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.

Werewolf in Manhattan by Vicki Lewis Thompson

(Original Cover)

(New cover from 2018)

Title: Werewolf in Manhattan
Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson
Series: #1 in the Wild About You series
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher:  Berkley; Original edition (January 4, 2011) reissued by Ocean Dance Press; 2 edition (March 30, 2018)
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: She believed werewolves were a myth…until she met one.

For paranormal romance author Emma Gavin, werewolves only existed between the pages of her novels. They were seductive heroes drawn from her imagination, not living, breathing creatures in the real world. And they certainly were not wealthy lords of industry.

And then the sexy Mr. Wallace sprouted fur.

Offering to pose as Emma’s bodyguard to deter a rogue Were should have been an easy assignment for pack alpha Aidan Wallace. She’s human. He’s Were. The two don’t mix. But he didn’t count on the temptation she would pose to his highly tuned senses. Or how hard it would be to resist her siren call.

Denying the bond that’s drawing them together could cost him his sanity. But surrendering to desire could cost him his life.

My Thoughts: An Ok romance with potential not realized.

The Good: So I really liked Aidan. He really had the making of  great Alpha hero. Tall, gorgeous, genius IQ, and very wealthy. I mean, what else could you want? I also loved the idea our heroine was a paranormal romance writer who writes werewolf heroes. It does get her in trouble with the local Were Pack because her imagination is too close to the truth. I liked the secondary characters as well, especially, Nadia and Aidan's younger brother Roarke. The chemistry between Aidan  and Emma was so good and for the most part the super sexy parts were pretty darn exciting as well.

The Bad: While I did like Emma's choice of careers and her and Aidan's smexy times, I just couldn't get a good grasp of who she was. She flipped from a MarySue who was just kind of boring to someone with a backbone only to become a sexed up vixen and back again. During her backbone times she tried fighting for her "right" to continue writing her fictional novels of werewolves. This of course was after she found out werewolves were real and accepted it in the blink of an eye. As the existence of werewolves has to be kept a secret and the pack community were going so far as to investigate an author's fictional book writing. There were talks of even killing her should she know too much. With that in mind she continued to say things like she'd rather be DEAD than lose her career of writing her novels. I have rights! You can't stop my First Amendment rights! How about stay alive Emma? How about that? Why not change direction just a bit and write about vampires or witches. Oh and lets not get into Emma's snobby "I'm so green" attitude. Looking down on Aidan for his wealth and the lifestyle he has but then justifies letting Aidan pamper her with luxuries and it comes out she has a bunch of designer clothes and designer shoes. Hello kettle. Meet pot.

In a Nutshell: An easy breezy read without a lot of substance but a decent enough read to spend a few hours with. As far as recommending this book I'd only suggest someone looking for some pure paranormal fluff pick this one up.

Pine Lake by Amanda Stevens

Title: Pine Lake
Author: Amanda Stevens
Series: Stand-Alone
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue; Original edition (October 1, 2017)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: SLEEPWALKING WITH DANGER  

The murder of security expert Jack King's girlfriend has haunted him for fifteen years. Returning to Pine Lake, Texas, where the townsfolk still consider him suspect, might not be the smartest move, but a killer seems to be holding up a mirror to his past. The same witness to this new murder was also present the night Jack's girlfriend dieds…but both times, she was sound asleep…

Sleepwalking has gotten Olive Belmont into some sticky situations. Being the witness to both murders may have put her on the killer's list. Even so, she doesn't think the killer is Jack and is willing to help him. But will putting his past to rest ease her mind or leave her with even greater nightmares?

My Thoughts: A good suspense book from a great author.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: While I feel the suspense of this book was top notch I would have loved for the book to be longer. A longer book would have been really able to capitalize on the feeling of suspense. The length of book is pretty typical of a category romance and in most cases it always leaves me wanting more. This book in particular. I wanted the romance to have more time to develop naturally as well as wanting longer suspense. The book takes place in a matter of days so a viable romance really doesn't have time to develop but luckily there wasn't insta-love. Yes the characters had a connection but thankfully there were no I Love You's at the end. So that was a plus for me.

The mystery part was expected but with a twist so I liked it quite a bit but would have liked a more hidden motive rather than the one explained. There were also a couple episodes of a sleepwalking incidents that felt off to me. I don't know a lot about sleepwalking but I did have a friend who did sleepwalk who said she had to have a lock on her bedroom door because while she was a sleepwalking she was unable to have the dexterity to unlock doors. Of course sleepwalking could be highly different from one person to another. As I said, I don't know a lot about it.

