Category: 4-Stars

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Book Review: The Silent Victims (DCI Hanlon Book 4) by Alex Coombs @AlexHowardCrime @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

 

 

The Silent Victims
(DCI Hanlon Book 4) 
by Alex Coombs

 

Amazon  / B&N /  GP

 The Silent Victims
DCI Hanlon faces the toughest decision of her career as a string of political murders lead to a deadly confrontation.

A controversial, right-wing German politician is due to speak at the Oxford Union. Following a series of murders linked to a violent anarchist group, the city is on high alert. DCI Hanlon has been partnered with DI Huss to ensure the speech goes smoothly and that there will be no more killing.

Meanwhile, as Hanlon traces the person behind the murders, she soon realizes that the chilling truth has a terrible price. Is Hanlon willing to meet the cost?

 

The final gripping case for DCI Hanlon. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan, and Mark Dawson.

This book was previously published as An Incidental Death by Alex Howard. 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

As their eyes rested on him he felt a scrotum-tightening chill of fear descend over his body. No, not a job interview, more the professional evaluation of a couple of undertakers interested to see if he would fit the coffin.

 

It was huge, and massively muscled. It emanated a sinister, vast strength. It looked like a dog that pumped iron and ate steroids.

 

Hanlon glared at Morris Jones, her glance taking in his immaculately polished shoes, the razor-sharp creases in his suit. It suddenly occurred to her that when Jones dressed he was probably dressing for death, either his own or someone else’s.

 

Let’s see how fit you are, she thought grimly to herself… in trainers she could run a marathon in a respectable three hours… Grey Man looked like he’d have trouble on an escalator. She grinned wolfishly as she increased the pace of her stride.

My Review:

 

While well written and full of complex twists and oddly compelling characters, I struggled with this one as it had a slow start and complicated plot lines that aren’t my cup of Darjeeling.   Extremist right-wing politicians are contemptible and I feel I’ve suffered more than enough of that vile nonsense from the previous occupant for the last four years, and toss in Islamic terrorist cells, well… the little pea in my brain was growing antsy and wanting to burn rubber.

But my biggest concern was where was my beloved Hanlon? She was scarce in this tale for quite a while, and I missed my favorite kickass chick. I covertly aspire to her level of indifference and would gladly become her faithful disciple, although that is definitely a situation the rogue lone wolf Hanlon would not appreciate nor enjoy.

If I were unaware of what this crafty author was capable of I most likely would have conceded with a DNF early on. I fear I have been spoiled and most likely ruined by the richness and absorbing quality of his previous offerings and this one just hadn’t grabbed me by the throat in the same manner as the three previous installments. But luckily, the agile and wily nature of Mr. Coombs’s stellar writing kept me invested and once my revered idol joined in with significant contributions, all was right once again. Silly me, I was just too impatient. The clever Mr. Coombs continues to remain all snug and warm in a cozy spot on my favorites list.

About the Author

Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Facebook
Twitter

 

Alex Coombs studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities and went on to work in adult education and then retrained to be a chef. He has written four well-reviewed crime novels as Alex Howard.  Sign up for his newsletter at :

http://bit.ly/AlexCoombsNewsletter

 

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Book Review: The Dog Sitter by Zara Stoneley  @ZaraStoneley @rararesources  @0nemorechapter

The Dog Sitter
by Zara Stoneley

Amazon  / B&N /  GP

One dog. Two strangers. An unfurgettable romance.

Wanted: someone nice, normal, and trustworthy to housesit a beautiful cottage in the Lake District while the owner is away on a business trip. Must like dogs.

Wanting to escape from crap bosses and useless boyfriends, Becky jumps at the chance of being a dog sitter and the perfect escape – rest, relaxation, and a very cute pooch called Bella.

But looking after Bella comes with a catch, namely gorgeous, brooding, Chris Hemsworth-worthy Ash James, who claims Bella is his dog and will stop at nothing to get her back!

Becky’s not about to hand over lovely Bella to any Tom, Dick, or Ash.  She’s determined to watch every move Ash James makes…even if it gets her very hot under the collar.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

There can only be one thing that can beat a buff man in uniform, and that’s one who’s taken half of it off. Oh my giddy aunt, as Mum would say. Or just cor! Okay, call me shallow, sexist and guilty of stereotyping. I don’t care. I’m allowed. He looked like he was in the SAS, but with a better haircut.

