#bookwyrm's hoard reviews

[bookwyrmshoard]

The Time for Love (Stephanie Laurens) - Pleasant but bland

Ever since Laurens left Avon (or perhaps was dropped? I have never been sure), her novels have been OK, but not exceptional. They seem somewhat lackluster, particularly in comparison to her original Cynster series (and of those, particularly the first 8 or 10.) I have continued reading her books for old time’s sake, and to revisit well-loved characters. After the last several books, I was almost ready to call it quits, but I can’t seem to let go of the hope that she will return to form, so I bought her latest Cynster Next Generation novel, The Time for Love. And it was… better than OK, but still not up to her prior standard. Martin Cynster, youngest son of Vane and Patience ( A Rake's Vow , Cynsters #2) has put off love and marriage for rather a long time in favor of pursuing his business interests. Now in his late 30s, he is in Sheffield, attempting to buy the Carmichael Steelworks. He is unaware that the majority owner, Sophia Carmichael, is a chemical engineer of considerable skill, runing the steelworks and overseeing the development of new alloys herself. (Yes, this is highly unlikely in 1863, but just go with it.) Martin proves remarkably flexible in his views vis-a-vis a woman’s place—or perhaps it’s not so remarkable, given the plethora of strong-willed, independent woman who have married or been born into the Cynster family over the years. All of them have found ways to be full partners in their marriages, often despite the protectiveness of their Cynster husbands and/or relatives. At any rate, Martin rapidly reassesses his goal; while he still wants the steelworks, he realizes its worth depends on the woman at the helm… a lady by whom he is instantly captivated. To be honest, I immediately suspected his motives—is it Sophy or the steelworks that he wants most? Thankfully, by the end of the book, it’s clear that Sophy comes first. But of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. A series of “accidents” has plagued Carmichael Steelworks in recent months, and Martin arrives in time to see one and save Sophy from another. The novel proceeds as a fairly typical Laurens-style mystery-romance, with a range of suspects: a business rival of Martin’s; the heads of such organized crime as exists in Sheffield; a mysterious stranger seen talking with Sophy’s prig of a cousin, Edward; and either or both of Sophy’s cousins (and fellow shareholders.) Despite the accidents and even a kidnapping, the tension overall felt muted. I’m not sure how much of that was due to the writing and how much to the fact that it’s a romance (so I knew basically where things were headed), but some is undoubtedly the fault of the writing. If Laurens’s earlier books can maintain the tension even on subsequent rereads, while this one struggles to achieve a similar level of tension even on the first reading, it’s got to be something in the writing and/or pacing. The revelation of the villain and the pair’s confrontation with him ultimately fell flat, and (spoiler alert!) I found his apparent about-face in the epilogue completely unbelievable. That said, Martin and Sophy (particularly Sophy) are likeable enough as characters, and the historical details about Sheffield’s steel industry are interesting (though I can’t vouch for their accuracy, since that’s neither a field nor an era in which I can claim much expertise.) I enjoyed the book while I was reading it, but I can’t say that it will stay with me in any lasting way. Call it the bookish equivalent of a sugar cookie: sweet (although there is one steamy scene), pleasant, but rather bland. Review originally published on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Hoard. Qualifies for the following challenges: COYER Upside Down Ch. 1.

#book review #historical romance #stephanie laurens #the time for love #cynsters next gen #bookwyrm's hoard reviews

[therealimintobooks]

The Backlist Reader Challenge 2024 #BacklistReader 

The 2024 Backlist Reader Challenge is hosted by the Bookwyrm’s Hoard. The point of this challenge is to read those backlist books, published before 2023. If you would like to join, you can sign up here. Details To count for the challenge, books have to be published before 2023 AND already be on your TBR list or pile.  Create a goal or sign-up post on your blog  *Optional* Review the books you…

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#The Backlist Reader Challenge 2024

[caffeinated-fae]

Review | Into The Woods by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim

I finally chose what book to read for my #ClearingTheHoard Bookwyrm Challenge! Take a look at my review of Into The Woods to see what I thought! #BookReview #BookBlogger

Title: Into The Woods Author: James Lapine & Stephen Sondheim Genre: Theater/Play Publisher: Theatre Communications Group Publication: 12/23/2014 first published in 1987 Read: January 2020 Format: Print Pages: 140 Rating: 4 Caffeinated Stars Trigger Warnings: Cheating, murder, dark humor & inaccurate use of the word rape

Goodreads Summary:

Experience the original musical from Stephen Sondheim…

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#Book Blogger #Book Lover #Book Review #Bookdragon #Books #Bookworm #Bookwyrm #Clearing the Hoard #Into The Woods #James Lapine #Play #Reading #Stephen Sondheim #Theater

[listing-to-port]

Happy birthday to this, again (part two)

Listing to port is THREE today so, as is traditional, here is a list of the posts from that past year, in two parts, of which this is the second. Once again facilitated by the R interface to the tumblr api. Previously on listing to port: year one part one; year one part two; year two part one; year two part two; year three part one.

