Linda

Simeon the owner of a tiny bookstore in Croatia hires Claire She is just getting over long Covid, but she is scared to be back out in the world and the possibility of getting it again.

She is working with Luna who is gay and afraid to come out because her parents are very religious. They decide to start a book club and also solve the mystery of Vedran (Claire's cousin) who was assused of killing his wife.

It was a terrific story, full of interesting characters. They all struggled in different ways, but they grew so much throughout the book and you really rooted for them.

It covered everything from friendship to domestic violence but I doubt any of it is done with such a heavy hand that it would trigger someone. This was one of the best books I've read this year and I'm so glad I took a chance on it.

This was an interesting read, although the somewhat graphic descriptions of violence bothered me a little. It's the first of three books and I'm not sure if I liked it well enough to look for the second book. The family had the potential to really draw me in and pull at my heartstrings, but they didn't. They all seemed very one dimensional to me. Plus there were some holes in the science behind the event that were a little hard to swallow.

The author did a good job with the character descriptions though and made me really believe I was in the Irish countryside.

Good resource

I thought this thesaurus was very thorough and comprehensive. A good writing resource when tring to develop characters. I would highly recommend.

When I first started this book I wasn't sure I would like it. The main character was so grumpy and negative, but as the story unfolded, I realized there was more to Ove than meets the eye. His relationship with his father, his wife and his neighbours all shaped who he was and how he lived his life.

By the time I finished the book, I was sorry to see it end and consider it one of the best books I've read this year.

I really enjoyed this book and all the books in the series so far. Laini Taylor's writing is deep and rich and her characters are engaging. The main characters quickly become people you know, care about and root for their happiness.

In a story where the angels are the “bad guys” in a war that's gone on far too long, you can't help but wonder how Ms Taylor is going to give us a satisfactory ending, but she always does.

A Fall of Marigolds I gave 3 1/2 stars to. It was about Clara in 1911 who lost someone she cared about in a Shirtwaist fire and then goes to work as a nurse on Ellis Island. There she meets Andrew who's new wife Lily has died from Scarlet Fever as they were on a ship from Europe to America. She helps Andrew to get better and in the process brings him a scarf that had belonged to his wife Lily.

Then in 2011 we meet Taryn who lost her husband during 911 when she was getting ready to tell him that he was going to be a father. She had the scarf on her at the time and it's the story of this scarf of marigolds and how it connects these two stories and the women who had it.

This was a series I really enjoyed. The first few books are broken up into novellas, but stay the course and the books do get longer. They are split into “Wool”, “Shift” and “Dust”. The series is a post-apocalyptic novel about people living in underground bunkers or silos of 144 levels, not daring to venture outside. However, we soon find out there is more to the story; political unrest, heroes, villains and a kind of class system (Up-tops, Mids and Down Deep) within the silos.

The characterization of the book is wonderfully done and the author Hugh Howey really creates an interesting world that you feel you can't escape from. Many times I thought I knew how the story was going to turn out, but there are many twists and turns and I was engaged right to the end.

Wow! I am loving the Diamond Cove series. The Clayton family is a terrific blend of a family who all cares for each other and who would do anything for each other, even if they don't understand what's happening.

In this story Sean dated Bluebell when they were younger but it all fell apart. Now she is back in his life and Grandpa Don is sure that she's the one for him. But does she agree?

Like Grandpa Don, I am so invested in this family and all of the grandsons finding a happy ending, I'm along for the ride. I literally did nothing else from the time I started this book until is was finished.

I received an advance copy of this for free from BookSirens and I'm leaving this review voluntarily. This is my honest review and I can't wait to read another. Ellie Thornton is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me.

A unique story about midwifing in Nova Scotia in the late 1800-early 1900s. A fascinating look at Nova Scotia during that time and how the war, the changing times in medicine and the Halifax Explosion affected families. It's a work of fiction, however, the author did a great job with the local areas she covered and her character description, making them feel real and authentic.

This was a good mystery and there were lots of twists and turns and it's not until the end that you discovery everything that went on and how it was connected. Some of the language and ideas do reflect that it was written in the 30's, but that's to be expected.