 

I kidded myself that Teddy and I could make a go of it, even though he was a reptilian control freak who should be cast in a weird episode of Dr Who where he will be zapped and get his just rewards.

 

I think my lady parts have become turbocharged. That hasn’t happened before either. They’ve been pulsating like strobe lights at a rave and I feel totally drained. In a very nice way.

My Review:

This was a fun and enjoyable read, but then Zara Stoneley is a sure bet for entertaining, wryly amusing, and highly engaging tales which she generally casts with realistically flawed and quirky characters. The storylines were crisply written in the first-person POV of Becky, an original and authentic character who was well-intentioned and had a good heart but she was also a bungler, a screw-up, inattentive, impulsive, and easily distracted.   She didn’t think things through and made irresponsible errors in judgment but thankfully, she was also endearingly kind and creatively gifted. While I wanted to smack her a few times as she was more than a bit heedless and exasperating, she was also totally knowable, and I adored her.

 

About the Author

Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date.

Born in a small village in the UK, she wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. After many (many) years and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true.

She writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally say ‘ahhh’.

Zara now lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.

Zara’s bestselling novels include ‘The First Date’, ‘Bridesmaids‘, ‘No One Cancels Christmas‘, ‘The Wedding Date‘, ‘The Holiday Swap‘, ‘Summer with the Country Village Vet‘, ‘Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage‘ and the popular Tippermere series – ‘Stable Mates‘, ‘Country Affairs‘ and ‘Country Rivals‘.

Social Media Links 

Website: http://www.zarastoneley.com
Twitter: @ZaraStoneley
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZaraStoneley

Instagram: zarastoneley (and Harry has his own! Harrys_pawprints)

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/zara-stoneley?follow=true

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B007WK307G

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Book Review: Murder in the Bell Tower (Miss Underhay Mysteries #5) by Helena Dixon  @NellDixon @Bookouture 

Murder in the Bell Tower
(Miss Underhay Mysteries #5)
by Helena Dixon  

Amazon  / B&N 

Kitty Underhay’s hymnbook is open… at murder.

Winter, 1933. Kitty Underhay is enjoying a restorative break from sleuthing on a visit to her family at Enderley Hall. The only thing marring her peace – aside from the uncomfortable sensation she has of being watched – is the obvious history between her beau, ex-army captain Matthew Bryant and another guest, the beautiful Juliet Vanderstafen. So, when the parish clerk is found dead on her front doorstep, Kitty leaps at the chance of distraction.

The police are happy to conclude that Miss Plenderleith met her unfortunate end on a patch of ice, but Kitty isn’t convinced this was a case of bad weather and worse luck. And when the Reverend Crabtree fails to show for tea the next day, she heads to the church to speak to him. But she arrives to find the clergyman hanging from the bell-rope, dead.

With Matt seemingly wrapped up with his alluring Austrian, Kitty must solve the case on her own. But as she snoops into parish affairs, she makes some less-than-saintly discoveries. Just who has broken the sixth commandment?

Meanwhile, the killer is preparing a churchyard grave for Kitty, and she’ll have to use all her wits to avoid falling in…

An addictive, absorbing, and completely unputdownable Golden Age cozy murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey, and Lee Strauss.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Hattie was insisting I get the piano in the music room retuned and having heard her practising her scales I rather think it may be Hattie who has the tuning problem.

 

I heard that Miss Merriweather a singing her head off coming up the stairs last night. She in’t no Billie Holiday. Some of them notes could fair fetch the wax out your earholes.

 

I was not hiding. I was merely ensuring that I wasn’t seen.

 

Not at all like a vicar, and there’s tales abroad of him not knowing the difference between mine and thine as me dad says.

My Review:

 

This was a light, pleasantly entertaining, and leisurely paced cozy mystery. There was a large cast of unique characters yet it was easy to keep them straight. They were an odd grouping of international guests turned suspects in the midst of a traditional English manor house Christmas which was interrupted by a few murders, oh my. I enjoyed the author’s wry humor and especially the amusing descriptions of the characters, but my favorites involved the attention-seeking antics of the sticky-fingered, hapless, tactless, and tone-deaf cousin Hattie who couldn’t pass up anything shiny and saw herself as a creative artiste seeking culture.