On human mechanisms: Wakings; Nine things we have not done yet; On rewards; Ten things that the young folk are doing these days; Mothers; Eight activation energy problems; Ten rules of thumb; Some commonly-abbreviated names; Six other senses; Eight gender reveals; Fears; Eleven love letters; Personality traits; Nine eligible bachelors; Ten dubious schoolmates; Sleeplands; Ten sudden enthusiasms; Nine sense-memories transfigured for the modern spirit; Things I have sometimes mistaken for knowing what I’m talking about; Ten people who were at the buffet but left before the inevitable disaster; Nine feelings, repurposed; Ten more love languages; Nine replies from the diary; Nine blood oaths; Notions; Surprising intersections of personal obsessions; Eight prisons; Nine pointless battles; Hasty decisions; Eight reasons why the nursery is closed.

On myths and magic and stories: Seven reasons the giants have left this Earth and dwell in peace amongst the stars; Nine characters who have not yet found their trope; Six Shakespeare adaptations; Nine more muses; Eight rejected adventures; The presidential libraries of the old gods; Ten wizards at the door; The safer of the fairy fruits; Nine river spirits; Nine unseen alphabets; On that night; Nine reasons dragons hoard; Seven acts of sympathetic magic; Eight tiny dragons; Modern demons; Small myths; Seven sons; Seven castaways; Ten dryads; Seven vampires; Ten great reveals; Nine magic systems; Seven tales of nautical peril; Eight bookwyrms; What kind of monster does this? A case-by-case analysis; Eight fairy tails; Seven early ghost stories; Nine calls to kingship; Eight happy endings for birds; Waves; Eight inconvenient weres; Nine hybrid beasts; Omens from the flight of birds; Seven escalations in peril; Nine merthings; Eight unicorns; Eight fairy facts.

On puzzles, conundrums and games: Nine failed riddles; Nine Winter Olympic sports; The culprit; a list; Eight reasons why the chicken crossed the road; Eight ways to solve crime; Seven long balls; Eight solutions to various problems; Nine reasons why that baby never wore the shoes; Mazes; Ten answers; Investigators; Ten keys to uninteresting mysteries.

On technology and things arising from technology: Nine internet debating positions; Eight mystical programming languages; Six ways out of the bot factory; Crimes of the virtual world; Nine privacy policies; Seven sonic weapons; Seven safety announcements; Eight signs that you are in a simulation; Nine secret lairs; Ten renewable energy sources; Seven future bugs; Eight mystical files; Seven things that will be gamified; Nine stories of the death of websites; Bugs.

On the natural world: Thirty pieces of silver; Seven things heard through grapevines; Nine promises pulled from the bark of a tree; Nine dawns; Deserts; Storms; Nine ways to get lost in the wilderness; Seven Springs; Seven moods of the sea; Falling water; Things in the heart of the rose; Types of bird; Things that have been melting; Seven British birds; Seven woods; Eight heavy plants crossing; Shorelines; Places the rain may carry you to; Seven archipelagoes; Clouds; Nine ways to the sea; Metals; Ten types of sunlight; Ten ways that birds find their way home; Trees; Autumns; Seven peaceful meadows; Nine ways that bees disrespect the laws of physics; Seven forests to get lost in; Nine habitats; Reasons why two or more trees may be standing together; Some other things that were beneath the volcano; Tree honorifics; Nine visits from Winters; Fields; Nine mountain passes; Nine unusual Winter weathers; Nine secrets of the uttermost depths.

On things (general): Advanced skills for modern generalists; Seven things that are small and drifting; Eight things that were what they were; Things that rock; Unknown things; Things it is bad to step on in the dark; Things in the margins; Ten things that go bump in the night; Nine dead things rising; Ten spirits of unremarkable things; Eight things that have been replaced with things that are approximately the same size; Things in the air; Things that have been swallowed by the sea.

