ARC Review: The Gatekeeper by James Byrne

The Gatekeeper
Author: James Byrne
Publication: Minotaur Books (June 7, 2022)

Description: James Byrne's The Gatekeeper introduces Dez Limerick in the most anticipated new thriller in years.

A highly trained team of mercenaries launches a well-planned, coordinated attack on a well-guarded military contractor - but they didn't count on one thing, the right man being in the wrong place at the right time.

Desmond Aloysius Limerick (“Dez” to all) is a retired mercenary, and enthusiastic amateur musician, currently in Southern California, enjoying the sun and sitting in on the occasional gig, when the hotel he's at falls under attack. A skilled team attempts to kidnap the Chief legal counsel of Triton Expeditors, a major military contractor – in fact, Petra Alexandris is the daughter of the CEO – but their meticulously-planned, seamlessly executed scheme runs into the figurative 'spanner-in-the-works,' Dez himself.

After foiling the attack, and with nothing better to do, Dez agrees to help Alexandris with another problem she’s having – someone has embezzled more than a billion dollars from her company and left very few tracks behind. But Dez is a gatekeeper – one who opens doors and keeps them open – and this is just a door of another kind. And the door he opens leads to a dangerous conspiracy involving media manipulation, militias, an armed coup, and an attempt to fracture the United States themselves. There’s only one obstacle between the conspirators and success – and that is Dez, The Gatekeeper.

My Thoughts: This was a fun and fast-paced thriller reminiscent of James Bond but with a very different sort of hero. Dez is a former mercenary who is currently in LA playing bass in a variety of bands. When he stumbles on an attack on a woman he rode in the elevator with, he manages to throw the attack in disarray and rescue the lady. 

Petra Alexandris is the chief legal counsel for Triton Expeditors, a major military contractor. She's also the daughter of the CEO and heir apparent to the company. She calls on Dez to help her investigate when she learns that more than a billion dollars is missing from the company's books. She doesn't trust her own company's security to look into the problem.

Dez's investigation leads to a major conspiracy including corrupt media, some members of the armed forces who are both right wing and racist, and an attempted coup. It is up to Dez to break up all the various plans and solve the problems.

I liked Dez who is an intriguing character. He's smart and talented at his former profession. He's also a man of mystery who is trusted by the Secretary of the Navy but who doesn't show up in any sort of database. 

I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot and the exciting action. 

Favorite Quote:

Now, this is familiar territory to Dez. Do well, and the people above you remember that you delivered. Do poorly, and the people above you feed you to the wolves. Same as it ever was.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poison
Author: Kate Khavari
Series: A Saffron Everleigh Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (June 7, 2022)

Description: Debut author Kate Khavari deftly entwines a pulse-pounding mystery with the struggles of a woman in a male-dominated field in 1923 London.

Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh is determined to blaze a new trail at the University College London, but with her colleagues’ beliefs about women’s academic inabilities and not so subtle hints that her deceased father’s reputation paved her way into the botany department, she feels stymied at every turn.

When she attends a dinner party for the school, she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon. What she doesn’t expect is for Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives, to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin.

Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect and evidence quickly mounts. Joined by fellow researcher--and potential romantic interest--Alexander Ashton, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons to clear Maxwell's name.

Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list, in this entertaining examination of society’s expectations.

My Thoughts: Saffron Everleigh is a new research assistant at University College London where she is pursuing her interest in botany despite the prejudices of the men in her department. Her father was in the apartment before he lost his life during World War I. Some of the men feel that she's playing on her father's reputation for her place.

She is invited to attend a dinner party celebrating an upcoming expedition to the Amazon where she meets a new researcher in bacteria Alexander Ashton. In fact, they are talking when she overhears the wife of one of the prominent professors in the department making cryptic remarks. A few short minutes later, she and Ashton watch as the woman collapses to the floor after drinking some champagne. 

Saffron's mentor Dr. Maxwell soon becomes a suspect both because of his knowledge of poisons and because he has argued with the prominent professor about the Amazon expedition. 

Saffron is determined to save her professor's reputation and clear his name. Along with Alexander Ashton she does all sorts of things including searching a number of offices, experimenting on herself with poison, and crossing paths with a variety of villains on her quest to clear her mentor's name. 

