ARC Review: Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

Summer Reading
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Publication: Berkley (May 16, 2023)

Description: When a woman who’d rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay's new rom-com.

For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she’s tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there’s no place Sam, who has dyslexia, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library’s interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.

Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he’s never known. He’s taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn't interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can’t stop thinking about her.

An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she’s always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.

My Thoughts: Samantha Gale has quit her job as a chef after being passed over for promotion and is spending the summer on Martha's Vineyard chaperoning her half-brother while their parents take their dream vacation to Europe. She is dyslexic and feels that her disability is the reason she wasn't promoted. 

Now, she's spending time with the brother she barely knows given their fourteen-year age difference. She's chauffeuring him to robotics camp at the local public library and reconnecting with old friends. The new library director is Bennett Reynolds who has come to Martha's Vineyard on a quest to find the father he never knew. His mother who is a famous artist has been downright obstructionist about sharing information with him. 

As Sam and Ben search for any information about Ben's father, they fall in love. But Sam wonder if a woman who doesn't read can have any sort of future with a book loving guy. 

I loved the relationship between Ben and Sam. I also loved Sam as a character who is so used to seeing herself through the eyes of her disability that she can't see herself as the strong, intelligent, friendly woman that she actually is. It takes Ben's encouragement and acceptance to let her see herself as others see her.

I liked the author's note at the beginning which talks about dyslexia. The book itself is designed to be friendly for dyslexics with a sans serif font and some other accommodations including bold print instead of italics and different word spacing. 

Favorite Quote:

"It just makes sense to me," I said. "Taking ingredients and making something new out of them, something that didn't exist before, that tastes amazing and sustains the body, it feels like a special sort of magic."

"Magic. That's how I feel when I read a book," he said. "It's like opening a portal into another world, allowing me to escape the one I'm trapped in."

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

ARC Review: A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen

A Novel Disguise
Author: Samantha Larsen
Series: A Lady Librarian Mystery
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (May 16, 2023)

Description: When Miss Tiffany Woodall assumes the identity of her half-brother after his death, she realizes she isn’t the only one with a secret to hide in this historical series debut, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Sherry Thomas.

1784 London. Miss Tiffany Woodall didn’t murder her half-brother, but she did bury him in the back garden so that she could keep her cottage. Now, the confirmed spinster has to pretend to be Uriah and fulfill his duties as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian while searching Astwell Palace for Uriah’s missing diamond pin, the only thing of value they own. Her ruse is almost up when she is discovered by Mr. Samir Lathrop, the local bookseller, who tries to save her from drowning while she's actually just washing up in a lake after burying her brother.

Her plan is going by the book, until the rector proposes marriage and she starts to develop feelings for Mr. Lathrop.  But when her childhood friend, Tess, comes to visit, Tiffany quickly realizes her secret isn’t the only one hidden within these walls.  The body of a servant is found, along with a collection of stolen items, and someone else grows mysteriously ill. Can Tiffany solve these mysteries without her own disguise being discovered? If not, she’ll lose her cottage and possibly her life.

My Thoughts: When Tiffany Woodall's older half-brother Uriah dies in the night, Tiffany decides to bury him in the garden and assume his identity as the librarian for the Duke of Beaufort. If she doesn't, she'll lose her home and be thrown on the parish for charity. 

She is almost caught the very first night of her deception when bookseller Samir Lathrop catches her swimming in the Duke's lake to clean up after grave-digging and attempts to "rescue" her. She gradually fits herself into life at Astwell Palace but things begin to get difficult when one of her childhood friends comes to visit and she needs to find a way to be both herself and her brother.

More problems come when the slimy vicar decides that Tiffany will make an excellent third wife and mother to his fourteen children. And still more problems arrive when a larcenous maid dies after taking poisoned snuff and the footman who takes the maid's snuffbox gets sick. Tiffany realizes that her brother's death was also caused by poisoned snuff instead of his usual stomach complaints as she had first believed. 

