CHANCE MEETING by Christine Columbus

Fiction, Contemporary Romance

4****

Blurb: Melody is fostering her niece while her sister, Captain Opal Erickson, is deployed to Kuwait. A chance meeting at work with Clayton, a construction manager, awakens feelings of the love and romance. Everything is perfect until Opal reveals a family truth and swears Melody to secrecy. To honor her sisterly pledge, Mel attempts to reject any advances from Clayton, until he guesses the truth. Torn between loyalty to Opal and love for Clayton, she pours herself into work, making a mess of everything. When the dust settles, Mel is left wondering if she’ll be able to put the pieces of her life back together.

THOUGHTS: Melody is looking after her 6-year-old niece while Opal, Mel’s sister, is deployed overseas. In addition, she’s been given a promotion at work which more than doubles what she’s responsible for. When she meets Clay at work, sparks fly, especially when they find out their mutual love of baseball. Thing come to a head when she finds out a family secret, decides to quit her job because of a rude boss, and has issues with Clay… all in the same day, pushing her to her breaking point.

The characters are all well-developed, though Clay does seem a little too good to be true at times. Especially when he takes over the little girls’ backyard camp out. Mel threw me off a little when she didn’t stand up for herself with her boss, but then she did stand up for her team, so that worked out. The ending was definitely a HEA one that left me smiling. This is a sweet romance that is emotionally satisfying and an easy read.

Definitely recommended.

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Come join the fun with this cute cozy mystery! House falling down? Check. Pet sitting job with annoying clients? Check. Ability to speak to ghosts, which has the unfortunate side effect of having to listen to what they say back? Double check! Hot high school crush still in town being all successful and stuff while you protest his building projects? All kinds of checks! Did anyone say Witch of Mintwood? Yup! Just add murder and this will be a week to remember!

THOUGHTS: This was a cute, quick read. Lemmi (Lemonia) is a witch who can see and talk to ghosts—including her grandmother’s pet cat, Paws. She also has a trio of snobby tea-drinking ladies on her front lawn and a nasty lady out back (along with ghostly mice, squirrels, etc.). She has moved into her grandmother’s dilapidated house along with her two best friends. Lemmi is broke, drives a car as broken down as her house, and pet sits for whatever she can get. 

In this story, the backyard ghost wants Lemmi to find her missing granddaughter. As she investigates, she discovers several other issues in their small town, including a decades old murder linked to the missing girl. And she’s protesting the tearing down of an old barn in the town – one that her old teenage crush now owned. Her grandmother had always told her to stay away from the Wolf family but had never given her a reason. Lemmi can’t help it, the man is beyond gorgeous. No matter how much she tries to deny it, she is very much into him. 

Enjoy the ride as Lemmi and her friends solve their mysteries, deal with ghosts, and Lemmi tries to figure out what she’s supposed to be doing. 

Recommended.

5*****

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, 19th in Series

Blurb: Old Town Virginia’s entertaining guru and occasional sleuth Sophie Winston – a young Martha Stewart in the making – juggles Fourth of July fireworks, a houseful of guests, and homicide in the latest Domestic Diva culinary mystery from New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis. With a big crowd descending on her Northern Virginia home, it’s a good thing event planner Sophie Winston is an expert at entertaining. Whipping up patriotic pastries is as easy as pie for her, though meeting the man her widowed Aunt Melly just impulsively married in Las Vegas is a little more awkward. Especially when Melly’s longtime, now-heartbroken secret admirer is there too, which could lead to some fireworks. But the house party really gets explosive when Sophie’s favorite tour guide falls victim to a killer—and evidence points to Sophie’s own father. Will DNA really incriminate her dad? And what’s the real story with her new uncle-by-marriage and the mysterious pal he’s brought along with him? Some of the secrets Sophie’s discovering are raising flags—and while the police department casts suspicion on her father, she has to declare her independence as a detective to find the real culprit, and serve justice along with her red, white, and blue cupcakes . . .Includes delicious recipes, fabulous decorating tips, and easy entertaining hacks!

THOUGHTS: This is not my first Krista Davis book, but I have not read all of the books in the series. That being said, you don’t need to (though you should!). There is enough information scattered throughout that you know who the characters are and their relationships to each other.

Sophie is a hostess definitely with the “mostest”. She can whip up fantastic food, decorate like nobody’s business (though it is hers), and offer advice “Ann Landers” style to people who write in to her. I love that there are little tidbits like this at the beginning of the chapters. And I love Sophie’s more than her rival’s!