I enjoyed the setting of this story despite the role women were allowed to play at the time. Saffron is smart and determined and perhaps braver than good sense would demand. Alexander Ashton was also an interesting character who fought in WWI and came home with various war injuries including a new case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

I will look forward to reading more of Saffron Everleigh's adventures. 

Favorite Quote:

The pile of papers and books he'd shoved off the couch to make room for her wasn't helping his anxiety. The broken glass taunted him from across the room. His fingers itched to clean it up. In fact, this room made his whole body vibrate with the need to fix the enormous mess that was everywhere. But he didn't have to clean it now. He didn't.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 30, 2022)

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.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

I hope everyone had or is having a nice Memorial Day weekend. Our summer has kicked off with rain, fog, and thunderstorms. The weather has been chilly too. My brother finally found a day when it wasn't raining, and he didn't have to work, to mow the lawn for the first time for the season.

It is hard to believe that it is the end of May already. We're still waiting for Spring. But I keep seeing messages about kids graduating and remember that I will have been retired for 5 years really soon now. 

I've hit a stretch in my reading when I am not satisfied with many of the review books on my stack and just want to reread books from my collection. Audible's $5 Sale reinforced that feeling by offering books I wanted to read again at prices I couldn't pass up. 

I do have five June releases on my Review stack still to read and hope that they will get me out of my review book slump.

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

• Necessity's Child by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook Reread) -- This is one of my favorite Liaden Universe stories which I grab when I need a comfort read. 
• Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede (Kindle & Audiobook; Reread) -- This YA story combines a coming-of-age story, magic and alternate history. I've been wanting to reread it for a while and was glad to find the Audiobook as part of Audible's $5 sale. My review will be posted on June 14.
• Book Lovers by Emily Henry (Mine) -- I'd been hearing so much about this story on blogs I follow that I had to get my own copy and read it right away. It was worthy of all the hype! My review will be posted on June 11.

• Three Little Words by Susan Mallery (Kindle & Audiobook) -- This next in the Fools Gold series was another entertaining and heart-warming romance. My review will be posted on June 16.
• The Key to Deceit by Ashley Weaver (Review; June 21) -- This was an entertaining World War II cozy mystery. My review will be posted on June 14.
• Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede (Kindle & Audiobook) -- Middle book in the Frontier Magic YA trilogy by Wrede was a great story that combines frontier life, magic, and a coming-of-age story. My review will be posted on June 18.

• Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb (Reread) -- I chose this one because it is the one being spotlighted on the author's Facebook page and I was intrigued by the chosen quotes. I reviewed it 2016 but my new review will be posted on June 28.
• Naked in Death by J. D. Robb (Reread) -- I read this one first in 1995 and wanted to go back to the beginning after reading Brotherhood. It was still a great story! My review will be posted on June 25.

DNF

• Thank You, Next by Andie J. Christopher (Review; June 14) -- I read about 20%, couldn't keep the characters straight, and didn't understand the main character's angst about guys she previously dated who find "true love" with the person they date after her when she very clearly states that she doesn't want a permanent, committed relationship. 

Currently

• The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede (Mine; Kindle & Audiobook)
• Never Coming Home by Kate Williams (Review; June 21)

Next Week

• Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley (Review; June 21)
• The Lost by Jeffrey B. Burton (Review; June 28)

• For the Love of the Bard by Jessica Martin (Review; June 28)
• The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (Review; June 28)

Reviews Posted

• Harbinger by Wen Spencer
• The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery
• Sword and Shadow by Michelle Sagara

• The Way to Glory by David Drake
• A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review Copies

• Just Another Love Song by Kerry Winfrey (August 2)
• A Certain Darkness by Anita Lee Huber (August 31)
• Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King (September 6)

Audible $5 Sale

• Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews
• Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews
• Oath Sworn by K. N. Banet

• Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
• Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede

Bought

• The Maid by Nita Prose (Kindle Daily Deal)
• Book Lovers by Emily Henry (Kindle)

• The Maze by Catherine Coulter (BookBub)
• The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede (Kindle & Audiobook)

What was your week like?

