Friday Memes: To Kill a Badger by Shelly Laurenston

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provbeginnides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

"I didn't sign up for this."

Friday 56:

Nelle, as she preferred to be called, was a favorite of her father and had a reputation among the elder family members as someone to be avoided. Not only because she'd once tossed her own sister out an open hotel window, thirty floors up, but because they all found her rude and disrespectful.

This week I'm spotlighting To Kill a Badger by Shelly Laurenston. This one is a little spicy and has mature themes. It is also humorous fantasy and the sixth in a series. Here's the description from Amazon:

Laugh-out-loud humor, a feminist outlook, and one-of-a-kind shape-shifting romance come together with the continuation of the fan-favorite Honey Badger Chronicles from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelly Laurenston.

Nelle Zhao is a social media maven who knows what matters. And the only thing that matters right now is survival. Not easy, though, when her honey badger teammates attract trouble the way she attracts attention. She didn’t know when it became her job to protect the ones she cares about from themselves, but even she has to admit…she’s really good at it. Too bad some people don’t appreciate when she’s being helpful. Especially Keane Malone, who doesn’t know how to accept a friendly paw. But Nelle excels at helping! And at ignoring other people’s irrational demands, such as doing it all alone. Keane, poor pretty kitty, doesn’t understand the kind of assistance a shit-starting honey badger like Nelle can truly offer . . .

Keane knows two things—he doesn’t like other people, and he is going to crush the de Medicis, an evil coalition of male lion shifters who are not only snatching innocent humans for fun and profit, but also killed his father. And for once, he may not be able to fight this fight alone, forcing him to let long-legged, jet-setting Nelle join the fight. And getting close to Nelle is suddenly bringing out his roar . . .

Audiobook Review: Black Tie and Tails by Wen Spencer

Black Tie and Tails
Author: Wen Spencer
Narrator: Jennywren Walker et al.
Series: Black Wolves of Boston (Book 2)
Publication: Audible Studios (September 2, 2025)
Length: 16 hours and 56 minutes

Description: From the Romantic Times Sapphire award-winning author of the Internationally best-selling Elfhome series, comes the sequel to The Black Wolves of Boston

Joshua Tatterskein’s life has been strange. He's become a werewolf, lives with a three-hundred-year-old vampire named Silas Decker and a ginger kitten called Trouble. Then things get even weirder when he encounters a talking penguin who wants to hire him for a job. Joshua just wants to graduate from his new high school. The school is owned by Boston’s werewolf pack, and while the teachers might not realize the owners are wolves, all the kids with special abilities—the Goths—know. The good news is the Goths are happy to help Joshua, but the bad news is one of them has gone missing.

Silas Decker has been waking up earlier than normal—very odd after three hundred years of being dead to the world when the sun is up. He enjoys the change—but what does he have to do for it to continue?

Elise Grigori’s day starts bad: her angelic family has discovered that she’s dating Jack Cabot, Thane to the Wolf King. It gets worse when Central Office calls to say that her cousin Francis is missing from his Vermont monastic retreat. He’s a Power, God’s strength manifested in flesh, which means he’s a walking nuke. His car is in Boston, which is very bad news for Boston.

Seth Tatterskein is just trying to hold his life together until he’s old enough to leave the Wolf King’s castle in New York and return to Boston as its Prince. His departure requires keeping his emotions in check—not an easy thing to do when your brother starts texting things like, “What kind of penguin talks?”

My Thoughts: This multi-viewpoint novel is the second in the Black Wolves of Boston series. It follows the adventures a new werewolf named Joshua who lives with a three-hundred-year-old vampire named Silas Decker. 

Seth Tatterskein is Joshua's younger brother who is the Prince of Boston. Because he's only sixteen, he's under the care of the Wolf King and living in New York. He's trying to manage Boston from a distance and with only his cousin Jack, who is one of the Wolf King's thanes, to help him. 

Elise Grigori is the fourth viewpoint character. She is a grigori whose role is to battle monsters. She's assigned to Boston which has more than its usual number of monsters because of the lack of resident werewolves. It is her family that uses Decker who has a dowsing talent to help them find the monsters. 

Joshua is a high school senior with only a few months before graduation. He's been put in a new school in Boston that was founded and is still supported by his family. He finds a circle of friends who are also gifted but not werewolves. His status as a werewolf is unknown to most of the students. He is having some problems integrating with his wolf and managing his shapechanging.

Things start to go sideways when Joshua dreams of talking penguins that he meets at the aquarium. The world is new to him. His first thought is to text Seth to ask if talking penguins are real. Seth in the middle of things in New York too. The werewolf king has come back from Europe exhausted. His son Isaiah has always been jealous of Seth and has harassed him for years with the able assistance of thanes loyal to Isaiah. Isaiah's main complaint is that the Wolf King has not yet named him Prince of New York despite the fact that he's a decade older than Seth.

