BLOG TOUR - The Christmas Wedding Guest

 

DESCRIPTION:

The last thing Reggie Sommerville wants is to come back home for Christmas. It's only been a year and a half since her boyfriend, Jake, proposed and then broke up with her, all in one weekend, and the prospect of facing the entire town is humiliating. But when her parents reveal that they're renewing their vows in the lavish wedding they always wanted and her mother asks her to be a bridesmaid, Reggie knows she can't say no. No matter how much she wants to. She expected the town would be gossiping about her relationship with Jake, but she never expected to run into Toby, her first love that broke her heart all those years ago, living in town and raising his son. She always thought things between them were long over…but this Christmas is full of surprises.

Dena Sommerville has only ever wanted one thing: to have a child. But motherhood has been alluding her because she never met the right man…until she took the bull by the horns and decided to have a baby as a single mom. She knew it would be difficult and the morning sickness alone is knocking her down for the count, but she’s determined to do this on her own. So when a handsome musician checks into the inn where she works, Dena is surprised when a friendship develops. He has his own issues to work through—that much is clear. But she can’t deny there’s something between them

This Christmas, guilted into being bridesmaids at their parents’ vow renewal ceremony, Reggie and Dena Sommerville just might find the most unexpected gift of all—love.

BUY LINKS:

BookShop.org | Harlequin | Barnes & Noble
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Powell’s

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Title:   The Christmas Wedding Guest

Author:  Susan Mallery

Series:  Wishing Tree #1

Publisher:  HQN

Genre:   Romance

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   432

Date of Publication:   September 28, 2021

My Rating:   4 Stars

Dena and Reggie Somerville are two sisters that have given up on love. For Dena, Mr. Right never showed up, so she has decided to become a single mom, and with the use of medical intervention she will be having a child. She is a schoolteacher and will gladly finish out the school year before the baby arrives. For Reggie, she was engaged but he quickly called it off. 

Now her parents are renewing their vows so she is back in town. The fact that Toby, who was her first love, is back in town is a bit disconcerting. However, it doesn't take either of them long to realize that they still have a connection. What about Dena? Well, there is a songwriter staying at the inn that her family runs and they also have a connection. Is it possible that the two sisters might find their chance at love after all?

Both Toby and Micah have their own stories and baggage that come right along with them, but Reggie and Dena soon find that their lives will indeed change. Love is in the air for both of them.

Reggie still feels a measure of pain from when she and Toby broke up but the two of them are working together on a holiday project while she is in town. Meanwhile, it soon becomes clear as to why Micah might find drawing close to Dena becoming a problem.

This story about finding love in a holiday season was quite enjoyable. The story was very touching and very sweet. I loved how the story went back and forth to both couples and how they find their path to happily ever afters. I wanted so much for them to find love and they did, as this is a romance. 

I love that this book is the first in a new series. The town of Wishing Tree is quite charming and I cannot wait to see other couples and their stories. 

Many thanks to HQN and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan Mallery is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations," and readers seem to agree—40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.

Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She's passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as mom.

Social Links:
Author Website
Twitter: @SusanMallery
Facebook: @SusanMallery
Instagram: @susanmallery
Goodreads

Review - 2 Sisters Detective Agency

Title:   2 Sisters Detective Agency

Author:  James Patterson; Candice Fox

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Format:  Audiobook ARC

No. of Pages:   416

Date of Publication:   October 5, 2021

My Rating:   3 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

From the world's #1 bestselling author comes a thrilling new standalone novel where a detective duo of sisters finds themselves in the crosshairs of a dangerous and lawless group.

