Books, Books, Books, and a Cat

  This was a heartbreaking novel that follows the life of a thirteen year old girl in Brazil.  The subject matter is more for adults though than young teenage girls.  Dolores is an identical twin but her sister, Mita, is disabled and suffers from seizures.   Mita is sent away to England as she gets physically worse.  This story tells about Dolores's struggles living in Rio and coming to accept what has happened to Mita.   I'll be honest that at times this story was depressing.  It was very well written and I felt for Dolores and her struggles.  She led a difficult life and she went through so many things that a thirteen year old girl should not have to deal with from illiteracy to inappropriate men. Plus she had to come to terms with being separated from her sister.  I did enjoy learning more about Rio in the early 1970s.  Her family's lifestyle and the political climate was interesting to learn about.  I also enjoyed some...

 I will never look at my Roomba the same way again!   This novel set in the near future follows the lives of appliances in the home of Harold and Edie.  The appliances are sentient and can also talk.  They are all connected to an interface (a watch on Harold) that connects them to the Grid.  The Grid controls everything from cars driving, supplies being delivered, people's jobs, and moving people into new homes.  Scout, a Roomba, is our main character.  As she sees Edie getting sick she tries to work out what is happening.  Through her ingenuity she works to try and keep the household running smoothly after tragedy strikes and the household is in danger from the Grid.   This was such a unique and inspiring novel.  I love the fact that the main character is a small vacuum cleaner.  Futuristic novels are always thought provoking and this novel was the same.  It really makes you think about if a world that is cleaner and...

  This was a super cute, super fun romance novel!  Duffy is a huge football fan and gets a bad rap when she takes out her favorite football team's mascot.  It turns out that the mascot was at fault and now to do damage control, Conner, the football team's rising star takes Duffy out on a date to improve their PR.  Sparks fly between Duffy and Conner even though both have an alternative motive for dating.  Their story will put a smile on your face and make you believe in the power of love.  This was such an enjoyable romance.  Duffy and Conner were the type of characters that I wish were real people.  I also loved that they were both cat people.  There were laugh out loud moments but also heart warming ones as well. This was a sweet story that anyone would enjoy especially if you are a fan of football and cats.  Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.  All opinions are my own. 

 3.5 Stars- Would you let yourself be experimented on if you had some psychic ability?  This thriller was set in two different time periods and explored the lives of 4 women in the 1960s.  They allowed themselves to be experimented on for the sake of others and it results in devastating consequences.  In the present day, Riley takes a job caring for one of the women who was experimented on.  She begins to uncover the fallout of those experiments as a new mystery unfolds.   This was a dark thriller that at times had me wanting to shout at the characters in the 1960s to just walk away and never look back.  What they went through was disturbing.  I enjoyed the present day much more and was hoping for a happy ending for all involved.  The book was fast paced and I had no problem finishing it.  I was just frustrated at times with what the characters were going through.  I also hated how women were treated although I know this is con...

  Pirates, romance, smart women, dogs, and the Regency Era, what more could you want in a novel?   This was a fun, quick historical fiction romance.  The two main characters told the story, Ruby and Archer.  Both characters were interesting and had great chemistry between them.  They were from different worlds and they used those characteristics to make a great team.  The novel had some spice but was not over the top.   I also enjoyed the historical elements included in the novel. Set in the early 1800s, Ruby and her friends were not your typical Regency ladies.  Reading about how Ruby, Alice, and Tamsin dealt with the many misadventures in  Pomeroy House had me laughing out loud at times.  The second part of the novel included good action that I did not want to stop reading about.   Overall, this is a winning novel that I think anyone who loves romance and historical elements will enjoy.  Thank you to St. Martin's Gr...

 3.5 Stars- This novel really grew on me.  It is a cozy fantasy with a slow burn romance and interesting characters.   Ainsworth is a scholar that travels to the Misnich Inn to record the accounts of all the adventurers that have traveled on Mount Vengeance.  He comes to the mountain pretty full of himself and with the air of someone who thinks he is better than the others around him.  Once there he discovers that no one has actually traveled the mountain.  He begins to do research and tries to solve this unusual mystery.  He also begins to become friends with everyone at the inn including the innkeeper Honey.  Things go well until his ex turns up and Ainsworth has to decide where is home truly is.  It did take me awhile to get into this book.  It is a fantasy and I enjoyed learning about the different supernatural creatures but I sometimes got lost with the unusual names.  I enjoyed learning about the character's backstories b...

 3.5 Stars- This was a really unique novel that was a blend of magical realism, mystery, music, and horror.  Told from two different points of view, the reader learns about a family curse that kills all the females of a family line at the age of 33 due to a deal with the devil.  The year is 1995. Rhea, our main character, lost her mother when she was five and has been living with her aunt and uncle since then.  She is not treated well so when she finds out at the age of 18 that her mother was a famous singer and she is now a millionaire, she can't wait to leave home and find out more about her.  The second perspective is about Rhea's mother Lulabelle in 1967.  Lulabelle also lost her mother at a young age and is determined to become a singer since she can always hear music.  She leaves home after an incident and tries to make it big in Nashville.  Both women have a hard road ahead of them.  They both have to overcome secrets and lies as they ...

 This is definitely a five star read!  I cannot believe how many different emotions I had while reading this book.  This will be one of the best books of 2026!  The story alternates between present day Elsie and her past as Mabel in the 1950s.  This is a story about an 81 year old murderer.  We start with Elsie discovering her neighbor has died.  She didn't particularly like him but suddenly she finds herself in the spotlight after he turns up dead.  The reader learns about each of Elsie's neighbors and their own stories.  In the past we learn about many of the tragic event's in her life that led up to her committing murder and being called Mad Mabel. This should not have been a book that made me cry like I did, but I could not help but be drawn to Elsie (Mabel). Her backstory grabbed me and I felt so deeply for this fictional character.   I loved all of the present day characters in her neighborhood as well.  I loved reading a...

 This dual timeline novel was an absolute delight.  I loved the musical elements infused in the novel.   In the present day, we have three different characters all with their secret battles and turmoil.  Devlin decides to buy a violin from the lost and found from Heathrow Airport instead of getting an engagement ring for his longtime girlfriend.  However it turns out that the violin is stolen.  Not knowing where to turn, Devlin reaches out to his old history teacher, Walter.  Walter had been on the verge of taking his own life when Devlin came by.  Together they try to figure out a plan but first try to determine the violin's history and if it truly has been stolen.  They go to Gabrielle, a former musician, who had to give up her career due to  pain that randomly appeared when she was young. She runs her family business and appraises musical instruments.  Together the three of them go on a wild ride to try and figure out what t...