For me, I'll be repeating the process with my house in Eyota in the spring as I get ready to really retire in June. In my favor, I don't have 65 years worth of stuff in my house in Eyota. I've only lived there since 2001 and, while I don't do rummage sales, I'm pretty good getting rid of things I don't need. The real problem will be all the duplicates as we combine two households into one. I think we duplicate everything in our kitchens!

Read Last Week
All the Little Liars by Charlaine Harris revisits Aurora Teagarden. I enjoyed the story but it felt a little old-fashioned to me. My review will be posted on October 1.

In Safe Hands by Katie Ruggle brings her Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue series to an end. Besides the romance, we finally get resolution on the mystery that began in the first book. This was a fun series. My review will be posted on Sept. 29.

Otherworld Chills by Kelley Armstrong is the final anthology of the Otherworld series. I liked this one because most of the stories were longer - almost short novel length. I also liked that we get to reconnect with a lot of different characters from the Otherworld series. My review will be posted on October 6.

Currently
I pulled Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead from my TBR mountain. I have enjoyed all of her books but this one got lost on the mountain. I've had it since June 8, 2013.

Next Week
From my review stack:
On my Kindle from TBR mountain:
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?
To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

ARC Review: Shadow Falling by Rebecca Zanetti

Shadow Falling
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Series: The Scorpius Syndrome (Book 2)
Publication: Zebra (August 30, 2016)

Description: Before the Scorpius Syndrome tore through North America and nearly wiped out the population, Vivienne Wellington was the FBI’s best profiler. The bacteria got her anyway. But she survived. She recovered. And when she woke up from a drug-nightmare of captivity, her trust in her fellow man had gone from shaky at best to nonexistent. Her mysterious rescuer wants to convince her he’s the exception. But no matter how tempting he is, with his angel’s eyes and devil’s tongue, Vinnie knows she shouldn’t trust him.

If the FBI were still around they would rate Raze Shadow as one of the bad guys. His military training can’t wipe out his association with the Mercenaries, the most feared gang in a thousand miles. His loyalties are compromised. He won’t even tell Vinnie his real name. But there’s no FBI in the new America of fear and firepower, only instinct and risk. And the way his arms wrap around her tells its own story. Whatever else Raze is concealing, he can’t hide his desire . . .

My Thoughts: First, this is the second book in a series and, apparently, we got a lot of backstory there that wasn't repeated in this one. The world has fallen apart. A new virus called scorpius has killed most and those who survived are in danger of going insane in a world that has lost all its infrastructure.

The main characters in this one are Vinny Wellington and Raze Shadow. Vinny was a noted FBI profiler before the world fell apart. She was recently rescued from the sociopath who is now the President of the United States. Raze is the one who rescued her but he has an ulterior motive. He needs to trade her to a Mercenary group who is holding his only sister hostage.

They have taken refuge in a place in Los Angeles that is called the Vanguard. It is where some survivors who are not insane have gathered to try to survive. The Vanguard is suffering from internal problems with a self-appointed preacher who wants to keep the Pure - those who haven't caught the virus - separate from those who have had the virus and is willing to take hostages to keep his people safe.

Between the Mercs who want Vinnie because they think she knows the location of a secret bunker that has the scientific labs, medicines, and other supplies to help find a way to let those infected stay sane and the President who wants Vinnie back because he wants to torture her and also believes she can use psychic gifts to find the bunker, Vinnie is in danger from all sides.

Raze tries not to get close to her but this is a romance. You know that that is a battle he is doomed to lose. I liked the way the romance grew through the book. Raze was the definition of an alpha warrior but Vinnie is no shrinking violet. Her strengths matched up nicely with his.

While the romance plot came to a successful resolution, there are still lots of questions remaining about the part of the plot that had to do with finding the bunker. I would guess that there is at least one more book coming. I'll be watching for it.

Favorite Quote:
Some of the words he could make out, but many were just burbles. Most people, when they lost it to pain or fear, just cried. Not Vinnie Wellington. No, she let loose with tons of words, crying and talking intermittently.