The characters could have been fleshed out more but there is a basic understanding of both Jack and Olivia and what makes them tick. I liked Olivia but found she was a bit of a Mary Sue. I also liked Jack but his complexity was just glossed over. Stevens gave us just a taste of what Jack was all about and, not to beat a dead horse....where did that saying come from anyway?....it's pretty morbid, but had there been the option of a longer book Jack might have ended up worth of Book Boyfriend status.

In a Nutshell: This was a good book on the verge of being great. This author knows her stuff and is really capable of penning a thrilling book. This is my first book by her but not my last as I have tons of her Intrigues on my shelf.

Mother's Day Out by Karen MacInerney

Title: Mother's Day Out
Author: Karen MacInerney
Series: #1 in the Margie Peterson Mysteries series
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Brilliance Audio (April 15, 2014) (first published June 2,2012)
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Margie Peterson is a typical stay-at-home mom until she trades dishes for detective work to become Austin's least-likely PI. Soon she's knee-deep in cheating husbands, transvestites, and trouble in a laugh-out-loud new mystery from award-winning author Karen MacInerney.

With a husband who works long hours trying to make partner and two rambunctious kids that are running her ragged, Margie Peterson is like any other worn-out suburban mom. When she decides to take a job as a PI for a seedy local detective agency, everything changes. It doesn't take long for Margie to get in over her head: Her first day on the job she totals her minivan, mistakenly enters a drag contest, and winds up in the bathroom with a dead transvestite. But when Margie finds her home number in the victim's phone, things really start to get interesting.

My Thoughts: I found this book while looking for a cozy mystery featuring a PI to fit in a Bingo Game I'm playing over at GoodReads. It was a good find.

The Good, The Bad, And The Stuff in the Middle:  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book after realizing the LGBTQ community was going to be a hot topic within it. The last cozy mystery I read that mentioned the Gay community had homophobic undertones that pissed me off to the extreme and I will not read another book by that author.  I was prepared to hate this book even though I read another MacInerney (in a different series) a few months ago and liked it a lot. I was pleasantly surprised to find our main character, not an expert on the Drag Queen community, but open minded and willing to listen without judgement.

I did find Margie a bit TSTL (which is a common trait in the genre) but I do have faith she will make a good PI. I'm hoping the fact that she is running around claiming to be a PI after working for a PI company for only 2 weeks and has no license will get rectified. You just can't be a PI without a license.

Most of the secondary characters were specifically drawn to either have the reader like them or hate them. I did like that Margie's husband, Blake, was a bit more complex. Sure, through most of the book I didn't like him. I wasn't supposed to. He comes from uppity stock and I was wondering how in the world they ever got together as he was all about status and appearance. Towards the end I almost liked him and even felt sorry for him.

I'm really interested in seeing what happens in the future for Margie and Blake.

I listened to the audio recording and thought Cris Dukehart was a good Margie. Her voices weren't super distinctive but I was able to listen to the book at my usual speed of almost 2Xs. Her voice for Margie's friend Becky did get a bit chipmunky though. If she had been the main character I may have had to adjust the speed to a little slower.

In a Nutshell: I'm looking forward to getting to read more in the series and with my Kindle Unlimited I'll be able to listen or read. I love that option.

Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson

Title: Murder in Chinatown
Author: Victoria Thompson
Series: #9 in the Gasllight Mystery series
Genre: Historical Mystery (cozy mystery)
Publisher: Berkley(June 5, 2007 )
Source: Gift
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Sarah Brandt has made her uneasy way to Chinatown to deliver a baby. There she meets a group of Irish women who, completely alone at Ellis Island, married Chinese men in the same predicament. But even as a new century dawns, New Yorkers still cling to their own kind, scorning children of mixed races.

When the new mother's half-Chinese, half-Irish niece goes missing, Sarah knows that alerting the police will accomplish nothing, and seeks the one person she can turn to-Detective Sergeant Malloy.

And when the missing girl is found dead in a Chinatown alley, Sarah and Malloy have ample suspects in her murder-from both sides of Canal Street.

My Thoughts: I typically love this series but this wasn't one of my favorite books in the series. It took me forever to read which is also an indication that I didn't enjoy it as much.