Attorney Rhonda Bird returns home after a long estrangement when she learns her father has died. There she makes two important discoveries: her father stopped being an accountant and had opened up a private detective agency, and she has a teenage half sister named Baby. Baby brings in a client to the detective agency, a young man who claims he was abducted. During the course of the investigation, Rhonda and Baby become entangled in a dangerous case involving a group of overprivileged young adults who break laws for fun, their psychopath ringleader, and an ex-assassin victim who decides to hunt them down for revenge.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

She is 15 years old. She vapes. She has an attitude. And now she is the sole responsibility of her half sister. Rhonda Bird is an attorney that is none too pleased that she is now the legal guardian of her half-sister Baby. Rhonda was estranged from her father and she has just learned of his death, and that she has a sister. The first thing Rhonda wonders is why was her father raising Baby when he once abandoned her. That is just one of the reasons that Rhonda immediately resents Baby. Then the fact that Baby is rife with attitude.

Rhonda finds that she must push her feelings aside when someone shows up at their father's detective agency claiming that he was abducted. Yet he is free. What is his story? And what is the mystery involved in his story? Can Rhonda and Baby put their differences aside and work together long enough to get to the bottom of things?

Not only do Rhonda and Baby find themselves involved in this case, they soon find that it ties into a group of youths who commit violent crimes for no reasons other than that they can. The deeper Rhonda and Baby get into the case, the more disturbing they discover that things are. The danger is great and Rhonda and Baby learn that they must begin to trust one another in order to stay safe.

It has been awhile since I have read a James Patterson book that wasn't Alex Cross or The Women's Murder Club. This book, 2 Sisters Detective Agency, was a pretty good read. The level of danger never lets up, especially as the troublesome teens escalate in their violent behavior. Rhonda and Baby's byplay was great although Baby was a typical teenager on the one hand, while acting wise beyond her years on other occasions. 

Those are the good points.

There is a negative, and a very strong one at that. This book is full of fat shaming from beginning to end. Remove that, and the overly precociousness that is Baby and this standalone book would lay a fine groundwork for an enjoyable series.

Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James Patterson has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today with his Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, Private, NYPD Red, Daniel X, Maximum Ride, and Middle School series. As of January 2016, he has sold over 350 million books worldwide and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers. In addition to writing the thriller novels for which he is best known, he also writes children’s, middle-grade, and young-adult fiction and is also the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on the New York Times adult and children’s bestseller lists.

The son of an insurance salesman and a schoolteacher, Patterson grew up in Newburgh, New York, and began casually writing at the age of nineteen. In 1969, he graduated from Manhattan College. He was given a full ride to Vanderbilt University’s graduate program in English but dropped out after a year, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to continue reading and writing for pleasure if he became a college professor.

Instead, he moved to New York to become a junior copywriter for the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, eventually becoming CEO of its North American company.

In 1976, while still working for J. Walter Thompson, Patterson published his first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, with Little, Brown and Company. After being turned down by thirty-one publishers, it won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Patterson’s 1993 novel, Along Came a Spider, his first novel to feature Alex Cross, was also his first New York Times bestseller in fiction.

In 2001, Morgan Freeman starred as Alex Cross in a film adaptation of Along Came a Spider, and Tyler Perry also played the character in the 2012 film Alex Cross. A film adaptation of Patterson’s middle-grade novel Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life was released in theaters in October 2016.

For his initiatives to help kids become passionate readers and for his philanthropic efforts, Patterson was awarded the National Book Foundation’s 2015 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community.

James Patterson has donated more than one million books to students, emphasizing some of the most under-resourced schools and youth programs in the country. In 2015, Patterson donated $1.75 million to public school libraries throughout the United States, $1 million to independent bookstores, and a further $250,000 in holiday bonuses to individual bookstore employees. He also gave $1 million to independent bookstores in 2014.

Patterson has recently donated over $26 million to his and his wife’s alma maters—the University of Wisconsin, Vanderbilt University, and Manhattan College—and he has established over four hundred Teacher Education Scholarships at twenty-four colleges and universities throughout the country. Patterson has also donated over 650,000 books to U.S. soldiers at home and overseas.

In May 2015, Patterson launched a new children’s book imprint at Little, Brown, called JIMMY Patterson, that is unwaveringly focused on one goal: turning kids into lifelong readers. This imprint also provides resources, strategies, and programs to serve teachers, parents, librarians, and booksellers. Patterson invests proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives.

