ARC Review: (Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall

(Mostly) Human Resources
Author: Grace Viall
Publication: Alcove Press (August 4, 2026)

Description: A debut slow-burn work-nemesis romance set in a world where cryptids and monsters are a part of life . . . and someone has to do the paperwork.

Working in human resources was not what Alexys had in mind when she joined Entity, the private company that categorizes and manages the world’s cryptids. But after her dad was killed on the job as a Warden in the Appalachian Mountains, she was filled with noble ideas of carrying on his legacy . . . from the safety of a desk. Alexys dreams of climbing the corporate ladder while managing the Appalachian Wardens and sparring with Nic, the frustrating (and annoyingly attractive) Director of Research and Cataloging.

When one of Alexys’s new Wardens goes missing after inquiring about a mysterious and highly dangerous monster, her chances of promotion disappear along with him. Determined to save her career—and to shield the Warden’s family from the trauma she experienced after losing her father on the job—she marches off into the monster-infested wilderness to find him herself.

Meanwhile, Nic, with ambitions of becoming the youngest Entity employee to discover a new monster, follows Alexys on her hunt. But the work nemeses are about to discover why the Appalachian Mountains are the last place you want to find yourself after dark. Among mountains older than bones, the jackalopes and ghouls are the least of their worries . . .

My Thoughts: Alexys Keane works for Entity, a private company that categorizes and manages the world's cryptids, in the Human Resources Department. Her father was a Warden who was killed in the line of duty. She wants to honor his memory by working for the same company, but she doesn't want a file job as a Warden. She prefers managing other Wardens. 

When one of her Wardens goes missing, Alexys is forced into the field to track down what happened to him. He went off chasing a new monster even after she told him not to do so. The monster Elliot went chasing is one that Nic who is in charge of research has been researching for many years. Finding proof of its existence would do great things for his career. So, he heads off to the field to "help" Alexys.

Alexys doesn't want help from her annoying colleague. But she's not a field worker and Nic does have those skills. The two find themselves in the Appalachians and surrounded by more monsters than either of them ever anticipated. Along the way, Alexys discovers that beneath his annoying mannerisms is a man she could fall in love with if they both survive. 

I enjoyed the variety of cryptids in the story and the adventures the characters had. The descriptions of the landscapes and the inclusions of a wide variety of mythological creatures made the story interesting to read. I also liked the way the relationship grew between Alexys and Nic as they were forced to work together if either was to survive.

I did think that the ending of the story was a little abrupt with some pretty major issues left unresolved. However, indications are that this is the first of a series. Also, the description states that this is a romantic fantasy, but it seems rather short on romance for that category. Fantasy, yes. Romantic fantasy, not so much. 

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

Audiobook Review: The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz

The Night Island
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Narrator: Eva Kaminsky
Series: The Lost Night Files (Book 2)
Publication: Recorded Books (January 9, 2024)
Length: 8 hours and 23 minutes

Description: The disappearance of a mysterious informant leads two people desperate for answers to an island of deadly deception in this new novel in the Lost Night Files trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz.

Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers, bonded by a night they all have no memory of, are dedicated to uncovering the mystery of what really happened to them months ago--an experience that brought out innate psychic abilities in each of them. The women suspect they were test subjects years earlier, and that there are more people like them--all they have to do is find the list. When Talia follows up on a lead from Phoebe, a fan of the trio's podcast, she discovers that the informant has vanished.

Talia isn't the only one looking for Phoebe, however. Luke Rand, a hunted and haunted man who is chasing the same list that Talia is after, also shows up at the meeting place. It's clear he has his own agenda, and they are instantly suspicious of each other. But when a killer begins to stalk them, they realize they have to join forces to find Phoebed the list.

The rocky investigation leads Talia and Luke to a rustic, remote retreat on Night Island in the Pacific Northwest. The retreat promises to rejuvenate guests with the Unplugged Experience. Upon their arrival, Talia and Luke discover guests are quite literally cut off from the outside world because none of their high-tech devices work on the island. It soon becomes clear that Phoebe is not the first person to disappear into the strange gardens that surround the Unplugged Experience retreat. And then the first mysterious death occurs...

My Thoughts: Talia March is following up a tip to the list she and her partners at the Lost Night Files podcast are searching for when she discovers that her informant is missing. Luke Rand, who suffered a lost night of his own, is also looking for the informant and the list. The two are immediately suspicious of each other but agree to team up mostly to not let the other get a head start on the investigation.

Clues lead them to an isolated island off the Washington coast where they discover even more mysteries and, unfortunately for Talia, more dead bodies. Finding bodies has been a consequence of having her psychic abilities ramped up during her lost night. 

Luke's ability to read people via their emotions has also ramped up. Now, he is afraid that he has become a psychic assassin who can kill people with his talent. Talia tries to convince him that he's wrong because an ability still requires choice, and she knows he won't choose to become an assassin. Unfortunately, Luke wasn't the only one who had his powers ramped up to become an assassin and the other man who feels his ramp up was more successful is determined to kill Luke.

