Elle Hartford
This reads like a series of short stories, each mystery mirroring one of the labors of Hercules. I loved it and found them all very clever (but then, I do like mythology too!)! I feel like I say this every time I read a new Poirot mystery, but really, this is one of my favorites. :D
As I was reading, I would have given it 4 stars maybe, but the end caught me off guard and left me feeling a bit frustrated.
First of all, I adored the treasure they were after, and I enjoyed the basic idea of the library (anyone who's watched The Librarians or read other recent magic-library books will be familiar!). However, I had trouble with the 1st person pov character, Neith. She tells us that she is super tough and reckless and Indiana-Jones-esque, but she doesn't show herself being that way very often. Mostly, she's just a concerned & frustrated leader of her team – which is fine, but she kept making really bold statements that threw me for a loop each time.
Also – this is minor, but stuck in my craw – Neith's opinion about death/murder/morals was very confusing. She talks a big talk about not caring about eating meat despite most of her culture being against it, and about shooting people, etc. But then she never really shoots anyone, and she clearly feels super superior over everyone in “beta earth” (our world) for being so violent. She also says that “morals are optional for curators” about 75% of the way through the book after acting – again, not talking, but acting – as the noble hero up to that point.
In any case. I had expected the book to be a fun artifact-finding adventure, but the end was more of a political drama. Plus, the real culprits do not get caught! Honestly I wouldn't have picked the book up if I had known about the internal drama aspect – that's just not my thing. Twist endings are fine, but I'm not the right reader for political stories. Plus, Neith was pretty hardheaded and ignorant about it all, which was hard to read. I know it's setting up another book, but personally I hate having so much of the plot unresolved.
And I must admit – as some other reviewers have pointed out – there were some editing issues that I found distracting. Mostly it's head-hopping in 3rd person pov. Not a big deal, but it did throw me out of the story, especially because the book is structured almost like a professional report, so such errors are out of place.
All in all, the set up was interesting, but the characters and narration could have used some more work. Until the last few chapters it's a fun read for a quick escape, but I'm not sure I'll trust the next one.
A worthy installment in the series, full of holiday cheer (and murderous drama!). I loved some of the jokes, and the mystery itself was intriguing–I called part of it midway through, but still was very curious about the rest!
The winter-storm setting of this mystery was incredibly cozy! And I adored the strong relationships between Mia, Christina, and Grans. The romantic interest was super sweet and the awful ex got his comeuppance, so all was well on the romance front too. :)
The mystery itself was interesting, but didn't pull me in completely. I think in part it was because everything in Mia's life was going at 110%. Romance, business, threats, family issues, even the weather, it was all coming on fast, crime or no crime. The pace made it hard to get to know Mia herself, and it meant she had little time to spare for thoughts about the murder until the end. It ended up feeling a little disjointed.
Overall, to be totally honest, I might have enjoyed this more as a fun, light romance novel without the mystery! But I would still recommend it for those who like witchy and/or wintery cozies.
I would've gone with a 3.5 rating if possible. I love Amanda Flower's series, but so far this one isn't my favorite. I had a hard time connecting with Shiloh and many of the people around her were pretty unlikable, at least at the beginning.
That said, I did adore Huckleberry! And the mystery contained a clever twist. I also enjoyed the subplot with Esmeralda :)
This was more a 3.5 for me honestly; I think my expectations were too high. The cover is so lovely and the subject (apothecaries, herbs, alchemy) is one I find so interesting–and I think that's what tripped me up!
The story itself is familiar, a woman in the present investigating some women in the past with whom she feels a connection/shares similar issues. In this case, the issue is crime and cheating husbands–which eventually rang a little hollow to me, like it had been overplayed, perhaps. It's not unbelievable at all, but I also didn't strongly relate to any of the female characters, so it kind of came off as a “some people (mostly men) are awful and some people (mostly women) are victims” story. Again, not untrue by any means. But it felt a little flat.
I don't mean to scare people away–I think if you like women's coming-of-age/quarter-life crisis stories, historical women's fiction, or atmospheric drama, you'd definitely enjoy this. It was just a little out of my wheelhouse, I think!
I loved this!! Would give it 4.5 stars if possible. I'm not super into the Florida vibe (I like my beaches cold & rocky haha) and I prefer tea over coffee, so I wasn't really sure I'd get into this book. I was pleasantly surprised :) It's a perfect vacation cozy with fun characters and a great romance. I also 100% related to the main character's heartache over losing her previous job and starting over.
The main reason I didn't go for 5 stars was because [nonspecific spoiler alert!] there's one particular clue that, to me, was obvious enough that I got pulled out of the story for a moment. (Maybe because I am a DIYer and was paying attention to that kind of detail?) That's not a huge deal though; overall I would definitely recommend this book and I'll be reading the sequels for sure!
