Books, Books, Books, and a Cat

  This is exactly the book I needed in my life right now.  It has been way too long since I have read a novel featuring vampire hunters.  I was completely sucked into this world and I want more!!! 5 Stars!! Faith is a college student who comes from a family who really didn't want her.  One night she is walking back to campus with her friend when they are brutally attacked. Faith's friend is killed but not by an ordinary person. Faith discovers that the world she knows has big secrets.  She meets Corbin who is interested in her friends death.  Together they team up to try and make things safer and find out what is really going on in Ashbourne. I am so excited  for this new series.  Faith is the perfect main character.  She is strong and there is something special about her.  Corbin is a perfect love interest and he has a great back story.  I also loved the twists in this novel that kept me wanting more.  As a huge reader of urba...

  This was a "Survivor" style second chance romance and I was here for it!  5 Stars Willa and Bernie are identical twins who decide to switch places when Bernie gets injured and can no longer compete on a reality show for a million dollar prize.  Both sister want to win that money for their mother and their failing board game cafe.  The only problem is Willa has always been the more introvert and less popular twin.  She does not think that she can pull this off even though it is for a great cause.  She ends up traveling to Fiji to compete but ends up running into the guy who broke her heart 8 years ago.  Now she has to pretend that she doesn't know him but she still has lingering feelings for him.  She must figure out not only how to win this reality competition, keep her identity a secret, and somehow not fall in love with Noel again.  This book was straight up fun.  Willa was smart and strategic but not over her ex.  This added gr...

A dual timeline mystery that will have you wondering until the very end who did it! Jane is an 84 year old woman who has many, many secrets.  When her granddaughters find bones on her property those secrets might just come out.  This story is told from Jane's perspective in present day and in the 1950s.  We also see the story from the cop, Clair Mundy, sent to investigate, The uncovered bones lead to more questions and possible more murder victims than just the bones uncovered. I really enjoyed the suspense of this novel and trying to unravel all the threads of who was involved with what.  Reading about teenage Jane and elderly Jane brought together both timelines in way that kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next.  There was a lot going on in both timelines from family dynamics, young love, and scandals.   I also enjoyed the deep friendship between Jane and Grace as well as the need for some characters to try and set things right.  ...

  Historical fiction with a twist of fantasy makes this a heart pounding read.   This novel features a mother and a daughter.  Each possess an incredible ability.  Alice, the mother, is featured in 1915 during WWI.  Her story takes us through her career as a woman doctor and then her transition into motherhood.  Beatrice, the daughter, is at a crossroads in 1940.  WWII is going on and she has spent most of her life at home due to an illness.  She makes the decision to get involved in the war effort to be near her sister but her actions could have far reaching consequences.   Both Alice and Beatrice's stories are incredible and left me wanting to know more.  The writing was superb.  This book gave me all the feels.  I think we all have wanted to rewind time especially when something major happens.  Alice's perspective really shed light on just how hard it is to want your own dreams but yet also want to be the best...

  An enemies to lovers novel but set in a world with love potions and magic.   Rosemary is driven to save her potion shop but there is a huge cost.  She has to convince Bowen, a guy who hates her to love her.  To make matters worse, she is pretty sure he is saying horrible things about her and trying to ruin her business.  As Rosemary attempts to do the impossible, she just may find out that she doesn't hate Bowen as much as she thought.  She also starts to understand what is truly important.  This novel was cute.  I enjoyed the world building.  Magic was an important part of their every day life but it involved different potions and seers.  This book just felt different from typical books where characters have magic.  At first I really hated Bowen.  I like Rosemary a lot and her quirky ways. but I was frustrated with her growing attraction to Bowen. He really seemed beneath her.  As the story went on he did grow on m...

 I am so sad that this is the last book in this series.  This book was a wonderful addition and I am going to miss these characters.  This is a wonderful mystery series!  In "Last Resort at Haven's Rock" one of their residents, Jamie, has been found dead while he was fishing.  It is soon discovered that he was murdered.  There was a stranger who had been camping nearby and he becomes the primary suspect.  However once the stranger is located it turns out that there is so much more to this story than what they originally thought.  An absolutely outstanding mystery.  There was some excellent twists and turns.  Lots of drama, secrets, and emtions to unpack.  I loved the addition of their toddler daughter to the story.  She added another dimension and anyone who has ever had a toddler can completely relate.    Kelley Armstrong is a fantastic writer and I truly love everything she writes.  This book and this enti...

 A  zombie novel that makes you laugh and gives you spice, what more could you want!  There is a virus that is causing the world to have horrible diahrea and then eventually turns everyone into a zombie.  Maisie spent most of her life living in a bunker with her mom and when she finally gets her chance to live the world is on the verge of collapse.  She is determined to go on a date and lose her virginity before she turns 30.  She goes out with Evertt who is still reeling from a personal tragedy.  However he makes an effort for Maisie but their date goes horribly wrong.  As everyone around  them starts turning they realize that they need to stick together to get somewhere safe.  Maisie and Evertt soon discover that the world may be falling apart but the two of  them may be meant to be. This book had me hooked.  The romance was sizzling and the zombies were on point.  Unlike a typical zombie novel this one was not all death...