Not only do Talia and Luke have to deal with the psychic assassin but Night Island was once the site of botanical experiments, and the plant life has gone feral and dangerous. Avoiding an assassin and lethal vegetation give Talia and Luke a strong incentive to work together and learn to trust each other and, finally, to admit that they love each other.

This is the second of a trilogy which means that readers of the first book have more information about the ultimate evil doer who is behind both characters' lost nights and what the ultimate aim is. It was entertaining to watch Luke and Talia gather more pieces of the bigger puzzle as they fell in love.

I bought this one April 6. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty

Time Travel for Beginners
Author: Jaclyn Moriarty
Publication: Berkley (August 4, 2026)

Description: In her dazzling new novel, award-winning author Jaclyn Moriarty asks the question, if you could revisit one moment in your life, what would it be?

On a bustling road in Sydney, Australia, lies a nondescript storefront known simply as the Time Travel Agency. Inside, you’ll be welcomed by the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, a selection of baked goods…and the question, Where in time do you wish to go?

The guidelines are simple: you can go whenever you wish into the past, and there’s no fear of altering the present. Have tea with Jane Austen, scream at a Beatles concert, witness the Olympics in ancient Greece. Perhaps a more personal trip? Visit your long-lost grandmother, recapture the heady days of your youth, return to the idyllic time when your teen was a babbling baby—or watch yourself make the one decision that changed everything.

Is it a hoax? And if it’s real, what’s the catch?

When single mother Anna is offered a job at the agency, she glimpses the possibility of happiness. Meanwhile, Teddy’s a customer hoping to untangle his recently imploded marriage. And Jade, who has a deeply buried secret, despises the agency for offering false hope.

In Jaclyn Moriarty’s incandescent novel, Anna, Teddy, and Jade leap headlong into time, hurtling on a crash course toward one another. At turns entertaining and illuminating, Time Travel for Beginners explores the moments, big and small, that shape our destiny.

My Thoughts: TIME TRAVEL FOR BEGINNERS was an enjoyable fantasy story. Anna is a single mother with an unfulfilling job. When she is hit by a car, she takes it as a sign to change her life. She is led to the Time Travel Agency for her new job. She isn't sure she believes in time travel but has an enjoyable time planning literary tours for herself and others to enjoy. 

Anna has a thirteen-year-old daughter who is coping with a new school and trying to expand her friend pool. She's having some problems and Anna decides to let the school counselor know. Her daughter sees her mother's help as interference and relations between the two of them deteriorate. 

Teddy is a customer of the Time Travel Agency who is eager to go back in time and see why his new wife decided to run off with his brother. He wonders if there is a way to save his marriage through trips to his past. Of course, his already fraught relationship with his brother is another casualty. 

Then there is Jade who has lost her creativity and who attends mentoring sessions with a woman whose office is above the Time Travel Agency. Jade also has a thirteen-year-old daughter at the same school and Anna's daughter. 

The stories are intertwined and twist together in various ways. I was eager to see the decisions the characters made and how their stories twisted together. 

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

ARC Review: Death on the Books by Victoria Gilbert

Death on the Books
Author: Victoria Gilbert
Series: Blue Ridge Library Mysteries (Book 10)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (August 4, 2026)

Description: A sleuthing library director is on the case when a patron drops dead in the tenth installment of Victoria Gilbert’s critically acclaimed Blue Ridge Library mysteries.

When a stranger falls over dead in the Taylorsford Public Library, clutching a crumpled piece of paper inscribed only with the words hen and sapphire, Library Director Amy Muir must once again investigate. She soon learns that the man is the personal assistant to Warren Sanderson, an art collector and dealer who just so happens to be visiting Kurt Kendrick, the godfather of Amy’s twins.

When the autopsy reveals that the library patron was poisoned, suspicion falls on those who knew him—mainly Sanderson, his granddaughter Heather, and Kurt. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, Amy digs into the contentious relationships between Kurt and the Sandersons. But as it turns out, suspects abound, and when Amy’s best friend’s boyfriend is implicated, the case becomes even more complicated.

Amy’s research ties the dead man’s note to a lost treasure of the Romanov empire. Then another person falls victim. With the bodies piling up, Amy knows better than anyone that killers often keep killing until they’re caught, and she’ll stop at nothing to get to the bottom of this tangled mystery.

My Thoughts: Amy's next case comes to her when a man wanders into the Taylorsford Public Library one evening and dies right in front of her. She soon learns that he was an assistant to Warren Sanderson who is an art collector and dealer who is visiting Amy's friend Kurt Kendrick. Amy notices a rather cryptic note that the man dropped. 