Patterson has also founded ReadKiddoRead.com, a website designed to help parents, teachers, and librarians ignite a new generation’s excitement for reading. Awarded the National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize and the American Library Association’s Great Websites for Kids, the site features thoughtful book reviews from a variety of genres and age ranges, a large and lively Facebook community, and contributions from other authors.

Mr. Patterson’s awards for adult and children’s literature include the Edgar Award, the International Thriller of the Year Award, and the Children’s Choice Award for Author of the Year.

He lives in Palm Beach with his wife, Sue, and his son, Jack.

website / facebook / twitter / instagram / pinterest

- - - - - 

Candice Fox is the middle child of a large, eccentric family from Sydney's western suburbs composed of half-, adopted and pseudo siblings. The daughter of a parole officer and an enthusiastic foster-carer, Candice spent her childhood listening around corners to tales of violence, madness and evil as her father relayed his work stories to her mother and older brothers.

As a cynical and trouble-making teenager, her crime and gothic fiction writing was an escape from the calamity of her home life. She was constantly in trouble for reading Anne Rice in church and scaring her friends with tales from Australia's wealth of true crime writers.

Bankstown born and bred, she failed to conform to military life in a brief stint as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy at age eighteen. At twenty, she turned her hand to academia, and taught high school through two undergraduate and two postgraduate degrees. Candice lectures in writing at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney, while undertaking a PhD in literary censorship and terrorism.

Hades is her first novel, and she is currently working on its sequel. 

Review - Hooked

Title:   Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life

Author:  Sutton Foster

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing

Genre:   Memoir

Format:  Audiobook ARC

No. of Pages:   256

Date of Publication:   October 12, 2021

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

From the 2-time Tony Award-winner and the star of TV’s Younger, funny and intimate stories and reflections about how crafting has kept her sane while navigating the highs and lows of family, love, and show business (and how it can help you, too).

Whether she’s playing an “age-defying” book editor on television or dazzling audiences on the Broadway stage, Sutton Foster manages to make it all look easy. How? Crafting. From the moment she picked up a cross stitch needle to escape the bullying chorus girls in her early performing days, she was hooked. Cross stitching led to crocheting, crocheting led to collages, which led to drawing, and so much more. Channeling her emotions into her creations centered Sutton as she navigated the significant moments in her life and gave her tangible reminders of her experiences. Now, in this charming and poignant collection, Sutton shares those moments, including her fraught relationship with her agoraphobic mother;  a painful divorce splashed on the pages of the tabloids; her struggles with fertility; the thrills she found on the stage during hit plays like Thoroughly Modern Millie, Anything Goes, and Violet; her breakout TV role in Younger; and the joy of adopting her daughter, Emily. Accompanying the stories, Sutton has included crochet patterns, recipes, and so much more!

 

Witty and poignant, Hooked will leave readers entertained as well as inspire them to pick up their own cross stitch needles and paintbrushes.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

When Hooked came into my purview, it grabbed my immediate attention. The summary states that this Tony Award winning actress kept herself sane with her crafting. Oh how I can relate as I have many hobbies. In fact, my online name, Robin Loves Reading and All the Things is because I have so many things besides reading that I enjoy.

With regard to our author, Sutton Foster, who wrote and narrated this audiobook, she used humor and a multitude of crafts to navigate a difficult home life and then a public life once she became an actress.

Coming from a difficult relationship with her mother, to the busy life of being on the stage, Sutton needed her down time. Whether she was crocheting, cross stitching, drawing, or other hobbies, these very activities helped keep her sane. My argument for my life pretty much. I enjoy many of the same hobbies as Sutton, thus this book took on strong meaning for me. I am a brand new cross stitcher so that gave this book even more meaning.

I loved the audiobook narration, but was left wanting a bit as there were things in the PDF version of the book that were not able to be made part of this format. So, at some point I will indeed purchase that version and then do a reread - whether to garner recipes or patterns. 