I sourced one new addition to my Brit Words and Phrases list with facer – a stunning surprise or obstacle.   And this tale had a few facers in the mix.

About the Author

Nell Dixon was born and continues to live in the Black Country. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo, and a tank of tropical fish. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel, and housework. Her addictions of choice are coffee and reality TV. She was the winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 with her book Marrying Max, and the winner of Love Story of the Year 2010 with her book, Animal Instincts. She also writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime as Helena Dixon.

 

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Book Review:  The Little Swiss Ski Chalet (Romantic Escapes #7) by Julie Caplin @JulieCaplin @rararesources 

The Little Swiss Ski Chalet
(Romantic Escapes #7)
by Julie Caplin

Amazon  / B&N /  GP

It’s time to pack your bags and head to the breathtaking, snow-covered peaks of the Swiss Alps for velvety hot chocolates, delicious cheeses, and a gorgeous love story…

Food technician Minna has always believed that chocolate will solve everything – and it’s just what she needs when her latest relationship mishap goes viral!

So with her bags packed and a new determination to sort her life out, Minna decides to drown her sorrows with the best hot chocolate in the world at her godmother’s cozy Swiss chalet.

Chocolate: yes. Romance: no. Until she has a run-in on an Alpine train with a mysterious but oh-so-gorgeous stranger…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

No one would have described the woman as softly-spoken; her words boomed out like a foghorn with the volume turned to max.

 

There was a coach tour of Japanese people ahead of them, who were buying chocolate like it was going out of style, with huge smiles on their faces, and they weren’t alone: everyone seemed to have shopping baskets piled high. It was like a horde of locusts whipping through, as if this was the last chocolate on the planet, but the thing that struck Mina was that everyone was smiling… It was the simplest equation. Chocolate = happiness. The whole shop was filled with joy.

 

‘… if you don’t want me to kiss you…’ His eyes flashing with sincerity moved over her face with a desperate urgency. ‘Speak now or forever hold your peace.’ ‘Who needs peace?’

My Review:

 

All aboard the cheese and chocolate train!

This book should come with a warning label as it has done irreparable harm to my diet with constant mention of the most delectable coronary causing meals heavily laden with heart-stopping and calorie-rich ingredients such as cheese, and deathly delicious chocolate. The characters had a shared passion and ungodly talent for food and cooking. I lost track of how many trips I made to the snack cabinet hoping to find a few lost Hershey’s kisses or some other wayward remnant of forbidden holiday treats. The slowly evolving storylines were relatable and entertaining with amusing observations, a Swiss travelogue, and unique character personalities written with an international flair. My personal favorite was Amelie, I simply adored her.

About the Author

Julie Caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen, and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it.

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for her Romantic Escapes series which have been translated into fifteen different languages.

The first book in the seven-strong series, The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Social Media Links –

@JulieCaplin Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/JulieCaplinAuthor/

Instagram @juliecaplinauthor

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Book Review:  Deadly Whispers in Lower Dimblebrook by Julie Butterfield @juliebeewriter@rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

Deadly Whispers in Lower Dimblebrook
by Julie Butterfield

 

Amazon  / B&N / Kobo / GP/

When Isabelle Darby moves to the delightfully cozy village of Lower Dimblebrook, she’s searching for peace and quiet as well as a chance to escape from heartbreak. After making friends with Fiona Lambourne, another newcomer to the village, Issie is left reeling when tragedy strikes and Fiona is murdered, the second wife Anthony Lambourne has lost in unfortunate circumstances. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the local gossips insist that Fiona had been embroiled in an affair before her death, something which Issie knows not to be the case. Determined to clear her friend’s reputation and solve the mystery of the rumors, Issie takes on both the gossips and the handsome but stern DI Wainwright, making both friends and enemies along the way!