The woman couldn't even cry like a normal person.

Why the hell that warmed his chest and tickled his mouth into a small smile, he'd never understand.
I got this one for review from Amazon Vine. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Friday Memes: Shadow Falling by Rebecca Zanetti

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City ReaderThe Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:
The nightmare clawed through Vinnie, ripping and gnashing, until she awoke, her mouth open in a silent scream.
Friday 56: 
"I need a lab. A good working lab." She sat back in the chair. "The newest batch of research materials has references to the Bunker. I'm starting to think the place might actually exist."
This week I'm reading Shadow Falling by Rebecca Zanetti which I received from Amazon Vine. Here is the description from Amazon:
Before the Scorpius Syndrome tore through North America and nearly wiped out the population, Vivienne Wellington was the FBI’s best profiler. The bacteria got her anyway. But she survived. She recovered. And when she woke up from a drug-nightmare of captivity, her trust in her fellow man had gone from shaky at best to nonexistent. Her mysterious rescuer wants to convince her he’s the exception. But no matter how tempting he is, with his angel’s eyes and devil’s tongue, Vinnie knows she shouldn’t trust him.

If the FBI were still around they would rate Raze Shadow as one of the bad guys. His military training can’t wipe out his association with the Mercenaries, the most feared gang in a thousand miles. His loyalties are compromised. He won’t even tell Vinnie his real name. But there’s no FBI in the new America of fear and firepower, only instinct and risk. And the way his arms wrap around her tells its own story. Whatever else Raze is concealing, he can’t hide his desire . . .

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Book Review: Magic & Manners by C. E. Murphy

Magic & Manners
Author: C. E. Murphy
Series: An Austen Chronicle Book 1
Publication: Miz Kit Productions (March 8, 2016)

Description: It is a truth universally accepted that well-bred members of Society are not beleaguered with magic.

For Elsabeth Dover and her sisters, that truth means living in a perpetual state of caution, never using their sorcerous gifts in public. Elsabeth chafes under the stricture, but not enough to risk the possibility of good marriages for her sisters...until she meets handsome, arrogant Fitzgerald Archer.

Elsabeth, attracted to Archer's wit and offended by his manner, strives to keep her youngest, impetuous sister's use of magic in check so that their eldest sister, Rosamund, might find happiness with Archer's wealthy friend Mr Webber. But when Elsa fails to keep young Leopoldina in line, Archer's disapproval of the family taint means an abrupt end to Rosamund's hopes, and leads to a terrible discovery about the price of magic....

My Thoughts: This was an engaging historical with magic based on Pride & Prejudice. The five Dover sisters are burdened with magic. The also have a silly mother who has big ambitions for her daughters. They have a loving father who also has magic. The story is mostly told from the viewpoint of the second sister who is Elsabeth.

Her mother's hopes are raised when a new family - the Webbers - move to the estate next door. Mr. Webber is accompanied by his sisters, his brother-in-law, and his good friend Mr. Archer. Mrs. Dover sees two potential suitors for her daughters. The oldest sister Rosamund falls for Mr. Webber and Elsabeth is in turn put off by Mr. Archer's haughty stance. However, magic is not at all acceptable in the upper classes and the taint of it may make the girls unmarriageable. Hiding it becomes increasingly difficult when the youngest daughter, who is very vain and self-absorbed, uses magic to attract the attention of a handsome soldier named Captain Hartnell who is a cad of the highest order.

First, a misunderstanding separates Rosamund and Mr. Webber. Then a misplaced proposal separates Mr. Archer from Elsabeth. Then a scandal created by the youngest daughter Dina threatens the security of the whole family. Along the way Elsabeth learns more about magic in general and becomes incensed that society keeps her from using it. I loved the way Elsabeth grew through the story.

This was a great story with fascinating characters, sly humor, and romance.

