Cookies and Clairvoyance by Bailey Cates

Title: Cookies and Clairvoyance

Author: Bailey Cates

Narrator: Amy Rubinate

Series: #8 in The Magical Bakery series

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Publisher: Berkley (August 27, 2019)

Source: Library Find

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Baker Katie Lightfoot serves up enchanted delicacies and tracks down a malicious murderer in the newest installment of this New York Times bestselling series...

Hedgewitch Katie Lightfoot is juggling wedding preparations, a visit from her father, and home renovations on top of her long hours at the Honeybee Bakery, where she and her aunt Lucy imbue their yummy cookies and pastries with beneficial magic. But when firefighter Randy Post is accused of murdering a collector of rarities, and his prints are on the statue that was used to kill the man, Katie steps in. 

Randy is not only Katie's fiancé's coworker, but also the boyfriend of fellow spellbook club member and witch Bianca Devereaux. Bianca and Declan are both sure Randy is innocent, and so is Katie. However, to prove it she'll have to work with ornery detective Peter Quinn again—and this time around he knows she's more than your everyday baker.

My Thoughts: Another great installment of this series!

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: Honestly, I didn't care for Katie's attitude this time around. I know her circumstances with her trying to finish the carriage house and planning her wedding and running a business and helping clear a friend's name kind of justifies her being grumpy. However, she was unnecessarily snarky to Declan who was super understanding and kind to her when a spell backfired changing her magical life. With that said, in the past I was on the fence about Declan because I didn't think he fully supported Katie and her magic. In this book I was completely in his corner because he proved he accepted her with everything in her life. 

The mystery was pretty good with multiple suspects, and I liked that Katie did her best to solve the mystery without the aid of her magic. The ending was satisfying but we'll have to wait another book for a wedding to happen. Also, poor Conal! 

I listened to this book as I've listened to all of the previous books and once again Amy Rubinate did a great job narrating. I'm so used to her as Katie I don't know if I could get used to another voice by this point. Her voice work for the other characters are just as good especially Conal's. 

In a Nutshell: I love this series and I can't wait for to get to the next book!

Troublemaker by Linda Howard

Title: Troublemaker

Author: Linda Howard

Narrator: Tanya Eby

Series: #1 in the Go-Team

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: William Marrow (May 10, 2016)

Source: Audiobook borrowed from the library, Own the kindle copy

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: For Morgan Yancy, an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group, nothing comes before his job. But when he's ambushed and almost killed, his supervisor is determined to find out who's after the members of his elite squad--and why. Due to worries that this unknown enemy will strike again, Morgan is sent to a remote location and told to lay low and stay vigilant. But between a tempting housemate he's determined to protect and a deadly threat waiting in the shadows, keeping under the radar is proving to be his most dangerous mission yet.

The part-time police chief of a small West Virginian Mountain town, Isabeau "Bo" Maran finally has her life figured out. She's got friends, a dog, and a little money in the bank. Then Morgan Yancy shows up on her doorstep. Bo doesn't need a mysterious man in her life--especially a troublemaker as enticing and secretive as Morgan.

The harder they fight the intense heat between them, the closer Morgan and Bo become, even though she knows he's hiding from something. But discovering the truth could cost Bo more than she's willing to give. And when Morgan's cover is blown, it might just cost her life.

My Thoughts: An explosive beginning that grabbed me from the start coupled with a hero worthy of the title Book Boyfriend.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: So, I loved Morgan Yancy. There I said it. No takesies backsies. Howard created an amazing ex-military special ops hero that could rival Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters men. I only wish we would have got more about his job. Maybe showing him on a mission rather than starting the book state side after finishing up a mission. Even with him on death's door and recuperating couldn't detract from his appeal. As a matter of fact, his recouperation and subsequent rebuilding his strength and stamina made him more appealing. He hated being so unhealthy and unable to even get to the toilet without assistance, but it made him more "real". In so many books we see chest beaters and the "I'll fix everything for you" alpha men so seeing a strong virile man vulnerable and at his weakest was refreshing. However, Bo was mostly unlikable. Her saving grace was her relationship with her dog, Tricks, and Tricks herself was amazing. I love dogs and am so happy Tricks had such a big part in this book. 

Somewhere along the middle the suspense aspect fizzled while Morgan's recouperation and rehabilitation took center stage. The synopsis really highlighted their "intense heat" but honestly it seemed it felt more all of a sudden with Bo "innocently" licking the frosting off her cupcake and Morgan's mind went straight to the gutter. Oh, Bo was certainly not intending to be provocative, but TBH a woman just knows what the licking of anything (be it frosting, ice-cream, popsicles etc.) in front of a man (regardless of if there is attraction or not) looks like to a man. Since she was not characterized as being naive this particular scene stuck out as not being very authentic.

I did like the additional storyline of a young married couple whose marriage imploded in a public way and the asshat husband of the couple (the offspring of the richest man in the area who always had daddy bail him out of everything) took things too far and the day was saved by Morgan (who recovered sufficiently by that time.) I thought the end of the book brought back the suspense of the beginning but perhaps not fully realized as I ended up not fully invested in the suspense part of the story. I really think it took a backseat to the characters and their budding relationship.

