WHAT ARE WE READING & REVIEWING IN OCTOBER 2024? (This topic will go away on November 5th)

TELL US WHAT YOU PLAN TO READ IN OCTOBER

Carol's October Reads
👻 - ★
48/48
👻The Marriage Hearse - Kate Ellis - 4.5★ Group Read
👻A Spirited Tail - Leighann Dobbs - 4.5★ (Friend #3) (2)
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👻Temptation - E.M. Lindsey - 4★
👻Depth of Field - Riley Hart - 4.5★
👻Make Me Fall - Riley Nash - 4★ (Hoopla)
👻Out of The Blue - Josh Lanyon - 4★
👻Wild Trail - A.M. Arthur - 5★
👻Saddle Up - A.M. Arthur - 5★
👻Lucky Break - A. M. Arthur - 5★
👻Hard Ride - A.M. Arthur - 5★
👻Right Move - A.M. Arthur -5★
👻Dancing For Daddy- A.W. Scott - 5★
👻Protecting the Nerd - Nora Phoenix - 5★
👻Midnight on The Midway - Morgan Brice - 3.5★
👻Outrun the Rain- N.R. Walker - 5★
👻Jalen & Colby (A Daddy for Christmas - 4★- H.J. Welch
👻Fearless - (Room for Love 4) - Kate Hawthorne -5★
👻Limitless - Room for Love -5 - Kate Hawthorne - 4.5★
👻Relentless (Room for Love 6) - Kate Hawthorne - 5★
👻Saving Sabastian - Luna David - 5+★
👻Ever - (A Daddy for Christmas) - Wendy Rathbone - 4★
👻The Cinnamon Roll Crush - Joe Satoria - 3★
👻Up All Night - Annabeth Albert - 5★
👻Stuff Me - Joe Satoria -3.5★
👻No Secrets - Nora Phoenix -5+★
👻Fate's Attraction - Dirk Greyson -3.5★
👻Roommate Arrangement - Saxon James - 5★
👻Reid's Lost Cap - Della Cain 4.5★
👻Haunted Hearts - Leighton Green -5★
👻Tempting His Daddy - A.W. Scott -5★
👻Date in A Pinch - Brigham Vaughn - 5★ (29)
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👻The Last Thing She Told Me - Linda Green - 5★
👻The Southern Book Clubs Guide to Slaying Vampires - Grady Hendrix - 5★
👻The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah - 4.5★
👻Spite House - Johnny Compton - 5★
👻What Moves the Dead - T. Kingfisher - 5★
👻The House Across the Lake - Riley Sager - 5★
👻Shadows' End - Ron Ripley - 5★
👻Ghost in the Headlights- Lindsey Duga- 5★
👻Devoted - Dean Koontz - 4★
👻The Last Bridge - Teri Coyne - 3★
👻Three-Inch Teeth - C. J. Box - 3.5★
👻One Last Lie - Paul Dorian - 5★
👻No One Can Know- Kate Alice Marshall - 4★
👻Timeline - Michael Crichton - 5★
👻We Sold Our Souls - Grady Hendrix -4★
👻All Hallows - Christopher Golden -4★
👻Bone White - Ronald Malfi - 5★

Jalen & Colby - H.J. Welch - (England /Australia)
A Daddy for Christmas series
Genera: M/M/M Romance/Daddy boys/Christmas
4★
This was a really cute addition to a larger, various author, Christmas series. Colby, and Jalen have been best friends and roommates since Jalen ran from his verbally abusive, homophobic parents in America. They have been in love with each other almost from the beginning but they each think that there’s no way the other is interested in them. Then a special "Daddy" comes on the scene and makes them see they can indeed have it all: each other, him, and a special, loving and accepting family. It was heartwarming, especially after hearing about Colby’s past and then seen how different Andreas’ family was in comparison. I do wish we had had a bit more family interaction with the boys after Andreas told everyone about them being together. This story is totally about age play and "Daddy" kink...so if you aren't familiar with that this may not be your "cuppa tea". It takes a bit of time for Colby to be established in the storyline as a "little", since to start with its barely touched on except for using his "little" nickname. Those that are familiar with the kink recognize it long before Andreas. It was heartwarming that Jalen and Colby were always there for each other but never dared to explore the deeper connection they could have had all this time. When Andreas appears, almost out of nowhere he falls for both of them. He sweeps them off to the UK and gives them the love and affection they both need. In doing that, he acts as the catalyst for all three of them to work out a lovely, nurturing M/M/M relationship. "A Daddy for Christmas" is a "Daddy/little series with fairly short stories that can easily be read in a day. The thing that makes this series special for me is that it's filled with holiday spirit and love, and everyone gets their "Happy Ever After" without many complications.

Relentless - Kate Hawthorne - (Colorado)
Room For Love Series - Motel Brothers series Book #6
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
5★
Levi and James are not a couple that will appeal to everyone, actually these have all been some rough and strange relationships throughout the whole series, but James and Levi are the strangest. In spite of that "little quirk" James & Levi have become my favorites of the brothers and the loves of their lives. So many romance stories end with the happily ever after, but life doesn’t stop there, and I’m always intrigued by what happens or might have happened, after all is said and done. In this story, James and Levi are mostly solid in their relationship. However, the rest of the world isn’t by any means, stagnant, and though the book might center on this primary couple, it’s also about all of the Motel brothers and their little town of Cherry Creek...especially since changes are coming for all of them. James and Levi both have more power than they expected regarding both of their situations, but it’s up to them to take those steps and claim that power. Throw in their vastly nontraditional version of love, add a big dash of power exchange, and this book is a recipe for drama. As much as I like the fascinating dynamic between James and Levi, I also enjoyed the further glimpses into the unexpectedly soft relationship between Levi and his almost-brother-in-law, Cameron from book #1. Kate Hawthorne has a fantastic grasp of interpersonal relationships well beyond just the romantic. As I have said, the way that these characters show their love isn’t going to be for everyone, I was even put off by it in the first book... but it IS love in every sense of the word, and it definitely is totally there. It's a series that I know I will visit again, and Kate Hawthorne's characters have a habit of showing up in books other than their own, so I don't think we have seen the last of the Motel brothers by any means.

>1 Carol420: Action

A Spirited Tale - Leighann Dobbs - (New Hampshire)
Mystic Notch Series Book #2
Genera: Paranormal/Mystery & Suspense
4.5★
It's a blend of cat cozy and paranormal mystery. The animal characters are not only able to communicate with each other, they play a vital role in helping Willa to solve the mystery and there is a strong spooky element. While I'm not a big fan of cozy mysteries, I am a fan of the paranormal as well as being a pushover for a cute cuddly animal. Willa's cat, Pandora is one of the feline guardians of Mystic Notch. It is her job to ensure that evil doesn't get the upper hand. Willa has previously had a brush with death, and ever since she has been able to see and communicate with ghosts. While some merely want to be entertained, like those that have taken up residence in her bookstore, others want her help moving on. When Willa has the opportunity to appraise the contents of a library that hasn't been viewed for over 50 years, she discovers a dead body and the ghost of the previous owner, who was once a popular medium. She is reluctant to interfere with the current investigation but agrees to help the ghost of Charles Van Dorn. Fifty years ago, Charles was framed for the murder of a young woman. Not long afterwards, he was killed in a way that looked like suicide. Willa wants to bring the killer to justice. Willa finds it difficult to avoid interfering with the current murder investigation as clues indicate that Bruce's death is linked to one of her cold cases. It's a good thing that she has the help of her human as well as her animal friends. This author is very good at bringing to light many issues that are close to real-life animal advocates into the story...topics like spaying and neutering and the care of feral cats. The residents of Mystic Notch are all animal lovers with pets of their own. This story doesn't just end with the successful resolution of the mystery, but two animals find their "forever" homes. The epilogue is something that really stood out for me. Inkspot, the leader of the cats, advised Scooter on how to behave now that he has a "human of his own". I believe the cat that "owned" me for 18-years must have gotten advice from Inkspot, since I was "well owned" and knew my place without question. Those that like me were, or are, "owned" by a cat or two, will understand how important this advice is. Even though I'm really not a cozy mystery fan, I found this to be a cute little tale that is sure to delight both cat fans as well as paranormal mystery fans.

One Last Lie - Paul Doiron - (Florida/Maine)
Mike Bowditch Series Book #11
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
5★
Mike is in Florida when the story begins. Just as his Florida trip is almost finished, he gets a call saying that his friend and mentor, Charley, who was still in Maine, is missing. Mike’s investigation and the reminder of the book is about finding Charley and solving a cold case. The plot is complex enough to diffidently hold your interest, and there are so many twists and turns. Mike has no idea who he can trust, and I gave him the wrong advice several times...but to my credit I was about 25% right. Maybe that's why Paul Doiron didn't asked me to be involved in writing the book:) The way Charley acted at times seemed to be a bit at odds with his usual behavior... but as he says, "never trust a man that doesn't have secrets". If you have followed this series this far, (book 11), or any series for that matter, then you know how excited you can get as you wait for a new "book baby" to "be born". Over the years I have found that this is indeed one of those types of series. Each addition contains a great lead character, some often unique side characters, a good mystery to help us solve, and even a few members of the "wildlife community".

A Death In Door County – Annelise Ryan
3***

First in the Monster Hunter Mystery series featuring Morgan Carter, bookstore owner and cryptozoologist. Several bodies are found washed up on the beaches of Washington Island in Lake Michigan, all bearing unusual injuries that look like bites from a giant, unknown animal. Police Chief Jon Flanders turns to Morgan for help in identifying the creature that may be responsible.

I loved the setting in Wisconsin’s Door County, an area I have often visited, including going to Washington Island. Of course, I’ve never come across any kind of store remotely like Odds and Ends, and I think I would find the mummified corpse too creepy and off-putting to spend any time in such a store. Whatever.

Morgan seems capable and certainly intelligent and a keen observer. The background story of her parents’ murder helped explain her issues with trusting others, especially men who might show any sort of romantic interest. And I do love her dog, Newt. What a champion!

My fellow book club members pointed out many inconsistencies in how the police chief behaved, as well as the implausibility of the final solution. But most agreed it was a fast and entertaining read, with the added interest in cryptozoology, and especially being set in our home state.

I’m not sure I’ll continue with the series, though I might just to spend more time with Newt.

The Dressmaker / Kate Alcott
3.5 stars

When Tess lands a job with Lucille Duff Gordon, a famous fashion designer, to serve her while on the Titanic, Tess is thrilled. She is an aspiring fashion designer herself. On board, she meets and befriends a couple of men – one first class, one part of the crew. Obviously, things go very wrong when the ship hits an iceberg and sinks. Tess and Lady Gordon both made it off the ship, but on different boats, and Tess is horrified to hear how Lady Gordon behaved on her boat – one that should hold at least 50 that went down with only 12 passengers; it was said Lady Gordon not only wouldn’t allow the boat to go back to pick up people from the water, but her husband bribed the crew to stay away. Tess wants to be loyal to Lady Gordon but doesn’t know what to believe; her attraction to the crew member (who was in Lady Gordon’s boat) makes things even more difficult when the trials begin.

I listened to the audio and was interested through most of the story. The possible romances were less interesting, and I did lose focus at times. But I do enjoy Titanic stories. I have read about the Duff Gordons’ (man and wife) behavours, and based on the author’s note at the end, what happened at the trials was very close to how she portrayed things in the book. I always appreciate the author’s notes in my historical fiction.

Ghost in the Headlights - Lindsey Duga - (Pennsylvania)
Genera: Paranormal/ 12 years and up
5★
This is a very quick read in spite of the 240-page count; and a good, not too scary, ghost story...that's written for young teen readers. I'd say ages 10 and over; and even some adults will enjoy it. I read the book as a favor to my young, book-loving neighbor's mother, who wanted to know if it was too frightening to be her daughter's birthday present. I found that the story was short, but not too short and very capable of holding this 11-year old's interest without giving her nightmares...actually it's perfect for any age reader...but parents, as always, need to be the judges. Brianna Jensen has moved to Pennsylvania for two months to live with her Uncle Shane and start a new school, while her mom starts her own training for a new job. When she arrives and her uncle picks her up, they drive back to his home...a farmhouse just off of Shadowrun Road. Brianna notices how beautiful and quiet it is there...but also how creepy it makes her feel. She wonders if she'll meet any new friends at her school, will they like her, and will her uncle be okay having a "kid" in his house. After a couple days of walking home after school from the bus stop, she hears someone humming a song that she recognizes immediately as "The Farmer in The Dell".... but how can that be? She's the only one there, and it's being so quietly hummed that she wonders, and finally decides, that she was simply imagining things. Then she tells one of her new friends, Jacob, what had happened. He doesn't know if he should say anything or not, but she knows that he knows something. Strange happenings are not by any means finished with Brianna. A speeding red car almost runs over her while she's walking home... but NO ONE is driving the car! Jacob then tells her the local ghost story of a young 12-year-old girl Alicia, who was killed on that road after winning the "Best Pumpkin" contest at their school's Halloween Carnival. The winning pumpkin was smashed, and Alicia was killed. To make her death even worse...all that the police could ever find, was just one shoe... and that was.... STILL on her foot! This story reminded me so much of the very adult ghost stories of Mary Downing Hahn, but without as much scary details. I would recommend this book to any "ghost story junkie" of almost any age...those that just love a good ghost story. My "book loving" young neighbor will get a wonderful birthday present and a book that she may be able to share someday with her own "book loving" little girl...or boy.

Carrot Cake Murder – Joanne Fluke
2**

Book number 10 in the Hannah Swensen cozy mystery series, set in Lake Eden, Minnesota.

In this episode a family reunion is spoiled when a prodigal son returns, only to be murdered. Hannah and her sisters must, of course, get involved with solving the case. This time, the police actually ask for their help!

I read these mostly when I need something to fit a particular challenge. The book is a fast read and has some tasty recipes included. But I am over the love triangle between Hannah, Norman and Mike.