 

My Rating:

My Review:

 

This was an engaging, fun, light, and slowly evolving tale that took a winding path with several twists and false leads. Being the first of a new series we were introduced to a quaint little village full of uniquely quirky characters that were humorously and entertainingly depicted in an instantly knowable manner while in the midst of a murder investigation that appeared to be going nowhere. The new detective assigned to the area was confounded by the village ways and the lightning-fast and oddly powerful gossip mill, which somehow always the author’s writing style, wry wit, and leisurely and meandering pace, it was just what I needed.

 

About the Author

Julie Butterfield belongs to the rather large group of ‘always wanted to write’ authors who finally found the time to sit down and put pen to paper – or rather fingers to keyboard.

She wrote her first book purely for pleasure and was very surprised to discover that so many people enjoyed the story and wanted more, so she decided to carry on writing.
It has to be pointed out that her first novel, ‘Did I Mention I Won The Lottery’ is a complete work of fiction and she did not, in fact, receive millions in her bank account and forget to mention it to her husband – even though he still asks her every day if she has anything to tell him!

Social Media Links –

@juliebeewriter

www.Juliebutterfield.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/juliebeewriter

 

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Book Review: Until We Are Lost by Leslie Archer @TLCBookTours

Until We Are Lost
by Leslie Archer

Amazon | GP | B&N

Hardcover: 414 Pages

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (February 2, 2021)

When Tara Peary’s twin sister Sophie goes missing, Tara dives into New York’s underbelly to find her. Sophie is the one person who’s ever truly understood her, and Tara knows her sister isn’t the only one who needs help.

Tara is also on the run emotionally from her complicated childhood. Her memories are threatening to overwhelm her emotions and derail the hunt for Sophie. A psychotherapist keeps her afloat, but when Tara begins dating her therapist’s young tech-millionaire neighbor, she risks losing the only lifelines she has left.

The more Tara uncovers about her sister’s disappearance and the dark side of the rich elite, the less certain of the truth she becomes. As Tara reaches the center of the mystery, spanning from her childhood home in Georgia to a Southern California beach, she has to decide whether the truth is a price she’s willing to pay.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I don’t seem to work and play well with others. Stupidity gets on my nerves.

 

Seasons change, but not in Hollywood. It’s as if time didn’t move on there, and all the plastic surgery was a desperate attempt to make sure it remained that way.

 

Maybe to distinguish herself from other evangelists, she made exorcisms her specialty… Whether the exorcisms worked, I couldn’t say. But they did appear to, which, in religion, is the same thing.

 

I am like nested Russian dolls, she thinks, each part of me inside the other, going deeper and deeper, darker and darker. Tara shivers then, and she knows the meaning of someone walking on her grave.

My Review:

 

This was an intense and challenging read, which was evidenced in the fact that it took me three times longer to read it than any other book of the same length as I needed to periodically put my Kindle down and seek out a pleasant distraction. The storylines were throbbing with tension, angst, conflict, and inner turmoil; yet written with incredible insight and painful awareness.

I was intrigued and repelled Tara’s disturbing family history as her parents were odious. Her zealot mother was the worst type of loathsome hypocrite; I despised her before I even knew the half of it. All the characters, even the secondary ones, were complicated, dark, and deeply twisted, yet so compellingly written they viciously stabbed at my curiosity. Very few were even likable beings with the dog Hickory being the only one that truly was, and he didn’t fare so well.

I learned two new words and phrases used by Tara’s evangelical faith healer mother to describe myself, I am “resolutely apostate” and apparently have a “Jezebel spirit.” Amen!

About Leslie Archer

Leslie Archer is the nom de plume of a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-five novels.

Connect with Leslie

Website 

 

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Book Review: High Treason at the Grand Hotel (Fiona Figg Mystery #2) by Kelly Oliver @TLCBookTours @KellyOliverBook

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High Treason at the Grand Hotel
(Fiona Figg Mystery #2)
by Kelly Oliver

Amazon | B & N | IndieBound | GP 

 Publisher: Historia (January 5, 2021)
Paperback: 276 pages

Paris. 1917. Never underestimate the power of a good hat… or a sharp hatpin.

Sent by the War Office to follow the notorious Black Panther, file clerk turned secret agent Fiona Figg is under strict orders not to get too close and not to wear any of her usual “get-ups.”