The audio version was narrated by Tanya Eby. I really enjoy her narrations and this one was good as well. Her voice for the men was well done and her voice for the women didn't squeak out while I listened to the audio at 2x's the speed.

Full disclosure, I actually read the second book back in 2020 not realizing it was book 2 of the "series". When I finished this book, I immediately went to look for book 2 and while reading the synopsis of book 2 (The Woman Left Behind) I felt it sounded really familiar and after some digging through my library past borrows, I found I did indeed read it 2 years ago. I failed to notate it in GoodReads (which I've remedied now) and I also failed to review it. It's way too late to go back and do that now but as a side note I remember the suspense was intense almost all the way through and the heroine was a badass (or became one at the end.)

In a Nutshell: A good book by Linda Howard with an amazing hero, a wonderful dog, and a lukewarm heroine. I, of course, will continue to read everything she writes and has written.

Sweetheart by Sarah Mayberry

Title: Sweetheart

Author: Sarah Mayberry

Narrator/s: Aiden Snow and Virginia Rose

Series: #1 in The Busy Bean series

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Tantor Audio (August 10, 2021) First published by The World of True North (February 26, 2021)

Source: Library Find vis Hoopla

Rating: ☕☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: I wanted to get my hands on his beans

Four years ago, I had a ridiculous crush on my sister's boyfriend. But when they moved away together, I put Beck out of my mind and my heart. But now he's back and roasting the best coffee in Vermont. I need to convince him to supply the Busy Bean. And i need more of those kisses we accidentally shared outside the coffee shop. He still makes my heart race faster than a triple shot of espresso.

She should be off limits, but instead she's pushing mine

Her sister burned my life to the ground, so Haley Elliot is the last woman I should bring into my bed. Although our business relationship is giving way to something more than a fine grind. Neither of us can help ourselves. And what's worse, I think I'm falling for her.

Content note: this fun and sexy romance contains a secondary character with mental health challenges. While that story is merely a small part of the book, we mention it out of an abundance of caution.

(synopsis courtesy of GoodReads)

My Thoughts: I abso-freakin-lutely loved this book!

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: It's been a hot minute that I completely identified with such a young (one closer to 20 than 30) heroine especially one that was working in a coffee shop and initially comes off as a bit flighty. But I totally did. Being the "good" daughter in a family with a sister that is super extra, whose moods change quicker than the weather in Iowa, I knew what Haley was going through. My family wasn't as extreme as the Elliots were, but I have always been placed in the role as peacemaker, whether self-imposed or by circumstance...I'm not sure. Someone who tried soothing and smoothing situations as to not escalate things. And someone who did their very best to not be the cause of the conflict often fading into the background to my sister's attention demanding personality. All of these things were Haley's cross, and she was my Soul sister.

Beck had his cross to bear as well. Having dated the unstable Elliot sister for over a year and coming away from all that was Jess with a battered soul and PTSD from, let's call it what it was, the abusive relationship it's no wonder when he encountered Haley for the first time his reaction was bad. Their second encounter wasn't any better and their third was when Haley let him have it. It stunned him. It pulled him out of his reactionary mode and made him think. It was a beginning and I loved what came next.

The spicy scenes were really good, and you can absolutely see the relationship unfolding as Beck and Haley spent time together dating and not just having sex. There is a fair amount of angst because when a woman starts dating her unstable sister's ex things can't be all rainbows and roses and at one point Beck really had to do some soul searching to decide if being with Haley was worth bringing Jess back into his life. Since this is a romance and as such comes with pretty much a 100% guarantee of a HEA you already know what his decision was but the path getting there was so worth the journey.

As far as the audio...Virginia Rose was a new to me narrator and I think she did a good job. I very much enjoy dual narration productions especially when the book has alternating POVs. As for Aiden Snow.....OMG Aiden Snow! I would listen to that man read the dictionary. I will hunt down more romances narrated by him just to hear him read the naughty bits. I'm kidding. 

But for real I will.

In a Nutshell: I loved this book. Will everyone love it as much as I did. Nope. Will someone else find the characters not easy to identify with? Probably. But that's ok as every reader takes away something different when reading a book. Also, I will read more in the Busy Bean series but won't expect the same reaction as the books are all written by different authors and Sarah Mayberry doesn't write any more of them. But for reals I'll pick up another Mayberry book in a heartbeat.

Pushing Up Posies by Eve Langlais

Title: Pushing Up Posies

Author: Eve Langlais

Narrator: Troy Duran

Series: #1 in the Grim Dating series

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Eve Langlais (January 7, 2021) Audio published by Eve Langlais (January 11, 2021) 

Source: Hoopla

Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Netflix and Chill takes on a whole new meaning when Posie starts dating the Reaper.

Poor Brody. As reaper leader for the Canadian guild, he and his crew don’t get as much work as other countries until the Dark Lord gives them a new mandate: Establish a dating service on Earth that will facilitate the meeting between citizens of Hell and humans with the end goal being babies.

In other words, become a pimp.

It’s a cruel demotion for a reaper who just wanted to guide souls to their final destination. He is dying to return to Hell, until he meets the stubborn woman living across the hall.

The Devil wants Posie mated, but she is resisting all attempts. What will it take to make her see the light?

And how will she react when she finally discovers that death has been knocking at her door?