Book Review: Harbinger by Wen Spencer

Harbinger
Author: Wen Spencer
Series: Tinker (Book 5)
Publication: Baen (April 5, 2022)

Description: The Long-Awaited New Entry in Wen Spencer’s Popular Tinker Series

The war against the oni heats to a flashpoint even as Tinker learns that the enemy has a dangerous new weapon, the nactka. What’s more, the Stone Clan has sent its most famous warlords, the Harbingers, to take control of the allied war effort. Are these elves friends or foes? Tinker’s newfound baby siblings are up for grabs. The babies, though, are wood sprites and aren’t going to take things lying down. Team Mischief go!

My Thoughts: First of all, this story pulls together plotlines and characters from all of the previous books in this series. The war against the oni is heating up and all of the characters have different pieces of the puzzle and roles to play. Someone who has not read the earlier books (and probably, recently) will find this a very confusing story. 

When the story begins, Pittsburgh has been cut off from Earth because Tinker wrecked the gate that kept shifting it back and forth from Earth to Elfhome. She needed to do so to rescue Esme and the tengu leader. Tinker is trying to build an infrastructure, figure out what the oni want, find a way to defeat them, and figure out what to do with her new, and previously unknown, siblings. 

Louise and Jillian Mayer, Tinker's twin nine-year-old siblings, are on Elfhome in the secret haven that protects the tengu young and have come with a dragon named Joy and the fertilized ova of their three younger sisters and one brother who have been taught by Joy how to spirit walk and are known as Team Mischief. 

Runaway Olivia has become Forest Moss's domi and has a detachment of teenage elven Marines watching over her while Forest Moss in part of the elven force trying to destroy the oni encampments. She is looking for seeds to plant in her new greenhouse to provide a food source since Pittsburgh has been cut off from Earth. She is also tasked by Tinker to find some of the missing independents since she was once one of them. 

Jane Kryskill is still riding herd on Hal Rogers and trying to make a television show. She's newly riding herd on Nigel who has come to Earth to make a documentary. She has some help from Nigel's cameraman Taggart who is her fiancé. She is also secretly trying to set up a Resistance movement to unite humans against the oni. 

There are other plot threads too. Law has one, Oilcan has one, Wolf Who Rules has one. So does Tristan who was introduced in Wood Sprites and who is definitely on the side of the bad guys. There are probably more that I've forgotten.

The story is fast-paced and entertaining. So much is going on. It reminds me, in its complexity, of David Weber's Honor Harrington series substituting magic for Weber's technology. Fans of complex worldbuilding, complex fantasy/urban fantasy will enjoy the adventure. However, it ends with an epic cliffhanger that made me want to throw my Kindle against the wall. 

Favorite Quote:

"I've seen this box!" Stormsong said. "I was - oh - oh - oh sweet light - I've seen one of your sisters."

"And you didn't think to tell me?" Tinker shouted. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Harbinger by Wen Spencer

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The 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:

"What? Wait!" Tinker cried, cutting off the flow of Jin's explanation. She'd been wakened up in the middle of the night to be told that the tengu's spiritual leader needed to speak to her immediately.

Friday 56:

"Everything" included the tall, mottled brown birds that came trotting out of the undergrowth to investigate them. She had made the mistake of letting Chuck Norris and the others pick out the self-driving truck during their rescue of the nestlings. The babies decided to take one transporting a herd of ostriches just because they wanted to see the birds firsthand.

This week I am spotlighting Harbinger by Wen Spencer. This is the long-awaited and anticipated next book in the Tinker series. Here is the description from Amazon:

The Long-Awaited New Entry in Wen Spencer’s Popular Tinker Series

The war against the oni heats to a flashpoint even as Tinker learns that the enemy has a dangerous new weapon, the nactka. What’s more, the Stone Clan has sent its most famous warlords, the Harbingers, to take control of the allied war effort. Are these elves friends or foes? Tinker’s newfound baby siblings are up for grabs. The babies, though, are wood sprites and aren’t going to take things lying down. Team Mischief go!

