Review: Lola

Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While this wasn’t the type of book I would normally read, I appreciated the fierce and powerful main character who has to fight for every crumb of respect and deserves all of it. The book is gritty and has a lot of unsavory details that bring to life what it’s like to live among drugs and gangs. Lola has a strong moral compass, though its skewed by how she grew up, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to care for the ones she loves.
The story follows her while she fights to stay alive after making enemies of the leaders of rival drug cartels. While I enjoyed the majority of the book the plot felt a little scattered to me and I wished that the book could have been a little more focused. The story jumped around a bit too much, from crooked cops, to addicts in recovery, to dealing with other cartel leaders. Hopefully if Lola’s story continues in future books the story will be a bit more focused. The other thing that dropped my rating was that there were several parts of the story that were completely unbelievable. Details should be researched a little more carefully in future books.
Thank you Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy for review.


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Review: Watching the Detectives

Watching the Detectives by Julie Mulhern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Watching the Detectives by Julie Mulhern is the 5th book in the Country Club Murders and it is a wonderful addition to the series. The story takes place in the 1970’s and follows Ellison Russell as she tries to figure out who killed her interior decorator in her study.

This cozy mystery is both funny and a wonderful read. It takes into account social issues of the time and weaves them seamlessly into the narrative while also providing an entertaining read. Ellison is a windowed artist caring for her teenage daughter and dealing with an overbearing mother. The mystery is full of enough twists and turns and quirky characters to keep you reading late into the night. Overall I would highly recommend this book to any fans of cozy mysteries.

I received this book from NetGalley and Henery Press in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Magick & Mayhem

Magick & Mayhem by Sharon Pape
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Magick and Mayhem was the fantastic first book in a new paranormal cozy mystery. It features Kailyn Wilde as a witch in a small town who is running her family’s magic shop, Abracadabra, after the sudden deaths of her mother and grandmother. When she and her psychic aunt Tilly head over to the local lawyers office to finalize some papers they are surprised to find he’d been murdered and from there the plot unfolds.
Kailyn takes on the task of hunting down the real killer when her friend Elise becomes the main suspect. Between juggling the demands of a magic shop, taking care of a gaggle of cats, finding some unexpected romance and hunting down a killer Kailyn has her hands, and head, full.
The story was a great read for me. It was entertaining, humorous, and overall very enjoyable. I loved all the hijinks of the supporting characters and the mystery was well done. The book was well paced and well plotted. I really liked all of the characters and I am already looking forward to book two!
I give the book 4/5 stars
I received this book from Netgalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.


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Review: Alice and the Assassin

Alice and the Assassin by R.J. Koreto
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Alice and the Assassin follows spirited Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, while she and her Secret Service body guard, Joseph St. Clair, attempt to solve a mystery connected to the assassination of President McKinley.

While the story was well written and Alice was a very intriguing character the book dragged its way through the plot and I often fell asleep after only a few pages. There was great dialogue and the banter between Alice and her body guard was interesting. The book is told from the body guards perspective and it would have been refreshing to see what Alice’s point of view was.

In addition there was a little too much going on. There were big name companies, political intrigue, a murderer on the loose and a lot of little loose ends. The ending was well done and tied everything up nicely but I had figured out what was going on before we got there.

Overall I give the book 3/5 stars. I would give the next book in the series a chance.

I received this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Alice and the Assassin

Alice and the Assassin by R.J. Koreto
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Alice and the Assassin follows spirited Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, while she and her Secret Service body guard, Joseph St. Clair, attempt to solve a mystery connected to the assassination of President McKinley.

While the story was well written and Alice was a very intriguing character the book dragged its way through the plot and I often fell asleep after only a few pages. There was great dialogue and the banter between Alice and her body guard was interesting. The book is told from the body guards perspective and it would have been refreshing to see what Alice’s point of view was.

In addition there was a little too much going on. There were big name companies, political intrigue, a murderer on the loose and a lot of little loose ends. The ending was well done and tied everything up nicely but I had figured out what was going on before we got there.

Overall I give the book 3/5 stars. I would give the next book in the series a chance.