Amy wants to stay out of the murder investigation. She is perfectly content to just do a little research for the sheriff. But things don't work out quite the way Amy would wish. The note leads to a missing Faberge egg and a clue to the egg's whereabouts might be hidden in one of her aunt's deceased husband's paintings which Sanderson would really like to buy. 

That's just one of the twists in this 10th Blue Ridge Library Mystery. I enjoyed catching up with Amy and her growing family in this one. Many characters from earlier books in the series also have large roles to play in this one. 

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

ARC Review: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

A Trade of Blood
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Series: Ana and Din (Book 3)
Publication: Del Rey (August 4, 2026)

Description: Detective Ana Dolabra must prove a condemned man’s innocence and confront a terrifying magical technology in this fantasy-mystery from the bestselling author of The Tainted Cup, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy awards.

The heir to one of the Empire’s most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. His hands are covered in the victim’s blood, and he can neither deny his guilt nor explain his actions.

But if the great detective Ana Dolabra cannot save him from the noose, the farming canton of Sapirdad will explode into war, threatening to plunge the whole Empire into starvation and chaos.

As Ana investigates—her assistant Dinios Kol, as ever, acting as her eyes and ears—she fears her task is even more daunting than it seemed. For this murder is just the latest in a deeper, subtler web of death, woven by a mastermind with an ancient weapon at his disposal.

With their customary skill, Ana and Din pursue their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses. Yet even they are not prepared to learn the horrifying secret behind their opponent’s powers.

My Thoughts: Ana and Din's next case takes them into the third ring to investigate a murder that could lead to a revolt. It's a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing. The only remaining heir to one of the great agricultural families is found running away from a room where the daughter of the other major family lies butchered. 

The boy says he doesn't remember what happened and Ana and Din believe him. As they investigate, they find that a number of other deaths in the boy's family were also suspicious. The more they look into things the more confusing things get for Din. It seems a common agricultural tool which compels cat-like creatures to harvest crops seems to have been adapted to make humans also compelled to do things - like commit murder.

This fantasy mystery is set in a well-developed fantasy world. I enjoyed both the mystery and the world it was set in. 

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

ARC Review: Probable Caws by Donna Andrews

Probable Caws
Author: Donna Andrews
Series: Meg Langslow Mysteries (Book 39)
Publication: Minotaur Books (August 4, 2026)

Description: Readers will flock to New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews's next installment in the award-winning Meg Langslow series.

Meg has finally found time to get some blacksmithing done when a call from her dad interrupts her--can she come out to Ragnar’s right away to help with the horses? Their friend Ragnar Ragnarsen, who is gradually turning the enormous house on his nearby estate into an authentic moated castle, has agreed to shelter nearly fifty horses for Hoof and Hearth, an equine rescue organization that has lost access to the farm where the horses have been living. The owner of the farm recently died without leaving a will, and while his older son Abel would be happy to let the horses stay, younger brother George wants to sell to a developer . . . and is suspected of sending a thug to harm the horses as part of his efforts to evict Hoof and Hearth.

That night, while Meg and her family are camping at one of Ragnar’s barns, to keep an eye on the horses, they discover that the thug has been murdered. Unfortunately George is alibied . . . but his horse-loving brother Abel is not. Neither are the hot-tempered founder of Hoof and Hearth or the passionately protective ex-jockey who serves as its stablemaster. Meg juggles helping keep the horses safe and doing what she can to help the chief solve the thug’s murder . . . all the while hoping that the killer won’t turn out to be one of the dedicated horse rescuers she has come to like and respect.

My Thoughts: The 39th Meg Langslow mystery begins with a phone call. Meg's father calls her to come to Ragnar's to help with the horses. When she arrives, she learns that Ragnar has volunteered to help Hoof and Hearth house their rescue horses. Abel Abernathy has been hosting them on his farm but his father recently passed away without a will and now the farm belongs to both Abel and his brother George. George wants the horses gone and the farm sold to developers. 

Abel fears that his brother might do harm to the horses and wants them safe until the inheritance can be settled. The founder of the rescue is upset and testy because of it. She's more likely to be alienating donors than finding new ones. 

When a man is found dead in one of the horse barns, at first it looks like it is George. It turns out the be George's chief henchman instead. It would be good if the killer turned out to be George, but he's alibied. Unfortunately, neither Abel nor the rescue founder have alibis. 

This was another excellent episode in the series. There are lots of humorous moments including Meg's grandfather deciding to paint patterns on some of the wildlife to see if the patterns discourage flies. Meg's twins get into decorating the animals. Then there is the horse who is excellent at opening gates and untying knots. There are some heartbreaking moments too as the abused horses are described. 

Fans of the series will enjoy this latest episode. 

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? (July 27, 2026)

 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...

