Linda

Although I enjoyed this book, like many series, I found the first book was more engaging. This one didn't hold my interest as well and I spent a lot of time wishing they would just get back to the present day.

I kept meaning to start this series and I'm so glad I did. It's sweet and quirky and a great cozy mystery. Kathleen is trying to update the local library and a composer who is in town for a Summer music festival ends up dead. There are also a series of accidents that seem to be targeting Kathleen. Thank heavens she has her magical cats to help her get to the bottom of it all.

I adored these cats. Owen is addicted to catnip and Hercules loves to dance to Barry Manilow. They also have a habit of not staying where she puts them.

The town is cozy, the characters are interesting and the cats are adorable. What more could you ask for? Suspend your disbelief in magical pets and check it out.

Wow! This was so much better than I even expected. Kind of a cross between the Hunger Games and Cinderella. LOL America Singer is the name of the main character and she finds herself taking place in The Selection to win the heart of the Prince. Her heart is elsewhere, but she is trying to help her family out financially. There are 30 women chosen and they are summoned to live in the castle for a few weeks while the prince talks to them and makes up his mind about who he will marry.

The characters, even the secondary ones, are all really well done and interesting. There are many books in the series so I'm sure a lot of them will come up again. The “rules” of the world make sense and America gives me independent “Katness” vibes. This has just the right amount of humor, romance and adventure. One of my top books of this year so far.

Good as far as it went

The information in the book was good, but it needed a couple more pictures of each herb to be sure you were picking the right one if you were wildcrafting. Also there was no information about what states or provinces the herbs grew in. Both would have made the book a lot more helpful.

I got through this one, but just barely. Katherine is a Dr. who has just finished her residency and she gets a call from her brother TJ saying he is in trouble and he is hiding out in Mexico. He tells her not to look for him and not to tell anyone. So naturally the first thing she does is tell people and go look for him. She tells Jake, who she dated 10 years before. They split up because his father had died and he increasingly got into things that were more and more dangerous and out of control and she was focused on her career and had no time for that.

So, he takes her to Mexico to look for TJ. The mystery part of the story involving some lighting “magic”, drug cartels and crooked corporations was somewhat interesting. The romance between Katherine and Jake, was not. They were both still holding a grudge after 10 years. TEN YEARS! They often acted like young teenagers. Jake took a temper tantrum and Katherine tried to calm him down with a kiss. It all just felt ridiculous and I didn't feel they had any chemistry. They needed to grow up and act like adults and not just in the bedroom.

I liked this one. I have never read a Paper Crafts Club cozy before and I really enjoyed it. The craft that was mentioned the most was Quilling, which is turning strips of paper into beautiful artwork. I haven't tried it, but it looks intricate.

The main character Katie is a single Mom who is busy with a series of jobs and is working at the local police station. When she goes to one of her other jobs as a cleaner she discovers that the woman is dead and calls the police.

The story has many twists and turns and a new romantic interest that is one of those lovely slow-burn romances that could go on for a few books. I really enjoyed the characters and I'm looking forward to spending more time in this small town.

This book was fine...just fine. I would like try another book by this author as the main thing that turned me off from this book is the fact that it had a cheating unsupportive husband in it. I don't really care for those sort of books and the spirit in this book is very nasty and you get tired of her showing up everywhere.

What really helped the book along was the relationship between the main character Quinn, and her best friend Toni. Toni is very supportive of Quinn, even when she starts seeing the ghost and has a few crazy ideas about what to do. She is upbeat and is my favourite character in the whole book.

An Intriguing Woman

I expected this book to be spiritually deep and fascinating, and I wasn't disappointed. Shirley MacLaine is not your typical Hollywood starlet. Whether you share her beliefs or not, the depths of her insight and intelligence make this an interesting journey.

Mistletoe Summer was a sweet cozy romance about Melody Hopkins who takes her dog Mistletoe into a high end pet bakery to get her a treat. Talking to the owner she discovers that they are expanding and could use some help with the painting. She decides to take on the job and meets the owner's son Cody and his support dog Tyrus. Cody is just back from Iraq. His leg was injured and he suffers from PTSD.

As Melody and Cody get to know each other, so do their dogs. The story is all about Cody learning to come to terms with his PTSD and them both learning to care for and trust each other.

I enjoyed all the characters in the small town, having the dogs front and center in the book and the budding romance between Cody and Melody. I also liked that the book didn't gloss over Cody's PTSD and how it affected his everyday life.

I enjoyed reading The Finest Lies. David Naiman has done it again with terrific characterization and a compelling story. When Nicole is offered the chance to trade in her brother for a robot, she can't resist the allure. In her mind Jay is critical, unreasonable and totally out of line. A robot would be so much better, right?! Nicole soon discovers that she may not be seeing things as they really are and begins a journey of personal growth.

I do have one criticism of the novel. There is a scene in the book that needs a trigger warning. It's done in a relatively mild way and not incredibly graphic, but the subject matter is disturbing. I think some YA readers who have lived through something similar would have been triggered by it.

In spite of that, it was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the Author's next novel. Be sure to read his notes at the end of the book as well. They were a sweet look into his life as a Dad.

A Wonderful Story of Family Resilience

Another wonderful story by Lesley Crewe. Her characters are so real and relatable that you become completely immersed in their lives. They could be your own family, with all their strengths and their flaws. A terrific read from beginning to end. Don't expect to sleep until you find out how it all turns out with the family.