My Thoughts: When I finished this audio book, I was adamant in my OMG I loved this book so much! 4 Stars! Totally 4 stars...maybe even 4.5! Once my finished book satisfaction (i.e.: frenzy) wore off a bit I recognized this short book wasn't maybe as fantastic as I initially thought. Sigh.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: So typically, I discuss the plot (although briefly) and the characters before spending a line or two about the narration but Imma strike that, reverse it, and state upfront...I think Troy Duran's narration stroked all my buttons and boosted my book euphoria into "This is the best book I've ever read!" proportions. So, our black robe shrouded Grim, Brody Reaper, has a deep voice. Thanks to Troy Duran, Brody has a melt your panties off voice. Of course, that probably is just Duran's natural voice and, in that case, the next 3 books in this series are going to have male protagonists who are sure to create panty puddles as well. I'll keep this in mind when I read them and won't fall for the book euphoria that each one will surely create. Am I done talking about the narration yet? Nope, but here is my last thought on the subject. I might even go so far as to say I would seek out a book just because Troy Duran is narrating. Of course, it better be a spicy romance because if it's a thriller him narrating a series killer's thoughts might just ruin things for me.

Now for the regular part of my review.... Character wise. Neither Brody nor Posie are very fleshed out. Posie is Canadian who apparently has agoraphobia maybe anthropophobia (fear of people for those who don't want to stop reading this long enough to open up another window to google) and potentially a fear of not being able to apologize enough but then that might just be a Canadian thing (according to the book anyway)(oh and Eve Langlais is Canadian so I'm thinking she should know)(Can my Canadian friends please let me know if this is true...are y'all predisposition to apologize for everything?) Other than those things we know about Posie we don't know much more. We do learn why she is the way she is but other than that Posie might have just been plopped down in somewhere Canada a fully formed if not mildly cracked human being (with only one facet of her past life being told to us because I'm assuming this one factor is the only thing, we need to know about Posie's past.) Brody is as much a mystery as well. We only get one part of his past life and that was the part that led him to his death and his subsequent life of a Reaper. So why did I like this book so much with characters not even fully dimensional characters? Troy Duran. No! Didn't mean to mention him again. Maybe it was the way the book was plotted out? Maybe.

The Plot or the premise of the story if you will. Lucifer is pissy because the number of his ranks are getting smaller. He blames the humans and their medical science with birth control and the Plan B pill being at the top. He needs higher numbers, so he decides to start a pimp service. Not really. it's a dating service where he matches humans up with his current ranks (reapers, demons, minotaurs, whomever happens to have a penis and is team Hell) to make evil little babies to join him on his quest for chaos and evil fun. What I found I liked about this book as a whole was Hell wasn't all bad, Lucifer wasn't all evil, and angels were kind of assholes. 

There were a couple spicy scenes and a couple really fun scenes where Posie got a backbone and told off a couple of angels.... well, an angel and an Archangel, Raphael, to be precise. The ending, although quick, was good as well leading to my end of book euphoria belief this was an epically great book. It's not but it's fun, short, and spicy (especially if you listen to it!)

In a Nutshell: See all the above. If you're still not sure if I'll be reading more...um listening to more of these books maybe reread the first paragraph in my The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else section.

Some Enchanted Éclair by Bailey Cates

 

Title: Some Enchanted Éclair

Author: Bailey Cates

Series: #4 in the Magical Bakery series

Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery

Publisher: NAL (July 1, 2014) Audio version Published by Tantor Audio (July 1, 2014 )

Source: Library Find 

Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: FLOUR POWER

When Hollywood invades Savannah’s historic district to film a Revolutionary War movie, magical baker Katie Lightfoot, and her witches’ coven, the Spellbook Club, take a break from casting spells for casting calls. The witches snag parts as extras, while Katie’s firefighter boyfriend, Declan, acts as on-set security. Katie and her aunt Lucy decide to stay out of the action, but after the movie’s “fixer” fires the caterer, the Honeybee Bakery comes to the rescue, working their magic to keep the hungry crew happy.

But when someone fixes the fixer—permanently—and a spooky psychic predicts Katie will find the killer, the charming baker and her fellow conjurers step in to sift through the suspects…before someone else winds up on the cutting room floor…

My Thoughts: Another good book in an enchanting series. I have really grown to like Katie and her coven although they don't have as big of a part in this book as they have in the past. I liked that Cookie returned (with a surprise in tow) even though it wasn't until the end of the book. I've missed her.

In this book a period piece movie is being filmed in the area and some of Katie's friends and family participate in the making of it. Of course, Katie wouldn't be Katie if she didn't arrive at the set just in time for the discovery of a dead body. If that wasn't bad enough a psychic tells her she will bring justice to/for the victim. So what should a good witch do? Investigate of course.

There were some interesting additions to the woo-woo paranormal witchery this time around with a new someone who can talk to the dead and one already established someone (at this part of the series someone we know well) who can all of sudden channel spirits. This new addition is explained in a way that was satisfying so the "out of left field" feeling went away by the end of the book.

My biggest complaint would be about Declan, Katie's beau. He's kind of a jackass. Super moody and hard to like. He's been pseudo-supportive of Katie's abilities to the point it feels as if he is placating her rather than accepting and encouraging her. In this instance her other (past) beau would have been a much better match but C’est la vie. Honestly the other guy was sketchy anyway but I'm conveniently forgetting about that at this point in time.