We have air conditioning! The new system was installed last Wednesday. Friday through Monday was hot with temperatures in the mid-80s to 90 degrees, but the air quality had improved so that I could at least open the windows and run my fans. The temperature broke on Tuesday with a high of only 73 and an overnight low of 49 which gave the house a chance to cool off. Wednesday was also in the high 70s. Right now, we're under a heat advisory again but the new AC is working like a champ. 

I spent a lot of the first part of the week reading and sweltering and of the last part of the week reading, listening to audiobooks, and basking in the cool of the house. Next week should be the same with some record keeping happening at the end of the week when a new month starts. 

My brother and I are planning to eat out at Texas Roadhouse one day this week since I got a really good coupon in the mail that expires on August 1. He has a weird work schedule this week with Monday, Wednesday, and Friday off. I don't know which day we'll go out. I did try out a new recipe yesterday which had enough leftovers for another meal if we get a chance to eat together on the days he works. He gets to choose what we'll eat on his days off and cook it too. 

I had a DNF this week. The blurb sounded good: romantasy and LGBPT+ but the execution didn't work for me. I read to 42% and got very tired of both viewpoint character's constant fantasizing about sex with the other viewpoint character. The fantasizing dominated what could otherwise have been a fun adventure story set in an interesting fantasy world. 

Even with the DNF, I read four review copies and added two more to the stack. My review stack now sits at 41 books. If I don't add any more and I'm currently turning down more requests than I'm accepting, I should make good progress this week with the September 8 releases. Five of the six books on the stack for this week are by authors I've read and enjoyed before. 

Read Last Week

• Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols (Review, August 18) -- The second case for the eccentric detectives of the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective. My review will be posted on August 11.
• Night Candy by Max Tomlinson (Audiobook, Mine since July 18) -- Fifth in the Colleen Hayes mysteries set in San Francisco in 1979. My review will be posted on August 14.
• And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Audiobook, Mine since July 19) -- Second chances at both careers and love are the focus of this contemporary romance. My review will be posted on August 21. 

• For Services Rendered by Will Thomas (Review, August 18) -- Historical mystery, 17th in a series with lots of references to old cases and the reappearance of a villain long thought dead. My review will be posted on August 13.
• Going Rogue by Janet Evanovich (Kindle, Mine since June 1, 2023) -- 29th in the humorous Stephanie Plum contemporary mystery series. My review will be posted on August 12.
• The Bravest Hour by Anna Lee Huber (Review, August 25) -- Finale of the Dublin story arc for former espionage agent Verity Kent and her husband Sidney. My review will be posted on August 18.

• Dark Summer by Iris Johansen (Mine) -- I've had the Kindle and Audiobook since June 14, Both were one sale. This slightly paranormal romantic suspense title was an early book by the author. I liked it. My review will be posted on August 27,
• The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury (Review, September 1) -- Oxford, 1951. A girl from the upper classes and an ex-soldier from a coal mining town are teamed up to solve a murder and root out the person selling secrets to the Russians. My review be posted on August 25.

DNF

• Homeward for a Spell by Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos (Review, August 18) -- I abandoned this one at 42% when I decided I couldn't read one more page of the main character's sexual fantasies and unrequited desires. 

Currently

• The Long Call by Ann Cleaves (Mine, Kindle since May 28, Audiobook since July 21)
• Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot (Review, September 8)

Next Week

• The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg (Audiobook, Mine since July 21)
• The Chase by Felix Francis (Review, September 8)
• Those Who Are Gone by Laurie R King (Review, September 8)

• Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima (Review, September 8)
• Fury in Death by J. D. Robb (Review, September 8)
• The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle (Review, September 8)

Reviews Posted

• The Seance Garden by Juliet Blackwell (Review copy)
• Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (Review copy)
• Dachshund Through the Snow by David Rosenfelt (Audiobook)

• Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath (Review copy)
• Fossil Feud by Maggie North (Review copy)
• Falling Awake by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)

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

Review:

• Murder in the Upper Crust by Mindy Quigley (Review, October 27)
• Birth of the Witch by Nora Roberts (Review, November 17)

Bought:

• Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich (Kindle, Free after Kindle Rewards)
• The Lady Jewel Diviner by Rosalie Oaks (Kindle, $.99)
• The Long Call by Ann Cleaves (Audiobook, Audible Credit)

• Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis (Kindle, $2.99)
• The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg (Audiobook, $4.71)

What was your week like?

Audiobook Review: Dachshund Through the Snow by David Rosenfelt

Dachshund Through the Snow
Author: David Rosenfelt

Narrator: Grover Gardner
Series: Andy Carpenter (Book 20)
Publication: Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio (October 1, 2019)

Length: 6 hours and 42 minutes

Description: This Christmas, lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, can't say no to helping young Danny and his dachshund, Murphy.

Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife, Laurie, have started a new Christmas tradition. Their local pet store has a Christmas tree, where instead of ornaments there are wishes from those in need. One poignant wish leads Andy to a child named Danny, whose selfless plea strikes a chord. Danny asked Santa for a coat for his mother, a sweater for his dachshund, Murphy, and for the safe return of his missing father.