Seth is also making connections with his wife. The Wolf King insisted on the marriage when Seth was still suffering with alpha amnesia. Seth doesn't even know her name but needs her help rebuilding the pack in Boston. Getting to know his wife is just one of the moves he's making to transfer to Boston. After his family died when he was thirteen, the Court was burned down which leaves Seth nowhere to live in Boston or house any werewolves he might convince to join his pack. 

Elise has a problem too. Her cousin Francis has left his monastery in Maine and evidence indicates that he might be in Boston. Francis is a Power - a nuke in human form dispatched by God to solve problems in a drastic way. 

People and events are converging in Boston, and all the viewpoint characters have roles to play if evil is to be defeated. 

This was another excellent urban fantasy story. I like the worldbuilding. I also really like that characters. All the viewpoint characters are fascinating and the new characters - mostly Joshuah's classmates - are intriguing too. 

I bought this one on release day. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Vows and Villainy by Elizabeth Penney

Vows and Villainy
Author: Elizabeth Penney
Series: The Cambridge Bookshop Series (Book 5)
Publication: Minotaur Books (November 25, 2025)

Description: Vows and Villainy is the fifth book in Elizabeth Penney's delightful Cambridge Bookshop series set in Cambridge, England, where celebrations are about to commence.

It’s wedding season in Cambridge, and Molly Kimball is thrilled that it's almost time for her best friend's special day. With the help of her boyfriend Kieran Scott, she is determined to be the best maid of honor for Daisy and Tim. Daisy’s heart is set upon a Shakespeare-themed wedding to be held at Hazelhurst House, Kieran’s family’s home. The Scotts are also hosting a Shakespeare troupe for the summer, and the actors have kindly agreed to be part of the festivities.

But all goes awry with the discovery of Sir Nigel Peck, a famous actor with a checkered past and present-day misdeeds, floating dead in the moat with flowers strewn around him, à la Ophelia. When Kieran’s brother Alan becomes a top suspect, Molly and company must investigate to uncover the ugly truth behind this picturesque scene . . . before more bodies pile up.

Can Molly solve the murder before Daisy and Tim say “I do”?

My Thoughts: The fifth Cambridge Bookshop mystery is filled with weddings. Molly is helping her friend Daisy as her wedding date nears. Daisy has her heart set on a Shakespearean wedding set at Hazelhurst House which is Molly's boyfriend Kieran's family home. Molly has been working on organizing the library and pulling out some books by and about Shakespeare to make a display at the wedding. 

Hazelhurst House is also hosting an acting troupe who will take part in the festivities. Molly is distressed when she finds the lead actor Sir Nigel Peck floating in the moat surrounded by flowers. She is even more distressed when it looks like Kieran's older brother is the prime suspect. Molly has to clear Alan and solve the murder before Daisy's wedding day.

There are lots of suspects since it turns out the Sir Nigel wasn't a very nice guy. He is being sued for causing so much emotional distress at the acting school where he taught that one of his students committed suicide. 

Meanwhile, Molly's beloved great-aunt Violet is also soon to be married to Sir Jon, a man she has loved since they met in college. However, Sir Jon's 90-something year old mother isn't at all pleased with the upcoming wedding which is distressing Violet. 

And among all the detecting and romances, it seems like Kieran is trying to ask Molly something but something always seems to be getting in his way. 

This was an engaging cozy with a wonderful Cambridge setting. 

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

ARC Review: The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews

The Marriage Method
Author: Mimi Matthews
Series: The Crinoline Academy (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley (November 25, 2025)

Description: The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.

Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.

When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

My Thoughts: Penelope Trewlove from the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies is sent to London the encourage newspaper editor Miles Quincy to focus his attention elsewhere. Nell hasn't left the school since she was dropped off there as a five-year-old orphan. A fall from a rooftop while rescuing a friend has caused permanent hip and thigh damage and left her with a limp. 

Nell's first meeting with Miles leads to scandal when his stray cat gets caught in her crinoline and the two are discovered trying to untangle it. Miles is very concerned with his reputation since he grew up in a slum and guards it fiercely. Nell would also lose her reputation but doesn't agree with Miles' solution of marriage as the answer. 

It isn't until Miss Quincy sends her away from the school to protect its reputation that she agrees to marry Miles. But she isn't willing to give up her secondary purpose for visiting London which involves another orphan who disappeared there while on her way to the school. Meanwhile, Miles is also searching for his missing gossip columnist.

The two agree to work together to find both missing persons which leads them into the underworld or London and the world of prostitution and murder. 

I enjoyed this historical romance which was filled with all sorts of Victorian detail. 

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

Audiobook Review: Charmed by Nora Roberts

Charmed
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Cristina Panfilio
Series: The Donovan Legacy (Book 3)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (March 15, 2014)
Length: 7 hours and 1 minute

Description A young woman hides her talents—and herself—from the world until a man who’s already lost enough for a lifetime reminds her that any broken heart can be healed with hope and love in Charmed, a Donovan Legacy novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts.