Now Tiffany needs to find out who murdered the maid and her brother while keeping her identity secret from everyone including Mr. Lathrop who has introduced her to novels and been a friend to her. 

This was an entertaining historical mystery set in the 1700s in England. There was interesting historical detail especially regarding people of color in England at that time. I also enjoyed reading about the various costumes and make-up of the day and the criminal justice system. 

Favorite Quote:

"Ah, Tiffany," Tess said in her usual bright voice. "You've found your way back, but now we have lost Mr. Woodall."

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

Audiobook Review: First Truth by Dawn Cook

First Truth
Author: Dawn Cook
Narrator: Marguerite Gavin
Series: Truth (Book 1)
Publication: Ace; Reissue edition (May 28, 2002); Blackstone Audio (April 23, 2010)
Length: 356 p.; 13 hours and 21 minutes

Description: Alissa doesn't believe in magic. Her father's stories about the Hold, a legendary fortress where human Keepers learn magic from the enigmatic Masters, are just that stories. But her mother insists Alissa has inherited her father's magical ability, so she must go to the Hold to be trained. On her way, she crosses paths with Strell, a wandering musician from the plains. Though Alissa is not sure she can trust a plainsman, Strell has something Alissa needs one of her father's old maps. Traveling together, they can reach the Hold before the snow sets in. But they don't know that the Hold is nearly empty. The Keeper Bailic has sent the Masters on a fool's errand and systematically killed the other Keepers in his search for the First Truth, a book of magic that will give him ultimate power. And he believes that Alissa and Strell hold the secret of the book's hiding place.

My Thoughts: This epic fantasy/coming of age novel follows the adventure of Alissa and Strell. Alissa is the daughter of a Keeper but her father has been missing for years. She is also a half-breed. She's not accepted by the local villagers. When her mother determines that she has inherited her father's magic, she insists that Alissa travel to the Hold for training. 

Along the way she meets Strell who is a Plainsman who has been sent away from his family to work as a bard. He has just learned that his whole family was lost in a flood and is wondering what to do with the rest of his life. He was given a map by Alissa's mother in a trade. Alissa wants that map since she knows it was made by her father and she is able to read it. 

The two team up to find their way to the Hold before winter overtakes them. There they learn that the sole inhabitant is Bailic who has killed or imprisoned the rest of the Keepers and has been searching for a magical book for many years. Alissa's father had the book but hid it before entering the Hold and being murdered by Bailic. Now Alissa wants to find his book at least as much a Bailic wants it.

This was an entertaining story with lots of magic and adventure. I liked the growing relationship between Strell and Alissa. I liked the worldbuilding. My only complaint is that this is the first of four books and thus leaves all sorts of plot threads hanging. 

I bought this one as a paperback July 5, 2009. The Audible copy was available to me as a part of my subscription. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries
Author: Heather Fawcett
Series: Emily Wilde (Book 1)
Publication: Del Rey (January 10, 2023)

Description: Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, muddle Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all—her own heart.

My Thoughts: Emily Wilde is a Cambridge professor and an expert in the study of faeries. Her latest field expedition has taken her to Hrafnsvik, an island off the coast of Norway, where she intends to study the Hidden Ones who are an almost mythical variety of faerie. She wants to add a chapter about them to her great work, her encyclopedia of faeries. 

She gets off to a rather bad start because she manages to alienate the local villagers. She is great with faeries but not at all great with people. When her rival scholar Wendell Brambleby comes to the same island to horn in on her study, he quickly becomes popular with the villagers. 

Emily's vast knowledge of faerie and folk tales comes in handy when she finds a way to help a couple who have become the parents of a changeling child. And her knowledge is really helpful when she manages to rescue two young women who have been captured by the Hidden Ones. However, she needs some help herself when she releases a faerie king cursed into a tree and who decides to "reward" her by making her his wife after she frees him. 

I enjoyed this first-person account, as told through her journal entries, of a young woman who is a wonderful scholar but vastly confused by the people around her. I found her relationship with Wendell Brambleby intriguing. I enjoyed learning his secret. 