On time and space: Space missions; Quotidian futures; Six incorrect theories proposed by aliens; Seven geometries of time; Fortunes; Seven true promises of eternity; Seven not-quite-dystopias; Timelines; Seven books that have yet to be written; Nine landscapes of the old world; What she says and what she means, women are from Venus edition; Seven solar systems; Seven things happening to the stars; Twelve great new jobs available to humanity after the arrival of the alpha centurans; Eight rovers; Twelve convenient apocalypses; Seven very specific dystopias; Ten ghosts of Winter nights to come; Futures; Nine tremendously welcoming planets that you should visit; Nine things to check should you find an empty world; Eight tales of the death of stars; Eight first steps on Mars; Products available seventy million years from now in the case that humans fill the marketing niche for the dominant species of the time that tyrannosaurus rex now fills for humans; Ten myths of the far future.

On transportation and infrastructure: Seven dread infrastructures; Ten roads less travelled; Places that the aeroplane went; Descents; Journeys; Seven views from an unfamiliar train; Seven mean streets; Int. the airport, night: scenes; Eight roads to ruin; Ten trains and the places they go; Waymarks; Nine cartographers; Six live cables; Eight marketplaces, and what may be bought there; Ten signal fires; Eight reviews of the facilities; Buildings in the distant mountains; Maps; Ten ways to stop people crossing the edge of the map; Twelve lovely villages out on the old moor that are absolutely worth a visit; Seven pumpkin modes of transportation; Nine submariners; Fifteen faces that have launched things; Hinterlands; Twelve train stations; Seven roadside attractions.

Poems and suchlike: Let us have less Winter; Six complete poems; A villanelle; On queues.

Short stories and suchlike: Miranda come at last to dust; The interlibrary loan; On light’s many lovers and your mayfly lives; The originals; Ten things the city takes; Sunday chain #30; Sunday chain #31.

#lists #writing #birthdays #three #listing to port

[jenniferfaye34]

#Giveaway ~ Death at High Tide (An Island Sisters Mystery) by Hannah Dennison... #books #readers #CozyMystery #booklovers

Death at High Tide: An Island Sisters Mystery by Hannah Dennison

About Death at High Tide

Death at High Tide: An Island Sisters Mystery Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Publisher: Minotaur Books (August 18, 2020) Hardcover: 304 pages ISBN-10: 1250194482 ISBN-13: 978-1250194480 Digital ASIN: B0818PVX81

Death at High Tide is the delightful first installment in the Island Sisters series by Hannah Dennison, featuring two sisters who inherit an old hotel in the remote Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall and find it full of intrigue, danger, and romance.

When Evie Mead’s husband, Robert, suddenly drops dead of a heart attack, a mysterious note is found among his possessions. It indicates that Evie may own the rights to an old hotel on Tregarrick Rock, one of the Isles of Scilly.

Still grieving, Evie is inclined to leave the matter to the accountant to sort out. Her sister Margot, however, flown in from her glamorous career in LA, has other plans. Envisioning a luxurious weekend getaway, she goes right ahead and buys two tickets—one way—to Tregarrick.

Once at the hotel—used in its heyday to house detective novelists, and more fixer-upper than spa resort, after all—Evie and Margot attempt to get to the bottom of things. But the foul-tempered hotel owner claims he's never met the late Robert, even after Evie finds framed photos of them—alongside Robert's first wife—in his office. The rest of the island inhabitants, ranging from an ex-con receptionist to a vicar who communicates with cats, aren't any easier to read.

But when a murder occurs at the hotel, and then another soon follows, frustration turns to desperation. There’s no getting off the island at high tide. And Evie and Margot, the only current visitors to Tregarrick, are suspects one and two. It falls to them to unravel secrets spanning generations—and several of their own—if they want to make it back alive.

About Hannah Dennison

Hannah Dennison was born and raised in Hampshire but spent more than two decades living in California. She has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant and Hollywood story analyst. For many years Hannah taught mystery writing workshops at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program in Los Angeles, California.

Hannah writes the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries and the Vicky Hill Mysteries both set in the wilds of the Devonshire countryside where she now lives with her two high-spirited Hungarian Vizslas.

Author Links - Webpage Facebook Twitter Goodreads Instagram

Purchase Links - Amazon Barnes & Noble IndieBound Books A Million

a Rafflecopter giveaway TOUR PARTICIPANTS August 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW August 10 – Baroness' Book Trove – REVIEW August 10 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT August 10 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT August 11 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW August 11 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW August 11 – Angel's Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT August 11 – Christy's Cozy Corners – REVIEW August 12 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW August 12 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT August 12 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT August 12 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST August 13 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW August 13 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLLIGHT August 13 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT August 13 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST August 14 – eBook addicts – REVIEW August 14 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW August 14 – Hearts & Scribbles - SPOTLIGHT August 14 – Gimme The Scoop Reviews – GUEST POST August 15 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW August 15 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW August 15 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT August 15 – Sneaky the Library Cat's Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW August 16 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT August 16 – Brooke Blogs - CHARACTER GUEST POST August 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT August 16 – The Bookwyrm's Hoard – REVIEW Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

#Death at High Tide #An Island Sisters Mystery #Hannah Dennison #Cozy Mystery #Great Escapes Book Tours #Hearts & Scribbles

[mysteryshelf]

BLOG TOUR - Of Murder and Men

  Welcome to

THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF!