Anastasia Donovan is an empath of powerful sensitivity, feeling the pain and despair of everyone she encounters. Overwhelmed, she’s chosen to close off her gift and avoid relationships at all costs. But now a new next door neighbor threatens Ana’s solitude. Widower Boone Sawyer is a devoted father to his six-year-old daughter—and a man possessed of his own gift that casts a spell Ana finds she cannot resist.

My Thoughts: CHARMED is the third book in the Donovan Legacy. Anastasia Donovan is the youngest Donovan cousin. She's an herbalist and healer who, after suffering heartbreak when telling the man she loved about her gifts, has chosen to live alone and quietly. 

Boone Sawyer is a widower with a six-year-old daughter who moves into the house next door. He's an author of children's fantasy books. His daughter Jessie has never met a stranger and quickly gets to know Annie. 

Boone is intrigued by the quiet beauty next door and wants to get to know her. The couple fall in love but Annie's secret could end things between them. 

I enjoyed catching up with the Donovan's again. Annie's older cousins have found their loves and are building strong marriages and families. In fact, the birth of Morgana and Nash's twins are a central part of this story. 

The characters are well-developed and well-rounded people. I enjoyed the magic and romance that infused this story. 

I bought this one as a Chirp Audiobook May 12, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Murder at Cottonwood Creek by Clara McKenna

Murder at Cottonwood Creek
Author: Clara McKenna 
Series: Stella and Lyndy Mystery (Book 7)
Publication: Kensington (November 25, 2025)

Description: Far from England and their beloved Morrington Hall, Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst and his American wife, heiress and equestrian Stella Kendrick—now Lady Lyndhurst—find fossils and murder in Montana . . .

Led by his passion for paleontology, Lyndy’s father, Lord Atherly, has traveled all the way to Montana, to explore the fossil-rich horse ranch owned by Stella’s mother, Katherine, and her second husband, Ned Smith. Urged by Lady Atherly to look after her husband, Stella and Lyndy follow in his wake. Stella is excited to be reunited with her mother, and Lyndy is eager to experience the real “Wild West.” Both are equally thrilled to participate in a fossil dig.

But when a local man who was guarding the dig site overnight is found the next morning dead in a creek bed, the couple fear his death may not have been an accident—especially when things get wilder still. The paleontologist on the dig has his notebook stolen, several fossil bones disappear, and a second body is found in the research tent.

No one is above suspicion—a rival paleontologist up to some skullduggery, members of their own crew, even Lord Atherly himself. Stella and Lyndy must keep digging to unearth the clues that will expose a killer in their midst—before more bones must be buried . . .

My Thoughts: Stella and Lyndy have traveled to Montana to visit Stella's mother and to reconnect with Lord Atherly who is hunting for fossils on the horse ranch owned by Katherine and her husband Ned Smith. 

Lyndy, who is fan of dime novels, is eager to see cowboys and buffalo and is a little disappointed that those days are gone. But he makes do by taking part in ranch activities and his father's fossil dig. 

There are problems. The local man who was guarding the site at nights and working as an assistant by day is found dead. The death looks suspicious to Stella and the local sheriff, but the coroner who is the local banker convinces the inquest board that it was an accident. 

When a younger paleontologist also dies in a suspicious way, Stella is convinced that he was also murdered. Determining who caused his death uncovers a variety of suspects. A reporter eager (or desperate) to send fascinating stories back East for his paper and an unscrupulous rival paleontologist lead the field of suspects. But there is also a man running a scam of selling his horses and then claiming they were stolen who could also be in the mix. 

This episode of the Stella and Lyndy mysteries is filled with danger and action, but they find their way to the solution of the mystery in this mystery set in 1906 Montana.

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? (November 17, 2025)

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.

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 nice late Fall week. There were cold days but lovely blue skies. The leaves have all fallen from the trees. No snow has fallen yet and stayed on the ground which is always a good thing in my opinion. 

I had a nice week with a lot of time for reading and listening since I had no appointments. I thought I had finished with my December review books but accepted a review book that releases on December 30 when it was offered this week. I also accepted three more review books, but they won't be released until March and April.

I bought a trilogy from Chirp this week. Actually, Chirp had the first two books on sale and Audible had the third on sale. I had read the books of the Lost Night Files by Jayne Ann Krentz as review copies in 2022, 2023, and 2024 but hadn't revisited them since. Krentz is a favorite author. I enjoy her romantic suspense titles and like the paranormal bent of the trilogy. 

My November calendar has all of my reviews scheduled. I finished the last of the November reviews this week. The only posts left to do are these Monday reports. 

It looks like December is going to be a finish-up month. I'd like to finish the rest of The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I've read the first two and have two to go. I already have the Kindle copies but may use some of my Audible credits when it comes time to read the last two. I'd also like to listen to the final two books in The Lost Night trilogy by Krentz. And I have two more of the Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffith to read. I also have all four historical romances in the Black Cobra Quartet on my Kindle. I'm currently reading book 2. 

