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A Founding Mother by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie Publishes 5/5/26

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  Abigail Adams is an absolutely amazing woman and I feel lucky to have read about her life.  She is an inspiration to women everywhere, even though she lived more than 250 years ago.   This book took me through a gambit of emotions.  The story starts in 1765 when she is pregnant and the revolution has not quite begun.  The reader learns about her life through her many pregnancies and life with a husband who was often absent. She not only had to run a farm by herself but raise small children all the while a war was going on.  Not only did she raise children, kept the farm going, but she also managed to survive a war and make her own money during a time when women had no independence outside of their husband. I am in awe of all that she accomplished, plus she never stopped championing women's rights and the end of slavery.   Abigail Adams's life was fascinating to me.  She went through so much and never stopped helping others including he...
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Dark is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce Publishes 4/28/26

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 Do you ever want to read a book that gives you a good scare?  This is the book.  It was dark and creepy but I had to keep on reading.  Told from three points of view, this book packed surprise after surprise and left me guessing what was going to happen next.  Hazel has just moved back in with her parents after her husband filed for divorce.  Cathy is a single mother with two boys who has barely any contact with her parents or sister Hazel.  When Hazel moves back she calls Cathy to meet up and to try and reconcile.  Only Hazel never shows when Cathy and her are supposed to meet.  Cathy finds it strange especially when she runs into Suzie, an old friend of Hazel who had recently seen Hazel.  Together, Cathy and Suzie begin to piece together that all is not as it seems and something bad may have happened to Hazel.  Meanwhile Hazel finds herself trapped in a madman's basement.  She has no idea why she is there and she knows that ...
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Death Meets Cute by J. Penner Publishes 4/28/26

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This was a delightful and satisfying read in more ways than one.   "Death Meets Cute" is a standalone fantasy novel about a witch determined to become more evil than she is.  Iris ends up resurrecting an orc to be her bodyguard because every evil villainess needs a bodyguard. Only she is not the most powerful witch and he comes back to life not quite right.  Talon is amazingly sweet, charming, a great cook, and just about everything a girl could want.  Iris has to decide what to do with Talon, figure out what has happened to her magic, increase her potion business, and deal with her two sisters.   There was so much to enjoy about this book.  I loved the fact that Talon was an orc but that did not stop him from being the perfect man.   I also enjoyed that Iris was a lovable character who was able to learn and grow.  Plus she has a hedgehog as a familiar.  How adorable is that!  There were so many fantastic characters and wo...
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Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson Publishes 3/17/26

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 This was the fourth book in this series but the first one I have read.  I was able to read this as a stand alone.  I do think reading the earlier books would have helped but the author did a great job explaining the past as the main character, Ernest, often referred to past events.   In this novel Ernest is in a bank with this fiance when it gets robbed.  Usually Ernest is one to solve murders not a bank robbery but things escalate.  There is a murder to solve and even Ernest's life is in danger.  What is interesting is that all of the hostages in the bank have a motive to rob the bank. and possibly one of them is even a murderer.  Ernest must do what is necessary to figure out who could behind not only the robbery but a murder before he loses his own life.  I did find this book a little confusing.  There were many characters and different motives that at times it was overwhelming keeping everyone straight.  I did not agree wi...
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The Great Outdoors by Kayla Olson- Publishes 6/16/26

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  This was a delightful romance that will make you want to go on a hiking trip and spend time in the great outdoors! Sadie has been recently dumped because she is too high maintenance.  She is out to prove her ex wrong so she goes on a hiking adventure in the Sierras.  This is way out side her comfort zone but she is determined to prove she can do it and not die like her ex suggests.  Thorn loves the outdoor and his job as a wilderness guide.  He is not however thrilled to go on his latest hiking tour with his ex-best friend who stole his girlfriend and moved to Peru together.  Thorn is determined to get through this trip but to his surprise he is really enjoying being with Sadie. Sparks fly and the great outdoors is the place to be.  This story was told from both Sadie and Thorn's point of view.  I always enjoy having the two perspectives when reading a romance.  There was drama, a love triangle, and adventure.  The characters also grew...
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Greedy by Callie Kazumi Publishes 2/3/26