But what self-respecting British spy can resist a good disguise?

Within hours of her arrival in Paris, Fiona is up to her fake eyebrows in missing maids, jewel thieves, double agents, and high treason.

When Fiona is found dressed as a bellboy holding a bloody paperknife over the body of a dead countess, it’s not just her career that’s on the block.

Her next date might be with Madame Guillotine.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I needed to straighten my desk and get my files in order. My father liked to say, outward order conceals inward turmoil. If so, my soul must be a cyclone. And if the reverse were true, the slobs in this office had the souls of monks.

 

Sitting behind his mammoth wooden desk, eyelids flicking, the petite Captain Hall looked like a turtle encased in its shell.

 

The only thing an admirer ever gave me was a head cold.

 

“If anything, the war teaches us to savor the moment.” She tightened the strings on her purse. Maybe she had a point. “Think of all those unfortunate women on the Titanic who waved away the dessert cart.” She winked.

My Review:

 

The headstrong and quick-witted filing clerk turned intrepid wartime spy Fiona Figg’s second adventure has her hopping to the continent and sampling the wares of Paris, which even in the straits of WWI was bustling far merrier than dreary old London. Fiona ignored all the dire warnings and sharp orders given to her to leave her “costumes” at home and packed more disguises in her luggage than actual clothing, so she couldn’t let them go to waste now could she? Her adoring visits to the costume shop remind me of the highly amusing yet bungling Inspector Clouseau of the Pink Panther movies.

She was to keep a low profile and merely gather information, no way! There was no holding her back as she was soon embroiled in several murders, thrown in a filthy jail cell with horrible men, and took on a side hobby of tracking a jewel thief and possible serial killer in her spare time when not hobnobbing with Mata Hari. I aspire to her bold level of daredevil audaciousness!

I have enjoyed Ms. Oliver’s wry humor and clever storytelling, she has amused and kept me well entertained for several days. I am now even more enamored with historical cozy mysteries after reading the first two of her series and am looking forward to the next planned installment when the Feisty Fiona Figg will be off to Austria behind enemy lines to meet the King and Queen at a royal ball. How thrilling!

My curiosity was further tipped by information tucked into the Afterward about several of the characters in the books being notables and real-life figures of the time. So, of course, a visit to my friend Mr. Google was required and I fell down an ever-familiar rabbit hole while looking up the infamous Mata Hari. Funny how that happens… Yet another case of amusing fiction leading me into an interesting history lesson.

 

About Kelly Oliver

Kelly Oliver grew up in the Northwest, Montana, Idaho, and Washington states. Her maternal grandfather was a forest ranger committed to saving the trees, and her paternal grandfather was a logger hell-bent on cutting them down. On both sides, her ancestors were some of the first settlers in Northern Idaho. In her own unlikely story, Kelly went from eating a steady diet of wild game shot by her dad to becoming a vegetarian while studying philosophy and pondering animal minds. Competing with peers who’d come from private schools and posh families “back East,” Kelly’s working-class backwoods grit has served her well. And much to her parent’s surprise, she’s managed to feed and clothe herself as a professional philosopher.

When she’s not writing mysteries, Kelly Oliver is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. She earned her B.A. from Gonzaga University and her Ph.D. from Northwestern University. She is the author of thirteen scholarly books, ten anthologies, and over 100 articles, including work on campus rape, reproductive technologies, women and the media, film noir, and Alfred Hitchcock. Her work has been translated into seven languages, and she has published an op-ed on loving our pets in The New York Times. She has been interviewed on ABC television news, the Canadian Broadcasting Network, and various radio programs.

Kelly lives in Nashville with her husband, Benigno Trigo, and her furry family, Mischief and Mayhem.

Find out more about Kelly at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Book Review: Betrayal at Ravenswick (Fiona Figg Mystery #1) by Kelly Oliver @TLCBookTours @KellyOliverBook

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Betrayal at Ravenswick
(Fiona Figg Mystery #1)
by Kelly Oliver

•Publisher: Historia (March 10, 2020)
Paperback: 240 pages

Amazon | B&N | IndieBound

 

What’s the best way to purge an unfaithful husband?

Become a spy for British Intelligence, of course.