I know I haven't discussed much of the plot and my feelings for the plot are just *meh. The book was good. I wasn't pulled out of the story by any weird crap and things were wrapped up well. I am just so much a character driven reader that it completely up to the characters to make the book or break it for me. The plot is always secondary in my eyes. I know that's weird but there it is. LOL

The audio version was ok. Amy Rubinate is Katie for me, but she doesn't necessarily do other voices. I always know who is who but this is more about the writing than the narration. These audio books are just someone reading to me rather than an amazing production. I have always listened to them because they listen quickly especially as I listen at 2X the speed. Amy's voice doesn't chipmunk out too terribly at this speed.

In a Nutshell: Of course, I'll pick up the next book. These books are fun and quick fluff if you need something to fill a space definitely try them. They are especially nice between weightier more thought-provoking books.

Awaken the Darkness by Dianne Duvall

 Title: Awaken the Darkness

Author: Dianne Duvall

Series: #8 in the Immortal Guardian series

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Dianne Duvall (July 10, 2018) Audio published by Tantor Audio (July 10, 2018)

Source: Library find via Hoopla

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: He awakens encapsulated in dirt with no knowledge of how he came to be there. Riddled with injuries, he can remember neither his past nor who he is. Nor can he remember what he is. But surely no mortal man could survive being buried deep beneath the earth. All he knows with certainty is that the soothing voice and presence of the woman moving around above enables him to endure the agony of his wounds. And he will do whatever it takes to be with her. When Susan first sees the old two-story house for sale, such warmth and longing fill her that--against all reason--she makes an offer. It will take years of hard work and money she frankly doesn't have to fix up the place. So she can't explain why she bought it. She also can't explain what compels her to spend hours one night, digging in the basement until she unearths a man. A man who still lives and breathes despite having been buried alive. A man whose intense brown eyes glow amber with pain, declaring him far more than ordinary. Susan knows she should keep her distance. He has no memory and possesses gifts that would make most fear him. But as the two work together to unravel the mystery of his past, she finds herself drawn in by his teasing nature and tender touch . . . Contains mature themes. 

My Thoughts:  I just love this series. This one heavily relies on past books in the series so although the premise is fully explained the full impact of what the characters have gone through (specifically Stanislav and Yuri not to mention Seth) it is best to read this series in order with the short novellas as well.

With this one we really hadn't had much time to jump on the Stanislav bandwagon as both he and Yuri were introduced only mid series, but I liked the way his book was handled. The continuing story arch connecting the last 2 books is all but paused while Stan's story played out, but I was ok with this.

The romance part of this book was pretty typical of this series. Both Immortal Guardian and their love interest are thrown together with a whole lot of action and turbulence and the I love you's are quick but satisfying. There were some minor battles within the book but not as many (or as epic as the ones that occur in previous books) but because this book is about Stan and his amnesia this too is ok.

Once again Kirsten Potter does an amazing job narrating. With Immortals from all over the world I fully believe all of her accents and will always listen to these books providing I can get them all easily from my library system.

In a Nutshell: Yep, I'm hooked. I've been binge reading these books. If you know me, you know this isn't how I operate. I get bored easily and will fall off of a particular series fairly quickly. 8 books and counting it hasn't happened yet and I'm not sure if it will anytime time soon. 

Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders

Title: Bait and Witch

Author: Angela M. Sanders

Narrator: Rebecca Mitchell

Series: #1 in the Witch Way Librarian Mysteries series

Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery

Publisher: Tantor Audio (December 29, 2020)

Source: Library Find

Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Librarian Josie Way moved to small-town Oregon to lay low. Instead, thanks to newfound magic abilities-and a killer on the loose-she's leapt out of the frying pan and into a cauldron of trouble . . . Josie Way loved working among the Library of Congress's leather-scented stacks-until she uncovered corruption and made herself a target. As Wilfred, Oregon's new librarian, Josie can stay undercover until the case goes to court. But life in this little town isn't as subdued as she expected. The library, housed in a Victorian mansion, is slated to be bulldozed. Still digesting the news that her safe haven is about to become scrap lumber, Josie discovers a body in the woods . . . Almost as shocking, Josie learns that she's descended from a long line of witches-and her powers have suddenly sprung to life. With help from a spoiled alley cat who just may be her familiar, Josie's thumbing through a catalog of suspects, hoping she can conjure a way to save her library-and her life . . . 

My Thoughts:  I thought this was an Ok introduction to a new to me series

The Good,  The Bad, and Everything Else: I really love a library setting and I enjoyed Josie's ability for pulling the right title up in her head for each person who comes to the library seeking a book. I also thought her not knowing she was a witch was interesting, but it does come with issues. She has no control. She has no idea what she can do. She completely does whatever her mom says blindly even though she is a full-on adult. The mystery of who was after Josie (or if anyone really was) was a bit of a stretch as the person died before Josie even got to town. Also, I think if the FBI was involved shouldn't they have put her in protective custody or something?

Anyway, I liked the Oregon setting and liked Sam (even if he was a little sketchy) but didn't warm up to many other people in town and why no one figured out who the murderer was is beyond me because it felt glaringly obvious.