Beyond learning about how much Sutton enjoyed crafting, this book was rich with various stories that she relayed in an enjoyable manner, thus making her quite relatable. I don't watch much television or watch movies, and have never been to a stage performance, so the name Sutton Foster was new to me. Even so, I found this book thoroughly delightful and one that will definitely be a reread for me.

Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Review - Frankie and Amelia

Title:   Frankie and Amelia

Author:  Cammie McGovern

Publisher:  HarperCollins

Genre:   Middle Grade

Format:  Audiobook

No. of Pages:   304

Date of Publication:   October 26, 2021

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

A heartfelt companion novel to the critically acclaimed Chester and Gus about inclusivity, autism, friendship, and family, perfect for fans of Sara Pennypacker and Kate DiCamillo.

After being separated from his family, Franklin becomes an independent cat, until he meets a goofy dog named Chester. Chester is a service dog to his person, a boy named Gus, and Chester knows just the girl to be Franklin’s person—Gus’s classmate Amelia.

Amelia loves cats, but has a harder time with people. Franklin understands her, though, and sees how much they have in common. When Amelia gets into some trouble at school, Franklin wants to help the girl who’s done so much to help him. He’s not sure how, yet, but he’s determined to try.

This sweet and moving novel demonstrates how powerful the bond between pets and people can be, while thoughtfully depicting a neurodivergent tween’s experience. 

Link to purchase the book 

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Franklin is a cat that has been through quite a lot. He is trying to find his person. It takes awhile, but eventually that person is Amelia. In fact, his best friend, Chester, a service dog, has found his person in Gus, who becomes Amelia's friend. It doesn't take Franklin long to find a very good rapport with Amelia.

Amelia has trouble communicating, but when it comes to Franklin, she is completely comfortable. Adults don't understand Amelia, but Franklin is different. He understands her, just as Chester understands Gus. Additionally, Amelia's parents have gotten her diagnosed after several visits to her doctor. Amelia is autistic and this diagnosis goes a long way making it clear why she has difficulties both at home and at school.

Franklin proves a godsend. He is perfect for Amelia and shows beyond a shadow of a doubt how pets and humans can bond in the most helpful of ways. This touching story will be with me for years to come. This book is perfect for children who have difficulties communicating, whether they are on the spectrum or not.

Many thanks to HarperCollins and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cammie McGovern is the author of two books for young adults, SAY WHAT YOU WILL and A STEP TOWARD FALLING, and two books for middle-grade readers, JUST MY LUCK and CHESTER AND GUS. All feature young people with a variety of disabilities at the center. She has been widely honored for her work advocating on behalf of people with disabilities and her books have been called “joyful, inspiring and unforgettable,” by Katherine Applegate. She has also written three adult novels and is one of the proud founders of Whole Children/Milestones, a resource center for children and young adults with disabilities and their families. She lives in Amherst, MA with her husband and three sons, the oldest of whom is autistic.

Web

Review - My Mother, Munchausen's and Me

 

Title:   My Mother, Munchausen's and Me

Author:  Helen Naylor

Publisher:  Thread

Genre:   Memoir

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   276

Date of Publication:   November 25, 2021

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

There was a time when I loved my mother. It’s shocking to imply that I stopped loving my mum because mothers always love their children and always do their best for them. Mothers are supposed to be good. But my mother wasn’t good.

Ten years ago, Helen Naylor discovered her mother, Elinor, had been faking debilitating illnesses for thirty years. After Elinor’s self-induced death, Helen found her diaries, which Elinor wrote daily for over fifty years. The diaries reveal not only the inner workings of Elinor’s twisted mind and self-delusion, but also shocking revelations about Helen’s childhood.

Everything Helen knew about herself and her upbringing was founded on a lie. The unexplained accidents and days spent entirely on her own as a little girl, imagining herself climbing into the loft and disappearing into a different world, tell a story of neglect. As a teenager, her mother’s advice to Helen on her body and mental health speaks of dangerous manipulation.