In this story, multiple family members and friends descend on her home for the Fourth of July. Since she lives in the general DC area, various tours are arranged, but when the tour guide ends up dead—and Sophie’s father is accused because of DNA on the body, Sophie goes into sleuth mode. Plus she has to figure out how to help her aunt Melly get rid of a nasty new husband who turns out to be more con man than husband. And I absolutely loved how Melly handles this!

I loved the characters. There’s a lot going on in this story with a lot of people and a lot going on. I did figure out the perp pretty early on, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love the story.

Recommended.

Thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for this ARC.

5*****

Fiction, Historical Romance, Paranormal (Magic)

Blurb: Mary Poppins meets My Fair Lady in a feel-good blend of cozy fantasy magic, historical romance, humor, and Victorian era charm, as a recent graduate of the Parasol Academy for Exceptional Nannies and Governesses finds herself at sea on a ship commanded by a captivating Irishman. For readers of India Holton, Heather Fawcett, Allison Saft, Katherine Arden, Freya Marske, and Olivia Atwater’s Regency Faerie Tales series. Hermina Davenport can hardly believe the audacious exploit she is about to attempt. To protect an orphaned young viscount, the prim and proper governess feels she has no choice but to break the rules of the Parasol Academy Handbook! When the lad’s guardian, a ruthlessly ambitious explorer, ensorcelled by the evil Fae Queen, spirits him away on a dangerous North Pole expedition, Mina employs an invisibility spell to snatch him from the ship. But a magical misfire whisks Mina and her charge onto a different vessel, that of a ruggedly handsome Irishman—a strapping prizefighter from Dublin’s backstreets—and Mina finds she’s at sea in more ways than one . . .Phineas O’Connell, Lord Kinsale, can no more explain the arrival of this English Rose than he can adapt to his newly-inherited title—though his disgruntled pet pug clearly has “thoughts” about the fair stowaway. But their enchanted encounter sparks an irresistible offer: Phinn enlists the polished Miss Davenport to transform this misfit marquess into a mannered gentleman ready for his seat in Parliament. No magic required, just enticingly intimate lessons in etiquette and elocution to smooth all his rough edges including a stammer. . .But when enemies—both earthly and supernatural, past and present—threaten, a confrontation begins, where Mina’s nondescript umbrella is just one of her powerful weapons . . .

 THOUGHTS: I absolutely loved this book! It was fun and fantastical and full of mischief and romance. It takes place in 1871 London, so is definitely a historical romance. Mina is a governess to Christopher, a very young viscount who is under the guardianship of a baron. When he decides to take the young lad on a journey to the arctic, Mina knows that something is wrong, so she kidnaps the young boy off his guardian’s ship by using her magic. But instead of landing where she hoped, they land on another ship – this one owned by a rather large Irishman turned Lord. 

Through a series of events, Mina becomes a governess to Phinn’s ward and safely adds Christopher to the household, pretending he’s her cousin (or sometimes illegitimate child). In addition to the boys, she also takes on the task of teaching Phinn how to speak (he has a stutter), how to dance, and how to be a lord of the manner. While doing this, the two of them become closer. Much closer.

But there is more than a disgruntled guardian after Christopher as Mina tries hard to keep him safe using all her Fey magic at her disposal. The evil Queen Mab is after the boy and it will take all her training and help from her friends to save the boy and thwart the evil queen. Oh, and meanwhile, falling in love with Phinn.

So much fun. And magic. And romance (which gets very heated at the end). 

Recommended

Thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for providing this ARC.

MURDER ON THE WIDOW’S WALK by Christine Knapp

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Keep Calm and Call the Midwife… Maeve O’Reilly Kensington is still shaking off last year’s shocking events in the quiet New England coastal town of Langford, where she is a modern-day nurse midwife. Her husband Will’s catering company, A Thyme for All Seasons, is back on an even keel, and they are now actively pursuing fertility treatment and adoption in the hopes of becoming parents. Meg, Maeve’s older sister and Langford’s premier real estate agent, introduces her to Montgomery Livingstone, a Manhattan business tycoon commonly known as the Takeover King. Livingstone is anxious to move his base of operations and his home to Langford, but some community members have grave misgivings about whether his presence will be a boon for the town. Misgivings that come to fruition when Monty is pushed off a Widow’s Walk and falls to his death! Suddenly Maeve and Meg are again thrust into a murder investigation as they attempt to help a seemingly innocent young woman accused of the crime. But it turns out there are many secrets to be uncovered, and once again, Maeve, Meg, and their savvy Boston Irish mother must band together to solve the murder. Maeve races against the clock to bring the killer to justice while caring for her patients and pursuing her goal of motherhood.