December also looks like it might be heavy on audiobooks. I already have seven audiobook reviews scheduled with potentially four more in my tentative plans. 

I had planned to listen to Nora Roberts' Sign of Seven trilogy, but I didn't care for the recording quality of the second book. I may have to dig into my stack of Nora Roberts print books if I choose to go on with the trilogy. I know I have them somewhere in my shelves and shelves of Nora Roberts books. 

Read Last Week

• The Snow Lies Deep by Paula Munier (Review, December 2) -- 7th Mercy Carr mystery set in Maine at Christmas. Someone is killing Santas. My review will be posted on November 26.
• The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Audiobook, Mine since November 7) -- Very popular fantasy in the book world. I enjoyed this one. My review will be posted on November 29.
• Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Audiobook, Mine since November 5, 2025) -- Second book in The Naturals series. Teens with special talents work for the FBI to solve cold cases but find themselves solving a hot one. My review will be posted on December 4.

• Civilized Behavior by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Kindle, mine since November 13, 2025) -- This chapbook contains three stories set on Colemeno which is the setting for three of the authors' recent novels. This duo is an auto-buy and "drop everything and read" author for me. 
• Gutter Mage by J. S. Kelley (Kindle, mine since September 18, 2025) -- This epic fantasy was an engaging story with great world building. My review will be posted on November 27.
• The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (Chirp Audiobook, mine since December 4, 2024) -- Two rival authors find themselves snowed in at an estate in Scotland where they have to solve the disappearance of a famous author. Nice romance with great banter, My review will be posted on December 16.

• A Grave Deception by Connie Berry (Review, December 9) -- 6th Kate Hamilton mystery. An extremely well-preserved body is found at an archaeological dig with odd grave goods, the lead archaeologist is murdered, and the dig's sponsor wants to find out what happened to his wife who disappeared nine years earlier. My review will be posted on December 2.
• Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge (Audiobook, mine since November 1) -- First Phyllida Bright mystery. She's Agatha Christie's housekeeper. The setting is England 1930. My review will be posted on December 18.
• Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz (Mine since November 11, 2025) -- First romantic suspense title from the Lost Night Files trilogy. My review will be posted on December 16.

Currently

• The Elusive Bride by Stephanie Laurens (Mine since August 6, 2025) -- Second in the Black Cobra Quartet
• Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths (Mine since July 8, 2025) -- Third in the Harbinder Kaur mysteries

Next Week

I have a number of possibilities. I plan to read whatever strikes my fancy this week. 

Reviews Posted

• A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan (Audiobook)
• The Queen Who Came in from the Cold by S. J. Bennett (Review Copy)
• The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts (Review Copy)

• Blood Oath by Steve Urszenyi (Review Copy)
• At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Review Copy)
• Midnight in Memphis by Thomas Dann (Review Copy)

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

Review:

• The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey (Review, December 30)
• A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn (Review, March 3)

• Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn (Review, April 14)
• Liar's Creek by Matt Goldman (Review, April 21)

Bought:

• Pawn by Timothy Zahn (BookBub, $1.99)
• Civilized Behavior by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Kindle, $6.00)

• The Time Traders by Andre Norton (BookBub, $1.99)
• Middle of the Night by Riley Sager (BookBub, $1.99)
  

Audiobooks:

• Shattering Dawn (The Lost Night Files, Book 3) by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audible, $5.60)
• The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz (The Night Files, Book 2) by Jayne Ann Krentz (Chirp, $4.99)
• Sleep No More (The Lost Night Files, Book 1) by Jayne Ann Krentz (Chirp, $4.99)

What was your week like?

Audiobook Review: A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

A Death in Door County
Author: Annelise Ryan

Narrator: Susan Bennett
Series: Monster Hunter Mysteries (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (July 18, 2023); Penguin Audio (September 30, 2022)

Length: 10 hours and 20 minutes

Description: A Wisconsin bookstore owner and cryptozoologist is asked to investigate a series of deaths that just might be proof of a fabled lake monster in this first installment of a new mystery series by USA Today bestselling author Annelise Ryan.

Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin, has a hobby. When she’s not tending the store, she’s hunting cryptids—creatures whose existence is rumored, but never proven to be real. It’s a hobby that cost her parents their lives, but one she’ll never give up on.

So when a number of bodies turn up on the shores of Lake Michigan with injuries that look like bites from a giant unknown animal, police chief Jon Flanders turns to Morgan for help. A skeptic at heart, Morgan can’t turn down the opportunity to find proof of an entity whose existence she can’t definitively rule out. She and her beloved rescue dog, Newt, journey to the strait known as Death’s Door to hunt for a homicidal monster in the lake—but if they’re not careful, she just might be its next victim.

My Thoughts: Police Chief Jon Flanders comes to Morgan Carter to hire her because he has a problem. There have been some strange deaths both human and animal that look to be caused by some sort of large, unknown creature. 