Minding Frankie / Maeve Binchy
3.5 stars

Noel is an alcoholic and lives with his parents, but when a girl he doesn’t even remember contacts him to tell him a. she’s dying; b. she’s pregnant; c. the baby’s his, it takes a bit to get used to the idea, but he manages to pull himself together and takes on fatherhood to his new baby girl, Frankie. He has a lot of help from family, neighbours, and (new – he never really had any before) friends. In addition his cousin, Emily, has come from the US to visit and see Ireland where her father grew up, but never went back to. Moira is a social worker keeping an eye on Frankie to make sure Noel can provide a good home, but sadly, she seems to have something against him and is constantly watching for him to mess up. And there’s more!

The book was good. But there are so many characters. All the way through, I kept forgetting who was who and how they related. I do realize many (most? all?) of them are characters from other books, as well, and I recognized some of them, but it’s been so long since I read the books that focused on those I recognized, I really didn’t remember much of them from those books, either. There was a little surprise at the end of the book. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read.

The Last Thing She Told Me - Linda Green - (England)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
5★
Possible Triggers: Sexual Assault/Rape
The story is based on the question of what happens when you dig too deep into the past. Each chapter runs pretty much in the same format, bouncing between current day happenings and a letter from the past. While we know the woman spoken of in the letter is Betty, we're left wondering for some time about who the mystery man she’s corresponding with is. The sexual assault in this book paints a really jarring story of the shame and the sorrow and the trauma of rape that can follow through generations, and the dead babies are nothing short of absolutely grim. Moments before she died Nicola’s Grandmother Betty told her to "look after my babies at the bottom of her garden". A confused Nicola goes to her mother who tells her that she must have been talking about angels as Betty used to believe in them. Shortly after the funeral Nicola’s youngest daughter, Maisie, finds a tiny bone underneath the fairy statues at the end of the spot on the grounds everyone has named "Betty’s Garden". Nicola starts to dig in the garden and finds what can only be the remains of a small child. She's unable to just let it go and against her mother's wishes and pleas, Nicola goes to the police. Their investigation of the garden unearths the remains of the bones of two babies that are estimated to be around 70 years old. There is also found excerpts of letters from 1944 to Betty from William, shared with us throughout the book. The letters are from William telling Betty of his love for her. We are also made aware of the memories of what we are led to believe are those of Betty, however, hang on...everything may not be as we have been made to think...or perhaps it is...perhaps it's more than it seems. Nicola feels that she absolutely has to find out what happened to those babies, and she also knows she may also have to face some "demons" of her own while trying to keep her own children safe. You have heard people say that they were hooked from the first page...well, this story really does do that. It contains excellent writing, interesting and intriguing characters as well as being an absorbing mystery, loaded with suspense.

Saving Sabastian - Luna David
Custos Securities Series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance/Dom/Sub Relationship
5+★
Possible Triggers: Graphic Torture/Personal & Self Rejection
I love Luna David's works...EVERY LAST ONE of them, so I was already prepared to love this book before I even opened it. I just wasn't prepared for the umpteen thousand different emotions that it produced in its 500+pages, or how much I would ache for sweet, stubborn Sabastion... or how much I wanted to both kiss and shake him. There is no doubt that Sebastian is submissive. He has a debilitating degenerative disease, but he suffers from...alone. Not because he doesn't have friends, although by choice he has very few... but because he's been rejected and made to feel that his condition is something that he "deserves and is just one of his punishments from God, and I bet you can guess his parents reasoning for that one. Sebastian has lived with the knowledge, and the symptoms of his epilepsy and seizures, for years, and he’s done his best to prepare for the eventualities that will/could probably come. He’s learned to tattoo ambidextrously. He’s prepared for the blindness. He’s prepared for everything. Everything that is except for strong, handsome Gideon in his heart and life. Sebastian broke my heart in so many ways. Luna David out-did herself when she invented him. His strength is nothing but astounding. We learn about all the facets of Sebastian’s illness and what he has done to cope with it, all without it spiraling him into a depressive, whimpering state. He thinks/knows that he's not anyone's long-term bet. He keeps almost everyone at a safe distance while existing in a carefully constructed world; that's how he copes. He is also a police sketch artist, along with his part-time passion of tattooing over other people’s body scars. He says that it "feeds his soul". He decided to join an exclusive BDSM club, and while it isn’t ideal, he's among people and not so alone. He's very careful to be sure that no one ever wants him for anything more than just a scene. Getting attached to people isn’t his "thing". Gideon is the club owner, and he has noticed Sabastian... and oh my... the way that Gideon wraps him in his ropes makes Sebastian feel safe in a way that hasn’t ever happened before, and it makes him long for things he has always felt just couldn't be for him...but that comes later. Gideon has done many things he’s not proud of. Doing "wet work" for the CIA has eaten away at his soul and left a huge black mark on his conscience. He no longer sees himself as worthy of being a partner to anyone. He’s willing to write a contract with a submissive, but it will state right in the beginning that it is a "business transaction only"... there will be NO emotional involvement whatsoever. He's trying to free himself from the last of his commitments to himself and to the CIA, but it's much more difficult than he thought. Gideon’s story is really difficult to read, and some may want to skim over it; but it is truly a story of redemption. The author had made the character of Gideon a compassionate but ruthless alpha male. When Sabastian is attacked in Gideon's club, he finds himself drawn to this young man, not just to protect him but also to protect the pure act of submission that is Sabastian's. Giddeon is still determined to keep it "no-strings", but he wants Sebastian with every beat of his heart, so they write a contract stating that Sebastian is to be his sub, and Giddeon is to be his Dom, for a 6-month period. Sabastian isn't sure he has 6-months, but at least he'll die happy. There are so many storylines in this book. Sebastian and his illness; Gideon and his work with the club and the CIA; the story of these two men coming together; found family, to name a few. Luna David connects these characters in believable ways and creates secondary characters who help pull the two men toward their destiny. Characters who are all related or connected to Sebastian or Giddeon in some manner, are also a big part of this story. They all have their individual stories in other books in this series. I loved every last page, word, and line of this story. Gideon sees Sebastian’s inner strength, and Sebastian brings light to Gideon’s darkness. It's a powerful journey for both men, separately and together. Illness, past choices, and circumstances beyond their control haunt them, but together these guys are off the charts. I absolutely recommend this book and this series to anyone that likes M/M romances and doesn't object to some BDSM. It's also extremely emotional.

Protecting the Nerd - Nora Phoenix
Forestville Silver Foxes series - Book #4
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
From the start of this series, I had looked forward to reading Yorks' story. The guy had the ability to wrap you around his finger from the first interaction with him. His story was even better than I could have ever imagined.... but I should have known that Nora Phoenix never disappoints her readers or leaves her guys stranded and alone. York was miles beyond smart...to call him merely smart would have been the vast understatement of the century. There were entire countries that wanted his knowledge and abilities and were willing to do anything including murder, to get it. Now Quillon enters the story. He had been assigned to protect York from these outside threats...not to show him true companionship for literally the first time in his entire life, or to act on the feelings that he had quickly developed for him. Quillon just couldn't help himself...he was...knew...felt, that he was made to be York's "second half". He encourages him to be his true self and when York finally listens and believes what Quillian is telling him he literally blossoms straight off of the pages. There is a lot more action in this story than in the previous books in the series, but it doesn't in any way distract from the off-the charts...straight to the heart, romance between these two guys. We learn, along with York, what the meaning of 'true friends" is from all his friends in Forestville where he grew up, and because of them, York can begin to move on and find his peace and happiness. I was so glad to see York get this well-deserved happiness with the wonderful man that he loves. If you like a little suspense in your stories that are set in small towns, or stories filled with amazing "found families", older characters that find their one and only meant to be, true love; then this is a series that's calling for you.

Out of the Blue - Josh Lanyon - (France)
Genera: M/M Romance/Historical Fiction WWI
4★
Possible Triggers: War
This is a 79-page intense, and riveting read, set in France during WW1. The story focuses mostly on Bat, a British soldier who is the leader of a squadron of pilots. The story begins with Bat accidentally committing a crime, and then to his rescue comes Cowboy, a swaggering American pilot on his team who steps in to assist in covering things up. Only too late does Bat realize that Cowboy's help comes with a price, and that Bat's relationship with his teammate who was recently killed in battle, was not as much of a secret as he had thought. That sounds really dark, and parts of this story are very dark. Bat's squadron has to fly out twice a day on missions... and since its wartime and they are on the front lines; they lose pilots daily. Every time they go up, they each understand that they may not make it home and it could be their last mission. As captain of his team, Bat is weighed down by both his own mortality, as well as that of his team of men. Between missions, any time there is a pause in the action, it is either spent drowning the reality with alcohol and sleep or fiercely grabbing at a way to assure themselves that they are still alive. Bat is a mere shell of himself in the beginning of the story, faced with both his crime and the recent and sudden loss of his fellow pilot and lover. He's at first upset with Cowboy's behavior, believing that he's fallen from one hell into yet another, but he can't deny that he needs to feel that he's alive, while slowly realizing that Cowboy is offering him much "more". As always Josh Lanyon does a great job of setting the scene. It was so easy to picture every detail, from the planes in battle; the crowded room where the soldiers drank and unwound; to the dilapidated gazebo where Bat and Cowboy would meet. The reader has no problem being swept along with this story. At times you may find yourself sharing Bat and Cowboy's cravings.... their intense want of the chocolate bars as they shared smokes and ate the chocolate in the dark while they talked, and just enjoyed the simple pleasure of something that was so hard to obtain and knowing that they had survived yet another day. The story does have a happy ending. I've read Josh Lanyon's books for a long time, and I don't think she would ever just leave her readers or her characters, hanging... but be aware that the intensity of the story makes that ending feel like just another respite...with the question of what the morning will bring or for that matter, what was in store for the very next moment. Bat and Cowboy were well aware that they may only have a limited amount of time to enjoying what life there is, and the offered and wanted love of the person that is there with you. This is by means an easy read, but it is 79 short pages of excellence. I would call it a good historical story...but remember that is an M/M romance and Cowboy and Bat have no guarantee that either will see tomorrow, and the majority of their time together is based on that knowledge.

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
5***** ❤️

I've got to say, I did not see this coming. This book was everything I could have wanted for a murder mystery/espionage/book about life. It takes place between the Now and the late 1970's/early 1980's in true spy fashion, recounting past deeds and present predicaments, in a fun and easy to read storyline.

Our narrator is Billie in the present day, and she is on a retirement cruise with her three former colleagues: Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie. They have been hired assassins for the Museum, a secretive combination of OSS and Nazi hunters who take out the Bad Guys. They have done this work since their first assignment in 1979 in a twin engine plane and saved a dog in the process. Now, though, they begin to suspect that something is wrong when one of the other Museum assassin's targets one of them.

While they race to solve the mystery of who wants them dead and why, there are also chapters, clearly labeled, taking them to their training in England as the Sphinxes and several of their key assignments. Clues about who might want them dead are cleverly disguised in the details of these missions which makes the intrigue all that more gripping.

The action is fast paced, the reality of age catching up with these assassins is part of the plot, and even with age, their experience keeps them alive. How they dunnit is as important as whodunnit in the brilliant, woman-centered spy mystery.

This Cursed House / Del Sandeen
4 stars

In the early 1960s, Jemma (from Chicago) has been hired by a family who live on a plantation just outside New Orleans. Jemma is a teacher and assumes that she will be tutoring. The Duchon family are all light-skinned Black people and although they say they are “proud coloured people”, they look down on Jemma’s darker skin. Jemma also has an ability to see ghosts, and there appear to be a few around this plantation. She is in for multiple surprises the longer she stays with the backwards Duchons, and only one of those surprises is what they have hired her for.

This was really good. I was pulled in early on, and the surprises continued to come. The Duchons are a piece of work, though I think the author does do a good job of showing multiple sides to a couple of them, and there are reasons why some of them are the way they are. Given the time period and place, there is some historical fiction thrown in to this horror/ghost story, as well, which I quite like.

Timeline - Michael Crichton (England/France)
Genera: Science Fiction
5★
At times it was difficult to remember that this book was a work of science fiction. Michael Crichton has written an almost believable tale...the dream of almost all history buffs. Imagine the reality of going back in time... to any place in the past... to yesterday or the day before or to important events in your life or in history itself. In this case...we travel to the 14th century.... the Middle Ages. Just imagine what it would be like to experience the past in person. We'd have to be very careful not to alter or change anything in any way or we ourselves could return to an entirely different life or even never have been born...literally cease to exist. Michael Crichton is so talented at allowing his readers to become involved with the promise of that visit to the past, and then teasing us with the possibility that we may be stuck there with no chance of returning to our own present time. Timelineis of course a work of science fiction but rather it was intended to be or not, it's also educational, and written in a way that can be easily understood. The story is a fairly quick read that mixes some scientific truths with delightful fantasy, breath-taking excitement, while creating a delightful tale that will have you wanting to skip meals, skip sleep and read to the very end.