  It has been a long time since I have laughed out loud at a book like I did at the beginning of this novel.  I was hooked!   You have a strong female who kicks her useless fiance to the side and within the same day finds herself kicking butt as she battles supernatural creatures.  Vivian goes hiking and finds herself saving the life of a bigfoot shifter named Hank, who has been attacked.  Vivian ends up becoming an important part of his community but she is suspicious that something nefarious is going on.  Meanwhile she finds herself getting closer and closer to Hank.  Vivian must decide what life she truly wants.   The first part of this book was so good.  I loved the action and humor.  As the book went on it was not quite as funny but became a solid romance.   There were great characters and I loved reading about the Bigfoot community.  I like that this book was different and a  great blend of a lot of di...

 This book kept me in suspense as I was trying to figure out just who was truly the bad guy.  This book had me second guessing myself in all the best ways.  Annie is a down on her luck 30 year old.  She tries to make ends meet by working as a barista and a cat sitter.  After the loss of one of her clients (cats), Annie needs her new cat sitting job from Zoe while she is banned from the usual cat sitting agency pending further review.  Zoe is a mysterious woman who lives in a gorgeous house.  Annie needs to take care of her cat, Hades, but there are some rules she has to follow and something feels off about the house.  Annie is a huge fan of true crime and really believes that this house may be hiding secrets.  As Annie's life seems to crumble around her, the job for Zoe feels like her lifeline but is it really or is it something much worse? What I really liked about this book was that I was never really sure of Annie.  I couldn't quite f...

  This was a fun cozy fantasy romance!   Poppy is a witch who sets out to be as evil as she can.  The only problem is her handsome neighbor, Finic.  Poppy decides that if she sabotages his acting career she will be able to get rid of the unwanted fae.  Only her magic backfires and now Poppy is discovering that maybe he isn't as bad as she originally thought.  Poppy has to decide if she truly wants to be a wicked witch or if she should follow her heart.  I just have to say that there is nothing like a cozy romance with magic to make you forget all of your problems.  Poppy was a fun character and I enjoyed the growth she made throughout the book.  There were some really cute moments with her and Finic along with many Shakespeare references, wonky magic, and fantastic baking.  This book is a true delight that will brighten your day and make you want to fall in love.  4 out of 5 stars Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley f...

 3.5 Stars- "Murder Unabridged" was a cozy mystery that featured a wide range of interesting characters.  This is the third in the series but I had not previously read the other two books.  I was easily able to enjoy this as a standalone but I was definitely missing some finer points about some of the relationships between characters.   Madeline is an actress and owner of a bookshop that she inherited from her aunt.  A distant relative comes to stay with her and claims to have committed a murder in her home.  Maddy thinks he is harmless though and lets him sleep over at her house.  Come morning he is dead and Maddy becomes the prime suspect in his murder.  Maddy must discover how he could have been poisoned in her own home before she ends up in jail.  This mystery moved along and was overall enjoyable.  However my biggest complaint with this book was that I figured out very early on who committed the murder.  In a mystery I rea...

  3.5 Stars- This was a sweet romance with a wonderful male lead.  There was definitely some spice but I wanted more to happen in this novel.  I also had trouble getting behind Dahlia's decisions and felt a little frustrated at times with her.  Dahlia is an attorney from Chicago who travels a lot for work.  She finds herself in Sunflower, Montana to fill in for a local attorney.  Dahlia is dealing with some personal issues.  Her father has Alzheimers and she is trying to learn to trust again after her ex.  She meets Ranger, the local band teacher, and sparks fly.  The two of them think they can have a friends with benefits relationship because Dahlia is only in Sunflower for a certain amount of time.  However their chemistry has other ideas.  This was cute and a little predictable.  I don't mind predictable in a romance as long as I get a good story.  I really liked Ranger and thought he was an interesting character. ...

  5 Stars!!!!  I absolutely adored this book! Witty dialogue, heroes vs villians, a magical school, mystery, and lots of action make for a must read novel! Abby is a teacher at the High School for the Magical Arts in southern Ontario.  She teaches English and has a homeroom of 9th graders.  This year is anything other than normal.  After a series of events happen where students are in danger, Abby discovers that her homeroom has a hero.  Having a hero in her class means that there has to be a villain.  Abby is tasked with discovering who that villain is so she can protect her students and the school.  First of all, I am a teacher so I instantly connected with Abby and her humor.  I also loved that the teacher was the main character.  In so many other books that have magical schools the students are always the main characters, so to have a book from the teacher's point of view was extra special.  I thought it elevated the story and s...