The Good, The Bad, And The Stuff in the Middle:  In this book, similar to Murder in Little Italy, the topic of racial prejudice was a major topic. As these are set in the late 1800's it wasn't a surprise but for me it was tiresome. People hated the Irish. People hated the Italians. And in this one, people hated the Chinese. Considering every single person in New York in this book is either a foreigner or can easily trace their family tree to show their roots are also foreign....the hatred was almost too much for me. Thankfully Sarah does not fall into this way of thinking so her attitude was one of the only aspects that prevented me from chucking this book. When Thompson went out of her way to mention the Chinese way of talking was different and their "L's" came out as "R's" with an example....well folks...that was almost the chucking point. I couldn't help but start to mentally read the dialogue that way. Up until that point I was happily reading everything in my own voice.

The mystery felt like it took too long to resolve (of course that was probably due to me taking forever to read this book) and Sarah and Frank's relationship did not progress even a little bit. This made me sad as I view the budding relationship between the two important in my enjoyment of the series. The solving of Sarah's husband's murder moved barely half an inch but now has a timeline where Frank only has a few weeks to find his killer. So the next few books might have closure on that underlying link.

What did I like about this book? Agnes/Catherine and Maeve. I love those girls and they are just blooming under Sarah's guidance. I love the family unit she has created and the addition of the nosy but lovable elderly woman next door is even more of a plus.

In a Nutshell: I'm hoping this was just a one off and the next book will be better for me because I am not ready to give it up.

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.

Murder on the Rocks by Allyson K. Abbott

Title: Murder on the Rocks
Author: Allyson K Abbott
Series: #1 in the Mack's Bar Mysteries series
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington (August 6, 2013)
Source: Purchased
Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: Mack's Bar is one of those nice, friendly places where everybody knows your name. That's great when someone's buying you a round, but not so hot when you find yourself atop a list of murder suspects--with your fingerprints on the bloody knife!

Mackenzie "Mack" Dalton is a Milwaukee bar owner with a nose for trouble--literally. A neurological glitch has left her with extra perceptive senses. So when she stumbles upon a dead body in the alley behind the bar--the same spot where her own father was shot eight months earlier--she can tell right away there's something fishy in the air. The lead detective thinks there's a link between the two deaths, and he'll need Mack's help to sniff out the murderer amid the crowd of eccentric regulars. But when all the evidence points to her as the most likely culprit, it could be an early last call for Mack--and celebratory cocktails for a killer.

Includes drink recipes

My Thoughts: A decent enough start to a new series with a very unique protagonist.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything in the Middle: I've always been drawn to unique characters, particularly ones with some sort of "disability" as their inner character tends to be strong and full of perseverance. With Mack I've found a character I've never run across before. Mack has Synthesia (a very basic definition is a neurological condition where the person's senses are crossed often resulting in being able to see sounds or taste smells among other things...it is more involved but this is the gist.) Her constantly having to sort if she were having a real sensory reaction to stimuli or a resulting secondary reaction caused by her Synthesia was really interesting. Mack did mention she spent her whole life trying to ignore the sensory reactions that weren't "real" but I would think after so many years some reactions would be constant. For example, her father, although he had already died months before this book takes place, I would think Mack would have one specific occurrence when, let's say, she hugged her father. In turn whenever she would see, taste, or hear that particular indicator she'd know it was her dad's "ring tone" so to speak but all of extra sounds, colors, smells, etc. were viewed as garbage distractions she felt she had to ignore. Towards the end a friend and her were putting together something to track them but I would have thought she would have had a basic list already. Oh and on a side note tasting chocolate when a good looking man talks to me sounds like a great way of controlling my blood sugars. All the flavor. None of the sugars.

OK enough of that. As far as character development goes I thought Mack was done pretty well and left enough room to grow through the series. On a lesser degree, Duncan's character wasn't as fleshed out. I really don't know what he saw in Mack (other than she threw a temper tantrum and stripped in front of him and the rest of the police because she was considered a suspect)….and hey! what guy wouldn't appreciate a young healthy woman who strips in front of him after an hour? His admiration and attention to Mack felt a bit forced unfortunately especially since Mack went from nice to bitchy at the drop of a hat. I spent half the book liking Mack and half the book thinking she was emotionally unbalanced. The bar regulars were not really fleshed out and became stereotypical bar patrons to me. You got the floozy, the 2 brothers who are the wise old owls offering advice to everyone, the pushy boyfriend who was unlikable and you knew that relationship was doomed from the beginning, the crotchety cook, and the secondary father figure who happens to have book shop next to the bar. There were more but you see what I'm saying. None of them were fleshed out really well and none stood out to me. I'm hoping for more development for them in the coming books.