Ever, A Daddy for Christmas Wendy Rathbone
A Daddy for Christmas Series by various authors
Genera: Daddy,little/Age Play/M/M Romance/Christmas
4★
It's a short but beautiful and touching Christmas story featuring a "Daddy" and a "little" that find each other just in time for the holidays. It's really a sweet story based on a subject that most folks have never heard of or don't understand.... but that's true about a lot of the kink lifestyles. This story is part of a sweet and loving collection of books by various M/M Romance or Daddy/little story authors who love the holidays and love writing their stories around them and giving their characters a Merry Christmas. Birch is a lonely "Daddy", wishing for a "boy". Ever is a young man who loves Teddy bears and trains and is searching for someone, a Daddy, who can understand and provide him with what he wants and needs. These two are so sweet, so much in love, and everything anyone could possibly want this Christmas story to be. It was beautifully written with the ability to warm the heart.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires - Grady Hendrix (South Carolina)
Genera: Horror/Supernatural
5★
I've read this book before but with Halloween just around the corner I thought it would be a great time to revisit an old favorite. We have a group of Charleston South Carolina women who are about to get more than they bargained for. Patricia Campbell’s life has so far been fairly normal other than her habit of just showing up to the book club meeting. She seldom, if ever actually reads any of the books, but she's there for the club members and especially, the juicy gossip. Patricia says that It’s hard to get any reading done between raising her two kids, Blue and Korey...picking up after her husband, Carter, and taking care of her live-in mother-in-law, "Miss Mary", who probably has dementia. It doesn’t help that the books chosen are just plain.... boring; that's "boring" with a capital "B". Then Kitty, another book club member, gives Patricia a gloriously, sexy, hot, juicy, trashy true-crime, romance novel and Patricia is instantly and completely hooked and no longer quiet so bored. Now she’s attending a very different kind of book club meeting with Kitty and her friends Grace, Slick, and Mary Ellen. Stuff piling up at home has lost all its previous importance. Patricia loves these new friends but still is longing for a bit more excitement in her life. I thought, she should be very careful what she wishes for, as she just might get it and more. Of course, her wish is granted...and James Harris soon moves in on her street. The women are all intrigued. Boy...are they ever!! They want to know who this handsome "night owl" is and why does Miss Mary keep insisting that she knows him from somewhere in her past? Well, that is absolutely impossible!! That would make their handsome James over 100 years old!! Then a series of horrid events begin to take place that rattles Patricia’s nerves. Among these "horrid events" is the arrival of a large horde of rats. She just knows that James is up to no good and there's something "so wrong about him"...but nobody believes her. What does she know... she’s ONLY a housewife. However, Patricia knows to the bottom of her "little Southern soul" that evil personified has bought a house and now is making himself right at home in her neighborhood. The character of Patricia grows immensely from someone who apologizes for apologizing to a fiercely brave woman who is determined to do the right thing...hopefully with the help of her new friends. This author does a magnificent job of working established and well-known vampire lore into a really fantastic story. Here he has shown that he’s a bit of a master at conjuring up nostalgia of the 1990's. Fans of horror will eat this one up.

Wild Trail - A.M. Arthur (California)
Narrator: Greg Boudreaux
Clean Slate Ranch series Book #1
Genera: M/M/Romance/Dude Ranch
5★
We're taking a trip to Clean Slate Ranch...a dude ranch with guests interacting with the horses and nature while participating in a variety of activities. Mack Garrett left his life as a member of the SWAT team in Los Angeles five years ago, choosing to find solace and a change of pace working on his grandfather's ranch. after his work and life partner was killed by what he was told was "friendly fire". His two closest friends, former fellow SWAT member Colt Woods and former firefighter and friend since childhood Reyes Caldero, came along to the ranch with him and have stayed. Life there has been quiet and uneventful; exactly how Mack prefers it. Mack has kept himself free of any romantic entanglements, not the least bit tempted by anything more than a hookup. When a bridal party consisting of one bride and four guys books a visit to the ranch, the "person of honor" immediately gets under Mack's skin. Now we meet Wes Bentley; a handsome flirt who seems to zero right in on Mack from the moment they meet. Mack is wary of actors and Wes is realistic, knowing that he's only there for a week, and this would be nothing more than a temporary fling between two very willing men. They're both intrigued and irritated by each other, but the attraction is an undeniable one. Maybe scratching this particular itch will get everything over and done with...or it could be the start of something...more. This is the first book in the Clean Ranch series. It's a slow burn M/M romance between Mack and Wes. It got off to a somewhat slower starter pace than I had expected, things picked up pretty quickly after the discovery of the ghost town. Both Mack and Wes are men who've been burned by their respective pasts, both romantically and professionally. I liked getting to know them, especially since they came off quite confident but had their own share of insecurities and issues. Trust and respect had to be established before anything else, especially love, could come into play and that made for far more realistic expectations instead of the usual falling fast and then hurting one another later, then the happily-ever-after. The story stayed on a satisfying even keel and the two guys took things as they came and worked them out together. The only "bad " part was finding out who had fired the "friendly fire" shot that killed Mack's work/life partner. With some suspense, a bit of humor, a little drama and a couple of unexpected twists, Wild Trail more than keeps the reader's attention. I have book 2 in the series, and I can't wait to see where A.M. Arthur takes her readers next with this cowboy romance series.

The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah - (Washington/Alaska)
Genera: Historical Fiction
4.5★
Possible Triggers: Viet Nam War/Domestic Abuse
In 1974, a very war-troubled Vietnam vet inherits a house from a lost-in-battle comrade and moves his family to Alaska. After years of being a prisoner of war, Ernt Allbright has returned home to his wife, Cora, and his daughter, Leni. It's not surprising that he is NOT the man that left, he's now a violent, difficult, and restless shadow of his former self. The family moved so frequently after his return that 13-year-old Leni has attended five different schools in four years. When the family makes the move to Alaska, they find the area they have moved to is still very wild and sparsely populated. Ernt feels at home as he finds the landscape to be as raw as he is. Leni soon realizes, that "Everyone up here had two stories: the life before and the life now". If you wanted to pray to a weirdo god or live in a school bus or marry a goose, no one in Alaska was going to say crap to you.” I loved that little quote:) There are many wonderful, warm little things about this story...one of them is that it has a constant flow of memorable insights about Alaska. Another good one is delivered by Large Marge, a former prosecutor in Washington, D.C., who now runs the general store for the community of around 30 folks that live in Kaneq year-round. She cautions the Allbrights, “Alaska herself can be Sleeping Beauty one minute and a bitch with a sawed-off shotgun the next" and "Up here you can make one mistake. The second one will kill you.” The author has re-created in almost magical detail, the lives of Alaska's homesteaders in both of the state's seasons, (it seems that they only have two) and please be aware that she is just as specific in her depiction of the spiritual wounds of post-Vietnam America.

Cinnamon Roll Crush - Joe Satoria
Shaftdale Daddies series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance/Daddy/little
3★
I just don't understand how these adult people can tell other adult people, who they can date, who they can see, and who they can love....and expect them to adhere to it??? The other thing that I don't get is that the people that are being given this order, actually, almost alwayslisten to them!!!. Maybe someone can someday explain this to me. In the meantime, ... We have Christian who has had a major crush on Aaron, who is his best friend’s little brother for years and he knew, since he had been informed numerous times, that he was supposed to be "off limits". They are actually at this time sneaking around with one another...they share a house for goodness's sake! After a kiss that was also supposed to forbidden, neither of them could forget, or go back to keeping the ridicules promise to leave one another alone. These grown men are hiding in the house they share, sneaking around and waiting for their "happy ever after" to sneak up and bite them...or for their "friends??" and family to catch on to them. I wondered if they were going to send them to their rooms if they happened to catch on. It also amazed me that all these friends and family all had keys to the house and let themselves in whenever the spirit moved them! Christian had, years ago, moved away from their town of Shaftdale, but had used the time to learn how to be the best "daddy" for the "boy" he had left behind. I actually liked Aaron. He's sweet and also a bit stubborn which made some of his defiance towards the friends and family funny instead of being quiet so nerve-wracking. The Daddy/little part didn't exactly read or fit too well with these two. Christian was okay but Aaron wasn't very believable in his part. Maybe it was because Christian being new to the "Daddy" role he done some research while he was away in anticipation of asking Aaron to date. He takes care of Aaron, but he's not heavy handed which was good. I like the "Daddy" kink stories, but sometimes the dominant part of a person is a little more overbearing than expected or necessary. Aaron still has a lot of independence while having his needs met.... which included a lot of interaction with a cactus. It was entertaining and I didn't dislike it, but I liked the first two books more.

Lessons in Chemistry / Bonnie Garmus
4.25 stars

Elizabeth Zott is a scientist – a chemist – but it’s the 1950s/1960s, so she’s not really taken seriously (and is even treated badly, at times). Except when she meets and starts dating another chemist, the famous (amongst scientists, anyway) Calvin Evans; Calvin takes her seriously. Elizabeth has no plans to marry, however (nor does she want kids), so it’s a scandal when she becomes pregnant. Unfortunately, by the time Mad(eline) is born, Calvin has died in an accident. So Elizabeth is now a single mom. She is let go at her job (as a chemist), so although she has no interest in cooking on television, she takes this job that is offered to her. But she turns this cooking show around and turns it into a chemistry/cooking show for women.

This was fun! I loved Elizabeth. She is smart, she is tough. Good for her for everything she did and tried to do. Plenty of humourous parts thrown in.

Temptation - E.M. Lindsey
Breaking The Rules Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance
4★
Possible Trigger Warnings:/ Religious Conversation Camp
Colton never thought he would amount to much, but Sage and Derek Osbourne never let him believe otherwise. It was with a place he could call home that Colton finally let himself believe he might have a future. If only that future involved the ridiculously attractive, much older man who just blew into Fairfield. At nineteen, Colton knows he’s young, and he knows his life is anything but easy, but he also knows what he wants. If he could just get Marcel to trust him to make those decisions. He’s ready to be with someone, to lose that big "V" word, and most of all...to fall in love. He just needs that special "someone" to trust him. Then there's Marcel...Colton's future "special someone"! Marcel has never wanted anything more than what he considers to be "just average". Things like a husband, a good job, a house with a picket fence, and maybe a dog or two. To him, it all seems to be so far out of his reach. In spite of how hard he works; he’s rarely given a chance to be like everyone else. When Marcel goes out for a drink try and forget, he never expects what happened...he walks away with an attachment to a younger man. Marcel knows this young guy has no business wanting someone as messy as he is. Colton insists that he knows what he’s getting into, but Marcel likes him far too much to subject him to all the ways Marcel’s life will hurt him...it doesn't matter how much he wants it. I've read and own a lot of books by this author so I was fairly sure that both guys would get their "happy." The story got 4 stars which is unusual for anything by E.M. Lindsay because she did have me wondering there for quite a bit longer before it happened.

Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow / Christina Henry
3 stars

In Sleepy Hollow, Ben(de) is the granddaughter of Brom Van Brunt and Katrina Van Tassel (and was raised by them), but thinks of himself as a boy. When Ben and a friend find a dead boy in the woods, with head and hands cut off, Ben starts to wonder if he should be wandering through the woods at all. It’s not long before a second dead boy appears in the woods… this one a boy who had been taunting Ben and Ben had been seen to fight back. Even with all this going on, Ben seems to be fairly safe in the woods via some kind of protector. In the meantime, he is constantly fighting his grandmother on being too much like a boy and it’s about time he started acting like a girl and learning the things he’ll need to know as he gets older and gets married.

I listened to the audio. I liked that the author brought in a trans character. With the dead kids being found in the woods, it was a bit creepy at times. However, as often happens with me and audio, I got distracted and missed things. I did like how it ended, though. Overall, I’m rating it ok.

Saddle Up - A.M. Arthur - (California)
Narrator: Greg Boudreaux
Clean Slate Ranch series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance/Ranch Life
5★
This is a series that should be read-in order because of all the interaction between the characters from book to book. It's ranch hands, Reyes Caldero & Miles, the talented chef at the Ghost Town theme park's, turn to find their "happy". So far, I believe that this one is my favorite. There was more intensity in this one that was slightly lacking in the other two. The developing love story between Miles, (The best friend of Wes from the first book) and Reyes, was slower to develop, making it seem more realistic. The threat of imminent danger that Will had to deal with on a daily basis was also a well-done part of the story. His ex from books 1 & 2 is a real "piece of work" and is still searching for Miles. Miles is timid and quiet compared to his friend Wes, and almost every novel has had some mention of a past that Miles is running from that had left him frightened and emotionally damaged. Dallas, his ex, has stalked him since the first book, and still shows up every so often, trying to get back in Will’s good graces. We also had a glimpse from past stories of what happened between Dallas and Will that caused Will to pack and run. Reyes Caldero is almost as, or more, mysterious than Will. Both these men have closely guarded secrets. Reyes has wrapped up his painful and violent memories so tightly even his best friend, Mack, doesn’t know everything about him, but what Reyes has kept hidden has convinced him that he doesn’t deserve to be loved, and will not ever be, if his past is ever known. Reyes and Will end up sharing a room together on the ranch. Seeing how Will can't bring himself to trust any man to be too near him, and he even slept behind a locked door in his old apartment that he shared with Wes, it’s a given that things are going to be tense. Will's ex finally finds him and shows up numerous times to try to get him back by any means possible, plus there's a medical emergency for a major story character, making this story a bit of a "roller-costar nail-biter". Reye's past wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He was technically a child. (under 18), when it happened, plus he didn't have the adult judgement that was needed to "do the right thing". It's hinted at throughout, but we don't actually learn about it until almost the end. The entire book is a "roller coaster ride" of various emotions. We have in this story, a new romance, an event that could end the ranch, a psychological thriller, and two emotionally damaged characters who just want to love each other and be loved in return. With this 3rd addition to the Clean Slate Ranch series, A.M. Arthur has produced another winner.

Spite House - Johnny Compton - (Texas)
Genera: Supernatural/Thriller
5★
I'm sure you've heard that curiosity killed the cat....and I was curious about the title, so I spent a lot more time than I probably should have on Google, reading about "Spite houses"...and I'm still alive:) It seems that they are any building that has been constructed for the sole purpose of aggravating neighbors, like to obstruct their view or to create an eyesore adjoining their property. These houses are all across the United States, and in many cases become tourist attractions because of the unusual designs, which are meant 100% to cause irritation rather than inhabitation. Amazing what useless knowledge available to us today:) In this story the "Spite House" is the Masson House, a menacing four-story home with a bizarre design built next to an orphanage in Degener, Texas. The Masson House seethes with spite and is believed to be one of the most haunted buildings in the state. The story opens with Eric Ross, an unemployed single father, arrival in Degener, Texas with his two daughters, 18-year-old Dess and 7-year-old, Stacy. The family is living a dire existence, moving among seedy motels, and running from a mysterious past. Eric has a unique job opportunity here... he's to become the caretaker of the Masson House and record a completely objective account of its supposed paranormal activities. The pay is more than generous and would mean financially security for his family, but is it worth the danger to himself and his girls? The supernatural elements in The Spite House include specters of the Civil War; neighbors pitting against neighbor on all levels. The house is the incarnation of spite itself, unable to contain the evil that makes up its very existence. Its paranormal activity is accompanied by an unbearable, paralyzing coldness, plunging the nearby temperature close to absolute zero. The author has built layers and layers of complexity and then ties them all together in the end. There are several unexpected features and plot twists, including a major reveal that will leave most readers, including myself, blindsided. I was also surprised that the setting is completely modern Gothic horror. The characters are the average family with family values. We also heard the viewpoints of the two girls, Dess and Stacy. Overall, this is an exhilarating debut novel that will warm your heart but also leave you chilled to the bone.