THOUGHTS: I enjoyed this mystery as much as I did the others in the series, but… there is way too much detailing what everyone is wearing, especially the high-end clothes and shoes. I tended to skip over all those parts in order to get to the good stuff.

In this story, an uber-rich shyster is murdered and Maeve and Meg (and their mom) look into it, much to their cop brother Patrick’s dismay. They’re trying to save their friend, but end up in more trouble than they could hope for. In addition, Maeve is working with her midwife patients as well as trying to either have a baby or adopt one herself. Emotions are all over the place for various characters as they dig through clues to the murder and work through personal issues.

Recommended, especially if you like reading about haute couture fashion, close families… and murder.

TO PROTECT by Andrew Grey

Fiction, Contemporary Gay Romance

4****

Blurb: Atlas De Vaus loves his job as a Carlisle K-9 officer. When his canine partner Evie senses a problem during a semitrailer traffic stop, a search of the truck reveals illegal immigrants being transported to New York. Local shelters can house the women while the case is processed, but they can’t accommodate the lone man. Unwilling to leave a vulnerable person alone at the mercy of the system, Atlas takes him in until a place can be found for him. When Bazel Dadiani’s family and village discovered his secret, his only option was to leave his home country of Georgia. He’s used every cent he had to reach America, but he’s determined to get where he’s going, no matter how scared he is. He appreciates Atlas offering him a place to stay, but he’s forgotten how to trust anyone, much less a figure of authority like Atlas. Slowly, Atlas and Evie—mostly Evie—begin to win him over, leaving Bazel even more confused by his developing feelings for Atlas. They circle each other, each reluctant to make the first move. Just when they might be on the same track and close to catching the traffickers, government red tape threatens to separate them forever.

THOUGHTS: THOUGHTS: This is a story that points out a dark side of society – human trafficking. The act of conning or kidnapping people and then selling them into basic slavery. It’s a difficult situation that the author handles with a deft pen. In this one, Carlisle cop Atlas and his dog Evie discover a group of refugees in the back of a truck – one man and six women. And only the man, Bezal, speaks any English. The women get taken to as special shelter where they will be safe, and someone speaks their language. But there is no place for Bezal, so Atlas takes him home. And thus begins their adventure.

Bezal cannot return home as he would be killed for being gay, so social services goes to work to get him asylum. Meanwhile, Bezal tries to make himself useful by redoing Atlas’s neglected yard and does an amazing job. The two men become closer even though Atlas tries not to. But some of the people who had taken Bezal cause problems and it’s up to Atlas and the justice system to make sure they don’t.

This was a good romance with a lot of conflict and a HEA that satisfies. I loved Bezal and his challenges with language, understanding life in the US, and learning about how things work here. And the way Evie and Atlas work together show that the author did his homework.

Recommended.

MAJOR ADVANACEMENT by Andrew Grey

Fiction, Contemporary Gay Romance

3***

Blurb: Second-grade teacher Dade Saracina has had all of the military life he could possibly want. He grew up with an ambitious father who moved them all over the world, and now he just wants to put down roots. So the last thing he wants or expects is a handsome, kind, and attention-drawing army major to come to his rescue. Major Clifton Rogers loves a challenge, and he’s been curious about the quiet man who lives near him. Seeing trouble, he jumps into action, and damn near sinks into Dade’s eyes when they meet his. The attraction between them seems undeniable, but Dade keeps him at arm’s length, and once Cliff meets his father, the general, he understands why. As much as Dade resists, Cliff gets past his defenses and works his way into his life and heart. But Dade’s father has definite ideas about what his son should be doing, and he isn’t the kind of person who likes to lose or takes no for an answer. Cliff and Dade are going to need to be certain of what they want in order to stave off the general’s assault on their potential happy ending.

THOUGHTS: Dade’s father is a retired general, who tries to run his son’s life and Dade wants nothing to do with him or the military. Dade meets Cliff, who saves his life when the apartment below Dade’s is on fire. Yes, sparks fly, but unfortunately, Cliff is a West Point graduate and gay. As much as Dade doesn’t want to become involved with him, he can’t deny the pull between them. Unfortunately, Dade’s father does everything he can to come between them, including trying to get Cliff transferred and trying to move Dade to another school. The romance between Cliff and Dade is nicely done. But the best part of the story is the way Dade and his mother stand up to his father and force  him to look at the way he’s been treating the family.

Though not one of Mr. Grey’s better stories, it is a good one. Recommended.