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  3.5 Stars- This story was a unique blend of horror and thriller that will have you greedy for more.  First of all the setting of this book is perfect.  I love food and I enjoyed reading about the different types of food and other culinary experiences in Japan.  The writing in this book was good. The book flowed and I was interested until the very end.  However I did want more.  The end did not satisfy me but maybe that was the point.   Ed is from England but moved to Japan and fell in love.  He has a wife and a baby.  He also has a horrible gambling problem and is desperate for money to pay off his debts to the local Japanese mob or he or his family might be swimming with the fish. He takes a job as a chef for a high profile and wealthy woman, Hazeline, even though he has very little experience cooking.  He is able to impress her enough that he is able to pay down his debt a little and life becomes a little better.  The longe...
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The Shippers by Katherine Center Publishes 5/19/26

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  A new Katherine Center novel is one of things I look forward to most in the year.  "The Shippers" did not disappoint and was a great way to start this year off.   In this novel JoJo has relationship issues.  In order to solve these issues, JoJo hatches a plan with her sister to win back the guy who was her first kiss and longtime crush, Finn Turner  He also happens to be on a cruise ship with her entire family and old neighborhood for her sister's wedding.  Also on that cruise ship is JoJo's best friend, Cooper.  They have been estranged for four years. At one time they were inseparable and have only now just started speaking again.  JoJo ends up roping in Cooper to try and help her win Finn, but as you can probably guess, things do not always go to plan.  I absolutely loved this book.  It was a great escape and a heart warming story.   I really enjoyed reading about all of the characters and seeing their growth especial...
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Double Shadow by Andrew Ludington Publishes 4/21/26

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  A great edition to this time traveling, action-packed series! In this novel Rabbit travels back in time to Jerusalem to help Helen.  She is being accused of being part of an illegal time traveling ring.  Only when he travels back he meets a younger Helen who has never met him before.  Helen is chasing after a man named Eshek who has stolen money and if Helen can get the money back she can help her sister.  The only problem is that there is also a killer on the loose who seems out to get Rabbit.   In this novel we learn a lot more about Helen and her back story.  We also get to see more of Rabbit and Helen's relationship.  This book has lots of action and adventure but the best part of the story for me is the time travel.  I love all of the historical detail and knowledge of the time periods they travel to.  I am excited to read more as I am really enjoying what is happening between Rabbit and Helen.  Thank you to Minotaur Boo...
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Beach Thriller by Jamie Day Publishes- 6/9/26

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 Beach Thriller is an excellent thriller to bring on the beach or really anywhere.  This is the second book I have read by Jamie Day and I am hooked.   Holly is a writer who is struggling financially.  After the loss of her mother she heads to where her family had a beach home in Beauport, Massachusetts.  She plans on fixing it up as she tries to get back on her feet.  While there she ends up meeting Jade, a runaway, who is trying to find out answers about herself.  There is also a third character called the watcher who gives some insight into the story.  Jade finds Holly's half-finished manuscript titled "Beach Thriller" that is really about the mystery surrounding Holly's sister, Anna's death.  Jade and Holly team up to try and find out what really happened to Anna.  What they don't expect is that there is so much more to this story and their own lives may be in danger.  This was a thrilling thriller and I especially loved th...
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The Only One Who Knows by Lisa M. Matlin Publishes 3/3/26

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  This was a very dark and foreboding thriller.  Minnow leaves her life as a news anchor in an abusive relationship in the city, to go back to her hometown on the coast to move in with her brother.  I instantly felt compassion for Minnow as I learned that she had a rough life growing up.  She lost her mother when she was young and then shortly after her father.  On the night Minnow gets back she goes to see her brother at his job, running shark fishing tours.  She goes out with him and they happen upon a shark attack.  As the story continues we learn that there have been an unusually high number of shark attacks happen.  Minnow's investigative skills haven't left her and she starts to delve into these mysteries along with another journalist who is visiting her hometown.  Things get much darker as we learn more about Minnow's past and things she has seen and even done.  There is a hidden and darker side to this town.  There was an in...
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