Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Book & Audio Review: Tinker by Wen Spencer

Tinker

Author:
Wen Spencer
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Series: Elfhome Book 1
Publication: Baen Books; 1st edition (October 1, 2003);  Audible Studios (December 12, 2014)
Length: 609 p.; 13 hours and 32 minutes

Description: Move over, Buffy! Tinker not only kicks supernatural butt - she's a techie genius, too!

Inventor, girl genius Tinker lives in a near-future Pittsburgh which now exists mostly in the land of the elves. She runs her salvage business, pays her taxes, and tries to keep the local ambient level of magic down with gadgets of her own design. When a pack of wargs chase an Elven noble into her scrap yard, life as she knows it takes a serious detour. Tinker finds herself taking on the Elven court, the NSA, the Elven Interdimensional Agency, technology smugglers and a college-minded Xenobiologist as she tries to stay focused on what's really important: her first date. Armed with an intelligence the size of a planet, steel toed boots, and a junk yard dog attitude, Tinker is ready to kick butt to get her first kiss.

My Thoughts: This science fiction/urban fantasy story takes place in the near future. A future where a interdimensional gate has been invented to let people travel to distant planets. There is a side effect, though. Pittsburgh - or a big part of it - finds itself shifted to Elfhome every time the gate is turned on and returned to Earth when it is off. 

Tinker is about eighteen and has spent her whole life in Pittsburgh both while it is on Earth and when it is one Elfhome. She's never actually visited any other places on Earth and isn't really interested. She a technical genius who own her own scrapyard. She was raised and educated by her grandfather who kept her a secret. After his death, she has her cousin Oilcan and friends including half-Elf Tooloo and Xenobiologist Lain who have been her mentors and teachers.

When wargs chase an Elf lord into her scrapyard and she saves his life, her life takes a totally new turn. It was already starting to shift because Lain convinced her to take the entrance exams for Carnegie Mellon which put her on the radar of the NSA because her answers indicated that she might be able to build another gate. It also put her on the radar of the Oni from still another world who want her to build them a gate so that they can conquer or expand to Earth and Elfhome. 

The elf she rescued was Windwolf who happens to be the Viceroy of the part of Elfhome where Pittsburg appears. Cultural misunderstandings on both their parts finds them married and finds Tinker changed into an elf herself.

Then she's kidnapped by the Oni and forced to build them a new gate because they have threatened everyone she loves if she does not. But Tinker is a genius and her plans include foiling their plans and saving herself and those she loves.

This story had great characters and intriguing worldbuilding. I liked Tinker. I liked that she was torn between Earth and Elfhome. I liked the elf magic and the way Tinker dealt with it even though her own focus was on physics. 

This is the first of a five book series which was published between 2003 and 2016, It looks like a sixth book is scheduled for publication in 2022. I've read the story before. I've had a paperback since at least 2008, the Kindle since 2014, and just got the audiobook. I liked the way Tanya Eby brought the characters to life in the audiobook.

Favorite Quote:
She considered, eyes closed, hands clasped. What was it she wanted? In earlier years she had prayed for things as simple as winning something from one of the booths. Searching her heart, she found only conflicting desires. Finally she prayed simply: May I figure out what it is I want in life.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, August 30, 2021

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 30, 2021)

 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...

This was a mostly cloudy and rainy week. The one good day was the day I went for a walk, tripped, got major road rash on my left arm, knee, hip and shoulder and bent up my glasses. A bunch of bandages and a trip to the Vision Center to bend my glasses back into shape and I was home again. I've decided that walking on my treadmill might be boring but is less hazardous to my body.

I finished up the reread of the Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh which means that the next one which will be released on October 26 is next up on my reading stack. I bought a number of new books this week from my Kindle Daily Deal email or my BookBub email but only added the audiobook to one of them. I need to concentrate on reading all of the audiobooks still on my stack before adding new ones. It is likely that I will be adding the audiobooks for my new ones when I get around to reading them though. I have become a huge fan of audiobooks.

It is hard to believe that it is already the end of August. My brother tells me that the University of Minnesota-Duluth is bussing loads of new students to Target to shop for what they forgot to pack on this move-in weekend. He says they were very busy. A friend also posted that her son will be moving in this week for his first year of college at St. Scholastica (which is our other large college). Locally, the kids haven't started public schools but teachers are back to work. State Law here in Minnesota says school can't start with kids until after Labor Day. Right now, the plan is complete in-person school with everyone masked. 