ARC Review: A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

A Rip Through Time
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publication: Minotaur Books (May 31, 2022)

Description: In this series debut from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, a modern-day homicide detective finds herself in Victorian Scotland―in an unfamiliar body―with a killer on the loose.

May 20, 2019: Homicide detective Mallory is in Edinburgh to be with her dying grandmother. While out on a jog one evening, Mallory hears a woman in distress. She’s drawn to an alley, where she is attacked and loses consciousness.

May 20, 1869: Housemaid Catriona Mitchell had been enjoying a half-day off, only to be discovered that night in a lane, where she’d been strangled and left for dead . . . exactly one-hundred-and-fifty years before Mallory was strangled in the same spot.

When Mallory wakes up in Catriona's body in 1869, she must put aside her shock and adjust quickly to the reality: life as a housemaid to an undertaker in Victorian Scotland. She soon discovers that her boss, Dr. Gray, also moonlights as a medical examiner and has just taken on an intriguing case, the strangulation of a young man, similar to the attack on herself. Her only hope is that catching the murderer can lead her back to her modern life . . . before it's too late.

Outlander meets The Alienist in Kelley Armstrong's A Rip Through Time, the first book in this utterly compelling series, mixing romance, mystery, and fantasy with thrilling results.

My Thoughts: Homicide Detective Mallory Atkinson is in Edinburgh with her grandmother who is dying of cancer when she decides to take a late-night run to ease some of the stress. She hears something suspicious in a dark alley and goes to investigate. She is attacked and left for dead.

When Mallory wakes up, she finds that she is still in Edinburgh but 150 years earlier than when she was attacked. She finds herself in the body of housemaid Catriona and working in the household of a mixed-race doctor who is acting under the table as a medical examiner assisting the police with their investigations. 

Mallory's main goal is to get back to her own time, but she has no idea how to do that. She decides that finding out who attacked Catriona and why might be a way to get back home. She learns that Catriona wasn't a very nice person. In fact, she was a thief and con woman who was being given a change to change by Dr. Gray and his sister. She was taking advantage of their help to find more opportunities to cheat and steal. 

Mallory gets involved in Dr. Gray's work because it is the sort of work she does in her own time. She uses being knocked out as a reason why her personality has changed so much and to explain why she doesn't know things that a Victorian maid would know. While Dr. Gray isn't very observant outside of his own scientific interests, his sister is much more observant. Most improbably, she believes Mallory when she confesses that she's a time traveler.

The story was entertaining. I liked the characters and the setting. I liked Mallory's fish-out-of-water problem. I also liked the potential for romance with Dr. Gray. I look forward to more stories in this new series since Mallory doesn't find her way home in this episode.

Favorite Quote:

I'm not Catriona. I'm the woman who followed that voice into an alley. 

We're both here.

We both jumped through time. 

Is that possible? What if I'm leaping to conclusions?

Does it matter? Nope, not when this guy -- whoever he is -- is currently trying to kill me.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery

The Boardwalk Bookshop
Author: Susan Mallery
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (May 31, 2022)

Description: When fate brings three strangers to a charming space for lease on the California coast, the Boardwalk Bookshop is born. Part bookstore, part gift shop, part bakery, it's a dream come true for Bree, Mikki and Ashley. But while their business is thriving, their personal lives are…not.

Bree, wounded by brilliant but cold parents and her late husband's ultimate betrayal, has sworn to protect her heart at all costs. Even from Ashley's brother, a writer and adventurer who has inspired millions. He's the first man to see past Bree's barricades to her true self, which terrifies her. Mikki has this divorce thing all figured out—somehow, she's stayed friends with her ex and her in-laws…until a new man changes how everyone looks at her, and how she sees herself. Meanwhile, Ashley discovers that the love of her life never intends to marry. Can she live without being a wife if it means she can have everything else she's ever wanted?

At sunset every Friday on the beach in front of the Boardwalk Bookshop, the three friends share a champagne toast. As their bond grows closer, they challenge one another to become the best versions of themselves in this heartachingly beautiful story of friendship, sisterhood and the transformative power of love.