Morgan is a cryptozoologist who also runs an eccentric bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin. She is a professional skeptic who searches for cryptids despite not being at all sure she believes in them. Morgan takes the job. She and Jon and Morgan's rescue dog Newt begin to investigate what is going on near the strait known as Death's Door. 

The story was action packed, and information packed too. I learned a lot about cryptids and the numerous shipwrecks that litter the lake bottom near Door County. Morgan is an interesting character who is wary of human relationships especially romantic relationships. She recently lost her parents who were murdered. She was briefly accused of the crime since she couldn't convince the cops that her boyfriend was the likely suspect. He was romancing Morgan for her substantial riches and, it turns out, flying under an assumed name and identity. 

This was a fun story that is the first in a series. 

I bought the Kindle copy July 23 and the audiobook August 18. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

I had just wiped some dust from Henry's hat (dusting him was a regular Saturday chore) and was cursing my decision to move his corpse closer to the entrance when the bell over the door tinkled.

Friday 56:

"But why?" I said, a mostly rhetorical question. I was merely thinking aloud. "If the men weren't killed for food, why were they killed? It doesn't fit with typical animal behavior."

This week I am spotlighting A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan. This is a recent addition to my TBR pile. Here is the description from Amazon:

A Wisconsin bookstore owner and cryptozoologist is asked to investigate a series of deaths that just might be proof of a fabled lake monster in this first installment of a new mystery series by USA Today bestselling author Annelise Ryan.

Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin, has a hobby. When she’s not tending the store, she’s hunting cryptids—creatures whose existence is rumored, but never proven to be real. It’s a hobby that cost her parents their lives, but one she’ll never give up on.

So when a number of bodies turn up on the shores of Lake Michigan with injuries that look like bites from a giant unknown animal, police chief Jon Flanders turns to Morgan for help. A skeptic at heart, Morgan can’t turn down the opportunity to find proof of an entity whose existence she can’t definitively rule out. She and her beloved rescue dog, Newt, journey to the the strait known as Death’s Door to hunt for a homicidal monster in the lake—but if they’re not careful, she just might be its next victim.

ARC Review: The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts

The Seven Rings
Author: Nora Roberts 
Series: The Lost Brides Trilogy (Book 3)
Publication: St. Martins Press (November 18, 2025)

Description: The #1 New York Times-bestselling author Nora Roberts concludes her compelling Lost Bride trilogy as two women—one dead, one alive—prepare for a terrifying final showdown....

Long ago, Arthur Poole built a grand house overlooking the turbulent ocean, in a Maine village that bore his name. Today, Sonya MacTavish lives in that house—a manor that has been cursed for generations. Within its walls, she has witnessed the deaths of seven brides and the thefts of seven wedding rings. And now, to break the curse and banish a malevolent spirit once and for all, a difficult task must be completed.

After Sonya, her boyfriend, Trey, and their friends are forced to hear, see—and feel—the suffering of the house’s many ghosts as their torment is reenacted by the evil presence, their bond only strengthens and their anger is renewed. Refusing to let her spirit be broken, Sonya searches each room for clues to her ancestors’ hidden story, putting the picture together, unearthing small treasures, and uncovering the moments of joy that existed among the sorrows. She’s determined to bring light to this haunted place—to fill it with people, with life and hope, once again.

But the enemy in the black dress continues to hover, to come at her in frightening forms. They may be illusions—but illusions can be powerful enough to wound and kill. She feeds on fear, and lies are her weapon. This dark-hearted witch wants to be mistress of Poole Manor, at any cost. And Sonya will need to fight a battle across two realms to finally take possession of the house on the clifftop—and of her own future....

My Thoughts: The finale of the Lost Brides trilogy was a satisfying conclusion to the series. Sonya MacTavish and her best friend Cleo along with their boyfriends Trey and Owen need to find a way to defeat the evil witch who has caused the deaths of seven past brides. They need to find a way to recover the wedding rings the witch stole as a start to defeating her.

This episode was much less about the romances between the two couples and much more about their quest to defeat the witch who is escalating her manifestations. Sonya and Cleo are assisted by a number of ghosts who have been part of the mansion since it was built from some of the various brides to some of the household staff. 

Sonya is determined to claim the house from the witch one room at a time by filling the house with light and love. The descriptions of the house, the furniture, and gardens and the mementos of the previous residents are frequent and touching. 

This book was downright scary! The witch's attempts to force Sonya out of the house were very spookily described in great and scary detail. The love between the characters was the underlying foundation that gave them all the strength to battle the evil. 

I love the way the characters interact. I love the respect and love that permeates the story. 