The conclusion felt rushed as the majority of the book was setting up the "sting" where Duncan would pose as Mack's new bartender/server and Mack turned out to be TSTL. Why Mack? WHY? Once murder has been established you do NOT fail to lock your door. You do NOT venture down into the basement during a BLACKOUT. You do NOT assume your fake employee, who happens to be a cop, decided to just leave without saying good-bye. Especially since the night before he was the last to leave and made sure you LOCKED YOUR FREAKIN' DOOR!!! Ugh...I just can't with her. If this was a Friday the 13th movie she wouldn't have even made it to the half way point. Matter of fact she probably would have died during the stripping scene.


In a Nutshell: Despite Mack's TSTL moment at the end of the book I will read the next book in the series. I'm interested in seeing how Mack's condition can be used in the future rather than being ignored and there were quite a few yummy sounding drink recipes included in the book. The coffee based Macktini sounded really tasty.

A Merciful Death by Kendra Elliot

Title: A Merciful Death
Author: Kendra Elliot
Series: #1 in the Mercy Kilpatrick series
Genre: Mystery/Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Brilliance Audio (January 17th 2017)
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: FBI special agent Mercy Kilpatrick has been waiting her whole life for disaster to strike. A prepper since childhood, Mercy grew up living off the land - and off the grid - in rural Eagle's Nest, Oregon. Until a shocking tragedy tore her family apart and forced her to leave home. Now a predator known as the cave man is targeting the survivalists in her hometown, murdering them in their homes, stealing huge numbers of weapons, and creating federal suspicion of a possible domestic terrorism event. But the crime scene details are eerily familiar to an unsolved mystery from Mercy's past.

Sent by the FBI to assist local law enforcement, Mercy returns to Eagle's Nest to face the family who shunned her while maintaining the facade of a law-abiding citizen. There, she meets police chief Truman Daly, whose uncle was the cave man's latest victim. He sees the survivalist side of her that she desperately tries to hide, but if she lets him get close enough to learn her secret, she might not survive the fallout...

My Thoughts: While I found myself riveted to my phone while listening to this book on my Audible app I'm not sure I would have read it as quickly as I listened to it. There is something to be said about household chores for sure. 😃

The Good: I thought the audio version of this book was done pretty good. Teri Schnaubelt did a good job with infliction and I was able to listen at 1.75x's the speed without her voice "chipmunking" out.  The mystery of who was killing the preppers was pretty good as well although there weren't many viable suspects. The intrigue of Mercy's background and why she left her family and the town she grew up in 15 years ago without looking back was actually more compelling than the current murders. Now that we know all about her history I'm wondering what is in store for future Mercy books.

The Bad: While I think Schnaubelt did a decent job there wasn't much voice difference from one character to another. Luckily the writing was done so well I never was confused as to who was talking. As I mentioned earlier there were not a whole lot of viable suspects and the bad guy was pretty easy to determine. If you are looking for a book that will test your sleuthing abilities this probably isn't the book for you. As far as this being a romantic suspense there is not a whole lot of romance. It definitely takes a back seat to the mystery which is why I labeled this a mystery firstly and a romantic suspense secondly. Last thing, although there isn't graphic rape within the book there is rape. If rape is a trigger for anyone please be warned as this might not be the right book for you.

In a Nutshell: I thought this was a good first book in the series and I'm going to move on to the second book soon.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

Title: The Bride Test
Author: Helen Hoang
Series: #2 in the Kiss Quotient series
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: LLC Dreamscape Media  (May 7, 2019)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

My Thoughts: This was a pretty great book that had my feelers all over the place.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: Esme was a strong independent woman who just wanted better for her child. Better, meaning America, rather than the poor side of Vietnam.  I liked Esme quite a bit but I fell in love with Khai. Over my lifetime I spent 1/4 of it working with people with developmental disabilities some of whom had Autism. I felt Helen Hoang did an amazing job fleshing out Khai and his traits.