I received this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Breakdown

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Breakdown is a twisting psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes and guessing until the very last page. Even the tagline “If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?” draws you in straight away. The story follows Cass as she attempts to deal with the death of a woman she feels she may have been able to help. Driving home in a storm from a party late one night she passes a car on the side of the road and sees the shape of a woman inside the car. She stops, but doesn’t try to help and decides to go home. When she discovers that the woman was killed that night she is consumed with guilt and fear that she may be losing her mind as she begins to forget every little thing.

I couldn’t put this book down and read it all in one night of frantic page turning. I HAD to know what was going on and you will too if you pick up this book. The author does a wonderful job with dramatic scenes and with the pacing of the novel. I normally don’t like an unreliable narrator but in this case it really works for the story. Overall I really enjoyed this read and can’t wait to read more from B. A. Paris!

I give the book 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy to read and review.


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Review: Kale to the Queen

Kale to the Queen by Nell Hampton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kale to the Queen is the debut to a new cozy mystery series that follows Chef Carrie Ann Cole along as she begins her new job as a chef as Kensington Palace. She starts off at the job well and has just begun to settle into her rather grueling new position when she stumbles across a dead body. The rest of the book is he attempting to clear the name of a coworker and stay clear of another chef who has quite the attitude.
Overall I enjoyed the read. It was light and fun and I liked the main and supporting characters and thought they were well done. Though the main character is a chef, so ample food descriptions are to be expected, there might have been just a few too many. The story had great pacing and the mystery was well done. I enjoyed that the book was set in London. Hopefully that is explored more in future books.

I give the book 3/5 stars and look forward to reading more books in the series.

Thank you to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me a copy of this book to read and review.


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Review: Mug Shot

Mug Shot by Caroline Fardig
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A really fun mystery with a lot of antics and action. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery.

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Review: The Last Chance Matinee

The Last Chance Matinee by Mariah Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review: Last Chance Matinee by Mariah Stewart

What this book is about: This story follows the lives of three woman who discover that they are sister after their fathers dies and leaves behind a dying wish, a family legacy and a big family secret. When Agent to the stars Fritz Hudson passes away he leaves behind a will that draws together his three daughters, from two wives who never knew the other existed, and gives them a challenge to gain access to their inheritance, something they each need for different reasons. To earn their inheritance they must work together to restore an old theater that is part of their family legacy.

What I thought: I adored this book. The characters were well done, each with vastly different personalities and problems and the plot was well thought out. I enjoy stories that feature building renovations and this one was well done, including just enough about the renovation and building to keep things interesting but not over doing it. I also loved the budding romances and the complicated lives of each of the supporting characters. Just enough background to give them depth but not so much that I lost interest. Overall I found the book to be charming and lovely. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!


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Review: Once and for All

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is just something about a book from Sarah Dessen that will give you all the feels. I have read and loved so many of her books that I go in knowing that I will probably laugh and cry and have a book hangover at the end. This book is no different.

This story has some truly magical elements and I want to tell you all about them. I'm not going to though. I don't want to spoil anything about this. There are weddings, shenanigans, love, heartbreak and some pretty profound moments. I love the main characters and all of the supporting ones to. I enjoyed the wedding aspect and all the stress and sillyness that went along with it. One of my favorite things about her books are the familiar faces and tiny little details that show up from previous books. I love hearing the names of characters I have connected with in the past, it makes me smile every time I find one.

If you enjoyed any previous Sarah Dessen novels, you will love this one. If you haven't read any of her books and you enjoy ya books (though really these are so much more than a genre might lead you to believe), then you should read this book and check out her previous books. All of them are standalones so no worries about order.

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Review: Murder at the Fortune Teller's Table

Murder at the Fortune Teller's Table by Janet Finsilver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Murder at the Fortune Teller’s Table is the third book in the Kelly Jackson Mystery series but Janet Finsilver and although I haven’t yet read the first two book I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was a great example of what a cozy mystery is. The story takes place in a small town in Northern California and is based primarily in a small bed and breakfast. I enjoyed the quirky characters and found the main character to be quite likeable. The mystery was realistic and multi layered with a great cast of suspects that kept me guessing until the end. Overall I gave the book 3.5/5 stars and would recommend it to other fans of cozy mystery novels.

