Books, Books, Books, and a Cat

  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...

 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...

  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...

 4.5 Stars- This novel is for all the women out there who have ever been scared or intimidated by a man.  In this fantastic twist on Psycho, the female is no longer the victim.   Marion is on the run with stolen money.  She didn't mean to steal the money, she is just trying to help her sister.  She ends up stuck in New Paltz, NY instead of getting to Saratoga Springs when the bus she was taking breaks down.  Marion ends up in a run down resort where she ends up renting a cabin from Norman Bates.  He is a handsome man who not only provides her with a room but also dinner.  He is nothing but charming and helpful as he also takes care of his sick mother.   Everything is going well until she finds him trying to kill her in her shower.  Marion is not about to let that happen as her survival instinct that has been drilled into her by her mom kicks in.  Now Marion must find a way to not only help her sister but get herself out of...

4.5 Stars-  This was such a good start to a new series.  It was an interesting blend of romance, fantasy, science, and a strong female protagonist. It also had vibes from a long ago TV show that I loved called Samantha Who, starring Christina Applegate.  I know this is a strange reference to put in a book review but I absolutely loved that show and I love that this book had a similar theme except with the added alchemy and dark academia world.   Amber Fallbrook has amnesia and has no memory of the last several years that she spent studying alchemy at The Alchemary.  Despite her memory loss she refuses to leave The Alchemary as it has been her dream since she was little to study alchemy.  The only problem is she is a mastery level student and has upcoming trials to take.  These trials are deadly and Amber has no memory of what she has learned the past couple of years.  She decides that she is going to study as hard as she can in the hopes that...

  This one got me!  I love a good thriller where you are not sure who the guilty party is.   This novel was told from two different point of views, Freya and Charlie.  Charlie and Freya seem to have the perfect marriage.  Charlie is a chef who is moving up in the world and Freya does charity work.  Everything is going well in their life until one night at a dinner for Charlie's boss, both of them drink too much and bad decisions are made.  Their lives spiral downwards as they try to pick up their pieces only to find that more bad things are in store for them.  The reader is left trying to figure out who is causing all of this chaos and what is their motivation.  This book had me hooked as I wanted to find out who was behind everything.  I found myself drawn into Freya and Charlie's story as I really wanted them to make it as a couple.  I also couldn't decide if one of them could be behind all of their bad luck.  This was a...

  This was a good start to a new romantasy series. It is a fantasy world but there are hints of Chinese culture that really drew me in.  This story is filled with lots of action, romance, and mystery. Rubi is a ribbon dancer who has no memory of her past and very little magic.  However all of that changes when she bonds with a royal tyger. She is an Azure and not trusted by the Silvers so when she bonds with one of their tygers it is a scandal.  The tyger makes it known that Rubi is not an ordinary person.  There is something special about her.  Hints are continually dropped throughout the story that there is a reason for Rubi's memory loss and she is not an inconsequential person. In this world there are constant threats of demons and since Rubi  bonded with the tyger she must train to be a warrior.  While training, she is placed with Blake, a man who is the reason she is in this mess. Rubi must learn how to fight fast and unlock not only her mag...

 I wish that everyone who had an opinion about women's bodies and what they can do with them would take the time to read a book like this.  Reading is so powerful because you can truly have empathy and understanding of a situation that you might never be in yourself.  I don't know how anyone could read this story and not feel for Baker and all that she went through.  Baker has everything going for her.  She is the valedictorian of her 1968 class and has big dreams of becoming a writer and living in Paris after she attends Stanford University.  Everything is going her way until she goes out to a concert with her cousin and falls in love.  Like so many girls during this time, Baker has very little understanding of her own body and received no education about how to prevent pregnancies.  Baker becomes pregnant and has very few options of what she can do.  Being an unwed mother during this time is pure scandal and will completely destroy her futu...