I wish Esme would have researched Autism when Khai brought it up. She looked up Accounting when it was mentioned. Her character seemed curious and needed to learn so this oversight seemed odd. Had she researched she would have understood the things Khai did much sooner. Of course the book would have ended a lot sooner without the major epiphany Khai had towards the end. I also wished Esme would have told everyone about her daughter way sooner. As much as she loved Jade I'm just not sure why she would have hidden her. Especially once she determined her and Khai were not suited.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book a lot. Emily Woo Zeller was the narrator and to date this book is the first one I've listened to that she has done. I don't speak Vietnamese and the proper way to pronounce the various names would have tripped me up a lot. I was able to listen at my regular speed which is not quite 2X's the speed.

In a Nutshell: Although this book is the second book in the series, it's the first book I've read by this author. Reading out of order didn't spoil my enjoyment and there doesn't seem to be much connecting the books other than a theme and family. I would definitely recommend this book and will go back and read the first book myself.

A Rancher For Christmas by Brenda Minton

Title: A Rancher for Christmas
Author: Brenda Minton
Series: #1 in the Martin's Crossing series
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Love Inspired; Original edition (December 1, 2014)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: A Family for Christmas
Martin's Crossing: In this small Texas town, every heart finds a home. Raised on the run, free-spirited Breezy Hernandez has never stayed in one place too long. But now that she has joint custody of her late brother's twin daughters, she's determined to give them a stable home. Even if it means cooperating with the twins' bossy uncle.
Texas rancher Jake Martin learned the hard way that women can't be trusted. But as he and Breezy care for the orphaned girls, Jake begins to open his heart. Is Breezy ready to put down roots in Martin's Crossing, or will she run from the one thing she's always wanted: A family?
Martin's Crossing: In this small Texas town, every heart finds a home.

My Thoughts: A small town romance with a lot of feels and a set of adorable twins.

The Good: I loved the small town romance aspect of this book. Martin's Crossing is the kind of town with the kind of people I want to live in and hang out with. Jake's family is intriguing especially his younger "big" brother who owns the local bar/restaurant who makes amazing pies. The added characters of Oregon (a local artist and shop owner) and Joe, who came to town as a drifter, rounded out the book nicely. There was an added suspense aspect to the book which added an additional depth to the plot. I like romantic suspense books so this was a nice surprise.

The Bad: There was a lot of relying on Breezy and Jake's chemistry to pull the storyline forward and into romantic times but I wasn't always on board with it. As these characters were complete strangers at the beginning of this book Breezy's constant wanting to comfort Jake seemed unusual and out of characters for her. It also went both ways but at least when Jake is concerned he was the primary caretaker of his siblings from such a young age. Him wanting to comfort and protect Breezy wasn't that outrageous unless you factor in him trying to dig up dirt to discredit her and prove she wasn't appropriate to be a guardian to his nieces. Which, consequently, brought up the dreaded miscommunication trope. I'm not a fan of this and prefer my characters to have better communication. In this book's case it was paramount to have good communication because they were co-parenting the twins. The suspense aspect was wrapped up a little too quickly but I did like the "mystery of Joe". One last thing...Breezy is a stupid name. That is a personal issue for me though and not something someone else might be annoyed with.

In a Nutshell: A good book even though I don't normally gravitate towards Inspirational books. I'll look for the rest of the books in the Martin's Crossing series. I am really wanting to learn more about Jake's brothers.

 

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman

Title: I have Lost My Way
Author: Gayle Forman
Audio: Read by...Nicole Lewis, Michael Crouch, and Sunil Malhotra
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (March 27, 2018) Audible.com Release Date: March 27, 2018
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from home to find the boy that he loves, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City after a family tragedy leaves him isolated on the outskirts of Washington state. After the three of them collide in Central Park, they slowly reveal the parts of their past that they haven't been able to confront, and together, they find their way back to who they're supposed to be. Told over the course of a single day from three different perspectives, Gayle Forman's newest novel about the power of friendship and being true to who you are is filled with the elegant prose that her fans have come to know and love.

My Thoughts: This was my first Gayle Forman book and if this is typical of her writing I'm hunting down her back list and giving it all a go. For reals.

The Good: While this was such a good story about friendship and discovering oneself I can't help but be awed by the production of the audio book. Without the three narrators this wouldn't have been as great of a book. Sure it probably still would have been a good read. One I still might have recommended to bookie friends of mine. However, what Nicole, Michael, and Sunil did was elevate this story to greatness. The characters were more real. Their fears, their struggles, their friendships, all of it became my fears, my struggles, and my friendships. This doesn't happen very often but when it does...WOW....just wow.