DISCLAIMER: This content has been provided to THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF by Great Escapes Book Tours. No compensation was received. This information required by the Federal Trade Commission.

Of Murder and Men (A Cat Latimer Mystery) by Lynn Cahoon

Of Murder and Men (A Cat Latimer Mystery) Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series Kensington (November 28, 2017) Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages ISBN-13: 978-1496704399 Digital ASIN: B06XFJCBTD Audio ISBN-13: 978-1541460300

Love is in the air in Aspen Hills, and it’s making a terrible mess of Cat Latimer’s writers’ retreat—especially when blood stains the plot . . .

Ever since her business partner, Shauna, fell for a wealthy landowner in town, Cat has been working double time to keep her writers’ retreat running. And with the January session almost underway, that spells trouble. As if scheduling mishaps aren’t disastrous enough, Shauna skips out on kitchen duties one morning, forcing Cat to serve unsuspecting guests store-bought muffins . . .

But best laid plans really go awry when Shauna discovers her beau missing from their bed. When his body later turns up in the horse barn, they quickly find out the victim’s scandalous lifestyle left many dying for revenge. While balancing an eccentric group of aspiring writers and a suspect list for the record books, Cat soon finds herself on the heels of a killer—and authoring her most deadly conclusion yet . . .

Interview with the Author

What initially got you interested in writing?

I’ve always been a story teller. When I was a little girl, the closet became the gateway to the dungeon and the Catalpa tree, a green been tree.  When my life was hard, I made up stories to get through. And when I had breast cancer, I decided to make sure I followed my dream.

  What genres do you write in?

Cozy mystery and romance. I do love my happy ever after endings and knowing that good can conquer evil.

  What drew you to writing these specific genres?

While I was going through breast cancer treatments, I had a lot of time to read. I’d pick up a mystery and love it and read everything from that author. Then I’d pick up a new mystery and hate it. I soon learned the ones I loved were called cozy mysteries.

  How did you break into the field?

For mystery, I had a manuscript I’d sent to every agent in the known universe (or at least it felt that way.) I finally realized that Kensington took unagented manuscripts and I’d worked with one of their editors during a chapter contest for my local RWA group. So I sent it off and waited. I’d broken into romance with several small presses a year before so I was busy writing and promoting. When my editor bought the book and offered me a series, I jumped.

  What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

I write fun. I want people to love my characters as much as I do.

  What do you find most rewarding about writing?

Hearing that my stories got someone through a bad time. Since I leaned on books to get me through my bad times, I’m so thankful my books were there for someone else. That’s humbling and rewarding at the same time.

  What do you find most challenging about writing?

Getting through the middle. I’m a pantser so I kind of know what’s going to happen at the beginning and the end of a book. The middle is hard. And it takes time to get the work right.

  What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?

Keep writing. You get better with each book. If you think your first book is wonderful, write book two. Then another. I bet the fourth one will be even better.

  What type of books do you enjoy reading?

I love books that have a satisfying ending (not everyone dies…) I love series and finding out a little more each book about a town and it’s inhabitants. And I’m crazy in love with Stephen King’s work.

  Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?

Hmmm, I’m pretty good at darts. The soft tip kind, not the steel. I love cooking and food in general to be honest. I enjoy going out to different types of restaurants and trying new things. I love the beach.

  What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?

  I have a website at www.lynncahoon.com.  My email is [email protected]. I’m also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LynnCahoonAuthor and Twitter – https://twitter.com/LynnCahoon

  About The Author

Lynn Cahoon is the author of the NYT and USA Today best-selling Tourist Trap cozy mystery series. Guidebook to Murder, book 1 of the series won the Reader’s Crown for Mystery Fiction in 2015. She’s also pens the recently released, Cat Latimer series. She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies. Sign up for her newsletter at www.lynncahoon.com

Author Links

Goodreads –http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5857424.Lynn_Cahoon

Twitter – https://twitter.com/LynnCahoon

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LynnCahoonAuthor

Amazon author page – http://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Cahoon/e/B0082PWOAO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Website – http://lynncahoon.com/

  Purchase Links

Amazon

Nook

Kobo

Google Play

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

December 1 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW

December 1 – 3 Partners in shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

December 2 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST

December 3 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT

December 3 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 4 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

