Friday, July 31, 2020

Friday Memes: Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau

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:
Falling on my ass really hurts. My mother told me that after taking my first steps I fell smack on my butt. Well, I've been whacking my backside on the floor ever since, both figuratively and literally. Today, I did it surrounded by a bunch of five-year-olds.
Friday 56:
"I mean it, Lionel," Lionel said, tossing an empty chip bag into the garbage can. "You bluff like a champ."
This week I dug deep into my TBR mountain for a book I've had since Oct. 31, 2013. Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau introduces Rebecca Robbins who moves back to her hometown to sell the family roller rink and stumbles on a murder. Here is the description from Amazon:
Rebecca Robbins is a woman on a mission---to sell the roller rink she inherited from her mother and get back to Chicago. Fast. However, when she discovers the dead body of the town's handyman headfirst in a rink toilet, potential buyers are scared off. Now Rebecca is stuck in a small town where her former neighbors think she doesn't belong, living with her scarily frisky grandfather, Pop, and relying on a police department that's better at gardening than solving crimes.

Eager to move forward with her life, Rebecca begins investigating the murder herself, reluctantly accepting help from Pop and his extensive social network, which includes a handsome veterinarian and a former circus camel named Elwood. Nevertheless, someone isn't happy she's looking into the case, and their threats will have her questioning whether playing sleuth was such a good idea after all.

Joelle Charbonneau's debut is a sheer delight---a laugh-out-loud mystery with plenty of heart.

Thursday, July 30, 2020

ARC Review: Murder in the East End by Jennifer Ashley

Murder in the East End
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Series: A Below Stairs Mystery (Book 4)
Publication: Berkley (August 4, 2020)

Description: When young cook Kat Holloway learns that the children of London's Foundling Hospital are mysteriously disappearing and one of their nurses has been murdered, she can't turn away. She enlists the help of her charming and enigmatic confidant Daniel McAdam, who has ties to Scotland Yard, and Errol Fielding, a disreputable man from Daniel’s troubled past, to bring the killer to justice. Their investigation takes them from the grandeur of Mayfair to the slums of the East End, during which Kat learns more about Daniel and his circumstances than she ever could have imagined.

My Thoughts: This is cook Kat Holloway's fourth adventure. In this episode, Daniel comes to her with his brother Errol Fielding because he wants her to look into a problem Errol brought him. Fielding is a vicar and a governor of a foundling hospital. A nurse he had become close to has disappeared as have a number of the children in the care of the institution.

As a mother herself and one who might have needed to surrender her daughter to a foundling hospital, Kat is eager to look into the issue of missing children. But she doesn't have a lot of time. As a cook in a gentleman's home, she spends most of her hours shopping and preparing meals. Any spare time she has is spent with her daughter who is in the care of some friends of hers.

Luckily, her mysterious friend Daniel who seems to have some connection with Scotland Yard is also interested in the case of the missing children. He isn't at all sure that his foster brother can be trusted though. Both of them had difficult childhoods in the lower classes in London and the experiences have left emotional scars on both of them.

Things become even more complicated for the various investigator Daniel and Kat have gotten involved in the search for the nurse and the missing children when the body of the nurse is discovered. She was severely beaten and left to die on the street.

Kat's investigation takes the reader to the difficult and dangerous parts of London where children are a commodity and well-connected bullies dominate. As she investigates, she learns more about Daniel's past and his current occupation. Some of the knowledge comes from a wealthy young female artist who is observing Kat and the other kitchen workers in order to create some paintings and who worked with Daniel on a criminal case in Paris.

I enjoyed this story which seemed to be quite realistic about life in the 1880s in London. Women's roles were very narrow and the class divide very deep. Kat is an intriguing character who is proud of her work as a cook and the sort of person who sees deep into other people and encourages them to be better than they think they are.