Favorite Quote:
True love, Elsabeth felt, would not feel the need to dwell on those topics as Archer had. "I should offer an apology for disappointing you, Mr. Archer, and I would, save that I feel that an offer of marriage should not come hand in hand with a litany of insults; it is no delight to be proposed to by a man with a list of reasons why he must act against his better judgment to make the proposal. Moreover, even if you had foregone such charming footnotes, even if you had been a gentleman worthy of the title since the hour I met you, how could you ever imagine I should agree to marry the man who has been the architect of a beloved sister's unhappiness?"
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Book Review: The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig

The Orchid Affair
Author: Lauren Willig
Series: Pink Carnation (Book 8)
Publication: NAL; Reprint edition (January 20, 2011)

Description: Veteran governess Laura Grey joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling adventures in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of André Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte's minister of police.

At first the job is as lively as Latin, but Laura begins to notice Jaouen's increasingly strange behavior. As Laura edges closer to her employer, she is surprised to learn that she has much in common with him. And Jaouen finds he's hired more than he's bargained for...

My Thoughts: After sixteen years as a governess, Laura Grey changes career paths, attends the Selwick Spy School, is rechristened as the Silver Orchid, and sent off to France to become the governess of Andre Jaouen who is one of Fouche's protegees. Things go pretty well until she discovers a plot to kidnap or assassinate Bonaparte and put a Bourbon back on the throne.

Part of Jaouen's role is to keep track of the artistic crowd in Paris. After all, his first wife was a noted painter before her death. He invites Laura to attend which causes her to meet people who were part of her childhood. Her parents were a famous sculptor and a famous poet who dragged her all over Europe until their deaths when she was sixteen. When one of their friends, painter Daubier, is arrested by Jaouen's rival Delaroche, the plot threatens to unravel and make it necessary for Jaouen to rescue him, grab his family, grab the Bourbon Prince, and leave Paris.

Laura calls on her fellow English spies to find a way to get all of them to safety. They find themselves traveling with a theatrical troop as they make their way to the coast and safety. I liked the way Jaouen and Laura grow closer as they travel together. Being forced to pretend to be husband and wife adds to their tension but also forces them to learn about each other.

In the present timeline, Eloise and Colin travel to France to celebrate his mother's birthday. Eloise is apprehensive but grossly underestimates just how horrible the situation really is. Luckily, it makes her relationship with Colin even stronger.

I can't wait to find out what happens next in the present and in the 1800s.

Favorite Quote:
Ha. If my relationship with my dissertation was a love affair, we're talking one of those gloomy, nineteenth-century ones where everyone dies of consumption at the end and there's supposed to be a moral, but you can't quite figure out what it is, other than to make sure to insulate your garret and stay away from large bottles of laudanum. In short, it didn't love me back. The topics was dashing, it was glamorous, it was [insert your own adjective here], but like so many objects of affection, it had proved illusive.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Teaser Tuesday: Magic & Manners by C. E. Murphy

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:
That Mr. Webber would attend dinner was inevitable; that Mr Archer should find himself in accompaniment was not, and yet that worthy stood stiff and uncomfortable at Mr Webber's side when Webber knocked briskly on the Oakden door. 
This week my teaser comes from Magic & Manners by C. E. Murphy. I have enjoyed all the books I have read that combine magic with Regency settings. I hope to enjoy this one too. Here is the book description from Amazon:
It is a truth universally accepted that well-bred members of Society are not beleaguered with magic.

For Elsabeth Dover and her sisters, that truth means living in a perpetual state of caution, never using their sorcerous gifts in public. Elsabeth chafes under the stricture, but not enough to risk the possibility of good marriages for her sisters...until she meets handsome, arrogant Fitzgerald Archer.

Elsabeth, attracted to Archer's wit and offended by his manner, strives to keep her youngest, impetuous sister's use of magic in check so that their eldest sister, Rosamund, might find happiness with Archer's wealthy friend Mr Webber. But when Elsa fails to keep young Leopoldina in line, Archer's disapproval of the family taint means an abrupt end to Rosamund's hopes, and leads to a terrible discovery about the price of magic....

Monday, August 22, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 22, 2016)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Other Than Reading... 

This has been another week of jumping through hoops to get a mortgage. Lots of phone calls and emails have been flying between my banker, my employer, my insurance agent, and me.