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

ARC Review: At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

At Midnight Comes the Cry
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Series: Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries (Book 10)
Publication: Minotaur Books (November 18, 2025)

Description: New York Times bestseller Julia Spencer-Fleming returns to her beloved Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series

It’s Christmas time in Millers Kill, and Reverend Clare Fergusson and her husband Russ van Alstyne - newly resigned from his position as chief of police – plan to enjoy it with their baby boy. On their list: visiting Santa, decorating the tree, and attending the church Christmas pageant. But when a beloved holiday parade is crashed by white supremacists, Clare and Russ find themselves sucked into a parallel world of militias, machinations and murder.

Meanwhile, single mom and officer Hadley Knox has her hands full juggling her kids and her police work. She doesn’t want to worry about her former partner – and sometimes lover – Kevin Flynn, but when he takes leave from the Syracuse PD and disappears, she can’t help her growing panic that something has gone very wrong.

Novice lawyer Joy Zhào is keeping secrets from her superiors at the state Attorney General’s Office. She knows they wouldn’t condone her off-the-books investigation, but she’s convinced a threatening alt-right conspiracy is brewing – and catching the perpetrators could jump start her career.

NYS Forest Ranger Paul Terrance is looking for his uncle, a veteran of the park service gone inexplicably missing. He doesn’t think much of an ex-cop and out-of-town officer showing up in his patch of the woods, but he’s heard the disturbing rumors of dangerous men in the mountains.

In New York Times Julia Spencer-Fleming's latest novel, as Christmas approaches, these five people will discover their suspicions hang on a single twisting thread, leading to the forbidding High Peaks of the Adirondacks. As the December days shorten and the nights grow long, a disparate group of would-be heroes need to unwind a murderous plot before time runs out.

My Thoughts: The tenth book in the Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series begins at a Thanksgiving parade and winds its way through the Advent season as the pair gets involved with white supremacists. Newly resigned from his position as Millers Kill Chief of Police Russ is eager to spend time with his wife and 8-month-year-old son Ethan while thinking about what he wants for his future. Meanwhile, Clare is busy with the Christmas season at her church.

Neither Clare nor Russ expects to see white supremacists driving a decorated tractor at the Thanksgiving parade. Nor does Russ expect to need to break up the fight that ensues when one of the spectators takes exception. And Clare befriends the wife despite her radical views and befriends the wife of another supremacist when she meets her.

Meanwhile, Officer Hadley Knox is trying to manage her kids and grandfather while trying to find out what happened to Kevin Flynn who went off to the Syracuse police force and disappeared off the radar after taking part in an undercover operation. She enlists Russ to try to find Kevin who discovers that Kevin might have continued the undercover operation along with novice lawyer Joy Zhao. 

Clues lead to the Adirondacks where Forest Ranger Paul Terrance is searching for his missing uncle who is also a ranger. He, Russ and Hadley meet and search and discover more than they had expected.

All of these characters converge on the Adirondacks and discover plans for a terror attack that will take all their skills to stop. 

I enjoyed this story which managed to showcase a large cast of characters as they each make decisions for their future. I liked the way the various threads were woven together. 

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

ARC Review: Midnight in Memphis by Thomas Dann

Midnight in Memphis
Author: Thomas Dann
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (November 18, 2025)

Description: In this Southern noir, two detectives forge an unlikely alliance as they strive to bridge the racial divide and catch a killer hell bent on revenge.

Set against a historical backdrop of mid-century racial inequality and political turmoil, this thriller is perfect for fans of William Kent Krueger and Greg Iles.

1955, Memphis. Homicide detective Burdett Vance is trying to outrun his past, but working in the homicide division always ends up bringing in new waves of horror. Now an unknown killer is reaping retribution for decades of lynching by targeting the daughters of rich white families in Memphis. When Vance is assigned to the case, he’s also put in charge of a new trainee, Officer Eustace Johnson.

Eustace Johnson has been recently "promoted" and as one of the few Black men on the force this is the latest publicity stunt of the police department. Forced to work together, Vance and Johnson must catch the rampaging killer in a city roiling with racial injustice and a fight to control the crumbling local politics.

Then Emmeline Bryce, Vance’s old flame, becomes the killer’s next target. With Emme’s life on the line, Vance and Johnson must confront their deepest fears and darkest desires before the city ignites into chaos and the blissful vision of a better future disappears forever.

Readers of James Lee Burke will delight in this bitingly smart thriller full of intrigue and age-old animosities.

My Thoughts: It's 1955 in Memphis, Tennessee, and homicide detective Burdett Vance is dealing with a case of white women being discovered floating. They have nylons tied around their necks holding a beer bottle and a note which seems to indicate they were killed in tribute to the many lynchings of Black men. The note is signed the Mound Builder.

The death of the local kingpin has resulted in a new scramble for power. Burdett's captain wants his share. To claim the Negro vote, he has advanced Eustace Johnson, one of the few Negro cops on the force, to be Burdett's partner in the investigation. He's pulled Burdett's former partner into his own squad supposedly hunting down Communists but actually looking for the kingpin's cash stache. 