Rebecca Mitchell's narration was decent. She doesn't do different voices but she's pleasant enough to spend several hours listening to. I was able to listen to the book at my typical 2X speed and her voice was ok for this. I wouldn't purposely seek out an audio book because she was narrating though.

In a Nutshell: I will continue with the series though and see where it takes me.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

 

Title: Fire

Author: Kristin Cashore

Narrator: Xanthe Elbrick

Series: #2 in the Gaceling Realm series

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Firebird (October 5, 2009) 

Source: Library Find

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.

This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she had the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.

Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom.

If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.

My Thoughts:   After completely loving the first book in the series I had very high expectations of this book and I'm sad to say I found this book a bit boring. Although it's the second book in the series it's technically a prequel. I'm not sure if that's why I didn't like it as well or because Fire just wasn't Katsa. I thought Fire, as a heroine was *meh 🤷‍♀️.

I chose to listen to this book whereas I read the ebook when I tackled Graceling. There was a lot of dialog that happened in people's minds because of Fire's ability and Xanthe Elbrick's Fire mind voice was, well, dull. Hypnotic but not in a good way.

I didn't care about any of the characters like I cared about Katsa and Po. The only character I seemed to care about was Fire's horse, Small. It was interesting to see King Lec's beginning though. The next book is back in the same time as Graceling and about Po's niece Bitterblue so I'm looking forward to it.

In a Nutshell: I will read the next book but I'm not sure if I'll listen to it or actually read it on my kindle. I don't think the audio enhanced my experience for this book.

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly

Title: He Said/She Said
Author: Erin Kelly
Narrators: Jonathan Broadbent and Helen Johns
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (June 6, 2017 )
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: The path of every eclipse can be predicted from now until the end of time.

Kit and Laura, young and in love, pledge to travel the globe and see as many as possible together. They have no idea of the darkness that will follow.

At a festival in Cornwall, in the hushed moments after the first eclipse they share, Laura interrupts a man and a woman. She knows she saw something terrible. But the man denies it. Later, in a panic, Laura tells a little white lie - which changes four lives irreparably.

When the victim turns up on their doorstep, the truth seems to vanish ever further into shadow. As gratitude spills into dangerous obsession, Kit and Laura simply have to run.

But they can't hide forever. With another eclipse on the horizon, the past is closing in on them again.
Telling Kit the truth will cost Laura her marriage. But keeping the secret could cost them both their lives.

And the person they fear the most knows exactly where they'll be...

My Thoughts: Remember that time when I thought this book had been recommended to me by a friend on GoodReads and then I read it and borderline hated it only to realize in no way did any friend of mine on GoodReads actually say I should read this book? Yeah.....so that happened.

The Good, The Bad, The Really Bad, and Everything Else: First and foremost I couldn't get over the super slow pace of this book. Nothing happened forever. Finally something would happen and peak my interest only to revert back to the slow pacing again. I also was annoyed with the constant back and forth the narration took. It jumped back and forth in time and also jumped between points of view. It is told between Kit's and Laura's points of views and they would also bop between the year 2000 and then 2015. At one point I think there was even an earlier POV with Kit but I was too bored to really notice. I just really wanted the book to get to the point.

The last 10% or so got really twisty and I approved. However, there was yet another twist at the very end I felt did nothing to add to the story and without it the book would have been just fine. I really wish the twistiness would have happened way sooner. I literally had to check this book out from the library three times in order to get to the end because I found other things to do rather than listen to this book.

As far as the characters go, not one could be considered likable and their secrets made me even more against them than I probably should have been. At one point Kit made some comment about lying snowballs into more lies. Yet the entire book is centered around concealing lies and what it does to a person. At least the sun eclipse information was interesting.

So what else did I like about this book to make it an average rather than a stinker? Well, I can't fault the writing of Erin Kelly. It flowed well, if you haven't decided you're over the dual POV narration anyway, and I'm pretty sure listening was a way better way of reading this book than had I read it myself. Of course, this is only supposition on my part, but I know my reading patterns and instead of week after week to get to the end of this book it would have been month after month.

The narration being split between a male and a female POV lent to a dual narration for the audio very well. Helen Johns and Jonathan Broadbent did an OK job. I was able to listen to the book at my normal 1.8X's the speed without the story sounding garbled. So all in all I neither was wowed nor did I dislike the listening experience so I would pick up another audio book narrated by either/or these performers.

In a Nutshell: Since I didn't full on hate this book I'm not against reading another book by Erin Kelly. I'm hoping the slow pacing of this book is just a one off and not her typical style.

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

Title: The Governess Game
Author: Tessa Dare
Narrator: Mary Jane Wells
Series: #2 in the Girl Meets Duke series
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: HarperAudio (August 28, 2018 )
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: He’s been a bad, bad rake—and it takes a governess to teach him a lesson

The accidental governess

After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried—and failed—to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart . . . without risking her own.

The infamous rake

Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education—in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls around Chase’s heart are crumbling . . . and he’s in danger of falling, hard.

My Thoughts: After a couple days I still am having trouble putting all my thoughts into words...well better words than Wow and Amazing anyway.