My friend went home last Monday after a nice visit. I spent the rest of the week watching the Olympics and playing lots of computer games.

Since I couldn't concentrate on reading, I also spent some time working on my blogs. I have set up posts for October on both of them. I have all the Teaser Tuesday and Book Beginning/Friday 56 posts finished and scheduled. I have lots of books to read but, at least, I know what book comes next on my reading plan. I expect this will save a lot of time this fall when school begins and I also need to be moving.

I just have one week of vacation left before I return home for a few days of workshops and then the start of school. I'm eager to meet all of our new staff. We have 13 new professional staff and still a number of paraprofessional positions to fill.

Read Last Week
I read Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron which was a fun and funny cozy. It is the second book in a series and was an engaging story. My review will be posted on Sept. 22.

Stalking Ground by Margaet Mizushima is also the second book in a mystery series. I loved the Colorado setting and the relationship between Mattie and her police dog Robo. My review will be posted on September 17.

Enemy Games by Marcella Burnard has been on my TBR mountain since 2013. This was a science fiction romance and was a good story. I thought the depictions of the aliens were very nicely done. My review will be posted on September 24.

Currently
I am currently reading In Safe Hands by Katie Ruggle. This finishes a series and I can't wait until the mystery that began in book one is finally resolved.

Next Week
I have two books from my review stack for this week. Both are by authors I really enjoy.
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?
More for my review stack:
To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

ARC Review: The Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox

The Crepes of Wrath
Author: Sarah Fox
Series: A Pancake House Mystery
Publication: Alibi (August 16, 2016)

Description: In the debut of a delightful cozy mystery series, Sarah Fox introduces a charming new heroine who finds herself in a sticky situation: stacking pancakes, pouring coffee, and investigating murder.
Bonus content: includes original recipes inspired by the Flip Side Pancake House menu!

When Marley McKinney’s aging cousin, Jimmy, is hospitalized with pneumonia, she agrees to help run his pancake house while he recovers. With its rustic interior and syrupy scent, the Flip Side Pancake House is just as she pictured it—and the surly chef is a wizard with crêpes. Marley expects to spend a leisurely week or two in Wildwood Cove, the quaint, coastal community where she used to spend her summers, but then Cousin Jimmy is found murdered, sprawled on the rocks beneath a nearby cliff.

After she stumbles across evidence of stolen goods in Jimmy’s workshop, Marley is determined to find out what’s really going on in the not-so-quiet town of Wildwood Cove. With help from her childhood crush and her adopted cat, Flapjack, Marley sinks her teeth into the investigation. But if she’s not careful, she’s going to get burned by a killer who’s only interested in serving up trouble.

My Thoughts: Marley McKinney comes to Wildwood Cove where she spent the happiest part of her childhood when her Cousin Jimmy is hospitalized with pneumonia. She is taking care of his restaurant The Flip Side Pancake House. She is having a good time getting to know the locals and rekindling friendships from childhood.

Just after Jimmy releases himself from the hospital, he is found dead near his restaurant. Even though the police are competent and concerned, Marley decides that she needs to find her cousin's murderer. She has all sorts of suspects from the girlfriend Jimmy parted ways with before he got sick and her creepy son to a disgruntled ex-employee who delights in causing trouble to the real estate magnate who has built a tasteless mansion next door to Jimmy's Victorian and would love Jimmy's land too.

There are some love interests for Marley too. Brett is a local who was a childhood friend. Michael is a relative newcomer who has a plumbing business.

This story was fast-paced and the heroine managed to avoid occasions to be To Stupid To Live. She did have to deal with a couple of break-ins at her home and the pancake house. She also walked in on an intruder but immediately called the police. I liked the story and the recipes at the end sound good too.