Even though I did find Nathaniel's storyline a bit expected I was still fully invested in it. From his phone calls that always went to his dad's voice mail "Tell me something good!" to his talking about the different attractions him and his dad had always said they'd see someday. I knew where it was leading, I just didn't know how we were going to get there. This could technically be said about Harun's character as well. As much as Nathaniel struggled, Harun's struggle was harder. His inner conflict about being gay in a family saturated in culture from another land where religion and being gay do not go together was tough to listen to. He felt alone and isolated and grew up thinking he was an abomination yet he fell in love with another man anyway. Unfortunately, this relationship was doomed to fail because he was unable to accept who he was in order for it to grow.

The Bad: While I will say I absolutely loved this book I'm not sure if I had read it myself rather listened to the audio version if I would have been as taken with it. From Harun's accent to Freya's singing in Ethiopian, the audio made this book come alive where I would have been stuck on pronunciation to the point of distraction. Some people might not be as picky about this type of thing as I am so this "bad" thing might not be horrible to another reader. I also would have liked to have known what happened after. Meaning the book ended but I wanted more. Harun probably is now an outcast from his family, Freya still cannot sing, and Nathaniel is homeless and depressed. I need more...or least a plan of sorts so I know the characters will be ok after the last page. Is that weird?

In a Nutshell: As much as this book had the potential to wreck me by the end I was at peace. I went through so many emotions I'm surprised people driving next to me didn't worry about the state of the "crazy crying lady" in the Nissan Rogue. Despite my wild emotional ranges or maybe because of them I will whole heartedly recommend this book, I even have to admit I found myself not going straight home many a night detouring the loooong way so I could get another few minutes of listening in. Now isn't that a sign of a good book?

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

Title: An Unwanted Guest
Author: Shari Lapena
Narrator: Hillary Huber
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Audio (August 8, 2018)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: A remote lodge in upstate New York is the perfect getaway . . . until the bodies start piling up.
It's winter in the Catskills and the weather outside is frightful, but Mitchell's Inn is so delightful! The cozy lodge nestled deep in the woods is perfect for a relaxing - maybe even romantic - weekend away. The Inn boasts spacious old rooms with huge wood-burning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a book and someone you love.
So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity - and all contact with the outside world - the guests settle in for the long haul. The power's down but they've got candles, blankets, and wood - a genuine rustic experience!
Soon, though, a body turns up - surely an accident. When a second body appears, they start to panic. Then they find a third body.
Within the snowed-in paradise, something - or someone - is picking off the guests one by one. They can't leave, and with no cell service, there's no prospect of getting the police in until the weather loosens its icy grip.
The weekend getaway has turned deadly. For some couples, it's their first time away. For others, it will be their last. And there's nothing they can do about it but huddle down and hope they can survive the storm. storm.

My Thoughts: A good plot, a good setting,  a bunch of characters I didn't like.

The Good, The Bad, And Everything Else: This was actually a good mystery. As many other reviewers, I also felt it was reminiscent of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Not completely but the essence was there. I liked that the story had not only murder but an added winter storm which made the setting of this book so much better. With all of the guests trapped with no internet, no phones, no electricity, and a killer, it made for finger pointing and hostility. All the guests had secrets as well and they all had different reasons for needing an escape for a weekend at Mitchell's Inn. The suspense was very well done and as the guests are picked off one by one.

I listened to the audio version and it was well done. I've listened to books read by Hillary Huber before and I find she does a good job.

As much as I liked the suspense and the pacing of the book I was annoyed with one specific character to the point of near disgust. Gwen is a horrible character, a terrible friend, and someone who should have died but had a happily ever after instead. UGH! She brings a friend suffering from a serious PTSD event for girls weekend getaway. Knowing how her friend could experience debilitating panic attacks she ditched her at every moment to hook up with a man who acts very suspicious throughout the book. A her friend blindly runs out into the winter storm in the grips of a panic attack she is practically useless and her care for her friend takes a backseat. She's a selfish individual and almost ruined the book for me.


In a Nutshell: Overall, I really did like this book (despite Gwen) the tension was good throughout and I'll seek out more books by this author.

**Early Review** Texas Trouble by Gerry Bartlett

Title: Texas Trouble
Author: Gerry Bartlett
Series: #2 in the Lone Star series
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Lyrical Liaison (June 4, 2019)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Scarlett Hall followed a job and a friend to Texas, but that cost her more than she’d bargained for. Now, wounded but determined to get past one of the worst days of her life, she decides she has to pull herself together. First step: cover up the physical scars left from her ordeal. That’s easy. But the emotional scars are proving harder to handle . . .