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Review: The Roanoke Girls

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Roanoke Girls tells the story of Lane’s life from the time she is fifteen to when she is thirty and grown. The story is told in two different timelines. Then, when as a teenager Lane came to live with her grandparents and cousin, who she never knew existed. And Now, when at the age of 30 Lane returns to find out what happened to her cousin, who has vanished.

Right away it is obvious that something isn’t quite right on the sprawling family estate. The big family secret around which the entire story is based is evident fairly on and is very disturbing. As another reviewer put it – ICK! That being said, the subject is handled well by the author and the story is told in a way that forces you to keep reading. It is hard to put the book down with so many unanswered questions floating around.

Overall, besides the disturbing subject matter, I enjoyed the book and the mystery was well done. Lane was an interesting character, though a bit messed up. If you like a good mystery, with dark family secrets and don’t mind a bit of taboo subject matter then you would probably enjoy this story.


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Review: Bad Housekeeping: An Agnes and Effie Mystery

Bad Housekeeping: An Agnes and Effie Mystery by Maia Chance
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Bad Housekeeping is story of 28-year-old Agnes Blythe who has just been dumped by her fiancé of 8 years and now has nowhere to live, no current job and basically nothing to her name since she somehow managed to leave it all in his apartment. So, now that she is completely down on her luck she agrees to help her eccentric aunt Effie renovate a crumbling old Inn. Before they have even gotten a chance to start though the body of a woman they both have had recent arguments with turns up dead in the inn. Both now suspects they set about trying to clear their names.

And thus begins a very long novel about these two slightly obnoxious characters driving around in a stolen car, and questioning everyone under the sun. It’s a good mystery, complete with lots of family drama and secrets but for me it was lacking a few things. For one thing Agnes was more than obnoxious about her weight. I felt like it was mentioned every few pages. Her low self-esteem also started to get on my nerves after a few chapters.

One of the reasons I was excited to read this book is that the main characters were renovating an old inn. I love stories where people are doing renovations and they often discover old secrets hidden in the building! There was little to no renovation in this book and I found that to be depressing. Hopefully the author will include a little more about that, and maybe a hidden secret or two, in her next book.


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Review: The Bone Witch

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco is a wonderful story that was told in a not so great way. The story begins when a girl name Tea accidently raises her brother from the dead through sheer force of will and then starts off on a journey to become a bone witch. Fascinating, right? And it is. Only the author takes a lot of the enjoyment out of the telling of this tale by over describing nearly every detail of the setting and fashion. Only a few chapters in my eyes began to glaze over whenever I got to the descriptions of what people were wearing.

The other issue I had with the book was how slow it was. Tea is a bone witch in training but spends the first year of said training being basically a maid and it was boring to read about. In addition the novel constantly jumps back and forth between the past and the future. It is told as though the main character is being interviewed and is telling the interviewer (in this case a bard) that story of what happened. These interludes were more interesting than large parts of the story and I can see how they were put in to tease the reader with what would happen in the future. For me though I didn’t enjoy trying to learn about the future world Tea lives in while still imagining the past. It pulled me out of the story instead of making me want to read more.

Overall I give the book 2.5 starts out of 5. I liked the writing style and I think the author had some unique ideas. I hope that the sequel is written with telling and far more showing.


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Review: Death by Chocolate Lab

Death by Chocolate Lab by Bethany Blake
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book. I really did. The problem was that hardly anything, from the plot points to the main character, was believable. When I read the majority of the time I am able to suspend disbelief and sink into the story. That was not the case here. I was constantly jerked out of the story by the thought “that doesn’t make any sense” which means I wasn’t able to enjoy this read at all.
The story is about a pet sitter named Daphne, who sets out to solve the murder of a local dog trainer when her sister is implicated in the murder. She has two adorable sidekicks, a basset hound and a Chihuahua whose antics make for some adorable moments. And of course there is the essential tall, dark and handsome detective with a past that hides some secrets. Sound a bit cliché to you? It did to me too.