With Elinor’s behaviour becoming increasingly destructive, and Helen now herself a mother, she was left with a stark choice: to collude with Elinor’s lies or be accused of abandoning her.

My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me is a heart-breaking, honest and brave account of a daughter unravelling the truth about her mother and herself. It’s a story of a stolen childhood, mental illness, and the redemptive power of breaking a complex and toxic bond. 

Link to purchase the book. 

MY THOUGHTS:

 

I have heard quite a bit about Munchausen's by Proxy over the years, but not much about Munchausen's itself. In this memoir by Helen Naylor, we learn how her mother's decades of fake illnesses finally led to her death, and how this all had a devastating effect on Helen.

Elinor's illnesses were self-manufactured. But she kept diaries. Dozens and dozens of them over the course of fifty years. As Helen begins reading these diaries she learns so much about her mother, but even about herself as well. 

Helen's life was tragic. Her mother was always ill in bed, leaving Helen to fend for herself for days at a time. This was when she was a young child. As a teenager, things became much worse for Helen. As an adult, Helen began reading these diaries and is more than determined never to ever become like her mother. She also learns what love is and how it is an unbreakable bond, even as she survived a tragic past.

I had this book review in audiobook format, and it was narrated by the author. Listening to this book had quite an impact on me. This was no easy book to read or listen to, especially because things were so tragic. Sometimes Helen read the journal entries in order, sometimes randomnly. In either case, they were more than disturbing. Now Helen herself is a mother, and she wants never to repeat her mother's mistakes. More than that, as a reader I often felt as if I were absorbing the same words that Helen was reading, and wondering what it would have been like to be in her shoes, especially when she was a child.

Many thanks to Thread and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

My writing career started with the production of The Flower that Couldn’t Grow, written (with help) when I was three. Although I continued writing as a hobby, it wasn’t until I began my memoir about growing up with a mother who faked illnesses and had narcissistic personality traits that I was encouraged to pursue writing professionally. 

I live in Nottingham with my husband, two children and cat, and enjoy playing guitar, drinking good coffee and cycling - but not all at the same time.

web 

Review - Last Girl Ghosted

Title:   Last Girl Ghosted

Author:  Lisa Unger

Publisher:  Park Row

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   394

Date of Publication:   October 5, 2021

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Secrets, obsession and vengeance converge in this riveting thriller about an online dating match turned deadly cat-and-mouse game, from the New York Times bestselling author of Confessions on the 7:45.

Think twice before you swipe.

She met him through a dating app. An intriguing picture on a screen, a date at a downtown bar. What she thought might be just a quick hookup quickly became much more. She fell for him—hard. It happens sometimes, a powerful connection with a perfect stranger takes you by surprise. Could it be love?

But then, just as things were getting real, he stood her up. Then he disappeared—profiles deleted, phone disconnected. She was ghosted.

Maybe it was her fault. She shared too much, too fast. But isn't that always what women think—that they're the ones to blame? Soon she learns there were others. Girls who thought they were in love. Girls who later went missing. She had been looking for a connection, but now she's looking for answers. Chasing a digital trail into his dark past—and hers—she finds herself on a dangerous hunt. And she's not sure whether she's the predator—or the prey.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Wren Greenwood should have swiped left. Online dating definitely has its pitfalls and Wren may have fallen into each and every one of them. Pressured by her best friend Jax, they make an online profile for her. Wren is successful in her career as an advice columnist, but not so lucky in love. She swipes right and meets Adam Harper. At first drawn to his profile, then when they meet Wren learns that the connection goes far deeper. But then, Adam disappears. Ghosted her. 

The intensity of this book starts early on. Perhaps it is because it is written in first person, so we are looking at things through Wren's eyes. Reading her thoughts. This is especially intense because Adam suddenly disappears and we see how determined Wren is to locate him. In fact, as we read Wren's words, they are rather creepy - you don't get to ghost me. 