The Good, The Bad, And Everything Else: I love witty banter and humorous dialogue and Tessa Dare mastered that in this book. The interactions between Chase and Alex are funny and I loved every minute of them but what stole the show was the many different ways the youngest ward, Daisy, came up with for her doll, Millicent, to die. Once Millicent succumbed to dysentery, or consumption, or a bowel obstruction, or a dozen other things Daisy and her sister insist Chase participate in the funeral for the deceased with Chase presenting the eulogy. At which point I was so sad I opted to listen to this book on audio instead of e-book because I would have been highlighting the crap out of some really great moments.

The super sexy parts were quite steamy and I did enjoy them even though Alex's thoughts on sex without the sanctity of marriage is very forward thinking. I kind of thought they were a bit too modern but not enough for me to enjoy this book any less.

The character of Chase was a bit over the top because he is 4th in line for Dukedom and through one tragedy after another puts him as the number one heir rather than a distant spare. He never thought he'd be a Duke so his attitude was that of the "Spare". Drinking. Gambling. Womanizing. He does it all with a grin and a lackadaisical attitude. You'd think he wouldn't be likable but he is. He truly is.

I listened to the audio version of this book and Mary Jane Wells is a new to me reader. I felt she did a pretty good job but I did have to slow my normal speed down because I found with the British accent her voice didn't really chipmunk out but I had a hard time understanding all the words. I slowed it down from 1.8X's to 1.4X's. I felt this was a good speed for her voice. I do have the first book in this series waiting for me from the library on audio and I'm looking forward to getting to it. Yes I "read" this series out of order.

In a Nutshell: I am such a fan of this author and can't wait to read more in this series. Reading out of order was not a deterrent so if you can't get the first one but have this one just jump in! It'll be fine. I promise.

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

Title: A Bad Day For Sunshine
Author: Darynda Jones
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: #1 in the Sunshine Vicram series
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (April 7, 2020)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.
Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, its strong cups of coffee—and a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff--an election her adorably meddlesome parents entered her in--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of it's reminding Sunny why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine has her hands full.

Enter sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky US Marshall, both elevens on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. Now it’s up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice kidnapping miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said coming home would be drama-free.

My Thoughts: I love Darynda Jones and her humor so much and to have another series by her makes me fan girl squeal!

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: This was a good start to a new mystery series by one of my favorite authors. Chock full of her trademark humor despite some serious topics. I was a little apprehensive of a new character and I'm a little on the fence of if she fully pulled it off. Please don't interpret that as me saying Sunshine was a bad character. She wasn't but she was a little too much like Charley Davidson in personality. She's a wise cracking smart ass with constant comebacks and the banter between her and pretty much everyone is very Charley. There are some major differences though #1 being this is not an Urban Fantasy. Sunshine isn't supernatural. There are no supernatural people in this book. I just wish Sunshine would have been a complete different character but I guess if you take away the humor you just wouldn't have a Darynda Jones book.

There was an interesting amount of sexual tension between Sunshine and her childhood crush Levi. There is a huge backstory between these two and I have suspicions on what's going on. I'm really looking forward to learning more and absolutely HATE I'm going to have to wait for, like, a year to read more. I need to know now!

In this book Sunshine has to find a missing teenage girl who looks an awful lot like her own daughter, Ari. I thought the investigation part was good but I'm not sure there were enough clues for us readers to figure it out. I'm not upset by this as I would never really read a Darynda Jones book for the mysterious plots. There are quite a few sub-plots peppered throughout the book as well. It didn't overwhelm the main plot at all and I enjoyed the side mysteries of the missing rooster and the missing deputy.

The audio book was narrated by Lorelei King who seems to do all of Darynda Jones' books. I like her so much but I'm up to my elbows in books all being narrated by her and the characters are blurring even though some of the series are so completely different. If I only did one series at a time this would never be a problem but I get most of my audios from the library so when I get them I listen.

In a Nutshell: I'm super excited for this new series and can't wait for the next one!

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

Title: River Marked
Author: Patricia Briggs
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: #6 in the Mercy Thompson series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group (March 1, 2011)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—one that her father’s people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help…

My Thoughts: I really wanted to like this more than I did.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything in the Middle: So there were some really good things about this book. I complained (just a tad) about the lack of progression in Mercy and Adam's relationship so I'm really happy there was a wedding in this one and a honeymoon in this one. The wedding was over pretty quickly but it was so sweet and then the honeymoon starts. Where else would a werewolf take a coyote walker for a honeymoon but camping. I thought this was perfect but then I have a love of camper camping (don't give me a sleeping bag and a tent Hells no).

Of course Mercy finds trouble while camping...or rather trouble finds her. I loved the setting as they visited Multnomah Falls which I was lucky enough to visit in the 90's and would love to go back. It's so beautiful and seeing recognizable landmarks is fun as well.

Multnomah Falls

Despite the forward movement in the romance I'm just really surprised all the sexy parts happened behind closed doors. Is this new to the series or has it always been this way and I just never noticed until I powered through the Kate Daniels book and witnessed an amazingly passionate relationship? I am not one for sex scene after sex scene but I need more than just talking about their passion. I want to see it too.