My Thoughts: This book is packed with relationships. Bree, Mikki, and Ashley met when they all looked at a building on the beach for their businesses. It was too big for any one of them, but they decide to lease it together. Bree will run the Boardwalk Bookshop. Micki will have her gift shop. And Ashley will run her muffin and cupcake bakery. 

Meanwhile, Mikki who has been divorced for three years is getting into the dating game again by joining a dating app. She has a great relationship with her ex and likes him much better now that they are divorced, but she's looking for a man who matches her own current interests.

Ashley is in a relationship and is very happy until she realizes that her boyfriend never wants to get married. He wants a long-term committed relationship with a house and children but doesn't want a wedding or a marriage. While Ashley isn't the sort of woman who began planning her future wedding as a teen, she can't get over the fact that her boyfriend never wants to make the final commitment of marriage.

Bree is widowed and lives her life with a series of one-night stands. She doesn't want any sort of emotional commitment. She was neglected and emotionally abused by her distant parents who are also famous literary authors. And her marriage was also emotionally a failure since she was the only one who loved and he was just using her. She knows she's damaged and afraid to take a chance again.

When Ashley's brother Harding, who suffered a very severe accident as a teen and who is now an author, is scheduled for a book signing at Bree's store, Ashley asks her not to start a relationship with her brother. Even though she is younger, Ashley feels very protective of her brother and his heart. 

Harding isn't in agreement. He wants a relationship with Bree and has the love and patience to wait her out. 

It was nice that all three women managed to find happy relationships, but the journey for each of them was traumatic and heart-wrenching. I enjoyed getting to know all three of the women and rejoiced when things finally worked out for all of them.

Fans of women's fiction will enjoy this emotional story. 

Favorite Quote:

Because love didn't transform a person into someone else, she thought as she parked in her spot. Love wasn't a cure or a solution. Love might make a person want to be their best self but it didn't fundamentally alter beliefs.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book & Audio Review: The Way to Glory by David Drake

The Way to Glory
Author: David Drake
Narrator: Victor Bevine
Series: Lt. Leary (Book 4)
Publication: Baen Books; 1st edition (December 9, 2013); Audible Studios (November 4, 2008)
Length: 424 p.; 14 hours and 20 minutes

Description: Lieutenant Leary and Adele Mundy are Back in This Blazing Sequel to The Far Side of the Stars

Violence racks Cinnabar. The fleets of the tyrannical Alliance are on the move, and at home class riots threaten to rip apart not only society but the Republic of Cinnabar Navy. Lt. Daniel Leary has earned promotion, but the needs of the Republic and the RCN require that he serve under an officer whose paranoia has already led him to execute crewmen out of hand. 

Signals Officer Adele Mundy has repeatedly proved her skills and loyalty as Cinnabar's most accomplished intelligence agent, but now elements within the Republic want to draw her into a conspiracy like the one that led to her parent's massacre. Leary and Mundy battle their way from riot-torn streets to spies in an outlying base and an anarchic planet where violence is the only law, but if they succeed at every stage, one test still remains: a space battle against an overwhelming Alliance force. Even for Daniel Leary it will be a difficult fight to win—and almost impossible to survive.

My Thoughts: Class warfare is heating up in Cinnabar exacerbated by the actions of a ship commander who executed some crew for mutiny and who was then exonerated by the court martial held to look into the incident. Now Daniel Leary has been assigned to the man's ship and sent off to deal with pirates. The ship commander doesn't like Daniel at all either because he blames Daniel for actions of Daniel's father which caused the death of the commander's brother. 

Meanwhile, factions are trying to recruit Adele Mundy for a conspiracy similar to the conspiracy that caused the deaths of the whole of Adele's family. But Adele's spymaster has a mission for her that can be accomplished by going along on Daniel's new mission.

Pirate hunting should be easy. But spies and the dastardly Alliance's plans to establish a base just where Daniel has been sent, means that Daniel and Adele are in the right location to foil their plans ... if they can get their suspicious commanding officers to pay attention to them.

The story was filled with action, politics, space battles, and other exciting things. I really like both Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy who, with very different personalities, make an amazing team fighting for Cinnabar's future.

The narration was well done. The world building was excellent. Fans of space opera will enjoy this series. 