Favorite Quote:
I did hope that Miss Townsend did not make us recognizable. I could not imagine the embarrassment of appearing in a painting, no matter how innocuous that painting might be. I preferred anonymity and moving through life in a calm and peaceful manner. Much more comfortable all around.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

ARC Review: An Accidental Corpse by Helen A. Harrison

An Accidental Corpse
Author: Helen Harrison
Series: Art of Murder Mysteries (Book 2)
Publication: Poisoned Pen Press (August 4, 2020)

Description: Accidents happen. But so does murder...

On the night of August 11, 1956, in a quiet East Hampton hamlet, Jackson Pollock crashed his car into a tree. The accident killed Pollock, the world-renowned abstract painter and notorious alcoholic, and his 25-year old passenger, Edith Metzger...or did it?

Metzger's autopsy reveals that she was already dead before the crash. Was it murder?

This shocking question draws vacationing Detective Juanita Diaz and her husband, Captain Brian Fitzgerald, of the NYPD into a homicide investigation that implicates famous members of East Hampton's art community―including Pollock himself.

My Thoughts: This historical mystery takes place in 1956 and combines real and fictional characters. It begins when two police officers and their 8-year-old son go on vacation to the shore. There they witness the fatal car accident that killed artist Jackson Pollack and one of his female passengers while throwing the other passenger out of the car.

Soon they learn that the female passenger was already dead when the accident happened. They are recruited by the local police chief to help with the investigation because his department is already stretched to the limits by a series of car accidents and the other problems that happen during the tourist season.

Fitz and Nita are glad to lend a helping hand and assist the local police. Nita is especially useful because she's a detective. There isn't another detective on the small town force.

I liked the way the story included historical details from the time period and information about local celebrities in the artistic community. I also liked that the story was told from a variety of viewpoints which added more detail.

As a mystery, it wasn't really all that mysterious. Once the villain appeared, it became quite clear what had happened and why. Before he appeared though, it was interesting to see what investigative techniques out heroes used and notice how many wouldn't be at all acceptable in a current police investigation.

Fans of historical mysteries and American artists would be a good audience for this story.

Favorite Quote:
"Hey, you guys, stop smooching!" TJ had caught them in the act. Startled, they sat up and looked momentarily embarrassed, then grinnd at their son as he scolded his father, using a phrase he'd learned from Grandma Blanca. "Que malo eres, Papa! Behave yourself!" Fitz pleaded innocent. "It's not my fault, buddy. Your mom threw herself at me, and I just couldn't resist."

Nita rose, straightened her dress, and tried to reclaim her dignity but failed. She pointed at her husband. "Pants on fire!" she exclaimed, and all three of them broke out laughing.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

ARC Review: The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson

The Love Scam
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Series: Danger Series (Book 2)
Publication: St. Martin's Griffin (August 4, 2020)

Description: Rake Tarbell is in trouble. When the fabulously wealthy and carefree bachelor wakes up horribly hungover in Venice, it’s not something that would normally be a problem...except he has no idea how he got there from California. Or who stole his wallet. Or who emptied his bank account of millions. Or who in the world is Lillith, the charming little girl claiming to be his long lost daughter. For the first time in his life, Rake is on his own and throwing Benjamins around aren’t going to solve his problem. Now if only the gorgeous, fun, and free-spirited woman who brought Lillith into his life was willing to help the situation…

Claire Delaney finds Rake’s problems hilarious and is not in the least bit sorry of adding to them by bringing Lillith into the mix. A pretty Midwestern girl with a streak for mischief, Claire isn't the type to hang around with a guy like Rake. Even if he is drop-dead handsome and charming as all get-out. Even if he needs help and she has all the answers. But if this helps Lillith, she will go out of her way. And with a guy like Rake, she’s willing to bend her rules a bit for some fun.

But when adventure-filled days turn to romantic nights as they search for answers, and someone starts following them through the streets of Venice, Claire realizes she's playing more than just a game. And maybe, just maybe, she isn't willing to let go of Rake or Lillith just yet.

My Thoughts: This was a fun romance. The author deliberately tried to get in as many romance tropes as she possibly could and even has an index of when each one appears.

The story begins when a man named Rake Tarbell wakes up with a massive hangover in a hotel room. He feels awful and has no idea where he is. He also has no wallet. He stumbles out of his hotel room and finds himself falling into a canal which lets him know that he is in Venice.