Meanwhile, this week I set up my posts for November since I am almost through with everything on my October calendar. I'm strongly considering posting more than one review a day since I am doing so much reading right now and am so far ahead. 

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.)
  • Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt (Review; October 19) -- Engaging holiday mystery for those who like snarky lawyers and cute dogs. My review will be posted on October 9.
  • Archangel's Viper by Nalini Singh (Mine; Audiobook) -- This reread of the 10th Guild Hunter books featured Venom and Holly's romance while furthering the larger story arc. Here's my review from 2017.
  • Archangel's Prophecy by Nalini Singh (Mine; Audiobook) -- In this 11th Guild Hunter book, Elena is dealing with losing her angelic powers and her wings while trying to track down the one who attacked her vampire brother-in-law and dealing with voices in her head. Here's my review from 2018.
  • Archangel's War by Nalini Singh (Mine; Audiobook) -- The 12th Guild Hunter book concerns ancients rising and the final battle with the insane Archangel Lijuan. Here is my review from 2019.
  • Archangel's Sun by Nalini Singh (Mine; Kindle and Audiobook) -- The war is over but cleanup is still ongoing especially in Africa where Titus and his people are dealing with huge numbers of reborn. The Hummingbird - broken angelic artist - is sent to help. Here's my review from 2020
  • Mercy Creek by M. E. Browning (Review; October 12) -- This is the second in the Jo Wyatt mystery series and was excellent. When a young girl goes missing, Jo has to deal with lots of old rivalries to solve the crime. My review will be posted on October 13.
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:
Bought:
What was your week like?


Saturday, August 28, 2021

Book & Audio Review: A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

A Fatal Waltz

Author:
Tasha Alexander
Narrator: Charlotte Anne Dore
Series: Lady Emily Mysteries (Book 3)
Publication: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (June 23, 2009); Tantor Audio (May 9, 2015)
Length: 9 hours and 35 minutes; 308 p.

Description: From New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander, a spectacular novel of historical suspense featuring the strong-minded and spirited Lady Emily Ashton

At her friend Ivy's behest, Lady Emily Ashton reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the sprawling English country estate of a man she finds odious. But the despised Lord Fortescue is not to be her greatest problem. Kristiana von Lange, an Austrian countess once linked romantically with Emily's fiancé, the debonair Colin Hargreaves, is a guest also. And a tedious evening turns deadly when their host is found murdered, and his protégé, Robert Brandon—Ivy's husband—is arrested for the crime.

Determined to right a terrible wrong, Emily embarks on a quest that will lead her from London's glittering ballrooms to Vienna's sordid backstreets—and into a game of wits with a notorious anarchist. But putting Colin in deadly peril may be the price for exonerating Robert—forcing the intrepid Emily to bargain with her nemesis, the Countess von Lange, for the life of her fiancé.

My Thoughts: This is the third book in the Lady Emily Mysteries. It begins with Lady Emily Ashton at a house party providing support for her friend Ivy and her husband Robert Brandon who is trying to build a political career. The party is hosted by Lord Fortescue who is very influential in politics but not a nice person. He uses blackmail and other unsavory techniques and has taken a strong dislike to Emily. She returns the feelings.

To add to the goings-on, she is with her fiancé Colin Hargreaves who is an agent for the British Crown and also with the woman - Kristiana von Lange - who was once his lover and who is still a partner in his work. Kristiana loves throwing their past relationship in Emily's face and Emily isn't at all convinced that Kristiana is going to give up Colin graciously.

When Lord Fortescue is found murdered on the hunting field after a falling out with Brandon, Ivy's husband is arrested for the crime. Emily needs to find out what really happened to Lord Fortescue to save her friend's husband. But there are so many political things going on that her task won't be an easy one. 

Unravelling the mystery takes her to Vienna and another complicated political situation filled with anarchists, very suspicious "suicides." and an English agent who seems to want to cause a war between Britain and Germany.

I loved the historical detail in this story which takes place in 1891. I really liked Emily who is an intrepid and intelligent woman despite some bit of insecurity regarding Colin's love for her. The plot was nicely twisty and filled with engaging characters ranging from an Empress to a young man just beginning a future as an artist. 

Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this story and be glad that there are still more adventures of Lady Emily Ashton to read. 

Favorite Quote:
"It's delicious to have people adore you, but it's exhausting, too. Particularly when your feelings don't match theirs."
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, August 27, 2021

Friday Memes: A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

 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:
I had not noticed it when she first arrived: the way she leaned too far towards him as he kissed her hand, the hint of surprised recognition in his eyes. But having spent an afternoon in the same room as them, watching the effortless manner in which they fell into familiar conversation--two striking individuals against an equally spectacular backdrop--I could not deny that they were more than casual acquaintances. Never had I suspected my fiancé was so close to another woman.
Friday 56:
None of us breathed for a full minute after he'd left. Sir Julian picked up his coffee cup, his large hand nearly crushing the thin china. "Does this have something to do with Home Rule? What say you to that, Hargreaves? Are the Irish threatening Lord Salisbury?
This week I am spotlighting A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander. It has been on my TBR mountain since May 14, 2010. Here is the description from Amazon:
From New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander, a spectacular novel of historical suspense featuring the strong-minded and spirited Lady Emily Ashton

At her friend Ivy's behest, Lady Emily Ashton reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the sprawling English country estate of a man she finds odious. But the despised Lord Fortescue is not to be her greatest problem. Kristiana von Lange, an Austrian countess once linked romantically with Emily's fiancé, the debonair Colin Hargreaves, is a guest also. And a tedious evening turns deadly when their host is found murdered, and his protégé, Robert Brandon—Ivy's husband—is arrested for the crime.

Determined to right a terrible wrong, Emily embarks on a quest that will lead her from London's glittering ballrooms to Vienna's sordid backstreets—and into a game of wits with a notorious anarchist. But putting Colin in deadly peril may be the price for exonerating Robert—forcing the intrepid Emily to bargain with her nemesis, the Countess von Lange, for the life of her fiancé.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

ARC Review: Breaking Badger by Shelly LaurenstRomanon

Breaking Badger

Author:
Shelly Laurenston
Series: The Honey Badger Chronicles (Book 4)
Publication: Kensington Books (August 31, 2021)

Description: Back with more sexy shape-shifting antics, New York Times bestselling author Shelly Laurenston’s outstandingly witty, snarky, steamy, world-building Honey Badger Chronicles continue . . .

It’s instinct that drives Finn Malone to rescue a bunch of hard battling honey badgers. The Siberian tiger shifter just can’t bear to see his fellow shifters harmed. But no way can Finn have a houseful of honey badgers when he also has two brothers with no patience. Things just go from bad to worse when the badgers rudely ejected from his home turn out to be the only ones who can help him solve a family tragedy. He’s just not sure he can even get back into the badgers’ good graces. Since badgers lack graces of any kind . . .

Mads knows her teammates aren’t about to forgive the cats that were so rude to them, but moody Finn isn’t so bad. And he’s cute! The badger part of her understands Finn’s burning need to avenge his father’s death—after all, vengeance is her favorite pastime. So Mads sets about helping Finn settle his family’s score, which has its perks, since she gets to avoid her own family drama. Besides, fighting side by side with Finn is her kind of fun—especially when she can get in a hot and heavy snuggle with her very own growling, eye-rolling, and utterly irresistible kitty-cat .

My Thoughts: This was another zany adventure starring honey badger shifters and tiger shifters and a few other shifters too. Mads Galensdotter is a honey badger/hyena mix who is despised by her hyena family. Only her grandmother Solveig who sees herself as a Viking was ever kind to her in a honey badger sort of way. When she meets a bunch of other honey badgers including Max MacKilligan on the bus on the way to middle school, she finds her real family - though, being honey badgers, they don't want to admit it. There friendship grew and Mads love of basketball was the centerpiece. 

Now grown, they are on their way to the championships of the shifter basketball league. But that doesn't stop them from getting involved in other ventures. The story in the present begins with them on an island off New York and under attack for some unknown reason. There they meet the black Malones - tiger shifters - who are looking for clues to the person who murdered their father. The Malones save the honey badgers when their evac team disappears. But when Max goes to bring them muffins and thank them, they are thrown out of the tigers' house. Then the tigers find out that Max might be the key to getting information about their father's death...