Favorite Quote:
I had some time to spare, so I settled into a chair on the back porch to read, immersing myself in a fictional mystery rather than the real-life ones that had been occupying my thoughts lately. There was something comforting about knowing that the mystery would be solved by the end of the book. all loose ends tied up, justice prevailing.
I got this one in exchange for an honest review from Alibi via NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, August 19, 2016

Friday Memes: The Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City ReaderThe Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:
The lights of The Flip Side Pancake House shone like warm beacons in the dreary darkness of the foggy March morning.
Friday 56: 
My chest ached with grief for a moment and my eyes watered, but the happiness and the sense of peace my decision had brought me overpowered my pain and the threat of tears subsided.
This week I am reading The Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox from my review stack. I got this one from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:
In the debut of a delightful cozy mystery series, Sarah Fox introduces a charming new heroine who finds herself in a sticky situation: stacking pancakes, pouring coffee, and investigating murder.
Bonus content: includes original recipes inspired by the Flip Side Pancake House menu!

When Marley McKinney’s aging cousin, Jimmy, is hospitalized with pneumonia, she agrees to help run his pancake house while he recovers. With its rustic interior and syrupy scent, the Flip Side Pancake House is just as she pictured it—and the surly chef is a wizard with crêpes. Marley expects to spend a leisurely week or two in Wildwood Cove, the quaint, coastal community where she used to spend her summers, but then Cousin Jimmy is found murdered, sprawled on the rocks beneath a nearby cliff.

After she stumbles across evidence of stolen goods in Jimmy’s workshop, Marley is determined to find out what’s really going on in the not-so-quiet town of Wildwood Cove. With help from her childhood crush and her adopted cat, Flapjack, Marley sinks her teeth into the investigation. But if she’s not careful, she’s going to get burned by a killer who’s only interested in serving up trouble.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

ARC Review: Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton

Curious Minds
Author: Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton
Series: Knight and Moon
Publication: Bantam (August 16, 2016)

Description: Emerson Knight is introverted, eccentric, and has little to no sense of social etiquette. Good thing he’s also brilliant, rich, and (some people might say) handsome, or he’d probably be homeless. Riley Moon has just graduated from Harvard Business and Harvard Law. Her aggressive Texas spitfire attitude has helped her land her dream job as a junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunwald. At least Riley Moon thought it was her dream job, until she is given her first assignment: babysitting Emerson Knight.

What starts off as an inquiry about missing bank funds in the Knight account leads to inquiries about a missing man, missing gold, and a life-and-death race across the country. Through the streets of Washington, D.C., and down into the underground vault of the Federal Reserve in New York City, an evil plan is exposed. A plan so sinister that only a megalomaniac could think it up, and only the unlikely duo of the irrepressibly charming Emerson Knight and the tenacious Riley Moon can stop it.

My Thoughts: This new series by Evanovich and Sutton is funny, has sparkling dialogue, and makes Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series read like realistic fiction.

Emerson Knight is a very eccentric billionaire who decides that he wants to see his gold. Riley Moon, who is a new employee of the bank that holds the gold, is assigned to Knight to try to convince him that his gold is safe and that he doesn't really need to see it. Riley is a small-town Texas girl who graduated from Harvard, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Law School. She isn't thrown by much but Emerson's unique view on the world comes close.

Emerson's simple desire manages to uncover a deep-seated conspiracy and has Riley and Emerson travels from an underground vault under the Federal Reserve in New York City to Area 51 in Nevada being chased by bad guys all the way.

This was a fun romp. I enjoyed both Riley and Emerson and really liked the dialogue. I can't wait for more Knight and Moon adventures.

Favorite Quote:
The man sounded distracted, as if he had just been pulled away from finding a cure for cancer or a marathon binge-watching of Game of Thrones.
I got this one in exchange for an honest review from LibraryThing. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Book Review: The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig

The Mischief of the Mistletoe
Author: Lauren Willig
Series: Pink Carnation (Book 7)
Publication: NAL; Reprint edition (November 1, 2011)

Description: Despite her dear friend Jane Austen's warning against teaching, Arabella Dempsey accepts a position at a girls' school in Bath, just before Christmas. She hardly imagines coming face-to-face with French aristocrats and international spies.

