A Spot of Earl Slay by Aubrey Elle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m ready to visit Fayette, and all it’s fun and quirky characters. I would hate to find a dead body in the shed of a home I just bought. I was trying to figure out whodunnit right along with Naomi and Ella. This is such a fun, easy read. Perfect for the beach!
Return to Hoodoo: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel by Reggi Dupree
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Such a fun read. The characters were fun, especially Gwen. The story had a good flow which made it an easy read. I enjoyed the snark, and found myself smiling throughout the book. It ended with questions unanswered, so I am looking forward to reading the next book. I typically don’t like the cliffhanger style, but I did like this one.
Notebook Mysteries ~ Suspicions by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I just love being able to visit my “friends” in this series again. Of course, Emma is my favorite. In each book she has several mysteries to solve, but this time it seems to affect her differently. There’s a lot to this one; it is thrilling, quirky in a good way, and heart-wrenching. I can’t wait for book 6 to come out.
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What I Wish I’d Known: For Writers: 100 Authors Reveal What They Wish They’d Told Their Younger Selves by H. D. Thomson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As a person that has started writing, put it down, and picked it up again this book has been inspiring to me. I would say that this is a great resource for aspiring authors. There are 100 authors that were willing to share what inspires or motivates them, and what some struggle with. They share tips on time management, character building, editing, etc. There were many authors that shared their pearls of wisdom that I had not heard of before, but one bonus to that is now I have found several new authors to read.
Shore Lodge: A high-stakes psychological thriller by Susan Specht Oram
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was most definitely a page turner from the start. I felt so bad for Jacklyn, first to lose her husband and then be stuck at the “retreat.” I knew it had to be a creepy place when her young grandson even said he wouldn’t like it. There are twists and turns in this well written psychological thriller. I didn’t realize it was part of a series, so I will be continuing on with it, and recommending it to others!
Straight for the Kill by Winter Austin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the third book in a series, but I found that it could stand alone. I have yet to read the first two. The characters and plot certainly kept my attention. I finished it in one night, because I just didn’t want to put it down. There’s murder, suspense, mystery, and twists! I just thought I had it figured out.
Chatroom With A View by Glenn Maynard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book grabbed my attention from the start, but it was a lot. It was creepy, dark, and twisted. I don’t know if I have ever not liked a character as much as I didn’t like Troy. This was a fast-paced read, and I felt like the ending was rushed. I kind of feel like there should be some trigger warnings on this one.
Delicious Death by Byrd Nash
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Fun, quick and easy read for me. It felt like a cozy mystery with a few ghosts thrown in, which makes total sense with Elinor being a Ghost Talker. Being a visual person, I enjoyed picturing each and every scene. This is the second part of a six-part novella, and I read it first for one reason only; I wanted to see if it truly stood alone. In my opinion, it does. I would even feel comfortable suggesting this book to my 16-year-old granddaughter.
Ladybugs for Loretta by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Such a cute book. As a ladybug lover, I appreciate the need to teach littles about them, and how to care for them. The illustrations are great! I have added this to my list of books to gift little friends.
Super Enemies by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My sister and I bickered back and forth quite a bit when we were young, so this book brought back those memories. It is a silly book, kind of funny for an adult, and possibly helpful to a child. Possibly. Great illustrations.
Falling Home by Libby Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Christmas is a busy time, and this book was a quick read which was a perfect escape for me. I love second-chance love stories, I guess because my husband and I have one. This was a well-balanced book with Christmas story and real life. Such a sweet book, and I could see myself loving Buckeye Falls. I hope we get to see these characters again.
Road to the Mansfield by CB Laurence
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love a good book blurb, and this one has a good one, it certainly piqued my interest. For a book that has three stories in one, it was an easy read that kept me turning the pages late into the night. The first story made me think of the song Fancy by Reba McEntire, and then I read more about the author and the series was based on a different Reba McEntire song, Because of You. Just when you think you have everything figured out, there’s a plot twist or turn. I love it when that happens. I am not a huge fan of cliffhanger endings, but the second book in the series is available so I can’t be to upset.
Kamana Wanalaya for the Holidays by Susan Renee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
First things first, this is the first time I’ve read anything by Susan Renee, but it will not be the last. And this isn’t even my go-to genre. FUN- There is so much fun in this book, starting with the title. Don’t believe me? Just sound it out for yourself. There’s a fun bet between The Grinch and The Love Guru, and so much more spicy fun. FUNNY – Read the first line of the book, and then tell me that it isn’t funny. I mean, we’ve heard the line many times before, but it actually made me laugh out loud this time. There are all kinds of funny quips and bits. MORE FUN – As I said before, this was my first time to read anything by Susan Renee, but apparently, she has lots of books, and in those books, she has lots of lovable characters. She has interlaced the different characters of the different books into this spicy, holiday, rom com! How cool is that?!? Now, pardon me while I go get to know the other characters in their own stories.
The Veil by Wanda Luthman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I love a good biblical fiction story, but this one just wasn’t what I expected. Not in a bad way though. It is well-written, inspirational, and an interesting take on this Bible story. If you are looking for a quick and easy read, then you will surely like this one. It made me want to go to my Bible and read Isaiah 53, and I did.