He is fished out of the canal only to find himself confronted by Claire Delaney who tells him that the child with her is his daughter Lillith. An unknown child is all he needs to make his horrible day even worse.

But that isn't the end of it. Once Rake manages to find a place with free wi-fi, he learns that he is also broke. The millions he had are missing from all his accounts. He can do nothing but throw himself on Claire's mercy. Claire is keeping a number of secrets from him. She has a mysterious past and her present actions are filled with mystery too.

This was a fun story. Romance fans will enjoy identifying all the tropes as they appear and be satisfied with a great romance along the way.

Favorite Quote:
"What is going on?"

"Don't play dumb," the woman advised. "Unless you're actually dumb. In which case you should try to hide it better."

He opened his mouth to really let her have it, then bent forward and threw up on her shoes.

"Ah, hell," she sighed as the child beside her laughed.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, July 27, 2020

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 27, 2020)

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.

Other Than Reading...

I hit a milestone of sorts this week when I put gasoline in my car for the first time. I bought my new car on March 7 and then the Stay at Home orders began. Even before that, I didn't drive much but the pandemic kept and is keeping me mostly housebound. I finally got down to just above a quarter of a tank and had a coupon from Cub Foods giving me $.20 a gallon off which would expire at the end of July. I have a whopping 260 miles on my car now. At this rate, I won't need to fill my car again until November.

I listened to two very long Honor Harrington books this week. I added the companion series to my collection this week and have decided to listen to the rest according to the internal chronology of the series which means I'm currently listening to Crown of Slaves which is the first in the Crown of Slaves trilogy. While it takes place in a different place than the main series, there is some overlap in characters and some of the incidents in the main series are recounted from a different viewpoint in these. I found an internet site that listed all of this series in order of internal chronology which was helpful since War of Honor referred to a number of things that I'm reading about in this new book. I was almost tempted to stop reading War of Honor in the middle until I read Crown of Slaves but decided to finish one before starting another.

I expect my listening to drop quite a bit now that the baseball season has finally begun. I can read a print book while watching baseball but I can't listen to one and watch at the same time. And the David Weber books are all long! The shortest on my TBR stack is 16:38 and the longest is 37:19. There isn't really a rush to get to these since the first of the reviews for the ones I still want to listen to isn't scheduled until October 8. But I am enjoying the series and want to keep reading.

I was invited to do some reviewing for Minotaur books this week and received my first book from them for review in October. It is the 22nd in the Andy Carpenter series and should be something of a challenge since I recently read the first two but none of the others in the series. I have liked quite a few books from the publisher that I got for review from Edelweiss and NetGalley though I tended to avoid the ones deep in series I hadn't read.

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.)

  • Ashes of Victory by David Weber (Mine; Audiobook) -- 9th book in the Honor Harrington series. 25 hours and 45 minutes of action, adventure, space battles and political intrigue. My review will be posted Dec. 2.
  • War of Honor by David Weber (Mine; Audiobook) -- 10th book in the Honor Harrington series. 35 hours and 15 minutes of mostly political intrigue. My review will be posted on Dec. 9. 


  • Murder in the East End by Jennifer Ashley (Review; August 11) - This is the 4th historical mystery involving cook Kat Halloway. I like the characters and the setting of this series. My review will be posted on July 30.
  • Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau (Mine) - This contemporary mystery has been on TBR mountain since Oct. 31, 2013. It begins a series and was both engaging and humorous. My review will be posted on August 1.
  • Cold to the Bone by Emery Hayes (Review; August 11) - Introduces a female sheriff in rural Montana who investigates the murder of a 14-year-old tourist which leads to a medical conspiracy and an encounter with the man she fled Denver to escape along with her small son. My review will be posted on August 5.

Currently

  • Crown of Slaves by David Weber & Eric Flint (Audiobook) - I am just starting Chapter 30 at the 11 hours and 40 minutes mark with 7 hours and 38 minutes to go.

Next Week


Reviews Posted




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

Review:


Bought:










What was your week like?