It turns out Danny’s father doesn't want to be found, he’s on the run after just being arrested for a murder that took place fourteen years ago – a murder that Danny’s mother swears he didn’t commit.

With his trademark humor and larger-than-life characters – including a police officer and his K-9 partner, Simon – Rosenfelt never fails to deliver as Andy and his eccentric crew dash to reunite a family in time for Christmas.

My Thoughts: Andy has two different cases in this holiday entry into the Andy Carpenter mystery series. First of all, Laurie's friend Corey Douglas is getting ready to retire after 25 years in the police department, but his K-9 Simon Garfunkel still has one year to go before he can be retired. Corey wants Andy to find a way to get Simon out of the police department since his efforts to go up the chain of command to get this done has failed. 

The second case is a lot more complicated. Laurie has picked up a wish from a local pet store from a boy named Danny who wants a coat for his mother, a sweater for his dachshund Murphy, and for his father to come home.

Being an investigator, Laurie is willing to work on the toughest part of the wish and find out why Danny's father can't come home. It turns out that he has been arrested for a fourteen-year-old murder. Noah Trainor was dating Kristen McNeil at the time of her murder. They had a physical fight which left DNA evidence under her fingernails, but Noah claims she was alive when he last saw her. It wasn't until recently that Noah's DNA entered the system when a relative sent DNA to one of those websites to find out about their ancestry. 

Andy, Laurie and the rest of what will soon by the K-Team - Marcus and Corey - need to find out who really murdered Kristen or at least provide reasonable doubt that it wasn't Noah. Bodies start dropping all around them as they investigate the tech firm where Kristen worked then and where her former boyfriend still works. 

This was another engaging thriller with adorable dogs and yet another chance for David Rosenfelt to name drop one of his own books into the story. Andy's desire for retirement and general snarky attitude make this one fun. 

I bought the Kindle copy October 3, 2022, and the audiobook June 5, 2020. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Falling Awake by Jayne Ann Krentz

Falling Awake
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Narrator: Amanda Cobb
Publication: Recorded Books (July 7, 2015)
Length: 10 hours and 55 minutes

Description: A dream interpreter and her mysterious client find themselves in a waking nightmare in this romantic suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz

As a dream interpreter at the Belvedere Center for Sleep Research, Isabel Wright has never lacked attention from the opposite sex. Of course that's because they're hoping she'll shed a little light on their dreams. Lately, however, she's been pining for a man she's never met. She knows him only as Client Number Two and his most intimate dreams have captured her imagination...

But everything goes south when her boss drops dead at his desk and Isabel loses her job—until Client Number Two finally pops up, asking all kinds of questions. His name is Ellis Cutler, and he's even sexier than she imagined him. He's convinced there's a sociopath on their trail, but fortunately that doesn't stop him from introducing Isabel to a passion wilder than she's ever known. Drawn into a web of desire, betrayal, and murder, Isabel and Ellis now have to find the killer before they find themselves falling far too deep...

My Thoughts: Isabel Wright is a dream interpreter for the Belvedere Center for Sleep Research. She was hired by the eccentric owner of the center despite her lack of academic credits and past job at a psychic hotline. When the man who hired her is found dead, his son who is the new owner is quick to fire her. 

Isabel actually only had two clients, but their fees made up a large percentage of the center's budget. When the new owner learns this, he wants Isabel back, but she is already exploring other career opportunities. 

Ellis Cutler is her Client Number 2. He is convinced that a sociopath is on their trail and needs Isabel's help to find him. Finding him might be difficult because, to everyone but Ellis, he is not only dead but cremated. 

Ellis and Isabel fall in love but have to dodge a lot of danger before they can find their way to a happy ending. 

This was a longer story, originally published in 2004, that had some of the seeds that have grown to more prominence in Krentz's later works. The story centers around lucid dreaming and the rare people who are able to reliably to that. It also features a secretive government agency doing research into using dreams to track down killers. Ellis worked for the agency and still freelances for it but is mainly a venture capitalist these days. The agency is Client Number 1 on Isabel's schedule. 

This was an enjoyable story with a variety of interesting characters.

I bought this audiobook December 3, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Fossil Feud by Maggie North

Fossil Feud
Author: Maggie North
Publication: Dell (July 28, 2026)

Description: The hunt for fossils—and love—is on in this steamy, STEMinist romance about two opposing paleontologists who join forces to prevent a fraudulent dinosaur discovery, but accidentally dig up feelings for each other along the way.

Renegade paleontologist Ripley Adams is this close to digging up a fossil treasure and vindication. She’s spent the last three years in academic exile after her ex-boyfriend stole her work, betrayed her trust, and broke her heart in one fell swoop. If she can unearth a complete specimen of her newest discovery—a never-before-seen missing link between dinosaurs and birds—it will put her back on the map and finally restore her ruined reputation.