Wren isn't playing around. Where is Adam? Okay, so she can't find him on her own, so she goes so far as to hire a PI. She will find Adam. However, as soon as her search grows deeper she learns a disturbing fact. Adam isn't who she thought he was. In fact, he has had a different name. He has dated other women, women who hae disappeared. What is going on?

The narrative was disturbing. The facts were disturbing - whether past or present. In fact, Wren was disturbing. How come she didn't let things go? Why did she have to pursue things to the extent in which she did? What layers were surrounding Wren that she had to go so far to look for Adam?

Well, that is where this book takes many a dark turn. In fact, it touches on so many serious issues my head was spinning. To name a few, trauma, PTSD, drug addiction, pyromania, and just so much more. I found this to be a compelling read from start to finish, especially once the title, Last Girl Ghosted, took on real meaning. So, imagine if Wren had swiped left...

Many thanks to Park Row and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of seventeen novels, including THE STRANGER INSIDE. With millions of readers worldwide and books published in twenty-six languages, Lisa Unger is widely regarded as a master of suspense. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations, an honor held by only a few writers including Ruth Rendell and Agatha Christie. The Edgar-nominated UNDER MY SKIN is also a finalist for the prestigious Hammett Prize, and the Macavity Award for Best Novel. And the original short story THE SLEEP TIGHT MOTEL is a #1 bestselling single.

Unger's critically acclaimed books have been voted "Best of the Year" or top picks by the Today show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, Amazon, IndieBound and many others. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her family.

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BLOG TOUR - Death on a Winter’s Day

DESCRIPTION:

Christmas at the castle with holly, handmade gifts, snowflakes and… is that a body under the tree? Someone call Lady Swift!

Winter, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift, amateur sleuth and reluctant lady of the manor, has been invited to spend Christmas in Scotland, at the beautiful castle of her dear friends Baron and Baroness Ashley. Even her favourite companion, master of mischief Gladstone the bulldog, is coming along to share a slice of turkey. As snow begins to fall outside, the rather mismatched group are cozy by the roaring fire, sharing a tipple over a plate of Mrs Trotman’s famous mince pies.

But after what was supposed to be a fun party game, Mr Eugene Randall is found dead at the feast. A somewhat unpopular business associate of the Baron’s from across the pond, it seems Mr Randall has certainly upset somebody. Was it what he said about Scottish whisky?

The killer must be in the castle… and when the Baron is arrested, Baroness Ashley begs Eleanor to investigate. Determined not to let her friend down, Eleanor sets about questioning the remaining partygoers.

All too swiftly, someone else is found dead, having apparently fallen from a high balcony. As if one murder wasn’t enough to put a twist in the tinsel! Eleanor knows she’s skating on thin ice now. And when she discovers a hidden document that points the finger of suspicion at the unlikeliest of suspects, she realises there’s more to the story. Can Eleanor catch the killer before it’s time for Christmas dinner?

The perfect cozy mystery to curl up with this winter! Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss are in for a festive treat.

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3qOZpoS

Audio Links:
UK: zpr.io/fTeJ8rAQjLGR
US: zpr.io/8R94J4qaVH6U

Listen to a sample here:
https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/death-on-a-winters-day-by-verity-bright-narrated-by-karen-cass

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Title:   Death on a Winter's Day

Author:  Verity Bright

Series:  A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #8
Publisher:  Bookouture

Genre:   Cozy Mystery

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   220

Date of Publication:   November 24, 2021

My Rating:   5 Stars

Christmas in Scotland. In a castle. It should be rather enjoyable. Well, when Lady Eleanor Swift finds that her friends' staff refuse to prepare for Christmas, her staff willingly agrees to accompany her to perform duties that should make Christmas enjoyable. As always, Eleanor's closest comrade is her butler Clifford. He was her uncle's erstwhile butler, and now he is proving to be quite loyal to her. Of course, her bulldog Gladstone is along for the trip.