A lovely collection of stories about plants and the ways they travel through space and time, written in a very accessible, conversational style.
Jane Was Here: An Illustrated Guide to Jane Austen's England
Very creative and entertaining travel guide! Plus the illustrations are beautiful and there's a fun trivia quiz at the end. :)
The relationships make this book, for sure. The found family aspect is strong!
The mystery itself came together well, but–well, it felt particularly unfortunate for all the characters involved. It left me feeling uneasy and sad. However, the follow up scenes restored the community of fun and caring that characterized much of the rest of the book.
Overall, it was an interesting cozy, and even though I may not continue the series, I did enjoy the brief trip to Scotland! ;)
I really enjoyed the magic and mermaid aspect of this mystery – it was well thought out and very fun. One of the best parts of the book was seeing how Alex's family came together, too!
[mild spoilers!] My two issues were that Alex's aunt bothered me at first, and I struggled to feel attached to her. However, her attitude is explained well later in the book. I also felt terrible for one of the romantic interests most of the time, but I am a softie that way.
Aside from that, I would totally recommend this book to anyone who likes some magic in their cozy mystery!
The moment I picked it up, it reminded me of Chocolat. And that comparison holds true–although there's more & darker backstory in this tale, for sure. There's also a lot of “head-hopping,” switching points of view, sometimes to side characters only tangentially related to the plot. Because of that and all the backstory, I had a hard time getting into the story at first. After that, though, I was able to settle in and enjoy how everything turned out.
An interesting cast of characters! It took me a while to get used to the main character, who could be very opinionated sometimes, but I enjoyed the mystery.
An intriguing sequel, not least because our heroine finally realizes she's made a mistake regarding you-know-who's relationship status! xD I enjoyed it, and I don't think you need to have read the previous books in order to follow along. :)
Absolutely gorgeous, plus the archaeologist in me adored reading through the notes and profile after each witch's story. It doesn't gloss over the tougher points in history or in life, but it does paint as full and beautiful a picture as possible in limited space.
A great sequel!! Tons and TONS of cookie descriptions xD Plus, I really enjoyed the pirate theme. Just being able to hang out in the community created in this series is so much fun!
I loved the setting and, of course, the tea! It took me a while to warm up to some of the characters–particularly Rose–but their friendships were charming. All in all, a nice diverting read.
I love the setting!! Shelby, the main character, is sweet but not really my favorite mystery heroine – maybe she hits a little too close to home for me (has trouble opening up, etc). I was able to guess the murderer but not how the final confrontation would happen. All in all it was a fun read!
I liked the setting and the sense of community! However, I had trouble relating to any of the characters. I hate to be this person, but I think it was because of an editing issue. The author tends to write two complete sentences connected with a comma rather than a conjunction/semicolon/period etc. To me, the comma splice sounds like an excitable person talking without pausing for breath. It didn't affect my understanding of the story, but it did make all the characters sound the same when they talked.
I'm used to Nora Roberts' romance trilogies, where we see a set of three siblings/friends each settle down. This is not that–though it was still good.
This series has much more magic in it; the important part of the narrative takes place in a fey realm with dragons. I say “important,” but I actually enjoyed the first half of the book, the “finding myself” part, even more. And I love fantasy! It's just that I turn to Nora Roberts specifically to see the “finding myself” part, and I wasn't totally in the mood for a high-stakes realm-changing battle. I feel bad saying that–after all, an author should be able to tell whatever story they like–but, nonetheless, it was the case for me.
Bottom line, this is looking like a series that will follow one character as she embraces her destiny, leads a war, and continues falling in love with a warrior. It's deeply felt and I love the world building, but to be honest, that's not the storyline I'm into these days. Maybe someday I'll come back to it. ;)
I actually had not read the first book, and I did find it a little hard to keep the characters straight at first. However, I enjoyed the story even still, and I have so much respect for the research the author has done!
I must also admit that I am not usually such a fan of historical novels–and the author's note makes me think that this is, indeed, more history than fantasy. But I found the time period fascinating, and I liked the varied perspectives we see; I also really enjoyed the simplicity of the narration. It may be the author, even more than the book, that won me over. Either way, it was a very interesting read!
Honestly, I'd give 3.5 stars if possible. The book is well-written, but not for me. I picked it up because I was interested in a possible spin on Red Riding Hood, but the folklore played a smaller role than I hoped. It felt like seasoning for a dark, violent, painful outcasts-journey-and-become-rebels story. And that is fine! It's just not my cup of tea. I miss fantasy worlds that I actually might want to go to, you know? :) In any case, if you liked The Merciful Crow, chances are good you'll enjoy this one!