It was my first Agatha Christie book and I can see why she was so popular. A very well planned and thoughtful mystery.

An interesting and unique take on the Santa Claus origin story. It's nice to see an author do something that has never been done before.

This is the 5th in the Kitchen Witch Mysteries. I received it as an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the author Lynn Cahoon and the publisher.

It's the first one I have read in this series and I enjoyed it. It's about Mia Malone who runs Mia's Morsels and her roommate Christina. Mia has one familiar already and suddenly 3 more familiar kittens show up on her doorstep and then her boyfriend Trent also ends up with a Maltese hellhound, making 5.

As if that wasn't enough craziness, Mia is trying to work on her business as well as a catering director job at a ski resort, take magic lessons from her grandmother and solve a murder where her roommate is one of the suspects. It's a wild ride in the town of Magic Springs and all you can do is hang on and enjoy it.

I absolutely loved this book. The story was compelling from the very first page, the characters were relatable and I longed for Alice to have the happy ending she deserved. The narrator did an amazing job bringing it to life. This is my second Kristin Hannah novel, and I am 2 for 2, as The Nightingale was also incredible.

This was a really good book and I did purchase the second one to read as well. Mina has returned home after finding out that she is losing her sight and decides to try and get a job at the local bookstore to earn some money. She has fond memories of it from childhood, but there is now a new owner, and he is brooding and hard to please. The owner Heathcliff and the store's raven live above the book store along with the owner's roommate, Moriarty. As time goes on, Mina begins to realize that there is more to this bookstore than meets the eye, and more to these men, as well.

When someone is killed in the bookstore the race is on to figure out the killer before Mina gets arrested for it. Mina finds herself more interested in the men of the shop that she is even in clearing her name and some of the scenes are very steamy. The murder mystery wraps up nicely, but you are still left wondering what she is going to do about her life and these sexcapades she finds herself in.

I didn't finish this book. I didn't find it that interesting and choose half way through to put it aside.

I just finished the 5th book in the Wool series and I've been riveted from the beginning. It's very hard to find a book with a new premise and this one has it. The author has created engaging characters with depth and although in the beginning of the series he reminded me a little of George R.R. Martin, killing them off, I eventually forgave him as the story evolved. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series to see what roller coaster ride he takes us on.

Interesting

This book had some real gems of insight that I will take with me. But I got bogged down in the endless chapters about what to ask the Voice. I feel as though the book could have been said in a much shorter amount of time.

I enjoyed this story a lot. It was something very different from my usual novels and it gives an interesting insight into the 419 e-mail scams from Nigeria.

The character development was good and although there were a few overlapping plots it was fairly easy to follow most of the time.

My only complaint is the length of the novel. I felt like it dragged on beyond what was necessary for the storyline. Overall though, an entertaining listen.

This was such a great cozy! It was the first one I have read by Tara Lush and it certainly won't be the last. It's the 4th book in her Coffee Lover's Mystery series and I just loved it. I received a free copy from Net Galley and the author for an honest review and they didn't disappoint.

It's about Lana Lewis who stumbles over the dead body of a local curmudgeon when she follows her father to the community garden. She is looking to plant some coffee beans to see if they will grow in the soil in Florida and she can have her own blend for her cafe, Perkatory. Instead she gets involved in a mystery, much to the dismay of her police chief boyfriend, Noah.

The characters were quirky and interesting and I felt like they were fleshed out well and I could really get to know them. The plot was great with lots of twists that I didn't see coming. It was one of my favourite reads of 2023 so far.

This story is about Frances McGrath who becomes an army surgical nurse during the Vietnam War and everything that she went through. Kristin Hannah did an amazing job with this novel. The research that must have went into it was incredible. From the time Frances (Frankie) touches down in Vietnam, you felt like you were actually there. She lands in a place where all the smells, sounds and activity are overwhelming and she really has no idea what she has gotten into.

In time, and with the help of her bunkmates, Ethel and Barb, she becomes an accomplished nurse and helps to save many lives. Meanwhile the world back home is becoming increasingly upset about the war and is lumping those who are serving in it, with the government decisions that are being made. Frankie starts to receive letters from home talking about protests and flag burning and combined with the work she's doing it is very disheartening.