But when unfairly hot Oxford professor James Smithson crashes Ripley’s dig site, she realizes she’s not the only one searching for redemption in the Montana dirt. James is convinced a splashy new fossil is a fraud, and he needs Ripley’s help to prove it. She’d tell the buttoned-up Brit where to stick his suspicions, but the fake fossil is eerily similar to hers . . . and the fraudster is her ex.

The race is on to reveal a T-rex-sized discovery. Polar opposites Ripley and James will have to find common ground if they’re going to take down a hoax that could ruin them both. And as they dig deeper into their unlikely attraction, Ripley’s excavation boots won’t be the only things getting a little dirty. . . .

My Thoughts: This contemporary romance is buried in the world of paleontology. Ripley Adams is a citizen scientist on the hunt for the fossil link between dinosaurs and birds. She was forced out of her PhD program when she refused to put her boyfriend's name on her groundbreaking paper. She withdrew the paper, was ditched by the boyfriend, and had her reputation ruined by him. 

Ripley has been working with her friend Cara on Cara's grandmother's land. She has found something and is desperate to keep it secret until the right time. But James Smithson, who is an Oxford professor and leading light in the field of paleontology, comes to her asking for help. He had turned down her plea for help three years earlier when all the scandal was going on, so she's reluctant, very reluctant, to help him.

It seems that someone is ready to introduce his discovery of a fossil very similar to the one Ripley is unearthing, but James believes this man is getting ready to commit fraud. Ripley is willing to believe that since the fraudster is her ex. But she has a limited time to finish her excavations before her lease and her sponsor's patience run out. 

As James and Ripley work together to complete both their missions, they fall in love. But Ripley is based in Montana and James in Oxford. He has an excellent reputation in the field of paleontology while hers was trashed by her treacherous ex. 

This was an engaging story. I liked the characters very much and enjoyed the information about paleontology. 

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

ARC Review: Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath

Pride Comes Before a Fall
Author: Virginia Heath
Series: Miss Prentice's Protégées (Book 3)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (July 28, 2026)

Description: In the third installment of this witty Regency romcom series, a headstrong chaperone is torn between following her rigid principles or her heart

Despite his many responsibilities, there is nothing Leopold Sloane, the 11th Duke of Debden, takes more seriously than the safety of those he loves. When one of his sisters is injured at a protest rally, he drags his family to Bath for the summer to keep his reckless and rebellious siblings out of harm’s way. The only flaw in his plan is his overwhelming but inexplicable attraction to the new chaperone he has hired to watch out for them. An outspoken conundrum of a woman who soon causes him more trouble than both his sisters combined...but who calls to his soul regardless.

From the moment Portia Kendall read her first revolutionary pamphlet beneath her bedcovers at Miss Prentice’s School for Girls, she realized that her true calling was to make the world a fairer place for the masses downtrodden by the aristocracy. A calling that led her to Equitas, a radical newspaper that champions reform. But as Portia discovers, writing doesn’t pay the bills. To make a living, she must push aside her principles and serve the very people she criticizes weekly in her column. A temporary position as a chaperone in the home of a pompous duke seems like the perfect way to earn enough to follow her heart. Unfortunately, the duke who hires her seems to be more dashing and noble than pompous and soon begins to call to her heart too―as much as she tries to deny it. But dare she risk her principles for love or will her pride always come before a fall?

My Thoughts: The third in the Miss Prentice's Protégée's series stars Portia Kendall. Portia has been determined to reform society since she read Mary Wollstonecraft's treatise on the rights of man when she was a lonely sixteen-year-old learning to be a governess. Her zeal for reform has only grown in the eight years since. Now, she has a chance to be the assistant editor of Equitas after a move to Bath. Unfortunately, the position is unpaid which means she needs to find a job.

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Leo Sloane is the 11th Duke of Debden and he has a problem. He needs someone to ride herd on his two younger sisters. One is a budding reformer and the other has a marked penchant for men in uniform. Despite having a number of highly qualified candidates for the position of social secretary and chaperone, Leo hires Portia.

Determined to never marry and having a marked dislike of dukes, Portia falls in love with Leo despite her need to lie to him about just about everything. Leo has also fallen in love with a woman he's afraid he can't protect from the dangerous things she does in her quest for reform.

This was an engaging story filled with all sorts of information about the social upheaval surrounding the rights of man and judicial reform. I found both of the main characters to be well-written and sympathetic characters. I could understand both of their viewpoints and the problems that ensued when those viewpoints clashed. 

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

ARC Review: Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst

Sea of Charms
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Series: The Spellshop (Book 3)
Publication: Bramble (July 28, 2026)

Description: Sarah Beth Durst brings cozy fantasy romance to the high seas in Sea of Charms, the third magical adventure in the New York Times bestselling Spellshop series!