Saturday, July 25, 2020

ARC Review: Mr. Malcolm's List by Suzanne Allain

Mr. Malcolm's List
Author: Suzanne Allain
Publication: Berkley (July 28, 2020)

Description: It is a truth universally acknowledged that an arrogant bachelor insistent on a wife who meets the strictest of requirements--deserves his comeuppance.

The Honourable Mr. Jeremy Malcolm is searching for a wife, but not just any wife. As the target of matchmaking mothers and desperate debutantes, he's determined to avoid the fortune hunters and find a near-perfect woman, one who will meet the qualifications on his well-crafted list. But after years of searching, he's beginning to despair of ever finding this paragon. Until Selina Dalton arrives in town.

Selina, a vicar's daughter of limited means and a stranger to high society, is thrilled when her friend Julia Thistlewaite invites her to London, until she learns it's all part of a plot to exact revenge on Mr. Malcolm. Selina is reluctant to participate in Julia's scheme, especially after meeting the irresistible Mr. Malcolm, who appears to be very different from the arrogant scoundrel of Julia's description.

But when Mr. Malcolm begins judging Selina against his unattainable standards, Selina decides that she has some qualifications of her own. And if he is to meet them he must reveal the real man behind...Mr. Malcolm's List.

My Thoughts: This historical romance was filled with witty dialog and more plots than could be counted. Selina Dalton has been invited to London to stay with her old school friend Julia Thistlewaite who has an ulterior motive.

Julie feels that she was wronged by the Honorable Mr. Jeremy Malcolm who didn't ask her out again after taking her to the opera. She wants Selina to make him fall in love with her so that he can know what it is like to be set aside as not good enough.

You see, Mr. Malcolm has a list of the desirable traits he is looking for in a wife. When Selina meets him, she doesn't see what Julia means. He seems to be a handsome, kind and intelligent man. And Mr. Malcolm seems taken with her too.

But it couldn't be that easy. Julia is still plotting to bring Mr. Malcolm down. Another suitor shows up to give Mr. Malcolm some competition. And both mothers add their "help" to the mix before a "happily ever after" ending is achieved.

The situations were humorous. The characters were all engaging. And even the conniving Julia turned out not to be such a bad person after all.

Favorite Quote:
"You make it sound like a disorder of the bowels or a carriage accident," Selina said.

Malcolm shook his head. "And my mother accuses me of being unromantic. Please remember that I did not introduce intestinal disorders into the midst of a marriage proposal."
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, July 24, 2020

Friday Memes: Mr. Malcolm's List by Suzanne Allain

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 Honorable Jeremy Malcolm, second son of the Earl of Kilbourne, was the biggest catch of the season the year of our Lord 1818. It was true he had no title of his own and was only a younger son, but his aunt of his mother's side had left him with the bulk of her sizeable fortune and a large country house in Kent.
Friday 56:
"What is so amusing?" Malcolm asked her.

"I am sorry, but is that really how lovers speak to each other? It sounds like the most arrant nonsense. I do not think that I can say that sort of thing with a straight face."
This week I am spotlighting Mr. Malcolm's List by Suzanne Allain. This book is from my review stack. Here is the description from Amazon:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an arrogant bachelor insistent on a wife who meets the strictest of requirements--deserves his comeuppance.

The Honourable Mr. Jeremy Malcolm is searching for a wife, but not just any wife. As the target of matchmaking mothers and desperate debutantes, he's determined to avoid the fortune hunters and find a near-perfect woman, one who will meet the qualifications on his well-crafted list. But after years of searching, he's beginning to despair of ever finding this paragon. Until Selina Dalton arrives in town.

Selina, a vicar's daughter of limited means and a stranger to high society, is thrilled when her friend Julia Thistlewaite invites her to London, until she learns it's all part of a plot to exact revenge on Mr. Malcolm. Selina is reluctant to participate in Julia's scheme, especially after meeting the irresistible Mr. Malcolm, who appears to be very different from the arrogant scoundrel of Julia's description.