Shadows' End - Ron Ripley
Death Hunter Series Book #6
Narrator: Thom Bowers
Genera: Paranormal
5★
This has been a wonderfully, goosebump producing series that I hated to see end, but knowing this author there will be plenty more like this. I read the first 5 in the series as they came on the market, but for some unknown reason I had forgotten that there was a #6 book. These books do diffidently need to be read in order as they continue from the one before. All of the characters appeared in this one, which was great... Shane, Frank and Tom who were busy saving the children in the orphanage from Alex’s experiments. Alex...who was once a great kid that turned evil after a head injury (felt sorry for him in this book and ended up liking Timmy), and what an ending! Now I need to find out what happens to Shane, Jacinta, Tom, Victor, Frank, Timmy, Carl and Eloise.

The Madwoman and the Roomba: My Year of Domestic Mayhem
Sandra Tsing Loh|
4/5 stars
This was a very delightful book about her family experiences and of her domestic mayhems. I have never heard of her before but she has written several books and I am looking forward to reading more of her. Biography

Depth of Field - Riley Hart
Last Chance Series Book #1
Genera: M/M/Romance
4★
Shane and Van are two complicated characters. Their teenage history showed them to be enemies, and they had stayed like that for years. After Van returns to town, Shane realizes that all his anger and hatred is still there, in spite of the fact that Van isn’t the same boy he was in high school. What I really liked about this story was that Shane and Van both acknowledged their past. I would have liked them to spend a little more time reconnecting before they jumped into bed together...but I guess that's what most folks read romances of any type for:) Their relationship lacked a little in the "fluidity" department. They went from enemies to hot and heavy lovers in just a very few days, and once things got started, they definitely didn’t slow down much. Sex wasn’t the only thing that carried them though. They ended up having a lot in common which added more substance to the relationship. I just wish the talking came before what felt like instant love. They had family issues to deal with, Van trying to see if there is any saving his relationship with his mother. Shane struggling with the caregiving issues for his mother. These things, while important and necessary took a bit of the steam out of the story, letting the family issues overshadow the relationship development. Overall, I do have to say that I did enjoy the book, but it wasn't one of my favorites by this author but still worth the reading time.

Lucky Break A.M. Arthur -(California)
Narrator: Greg Boudreaux
Clean Slate Ranch Series Book #4
Genera: M/M Romance/Ranch Life
5★
It’s so easy to get lost in this warm little "getaway" ranch where everyone works together to keep food on the table, guests entertained and coming back, and the horses cared for, as well as the men that have found the ranch a loving and forgiving home. Someone always finding the love of their life there doesn't hurt either. In this story we meet Robin, a grieving former rodeo star, and Shawn, a quiet cook who has been secretly, for two long years, living in his car. Both characters made brief appearances in previous books, but they fit like a glove with the more established characters, Mack and Wes, Colt and Avery, and Miles and Reyes. At first, Shawn thinks Robin is strange and unfriendly, but he soon learns that he looks a lot like and reminds him of his husband who died in a rodeo accident. They soon become close friends despite the rocky start. There both carry a lot of secrets as well as a lot of emotional baggage, but both men want to be in it for the long haul. Clean Slate Ranch lives up to its name for people like Robin and Shawn, who both have such tragic pasts. They can find peace and understanding in this "found family" who takes care of their own. It’s such a warm, cozy community where everyone knows a little too much about one another, but they’d never reveal to anyone or use that information against them. With every new character introduction...in this case, Hugo and Levi, we know there are more good stories to be told in the series.In this story we meet Robin, a grieving former rodeo star, and Shawn, a quiet cook who has been secretly, for two long years, living in his car. Both characters made brief appearances in previous books, but they fit like a glove with the more established characters, Mack and Wes, Colt and Avery, and Miles and Reyes. At first, Shawn thinks Robin is strange and unfriendly, but he soon learns that he looks a lot like and reminds him of his husband who died in a rodeo accident. They soon become close friends despite the rocky start. There both carry a lot of secrets as well as a lot of emotional baggage, but both men want to be in it for the long haul. Clean Slate Ranch lives up to its name for people like Robin and Shawn, who both have such tragic pasts. They can find peace and understanding in this "found family" who takes care of their own. It’s such a warm, cozy community where everyone knows a little too much about one another, but they’d never reveal to anyone or use that information against them. With every new character introduction...in this case, Hugo and Levi, we know there are more good stories to be told in the series.

No Secrets - Nora Phoenix - (Massachusetts)
No Regrets series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance/Heavy BDSM
5+★
This contains characters from a similar series by this same author, and also called No Secrets...it's a bit confusing, but if you are a "must always be read in order" phonetic, it will drive you completely nuts! I LOVE Nora Phoenix's books...every last one of them, and I am already a bit nuts, so it doesn't bother me. The main characters in this story, along with Wander's security team that all co-exist together in a house owned by the local BDSM club owner...are Roman Dwyer, who is Wander's brother and a Boston District Attorney, and sweet little Caleb, a member of Wander's security team and an absolute genius when it comes to computers. This story also provides a really great example of Nora Phoenix’s ability to tell a fantastic story and create an engaging plot that make you care about the characters. Nora Phoenix is also extremely talented at bringing in characters from the previous books and I have already pointed out, even from other series. This is actually a continuation of the No Regrets series. If you haven't read the rest of this series or if you are a "newbie", you may be going to wonder how Wander and his team have ended up where they are and especially about their relationships, not just with their partners but with the entire team. If you don’t care about everyone’s back story and how it all interrelates then most, including this one, can be read as a standalone. This book also has cameos from Conner & Miller from the No Shame series. I don't usually include blurbs from the book but the blurb from this one did a much better job of describing the story line than I can. This story is graphic...with a capital "G", and I know that this genre is not for everyone, but if you do enjoy this genre, Nora Phoenix delivers in spades.
Blurb from the Book cover:
Roman Dwyer was a successful district attorney…until he went after the wrong people. His reputation is in ruins, and worse, there’s a price on his head.

Ashamed and scared for his life, he accepts his brother’s offer to move in with him and his security team. But when Roman discovers the shenanigans happening in the house, he gets a lot more than he bargained for. Like Caleb.

Roman can use the distraction and Caleb certainly delivers, but the last thing Roman needs is more complications. Besides, Caleb needs someone far more dominant than Roman…although Roman is discovering sides to himself, he never knew.

Like how much he likes being in charge.
How he loves driving Caleb crazy.
The joy it brings him when Caleb obeys.

Crap, his life is about to become even more complicated, isn’t it?

The White Ship by Charles Spencer
4 1/2 ****

A truly fantastic book, detailing the effects of the death of William Aetheling, sole heir to Henry I, on a ship headed back to his English homeland. Spencer does a good job of using surnames to distinguish one royal or courtier from another and that lends to this book's readability.

And it is necessary to know not just how personally devastating it was for Henry I to lose a son; it was also a tragedy for his new kingdom. After William the Conqueror died, his three sons each took a turn at ruling Norman England. But it was still early in the Conquest and therefore necessary to know who were a king's allies and how well they would fare at his side.

Though Henry was the youngest of William the Conqueror's sons, he managed to consolidate power and followers in both England and Normandy, where he still held lands. His oldest brother died from a mis-shot arrow, and his middle brother was nowhere near a competent ruler, so Henry seized power and had Robert Curthouse imprisoned for life.

Henry I had many children but only 1 legitimate male heir, William Aetheling. And after battles and conquests and treaties, Norman and English lords bowed their knee to recognize this heir. Ready to set sail at night in November, 1120, the 17 year old William chose to celebrate his success and status by ordering casks of wine brought on board and enjoyed by both crew and passengers. Trying to sail fast enough that night to take over his father's ship, also bound for England, William's ship crashed into a rock exiting the harbor and sank with all but one traveler drowned.

The after effects of Henry's sole heir dying were to have lasting consequences in a civil war between two claimants to the throne: Stephen of Blois, who had royal blood; and Matilda of Britain, whom Henry had named as his heir after her brother's death. While the courtiers swore oaths to their sovereign that they would follow Matilda as Queen, many of them switched to Stephen during the years of the anarchy and many English died in the fighting. It is Spencer's theory that this tragedy is felt even now, 900 years later, in Englad.

Stuff Me - Joe Satoria- (New York/Vermont)
Part of the Bear 4U, multiple author series
Genera: M/M Romance/Daddy-little
3.5★
It's the story of Charlie, a lonely "teddy bear sub", who, while in Europe on vacation, makes a kink website connection with Domen, a handsome "Daddy bear/Dom". The two guys share one night of heat...well, not an entire night...which seemed a bit odd...but hey, it's a story:) Not the heat part, but the way the Daddy bear/Dom behaved afterwards. It seemed that the encounter took all of 5 - wonderful minutes for both of them and then he was out the door. They both knew they were both Americans...both were only on vacation and not residing permanently, in this foreign country, yet they didn't bother to exchange phone numbers or indulge in any type of conversation afterwards??? Where are you from? How long have you been here? What do you do for a living? I had a great time...CAN I CONTACT YOU AGAIN??? That would have been something I would think that anyone that had had any type of encounter...especially a good one... would have wanted to do. Certainly, more than "let's do the deed and don't let the door hit you on the way out". The characters behaviors frustrated me more than anything else. I began to like Charlie and Domen more after they finally found one another after returning home.... but that was another badly handled thing on Charlie's part for not contacting the subway office to see if someone had turned his lost bag in that had his phone inside. The one that I didn't like and had no use for, was Charlie's friend, Estelle. She was an unnecessary addition to the story. yes...she was his roommate...but who takes their female, or male for that matter, roommate to a hook-up with their boyfriend, gay or straight? She was everywhere, kept turning up like a "bad penny". Clingy, and obnoxious best describes her. I like Joe Satoria's writing, and this was by no means a "bad book". I really did enjoy a great deal of it, especially all of Charlie's "stuffies". I want my romance books to have a happy ending, and I did get that. Domen turns out to be the best character in the book though.... even if he wasn't "stuffed":)

Fate's Attraction - Dirk Greyson - (Andrew Grey)
Genera: M/M Romance/Fantasy
3.5★
Vladimir knows that he will ever be the Alpha, nor does he wish to be. Frankie is lost, hurt, and alone with no memory of his past. Fate brings them together... in spite of that there are those that are working against them...before they've even met. Their relationship moves quickly, but then, they ARE fated mates. Their every step forward seems that there is always something, or someone pushing them back, or a darkness looming that threatens not only their bond but puts the entire pack at risk. I am not a big fan of this type of story, but I am a HUGE fan of Andrew Grey, so when my library told me they had acquired another of his books, it was imperative that I read it. I, by no means disliked the story, it was after all, by one of my favorite authors...the man that brought me the "Carlisle Troopers", "Carlisle Deputies" and the "Carlisle Fire", series that I have read more than once.... this just wasn't my type of this genera. There were aspects of the story that I didn't see coming that I really liked about the book. It's definitely a must read, if you're like me...a fan of this author and/or like this "animal" type of love stories. If you are a fan, you may also want to subscribe to his monthly newsletter that keeps us informed what he and Dominic, his husband, are up to. Here's the site to sign up or just to find his other wonderful books. https://andrewgreybooks.com/newsletter-subscription/

What Moves The Dead - T. Kingfisher
Genera: Gothic Horror
5★
From the first time I read it when I was 11 years old, I fell in love with Edgar Alan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. I sat on my grandmother's front porch and read it every Halloween thereafter. When I ran across this, that was advertised to be a retelling of my beloved tale of Poe's classic, I knew that I HAD TO READ IT!!! This is a novella that takes us back on a journey to and through the ancestral home of the family of Ushers with their dark secrets and even darker forces that are lurking and waiting for us around every corner. As you dig into the story, you'll find that this author has a gift in her writing style. She is so able of captivating the atmosphere that makes up this tale and aids in recreating the dread and the tension that remains palpable through the entire book. You'll feel that you have been transported into the musty, fungus covered dark rooms of one of the most haunted places in literature...the Usher Mansion...and allowed to experience the terror along with the characters. Alex Easton is our protagonist. He's a retired soldier and a childhood friend of Madaline Usher. Along with vivid descriptions of fungal growths that cover almost every surface, we also get the added attraction of possessed wildlife. Lots of unique quirks in this little less than 200-page novella. The author is in no big hurry to reveal everything quickly, so ever so slowly she begins to unravel what is happening, or what we think is happening, in the mansion. The slow pace of the story gives the reader an opportunity to understand the "players" better and to actually build some sympathy for them as they are thrust back into the mansion's grip and the horror. The atmosphere of this story is captivating, intriguing and so very wonderfully horrifying.