Between basketball playoffs, football practices, attacks from Mads' relatives, kidnappings and various other events, Finn Malone and Mads fall in love. 

The story was action-packed and filled with snarky banter. There were lots of appearances from other characters who have appeared in other books by Laurenston. In fact, there were so many plot threads and appearances that the romance really took a back seat and seemed almost like an afterthought. Still it was a very enjoyable story especially for those who have read other of Laurenston's books and want another look at some favorite characters from earlier stories.

Favorite Quote:
Charlie heard the front door slam open and a familiar voice cry out, "Help! I need help!" She waited while big feet ran down the hall toward the kitchen.

"See?" Stevie pointed out. "Neither of us moved, even though we heard someone screaming for help."

"We were supposed to move?"
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

ARC Review: Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche

Author:
Nancy Springer
Publication: Wednesday Books (August 31, 2021)

Description: Enola Holmes is back! Nancy Springer's nationally bestselling series and breakout Netflix sensation returns to beguile readers young and old in Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche.

Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of her more famous brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. But she has all the wits, skills, and sleuthing inclinations of them both. At fifteen, she's an independent young woman--after all, her name spelled backwards reads 'alone'--and living on her own in London. When a young professional woman, Miss Letitia Glover, shows up on Sherlock's doorstep, desperate to learn more about the fate of her twin sister, it is Enola who steps up. It seems her sister, the former Felicity Glover, married the Earl of Dunhench and per a curt note from the Earl, has died. But Letitia Glover is convinced this isn't the truth, that she'd know--she'd feel--if her twin had died.

The Earl's note is suspiciously vague and the death certificate is even more dubious, signed it seems by a John H. Watson, M.D. (who denies any knowledge of such). The only way forward is for Enola to go undercover--or so Enola decides at the vehement objection of her brother. And she soon finds out that this is not the first of the Earl's wives to die suddenly and vaguely--and that the secret to the fate of the missing Felicity is tied to a mysterious black barouche that arrived at the Earl's home in the middle of the night. To uncover the secrets held tightly within the Earl's hall, Enola is going to require help--from Sherlock, from the twin sister of the missing woman, and from an old friend, the young Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether!

Enola Holmes returns in her first adventure since the hit Netflix movie brought her back on the national bestseller lists, introducing a new generation to this beloved character and series.

My Thoughts: Enola Holmes has reconciled with her much older brothers Sherlock and Mycroft which is why Dr. Watson calls on her visit her brother Sherlock who has fallen into a deep depression after working himself to exhaustion on his latest cases. That is why she is present when a young typist named Letitia Glover comes to beg Holmes's assistance in determining what happened to her twin sister Felicity.

Miss Glover does not believe the rather odd note she received from her sister's husband Cadogan Burr Rudcliff II, Earl of Dunhench, who tells her that her sister died of some sort of fever and was cremated even though he sent along her ashes. The note raises Enola's suspicions too. Cremation is very uncommon. The lack of notice when Felicity became ill and the lack of detail also seem suspicious. Even Sherlock's interest in caught when the ashes are determined to be from a dog not a person.

Sherlock and Enola begin to investigate working both their own leads and working together. Enola has all sorts of problems because young women traveling alone with some man to assist is not at all the thing in either London or rural England. She finds herself taken advantage of by the man who rents her a very stubborn horse and cart and finds herself taking shelter with the Earl. The household is extremely odd with over-abundant signs of mourning everywhere but Felicity's rooms. In fact, Felicity has left a watercolor painting the provides a clue to the mystery. Her new husband has committed her to an insane asylum.

Now Sherlock and Enola need to find out which asylum of the hundreds of possibilities in England and rescue Felicity. Enola comes up with a complicated scheme involving Letitia impersonating Felicity to convince Felicity's husband to return her to the asylum with Sherlock tracking the carriage.

This was an engaging historical mystery with an intrepid female main character. It was filled with period details including the lack of women's rights and the horrors of asylums that were prevalent at the times. I liked the relationship between Sherlock and Enola. I liked Enola's determination to help Letitia and Felicity. I liked that the Prologue and the Epilogue were both from Sherlock's point of view and voice while the rest of the story was in Enola's voice. 