  This was a cozy fantasy romance with huge heart!   Clove has no memory of her last 15 years.  When Jayce, a charming orc, tells her she could be the lost princess, Clove doesn't really believe it but is desperate to find her family.  After losing her job she decides to travel with Jayce to Wingspire City to find some news of her family.  However due to unpaid debts, Jayce is being hunted by a local crime boss.  Jayce and Clove soon find themselves running for their lives as they try to reach the city and gain an audience with the king.  As they travel they meet a host of different characters, learn more about each other, and uncover many secrets that will have a huge impact on their futures.  I really enjoyed this spicy fairytale.  It was a great escape from my everyday stress.  I loved that the main characters were a fae and orc even though there were humans in the book. They met some great side characters and there was lots of a...

 A fun Christmas inspired novel where the main character is cursed! Everything that could go wrong is currently going wrong for Hayleigh.  She has lost her job, all her money, and her bad luck just won't stop.  She decides to go back to where it all started and find the witch who must have cursed her. She travels to Elk Ridge and finds herself in need of help.  Stephen comes to her rescue and agrees to help her set things right so she can lift her curse. Through their journey, Hayleigh begins to learn more about herself and her actions as well as who she truly wants to be.  This was a good blend of folklore, magic, witches, romance, and holiday spirit.  I really liked the relationship between Stephen and Hayleigh.  There was so much growth on Hayleigh's part and that was due to the wonderful nature of Stephen.  He is the ultimate in leading men and I instantly fell for him.  There was also some humor infused in this novel that brought warmth ...

 3.5 Stars- I thought the premise of this romance was interesting.  Imagine a team of people working to give you just the right dream to motivate you to take the next important step in your life.   Olivia has always been super competitive and goal driven.  Her entire life she has tried to be perfect. When she is assigned to do a dream for one of her friends it doesn't go well.  Her old rival, Connor steps in to help as this is an important dream that needs to go right.  Old resentments spring up for Olivia but there is also attraction there.  Connor and Olivia must figure out how to work together to get this dream right before everything falls apart.  The romance between Connor and Olivia wa a slow burn but once it got going I did enjoy their relationship.  I did feel for Olivia, and I thought she made great growth throughout the novel.  I just felt that overall the pacing of this novel needed a little pick me up.  There also w...

  4.5 Stars- Alice Hoffman knows how to write a unique and fascinating novel! Two young women are sent to college in Cambridge in the 1950s, only they are not your typical students. Both Ava and Lauren are witches and as they spend more time at college they learn more about their unique gifts. Ava knew nothing about her heritage until she came to Radcliffe whereas Lauren and her brother were well aware of their heritage. Both girls have had difficult lives but are very different from one another. At first they dislike each other but eventually become friends although they face many different situations and conflicts along the way. The story also flashes back to the very first witch of Cambridge in 1692. Her story was honestly my favorite. The flashback revolved around the Mather family and their persecution of witches as well as the founding of Harvard. The Mather family is important to the 1950s storyline so it was an interesting look at the past, and great insight into what was h...

3.5 Stars- I picked this book because I love a time travel novel.  In this novel the main character can only travel back in time 7 minutes.  She earns a minute from men that she has a spark with but if they die she will lose that minute.   Renee has always been able to rewind time.  She tried telling her family but they didn't believe her.  Her entire life has been defined by this trait.  She takes a job in movies where she makes sure everything stays the same.  She earns money by rewinding time until she gets winning scratch off tickets. Renee has not been lucky in love and has even gone so far to have an affair with a married man that she is still struggling to get over.  When he goes missing Renee is determined to find him but then she loses a minute that she can rewind.  She fears that he is dead and she is determined to find out who did it.  Only things go from bad to worse when she begins to lose more minutes.  She must f...

  This was a highly enjoyable thriller that you won't want to miss.   Becca Larson is a journalist who travels to Flordia to cover a story about a honeymoon gone bad.  She is hoping this piece could possibly win her an award and help her get back to doing more investigative journalism.  However once she gets to Florida things aren't adding up.  After meeting with Eve, the bride, Becca can no longer get her to call her back.  Things start not adding up and Becca has an encounter with a woman that tries to steal her camera equipment.  After returning things go from bad to worse and now an innocent story may have the potential to ruin her life.  There was great suspense in this novel.  There were multiple perspectives which I really enjoyed because it kept me guessing as to who was really responsible for everything.  I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book hoping that things would turn out alright for Becca.  This story ...

 A powerful story about following your own dreams no matter what the cost.  Billie, a 39 single female, on New Year's Eve in Florence, Italy, meets the man of her dreams. Arthur is his name and he is from Scotland.  The only problem is, she had just made up her mind that she is going to have a baby on her own.  They have an instant connection and sparks fly.  However he does not want kids.  Over the next year Billie tries to figure out what she truly wants.  Does she want a relationship with Arthur and no baby or to have the baby and no Arthur?   I thought this novel posed a thought provoking scenerio and really kept the reader guessing as to what was going to happen.  I really liked Billie as a character and liked the romantic elements between her and Arthur.  Both of them had past trauma which seemed to spur their decisions.  There were times in the novel though that I wanted them to be more flexible but people in real life r...