No One Can Know - Kate Alice Marshall
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
4★
Emma has just discovered she’s pregnant when she’s also faced with an astonishing financial deception on the part of her husband, Nathan. Since they’re about to lose their rental apartment, she agrees that they can temporarily move back into the spacious family home she owns jointly with her sisters. Trouble is, that house was the site of her parents’ deaths 14 years ago, when Emma was just 16. It seems that Emma has her own secrets that she’s been keeping from Nathan and the others. Once they return to Emma’s New England hometown, and to an unfriendly reception, Emma slowly begins to reestablish some of her previous relationships, including those with her estranged sisters, Daphne and Juliette. But, as we quickly learn, Juliette and Daphne have just as many secrets of their own. The story flows along at a fast pace with some back-and-forth time shifts, exposing the face of what can be labeled as to a "family horror show" consisting of some seriously bad parenting, along with some questionable decisions. The reader has to wonder if that is the only nefarious element driving these people's lives. I have never read this author before, but I found that her writing has plenty of revelations, that aids in ratcheting up the tension, along with an element of violence, while keeping the story moving along.

Hard Ride - A.M. Arthur - (California)
Clean Slate Ranch series Book #5
Narrator: Greg Boudreaux
Genera: M/M Romance/Friends to Lovers
5★
Derrick had a good life. A wonderful family and now a beautiful niece, however, he doesn’t trust easily. His past showed him that you can’t trust without having your heart broken. Slater works at the Clean Slate Ranch and has suffered a fall down a mountain side that resulted in a broken ankle and leg while saving a child's life. When released from the hospital Derrick makes a deal with Slater to do his recovery at his apartment if he will be his plus -one at 5 family weddings. In spite of them both knowing that it's just a "fake boyfriend" arrangement, Derrick sees that there is something different about Slater. If you are only a casual romance reader of any genera...you know how 'fake anything", usually turns out. It may have supposed to have been a wedding hook-up, but neither can stop thinking about the other, the chemistry, or what could be if they dared to give it a chance. No matter what has happened in his past, or what he may wish the future to hold, Slater has some big decisions to make and isn’t sure where or what his life is even supposed to look like anymore. It takes his 18-year-old daughter and several new friends to make him see what he’s doing...what he’s giving up by walking away....and what could be. Both of these men know that there is something more there than casual...something no longer "fake" anything. That ship sailed a long time ago...but both men are stubborn, both want the other to make the decision, to ask, to voice their feelings first. A. M. Arthur knows how to tell a story. She knows how to draw us in and give us a gritty yet heartfelt story. She lets us feel the pain, the happiness, the confusion and the love. She writes characters that you just can’t help but fall in love with, feel for and hope that they come through unscathed. When they do, she lets us feel the joy of knowing that they found their true love. I really hate to see this series end...but I do a lot of rereads and this series will be right at the top. P.S. I loved Slater's new hobby.

The Collector / Nora Roberts
3.5 stars

Lila works as a house-sitter in New York City and she enjoys watching people across from the windows where she is staying (“Rear Window” style). There is a couple she can see who often fight. When she sees someone hit the woman during a fight, then the woman is pushed out the window, she immediately dials for emergency help. Later at the police station, the brother of the man (who was also found dead – a suspected suicide), Ashton, wants to talk to Lila to find out exactly what she saw. Between the two of then, they figure out there is much more going on here than meets the eye. And it’s dangerous.

This was good. I enjoyed it. It’s Nora Roberts, so of course, there is a romance. The romance didn’t do anything for me, but that’s not unusual. I liked Lila – she is independent and tough. Have to admit I did love the pets who belonged to the people Lila was sitting for.

>7 Carol420: Love this series. It has become an automatic buy for me.

The Affairs of the Falcóns – Melissa Rivero
4****

Ana Falcón, her husband Lucho, and their two children have fled the political turmoil of their native Peru for the chance at a better life in New York City. But despite Lucho’s education, the only job he can get is driving a cab on the night shift. Meanwhile Ana works as a seamstress in a factory. They are living with Lucho’s cousins, Valeria and Rueben, which adds stress to their family. Ana has resorted to borrowing money from a local loan shark, Mama, and she’s behind in repaying the loan. Should she give up and succumb to Lucho’s idea to return to Peru, or at least to send the children back?

My heart broke for Ana and her family. There is a lot going on and they can never catch a break. Yet Ana holds on to the hope of a better future. She is willing to work hard, to do whatever is necessary to keep her family together and in a relatively safe environment. She feels capable but is constantly reminded that she is from “the wrong side of the mountain,” being from an indigenous family, while the Falcóns were white Peruvians with college educations. She seems to really be carrying the future of her family on her shoulders, alone. But is that partly her own fault? She seems unable, and at least unwilling, to share her burden with her husband and his cousins.

I was glad to see that the family did enjoy some moments of joy and celebration. A nice dinner at Christmas, a New Year’s Eve party with friends. But those moments barely relieved the stress of their circumstances. And they needed to constantly watch out for who might betray them, or what would happen if ICE raided the factory where Ana (and many other undocumented women) worked.

The ending is jarring and unsettling and ambiguous. I desperately want to know what happens next!

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store – James McBride
Book on CD read by Dominic Hoffman
5*****

McBride begins this work of historical fiction in 1972, when skeletal remains are discovered at the bottom of a dry well by a construction crew. From there the story goes back to the early 20th century and the thriving community of Chicken Hill in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where immigrant Jews who originally settled the area are moving out as the African Americans move in. But Moshe and Chona, who run the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store and live in the apartment above the business, refuse to leave. They continue to serve the African-American community and are comfortable with their neighbors.

The crux of the story revolves around Dodo, an African-American orphan who is deaf (as the result of the gas stove in his residence exploding), and whom the state wishes to consign to the notorious Pennhurst Asylum. The efforts of Dodo’s aunt and uncle, Addie and Nate, and of Moshe and Chona, to keep Dodo away from that hellish environment is the basic plot.

But the novel is less plot-driven than character-driven. McBride paints a colorful and intricate landscape, of two equally strong cultures co-existing because of the strength of character of their leaders. They rely on and support one another. They show compassion and empathy and love. And, yes, anger and disdain as well. There were times when I wanted McBride to “get on with it.” But I was invested in all these characters, even the unlikeable ones. I recognized that I needed to know all of them to understand the dynamics of Chicken Hill. At its heart, this is a story of community, cooperation, tolerance and respect.

The hardest section to stomach was the part set at Pennhurst. My heart broke for Monkey Pants, and I wanted to throttle Son of Man (and the administrators who allowed him to prey on the helpless).

Readers should definitely read the acknowledgement section at the end, where McBride tells of the real-life heroes and mentors who inspired this work of fiction.

Dominic Hoffman does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. He has a lot of characters to deal with, but he is up for the task. I was rarely confused about who was speaking (and when I was, it was MY fault, for not paying attention).

Fearless - Kate Hawthorne - (Colorado)
Room for Love Series (Motel Brothers) Book #4
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Possible Triggers PTSD/Voyeuism
I really tried to read this series in order but somehow, I got off track. I guess it doesn't really matter all that much, but I was really trying to be a "good girl":) This story begins on a rather dark moment in Brad’s life and takes a few chapters to let him improve. I wasn't too sure about Theo's intention to begin with and thought he might not be such a "good guy" after all. We had always seen such a happy vibe from him in all the books he has appeared in, in this series. Learning just what he’s been up to, was a bit on the "creepy" side. Then we learn that consent was never an issue with Brad when it came to Theo’s voyeurism...but I thought it diminished him from the character we had seen previously. It seemed that other folks in the town were also aware of his "kink" and brushed it off as harmless.... but then, Cherry Creek is an unusual little town. Brad has lots of trauma and anxiety, along with PTSD...so some readers may want to pay attention to the book's warnings. Even though Brad has been in treatment at this point in his life and attempted to adopt several coping mechanisms, it’s clear that Theo sparks something in him that Brad thought was over and gone. The mutual attraction between Brad and Theo is obvious. Maybe it's just luck, or fate, giving them a break. Everyone in their families and social circles seems to accept the pairing, except Andy, the brother who returns to town after taking the money and not the hotel inheritance deal from their father. That's all explained in the first three books. Andy isn't particularly likeable, but he is the loud "voice of reason". Andy's story feeds into the last part of the end of book 3. After reading a few of installments of this series we know that the brothers get their happy endings, so I wasn't too worried about Brad and Theo. I have really enjoyed this series...but be better than me and read them in order.

The House Across The Lake Riley Sager - (Vermont)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller/Horror
5★
Casey Fletcher grew up watching her mother thrill audiences, so it was only natural that she enters the show business profession herself. She never reached the “America’s sweetheart” status her mother had, Casey still made a decent career of bit parts in movies and TV and larger, more professional parts onstage. Then tragedy strikes...the death of her husband. This sends her into an alcoholic spiral that ends her career with her getting fired from a Broadway play. When paparazzi report her substance abuse, her mother sends her off to the family retreat, lake Greene, in Vermont. Casey has a dry, droll perspective that persists until circumstances overwhelm her. The Vermont hideaway doesn't do much except hide her away since she passes the time drinking bourbon and watching her nearest neighbors, Katherine. a former supermodel and Tom, a tech mogul who live across the lake...and she does this through a pair of binoculars. Casey makes friends with Katherine after rescuing her when she almost drowns and soon comes to the conclusion that all is not well in Katherine and Tom’s marriage. Then... Katherine disappears…. and more creepy coincidences begin to pile up. Eventually, Casey has to face the possibility that maybe some of the eerie legends she had always heard about Lake Greene just might have more than a smidgeon of truth to them. I have always liked this author. He delivers a story with twists, that cultivates into a more than a satisfying and enjoyable ending. Perhaps there are there some things that didn't quite add up at the end...but that does nothing to spoil this highly entertaining read...it's still a wild ride.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night– Nina Simon
3.5***

Lana Rubison is a high-powered businesswoman in Los Angeles, specializing in real estate deals and developments. Her daughter Beth, works as a nurse at a nursing home and is content to live in a small beach cottage in the Monterey Bay area with her daughter, teenager Jacqueline (Jack). But when Lana has a serious medical emergency, she winds up living with Beth and Jack. And when Jack discovers the body of an environmentalist while leading a group of tourists on a sunset kayak tour, Lana feels compelled to investigate.

I enjoyed this fresh take on the typical whodunit / cozy mystery. The amateur sleuths here are intelligent and reasonable in the risks they take. Of course, they should probably leave the sleuthing to the professionals, but then we wouldn’t have much of a story.

I appreciated that Simon crafted a plot that kept me guessing right up to the reveal. First I thought it was X, then I was sure it was Y, then I went back to X, only to settle on W a few chapters later. I was kept guessing right up to the reveal.

But, what I really enjoyed about the book was the family dynamics. Beth and Lana are frequently at odds, but clearly love one another. And they are both fiercely protective of Jack. I could not help but think back on the often-fraught relationship I had with my own mother. We loved one another but could not live close to one another. And yet, when the need arose, we were there for one another. I still miss her (but wouldn’t want to live together).

The ending of this novel makes me hope for a sequel. I want to know how the Rubicon women navigate the next phase of their journey.

Devoted - Dean Koontz
Genera: Mystery/Paranormal
4★
One boy with the power to save the world. One man with the will to destroy it. A lab that was set-up for cancer research burns down. People start to wonder what secrets this place really held. An employee of the lab escapes who knows all too well what's in store, leaving his fellow workers still in the building, to their fate. He finds that is "changing".... he believes, for the better. He becomes determined to make the woman that broke-up him many years ago, his again or he says that "she will suffer the consequences" if she continues to reject him. He leaves a crime spree everywhere he travels to reach her. There are murders, cannibalism, and death in his wake...everywhere he travels. Every day he grows stronger and gets new abilities. We now have to really wonder just what were they really up to in that facility? We can be sure the answer is certainly not good. Then, as with nearly all Dean Koontz books, there is a beautiful dog...Kipp. Kipp isn't just "any old dog", he's a "super special" dog! His owner knew that from the day she got him. He could answer her question with nods or shakes of his head. She obtained a devise that allowed him to point to letters of the alphabet to answer question more difficult than with a simple nod or head shake. To say that Kipp is a special dog with special abilities.... would be the understatement of the century. Kipp isn't alone with his abilities.... there are more like him throughout the world, and they are all connected...they all have the ability to communicate with one another. They call themselves "The Mysterium". Kipps current master is dying from cancer, so it's time for Kipp to find this special boy once his master is gone. The boy is in danger, so Kipp begins his adventure. Kip's "boy" has never spoken and often goes into his own world to cope with everything that's happening around him. He's eons beyond merely intelligent and very adapt at the skill of hacking. His father has died, and he is convinced that his father's death was not an accident. In his search to find answers he is tracked by someone in the "dark web" who wants to harm him. He wonders if this person had something to do with his father's death. Woody thinks that his mother is also in danger from a deranged ex who seems to be becoming something other than human, Kipp finds Woody and talks to him by telepathy. Help has arrived at last. It's not the best, or my favorite book this author has ever written, but there is lots of action, and lots of strange events, to keep the pages and the story moving... and you HAVE TO LOVE THE DOG!!

My Beloved Monster: Masha, the Half-wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me
Caleb Carr
4/5 stars
Caleb Carr is a bestselling author, and he has written a wonderful story about his life and his pet cat Masha who he rescued from an animal shelter.
Non-Fiction

Limitless - Kate Hawthorne - (France/Colorado)
Room For Love Series Book #5
Genera: M/M Romance
4.5★
This is Andy's story.... the last story of the five Motel brothers. He has always been an intriguing, but somewhat standoffish character. He was the only brother who took the money and ran. The other four, agreed to their father’s stipulation that he had made in his will that in order to collect their share of the money they had to live and work at the hotel, they didn't know he owned, in Cherry Creek, Colorado, for an entire year. While the other brothers have been big parts each other’s stories, Andy has remained fairly much off the page for most of the series. He's been traveling Europe, and we find him in Paris when the story opens...and he meets Leonidas, who lives in France but has been doing a walking tour of Europe. The two guys come together in an almost unbelievable, passionate rush. It seemed that they can’t get enough of each other...there's hookups in the rain, pottery making, and bottles of wine in a Parisian Garden. You can feel the urgency the men feel for each other, but also a sense of this being only a temporary break from their travels...and I quickly got the ideas that their travel wasn't going to be together. This was confirmed when both men were determined to finish their own journeys, and neither was willing to compromise to stay together...so they know this is it for them. Once they separate, they realize it isn’t as easy as they thought. The connection is real, and something neither man is ready to lose. Their solution is far from traditional or expected. Honestly, this wasn't my favorite of the series...a series that I have given 5 stars to throughout. The story felt a bit "out of sorts" for lack of a better description...I had trouble at times making the guy's connection believable. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting the little town of Cherry Creek and getting to know the Motel Brothers and the other quirky residents. Oh, and these books should be read in order.