*Mild spoilers ahead*

What I didn’t like about this book was that I just didn’t believe in Daphne as a character. For one thing I own a pet sitting business and she is a horrible example of the profession. She doesn’t keep a calendar, doesn’t advertise at all, doesn’t seem to have a website, and her cell phone doesn’t work, so how would clients even contact her? This drove me nuts throughout the entire book. She has a PhD in philosophy so she must have had the drive and intelligence to get that accomplished and yet she can’t manage to figure out the basics of running a business? Unlikely.

One of the key plot points that the author uses to move the plot along was that Daphne was extremely worried about a missing chocolate lab named Axis. So much so that she is willing to break into the dead mans house to look for him. The only problem is that Daphne only seems to care when its convenient to move the plot along. She doesn’t put up flyers or ask anyone who may have seen the dog. She doesn’t even search the property for him. Which make no sense for someone who is supposedly concerned.

The other main thing I took issue with was the detective himself. He is an ex-navy seal, good looking and intelligent. Yet he misses several clues which allow our leading lady to find them. He is observant when the plot calls for it but completely misses things when it doesn’t. He also allows Daphne to remove a piece of evidence from the victims house without stopping her. Again – unlikely.

While there were quite a few plot issues the writing itself wasn’t bad and the author shows promise. I think that in future books Daphne would make a much better fresh pet food maker than a pet sitter, especially since the author included recipes. I might consider checking out book two to see if the story gets any better.



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Review of Dead in the Water by Annelise Ryan

Dead in the Water is the 8^th book in the Mattie Winston Mystery series and it was a delightfully engaging and funny read. This story delves further into the background story between Mattie’s mother and father and offers a bit more insight into how she grew up and why. Though the beginning is a little slow, due to an overabundance of background information that long time readers of the series will find tedious, it picked up a couple of chapters in and kept up the pace until the last page.

This installment in the series finds Mattie living with Hurley and his daughter Emily, as well as their son Matthew. This portion of the book was a welcome surprise. Many of the previous books have had a lot of emotional issues between these characters but they seem to have settled into a wonderful family unit. Emily’s character has clearly grown and matured and it was nice to avoid the teenage angst I feared might be coming. Matthew, who is around 2 in this story, was hilarious and very well written. I enjoyed his antics and the way he keeps his parents on their toes.

The mystery in this story felt a little overly complicated and too far reaching but I appreciate the fact that it can easily Segway into future books. The mystery kept me guessing for most of the book until some of the larger clues became apparent. Though I was left without a full resolution to the questions raised in the book it does leave me excited for the next book, as I’m sure the author intended!

Review: The Art of Vanishing by Cynthia Kuhn

The Art of Vanishing was an enjoyable, easy read that had me chuckling at parts and surprised me at others. Although no one dies in this cozy mystery there are still plenty of mysterious happenings and a culprit to sniff out to keep the reader engaged in the story. This book was the second book in the series but it could be read without having read the first.

I did truly enjoy the story but there were a couple things that bothered me. I felt like Lila doesn’t really do all the much to solve the crimes. Most of the stuff that happens in the story happens around or to Lila rather than her actually doing anything about it. I really like Lila as a character, I just wanted her to have a more take charge attitude about everything. She had some moments of actions, but each of them seemed to be reactions to her surroundings or what others had said or done. I hope that in future books she takes charge of the story a bit more.

Overall I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. Even without an actual murder it was a great read. I am looking forward to reading more stories from the author.

*I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Review of Ensnared by Rita Stradling

I love the idea of this book far more than the execution. While it was well written and had an interesting premise, it lacked in several other areas to much to overlook. The basic story is a retelling of Beauty and the Beauty with a futuristic, sort of I-robot, vibe to it. I enjoyed the main story points and the romance. The romance in this version is better than most retelling because Lorccan, the “beast”, isn’t actually the captor. This make the relationship more consensual and less creepy. I also like Alainn for the most part however I found that I missed the book loving aspect of Belle though. That is such an integral part of that character in every retelling I have ever read that to leave it out felt wrong somehow.