But when Mr. Malcolm begins judging Selina against his unattainable standards, Selina decides that she has some qualifications of her own. And if he is to meet them he must reveal the real man behind...Mr. Malcolm's List.

Thursday, July 23, 2020

ARC Review: A Royal Affair by Allison Montclair

A Royal Affair
Author: Allison Montclair
Series: Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur Books (July 28, 2020)

Description: More goes wrong than could be imagined when Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are unexpectedly engaged to dig into the past of a suitor of a royal princess in Allison Montclair’s delightful second novel, A Royal Affair.

In London 1946, The Right Sort Marriage Bureau is just beginning to take off and the proprietors, Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, are in need of a bigger office and a secretary to handle the growing demand. Unfortunately, they don't yet have the necessary means. So when a woman arrives―a cousin of Gwen's―with an interesting and quite remunerative proposition, they two of them are all ears.

The cousin, one Lady Matheson, works for the Queen in "some capacity" and is in need of some discreet investigation. It seems that the Princess Elizabeth has developed feelings for a dashing Greek prince and a blackmail note has arrived, alluding to some potentially damaging information about said prince. Wanting to keep this out of the palace gossip circles, but also needing to find out what skeletons might lurk in the prince's closet, the palace has quietly turned to Gwen and Iris. Without causing a stir, the two of them must now find out what secrets lurk in the prince's past, before his engagement to the future Queen of England is announced. And there's more at stake than the future of the Empire ―there is their potential new office that lies in the balance.

My Thoughts: Gwen Bainbridge and Iris Sparks are pleased with the success of their new marriage bureau and are hoping to expand into the next door office and hire a secretary soon. But they need a few more successful matches before they can move.

When they get a call from a cousin of Gwen's who works "in some capacity" for the Queen, they find themselves vetting Prince Phillip as a potential suitor for Princess Elizabeth. Some anonymous letters have arrived that cast doubts on the Prince's legitimacy and Iris and Gwen need to investigate very discreetly.

Luckily, between the two of them, they have a wide variety of contacts. Iris spent time during the war working as an operative for the government and she will reluctantly call on them if it will help answer their questions. Gwen was a society girl who married, had a child, and was widowed when her husband died while in the Service. She had a breakdown which required her to spend some time in a sanatorium and has lost custody of her son to her in-laws. Gwen does have a number of contacts among society people though.

This investigation has the two women looking into the events of 1922 when Prince Phillip's father and family were rescued from Greece and have them looking at the various factions of the Greek communities in London along with what British spies knew then. The women aren't sure who they can trust, not even Gwen's cousin from the Palace.

I enjoyed the witty dialog in this entertaining historical romance. I liked the personalities and problems of both of the main characters. The side characters ranging from Iris's old friends from Cambridge to newly mustered out soldiers to some London gangsters were also interesting and well-developed. The mystery was also well-plotted.

Favorite Quote:
"I'm letting you off here," he said, helping Gwen onto the shore. "I have to return the boat before the owner notices it's gone missing."

"I thought you borrowed it," said Iris as she stepped out, unassisted.

"It's a loose concept," he said. "I also have to return the motorcycle I borrowed. And the auto I borrowed. What wonderful, oblivious friends I have! I'll call you if I need bail."
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Audiobook: Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

Hunting Ground
Author: Patricia Briggs
Narrator: Holter Graham
Publication: Penguin Audio (Aug. 25, 2009)
Length: 8 hours and 24 minutes

Description: Anne Latham didn't know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf and was mated to Charles Cornick, the son—and enforcer—of the leader of the North American werewolves. She didn't know how dangerous it could be either...

Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran's controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan—and it seems like someone else might be, too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all—or risk losing everything...

My Thoughts: Anna and Charles travel to Seattle to attend a conference of the European werewolves which Bran has called. The purpose is to let them know that Bran is going public about the werewolves in North America. He wants to offer help to the European packs if they need it.