Dancing for Daddy - A.W. Scott
Coleman Ranch Series Book #4
Genera: M/M Romance/Daddy little
5★
I have so enjoyed this Coleman Ranch series. There is always a happy ending and almost no bad choices or unsolvable problems. Just a happy sweet story. In this one we get to spend some time with Harlan and learn and understand not only where he comes from, but why he's kept mostly to himself over the years. We also get to see him reunite with Griffin in a new and better way...one with far less restrictions than before. Dancing For Daddy, like the rest of the series, delves into the "Daddy/boy" relationship and brings out Griffin's "little" side as he and Harlan navigate the rekindling of their relationship. The discussion of the lifestyle was a bit early in the story, but then, these stories are not that long. The pace was perfect, and the story showed very well, how the "Daddy/little" and the "boyfriend" relationships often co-existed side by side. For those that are new to, or unaware, of this type of relationship, will find that this series serves well as a "textbook". We get to see most of the "Daddies and littles" from the past books which is always a big plus for me, and I am so looking forward to the next story. I hope A.W. Scott writes fast and doesn't suffer writer's block:)

Reid's Lost Cap - Della Cain
Found By Daddy Series Book #13
Genera: M/M Romance/Daddy, little
4.5★
There are so far 13 books of this "little" series, Found by Daddy. The theme is just what it says...a "little", loses or misplaces something special and precious to him and the "Daddy" finds it and returns it and they form a bond that leads to an "age play" relationship. Reid is a sweet boy who just lost the uncle he was named for and that uncle left his house and everything in it to him. Needless to say, he is a little overwhelmed. He goes to the BDSM club thinking that he can perhaps play with other "littles" or listen to a story, anything to take his mind off of getting the house reading to perhaps sell. While there he loses his cap, the one that his uncle gave him. When Reid stops into the club, he sees the cap and remembers seeing Reid wearing it and, it has Reid's name on it...so he decides to return it since the house where Reid is staying is in his neighborhood. Reid is a Daddy who needs a boy and Reid is a boy that needs a Daddy...and as they say, "the rest is history". Reid has to figure out where he wants to live and what he wants from life and Kevin is the daddy who will help him make all those decisions. These books are all short and sweet with very little, if any, trauma. All are usually a little over 120 or so pages, or even less, and can easily be read in one sitting.

Truly Madly Guilty – Liane Moriarty

Digital audiobook narrated by Caroline Lee
3.5***

From the book jacket: Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit busy life. Clementine and Erika have been friends since they were little When Erika mentions a last-minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone??

My reactions:
As much as I’ve grown tired of dual timelines, I have to admit that Moriarty excels at this device. And, as she has done with previous novels, here she also uses changing points of view to explore the basics of our lives: marriage, friendship, sex, family, guilt and forgiveness. She shows how even the strongest relationship can be shaken by a single event, and how what we do or say can sometimes be overshadowed by what we do NOT say or do.

Moriarty’s characters are wonderfully revealed through their conversations and actions. Having the dual timeline and changing points of view keeps the reader guessing about what actually happened and who was responsible. This technique reminded me of the first of her novels I read - Big Little Lies.

Who among us hasn’t been plagued by “what if…”?

Caroline Lee does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. She has a lot of characters to handle, and she gives them unique voices. I particularly liked the way she interpreted Vid.

Enslaved by Ducks / Bob Tarte
4 stars

Bob lived a pet-free life for a long time. But when his wife decided they needed to save a rabbit (though they had no idea how to take care of one), this snowballed over the following years, so that (over time), they had a number of rabbits, cats, and many types of birds (parrots, parakeets, a canary, a dove, geese, turkeys, a number of different species of duck, and more). The geese, turkeys, and ducks lived outside in the barn and yard. They had a hard time saying no if there was a critter in need. Bob was not a handy guy, but was constantly building new fencing and other spaces to keep the critters in the yard, but to separate many of them, as well.

I really liked this. They muddled their way through taking care of many of them, as did the various vets they sought help from when there was a medical need. Most of the vets hadn’t dealt with many of these types of critters, either. There was plenty of humour in the book, but as some of the pets got sick and died (or got better), and some went missing, there were sad situations, as well. It was unfortunate that they didn’t research before bringing home the different types of pets, though, to know ahead of time what they were getting into.

Right Move - A.M. Arthur - (California)
Clean Slate Ranch Series Book #6
Genera: M/M Romance/Cowboys
5★
This, I believe, is the last book in the series. We previously have met these two men that have both been traumatized by events in their lives. They meet up by chance and then take another series of chances, hoping that they might become more than just friends. It's a slow moving and sometimes a bit wordy, story of one trick-riding cowboy in his early 30's and a 23-year-old that used to be an international figure skating star. He has some really major hangups, but both of their lives change with the help of the wonderfully developed "family" which has been created at Clean Slate Ranch...along with three cats. What can cats possibly have to do with it, you might wonder. This story begins and connects with three kitties, that rodeo trick rider Levi Peletier rescues from a box on the side of the road and adopts them...or more like it's they adopted him. If you are or were ever owned by a cat, you know that your idea of ownership of the cat is only in your little mis-guided, human mind:) At the Clean Slate Ranch Thanksgiving party Levi runs into George Thompson who we met in the previous book...Hard Ride, along with his twin brother Orry who live together in an unusual, but interesting apartment complex in San Francisco. Levi is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, and a seriously reticent George has basically sheltered in place for the past three years. The reasons for both of them becoming basically hermits is explained throughout the story. This, like all the previous books, is sweet, very sexy, and sometimes a bit too wordy.... but yet, a beautiful, heartwarming journey that I have to award 5 stars. More cowboys are finding Clean Slate Ranch, so hopefully A.M. Arthur will give us a few more wonderful trips to the ranch in this unique series.... if not...then know that is has been a magnificent one.

Runaway / Alice Munro
2.25 stars

This is a book of short stories. Set in various parts of Canada. In the first one a woman was trying to get away from her husband. A few others (same characters) involved a woman and her daughter.

I listened to the audio and short stories make that difficult. If you lose focus, the stories are usually too short to figure out what you missed, as the percentage of the story you miss is much larger than that of a novel if you miss bits and pieces. The first story kept my attention the most, I think – where the woman was running away from her husband. The other series of stories mentioned with mother/daughter, I probably caught more of because there were multiple stories. But really, none were overly exciting where I wanted to keep listening. The first story was the closest to that. Not a fan – of short stories or Alice Munro, really.

Make Me Fall - Riley Nash
Water, Air, Earth, Fire Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance/Hurt/Comfort
4.5★
This is a heartwarming but slightly sad story. It's also an age-gap story with an intern/boss dynamic. Something for everyone, I guess:) Jonah was my favorite character. He was energetic, hopeful, chaotic, happy, caring and sweet.... just a fun guy to be around. It would have been a cardinal sin to have not wished him the very best life had to offer. What he wanted life to offer him...no GIVE him, was Gray. I thought at first that that would be a colossal mistake; but hey...what do I know? It took a little time for me to warm up to Gray, but once I began to understand all his pain and the reasons for his reservations, I began to like him more. Eventually I could see how much he loved Jonah, and I really wanted them to be a couple. Gray wasn't, by any means perfect, but he was "enough", and their love was so strong...strong enough to conquer any obstacles they might encounter. I don't usually remember quotes from a book, but this one made me laugh. "I think I finally found my princess, Mom. He’s six and a half feet tall, grumpy as hell, and talks dirty as sin." Jonah was blissfully happy and sometimes that's all any of us can ask or expect out of life.

Mrs Plansky’s Revenge – Spencer Quinn
3***

Mrs Loretta Plansky is a recent widow, living in Florida, playing tennis at the club, trying to deal with her ninety-eight-year-old father, and contemplating requests for money from her children and grandchildren. One night she’s awoken by a late-night phone call from her grandson. He’s been in an accident in Colorado and needs bail money. And, please don’t tell Mom & Dad! So, of course, Mrs Plansky gives him her bank account number and password. She even tells him he can take a bit more than he requested. But when morning dawns she discovers that not only her bank account, but her investment accounts have been completely drained of all funds. And law enforcement offers little to no hope of recovering her funds. Well, THIS will not do! If the law won’t help, Mrs Plansky will get her money back herself!

This was just delightful. Loretta is resilient, intrepid, tenacious, and so unassuming that no one can possibly consider her a threat. She has no patience for the bureaucrats, police officers, journalists, etc who not only will NOT help her, but look askance at her and dismiss her. This elderly lady is NOT to be messed with! And when push comes to shove, Loretta gives as good as she gets. The final chase scene had my heart in my throat, but she’s got moves I never expected. She may be in her seventies, but Loretta Plansky is one kick-a$$ heroine! Brava!

I still think Quinn’s Chet and Bernie series is superior, but this was really a fun lark of a novel.

Alone Time: Four Seasons, Four Cities, and the Pleasures of Solitude / Stephanie Rosenbloom
2.25 stars

The author travelled to Paris, Istanbul, and Florence, then back home to New York, and did a number of things solo. In Paris, much of what she did (or at least wrote about) was eating/food. In Istanbul, ???. In Florence, museums/art.

I think I added this to my tbr for the travelling solo aspect, as I have travelled solo (well, mostly on cruises), so I was disappointed in this one. Really it seemed to be more about the food (Paris) and the art (Florence) than anything else, and I just found that boring. There were parts where she brought in interesting tidbits about travelling alone, and the last chapter was the most interesting (at least for me), as that’s when she (finally!) focussed on travelling solo, in general. She did include a good “Tips and Tools for Going It Alone”, which I think could be useful.

Three-Inch Teeth- C.J. Box - (Wyoming)
Joe Pickett series Book #24
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
3.5★
In this story the killer isn't human, there's a killer bear, a grizzly, on the prowl in Twelve Sleep County and game warren, Joe Pickett has been assigned to a team to track down this killer bear. The descriptions of bears and particularly how incredibly dangerous they can become if provoked was right on target, as if anyone in their right mind would take on such a venture. When a longtime adversary is paroled and joins forces with an anarchist from Portland, Oregon who holds a long-time grudge, and is also a very clever tinkerer, the two begin to make things difficult in Twelve Sleep County, for Joe, his family and his friends. The characters of the two trackers…a killer grizzly and the vengeful criminals, work together in the plot extremely well. A word of warning: There is some very explicit violence. In this series, violence is frequently attacks on law enforcement and the main characters. If this is something that you would consider to be a trigger...then you may want to skip this entire series. Also, justice always prevails but it usually isn't neat or clean. When C.J. Box sticks to locating his stories to the Wyoming wilderness, he is absolutely superb. When he strays into politics...not so much. We have enough of that topic in our real lives and don't especially need it in our books. One of the reasons for the 3.5-star rating and that as a wildlife biologist and educator, I loved the title but found the plot was a bit fantastical. If you aren't looking for reality, or are a long-time fan, then you will absolutely enjoy this story.

Counterfeit – Kirstin Chen
Digital audiobook performed by Catherine Ho.
4****

Most people would consider Ava Wong a successful woman. A Chinese-American with a law degree from Stanford, a husband who is a brilliant surgeon, and an adorable toddler son, she is, apparently, living the good life. But Ava hasn’t used her expensive law degree in years, and she’s at her wit’s end trying to deal with her son’s increasingly frequent tantrums. Then she runs into her old college roommate, Winnie Fang. Winnie is from mainland China and hoping to finally get her green card. And that is why she needs Ava’s help. All Ava has to do is go to China (with her genuine USA passport) and buy some designer handbags for Winnie’s business. What could possibly go wrong?

This is an engaging, entertaining, twisty heist involving counterfeit designer goods, a scheme to trick high-end department stores out of money, and an ever-increasing number of lies told to everyone about what is really going on.

Winnie is a master manipulator. Clearly a sociopath with no moral compass other than what is good for Winnie. Ava is torn between her loyalty to her husband and son, the pressure of hiding her illegal activities, and her desire to feel as good as Winnie’s schemes make her feel. As their enterprise gets into trouble Winnie vanishes, leaving Ava to face the authorities on her own. Will she crack? Can she, alone, pull off one more scam? Should she betray Winnie to save her own skin?

Chen goes back and forth in time to tell this story, occasionally interrupting the chronological flow to give the reader a snippet of Ava’s interview with a detective. This device is handled brilliantly by Chen. Keeping the reader off balance and guessing about what will finally happen.

Catherine Ho does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and I had little difficulty keeping the two women at the core of the story straight.

>60 Carol420: Love Joe Pickett! (And C J Box!)

Roommate Arrangement - Saxon James
Divorced Men's Club series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Payne just found that his husband of 12 years has been cheating on him for the past 2 years after someone from work sent him the link to his husband’s "OnlyFans" account where the cheating husband has been uploading videos of himself with random men. Now Payne is trying to rebuild his life. While working on doing that he stays with Beau, who happens to be Payne's brother’s best friend. Beau has had his own feelings for Payne ever since high school, and although he's a bit socially awkward and an author with autistic traits, his connection with Payne is undeniable. These feelings between the two of them develop rather quickly, and their chemistry and dynamics are something special. They connect in a variety of special ways, paper cranes, coloring tattoos, pretend sword fighting, camping in the apartment. They further their connection through silly, but fun activities such as folding paper cranes, tattoo coloring sessions, broomstick sword fights and camping in the apartment or out on the patio under the stars. The only thing I disliked about the story is the same issue that I have had with a number of other romances of the genera...why should self-supporting, hardworking adult people feel that they have to keep a relationship a secret because one happens to be a friend of a family member, or a friend of a friend? I know that it's a small thing in the overall whole...but it just bugs me. In spite of that little glitch...I really did enjoy Payne and Beau's story and will search for the next book in the series.