At what starts off as a boring dinner early after they arrive, they decide on a party game. However, things go terribly wrong when a visiting American, Mr. Eugene Randall, is found dead with a dirk in his back. Of course, Eleanor not only wants answers, but with the rather inept officers who barely begin the investigation, she relies on her finely honed skills as an amateur detective. With Clifford by her side, along with his keen sense of observation, Eleanor begins to dig for answers. Oh do they need answers, because the killer soon strikes again.

The facts are fairly clear. There was a dinner party at the castle. The baron and his wife, along with their guests, are all suspects. Eleanor begins looking for clues, and is determined to unmask the killer so that Christmas dinner can take place.

What an enjoyable addition to a series that is close to my heart. I love Eleanor as she has recently stepped into the role of a Lady, and how she defies convention repeatedly, all while Clifford strives to keep her in line. The time period, 1920s England, is terrific for this lovely series. Not only does Eleanor prove to be the perfect protagonist for these stories, but I love the slow brewing romance between her and detective chief inspector Seldon and how he makes an appearance in this novel. I am already looking forward to reading the next book in this series, A Royal Murder, set for release in March.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.

https://twitter.com/BrightVerity

BLOG TOUR - Dead Mercy

 

DESCRIPTION:

‘Hugely confident … harrowing, visceral … recommended’ Ian Rankin on Dead Inside

A brutal murder…

When a burned body is found with its teeth missing, DC Maggie Jamieson discovers that the victim may be the husband of one of her probation colleagues.

A dark history…

As the body count rises, the team becomes increasingly baffled by how the victims could possibly be connected until a clue leads them to a historical case that was never prosecuted.

A terrible secret…

In order to catch the killer, Maggie must piece together what happened all those years ago before it’s too late. 

Link to purchase the book

Title:  Dead Mercy
Author:  Noelle Holten
Series:  DC Maggie Jamieson #5

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:  One More Chapter 

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   400 Pages

Date of Publication:  November 19, 2021
My Rating:  5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS:

DC Maggie Jamieson is determined to stop a killer, a brutal killer showing no mercy to his victims. Not only does more than one horiffic murder occur, there soon proves to be a pattern. What is more is that a very specific clue has Maggie and her team convinced that the murders lead to a dark and disturbing past involving certain individuals. Can they stop the vicious killer before the body count continues to rise?

Maggie feverishly pushes to get to the bottom of what is going on. While working with her team, someone else enters the mix. That is journalist Julie Noble. Maggie has her reservations regarding Julie's involvement, for professional and personal reasons. For one thing, Maggie does not want any of the facts of the investigation to tip off the killer as they work to get close to stopping them. What is more is that Maggie begins to have a growing interest in Julie on a personal level.

As if that is not enough to provide a bit of a distraction to Maggie, she is also concerned about things going on in her home life. Nonetheless, Maggie displays rugged determination concerning the crimes she is dealing with. All while Maggie is pursuing the killer, the voice of this killer is interspersed intermittently in this exciting and tragic story, with their reasons for the savage killings. 

Thus, a race against time is definitely in play and no matter the danger, Maggie is relentless. This tension-filled fifth book in the DC Maggie Jamieson series is a thrilling read from the very first page, especially as Maggie does not shy away from said danger, pushing herself to her very limits to catch the elusive killer. 

Although this book is part of a continuing series, each book could do well as standalone novels. However, Maggie has shown such growth, such grit, such determination that reading this series in order is something that I have thoroughly enjoyed. I am already eager for the next book in this fabulous series.

Many thanks to One More Chapter and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.

Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.

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Review - A Secret Shared

Title:   A Secret Shared

Author:  Patricia MacLachlan

Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books

Genre:   Middle Grade

Format:  Audiobook ARC

No. of Pages:   160

Date of Publication:   September 28, 2021

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Newbery Medal–winning author Patricia MacLachlan paints a moving portrait of what it means to be a family, the power of love, and the importance of bringing the truth out into the light, in this beautiful and profound story about adoption.