Desperate to get out of London and determined to help the war effort, Fiona Figg volunteers to go undercover.

It keeps her from thinking about Andrew, her philandering husband.

At Ravenswick Abbey a charming South African war correspondent has tongues wagging.

His friends say he’s a crack huntsman. The War Office is convinced he’s a traitor. Fiona thinks he’s a pompous prig.

What sort of name is Fredrick Fredricks anyway?

Too bad Fiona doesn’t own a Wolseley pith helmet. At Ravenswick a murderer is on the prowl, and it’s not just the big-game hunter who’s ready to pounce.

Reader’s Favorite Award for Best Historical Novel

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Mr. Knox flashed a toothy smile, the kind that made nuns blush.

When Ernest laughed he sounded like a goose taking flight.

I admired the rose bushes, wishing I had a green thumb. I was too much of a city girl to grow anything except my hair…

In my opinion, her husband’s wandering eye seemed more in line with male maladies best cured by poison.

I could hear my father’s voice in my head, “Stiff upper lip, my girl, that’s the English way.” Wouldn’t he be surprised to see a mustache sprouting from mine?

The reflection in the mirror didn’t seem to belong to me, but to some long-lost twin, who looked like me but lived a parallel life more exciting than my own.

 

 

My Review:

 

This was my first time reading Kelly Oliver and I had to wonder, what took me so long? This was an enjoyable and entertaining historical cozy mystery set in 1914 England during WWI and written from the first-person POV of a female file clerk turned working in the War Office who was sent on a spy mission and having the time of her life. Just what a newly divorced woman shot of a philandering husband would need to relocate her identity and self-confidence. The entertaining storylines were rather complicated with a large cast of unusual and untrustworthy characters, but I enjoyed the chase and her multiple missteps.

While there wasn’t a vile cliffhanger to rankle and stir my ire, the tale did not fully resolve and will continue on through subsequent installments. I can live with that since I have the next volume locked on loaded on my beloved Kindle.

I obtained two new items to add to my ever-growing Brit Words and Phrases list with a rum do which is a messy circumstance plagued with bad luck, poor fortune, or deliberate sabotage. And a hair receiver, which Mr. Google informed me, along with colorful examples, was a small pot or jar with a hole in the top that was used in the Victorian era and was typically made of ceramic, bronze, or crystal. It was kept on the dressing table to store their personal hair after being collected from brushes and combs. Said hair was used in jewelry and art – umm, no thank you.

About Kelly Oliver

Kelly Oliver grew up in the Northwest, Montana, Idaho, and Washington states. Her maternal grandfather was a forest ranger committed to saving the trees, and her paternal grandfather was a logger hell-bent on cutting them down. On both sides, her ancestors were some of the first settlers in Northern Idaho. In her own unlikely story, Kelly went from eating a steady diet of wild game shot by her dad to becoming a vegetarian while studying philosophy and pondering animal minds. Competing with peers who’d come from private schools and posh families “back East,” Kelly’s working-class backwoods grit has served her well. And much to her parent’s surprise, she’s managed to feed and clothe herself as a professional philosopher.

When she’s not writing mysteries, Kelly Oliver is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. She earned her B.A. from Gonzaga University and her Ph.D. from Northwestern University. She is the author of thirteen scholarly books, ten anthologies, and over 100 articles, including work on campus rape, reproductive technologies, women and the media, film noir, and Alfred Hitchcock. Her work has been translated into seven languages, and she has published an op-ed on loving our pets in The New York Times. She has been interviewed on ABC television news, the Canadian Broadcasting Network, and various radio programs.

Kelly lives in Nashville with her husband, Benigno Trigo, and her furry family, Mischief and Mayhem.

Find out more about Kelly at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Book Review: The Forever Girl (Wildstone #6) by Jill Shalvis @JillShalvis @WmMorrowBooks

The Forever Girl
(Wildstone #6)
by Jill Shalvis 

Amazon  / B&N / GP / Apple

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis does it once again with a heartfelt story of family, forgiveness, and secrets that have the power to change the course of more than one life.

When Maze returns to Wildstone for the wedding of her estranged BFF and the sister of her heart, it’s also a reunion of a once ragtag team of teenagers who had only each other until a tragedy tore them apart and scattered them wide.