>1 Carol420: I am way behind on reading your posts. I liked the animals in A Spirited Tale. I see you like Clive Cussler ; I am listening to his Black Wind in the car now.

>64 mnleona: I've read everything that Clive Cussler wrote before he died. His name is still on some of the newer books. I Guess it's a sort of a tribute to him. Enjoy Black Wind. I always liked Dirk Pitt.

The Last Bridge - Teri Coyne - (Ohio)
Genera: Fiction/Dysfunctional Family
3★
Trigger Warnings: Incest/Abuse/Alcoholism/Suicide
It's a story that should have a big black warning sign right on the front cover. Before we get to the third- of- the-way point in the story we are met by a young woman engrossed in her alcoholic life. She has been called home when her abusive father suffers a massive stroke, (and you can almost hear the cheering at that occurrence), and her mother kills herself. Why she didn't kill her husband a long time ago was beyond my understanding, but that would have made the story much shorter, but a great deal happier. Can you say dysfunctional??? Alexandra, (Cat), has only one real friend, and his name is "Jack Daniels" and he lives i a glass bottle. Cat is in her late 20s and has not been back to her hometown of Wilton, Ohio in ten years. She's supported herself by working as a stripper and a cocktail waitress, while living in seedy, run-down motels. When Cat arrives at the family farmhouse, she is told that her mother has shot herself in the kitchen...but hey, she was neat and tidy about it. She considerately covered the walls with plastic, placed her suicide note in a Ziploc bag and addressed it to Cat, with the message, “He isn’t who you think he is.” Both me and Cat assumed that the “he” is her now-comatose father. The rest of this family, and myself use that term loosely. Now we have new arrivals.... a younger sister, Wendy and an older brother Jared...but only Wendy asks about dear old Dad. You find this completely understandable if you have arrived this far in the story. We now learn about the summer that Cat turned 17 and what followed up to the present time. Wendy was her father's "Princess". He saved tom-boy, over-weight, Cat to take out of his hostilities and aggressions on... molesting her almost in plain sight while her mother retreated.... probably glad that it wasn't her this time. Now we are privileged to the inevitable deathbed confrontation with this "saint of fatherhood", along with Cat's drifts in and out of sobriety, and her refusal to recall the ultimate violation that finally drove her from home. Her alcoholic daze and denial provided, in her mind, the justification for the withholding several crucial revelations. Though the topic and the life that these characters were forced to live is beyond horrendous you have to ask yourself wouldn’t any normal woman/wife/girlfriend, seek help after any man chops off her fingertip, while forcing her children to watch? Would an entire town stand by while a man, especially a father drags his daughter out of an Elks Club dance by her hair? For any reader that lives a "normal", violence free life, belief is on the "back-burner" here, or sometimes even completely absent. By the half-way point you have to keep reminding yourself that it's "only a story" to keep your disbelief active, but at the end we have to remember that for countless people this is not a tale of fiction that goes away when the last word is read and the book is closed...it's every minute, every hour of their everyday lives. Another reviewer summed the heart of this story up with the statement that "Teri Coyne's story wrings new insights from what a lot of people may think are merely the overexploited topics of incest and domestic violence...but it's NOT. It's the story of the everyday life of countless women, children, and even men". The 3-star rating? Not in any way a reflection of this author's writing skills...but I don't believe anyone can honestly say they "enjoyed" this story.

Haunted Hearts - Leighton Greene - (California, England)
Friends of Friends Series Book #4
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
I wasn't too sure that I was going to like this one to begin with. Right off we are the guest at a Halloween week of fun and kink, that will end with a grand celebration gala, for the very carefully selected guests, which included Elliot, the Lord of somewhere in England that I've forgotten (sorry). Elliott's also a composer who has been hired to write a score for a Hollywood film...not because he actually wanted to write anything for a movie, but he loves composing music, and it will make him enough money to keep his mansion in England from going bankrupt for at least another couple of years. He's also trying to recover from the man who was his submissive, his boy, and was to be his husband... who literally left him at the altar, 2 years ago on what was supposed to be their wedding day....so saying he is NOT a happy man by any stretch of the imagination, would be putting it mildly. Then Oliver enters the picture. I wanted to shake Oliver at times and hug him at other times. He is a very overworked hotel concierge, that has been promised a big promotion for his efforts. He's also trying to find his place as a submissive. Everyone is gathered at this luxurious home of these two friends of Elliott and all the other guests. If you've read any of this series, you will remember having met everyone in all the other books. Oliver has taken the two weekends, of the Halloween Party off from his job and has signed a contract to be a "service sub" to the dominate guests. To his delight as well as at times his confusion he finds that his service is to be entirely, at Elliott's requests, ONLY to Elliott. At times Elliot is cold and abrupt, and Oliver is a way too sassy for a good service sub. Eventually Oliver begins to thaw Elliot’s heart, but things are still touch and go through the majority of the story. Oliver does find serenity in his service to Elliott., and the two of them really did have amazing chemistry together. The story is incredibly sexy and at times very sweet, almost like a Halloween-themed movie with a side of kink, minus the monsters and ghosts. Both men grow as the story progresses, and the ending is really amazing. This series of 5 books really needs be read in order sine all the characters wander throughout each story. Sorry to see this one end.

Midnight on The Midway - Morgan Brice
Carnival of Mysteries Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Paranormal
3.5★
On a visit to the arcade, FSBI (Federal Supernatural Bureau of Investigation) Psychic, Drake Carlson meets Garrett, and they hit it off over playing several games. They trade phone numbers and talk and a little "more" in the car. One night led to another. Someone without much respect for any law or law enforcement person, had sighted Garrett, which we knew would have catastrophic consequences. I love Morgan Brice's books; I own most of them and have reread some more than once, but I had never read any of this series...so when it came up on Hoopla I thought, "why not"? I did like the story as well as the characters, and I have to say that some elements of the story were excellent. Maybe my mistake was in comparing this one to all the other Morgan Brice shining gems; "Witchbane", "Badlands", "Treasure Trail", "Fox Hollow"...all absolutely wonderful favorites, I just finished "Castle Magic" also excellent and will be treasured...but this one didn’t quite "make the grade" for me. It was okay that the story was told in the third person with the viewpoints of Drake and Garrett alternating chapter by chapter. I also liked the banter between the two guys, and the idea of the ghostly investigation was inspired. So, what was the problem? Mostly it was some of the actions of the characters. We were told that Drake and Garrett were in their mid 30's, but they spent a great deal of the story in an arcade playing games, which was also okay...adults can/do like arcades, but they acted more like horny teen-agers than 30-year-old guys. They even fantasized over what "could be" instead of spending time dealing and working with, and letting the readers see, "what was right now"; they pretty much flew through the possibilities of their relationship before they had even started to actually explore it. The second part of the story was much, much better. The investigation part of the story started to take off, with them working well together, and we were given several additional reasons for the "Carnival of Mysteries" to be involved instead of it just being a fun place to visit. I'm going to get the next book in the series even though it is written by a different author

Will
Will Smith
4/5 stars
This is the actor Will Smith's autobiography and published in 2021. I thought this was quite an interesting book and a good read. Biography

We Sold Our Souls - Grady Hendrix - (Pennsylvania)
Genera: Music (Heavy Metal)/Horror
4★
Possible Triggers: Sexual Assault, Devil Worshipers
To begin with i have to say that this was by no means my favorite book by this author. Kris Pulaski plays in the heavy metal band, Dürt Würk in the 1990's. The band was on the on the brink of success when the lead singer, Terry Hunt, has torn the band apart and left to start a solo career. It seemed that Terry’s rise to success was at the cost of selling the souls of his friends in the band. You read it right! He sold his long-time friends' souls for rock’n’roll…or in this case, Heavy Metal. Kris’s pitiful present-day existence is working as a receptionist at the Best Western, and if you can read the "Welcome to Hell" chapter, then you will be able to follow Kris on her journey as she gets carried from Pennsylvania to a Satanic rehab center, and then to Las Vegas. She has had years of hard work, crazy and exciting, challenges and often, some very nasty experiences while on the road with the band, but these were "child's play" compared to this trip. The journey to Las Vegas is overwhelming, but Kris is on a mission...a mission that she literally can’t ignore. She meets a lot of colorful characters along the way and had a really weird thing with UPS. You'll have to read the book if you want to find out what that was. Kris was an interesting, sometimes gross, and often unpredictable character which actually made her all the more interesting. While it seems as though she has given up her Best Western job, she still is set on stopping her old bandmate, Terry Hunt. This "mission" lights a new fire under Kris, and you feel her vibe that says "don’t give up and let the system win, and don’t let the bullies push or control you". I just heard this author speak about another of his books, so after hearing him speak, I'm not at all surprised that he has cleverly used snippets of radio and newspaper articles to show how "news" travels and information, even misinformation, spreads like wildfire. If you are like me and a bit too old for the "heavy metal" era...you probably won't understand all the music references...but you will still relate to the meat of the story. Overall We Sold Our Souls is sometimes funny, it's really gross in places, it's a complexity of cleverly blended horror, pop culture, and conspiracy theories, mixed with a heavy dose of music history. I'm not at all a fan of Heavy Metal music (I use the term "music", very loosely) You don't have to like the music to just enjoy the story.

Old Bones / Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
3.75 stars

Special Agent Corrie Swanson is a rookie FBI agent. After a few months of looking into cold cases, she finally gets a chance to investigate a current case. Someone dug up a grave, then was shot and left on top of that uncovered grave; the grave, itself, was robbed, but only the top half of the remains was taken.

Archaeologist Nora Kelly is given the chance to head out on a search for a “lost camp”. In the mid-1800s, a group called the Donner Party went missing in the mountains in California and most of them died after having cannibalized many of the others. The person who brought a diary to Nora (and her institution) with a good description of how they might find this camp is a historian and a descendant of one of the Donner Party.

Initially, these “stories” don’t seem connected, but of course, they are. Corrie has an inkling (though her superior thinks it’s a stretch) as to how they might be connected (but nothing concrete). Anyway, I liked both storylines. Both women are tough, though not always likable. I thought it was a good story, and I will continue the series. Nora Kelly has been in at least one of the Agent Pendergast books, as well, and he made an appearance in this book. I didn’t know the Donner Party was a real group, though the author’s note at the end tells us that some of the main “characters” that are part of the Donner Party in this book are fictional. I like these mysteries involving archaeology; I think it’s a nice mix.

Outrun the Rain - N.R. Walker - (Australia)
Genera: M/M Romance/Weather: (Fulminologist)/ Australia Outback (Kakadu National Park)
Narrator: Glen Lloyd
5★
This is the first book in N.R. Walker’s Storm Boys trilogy. It's a same sex-couple series in which the two leads are a geeky fulminologist (someone who studies lightning), and a free-spirited storm chaser based in Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory. It’s a fairly quick, fun read, featuring likeable characters and a setting that is both awe inspiring and totally frightening at the same time.... unless meeting crocodiles in the outback during one of the frequent lightning storms, is one of your favorite things to do. It was Dr. Jeremiah Overton's, from the Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne, favorite thing to do. The guide, Tully Larson that hauled him out there tried to tell him it wasn't the smartest idea he had ever had, but off they went anyway...heading to the Northern Territory, specifically, the wilds of Kakadu National Park to study lightning strikes and storm intensity for an entire week. With both men being gay and spending a week in the "middle of nowhere", you knew from the beginning where this was heading. Before Jeremiah even got in the jeep, he was describing his guide as "nerdy and sexy", thus deciding that being stuck in the wilderness with him would NOT be a hardship. I liked that it’s a low-angst story, where all the drama is external, the storms Tully and Jeremiah experience provided plenty of danger and excitement, and there is we quickly saw that more was going to go on beneath the surface with both guys. This is a trilogy, so the author also cleverly laid the groundwork for the rest of the series. I'd like to believe she did it just for me...because I'M HOOKED!! These two characters were so easy to immediately like, the story was at times funny, sometimes sexy, and sometimes easy going. I've got books #2 & #3 in the series on their way.

Arsenic and Adobo / Mia P. Manansala
3.5 stars

Lila is a Filipino-American who was away for university, but returned to her hometown in Illinois to help her family with their restaurant. Her high school boyfriend is still in town, as is her best friend. She has a crush on her best friend’s brother, but has never acted on it; he is now a lawyer in town. Unfortunately, Lila’s high school boyfriend, Derek, has really changed. He writes restaurant reviews in the local newspaper and tends to come down really hard on them, Lila’s family’s restaurant included. But when he and his step-father are eating in the restaurant one evening, Derek falls face-first into his plate. He has been poisoned and it looks like Lila or someone in her family or at the restaurant has done it. Lila and her best friend, Adeena, try to figure out who might really be the culprit.

I liked this. There was more food descriptions in the book than I like, but it’s a cozy mystery and a lot of people like that in their cozies. For those who like that, there are recipes at the back, as well. There is also a Filipino glossary at the start, so that was handy. I did like the story, though. I also liked most of the characters and the little love triangle happening. This is the first in a series, and I liked it enough to continue.