Mastermind for Murder by Leslie Langtree

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Humor

4****

Blurb: When one of the girls in ex-CIA spy turned Girl Scout leader, Merry Wrath Ferguson’s, scout troop insists that there’s a sleeper cell in Who’s There, Iowa, Merry laughs it off. After all, she was an actual spy! What would a middle school kid know about things like that? Of course, the fact that it’s Betty, the most dangerous thirteen year old on the planet, does give Merry a little pause. But seriously, in a town of about five thousand people, a group of foreign terrorists would stand out…right? Or so she thinks, until the CIA quietly asks Merry and her former handler Riley to look into it. It doesn’t help that inept-beyond-all-belief FBI agents Summer and Winter (yes, their real names) are also looking into it, or that Merry’s buddy, CIA assassin Hilly, plays hooky from an assignment to help out—by sending the hapless Abed (CIA flunkie and Girl Scout cookie junkie) to float the flounder in her place. Still, Merry thinks this is nothing more than a wild goose chase until a mysterious, elderly woman is murdered. Now, Merry has second thoughts and finds herself in a race to unravel the woman’s past and find the sleeper cell, before she becomes the next target.

THOUGHTS: There are a lot of books in this series and the fun never ends. When you read these, you definitely have to suspend belief. You have to believe that four hamsters can be cops and firemen. Or that a fourteen-year-old can be the innovative mayor of town, and her friend can have connections with multiple shadow groups and know way too much for a young teenager about bombs, poisons, and more. The stories are darkly funny with assassins, CIA agents, murders, and all in a strange little town in Iowa.

In this one, Merry Wrath, an ex-CIA operative and leader of the girl scout group that includes the two above as well as several other teen girls. Unlike the other books, the scouts aren’t as prevalent in this book as in the others. This one centers mostly around Betty, our dangerous security girl as she and Merry and others try to find a sleeper cell. What they find is so much more. From inept sleeper spies to the cop hamsters now working with the fire department–there so much to follow. If you’re liked the other books in the series, you’ll like this one too.

Recommended.

SLAY YOUR WAY by Sandi Glandt

Nonfiction, Self-help, Motivation

4****

Blurb: You didn’t come this far to play small. Somewhere along the way, you learned how to be capable, reliable, and composed—but not how to fully claim your power. You learned how to succeed, but not how to lead on your own terms. You learned how to perform, but not how to decide. Slay Your Way is for the woman who is done waiting for permission. Written by Sandi Glandt, this bold, no-nonsense guide to personal authority, leadership, and self-mastery challenges women to stop following scripts that were never designed for them—and start building success from clarity, confidence, and conviction. This is not motivation. This is ownership. Through direct insight, strategic mindset shifts, and real-world leadership principles, Slay Your Way teaches you how to take control of your decisions, your direction, and your identity—without apology and without burnout.

THOUGHTS: This was an interesting book. It’s a good source to read if you want learn how to become a better version of yourself. How to set boundaries, gain stronger leadership skills, find success on your own terms. It is a good book for anyone looking to improve themselves and take control of her life.

Recommended.

Queenie Baby: Pass the Eggnog

Fiction, Holiday

5*****

Blurb: The only thing temp-by-day, rock-star-by night Diana Hudson hates more than karaoke is Christmas. So how did she end up spending a “Good Ol’ Fashioned Family Christmas” in a spooky old house in the Pocono Mountains? Try two parts familial obligation, one part sisterly arm-twisting, and a tiny flame of Christmas spirit still burning in her humbug heart. When The Grands start communing with ghosts, and a long lost boyfriend appears on the doorstep, Diana realizes it’s going to be one heck of a holiday. With a Christmas play to produce, a mystery to solve, and three miracles on the way, Diana keeps her spirits up with a steady flow of Christmas cheer–of the eggnog variety. So settle down in front of the fire, grab a cup of cheer, and join Diana and her family on the wackiest Christmas vacation ever.

THOUGHTS: What a fun story to start off the new year with. Yes, it’s a Christmas story, but it’s still the holidays and this is a great addition to the holiday stories. Plus, it’s relatively short (100 pages). In this one, Queenie is forced to join the rest of her family in the Poconos at the old family home to have an old time family Christmas. With her divorced parents and their spouses, her sister, husband, and their kids, her grands, and more. Including a few ghosts who enjoy leaving messages on her mirror and flicking the lights. And just because it’s Christmas, there are more than a few miracles that happen as well.
Join the whole family – living and dead – in this fun holiday story. Recommended.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19078184-pass-the-eggnog