Now as adults together again in the lake house, there are secrets and resentments mixed up in all the amazing childhood memories. Unexpectedly, they instantly fall back into their roles: Maze their reckless leader, Cat the den mother, Heather the beloved baby sister, and Walker, a man of mystery.

Life has changed all four of them in immeasurable ways. Maze and Cat must decide if they can rebuild their friendship, and Maze discovers her long-held attraction to Walker hasn’t faded with the years but has only grown stronger.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She’d grown up with big dogs, so she didn’t quite get the appeal of the little ones. They yipped. They had a Napoleon complex. Last week at the dog park, they’d terrorized a big dog into peeing on them.

 

She’d kept all this bottled in because . . . well, that’s what she did, always. There were lots of corked bottles of emotion deep inside her.

 

“Healthy relationships are about the three Cs.” “Calamity, cluelessness, and catastrophe?” Maze asked.

 

Somewhere along the way, she’d become the sidekick in her own story.

 

Oh my God… I can’t go to jail, who’ll take care of Sammie? And plus there’s scratchy toilet paper in jail, and I’m too short for the orange coveralls they make you wear!

 

You don’t need to be in the beginning of a child’s story to change the ending.

My Review:

 

This story carried considerably more angst than any Jill Shalvis book I’ve ever read. Not that I’ve read a lot of them, but it was a noticeable difference when contrasted with the brilliance of her previous works that I’ve been lucky enough to lay my greedy and grubby hands on. The majority of said angst radiated out of the main character of Maze, who was difficult for me to warm up to as Maze took stubbornness to a new level of tenacious obstinance. I grew to care for her, although I still wanted to periodically give her a few smacks with my Kindle to disrupt her egocentrism.

As always, Ms. Shalvis’s writing was easy to follow, cleverly nuanced, well-paced, and amusingly engaging with a compelling cast of complex and quirky characters. The storylines and issues combated were relevant and relatable to many regardless of family situation, as every family unit has at least a few obnoxious members if not an entire limb on the family tree, or as in the case of mine, riddled with a plethora of pervasive pestilence starting from the root level and extending to the very top leaf.  😉

Author Info

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

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Book Review: The Lake House (Love Heart Lane Series, Book 5) by Christie Barlow @ChristieJBarlow @rararesources

The Lake House
(Love Heart Lane Series, Book 5)
by Christie Barlow 

Amazon  / Apple / GP

There’s a newcomer to the village of Heartcross and she’s never been more in need of a friend. Ella is ready to start afresh ––and that could mean there’s love on the horizon in the form of the gorgeous Roman, the local water taxi driver. Every day Roman is there to ferry Ella to the restaurant on the other side of the lake and every night he makes sure she gets home safe. But Roman has secrets of his own…

Can the Love Heart Lane community offer Ella a chance of a new life? Or will the ghosts of her past catch up with her?

My Rating:

My Review:

 

Heartcross sounds a bit like Hotel California as once people come, they “never leave.” I adored the character of Roman, of course, he could only exist between the covers of a book as he is too good to be true. I’m enjoying this sweet series as the storylines are relatable, the characters are likable, and each book can stand alone quite well with the previously featured characters and locals continuing on with updated storylines in subsequent volumes. And no obnoxious cliffhangers insight. This is how a series should be!

 

About the Author

Christie Barlow is the author of ten bestselling romantic comedies including A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, Love Heart Lane and Clover Cottage. She lives in a ramshackle cottage in a quaint village in the heart of Staffordshire with her four children and two dogs.

Her writing career has come as a lovely surprise when Christie decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. Christie’s dream was to become a writer and the book she wrote to prove a point went on to become a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.

When Christie isn’t writing she enjoys playing the piano, is a keen gardener and loves to paint and upcycle furniture.

Christie is an ambassador for the @ZuriProject alongside Patron of the charity, Emmerdale’s Bhasker Patel. They raise money and awareness for communities in Uganda.

Christie loves to hear from her readers and you can get in touch via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Social Media Links –

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christie_barlow/?hl=en

Twitter @ChristieJBarlow

Facebook page Christie Barlow author