The problems that I found with the book were issues of pacing, a lack of world building and extraneous characters. The relationship between Lorccan and Alainn was slow and then very suddenly sped up. It felt unnatural between them. They were so hesitant before that the quick build up felt off.

The world in which this story takes place is barely explained at all. It seems to be just the same as the world we live in today. Except there are AI robots that apparently can pass for human in nearly every aspect. In addition Alainn’s dad and brother apparently make these robots in their garage. What kind of world is it where a man can just make a robot with Artificial intelligence in his garage? There really should have been a significant amount of time spent explaining the world and a brief history of how the robots developed would also have been nice.

There were several side stories that could have been entirely left out. The story of Alainn’s job and Greg felt like it was just tossed into the book. It jarred me out of the story and I found it boring so I barely read that section. In addition the story of Alainn’s friend Cara wasn’t necessary either. While it seemed to be used to give reason’s for Alainn’s behavior I felt like it wasn’t needed and she would have behaved the same way without that backstory.

There was a little talk towards the end about ethics and the humanity of the robots but it wasn’t fleshed out much. There is something there that could have brought a lot more depth to the story but was glossed over and too simply and neatly resolved.

This book is an enjoyable enough read and might be right for some people but it wasn’t the story for me. 

Review of The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry

The Fifth Petal, by Brunonia Barry, is a mystery with wisps of magic and witchcraft and a healthy dose of Salem history. While the story focuses in large part on the murder of three girls in the year 1989, and a police detectives quest to finally uncover the truth, it is also a story of the people who were affected by the murders and the ways that the past bleeds into the future.

The characters in this book brought interesting things into the story that helped keep my interest. For example, Callie, who is one of the main characters, is a sound healer and uses singing bowls to treat people. I found this fascinating and felt that the author did a wonderful job describing this. I have no idea how accurate it is to true sound healers but it made for an interesting addition to the story.

Though I truly enjoyed this book there were a couple of faults. The beginning of the story is a bit slow and it took a little while for the story to really grab me. It took me a couple days to make it through part one and only a few hours to finish parts two and three. There were times when I felt like there was too much going on, too many storylines in one section, but it was easy to overlook that.

If you have an interest in witchcraft and the occult, then this would be a good read for you. If you like mystery with only a small bit of romance thrown in this will be a good choice. In addition, it is not necessary to have read the first novel by the author, The Lace Reader, to enjoy this one.

My overall rating for this book is 4 out of 5 stars. One star removed for the slow beginning. 

Review: Rest in Peach

Rest in Peach by Susan Furlong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It had a good mystery and a lot of southern charm. If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is worth the read!

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Review: Peaches and Scream

Peaches and Scream by Susan Furlong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great example of what a cozy mystery should be. I really enjoyed reading it and looking forward to the next book in the series. Which I will hopefully have my hands on soon!

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Review of Ever the Hunter by Erin Summeril

Review of Ever the Hunter by Erin Summerill

What the book is about (from goodreads.com) - Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam—that is, until her father is murdered. Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple.

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force


I really wanted to like this book. REALLY. But I just couldn't do it. The writing is good, the narration was good (I got it on Audio, so technically I listened instead of read.), and the story had great potential. I just didn't like the main character. She was naive, didn't realize things that should have been obvious and her motivations seemed weak to me. I wanted her to be a strong female heroine and instead she felt like she was floundering (just seems like the right word, lets go with it) around all the time. The other thing that bugged was that everyone just believed whatever she said, and trusted her without any real evidence that they should so. I didn't really like the "love interest" either. He was so bland.

All that being said, the book had some intriguing ideas and I think that I may give the sequel a chance. Maybe the character will grow in that book and I'll like her a bit more. Then again maybe she won't and I'll only make it halfway through. However, if you think the idea sounds interesting give it a read. It was awful, just not my cup of tea.

Overall - 2.5/5 Stars

Recommend to - Younger girls who like magic and fairy tales