There are lots of tensions among the European packs. Jean Chastel, who is known as the Beast of Gévaudan, is the most dangerous the European wolves. None of the others want to oppose him. Arthur Madden, who is the British Alpha, is relatively safe since Chastel doesn't seem to want Britain but he's afraid of him too. Arthur believes that he is the reincarnation of King Arthur. He was an amateur archaeologist before becoming a werewolf and discovered a sword he believes is Excalibur which fuels his obsession.

Bran has arranged for the fae in the person of Dana Shea to keep the peace. Dana is a Grey Lord and Bran's old acquaintance. Charles doesn't know what kind of a fae she is despite having been her lover sometime in the past. Dana shares that tidbit to try to make Anna jealous which backfires on her. So much of this world is new to Anna. Since her mating and marriage with Charles, she has been gradually getting to know his world and her own powers as an Omega wolf.

Things start out interesting right away when Charles and Anna meet a troll under a bridge who warns them not to trust the fae. And then vampires try to abduct Anna and also manage to kill Arthur's human mate.

Charles and Anna would love to believe that Chastel is behind the attacks since he is the instigator of the conflict at the conference. But it isn't his style. If he wanted Anna kidnapped or dead, he would have done it himself. They need to find another villain since the attacks both by vampires and magic aren't letting up.

This was a fast-paced and exciting story. I love the growing relationship betweeen Charles and Anna. I love that Anna is learning more about her powers and an Omega and is teaching Charles that she is an equal partner with him.

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

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Audiobook: Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne
Author: Patricia Briggs
Narrator: Lorelei King
Publication: Penguin Audio (March 3, 2010)
Length: 9 hours and 5 minutes

Description: When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down. It seems the book contains secret knowledge - and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands.

And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side - leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live.

My Thoughts: In this fifth in the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series. Mercy has three problems to solve.

First of all, her friend and roommate Samuel who is a very old werewolf has lost his will to live and tries to commit suicide. With his wolf now in control, Mercy has to find a way to give Samuel a reason to live or he will be executed.

Second, Mercy was given an old fae book to read by a local part-fae bookstore owner and now she needs to return it. But the bookseller has disappeared and various fae all want the book back and are willing to murder Mercy and her friends to get it.

Third, Adam's pack is in disarray because of the mating bond between them. Many in the pack don't want to accept a coyote either as the Alpha's mate or in the pack at all. Sneaky plots try to disrupt their relationship and lead to a challenge against Adam - a fight to the death - when he has already been injured when rushing into Mercy's burning trailer home to try to save her. The plotting wolves hadn't mentioned that Mercy wasn't at home and that they saw no reason to stop the fae from burning her out.

This was another great episode in an engaging and well written urban fantasy series.

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

Monday, July 20, 2020

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 20, 2020)

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.

Other Than Reading...

Although I did spend most of the week at home and reading, I also spent an hour and a half in a socially distanced line at the DMV renewing my driver's license. It only took about 15 minutes once I got inside the office. Luckily, it was a very pleasant day to stand around outside. Unfortunately, I hadn't planned ahead and brought my Kindle with my latest audiobook with me.

After the DMV, I treated myself to lunch by going through the drive-thru at Culver's. I even splurged and bought myself a scoop of their ice cream flavor of the day - butter pecan.

The weather this week was hot and there were a few threats of severe weather. It looks like all of the thunderstorms happened after I was sleeping and left us a nice amount of rain. We missed out on the very strong, straight line winds they were predicting. Last time we had that kind of weather was 2016 and we ended up without power for a couple of days and lost enough shingles that we had to put a new roof on the house. I'm not sorry this event missed us since we just put a new roof and solar panels on this house last year.

We didn't make as much electricity as last month but I'm fairly sure we still made more than we used. Of course, we have been running the air conditioning a lot. I'll be eager to see this month's power bill when it finally arrives.

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.)

  • The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson (Review; August 4) - Fun romance filled with all sorts of romance tropes. She even indexed the tropes for us. My review will be posted on July 28.
  • An Accidental Corpse by Helen A. Harrison (Review; August 4) - Entertaining historical mystery built around the death of American artist Jackson Pollack. My review will be posted on July 29. 