I think the highlight of this book was our learning about Mercy's heritage and the American Indian lore. Sure we all knew she was part Native American but we got to meet her father, Coyote, and also meet several new characters to the series all deeply rooted in the Native lore. I really liked this but much of it was explained in dialogue I had a hard time keeping it straight. At one point Coyote was her father but yet he wasn't and in the past he was Joe Coyote but wasn't as well. Even Mercy had a tough time keeping up.

Although the pack was all but missing through this whole book, not to mention Zee, Gabriel, Samuel, etc., I did like the addition of Stephan's plot at the beginning and the end because I kind of like him...a lot. There will be more of him and Coyote because there is history there folks!

I listened to this book on audio and once again Lorelei King was a great narrator. I love everything she does but I'm currently knee deep in 2 UF series she narrates with 2 completely different protagonists. And to complicate that I just finished  the first book in a new series by Darynda Jones which Lorelei also reads. She's Mercy. She's Charley Davidson. She's Stephanie Plum. And now she's Sunshine Vicram but that is for another post.....

In a Nutshell: I'm so far invested into this series to give it up now. I'm hoping they get back to giving me some major book love like I had when I started this series. If you're new to this series don't start with this one....go back and pick up Moon Called and go from there.

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Title: Silver Borne
Author: Patricia Briggs
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: #5 in the Mercy Thompson series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Penguin Audio (March 30, 2010)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, never knows what the day - or night - may bring in a world where "witches, vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters live beside ordinary people" (Booklist). But she is about to learn that while some secrets are dangerous whose who seek them are just plain deadly...

Mercy is smart enough to realize that when it comes to the magical fae, the less you know, the better. But you can't always get what you want. When she attempts to return a powerful fae she previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secrets - and the fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side - leaving Mercy to cover for him lest his own father declare Samuel's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she may not have many more...

My Thoughts: Another good installment of the Mercy Thompson series. I bought the e-book but chose to borrow the audio from the library. I love listening to Lorelei King and tend to enjoy everything she narrates.

The Good: While I really like Mercy I really think, for me anyway, Samuel's storyline stole the show for me. What a turn of events and I liked the notable difference in characteristics between Samuel and Sam, his wolf. Although there was not a large forward movement in Mercy and Adam's relationship I did like the information we learned about the pack/mate bond between them. I just hope Mercy and Adam become an epic couple like Kate and Curran. They have all the chemistry. I'm just hoping Briggs does them justice.

The Bad: Why are almost all the women in this series proving to be bitches? Mercy is the only one who seems consistent in character. Sylvia, Auriele, Mary Jo...yes even Mary Jo who should be a little bit more courteous since Mercy saved her life in the last book. As I mentioned earlier I did think Samuel's story took more of my attention than Mercy's did but I am not sure about the way his reason for, well, being can about. I don't want to give too much away but it felt very quickly wrapped up for a major storyline.

In a Nutshell: I still love this series and will definitely listen to the next one. I wouldn't recommend this book to newbies to the series as there are incidents that have happened in previous books that are not only mentioned in this one but understanding Adam and Mercy's tiptoeing around their relationship will make more sense if the books are read in order.

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren

Title: The Honey-Don't List
Author: Christina Lauren
Narrator: Patti Murin and Jon Root
Series: Stand-Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (March 24, 2020 )
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…

My Thoughts: I really like Christina Lauren's books but I thought this one wasn't quite as good as my experiences with some of the others I've read.

The Good, The Bad, and the Stuff in the Middle: The Laurens team does a great job of creating interesting characters and I liked Carey but not nearly as much as James. I thought Carey was so far into the Tripp's lives she justified all their bad behaviors but doesn't cut James the same slack. She mentally complains about pretty much everything James does and sees all his mannerisms as negative. It wasn't until they had to work closely together on the book tour she really discovers who James is and how terrific he can be. Carey occasionally got on my nerves by being Ok with how she was being treated by Melly. Rusty had my sympathy through most of the book because I couldn't see even one redeeming quality in Melly. Oh and not to draw parallels where there really weren't any but I kept seeing Chip and Joanna Gaines as the Tripps. Probably because they too are a couple who have hit remodeling TV shows but this was really all in my head and not from the authors writing of the characters in this book.

I think at one point we were supposed to feel for Carey because she had a medical condition she was living with which is one of the reasons she claimed to stay with the Tripps so long. For the insurance. I understand needing medical insurance as much as the next person but to dedicate a decade of her young life to a screaming shrew like Melly is crazy. There are other jobs with insurance out there.

The romance was Ok except it relies on the miscommunication trope to add conflict when there was enough conflict between the relationship of our four characters; Rusty, Melly, Carey, and James. I also hated that Carey finally got a backbone but used it on James instead of Melly. Man I hated Melly. The intimacy between Carey and James was done really well but I wish more focus could have been on building their romance rather than the destruction of Melly and Rusty's marriage.

The audio of this book was great. I love when multiple narrators work together to enhance the experience. Both Murin and Root are new to me narrators and I would listen to more with them. I was able to listen to the book at my regular speed of almost 2Xs without Murin making Carey sound like a chipmunk.

In a Nutshell: Although this wasn't my favorite Lauren book I did find myself thinking about it for days after finishing which was a good thing. This is why I ended up giving it an extra half point for a rating. I will definitely read more books by this writing team even though I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book over Josh and Hazel's Guide for Not Dating or My Favorite Half-Night Stand. I think those books are superior to this one.