Favorite Quote:

The difference between victory and failure was very often the willingness to see what had to be done, and to do it instantly and with all the strength at your disposal.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book & Audio Review: Sword and Shadow by Michelle Sagara

Sword and Shadow
Author: Michelle Sagara
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Series: Wolves of Elantra (Book 2)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (February 22, 2022); Harlequin Audio (February 22, 2022)
Length: 518 p.; 16 hours and 50 minutes

Description: Beyond the Emperor's law

In the city of Elantra, the law is upheld by a few groups, and the most feared are the Wolves—the Emperor’s executioners. The newest member of this elite force is Severn Handred.

Granted a leave of absence to pursue information about his unknown past, Severn joins a mission to an enclave well outside the boundaries of the Empire. And he will be in danger the entire time. Still, the instincts that led him to the Wolves and the sense of duty that keeps him there can’t be discarded as easily as the tabard he wears.

While he's in the heart of the West March, enmeshed in a tangled web of mysteries that have been held for centuries, Severn's belief in justice is going to be tested. It's one mortal man and his single ally against a community of immortals who will kill to keep their secrets. But they don't know who they're up against.

My Thoughts: Severn Handred is the newest of the Emperor's Wolves and is already getting involved in a number of areas that could be dangerous for him. When he is asked to travel to the West March with An'Tellerus, he knows she has an agenda. But Severn has an agenda of his own. 

An'Tellerus has promised to tell Severn about his past. All he knows is that he was raised by a Barrani until he was ten. He doesn't know anything about his parents or why he was raised by a Barrani. Severn also has a quest for another Barrani lord who is curious about the fate of one of his childhood friends. Since Severn feels he owes a debt to that lord, that becomes his first priority.

But the West March is very different from Elentra and Severn finds himself entangled in quite a few plots. Even the mysterious Green seems to have its own use for him.

This was an entertaining and intriguing fantasy. The world building is complex and fascinating. Severn is also a wonderful character. 

I alternated between the Kindle and audiobook of this one. The narration was very well done - but seeing the unfamiliar names was also very helpful in keeping track of the many characters in the story. 

Favorite Quote:

An'Tellerus laughed. "No. Never waste time with regrets if you can help it; it is idel and dark as a pastime, and it brings no peace."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 23, 2022)

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.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This was a pretty quiet week. The lawn people came and aerated and fertilized around the rainy days. The grass is nicely green, but we don't have leaves on the deciduous trees yet. The forecast doesn't give much hope for leafing out this week either.

Yes, that word is "Frost." Notice all the rain and sprinkles in the forecast too.

I finally made an appointment for my second Covid booster but have to wait until June 1 to get it. I should also make an appointment with my doctor because I've been coughing for a couple of months. Some days it is worse than others. Some days I cough very little and I keep hoping it will finally stop. It hasn't yet. 

I've quit my listening to the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series since I remembered how traumatic I found Justice Hall and wanted something lighter. I did read one from 2008 and decided I didn't want to read another. After another round of discarding books I no longer want to read, my remaining unread books from 2008 number only 7. All of them are books in various series that I have started. I'm afraid that I'll have to reread earlier books for these to make sense. 

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

• A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King (Mine; Audiobook Reread)
• A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King (Mine; Audiobook Reread)
• Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs (Mine since 2008) -- One of the Temperence Brennan mysteries. My review will be posted on June 4.

• O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King (Audiobook reread)
• The Moor by Laurie R. King (Audiobook reread)
• Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters (Kindle Daily Deal & Audiobook) -- Reread of book I read many years ago. My review will be posted on June 8.

• Her Dying Day by Mindy Carlson (Review; June 7) -- Slow starting contemporary mystery about a film student who finds herself in danger when trying to make a documentary about the disappearance of her favorite author. My review will be posted on 7.
• A Little Too Familiar by Lish McBride (Mine) -- This was a very engaging paranormal romance. My review will be posted on June 9.

DNF

• Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman (Review; June 7) -- I read 10% before abandoning this title. It was historical fiction that didn't compare in writing quality or characters to the Laurie R. King books I was listening to at the same time. 