December 4 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 5 – I Wish I Lived in a Library – REVIEW

December 5 – Deal Sharing Aunt – SPOTLIGHT

December 6 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 6 – Varietats – REVIEW, GUEST POST

December 7 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 7 – Mythical Books – INTERVIEW

December 8 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

December 9 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

December 11 – Book Babble – REVIEW

December 12 – Babs Book bistro – SPOTLIGHT

December 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 13 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW

December 14 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW

December 14 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

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BLOG TOUR – Of Murder and Men was originally published on the Wordpress version of The Pulp and Mystery Shelf with Shannon Muir

#shannon muir #pulp and mystery shelf

[bookwyrmshoard]

Inheritance, by Nora Roberts

A perfect blend of wish-fulfillment fantasy, romance, and deliciously spooky atmosphere

Inheritance, the first book in Nora Roberts’s Lost Brides trilogy, provides the perfect blend of wish-fulfillment, friendship, romance, and spookiness. I loved Sonya, the main character, a spirited, entrepreneurial graphic designer who uproots her life to live in the historic manor she unexpectedly inherits on the Maine shoreline. I loved the friendly ghosts she tries so hard not to believe in, and the adorable dog she adopts (his name is Yoda!) The young lawyer, Trey, is as easy to like as he is on the eyes. His family, as well as Sonya’s newly-met cousin Owen and her best friend Cleo, are all likeable and sympathetic. Cleo in particular is delightful, and I have high hopes for a secondary romance between Cleo and Owen.

On the other hand, the malevolent ghost who haunts the mansion and intermittently threatens Sonya? She gives me chills. But just the right amount of chills to thrill, and not so many as to cause nightmares. (At least not yet. I have a feeling things may escalate in the second and third books.)

The publisher’s blurb summarizes the plot of Inheritance pretty well. Sonya hasn’t just inherited a gorgeous-but-haunted mansion, she has also inherited a family curse going back generations. And she’ll have to solve a family mystery and break the curse if she doesn’t want to become this generation’s victim.

One of the things I appreciate about Nora Roberts, particularly in the past 15 years or so, is that the suspense plot doesn’t drive the entire book or dominate the main character’s life to the exclusion of all else. Instead, Roberts’s books spend plenty of time developing the character and the character’s day-to-day life. Just like people facing challenges in real life, Roberts’s characters have to live their lives between, around, and despite whatever dangers they face. For Sonya, that means settling into the mansion, meeting and learning more about her own family, exploring her growing relationship with Trey, and getting to know the small town and its people. She’s building a life here, and that process is part of her character arc; it’s also Roberts’s way of creating the support network Sonya will need as the supernatural threat against her grows.

Another thing I appreciated is the “competence p*rn,” as Sarah from SBTB calls it. Everyone in this book—everyone who matters, that is—both enjoys and is extremely good at what they do. None of the sympathetic characters are unhappy in their job or struggling with self-doubt; no one is even merely mediocre. It’s refreshing, though perhaps a little intimidating for those of us who, well into into our adulthood, are still figuring out what we want to be when we grow up.

All in all, there’s not a single thing I would change about this book — not even the cliffhanger ending. Which, I’ll be honest, is not something I ever thought I would say. Normally I hate cliffhanger endings, but in this case I’m not really sure how else the book could have ended. That said, if you can’t stand cliffhangers, you should probably wait to read Inheritance until the second book comes out, or maybe even the third. Because this book? It will definitely leave you in suspense.

Challenges: Library Love Challenge 2024

Review originally published on The Bookwyrm's Hoard blog, 4/04/2024.

#book review #my reviews #nora roberts #lost brides trilogy #books #ghost stories #romance #contemporary romance

[bookwyrmshoard]

Legends & Lattes, by Travis Baldree

Heartwarming cozy fantasy

What can I say about Legends & Lattes that hasn’t already been said? Baldree’s breakout, bestselling debut novel hits the sweet spot for me: low-stakes cozy fantasy, found family, believable (and likeable) main character, interesting secondary characters, and solid worldbuilding with a D&D feel. It’s a well-crafted novel with good pacing and just the right amount of description…enough to bring the scenes vividly to life without overwhelming the action or Viv’s emotional journey.

Speaking of Viv, I almost didn’t read the book because my concept of orcs is decidedly influenced by Tolkien, who in turn was influenced by George MacDonald’s goblins (with which I’m also familiar.) In other words, I was put off by the mere idea of an orc as a main character. (More fool me; I should know better than to judge based on stereotypes, even in fiction!) But between the internet buzz, the delightful cover art, and the seemingly unlikely premise—an orc mercenary retiring to open a… coffee shop?!—I decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad I did. I fell hard for Viv and her newfound friends, for her respect for others regardless of species, and for the warmth and welcoming atmosphere of the Legends & Lattes café.