The Case of the Green-Dressed Ghost by Lucy Banks

Title: The Case of the Green-Dressed Ghost
Author: Lucy Banks (narrated by Joe Jameson)
Series: #1 in the Dr. Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural series
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC (September 5, 2015)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Kester Lanner didn't know what to expect when he followed his mother s dying request to contact the mysterious Dr. Ribero, but he wasn't expecting to find his long lost father. Nor was he expecting to join the family business: catching supernatural spirits.

Kester is intrigued despite his fear, and finds himself drawn into an ancient ghost story that will test the entire agency.He soon becomes enmeshed in a struggle with the spirit, who is so malevolent and haunting that his first real case might just be his last.

My Thoughts: A good start to an interesting paranormal mystery with some unfortunate characters.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: While I really love paranormal mysteries this one was a bit bogged down with some unlikable characters. Serena is a secondary character within the series who has an important skill in collecting wayward spirits for their agency. Her personality is so negative. I'm not even sure how she has been working with the group (made of 5 people before Kester joined) for as long as she has (something like 5 years). She is rude to her co-workers and exhibits a hatred towards Kester upon meeting him for the first time. She ridicules everything he says and does. She also turns this attitude towards another male teammate, Mike.

Unfortunately, Kester, who is the main character isn't a whole lot better. He has a self depreciating attitude and puts himself down time after time. I don't like to read over and over how much he isn't someone to look at and how he is an overweight pasty looking man who looks older than he really is. He also had unfortunate reactions to his first encounter with a spirit. Granted, he didn't even know or believe in the paranormal so I'm sure it was a bit traumatic but his reaction was similar the second and third time....what a wuss.

Despite those two terrible characters the researching involved in the Green-Dressed Ghost was interesting although it took more than half the book to get to this point. Each team member also contributes something special to the investigation and spirit removal. With the addition of Kester to the team Serena's place within the team might be compromised with Serena even commented on towards the end of the book. I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen with that and some interpersonal relationships that look like they may develop during the series.

The audio version was Ok and Joe Jameson had a decent voice for Kester. His accent for Dr. Rubio's Argentinian voice grew on me but at first I wasn't sure what accent it was. I almost thought it was Russian 😖I was able to listen to the book at my normal speed which is almost 2Xs. Although the audio was decent enough it didn't enhance the book as much as some other productions do.

In a Nutshell: Since I'm so character driven the negative characters almost turned me off the series but I think the investigation of the spirit mystery compensated for this. I'm looking forward to listening to the next book in the series or reading it myself, whichever version I can get from the library but I probably won't purchase it.

Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory

Title: Spoonbenders
Author: Daryl Gregory (narrated by Ari Fliakos)
Series: Stand-alone
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio  (June 27, 2017)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: The year is 1995.

Meet the Telemachuses: an apparently ordinary family with strikingly obvious issues. Their individual personalities are eccentric, their intergenerational relationships are strained, their collective failures are well documented, and their finances are, well, let's not even go there.
The city is Chicago.

For Grandson Matty Telemachus, this is just the way things have always been. The only person who has ever tried to convince him otherwise is his hapless Uncle Frankie, who rushes to retrieve 'that video tape' every time he consumes too much red wine at Thanksgiving.
The family is dysfunctional.

This cassette is proof that the family - Grandad Teddy, Grandma Maureen, Aunt Irene, Uncle Frankie and Uncle Buddy - were once known as The Amazing Telemachus Family, and toured the country with a magic and mind-reading act. That was, until on fateful night in 1974...
So is the magic.

Spoonbenders is the legacy and legend of an extraordinary, normal, entirely unique family across three generations of big personalities and socially inept recluses - each cursed with the potential of being something special.

My Thoughts: I read a very short review about this book and the reviewer enjoyed this book so I thought I'd give it a shot.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: I made a mistake when tackling this book. I did not read the synopsis. I had no idea this book was set in 1995. I did manage to figure it out but the book also skipped back and forth in time with no indication it was happening. At least on the audio version. The results made for a little bit of a confused listen at first. I did figure it out but I thought this hindered my enjoyment rather than enhance it.

The building of the storyline was actually very interesting and the character, Buddy, although being portrayed as a secondary character was the best of the bunch. The plot was pretty cleverly woven and it built and built throughout the book to a good climax but overall it didn't wow me. Probably because the book spent so much time focusing on two characters, Teddy and Frankie, who were essentially the same person. I don't necessarily have to like the characters in a book but sometimes my dislike of specific characters can sway my enjoyment of a book anyway. In this case having  more than half the book so focused on the two characters I disliked was a big negative sway.

The narration was adequate but not great. I don't recall any voice differences between characters. This could mean they might have been there but were not great nor horrible enough for me to notice or there really wasn't any difference. At the end of the book I felt Fliakos just read the story to me rather than it being a great audio production. I would not seek out another book narrated by Ari Fliakos for the sake of the narration but wouldn't refuse to listen to another one based on this book.

In a Nutshell: An overall OK book but not one I would re-read. I also wouldn't recommend this book except for, perhaps, likeminded readers. I'm not sure if I would seek out another book by Gregory but as I do like to give an author at least 2 tries I would rule it out.