Then she meets Ethan Calhoun. This bad boy seems ready to make his own changes and might be just what she needs to start a new chapter in her life. When he offers her a job as manager of his new bar, she decides to go for it. A change of pace and a hot guy who makes her forget her troubles while she’s in his arms are a great cure. But it soon becomes clear that danger will be in Scarlett’s life no matter how many changes she makes. As Scarlett comes face to face with her worst nightmare, it seems happiness was just an illusion. Maybe Texas is just too much trouble . .

My Thoughts: Ugh. This book took me forever to finish and honestly, I found various parts of it a bit ridiculous.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: The chemistry between Scarlett and Ethan was off the charts and their work time together was a nice way to develop the characters and their connection more. Even though Ethan's character sometimes felt too young. There were quite a few "baby brother" comments that just didn't bode well for Ethan's potential Book Boyfriend Roll.

I did feel that I was thrown into an already existing storyline as this book recaps Scarlett's PTSD from an event that happened, I'm assuming, in the first book of the series. I know reading series books out of order can be tricky and normally I would not do this but when I got the opportunity to review a Gerry Bartlett book I was excited. I've been hearing about this author for years and never read one of her books before. Unfortunately reading book 2 before reading the first book was probably not the best idea as this book definitely had a part 2 feel to it. As if this were a continuation of book 1 rather than it's own entity. Everything from the original terror Scarlett had when she was kidnapped in the last book to Scarlett and her brother Rhett's names. Why were they named after Gone With the Wind characters? I have no idea.

The suspense aspect was lacking as well. There was a convoluted feel to the suspense part because there ended up being 2 different sets of "bad guys" with 2 sets of motives/plot lines running simultaneously. None of the baddies really caused me to be on the edge of my seat with worry either. Leroy Simms, who is a cop killing psycho, kept having tender thoughts about his woman running amok in the "I'm going to torture and kill Scarlett" plot thread. I just couldn't find anyone to root for in the book. Yes I root for bad guys just as often as I root for the good ones.

In addition, there was a whole lot of He-man chest beating in the form of "I carry a gun. I just wish I Leroy Simms would make an appearance 'round here. I could use the target practice." type crap. Ugh!!!

In a Nutshell: Overall a rather disappointing romance which makes me a sad panda. I really wanted to like this book. I will give Gerry Bartlett another try but will definitely go with one of the Real Vampire ones and steer clear of these Rom/Susp books. They just aren't for me.

Running Wild by Linda Howard and Linda Jones

Title: Running Wild
Author: Linda Howard and Linda Jones
Series: #1 in the Men From Battle Ridge series
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Ballantine Books (November 27, 2012)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: In book 1 of this steamy new contemporary Western romance series by two blockbuster authors, a cowboy and a woman on the run take a stand and fight for love.

Carlin Reed lives in fear, off the grid, moving from place to place. So Battle Ridge, Wyoming, a small town in the middle of nowhere, seems like a good place to lie low for a while. But after becoming cook and housekeeper to cattle rancher Zeke Decker, Carlin suspects that she’s made her first mistake. Rugged, sexy, and too distracting for his own good, Zeke is pure temptation mixed with something deep and primal that makes Carlin feel almost safe. Soon things are getting way too hot in the kitchen.

Zeke doesn’t challenge Carlin’s terms: cash, dead bolts, and no questions. It is easy to see that she’s a woman in trouble. Problem is, he’s so blindsided by his attraction to her he can’t think straight. Zeke tries to stay all business, no complications—but that game plan is sabotaged the second Carlin gets under his skin. And when her terrifying past follows her to the ranch, Carlin faces a heartbreaking choice: run away from the man she loves, or put him in the crosshairs of a madman.

My Thoughts: A really great contemporary romance with ok romantic suspense elements.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: So what I really loved about this book was the honest romance that took it's time to blossom between Zeke and Carlin. Both Zeke's and Carlin's characters are pretty great and their banter between each other and with the secondary characters were highlights of the story. I did like the suspense aspect of the story but wish it would have more prominent in the middle of the story. The book started out so good with Carlin's stalker hunting her down. The climax of that plot thread was really well done as well. The middle lacked much in the way of the suspense. However, the good romance that built throughout the middle almost made up for it.