Fans of fantasy will enjoy this engaging story and be eager to follow Emily and Wendell's further adventures when the sequel is released.

Favorite Quote:

My life has been one long succession of moments in which I have chosen rationality over empathy, to shut away my feelings and strike off on some intellectual quest, and I have never regretted these choices, but rarely have they stared me in the face as bluntly as they did then.

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 8, 2023)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

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

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

Other Than Reading...

We've had a cold rainy week. It is foggy and misty as I'm writing this on Sunday morning. The weather kept me indoors reading and watching baseball from sunnier places. I also had two different doctor's appointments this week. One was really short and gave me an excuse to do some shopping at Walmart on the way home. The second was longer and downtown which made it inconvenient for shopping after since our downtown isn't filled with places to shop. 

I have gotten back into my In Death Rereadathon and am currently listening to book 50 with six more to go before I'm caught up and waiting until September for the next book. I have used Audible Credits, a couple of Audible $10 coupons, and Whispersync from Amazon to get the audiobooks of the rest of the In Death series. I already had the Kindle copies. 

Because I want to catch up, I'm not scheduling in any other audiobooks for the coming week. I am planning to read three titles that I've had since 2009 and 2010. I also have some early June review copies that I want to read. 

I don't know how much I'll be able to read since I have two more doctor's appointments this coming week too. I expect each of the appointments to carve at least two-hour chunks out of my day. I may have a couple of minutes to read in waiting rooms though. 

Read Last Week

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

• Leverage in Death by J. D. Robb (In Death Rereadathon; Book 47)
• Connections in Death by J. D. Robb (In Death Rereadathon; Book 48)

• The Poisoner's Ring by Kelley Armstrong (Review; May 23) -- The second in A Rip Through Time series. Engaging mystery with lots of Victorian detail. My review will be posted on May 17.
• Mrs. Nash's Ashes by Sarah Adler (Review; May 23) -- Excellent contemporary romantic comedy. My review will be posted on May 18.
• The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman (Review; May 23) -- First is a new historical mystery series. Engaging characters and interesting cases which draw from Regency social issues. My review will be posted on May 18.

• Vendetta in Death by J. D. Robb (In Death Rereadathon; Book 49)
• The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths (Mine) -- 3rd Ruth Galloway mystery. Great characters and interesting plot. My review will be posted on May 20.

Currently

• A Killer's Game by Isabella Maldonado (Review; June 1)
• Golden in Death (In Death, Book 50) by J. D. Robb (Audiobook)

Next Week

• Final Cut by Marjorie McCown (Review; June 6)
• A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari (Review; June 6)
• Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman (Mine since October 28, 2009)

• Unknown by Rachel Caine (Mine since February 2, 2010)
• The Queen's Weapons by Anne Bishop (Mine)
• The Cipher by Diana Pharaoh Francis (Mine since July 5, 2009; new audiobook)

Reviews Posted

• Undone by Rachel Caine
• The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas (Audiobook)
• Playing It Safe by Ashley Weaver

• A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong (Audiobook)
• Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco
• The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

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

Review:

• Misfortune Cookie by Vivian Chen (June 27)
• Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong (September 12)

• Rumor of Evil by Gary Braver (October 10)
• Second Term by J. M. Adams (October 17)

Bought:

• Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley (Kindle copy of a book I reviewed)
• Into the Broken Lands by Tanya Huff (BookBub; $1.99)

• The Naked Eye by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen (Kindle Daily Deal)
• Blink of an Eye by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen (BookBub; $1.99)

• Golden in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook; Whispersync)
• Faithless in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook; Audible $10 Coupon)
• Abandoned in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook; Whispersync)

• Connections in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook; Whispersync)
• Forgotten in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook; Audible $10 Coupon)
• Vendetta in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook; Whispersync)

What was your week like?