Tempting His Daddy - A.W. Scott
Coleman Ranch Series Book #4
Genera' M/M Romance
5★
Possible Triggers: Strong Homophobia, Family Abuse
Elton is a runaway prince who is escaping the torture that his father and older brothers have dished out almost since birth. His father the king, didn't want him from the time he was born and encouraged the older brothers to beat and torture him every chance they got which was almost EVERY DAY. He found solace hidden in the secret closet of his room with his pretty dresses, shoes and wigs. The last ordered beating gave him the courage to flee hoping to find his true place in the world by running to America. How he ended up at the Coleman Ranch was ether pure luck, or some higher power was watching out for him...by sending Bobby Allen to find him and his broken-down car on the side of the road....and take him to the Coleman Ranch. Elton was both strong and skittish, just like the horses that Bobby Allen rescues and rehabilitates at the Coleman Ranch. The relationship builds as Elton learns to trust in his safety and his new life and in his friends that will do everything in their power to keep him safe. Elton knows that his father will stop at nothing to find him and the inevitable confrontation with Elton's past will eventually catch up...but he's no longer alone. This was a sweet, mildly spicy story with a caring "Daddy" and a "boy" who just wants to explore his feelings, be seen as himself, and occasionally show his feminine side...without judgement. He has found this on the Coleman Ranch, and he will do anything to keep and protect it...but he knows he is as helpless as he always was, against the power of his father. Like all the books in this series crossover characters, are featured but they can be read as a standalone.

What Happened To Ruthy Ramírez?– Claire Jiménez
Audiobook read by the author.
3.5***

Twelve years ago, thirteen-year-old Ruthy Ramírez disappeared without a trace, leaving her family emotionally scarred. But now, Jessica, her older sister, is certain that a woman participating in the latest reality TV show is really Ruthy. She tells youngest sister Nina, and the two of them concoct a plan to bring Ruthy home.

Jiménez uses multiple narrators and dual timelines to explore what happens to this family as a result of Ruthy’s disappearance. In addition to her two sisters, Ruthy’s mother, Dolores, narrates portions of this story. Yes, life has gone on, but the hole left by Ruthy’s disappearance has had a significant impact on all of them.

It’s hard not to grab onto the sliver of hope that this “maybe” Ruthy on TV gives to Jessica, Nina and Dolores. I went along on the roller coaster ride with them, and hoped, almost as desperately as they did, that they would find her and bring her home once again.

The important thing, though, is seeing how these strong women have adjusted to this tragic event; how they’ve coped and managed to continue to look to the future despite all the disappointments.

Claire Jiménez read the audiobook herself. She is not a trained voice artist, but she certainly has a passion for the story and knows what she wants to convey.

A Crack in the Edge of the World / Simon Winchester
2.25 stars

This is a “story” of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, which spawned fires, which destroyed the city. It also talks about geology, in general, in order to explain earthquakes. Winchester also goes through a history leading up to the San Francisco quake.

I listened to the audio because it’s what my library had available. I knew it was probably a bad choice, as I’ve not enjoyed Winchester’s books in the past via audio. I feel like I should like them (based on the topics), but I really would be better off to try them in print. This one got (slightly) more interesting toward the end, as he focused more on San Francisco in 1906, rather than the science/geology, in general. I am not opposed to reading about science, so I don’t necessarily think that’s the issue. I’m not sure if I don’t like his writing style, or if it’s the audios, in particular (read by Winchester, himself), that I am not a fan of.

All Hallows - Christopher Golden - (Massachusetts)
Genera: Horror
4★
We travel back to 1984. For 11 years, Tony Barbosa and his 17-year-old daughter, Chloe, have made the woods behind their house into a scary themed-liked park. Tony uses fog effects, banshee screams, and ghostly apparitions to the best advantage, taking their overall effect very seriously. He is determined that he is going to make this year's "fright-event" the very best, as it will be the last one that he and Chloe will present. Just a few hours before it opens, a group of creepy, oddly very aggressive children, all unrepentantly creepier than usual costumes and melting makeup, that looks very real, show up demanding protection from a punishing force, for lack of a better word. They call this force the "Cunning Man". Shortly, a series of terrible, frightening, and unusual events start to happen, with especially frightening results for Donnie Sweeney, a man who everyone knows is an "adulterous charmer" who has told everyone that Tony's wife was one of his conquests, and a pedophiliac couple that the neighborhood knows has abused children in their home. "Nothing in these woods could be more dreadful, more terrifying, than the selfish cruelty of ordinary people,", is what Tony thinks, but then a series of bizarre killings, dismemberments, and gruesome possessions quickly change his mind. In his attempt to liven up the usual Halloween troupe, Chrstopher Golden has succeeded by making this book completely blood-freezing, and creating characters you would not expect to be attacked or become victims in other equally gruesome ways...victims. It includes almost the entire town of characters, including a group of mischievous teenagers. Sadly, at the end the entire theme of the story goes off the "chill track". It does have some good tales and some clever phenomena...such as "The Cunning Man", a 7-foot creature with flaming eyes who is mostly seen from a distance. It was still enjoyable if not a completely bone- chilling story. It will probably satisfy most horror story fans.

Elvis And the Dearly Departed – Peggy Webb
1*

Book number one in the “Southern Cousins” mystery series is a bust.

Elvis is a basset hound owned by Callie Valentine Jones. Well, she and her soon-to-be ex are fighting over custody of Elvis. Callie is a beautician whose claim to fame is preparing the recently deceased for the family viewing at her uncle’s funeral parlor in Tupelo, Mississippi. But when the corpse of a prominent physician goes missing, Callie and her cousin Lovie (who is the funeral parlor’s caterer) head to Las Vegas to retrieve the body. The chief suspect is the doctor’s mistress, Bubble Malone, a Vegas showgirl. Needless to say, the road trip doesn’t go as planned and the cousins hightail it back to Tupelo.

I like a cute and sassy cozy mystery as well as any reader. I love eccentric characters and outlandish plots. But I DO expect at least a semblance of a coherent plot. And at least SOME law enforcement involvement. In this case, I think the author was trying way too hard to make this “cute” and “sassy” and failed to deliver any plot worth remembering.

I would rather have had more info about Elvis’s assignation with the cute French Poodle in heat. (But he’s too much of a Southern gentleman to kiss and tell.)

Feel free to skip this one.

The Nomadic Devil / Genoveva Ortiz
3.5 stars

Israel Keyes was a serial killer. This short story/novella delves into his home life and the crimes he committed (and some that he may have committed). It is part of a true crime series that is meant to be an easy style of reading to make it more accessible to more people.

I have not heard of this guy before, but I always find these books interesting. I dislike how short they are, though. It would be nice if they could go into more detail in these books, but at the same time, I “get” what they are trying to do. These books also include a bit of a biography, as well, but I also like reading biographies, so I’m ok with that.

Date in A Pinch - Brigham Vaughn - (Michigan)
Part of the Naughty in Pembleton Series (1 of 5 books)
Genera: M/M Romance/ Light BDSM
5★
Neal and Alexander are both high school teachers that meet because of a "kinky" accident. A package was delivered to the school to the wrong person. Without realizing that it wasn't for him Neil opens it and finds it full of "kinky Playthings" and sees then that it's addressed to Alexander, the hot, sexy, good-looking fellow teacher across the hall from his room. Neil has no earthly idea how he is going to be able to return the package without blushing...but he has been trying to find a way to explore his submissive side....and maybe Alexander can help. Alexander is a Dom who has been looking for a play partner. Both guys are coming off of bad relationships, so both are cautious. They have already been playfully flirting in the school mailroom, but with the arrival of this private package accidently getting delivered to the wrong room and to the school instead of Neil's home, things start to heat up. There needed to be rules...so they set rules, the main one being that their playtime will always be casual. You know how that went...everyone in town, including Neil’s mother believes that they are a couple. Thus, they have to decide if that's what they want to be. I really liked both the Neil and Alexander characters. Their dynamic was off the charts! Neil being fairly new to the scene made a few mistakes and wrong assumptions about BDSM. It was also nice to see that while he was very submissive in some places, Neil definitely had a backbone when dealing with his day-to-day life...his parents, which were great folks, and even Alexander who he didn't allow to walk all over him either. Their dynamic worked both ways and we saw both guys taking care of each other. I do wish that there had been a bit more details of some of the BDSM scenes, but overall, this was a really good book with sweet, lovable characters, coupled with a realistic depiction of kink. I'm looking forward to visiting Pembleton again and meeting another couple.

One Of Us Is Next – Karen M McManus
Digital audiobook performed by Maria Liatis, Holly Linneman, Fred Berman and Karissa Vacker.
2.5**

This is a sequel to the immensely popular One of Us is Lying. I understand the pressure, especially in the YA market, to produce series, especially when you have a hit with the first effort. But I think the author should have quit when she was ahead.

It’s a year after the events of the first book and those students have moved on to college or careers. But social media needs to fill the gossip void and all sorts of copy-cat apps have appeared in the meantime. Simon may be long gone, but someone seems determined to keep his legacy alive. And this time it’s a challenge game: Truth or Dare.

If you refuse the dare some “truth” about you will be revealed, and after the first student is targeted and her dark secret is revealed, everyone quickly decides that the best way to deal with whoever is running the game is to take the dare. And then the game turns deadly.

I really did not like this sequel. I was never invested in the kids and thought the plot was manipulative (although, that was probably the point). Just way too much drama for drama’s sake, in my opinion.

The ending leads me to believe a further sequel might be in the works. If so, I won’t bother to read it.

The audiobook was performed by four talented voice artists, which helped in determining which of the characters was narrating.

Bone White - Ronald Malfi - (Alaska)
Genera: Horror/Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
5★
Dread’s Hand...don't you love this name(?)...is a little town buried deep in the Alaskan wilderness. While...as the ominous name suggests... it has had a gory and bloody history, and the locals seem to live in an uneasy peace. Or at least they did until Joe Mallory wanders into Tabby’s luncheonette, orders a hot chocolate, and casually announces to the customer's that he is a serial killer. When this brings the cops and journalists to town, with them comes our protagonist, Paul Gallo. Danny, Paul's twin, turned up missing a year ago...his rental car stranded...his communication completely cut off. Since then, Paul has fought hard for some type of closure. Then when eight decapitated bodies are unearthed, he becomes desperate to know what exactly had happened to his brother. Hoping to find answers, he travels from his home in Maryland to Dread’s Hand, Alaska, determined to find his answers. Needless to say, his reception is anything but welcoming, and when he finally unveils the truth, it’s not what he could, or would, ever have expected. The setting of the little town of Dread Hand is absolutely perfect for this tale. Ronald Malfi's writing is also perfect, but I would never expect anything less from him. You want tension? It's off the wall with every turn of the page. This story for all its horror, is a slow burner...but never a dull moment...loaded with tension and suspense. I've read some reviews that stated that the story drags, but I found that it is more like just a slow and methodical build-up, making the eventual ending far more unsettling and far more rewarding than the reader might expect.

The Spamalot Diaries
by Eric Idle
4/5 stars
This is the story of Eric Idle's creation of his play Spamalot. Our family had seen the play in Chicago years ago and it was very enjoyable and so was his book! A Dozen Film and TV Books

The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay
5***** ❤️

Oh where do I begin with the glories that are this book? It brings the heartbreak and beauty that live in the world(s) of Guy Gavriel Kay, interconnected tales of Byzantium and southern France and medieval Spain. Now we have the realms of England and Wales and the Vikings, told as they begin to shift and change from constant invasion and warfare to wisdom and tentative alliance.

The book begins on the island of Rabady and delves into the ways and customs of the Erlings, starting with the theft of a grey stallion by an exiled warrior's son, Bern. And Bern manages to escape his fate, with the stallion, while he pursues a warrior's way amongst the fierce mercenaries of Jormsvik on the mainland.

Into the tale, told in a bit of hindsight, is the rise of King Aeldred of the Anglcyns, last survivor of his royal line when the Erling raiders slaughter his father and brother. Aeldred manages to survive in the Anglcyn marshes for a season with two brothers-in-arms, attracting more Anglcyn survivors to him, until he makes his revenge on the Erling raiders and wins back his kingdom.

By the time of the main storyline, King Aeldred has established peace in his kingdom for 25 years, married and has 4 children, and is set to have his third annual fair and festival with the rebuilding of his kingdom. The cleric, Ceinion, of the Cyngael, journeys between the Anglcyn kingdom and that of the Cyngael.

The Cyngael are represented by the Arbreth and the Cadyr, two factions who are often caught stealing cattle and raiding one another's farms, and that is how Alun and Dai enter the tale when they try to start a cattle raid on Brynn ap Hywll's farm and holdings. It is in the land of the Cyngael that a hint of magic takes place, with the Fae and their Queen and mysterious lights that hint at another world coexisting with the one in this tale.

The language of this book is one of longing and sorrow and hope and youth, and weaves in observations about the commonality of human experience and knowledge and what happens when fates and choices overlap. I especially liked the bits of lives of incidental characters, who would never make it into the songs or history books, but whose lives are forever changed by encounters with the larger world.

Three Hainish Novels by Ursula K. Le Guin
5***** ❤️

Perhaps the best word to sum up this collection is "poignant." All three of the novels from Ursula K. Le Guin's Hainish universe have an element of loss, starting with "Rocannon's World." Two storylines are woven together here, on a planet that has a medieval feel with its hierarchies and impoverished ruling class. One storyline is that of an impoverished wife of an impoverished lord who takes an interstellar journey to retrieve her family's inheritance and returns years later with her heirloom necklace. The other involves the namesake of this book, Rocannon, who is preparing to return to his ship and shipmates only to find his spaceport blown apart.

The second book, "Planet of Exile," deals with more primitive peoples on this world, living near the exiles from Terra who are unable to return to their homeland. Time on this planet is much different than on Terra, due to the rotation of the planet with its moon. Le Guin's skill in anthropology is shown to its fullest when explaining how peoples' culture adapts when a moon phase is 400 days long.

Finally, in "City of Illusions," we journey with Falk whose memories only begin when he is a man stumbling through a forest and into a small settlement. Who he was as a child, where he came from, are all blanks for him. As he journeys from this settlement after a number of years, he finds out he is on Terra and the technology of the past, the learnings of the past, are all forbidden so as not to raise the interest of the Shing. And in this story we learn that the League of All Worlds is dissolved, also because of the Shing. At the end of Falk's journey he meets the Shing and discovers not just his past but also his planet and his own starship's disaster.