 I want every one of these short stories to be a full length novel.  Each one was engaging and had me wanting more.  I sometimes find anthologies a little difficult to read because just as I am getting into the story they end.  This was not the case with this collection.  Each story had me hooked from the get go. Every single story had an interesting twist that I tried to figure out and I usually failed.  The stories included all things supernatural from ghosts, to vampires, to zombies.  There were several stories that focused on dystopian themes while others dealt with horror filled myths.  These were dark stories but they were truly fascinating! 5/5 Stars

 This book had me at baby pterodactyl!  Seriously though, I loved the unique premise which was a blend of magic, historical fiction, female empowerment, fossil hunting, romance. and witches.  Mary Anning is an impressive paleontologist who has made more discoveries than any current Geomagician.  Geomagicians use magic but also study fossils.  The only problem is their society is made up of only men.  Mary is struggling and has to resort to selling her magic to make ends meet when she isn't selling fossils.  She dreams of becoming a Geogmagician so she can pursue what she loves and have a steady income as well.  One day Mary is exploring when she finds a fossilized egg.  Only the egg hatches and she ends up with a living baby pterodactyl.   Two members of the society come to see her find.  One is her longtime friend and mentor,  and the other is a man she used to have a crush on.  Mary ends up going to London with her ...

  4.5 Stars- I really enjoyed this novel.  This was a fun rom-com! The novel was set on Sandpiper Island in Maine right before Marigold's wedding was to take place.  Marigold is someone who always needs taking care of.  She is an influencer and seen as very flighty.  Her family is thrilled that she is marrying a stable guy, Jonathon.  He is a pediatric oncologist and everyone agrees that he couldn't be more perfect for her.  The only problem is that Marigold fell in love several years ago with another man and married him.  She thought she was divorced but turns out she never filed the paperwork.  Now she has to fly to Canada to find him before anyone finds out.  To complicate matters, Natalie, her maid of honor is secretly in love with Marigold's fiance.  Natalie never puts herself first and is the reason why Marigold and Jonathon are together even though Natalie is the one who gave up everything for Jonathon.  To complicate ma...

This was an incredibly sweet and moving novel.  It is very short and I read it in a couple of hours.  It is basically one long letter from Flo to her former neighbor Ruthie.   In the story Flo shares stories from her life as well as lots of advice that revolves around love.  Flo is in her 90s and has seen a lot over the years.  She had a long marriage to Terrance which was not always easy.  She was never able to have kids but Flo never lost her love of life.  Her advice in the book was very heartfelt and I think anyone would love hearing it.  I felt like this book enriched my life.  I also had an older neighbor growing up who I used to visit and hear stories from.  This novel just really resonated with me and I think it is a book everyone should read.   5/5 stars

  This was so good and a great book for all book lovers!  I absolutely loved this premise and the entire idea behind this book.  This was wonderfully unique in that it was a story all about books with wonderful characters who try and save books.  You know a book is amazing when it makes you want to read more books.  Rainey March is a book witch.  She travels into books to save them from Burners who try and destroy stories they don't agree with.  There are certain rules that a book witch has to follow such as don' fall in love with fictional characters.  Rainey breaks this rule when she goes into a book to save the Duke of Chicago.  Their love is forbidden and she has to give him up until Rainey finds herself involved in a real life mystery when her grandfather goes missing and her mother's book is stolen.  This book is one of my top reads of the year.  I loved everything Rainey stood for and I was not expecting the book to turn out ...

  This was a slow burn romance about the music industry and grief.  The Future Saints are a band who have recently lost their manager, Ginny, the lead singer's sister. Hannah does not know how to deal with the death of her sister so she channels it into drinking and her sister.  One night when their new manager is watching them play at a dive bar, Hannah pours all her grief into a song which causes the band to go viral.  The band catapults into fame but they still have many demons to face.  This story is about the trials and tribulations they go through as well as about Theo, their manager.   There were a lot of different elements to this novel.  There was the romance between Hannah and Theo.  I learned a lot about the music industry and just how rough it can be.  However the major part of this story was the relationship between Hannah and her dead sister.  It was a good story and I think if you love stories with main characters try...