Eustace has his own agenda. He joined the police force after his World War II stint as a Tuskegee airman in order to track down the men who murdered his younger brother Caleb. He has been working on unsolved Negro murders in his free time since he joined the force. He did tip off Burdett about one of the two men who killed his brother resulting in the man's imprisonment. He has his eye on the second man and is hoping to maneuver Burdett into arresting him too.

As Burdett and Eustace hunt for the killer, it soon becomes apparent that Burdett's old girlfriend Emme is in the middle of things. After dumping Burdett, she took up with the kingpin and then was shunned by all her cronies when the kingpin died. Now she's back and hoping to rekindle things with Burdett.

This was an engaging historical mystery. I liked the Memphis setting. Burdett was an interesting character: a lover of the Blues, a man with a strong sense of justice, and a man with secrets and heartaches as a big part of his past. I also liked Eustace who was willing to take all the abuse by White officers in order to get justice for his brother. 

Fans of historical mysteries set in the deep, dark South will enjoy this one. 

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

ARC Review: Blood Oath by Steve Urszenyi

Blood Oath
Author: Steve Urszenyi
Series: Special Agent Alexandra Martel (Book 3)
Publication: Minotaur Books (November 18, 2025)

Description: In this action-packed thriller, Special Agent Alex Martel's fight becomes personal when her father is abducted by rebel forces.

In the heart of Africa, CIA Special Agent Alexandra Martel’s safari with her father spirals into a deadly game of betrayal when he is kidnapped by rebels. Suddenly, her peaceful Serengeti vacation transforms into a desperate race against time. As the general is held by local rebels, Russian mercenaries and Chinese MSS operatives descend on East Africa, all hunting the military secrets locked in her father’s mind.

Alex assembles an elite team to navigate the treacherous terrain, but complications arise when her CIA boss, Caleb, shows up unexpectedly, stirring feelings she’s tried to bury since her husband’s death. As competing forces close in, Alex uncovers betrayals stretching from the Serengeti to the highest levels of global intelligence. Trust becomes as scarce as water in the African savanna.

With enemies converging from all sides, Alex must embrace her darkest instincts to save her father. But in a world where allies become enemies, and nothing is as it seems, how much of herself is she willing to sacrifice to honor the bonds of blood?

My Thoughts: CIA Special Agent Alexandra Martel is on safari with her father in Africa when he is kidnapped. David Martel is a retired four-star general who has been working a on secret project for the United States. Alex will do anything to get him back. 

General Martel is being held by a group of local rebels. He was kidnapped at the request of the Russians who want him out of the way of their attempts to claim more and more of Africa. He should have been killed, but the rebels see an opportunity to sell him to the Chinese who want information about the project he is working on. 

A variety of US intelligence forces are mobilized to get General Martel back, but Alex resents every moment they are collecting data and making plans. She wants to take a small group to get her father back. She doesn't know that US intelligence is willing to, and planning to, kill General Martel rather than let the information in his head get to the country's enemies. 

This series is a combination of Ian Fleming's James Bond for its action hero and Tom Clancy's technothrillers with its gadgets. It is alternate history but set in the current day. I enjoy Alex who is a real action hero with a clear knowledge of herself and her abilities. 

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

ARC Review: The Queen Who Came in from the Cold by S. J. Bennett

The Queen Who Came in from the Cold
Author: S. J. Bennett
Series: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates (Book 5)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (November 11, 2025)

Description: Amateur sleuth Queen Elizabeth II is back on the case in 1960s England in the fifth installment of this historical mystery series the New York Times Book Review calls “sheer entertainment,” perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Richard Osman.

1961, England.

The Queen is spending a night on board the royal train with her entourage and her sister, Princess Margaret. But before they reach their destination, an unreliable witness claims to have seen a brutal murder from one of the carriages.

The Queen and her assistant private secretary, Joan McGraw, get to work on their second joint investigation. No one else saw the crime. If there is a victim, could he be the missing photographer friend of Margaret’s new husband, Tony Armstrong Jones?

This time, the Cold War threatens to undermine the Queen’s upcoming visit to Italy. She and Joan must tackle dark forces that follow them all the way, in a tale of spies, lies, and treachery.

This charming mystery will be perfect for fans of The Crown and Miss Marple.

My Thoughts: It is 1961. The Queen is on the Royal train when Princess Margaret's temporary lady in waiting claims she sees a murder from the windows of the train. No one else saw the crime and Sandra Pole isn't the most reliable of witnesses. 

However, Her Majesty recruits her Assistant Private Secretary Joan McGraw to look into the case. Joan has to fit it in between a Royal visit to Italy and the upcoming visit of the new American President John F. Kennedy to England. 

The victim turns out to be a friend of Margaret's new husband Tony Armstrong-Jones. The victim seems to be involved in espionage as he seems to have been planning to get a Soviet defector into England using the Royal yacht as an escape vehicle.

I loved the way the Queen and Joan work around other members of the Royal Household and the intelligence services to keep Her Majesty's name out of the investigation despite her substantial help in solving the case. 