Book Review: The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone
Author: Elly Griffiths
Series: Ruth Galloway (Book 2)
Publication: Mariner Books; First edition (January 10, 2012)

Description: It’s been only a few months since archaeologist Ruth Galloway found herself entangled in a missing persons case, barely escaping with her life. But when construction workers demolishing a large old house in Norwich uncover the bones of a child beneath a doorway—minus its skull—Ruth is once again called upon to investigate. Is it a Roman-era ritual sacrifice, or is the killer closer at hand?

Ruth and Detective Harry Nelson would like to find out—and fast. When they realize the house was once a children’s home, they track down the Catholic priest who served as its operator. Father Hennessey reports that two children did go missing from the home forty years before—a boy and a girl. They were never found. When carbon dating proves that the child’s bones predate the home and relate to a time when the house was privately owned, Ruth is drawn ever more deeply into the case. But as spring turns into summer it becomes clear that someone is trying very hard to put her off the trail by frightening her, and her unborn child, half to death.

My Thoughts: Newly pregnant and dealing with morning sickness, Forensic Archaeologist Ruth Galloway is called to a dig to examine a headless skeleton to determine its age. She is also called to a construction site, a former children's home, to examine another headless skeleton of a child. Since this one is obviously recent, in archaeological terms, DCI Harry Nelson is called in with his team to investigate. 

Ruth hasn't yet told Nelson that the baby she's carrying is his, the result of a one-night stand. When she does, she has an interesting result. Nelson wants to be part of the baby's life but doesn't want to blow-up his marriage or his relationship with his two teenage daughters. Ruth and Nelson clearly have a lot of things to work out. It further complicates things when Nelson's wife develops a friendship with Ruth and wants to help her out with her pregnancy. I'm curious about how her attitude could change when she finds out that her husband is the father.

Religion from ancient Celtic head cults to Roman beliefs to the modern-day Catholic Church plays a part in this story. Nelson, a lapsed Roman Catholic, has his own prejudices to deal with when he interviews the priest who used to run the children's home. And Ruth who doesn't believe in religion perhaps because of her born-again Christian parents has prejudices of her own.

The mystery was intriguing as was the information about the Ancient Romans in Britain and archaeology in general. 

Favorite Quote:

'Why a diver?' asks Ruth. 'There's no water there now.'

'We can't be sure of that,' says Nelson. 'Because he's insured and we don't actually have a police wishing-well division.'

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

Friday Memes: The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

A light breeze runs through the long grass at the top of the hill. Close up, the land looks ordinary, just heather and a coarse pasture with the occasional white stone standing out like a signpost. But if you were to fly up above these unremarkable hills you would be able to see circular raised banks and darker rectangles amongst the greens and browns -- sure sign that this land has been occupied many, many times before.

Friday 56:

The woman next to her snored continually, but unevenly, so Ruth was unable to fit the noise into a soothing background rhythm. She had nothing to read and eventually this need became so pressing that she asked the nurse for something, anything, with words on. The nurse came back with Hello! magazine so Ruth spent the rest of the night reading about footballers' weddings and obscure Spanish royalty to the accompaniment of jagged grunts from the bed next door.

This week I am spotlighting The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths. I recently discovered this series and am really enjoying it. Here is the description of the book from Amazon:

It’s been only a few months since archaeologist Ruth Galloway found herself entangled in a missing persons case, barely escaping with her life. But when construction workers demolishing a large old house in Norwich uncover the bones of a child beneath a doorway—minus its skull—Ruth is once again called upon to investigate. Is it a Roman-era ritual sacrifice, or is the killer closer at hand?

Ruth and Detective Harry Nelson would like to find out—and fast. When they realize the house was once a children’s home, they track down the Catholic priest who served as its operator. Father Hennessey reports that two children did go missing from the home forty years before—a boy and a girl. They were never found. When carbon dating proves that the child’s bones predate the home and relate to a time when the house was privately owned, Ruth is drawn ever more deeply into the case. But as spring turns into summer it becomes clear that someone is trying very hard to put her off the trail by frightening her, and her unborn child, half to death.