Marin has always belonged on the great blue sea

Betrayed by love, Marin lives and works as a supply runner, sailing from island to island, delivering an array of goods with Perri the sea serpent and Ree the sailor shrub as her crew.

On one of her routine trips to the capital, Alyssium, Marin finds a revolution underway―and her friend Dax in the line of fire.

What starts as a rescue evolves into a deal: Marin will keep Dax on as a member of her crew if he pretends to be her boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home.

But against her better judgment, Marin finds herself intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, his charming smile―and realizes that perhaps she isn’t saving him. Maybe it’s the other way around.

Sea of Charms is a cozy fantasy romance about finding your crew, your family, and moreover, finding yourself.

My Thoughts: SEA OF CHARMS is the third book in Durst's Spellshop cozy fantasy series. The main character is Marin who is a supply runner on her own boat. She fell in love with the wrong man and would have been bankrupt along with her parents if she had found out about his plans. She learned a lesson that love and relationships couldn't be trusted. 

Because she had always loved the sea, her parents made a deal with a local sorcerer and set her up with her own boat. On her first voyage, she rescued a sea serpent that she named Perri. The two work together to pay off her parents' debt to the sorcerer. 

One of her trips takes her to Belde to deliver and enchanted statue at the request of the head librarian of Alyssium, the capital city. There she picks up a crew member who happens to be a sentient plant. Ree has always dreamed of being a sailor and Marin doesn't want to keep him from his dreams. 

The next time they go to Alyssium which is the business center around which Marin's work circles, they find themselves in the middle of a revolution. Marin has a friend named Dax at the music conservatory and she is worried about his safety. She takes him and his friends to another island for safety. Dax asks to travel with her for a while. 

Marin is afraid to fall in love since she felt her last failed relationship was her fault and she's still dealing with the consequences. But Dax gradually finds his way into her heart. The quartet - Marin, Dax, Ree, and Perri - have a lot of adventures and learn a lot about themselves. Together they form a found family and gradually Marin puts her fears behind her for new adventures. 

This was a wonderful cozy fantasy. The characters were engaging and realistic despite their very fantasy-like appearances. The world building was magical. Filled with talking plants, flying cats, and unicorns that give milk which is made into magical cheese, the story was heartwarming and hopeful. 

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

ARC Review: The Seance Garden by Juliet Blackwell

The Seance Garden
Author: Juliet Blackwell
Publication: Berkley (July 28, 2026)

Description: After a cheesy ghost tour in one of California’s oldest towns stumbles upon an actual haunting, a skeptical historian of the occult becomes entangled in solving a murder case.

When Professor Harper Grae loses a bet with a friend, she finds herself on a local nighttime tour of “haunted” locations in Monterey. Harper’s a lifelong non-believer in the occult, though her academic career is devoted to the historical and societal significance of witchcraft, ghosts, and medicinal poisons of all sorts. But her skepticism immediately gets tested when the tour stumbles on the body of local artist Delilah Mason—who’s found murdered on the grounds of a nearly two-hundred-year-old mansion, once home to the infamous Perles family.

On the night Mason’s body is found, Harper catches sight of something in the house that she can’t shake, something that’s impossible to explain, at least not rationally. Soon the murder investigation reveals that this is the second time a woman has been found murdered beneath a sprawling cypress tree in the gardens of the Perles Mansion. And when Harper’s closest friend is questioned by the police, Harper fears the authorities will fail to uncover the real killer.

As Harper asks questions around town and digs deeper into the supernatural speculation and rumors surrounding the murders—two women killed in similar circumstances, separated by nearly two centuries —she sees evidence she can’t ignore that the notorious mansion truly is haunted by the ghost of Isabel Perles.

What will it cost Harper to rethink everything she’s always believed to admit that the veil between the living and the dead might actually be crossed?

My Thoughts: Professor Harper Grae is new to Monterey. She's the only professor of history at a tech college. Her field of study is witchcraft, ghosts, and medicinal poisons. When she loses a bet to a college friend, she is forced to take a ghost tour of Monterey. She doesn't expect to find a woman buried alive on the grounds of a historical adobe nor does she expect to see something in a room of mirrors.

When the buried woman - local artist Delilah Mason - dies, a murder investigation ensues. It turns out that her friend Tariq had a relationship with the artist at one time. Of course, the woman also has an ex-husband, a brother, and a dealer for her art and some other intimate relationships that could provide suspects.

It seems Delilah was also experimenting with using microdoses of various poisonous botanicals to try to cure modern diseases. She was using the tour guide and some of Harper's students to distribute her cures which were a lot more dangerous than she was willing to admit. Botanical poisons is one of Harper's areas of expertise which gives her an insider's knowledge. 

The story was quite creepy as Harper is determined to deny the whole idea of ghosts while seeing a number of suspicious and unexplained things. I liked Harper's skepticism but also liked when she came to realize that she might be wrong. 