A Christmas to Remember: An Anthology from 5 Prince Publishing by Bernadette Marie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Seven different stories with different characters, different authors, and different Christmas vibes. This might be the first anthology I have read and reviewed but it will not be my last! I love Christmas and find myself watching all the Christmas Hallmark movies every November. This year, I added this book, and cannot be happier. It’s like reading the script of Christmas movies, and I believe each one would be great on screen. I would also, like to see some of the stories continued. They are believable, clean (a big plus for me), and sweet. I have found seven new authors to read, and I can’t wait to read more from them.
Better Gnomes & Gardens by Casey Cardel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Cute, cute, cute. Classical cozy mystery with gnomes, leprechauns, werewolves, and an investigative reporter trying to solve the mystery of the missing gnomes. Not my typical read, but about six or seven chapters in I was hooked. I see that it is the first book in a series to come, and I think the characters will develop more throughout the series. To me this is a great start to a lovely series in a quirky little mystical town.
Divided Lives by K.R. Mullins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Divided Lives is a historical drama unlike any other I have had the pleasure of reading. When I started reading, I had no idea it was a lesbian/bisexual romance, or that it would be a steamy romance. Those steamy scenes just aren’t for me, and I don’t think they add anything to the story line. That is the reason I am giving the three stars, and I’d give it three and a half but it won’t let me. I’d give it that half a star extra because I just had to know what happened to Lottie, Rose, Frank, Hen, and all the other fabulous characters.
I recently read the Notebook Mysteries by the same author, different pen name, and was so pleased to be back with those people. I love K.R. Mullins writing style, the details of the time period, and the way she develops her characters. It did take a little bit for me to get used to the flashbacks, the flip-flopping between past and present, but I did get comfortable with it by the end.
Musical Murder Mystery Boxed Set #1 by K.L. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Only one word is needed to describe this set of books, and it is FUN! I know there’s murder, and possible catfishing, but these are a set of cozy mysteries you should read! The three books are titled after musicals: 1) The Sound of Murder (The Sound of Music), 2) West Side Murder (West Side Story), and 3) Little Shop of Murder (Little Shop of Horrors).
Ruby has a special way of remembering clues to each crime, and in The Sound of Murder I was singing her new version every time she added a clue. In West Side Murder, I laughed out loud at the antics in the retirement community (The Golfers and The Palmers). Some of the characters reminded me of people I know in real life. In Little Shop of Murder, there was a surprise ending.
All three of these books are entertaining, funny, and sweet with a little murder thrown in. They are well-written, characters are developed throughout the series, and each could stand alone. But you will get so much more enjoyment out of reading them in order.
Notebook Mysteries ~ Unexpected Outcomes by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Things are certainly not what they seem in this series, and the fourth book isn’t any different. I really like reading books that are exciting from the first page, and author Kimberly Mullins seems to have that down to an art. Emma and Jeremy are in a train wreck, a strange woman is dancing with Emma’s Papa, and Emma is adding more and more to her resume. I love reading about the family dynamics. The writing is very true to the times. I am not very big on romance books, but the Notebook Mysteries series is perfectly balanced for me. There is more mystery than there is lovey dovey, and those are my kind of books! I am going to be sending the whole set to my fifteen-year-old granddaughter.
Notebook Mysteries Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I rarely have favorites of anything, and I might have to declare Kimberly Mullins as one of my favorite authors! Here we have another fast-paced adventure with Emma and her special team. She’s added another job description to her ever growing resume, and is becoming quite the sleuth. In book one, Emma would write her observations down in her little black notebooks, and then solve mysteries no one had even asked her to solve. In books two and three, she is becoming more and more involved with a detective agency, and in this Christmas Novella she is asked by a colleague to investigate his father’s death at his haunted house.
Emma is an independent, strong-willed woman that has many talents. This would be a great book, and series for that matter, for young and old alike. And, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the lovely recipes!
Emma by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Can you just imagine what a second-generation German bakery must smell like? Sixteen-year-old Emma works in her family’s bakery, and the way the desserts are described makes me long for a scratch-n-sniff right there on the page. They make German Chocolate Cake, German Butter Cake with Egg Liquor, Berliner Pfannkuchen, Snickerdoodles, and more. Honestly, I had to look up a few of the desserts named in the book to get a visual. Kimberly Mullins was even nice enough to put the recipes in the back of the book!
Look at me jumping to the food. Let me tell you about this brilliantly engaging story of Emma and her escapades. Emma is very observant, and smart. She writes in her little black notebooks of all the happenings of each day. She has someone following her every move, and that is when that mystery grabbed my attention. When she is not working in the bakery, she is helping with the deliveries, and this is where another mystery begins. Let me just say that this story is full of other stories. There are mysteries (yes, plural), a bit of romance, an eighty-year-old that teaches her to throw knives to protect herself, and family secrets that come to light.
You cannot go wrong with this book! Please excuse me while I go get the second book in this series.