Favorite Quote:
As she crossed the room, she looked curiously at the supine figure on the settee, and I smiled. "I assure you, Miss Glover, you need pay no heed to my catatonic brother. In his present state he is harmless, ans as deaf as the driftwood he resembles."
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

ARC Review: Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber

Murder Most Fair

Author:
Anna Lee Huber
Series: Verity Kent (Book 5)
Publication: Kensington (August 31, 2021)

Description: All is far from quiet on the home front in USA Today bestselling author Anna Lee Huber's captivating mystery series, in which former Secret Service agent Verity Kent receives a visitor--who is being trailed by a killer...

November 1919. A relaxing few weeks by the seaside with her husband, Sidney, could almost convince Verity Kent that life has returned to the pleasant rhythm of pre-war days. Then Verity's beloved Great-Aunt Ilse lands on their doorstep. After years in war-ravaged Germany, Ilse has returned to England to repair her fragile health--and to escape trouble. Someone has been sending her anonymous threats, and Verity's Secret Service contacts can only provide unsettling answers.

Even deep in the Yorkshire Dales, where she joins Verity's family for the holidays, Ilse encounters difficulties. Normally peaceful neighbors are hostile, seeking someone to blame for the losses they've endured. When Ilse's maid is found dead, Verity must uncover whether this is anti-German sentiment taken to murderous lengths, or whether there is a more personal motive at work. Could Verity's shadowy nemesis, Lord Ardmore, be involved? And if so, how much closer to home will the blow land when he inevitably strikes again?

My Thoughts: The main thrust of this episode of the Verity Kent mystery series concerns Verity's trip back to her home and family. She hasn't been back since her brother Rob died in World War I. She hasn't dealt with her grief for the loss yet. She buried it and the grief she feels for all of her other losses in her work as a secret agent and, when the war was over, in alcohol and parties. 

Now she is forced to confront things head on. It isn't easy. Verity and her mother have never gotten along. Her mother is the sort of poisonous woman who couches harsh criticisms in what she considers to be loving concern. She keeps trying to make Verity conform to her own vision of what a proper lady does.

When Verity's great-aunt Ilse arrives from Germany with her new maid, Verity takes her back to Yorkshire with her. Ilse has a new maid who behaves rather suspiciously. And neither fares well because of the prejudice against Germans that seems to permeate the area. When her aunt tells Verity that she fears she has seen the "second deserter" in the village, Verity contacts her former bosses in intelligence to find out that they never sent another deserter. This whole deserter episode was part of her war work and covered by the Secrets Act she signed which means she can't explain what is going on to her family and needs to investigate with only the help of her husband Sydney.

When the maid is found murdered, Verity is determined to get the the bottom of the case which isn't being investigated as thoroughly as she would like because of the local prejudice against anyone German. 

There is a lot of information about the times. Verity deals with her own trauma from the war as does her husband and her brothers who all served and who were all changed forever by the experience. She also sees the effects on the war on a young man who is courting her youngest sister and who invalided out of the war for an injury that might have been self-inflicted and the abuse he receives because of it. She also sees the effects on a neighbor and childhood acquaintance whose own health kept him out of the fight.

The story was an excellent exploration of the damage war does on those who fight and those who don't. The mystery was well-integrated and the villain something of a surprise. Fans of the series will enjoy this episode and be looking forward to more. 

Favorite Quote:
There was no going back. There was no returning to the way things were, the life and innocence that we'd had before. There was no returning to the people we were before. The only choice left to us was to shrivel up and die or to move bravely forward. To abandon hope or continue to clutch it to our hearts with all the might we possessed. 
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, August 23, 2021

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 23, 2021)

 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...

Still another quiet week. The Delta variant is keeping me close to home. Case numbers are increasing in my county. This was quite a hot week and the air is smoky from nearby forest fires which kept me indoors. I did walk on my treadmill in order to get some exercise. 

I had a nice visit with my gastroenterologist who is happy with my weight loss and test numbers. I'm not happy with my current weight and need to pay more attention to exercising and snacking. There have been way too many snacks in my life lately. 

It has been a good week for baseball games since my team is on a winning steak. I am also enjoying my time rereading the Guild Hunter series. 