This was an entertaining and spooky mystery.

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? (July 20, 2026)

 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 has been a week! It began with very high temperatures for Duluth. We hit 93 both Monday and Tuesday. Then the smoke from the wildfires burning in Canada and Northern Minnesota moved in giving us the world's worst air quality. I think the worst day had and AQI of over 1100.  

Then, with orders to keep windows closed, our 25-year-old air conditioner died. The repair man tried his best, but the compressor can't be fixed. We need to buy a new one with estimated installation no sooner than August 1. Luckily, the air cleared and the temperatures lowered from the 90s to the 80s so we have been able to have the windows open. 

My chronic cough means that I need to stay inside and not breath the nasty air. This means I got a lot of reading and listening done. The All-Star Break helped because I didn't have baseball to watch until Friday. 

I added 8 new books last week. Four of them were new Review copies which means that my goal of lowering my review stack was a fail this week. Since I also read four review books, I stay at 44 review copies on my stack. 

I also added four audiobooks this week. I took advantage of an Amazon Prime perk and changed from a monthly Audible subscription to an annual one. The annual subscription works out to $8.33 a credit and gave me all 24 credits to use immediately. That means that three of my audiobooks this week used Audible Credits. They were also audiobook copies of books that were already on my TBR mountain as Kindle books. The fourth new one was $4.99. It was a retitled reread of a book I read and enjoyed some years ago and the sequel to another books I read this week that just happened to have a cliffhanger ending. 

This coming week has more August review copies on my stack. I'll also be reading a couple from my 2026 TBR pile which currently sits at 21 books. This week should also include some cooking since my brother's shifts this week mean he'll be home for dinner most days. 

Read Last Week

• Murder in Blackfriars by Jennifer Ashley (Review, August 11) -- Cook Kat Halloway gets involved in a murder investigation as she and her fiancé Daniel are trying to discover his past. My review will be posted on August 4.
• The Ruling Class by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Audiobook, Mine since May 11) -- Teen Tess Kendrick is forced to move to Washington, DC, to live with her older sister Ivy and finds herself moving in the world of political movers and shakers. My review will be posted on August 18.
• The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Audiobook, Mine since July 13) -- Sequel to The Ruling Class with even more political intrigue and secrets. My review will be posted on August 20.

• Death at a Scottish Halloween by Lucy Connelly (Review, August 11) -- When two men named Duncan Craig die during the Halloween celebrations, Dr. Em and her Scooby gang are on the case. My review will be posted on August 5.
• The Matchmaker's Cottage by Kat Sloane (Review, August 11) -- Romance marred by the main characters mental issues set in a New York State B&B. My review will be posted on August 6.
• Death of an Irish Druid by Catie Murphy (Audiobook, Mine since April 8) -- Megan is showing some friends around Ireland when she stumbles upon yet another murdered man. This time he's floating in a sacred well. My review will be posted on August 25. 

• You Can Tell Me by Melinda Leigh (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since May 20) -- Spinoff character Olivia Cruz gets her own romantic suspense story. My review will be posted on August 19.
• Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan (Review, August 11) -- PI Annie Gore travels deep into Kentucky to see if the death of a snake handling preacher was the accident it seems to have been. My review will be posted on August 6.
• Make It Out Alive (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since July 16) -- Quinn & Costa go undercover as honeymooners to catch a serial killer, catch him, and then are kidnapped themselves by his previously unknown partner. My review will be posted on August 20.

Currently

• Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols (Review, August 18)
• Night Candy by Max Tomlinon (Audiobook, Mine since July 18)

Next Week

• Homeward for a Spell by Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos (Review, August 18)
• For Services Rendered by Will Smith (Review, August 18)
• The Bravest Hour by Anna Lee Huber (Review, August 25)

• And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Audiobook, Mine since July 19)
• The Oxford Guide to Scandal & Lies by Kate Westbury (Review, September 1)
• The Long Call by Ann Cleves (Kindle for $2.99, Mine since May 28)

Reviews Posted

• Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle (Review Copy)
• Savvy Summers and the Po'boy Perils by Sandra Jackson-Opoku (Review Copy)

• The Twelve Jays of Christmas by Donna Andrews (Audiobook)
• Death at King's Cross by Rosanne Limoncelli (Review Copy)
• Deadly Does It by Abbi Waxman (Review Copy)

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

Review:

• Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose (Review, September 29)
• Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey (Review, October 13)

• Murder at Pellhurst Pond by Clara McKenna (Review, October 27)
• The Riddle Maker by Bruce Borgos (Review, November 17)

Bought:

• Night Candy by Max Tomlinson (Audiobook, Audible Credit)
• And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Audiobook, Audible Credit)

• The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Audiobook, $4.99)
• Make It Out Alive by Allison Brennan (Audiobook, Audible Credit)

What was your week like?