Currently

• Thank You, Next by Andie J. Christopher (Review; June 14)

Next Week

• Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley (Review; June 21)
• The Key to Deceit by Ashley Weaver (Review; June 21)
• Never Coming Home by Kate Williams (Review; June 21)

• Sacred and Profane by Faye Kellerman (Kindle & Audiobook replacement for paperback)
• Three Little Words by Susan Mallery (Kindle & Audiobook)
• The Victory Garden by Rhys Bowen (Kindle & Audiobook)

Reviews Posted

• The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn
• Nightwork by Nora Roberts
• A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman

• Like a Charm by Elle McNicholl
• Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin
• Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

• Black Thorn, White Rose edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling (Bookbub Deal)
• Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs (Kindle replacement for paperback)

• Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters (Kindle Daily Deal & Audiobook)
• A Little Too Familiar by Lish McBride (Kindle)

What was your week like?

Book Review: Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh

Kiss Hard
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Hard Play (Book 4)
Publication: TKA Distribution (May 3, 2022)

Description: New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh brings you a sinfully playful contemporary romance between two sworn enemies turned partners in crime...

Daniel Esera is a young god on the rugby field, a sexy and charming man who's got the world at his feet. There's just one problem: his sudden potent attraction to his number one nemesis--Catie River. No. Just no. Not happening.

Catie River is on her way to Paralympic gold, and she's not about to allow Danny "Hotshot" Esera to derail her plans. Too bad her body isn't cooperating. Even worse? Her heart might be coming along for the ride. No. Nope. Never.

The pair are united in their desire to remain enemies... until a stranger's reckless action threatens both their careers. Now, the only way out for Catie and Danny is to pretend to be in a relationship. How bad can it be? They're adults in full control of their hormones and their hearts. There will be no kissing. No PDA. And definitely no falling in love.

Let the games begin.

My Thoughts: KISS HARD was an engaging sports romance. Catie River is preparing for the Paralympics since she lost her lower legs in an accident when she was a young teen. Danny Esera is a champion rugby player. They have known each other since her sister began her relationship with his brother when both Catie and Danny were young teens.

Catie and Danny have always been frenemies. The delight in teasing each other. Neither could imagine thinking of the other as any sort of romantic interest. Or at least, that's what they try to tell themselves. But when Danny is drugged at a club and Catie manages to rescue him, the optics seem to show that they are in a relationship. 

To preserve their reputations with their sponsors, they have to continue to pretend that they are the newest, hottest item. The only problem is that the pretense soon becomes real though neither wants to admit it to the other. 

After Catie's history with her neer-do-well father, she has difficulty trusting any man with her heart. Danny has been raised in a family where love and trust are natural. He needs to convince Catie that she can trust him.

This was an excellent addition to the Hard Play series.

Favorite Quote:

She and Danny might be frenemies at the best of times, but even she'd admit he was one of the genuine good guys. Smart, loyal, trustworthy - and irritating as all fuck. But when the shit hit the fan, Danny Esera would be the man you'd want beside you.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The 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:

Catie stared out the rain-washed window.

Friday 56:

Delicious smells permeated the air by the time she finally finished reading the contract -- she refused to think about why it had taken her so long to concentrate. 

This week I am spotlighting Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh. It is a new arrival on my TBR stack and is the fourth in the Hard Play series. Here is the description from Amazon:

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh brings you a sinfully playful contemporary romance between two sworn enemies turned partners in crime...

Daniel Esera is a young god on the rugby field, a sexy and charming man who's got the world at his feet. There's just one problem: his sudden potent attraction to his number one nemesis--Catie River. No. Just no. Not happening.

Catie River is on her way to Paralympic gold, and she's not about to allow Danny "Hotshot" Esera to derail her plans. Too bad her body isn't cooperating. Even worse? Her heart might be coming along for the ride. No. Nope. Never.

The pair are united in their desire to remain enemies... until a stranger's reckless action threatens both their careers. Now, the only way out for Catie and Danny is to pretend to be in a relationship. How bad can it be? They're adults in full control of their hormones and their hearts. There will be no kissing. No PDA. And definitely no falling in love.

Let the games begin.