I loved the historical detail in the story. The Space Race is heating up with the Soviets putting a man in space before the Americans can and, incidentally, leaving the Brits well behind.

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? (November 10, 2025)

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.

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

Other Than Reading...

And so it begins... I woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground and snow falling in big puffy flakes. Earlier in the week, the forecast was for up to an inch of snow. Unless it starts up again later in the day, we are going to fall short of that. 

After watching the Vikings play football on Sunday and watching The Voice on Monday, I turned off the television and concentrated on reading and listening. I listened to four audiobooks and read five books on my Kindle including the final two books on my November review stack and the first book on my December stack. 

I'm entering into a short stretch of being able to choose what I want to read from my massive TBR pile. Deb asked how I choose. I don't really have a system. I generally look at my To Read collection on LibraryThing and put what I'm in the mood for on the calendar. Here's what my December calendar looks like today:

Asterisks indicate unfinished posts. All I'm sure of right now is the audiobooks. I have four already read and the posts ready to go. The other audiobooks are subject to change, but I think I want to finish the trilogy that began with Blood Brothers. I've also had a partial post for The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter hanging out in my partial posts for months waiting until I read it in December. 

I think I'm going to do something unusual for me. I am going to choose something to read and read enough of it to decide I want to finish the book before I set up the post on my blog. I'm feeling a little uncertain since I do like to plan ahead, but I'm going to give this method a try for my December reading. 

This will be another week of the Vikings on Sunday and The Voice on Monday and then reading and listening. I don't have any appointments on the calendar. Depending on the snow, I might not leave the house. Trips to the grocery store which is about a mile away from my house might still happen. Today I'm planning to make Broccoli Cheese soup, and I know I have all the ingredients. I might dust off my skills and make some bread too this week. 

Both my brother and I are fighting colds with coughs. Soup sounds like a good idea! 

Read Last Week

• Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts (Audiobook, mine since October 14) -- First in a contemporary paranormal romantic suspense trilogy. My review will be posted on November 27.
• The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews (Review, November 25) -- Second in the Crinoline Academy series which is set in the Victorian period. It is a romance with some mystery attached. My review will be posted on November 19.
• Vows and Villainy by Elizabeth Penney (Review, November 25) -- Contemporary romantic suspense/cozy mystery set in Scotland. Fifth in a series. My review will be posted on November 20.

• Lark! The Herald Angels Sing by Donna Andrews (Audiobook, mine since November 13, 2022) -- A baby found in the creche during a rehearsal for the children's Christmas pageant begins this 24th Meg Langslow humorous mystery. My review will be posted on December 2.
• To Kill a Badger by Shelly Laurenston (Kindle, mine since September 18) -- Humorous urban fantasy/romance filled with honey badgers, lions, bears, and wolves. My review will be posted on November 22.
• Second Sight by Amanda Quick (Audiobook, mine since March 7) -- First in the Arcane Society series which combines the paranormal with romance. My review will be posted on December 4.

• All My Bones by P. J. Nelson (Review, December 2) -- Second in the Old Juniper Bookshop series. Former actress and current bookstore owner needs to prove a new friend innocent of murder when a body is found buried in front of the bookstore. My review will be posted on November 25.
• The Residence: Inside the Private World of The White House by Kate Andersen Brower (Kindle, mine since March 19, 2017) -- Kate Brower interviews many of the butlers, maids, cooks, etc. who work at The White House and have through many administrations. What comes through the most is the dedication and pride of those who served the House and the Presidents. My review will be posted on December 9.
• Naked in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook, Mine) -- I felt like a reread of the first book in the In Death series. I love the romance and the mystery. 

Currently

• The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Audiobook, mine since November 7)
• The Snow Lies Deep by Paula Munier (Review, December 2)

Next Week

• Gutter Mage by J. S. Kelley (Kindle; mine since September 18)
• A Grave Deception by Connie Berry (Review, December 9)
• The Elusive Bride by Stephanie Laurens (Kindle; mine since August 6)

• Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Audiobook; mine since November 5)
• Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths (Kindle; mine since July 8)
• Challenges by David Weber (Kindle; mine since November 4)

Reviews Posted

• Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop (Review copy)
• Wild Instinct by T. Jefferson Parker (Review copy)
• Innocence Road by Laura Griffin (Review copy)

• Revenge, Served Royal by Celeste Connally (Review copy)
• Haze by Katharine Kerr (Review copy)
• Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree (Review copy)

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

Review:

• Axe and Grind by Tayor Hutton (Review, January 6)
• Storm Tide by Paul Doiron (Review, June 30)

Bought:

• A Fae in Finance by Juliet Brooks (BookBub, $1.99)
• Solid Gold Murder by Ellen Byron (BookBub, $1.99)

• The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis (BookBub, $2.99)
• Challenges by David Weber ($6.99 after Kindle Rewards)

• The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Audible Credit0
• Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Audible Credit

What was your week like?