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.)
  • Betrayal on the Bowery by Kate Belli (Review; October 12) -- The second book in the Gilded Gotham mystery series was another nice historical mystery. My review will be posted on October 5.
  • In Hot Water by Kate Kingsbury (Review; October 12) -- First in a new cozy series set in a small town and starring the owner of a tea shop. My review will be posted on October 6.
  • Digging Up Trouble by Kitt Crowe (Review; October 12) -- First in a new cozy series starring a bookstore owner with a cute dog. My review will be posted on October 7.
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:
Kindle and Audiobooks
  • Quantum by Patricia Cornwell (Kindle and Audiobook)
  • Spin by Patricia Cornwell (Kindle and Audiobook)
What was your week like?




Saturday, August 21, 2021

Book Review: More Than Fiends by Maureen Child

More Than Fiends

Author:
Maureen Child
Series: Demon Duster (Book 1)
Publication: NAL Trade; First Edition (June 5, 2007)

Description: Cassidy Burke is finding it hard to believe that she's next in a long line of demon dusters-Burke women paired with centuries-old cleaning solution to shine windows and spot demons. Sure, her "Clean Sweep" maid service is taking off, but wiping out supernatural bad guys? Come on.

But Cassie's surprised by her sudden fighting instincts and fierce new strength...both of which she's going to need. For one thing, her teenage daughter thinks her dad is dead, but in truth he just never knew about her...and now he's moved back to town. And after many dateless years, men are finally lining up on Cassie's doorstep. Sadly, most of them aren't human.

My Thoughts: Cassidy Burke is not having a terrific 32nd birthday. One of her two employees at her cleaning service quits when her paycheck bounces. Her massive cowardly dog eats her breakfast sandwich. Her ancient washing machine grinds to a thunking halt spewing water all over the kitchen floor and her dog barfs up the stolen breakfast sandwich. 

Then Cassidy receives two very unexpected visitors. The man who got her pregnant when she was sixteen returns to town to rekindle their relationship and abruptly learns that he has been a father for fifteen years to her math genius daughter Thea who had been told by Cassidy that her father died a hero. Both of them are more than irked with her.

But the real clincher is when Jasmine, supposedly a friend of her grandmother's, arrives to tell Cassisy that she is the next in a long line of demon dusters who is tasked with removing evil demons from the Earth. She takes to the task as eagerly as Buffy the Vampire Slayer which is not at all. Cassidy doesn't have time for this. She's trying to win a new client who owns a sex club in town. 

The potential new client turns out to be a hottie named Devlin who is, incidentally, a demon himself. They begin a spicy relationship which she has to juggle with her ex Logan's attempts to also rekindle their relationship. All the while, dusting evil demons who have painted a target on her.

This was a fun, quirky, urban fantasy story with a main character who is in over her head. Cassidy is funny and the picture of a harried suburban mom only with demons. Her romantic relationships need to step to the side when the head demon targets her daughter Thea though. Cassidy turns mama bear with a vengeance when her child is targeted!

This book has been on my TBR pile since 2008 and was a fun, quick-paced story.

Favorite Quote:
Did he stiffen a little? The moment came and went so fast I wasn't sure. But, hell, maybe he was just a touch more private than someone like me, who has been know to tell perfect strangers things most folks wouldn't confess to a shrink.
I bought this one March 29, 2008. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, August 20, 2021

Friday Memes: More Than Fiends by Maureen Child

 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:
"Quit? What do you mean, you quit?" I yanked the phone away from my ear, shook it like it was one of those Magic 8 Balls and I could get a different answer out of it. then slapped it to my head so hard I saw stars. "Barbara, you can't just quit."
Friday 56:
"Where are you, Gram?"

"Oh, honey, I'm on a cruise."

"Again?"

My grandmother went on cruises every other week. Even in the fall, when most sane people want to stay on dry land, Harry was out on the high seas, bingo-ing her way to happiness.
This week I am spotlighting More Than Fiends by Maureen Child which has been on my TBR mountain since March 29, 2008. Here is the description from Amazon:
Cassidy Burke is finding it hard to believe that she's next in a long line of demon dusters-Burke women paired with centuries-old cleaning solution to shine windows and spot demons. Sure, her "Clean Sweep" maid service is taking off, but wiping out supernatural bad guys? Come on.

But Cassie's surprised by her sudden fighting instincts and fierce new strength...both of which she's going to need. For one thing, her teenage daughter thinks her dad is dead, but in truth he just never knew about her...and now he's moved back to town. And after many dateless years, men are finally lining up on Cassie's doorstep. Sadly, most of them aren't human.