  • Honor Among Enemies by David Weber (Mine; Audiobook) - This was 19 hours and 21 minutes of space battles and political intrigue and the 6th book in the Honor Harrington series. My review will be posted on Nov. 11.
  • In Enemy Hands by David Weber (Mine; Audiobook) - This one was 19 hours and 24 minutes of the Honor Harrington series. My review will be posted on Nov. 18.
  • Echoes of Honor by David Weber (Mine; Audiobook) - They keep getting longer! This episode was 26 hours and 45 minutes long. As usual it contained all sorts of political wrangling and a few assorted space battles. My review will be posted on Nov. 25.

Currently

  • Ashes of Victory by David Weber (Mine; Audiobook) - This is the 9th book in the Honor Harrington series and is 25 hours and 45 minutes long. I've currently listened to 12 hours of it.
  • Murder in the East End by Jennifer Ashley (Review; August 4)

Next Week


Reviews Posted




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














What was your week like?

Saturday, July 18, 2020

ARC Review: Paris Is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay

Paris Is Always a Good Idea
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Publication: Berkley (July 21, 2020)

Description: A thirty-year-old woman retraces her gap year through Ireland, France, and Italy to find love—and herself—in this hilarious and heartfelt novel.

It's been seven years since Chelsea Martin embarked on her yearlong postcollege European adventure. Since then, she's lost her mother to cancer and watched her sister marry twice, while Chelsea's thrown herself into work, becoming one of the most talented fundraisers for the American Cancer Coalition, and with the exception of one annoyingly competent coworker, Jason Knightley, her status as most successful moneymaker is unquestioned.

When her introverted mathematician father announces he's getting remarried, Chelsea is forced to acknowledge that her life stopped after her mother died and that the last time she can remember being happy, in love, or enjoying her life was on her year abroad. Inspired to retrace her steps—to find Colin in Ireland, Jean Claude in France, and Marcelino in Italy—Chelsea hopes that one of these three men who stole her heart so many years ago can help her find it again.

From the start of her journey nothing goes as planned, but as Chelsea reconnects with her old self, she also finds love in the very last place she expected.

My Thoughts: When fundraiser Chelsea Martin is surprised by her widowed father's wedding announcement to a woman he's only known two weeks, she doesn't take it well. After her mother's death due to pancreatic cancer, Chelsea put her life on hold to raise money to cure cancer. She's become a workaholic and has lost her joy and almost lost her family.

In order to try to regain all she feels she lost, she decides to recreate her gap year travels when she met and fell in love with three different men before being called home to her mother's bedside. She knows she might be opening the door for her work rival and polar opposite Jason Knightley to take her place at work but finding herself is much more important to her.

Her first stop is Ireland when she discovers the boy she loved is now a married man with three children. He's married to another young woman Chelsea knew from her time in Ireland. But reconnecting with the two of them despite some entertaining catastrophes does let her regain her laughter.

Her second stop is Paris where she reconnects with budding fashion designer Jean Claude. Of course, Knightley has tracked her down to get her input on a current quest to get a $10 million donation from an eccentric billionaire. Jason is there to pick up the pieces when her meeting with Jean Claude shows that he isn't at all the way she remembered him. She and Jason begin a romance but Chelsea is single-minded has in her desire to retrace her whole gap year and she can't quite believe in this new Jason who is so different than he seemed as her rival at work.

Chelsea's final stop is in Italy where she reconnects with Marcellino at the winery he now owns. But Jason has tracked her down there too on the pretext that the eccentric billionaire wants to hold a meeting at the winery.

Jason has his work cut out for him convincing Chelsea that she can never be the carefree girl she was before her mother's death and needs to accept herself for the strong woman she is now. It is time for her to put aside her grief and live again and he'd like to live the rest of his life with her.

The story was in turns funny and touching. I loved Chelsea's ability to overcome obstacles on her trip. I loved Jason too. 

Favorite Quote:
"Here's a question. Whose brainiac idea was it to spring this on me in a bridal salon I mean, there was no warning, no prep, no easing me into the idea that Dad's going to throw his life away by marrying a perfect stranger. I mean, really, do you people not know me at all?"
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.