In a Nutshell: I really liked this book a lot and wish there was a second book already out in the series. Not sure when there will be a second book in the Battle Ridge series but since it's been so many years since the first one came out a new one doesn't look like it's coming, unfortunately.

Consumed by JR Ward

Title: Consumed
Author: JR Ward
Series: #1 in the Firefighters series
Genre:  Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Gallery Books (October 2, 2018)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed...

By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer.

Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse fire changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self.

Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn't believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again--until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze.

Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the county, but in the midst of a personal meltdown.

Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the fire starter. But Danny may be more than a distraction, and as Anne narrows in on her target, the arsonist begins to target her.

My Thoughts: A book that started out as fire unfortunately fizzled towards the middle.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything in Between: What I love about JR Ward's books are her amazing characters. I love the complexity of her tortured heroes and in most cases the heroes' heroines are their equals in every way. In this book, Danny is a typical Ward hero. He's tall, massively built, good looking, and brooding (with good reason.) Anne is very much Danny's equal and in many ways she's just as tortured as he is, which adds a layer of complexity not usually found in romances. Many romance books that feature a tortured hero has a total opposite in their love interest to balance the drama of the story. In Consumed, because both characters are tortured, the book could have gotten bogged down with seriousness but Ward inserts some lighthearted moments as well which helped balance the book, Anne's rescue dog for example. I love when author's add dogs to their stories.

So, I love me a good romantic suspense and this one did have some suspense but honestly it wasn't until the end when I truly felt anxious for Danny and Anne. I like being on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what will happen, and the longer I'm there the better, but I never really had those feelings during this book. It might have be more my issue than Ward's because I never really warmed up to Anne. Her reasons for not being with Danny were mere excuses, one right after another. Her first being they were both firefighters in the same firehouse and dating would be near impossible as she was struggling to be considered just one of the guys. After the opener of the book, which I thought was stupendous by the way, we can see that particular excuse could no longer be used. Anne just found another....and another.

The romance lacked for me as well because there was not a significant amount of actual romance on the page. If you read the prequels (which is something I would recommend as a need to rather than a suggestion of maybe) then you know Anne and Danny had a quickie, one night stand...or rather one hour stand as there was no cuddling or sleeping or whatever after it was over. Slam Bam Anne is gone. See ya Danny Boy. And all Danny can think is how much he adores Anne. Not only did she do it once but she did it twice and Danny let her just hoping she'd come around and want him as much as he wanted her. Anne was just a cold character I never connected to but then when it comes to JR Ward's book, it's all about the hero for me. Thank goodness I was able to connect with Danny.

In a Nutshell: Not a terrible book but honestly not one of her better ones. I'll continue with the series though because...well....it's Ward.

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Title: Keeper of The Lost Cities

Author: Shannon Messenger

Series: #1 in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Aladdin (October 2, 2012)

Source: Library Find

Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.

Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.

Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.”

There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for.

In this page-turning debut, Shannon Messenger creates a riveting story where one girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first.

My Thoughts: A book with some fundamental issues but an OK read nonetheless.

The Good, The Bad, and The Whatever: This was a decent enough book but it definitely had it's flaws. One of my biggest complaints was with Sophie, herself. She's darned near perfect. She's the best human ever. A 12 year old senior with a photographic memory getting into a prestigious college next year. A beauty of a girl who makes teenage boys gaga over her..."the slender blond among her chubby brunette family". That was a quote from the book just an FYI. Then she finds out she's really an elf and then she's the best elf that ever lived. No elf has ever done what she could do with virtually no training. The storyline itself isn't terrible but it is pretty inconsistent in the rules Messenger chose to make. There are several laws in place to prevent the abuse of elfin powers. With the 3 most powerful elfin powers being prohibited. With Sophie's telepathic powers she's told from the beginning using her telepathic powers to sneak into someone else's mind without permission is prohibited. She does this anyway, multiple times and somehow isn't thrown in jail. Despite some weaknesses in her world building I actually didn't mind the action of the book and watching Sophie learning how to be herself. Beware of some Harry Potter similarities though. There are some reviewers who swear this is just a HP ripoff but to tell the truth HP wasn't the first to come up with a magical world with children but it has been one of the most popular. If you take this book and read it and not compare it you'll have a better experience with it.

In a Nutshell: An OK book I just enjoyed because I didn't compare it to something else. I'll read the next book and see where that takes me.