Books, Books, Books, and a Cat

An absolute delight filled with 12 short romances to get you in the mood for some holiday spirit! This was a great way to get to know some new romance authors.  Each story had elements that I really enjoyed.  There were differing levels of spice as well as a wide variety of setting and scenerios. This would appeal to a wide variety of readers.  Other classic tropes included friends to lovers, and enemies to lovers.  One of my favorite stories was about an overbearing mom and her daughter's teacher.  As a teacher myself I could completely relate.  Each story was enjoyable and some of them I would have loved to read more.  If you are looking for a quick romance read or just a great way to get yourself in the mood for Christmas, this is a wonderful choice!   Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.  All thoughts and opinions are my own 

  I really enjoyed this book.  I also did not see that end coming! Caroline Foster has lost her father.  After his death she is left with basically nothing after settling her father's gambling debts.  She has an older brother but his last letter to her was cryptic and she has not heard from him since.  Caroline takes it upon herself to find her brother so she ends up in Whitechapel at a men's boardinghouse which was the last place she knew where to find him.  Once there she takes a position as a maid and disguises her name as she tries to search for her brother.  Although the owner of the boarding house is nice there is a strange dinner party that happens every full moon.  The men at this house seem to be extremely eclectic as well.  Oh, and there is a serial killer on the loose targeting women.  The seriel killer is Jack the Ripper!   I love a good historical fiction novel and especially one with a twist.  The storyline w...

 This was an absolutely fantastic novel! This had all of the elements that I love in a book. The novel is told from two perspectives, a mother and daughter.  The first part of the book is about Helen  (Yut Ying) and her life growing up in China and then Hong Kong.  Helen has the ability to turn invisible.  It is a useful gift until later on in her life when it is actually killing her.  Helen's life is hard but gets even tougher when she moves to Hong Kong to be with her father and step-mother.   The second part of the novel is Marigold's story.  She also inherited a special ability.  If she touches anything she sees memories.  Marigold lives in California but does not have an easy life being Chinese American. Marigold must learn to navigate her ability while also trying to find a way to save her mother.   I devoured this 450 page book in two days.  There was so much I loved about this book.  I enjoyed learning ab...

 Would you rewind time to right past mistakes knowing their could be potential consequences?  This is a question that is at the heart of this novel. Talia is a CEO of a tech company that tries to help people make smart decisions. Right on the verge of it being bought by a bigger company for millions of dollars a journalist uncovers that her software may have been the reason a murder took place.  Talia made a wish to be able to rewind time and ends up with a watch that allows her to do just that.  In this story we are also introduced to Sam, Talia's long time friend,  her sister Libby. a major travel influencer, and Erin, an intern at her company.  Their stories all blend to give us an interesting look at life and is it truly meant to be perfect or is life all about something else.  First of all, I love time travel stories and I thought this was very well done.  There was one scene where Talia is at breakfast and she wants to eat all of the differe...

  I feel like the best way to describe this novel is an epic romance.   AJ is a character that comes to life and you can't help but be transported to her world. 4 Stars The novel starts out when AJ is 17 in the year 2000 working in a video store.  I loved the setting as it brought back waves of nostalgia.  She ends up befirending her co-worker Noah.  Noah is from a long line of actors but does not have tons of money, hence the partime job. The two end up rehearsing at Noah's aunts house as part of an agreement to get her to go to a Convention for the TV series she used to be on.  AJ ends up having a true connection with Noah and falls hard for him.  Only things do not end as she would hope. Fast forward and the two of them work on a improv t.v. show.  They once again have that connection with drives their acting ability and their romance.  We finally find out what happened and why they separated in the year 2000.  AJ and Noah have t...

 This was an amazing story that had me laughing out loud and on the edge of my seat.   Roxie wants to be the main character in a romance so she makes a wish never dreaming that it will come true.  Only the book she is the main character in turns out to be a crime mystery and not the predictable romance.  Roxie ends up fighting for her life when she meets Grant, an English professor and writer.  He helps her after a very interesting start and the two try to figure out how to get out of this crime novel with their lives.   This action packed, humorous, mysterious, and romantic novel had me hooked the moment I read about Roxie's first date.  This was a unique story and I can't wait to read more by this author.  There was a little bit of everything in this book and I really did not want it to end.  Roxie was this fearless female character that I am always drawn to.  I loved the chemistry between her and Grant, and the fact that the...

 If you love dogs and a great mystery, this book is for you. In this story, main character, Margot, is accused of murder after Margot has been caught causing chaos in her small town of Glenville.  Margot is going through a lot.  Her marriage is on the rocks, her oldest daughter won't talk to her, and she does not have a single friend.  When a murder happens, it seems like the whole town bands together to blame Margot.  She must find a way to clear her name in order to keep her family togther and her sanity.  In the process she starts to realize that other people in this town might not be so bad.  She ends up making an unlikely trio with the 70 year old HOA president, Anne, and one of the mean moms, Sally Claire.   Together they team up and we learn there is definitely more to this town then meets the eye.   Even though this was a murder mystery there was something really fun and quirky about it that I loved.  There were some sp...

  4.5 Stars- This was a charming and heartwarming paranormal romance.  As someone who has lost a parent, the chance to talk to them after they have passed would mean everything.    In this story Ruby has moved back home after her mother's death and is now working at the same company where her mother died.  Ruby soon finds out that her mother's ghost is trapped in the company's server.  In order for her mother to find peace, Ruby has to figure out what her unfinished business is.  Ruby felt like she never met her mother's expectations so she strives to meet them in order to set her mother free. While trying to her accomplish her goals she needs to decide where her heart lies, with her long time childhood friend, or her rich and sophisticated boss. She also discovers that not all is what it seems at her job.  What follows is a witty and heartfelt story where Ruby has to figure out what really matters.   I enjoyed every minute I spent readi...

  This was a perfect thriller for anyone who loves neighborhood drama especially with those that seem to have it all.   Este Walker lives the country club lifestyle.  She has the perfect husband, plenty of leisure time, and lots of money.  However her life seems to implode the day a body is found in her swimming pool.  What the reader finds out through a series of flashbacks is that her life began to unravel much earlier.   Este's life is far from perfect and that is what makes this such a good thriller and mystery.  As a huge fan of the Housewives on Bravo, this book reminded me of the cattiness and drama that I love to watch as I read about Este's life in her idealic neighborhood for the rich. There are society rules she is supposed to be following but she would rather hang out with the child next door ,toilet papering a neighbor's house that no one likes.  Este's marriage is also on display.  She thinks she has found a soul mate ...