And omg, the food! I can’t read the book without craving cinnamon rolls, chocolate croissants, biscotti, and (since I can’t drink coffee) a decaf chai latte to go with them.

I love Legends & Lattes so much, it has joined the ranks of my rereadable “comfort books,” and I have already read it twice. I can’t wait to read the prequel, Bookshops & Bonedust!

Review originally published on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Hoard.

FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher, but later bought my own copy.  All opinions are entirely my own.*

#book review #my reviews #travis baldree #legends & lattes #books #cozy fantasy #fantasy #orcs

[bookwyrmshoard]

Identity, by Nora Roberts

A resiliant heroine, a steadfast hero… and a chilling villain

Rebuilding your life after identity theft isn’t easy. Especially when the thief stole not only your identity, but your best friend’s life… and he’s not done with you yet.

That’s the situation Morgan Albright finds herself facing in Identity, the newest romantic suspense novel from Nora Roberts. Reeling from her friend Nina’s death, and from repeated attacks on her finances and credit, Morgan retreats to the family home shared by her grandmother and mother, to try to make a new start. But as she begins to rebuild her life, the FBI is closing in on Nina’s killer… and he is closing in on Morgan.

I love how Nora Roberts’s novels give me a glimpse into careers I’ve never explored. Morgan is a bartender—a good one. (Warning: be prepared to come out of this book with a whole new appreciation for cocktails!) She’s also is excellent at setting goals, doing the research, and carrying out her plans. Morgan is competent and resilient, strong and determined. But her recent experiences have left her shaken and doubting herself.

Miles Jameson, the hero, is attracted to Morgan’s strength and confidence, along with the vulnerability she tries to hide. He is kind and dependable, if a little brusque and occasionally dictatorial for my taste. He is also perceptive, and has a deep love for his family… and his rescue dog, Howl.  

A quick caveat here: Miles is not Morgan’s direct-line supervisor, but his family owns the resort where she works. That could have been a sticky situation, but Roberts is careful to keep their attraction and growing relationship mutual and consensual, and avoids any appearance of pressure or coercion.

Family love and support play an important role on both sides. I loved Morgan’s mother and grandmother (her “ladies”), and appreciated how they are both skilled and creative business women, strong and competent. I also enjoyed the three generations of Jamesons that own and run the resort; their mutual love, respect, and lack of familial conflict were a delight.

The suspense/thriller aspect of the plot can get fairly intense at times. Some scenes are told from the killer’s POV, so if you’re uncomfortable with that, you may have trouble with this novel. On the other hand, I generally steer clear of books that get too dark or violent, particularly if they involve serial killers, but I did all right with this one. Most of the violence was short-lived and easy to skim past.

Nora Roberts is one of my auto-read authors, although she has written a few books that I can tell from the blurb will be too much for me. I’m glad I gave Identity a try despite my initial concerns about the plot. I enjoyed (almost) every minute of it, and will happily add it to my list of rereadable NR novels!

  NOTE: This review was first published in a longer form on The Bookwyrm’s Hoard blog. You can read the full review here.

#books #book review #my reviews #nora roberts #romantic suspense #identity by nora roberts #fiction #new releases #book birthday #st. martin's press

[bookwyrmshoard]

Sleep No More, by Jayne Ann Krentz

Sleep No More kicks off the Lost Night Files, a trilogy of books about three women whose psychic talents were apparently enhanced after a mysterious night none of them can remember.

Ambrose Drake is convinced he witnessed a murder while a patient at a sleep clinic. Or at least, he witnessed the cleanup. But without evidence, he can’t be sure. When a member of the clinic’s staff goes missing after contacting Ambrose, he contacts the Lost Night Files podcasters to investigate. The one who shows up is Pallas Llewellyn, an interior designer whose career has been derailed by her need to find out what happened on her “lost night.”

It turns out that Ambrose, like Pallas and her friends, also experienced an increase in his talent (in his case, reading auras) after a similar lost night… which has been affecting his sleep, as well as his writing career. The pair set out to solve the mystery of the missing man and uncover a lot more than they anticipated.

I really debated how to rate Sleep No More. It’s a fun, quick read, and I enjoyed it on the whole. However, the typically convoluted plot doesn’t hang together quite as well as in most of Krentz’s books, the banter is not as witty or sharp, and much of the novel felt like a rehash of various plot and character elements from previous books. For instance, if you are familiar with Krentz’s books, particularly the Arcane Society and Fogg Lake series, you’ll immediately see parallels with the Nightshade organization and their talent-enhancing formula. I suspect the series may tie in with the Arcane novels eventually, if only tangentially. (There’s even a Jones in the book, albeit briefly and in flashback.)