Reginald "Turnip" Fitzhugh - often mistaken for the elusive spy known as the Pink Carnation - has blundered into danger before. When Turnip and Arabella find their Christmas pudding yielding a cryptic message, they are launched on a Yuletide adventure. Will they find poinsettias - or peril?

My Thoughts: This seventh book in the Pink Carnation series was a wild Christmas romp featuring puddings with hidden messages. Arabella Dempsey is in Bath looking for a position at a girl's school. After spending a number of years as companion to her aunt, her aunt has married a much younger man who had also raised Arabella's expectations but decided to go where the money was now. This leaves Arabella at loose ends since her expectations of an inheritance from her aunt will no longer happen.

Almost the first person Arabella meets in Bath is Reginald "Turnip" Fitzhugh who literally sweeps her off her feet. But, being a gentleman, he quickly helps her back up. Turnip's sister is a student at the school where Arabella is now a junior mistress. Also at the school is Lizzy Reid whose brother we met in THE BETRAYAL OF THE BLOOD LILY.

Unlikely as it seems, French spies are also in the picture searching for a list of Crown agents that the father of one of the other students lost at the school. Arabella and Turnip are quickly drawn in on a hunt for spies.

Lots of characters from earlier books in the series make appearances in this one and Turnip, who has been a comedic side character in earlier books, finally gets a chance to show his true heroic self. The dialog in this one was often quite witty. The whole story had a lot of humor but also a very sweet romance.

The only thing I missed from this episode of the Pink Carnation series was a plot featuring Colin and Eloise in the present.

Favorite Quote:
"Splendid!" exclaimed Mr. Fitzhugh, and he sounded as though he really thought it was. "Should be an amusing excursion, even if is it all a mad duck romp."

"You mean a wild-goose chase?"

"That too," said Mr. Fitzhugh airily. "Can't get away from the fowl, it seems."

Sally twisted in her chair, pearl earbobs swinging. "Do not mention the chickens."
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Teaser Tuesday: Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:
"I have a contact within the Internet," Emerson said. "And the ability to focus my mind with laserlike precision on any subject."

Riley thought the laserlike focusing was in the ballpark of the mind-clouding disappearing act. A little out there, but what the heck did she know?
This week I am featuring Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton. I won this review copy from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. It begins a new series for Evanovich. Here is the description from Amazon:
Emerson Knight is introverted, eccentric, and has little to no sense of social etiquette. Good thing he’s also brilliant, rich, and (some people might say) handsome, or he’d probably be homeless. Riley Moon has just graduated from Harvard Business and Harvard Law. Her aggressive Texas spitfire attitude has helped her land her dream job as a junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunwald. At least Riley Moon thought it was her dream job, until she is given her first assignment: babysitting Emerson Knight.

What starts off as an inquiry about missing bank funds in the Knight account leads to inquiries about a missing man, missing gold, and a life-and-death race across the country. Through the streets of Washington, D.C., and down into the underground vault of the Federal Reserve in New York City, an evil plan is exposed. A plan so sinister that only a megalomaniac could think it up, and only the unlikely duo of the irrepressibly charming Emerson Knight and the tenacious Riley Moon can stop it.

Monday, August 15, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 15, 2016)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Other Than Reading...

The house purchase is going okay. I think they are ready to put the "Pending" sign on the For Sale sign. It seems like I am talking to bankers, insurance agents, and realtors a couple of times a day.

I have a friend visiting for the weekend and we are playing computer games, watching the Olympics, and watching the final season of Bitten. We are also going out to eat and maybe doing some tourist things. 

Because of all this stuff, I haven't had much time to read. I have been reading the same book since Wednesday and am not even half way.

Read Last Week
The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst was a great beginning to a fantasy series. After finishing the eARC, I ordered a Kindle copy as a Keeper. My review will be posted on September 15.

Front Runner by Felix Francis was another great mystery taking place in the world of horse racing. My review will be posted on October 15.

Currently
I will be reading Enemy Games by Marcella Burnard next. This one is a paranormal romance/science fiction story from my TBR mountain.

Next Week

My next week is filled with books from my Review stack:
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?
New Review Books:
To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.