The story follows some of the veterans from the time they began in Vietnam to what it is like when they come home, battered and bruised, both physically and emotionally. It talks about the PTSD that they suffered as well as the anger at a country they felt turned their back on them.

It was an incredibly emotional read and I laughed and cried throughout the book. I really couldn't put it down and became so involved in Frankie's story that I even dreamed about it. The best read of the year.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and Ms. Hannah for providing me an ARC to this fascinating novel. Currently, this is set to come out in February of 2024.

I read this as an Advance Reader Copy. Thank you to Net Galley, the author and publisher. This is my honest review.

This is the 18th book in the Bakeshop Mystery series and the first one that I have read. Now that being said, I really enjoyed it. It mentions a few things that happened in other books, but not so many that I couldn't follow what was going on and get invested in the characters.

It takes place in the beautiful mountains of Ashland, Oregan with a pastry chef named Jules. The Mount A ski resort near her home is popular with locals and tourists alike and when someone is murdered there, the whole town is in an uproar. Jules finds herself in the middle of the mystery and with the help of her friends and her stepfather who is the town's police chief, sets out to find the killer.

The mystery was interesting, the backdrop of the area was compelling and sounded beautiful. The characters were mostly likeable and I enjoyed the relationship between Jules and her husband and family. It also had some great cooking tips and wonderful descriptions of some mouth-watering food.

I can definitely see why the series is so popular and I look forward to reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book, and to the author and publisher as well. This is my honest review.

I thought this was such a great story. Delilah is running a catering business and is asked to cater a Prohibition party in support of the local library. She gets ready and leaves for the party in the middle of a storm. The hostess calls her and tests her that a VIP guest wants a special pizza. Delilah isn't happy about it, but she agrees to make it.

Once at the party she realizes that a few people are behaving strangely. When one ends up dead and everyone is trapped at the party, she takes it upon herself to find out what's going on.

This had a real Agatha Christie feel to it, similar to, And Then There Were None. The characters were a real mixed bag of ones that you loved and ones you hated, but you still didn't know who were “really” the good guys. Also having them trapped in the house and the storm raging outside made it even better.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you to them, the authors and publisher. This is my honest review. This is the first in the Molly Murphy Mysteries that I have read and my thought is, “What took me so long?!” This book was so engaging. It's about Molly who leaves the city to stay with her mother-in-law in the country and then goes to visit her friends Sid and Gus at a Women's Retreat. They all become mixed up in the murder of a man at Sid's grandparents' home. I thought it was really well done. The characters were so interesting and wonderfully strong female characters. I enjoyed the interaction between them, Sid and Gus's relationship and Molly's dedication to her friends and to solving the crime.

It takes place in the 20's or 30's and I enjoyed the description of everything going on in New York at that time as well. Definitely a 5/5 read. Don't miss this one.

If you love a good mystery thriller like Gone Girl, you will no doubt love this book. It's full of mystery. family drama, greed, a small town held captive by a wealthy family and more.

Ruby McTavish, a wealthy heiress dies and leaves everything to her adopted son Camden, but he has managed to separate himself from the family and really doesn't want it. His wife Jules convinces him to make the trip home with her and see what he can do to help his family.

Once they arrive she realizes that Cam was right; everyone resents him and no one really wants him around.

This novel has lots of great twists and turns, but I gave it 3 1/2 stars because I didn't think any of the characters were likeable and I found the beginning of the story dragged a little for me. That being said, however, if you are coming for the intrigue, it has plenty of that!

I received an ARC for this through Netgalley, the publisher and the author Nita Prose. Thank you to all of them. This book is a sequel to The Maid and follows Molly the Maid on another adventure at the Regency Grand Hotel. It has all the same characters in it that we loved in The Maid and a few new ones. In this novel, a famous novelist comes to the Regency Grand to make an announcement, but he is killed before he has a chance to do so.

Molly has a connection to this man from her past, and the story goes between the past and the present. Although the story is great, I didn't find it as engaging as the first one. The last half of the book was wonderful and makes it all worth while, but I did find the first half dragged a little as we learn more about Molly as a child. Overall though, another good read from Nita Prose and I give it 4 stars.