Another problem I had is that while the prologue does a good job of setting up Ambrose’s backstory and motivation, the same isn’t true of Pallas. In her case, Krentz keeps dropping hints about a similar experience in Pallas’s past, but for too long, I felt I was in the dark regarding the traumautic experience Pallas shared with her fellow podcasters — her main motivation throughout the book. (Note that the publisher’s synopsis leads with that incident, but the reader shouldn’t have to rely on a blurb to figure out what’s going on.)Structurally, I think the book might work better with two prologues, one from each main character’s POV. I do understand why Krentz didn’t lead with Pallas’s lost night; it may be her motivation, but it’s not the central plot of Sleep No More, although it will probably turn out to be the main focus of the overall series arc. But it would have helped to have the information sooner.

So all in all, a fun entry in the Krentz canon, but not one of her best. Still, I’m looking forward to the next installment!

Review originally published on The Bookwyrm’s Hoard blog.

#book review #romantic suspense #paranormal romantic suspense #jayne ann krentz #sleep no more #lost night files

[bookwyrmshoard]

The Dog Who Lost His Bark (Eoin Colfer; illus. by P.J. Lynch)

Puppy dog tales…

I’ll be honest: I picked up The Dog Who Lost His Bark because P. J. Lynch illustrated it, and I love Lynch’s art. And it’s a cute and charming chapter book for a child. Told in third person, alternating POV between a puppy and his boy Patrick (and rarely, Patrick’s mother), the story touches on themes of animal abuse, family, trust, and love. Oz (the puppy) is totally endearing, and Patrick is as kind and caring a boy as you will ever come across.

The Dog Who Lost His Bark would be a lovely book to read aloud to youngsters, provided they are old enough to deal with the traumas Oz experiences in his early life. It might be especially good for a family about to adopt a pet, and for children experiencing divorce. As an adult I found Oz’s habit of putting important words in all caps a little annoying to read, and the book’s messages a trifle heavy-handed, but I would have loved the story in my early elementary-school years.

The book is illustrated throughout with pencil sketches, beautifully rendered (as I would expect from P. J. Lynch.) I missed the beauty and warmth of his color illustrations, though; the only one is on the cover.

Recommended for: early chapter book readers; reading aloud

#book review #bookwyrm's hoard reviews #children's books #eoin colfer #p.j. lynch #illustrated books #puppy book

[bookwyrmshoard]

Like Lovers Do by Tracey Livesay

Like Lovers Do is smart, sexy, and emotionally satisfying. It’s the first Tracey Livesay book I’ve read, but it won’t be the last!

Nic is smart, focused (even driven), and caring. The latter is especially evident when it comes to her landlord and best friend, Ben. And Ben is a good and decent man who will do almost anything for Nic, including ask his estranged parents to put in a good word for Nic when she’s about to lose the prestigious fellowship she has worked so hard for. So when Ben needs to fend off an ex who is now pursuing him and isn’t going to take “no” for an answer, Nic offers to help out by posing as his girlfriend. And the sparks they have both been successfully denying for years finally ignite.

I love the dynamic between Nic and Ben. They respect one another’s intelligence and expertise; they get along like… well, like the best friends they are; they stand up for and look out for one another; and they both find the other totally hot, but have been trying to ignore it so it doesn’t ruin a beautiful friendship… which means neither one realizes they’re in love with each other. Or would be, if they just examined their feelings long enough to figure it out.

The major obstacles standing in their way are Nic’s fear that a relationship will mean giving up her dreams, and Ben’s insistence that he doesn’t want to marry a career woman, but someone who will put family first. Why he feels that way, and why his relationship with his family is so fraught, is revealed slowly, through Ben’s memories and thoughts as well as things he has shared with Nic in the past. Similarly, Nic’s motivations for becoming a successful orthopedic surgeon, the reasons she is so driven, also unfold slowly. Before they can accept the implications of their feelings, both Ben and Nic need to come to terms with and move past their pain. Fortunately, they each get that opportunity — in Ben’s case, in a scene that moved me to tears.