4.5 Stars- A truly unique novel and a great continuation of this series.  I do not think that I have ever read series quite like this one and "Velveteen vs The Consequences of Her Actions," lived up to that statement.  The novel is really a series of short stories but they are all connected. In this installment of the series, Velveteen has to fulfill her promise to the seasons and serve her time in each one. The first set of stories deal with her time in winter, spring, and fall.  Each season has a unique problem that Velveteen must face.  She uses her animus powers to help her get through her required allotted time. However in each season she is increasingly lonely and only wants to finish so she can get back to the real world. After her time is up, Velveteen is back in the regular world but she is shocked by how much time has passed and how things have changed.  She also has to figure out how to save Tad and right the things that are not as they should be....

  I am not a dog person, but I could not help but fall in love with Harold.  This story is completely told from Harold's point of view and it absolutely makes this novel!   Miguel owns a book store that was founded by his late girlfriend Amelia May.  He is not over her death at all and the only thing holding him together, is his dog Harold.  He was originally Amelia May's dog but now Miguel is trying to keep the book store running and take care of Harold.  Only Miguel is not taking care of Harold, Harold is taking care of Miguel.  The book store is failing and after an author does not show for an event, Miguel decides to finally take some action to save the store and track down the missing author. Miguel ends up meeting the author's sister, Fiona.  Sparks fly as Fiona tries to help Miguel. More importantly though, she has a daughter also named Amelia May, who falls in love with Harold.  Miguel needs to figure out if he can give love a ch...

  This series gets better and better!  In this fourth installment, Casey and Eric are brand new parents and are still very worried about the safety and security of Haven's Rock. There is the constant threat of the nearby mining town and now there are strange hikers in the forest near their town. The next day they find one of the hikers dead. Casey and Eric begin to investigate only to discover that not all is as it seems.   First of all, let me just say that I love the setting and isolation of Haven's Rock.  It makes for an interesting read and a great place for a mystery to take place because it is not your typical urban environment. Second, I love the dynamic between Casey and Eric as they are such a great power couple.  I also loved seeing them as new parents.  The story had lots of action and secrets that kept me hooked until the very end of the book.  I enjoyed the different events that happened as I tried to make connections between resident...

4.5 Stars- Looking for a quick-witted heroine who can go toe to toe with Henry the VIII, well look no further.  In this funny, romance time traveling novel, Lily inadvertently travels back in time into the body of Catherine Howard.  Lily soon finds herself about to be married to Henry VIII, but unfortunately Lily knows her history and knows how this story is going to end.  She has to come up with a plan to try and save herself.  However, she doesn't count on the fact that she truly cares about the people around her and wants to help them.  Plus she finds herself falling head long for a medieval man.   This was such an enjoyable look at the Tudors.  I have read so many books set during this time period and I loved the added touch of putting a modern woman in this world.  Lily was smart and hilarious.  I laughed out loud so many times at the dialogue.  The romance part of the book was very steamy but not over the top.  This was a...

  This was a cute love story with a scientific fake lovers twist.  Dr. Frances is struggling to make it in the academic world.  She is brilliant and does great work but she has faced many challenges to get her research funding especially in a male dominated profession.   She decides to attend a conference in New York but her ex-boyfriends will be there.  Once there she meets up with her ex's current girlfriend and runs into her current nemesis, Dr. Lewis North.  He is constantly criticizing her work and seems to have it out for her.  In a very awkward exchange Frances implies that she and Lewis are dating. She is now stuck in the lie because she will  risk her academic integrity which could cause career suicide if it gets out. Lewis goes along with it and as you can guess sparks begin to fly as the fake dating turns into more.   There was a lot to like with this story. I enjoyed the dynamic between Frances and Lewis.  I also en...

  4.5 Stars- Another great addition to the series!  In this novel Mallory and Gray are summoned to the Adler household because during a seance the ghost of a former maid says she was murdered.  Mallory and Gray don't have any real proof that a crime was committed but decide to humor Mrs. Adler and begin investigating.  As the case unfolds they learn that there is more to the story than meets the eye.   First of all, if you are a fan of mystery this story will capture your attention.  I did not figure out what was going on until it was revealed.  Second, if you love historical fiction you will enjoy the details that this author captures of the Victorian Era.  There was also a surprise cameo of a historical figure that absolutely made the story! Third, if you like time travel this book is the one for you.  Mallory is a homicide detective from Canada with modern knowledge and seeing how she uses that in 1800s Scotland, makes this a must rea...