Nora and Ben’s younger sister Birdy loves to keep secrets. She surprises her family more than once: She hides a kitten in her room. She writes a beautiful poem. One day Birdy watches her mother spit into a tube, ready to send it off to find out more about herself and where her family came from. Birdy spits into a tube, too, when no one sees her.

But when the test results come back, they are a surprise. Birdy is seemingly not related to Nora and Ben’s parents. But if she is adopted, how could that have happened without the children knowing?

Nora and Ben must learn when to keep a secret, and who to go to for help—and eventually, how to solve this secret for the entire family.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Sarah, Plain and Tall. It has been decades since I had seen that movie but it made a huge impact on me. To see Patricia MacLachlan's name as the author of this book easily drew my attention. I got this ARC as a digitized audiobook for review and found it to be a delightful read.

Birdy sees her mother spitting in a tube. Her mother explains why she did it. This raises Birdy's curiosity and so she sneaks and does it. This gives opportunity to let Birdy learn that she is adopted. She has always felt loved by her parents and by her siblings Nora and Ben. However, as a child who already kept secrets, how will she keep this one?

There are many, many blended families, families brought together by adoption. There are mixes of birth children and adopted children. This book would be a wonderful read to teach children why adoption is so valuable. So necessary. It would also be a good tool to prove that love transcends any lines. That secrets are not always necessary. That truth might make things easier.

If Nora and Ben learn Birdy's secret will this keep the family close or will this fracture them? 

Many thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie, and to this day carries a small bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she goes to remind her of what she knew first. She is the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; and Three Names, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. She lives in western Massachusetts.

Review - Second Sleep

Title:   Second Sleep

Author:  Diane Stanley

Publisher:  HarperCollins

Genre:   Middle Grade

Format:  Audiobook ARC

No. of Pages:   288

Date of Publication:   November 2, 2021

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

To get Max and Rosie’s minds off their mother’s mysterious disappearance, their grandmother, Mozelle, suggests that they visit the old log cabin where their mom spent her summers as a child. This is a place where, when it gets dark, you go to bed. But according to Mozelle, their mother had her happiest dreams during her nights at the lake.

That first night, Max and Rosie travel in their dreams to an almost impossibly beautiful place where they meet a wonderful new group of friends. But was it really just a dream? Or is there something extraordinary and magical about this compound by the lake?

As Max slowly grasps what is really going on, he wonders if he might have found the key to the mystery of his mother’s disappearance—and how to bring her safely home.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Max and Rosie are missing their mother. She was there one day and then she wasn't. Their father isn't overly concerned. Apparently she went to help an old friend and doesn't want any of them to worry but the children do anyway. 

Their grandmother Mozelle has the perfect idea. She takes Max and Rosie to an old cabin where their mother used to go. Mozelle tells the children that when it is dark, you go to bed, no matter the time. Also, this is the time for the best dreams, dreams their mother had.

So, the children listen to Mozelle and on their very first night they do travel in their dreams. They experience joint moments of magic that they feel are quite real. Going to sleep never felt so good. This second sleep is just as mysterious as their mother's disappearance, but does slowly begin to make things appear clearer to both Max and Rosie.

Max finds the dreams and the people they meet in them as a means to figuring out why their mother left and how they can possibly bring her back to the family. 

I don't read much middle grade, and I also don't read many fantasy stories with magical elements, but I found Second Sleep to be an enjoyable read, and loved looking through the eyes of Max and Rosie as they sought answers. 

I had this ARC for review as a computerized audiobook and I will say that it was done quite well. Not sure if NetGalley will continue producing review copies in this format, but if they do, I will continue to download them and listen to them.

Many thanks to HaperCollins and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Diane Stanley is an American children's author and illustrator, a former medical illustrator, and a former art director for the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons. Born in 1943 in Abilene, Texas, she was educated at Trinity University (in San Antonio, TX) and at Johns Hopkins University. She is perhaps best known for her many picture-book biographies, some of which were co-authored by her husband, Peter Vennema. (source: Wikipedia)

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