But the book isn’t all drama and angst; there’s plenty of humor as well, both in the dialogue and in situations that arise. Early in the book, there’s an accidental drunken sexting scene that had me laughing and wincing at the same time. Later on, Nic delivers several excellent set-downs to the predatory ex-girlfriend that made me want to cheer… not least because the woman richly deserved them for her deliberate use of microaggressions against Nic, who is biracial. I despised her. On the other hand, I liked most of Ben’s and Nic’s other friends, especially Nic’s. The focuses on Nic and her BFFs in turn, and I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

#book review #bookwyrm's hoard reviews #contemporary romance #romance novels #tracey livesay #like lovers do

[bookwyrmshoard]

Devil’s Daughter (Lisa Kleypas)

I loved Devil’s Daughter! From the moment Phoebe and West met right through the epilogue, I wouldn’t change a thing. (Well, hardly anything.) I loved how Phoebe grew and changed, not only in the evolution of her feelings toward West, but in taking charge of her own life and of her son’s estate. The ways in which both Phoebe and West interacted with her sons was delightful—a far cry from the norms of the era, but perfectly in keeping with both their characters. I chuckled over Sebastian’s “meddling,” especially since he was always right. And of course, Phoebe and West’s romance was beautifully written.

(full review on my blog)

#book review #book cover #historical romance #romance novels #the ravenels #lisa kleypas #devil's daughter #bookwyrm's hoard reviews

[bookwyrmshoard]

Playing for Keeps (Jill Shalvis)

If main characters with troubled pasts aren’t a problem for you, I think you’ll really love this installment in the Heartbreaker Bay series for its compelling main characters, moments of humor, and absolutely adorable dog. 

You can read my full review (and check the hidden trigger warnings, if you wish) here.

#book review #jill shalvis #contemporary romance #romance novels #heartbreaker bay #bookwyrm's hoard reviews

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A Deadly Edition, by Victoria Gilbert

NOTE: A longer version of this review, plus an interview with the main character, appear on my primary blog, here.

I’ve been a fan of the Blue Ridge Library series since book one, A Murder for the Books. The series hits all the right notes for me, while avoiding all my cozy-mystery pet peeves. Amy is both intelligent and savvy. She doesn’t withhold information she thinks may be relevant, but passes it along to the local chief deputy, with whom she has a mutually respectful relationship. Amy doesn’t ignore common sense, or make a habit of putting herself in dangerous situations; she’s more about research and asking questions, not trying to do the police’s job for them—in marked contrast to the plethora of cozy mystery series in which the police are either stupid or pigheaded, and/or in which the heroine is TSTL.

In addition, Amy is personable, friendly, and loyal… but she almost never lets personal loyalties blind her to the possibility that someone could be guilty. And her relationships with Richard and her best friend Sunny are real and solid and adult—by which I mean that they talk to each other, they work out their problems, and they trust each other.

A Deadly Edition maintains that streak of hitting the right notes, although the mystery is almost too convoluted this time around. My head was spinning, trying to keep track of all the intertwined investigations, possible motives, and echoes from the past, but it all made sense in the end. Ms. Gilbert maintains a good balance between the mystery (or mysteries) and the details of Amy’s life, from her everyday work at the library to wedding prep, and the book concludes on a very happy note indeed. I read it when I was feeling a little blue about the upcoming holidays, and it was just the treat I needed.

#book review #Bookwyrm's Hoard reviews #cozy mystery #victoria gilbert #blue ridge library mystery #library mysteries #cozy mysteries

[bookwyrmshoard]

Boone, by Emily March

Boone, the third book in the MacBrides of Texas trilogy, gave me a much-needed break from political and pandemic-related anxieties. That’s due in part to its setting: most of the novel is set in Eternity Springs rather than Enchanted Canyon and Redemption, Texas. I am personally more drawn to Colorado’s mountains than I am to Texas, and I have a soft spot for the fictional Eternity Springs. But mostly, the pleasure I had in reading it is due to the two main characters, Boone MacBride and Hannah Dupree, and their journeys toward healing, both individually and together.

 March does a lovely job of conveying the process of moving through the later stages of grief into a place where her characters are finally ready to embrace light and life and love again. And watching Boone fall head over heels for a tiny baby was the icing on the cake. (No, I’m not going to tell you who, or how, or why. You’ll just have to read the book.)

My only real complaint is the lack of diversity in the book. I don’t think there was a single person of color or LGBTQIA character, even in a minor role. It’s just not realistic, and I hope to see more diversity in March’s books in the future.

Other than that disappointment, however, the characters and storyline of Boone were a welcome antidote to my pre-election anxiety and pandemic blues. You don’t have to have read the Eternity Springs series to enjoy the MacBrides of Texas trilogy, but it doesn’t hurt, since recurring character Celeste plays a small but significant role in all three MacBrides books, and several other Eternity Springs regulars make at least cameo appearances here and there.

An expanded version of this review appears on my main blog. 

#book review #contemporary romance #romance novels #romance review #emily march #eternity springs #macbrides of texas #boone #bookwyrm's hoard review