Review: Bad Luck Vampire

Bad Luck Vampire by Lynsay Sands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I've been reading this series from the very start and have seen the changes that the series has gone through. Some of the changes are good ones, but some are not so good. However, as the years go on and change, so must a series as long as this one. I find the newer books to be a little less amusing and a lot more passionate (the sex in this one got a tad out of hand for my tastes). But, as I said, things change with the times.

This book did have an incredible cast of secondary characters and a mystery that still has me slapping my head and saying to myself - now, why did I not figure out who did it? I never figured out the why of it, either! What a surprise twist! I loved it!

I hope to see some of the Uncles and, for sure, Colle and Tybo find their lifemates. After all these centuries, they deserve a little nookie and to enjoy food again. Don't you? LOL!

*ARC supplied by the publisher Avon, the author, and NetGalley. Many thank



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SYNOPSIS "New York Times  bestselling author Lynsay Sands returns in this latest chapter of the Argeneau series with an immortal who is having a bit of bad luck while trying to woo his life mate… Alasdair MacKenzie has never once considered himself unlucky in all the centuries he’s been an immortal rogue enforcer. Not until he meets Sophie. Finding the beautiful, smart, and funny woman who is his life mate is great luck, actually. But meeting her at a wedding full of Argeneaus, not to mention his own busybody uncles determined to “help him claim his woman,” is bad luck. And the fact that Sophie is someone else’s date? Well that’s just the next level of unlucky. From the way her gaze travels over his body like a caress to the electric zing whenever they innocently touch…he wants her for all eternity! He’ll keep his hands off Sophie until her date is over. After that all bets are off and he’ll pull out all the stops to win her. Great plan—until he gets hit by a car. And then he’s poisoned. Is his luck that bad, or is someone out to stop this immortal from claiming Sophie as his life mate?"

Review: Hex Education

Hex Education by Maureen Kilmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is going to be a great read for those of you looking for something quick to read for Halloween. Although this book (in my opinion) is not as good as Suburban Hell  , it is still a good, fast read.

My problem is that the characters were not likable or compelling. The secret they carried around for so long should have been let out of the bag. I didn't understand exactly what happened to Katrina at the gala and the mess that occurred. I found the twist(s) interesting and wonder if this book will have a sequel. I am hoping so!

*ARC supplied by the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons, the author, and NetGalley.


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SYNOPSIS: " Beauty, grace, and a resting witch face…

Bewitched meets Yellowjackets in Maureen Kilmer’s Hex Education when a former coven reunites to stop their lives from going up in flames.

On the outside, luxury realtor Sarah Nelson looks like every other mom in the neighborhood—running errands, navigating the school pickup line, and begrudgingly volunteering at the high school concession stand. Yet she has an edge that others don’t: She’s a witch! She uses light magic in secret, small ways, almost like an enchanted personal assistant. And absolutely no one knows about it.

Except her estranged ex-coven. In college, when she and two friends, Katrina and Alicia, first uncovered the magic, it didn’t take long before they used it to improve their lives. Yet, they made a mistake one night, and their dorm went up in flames and burned to the ground. After that terrible night, the coven scattered. And no one ever found out that the fire was their fault. Their secret was safe, until the three reunite at a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the fire. Suddenly, the magic doesn’t seem to want to stay small any longer. Her familiar—an overweight orange tabby cat named Katy Furry—begins to argue with her. Her self-brooming broom goes full Martha Stewart. Her fridge overdoes it and stocks thirty pounds of sliced turkey for school lunches.

As it grows more and more difficult to hide the magic and the past, Sarah, Katrina, and Alicia once again gather to harness their power, and keep their secrets safe…before they find out if polite society still burns witches."

Review: Bright Lights, Big Christmas

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I recommend this book with my whole heart. It has a bit of everything in it. As you can see from the synopsis, this is a book that should hit all the right notes with readers who like a short novel filled with interesting characters, holiday madness, sad moments and happy moments, a bit of a mystery, and the chance at love.

I also learned a bit about Christmas tree farming and the selling of trees in New York City, which is odd since I live in an area with many tree farms, and I've never paid much attention to what it takes to work a farm like these. I love learning a little something while I read.

After several months of reading books that were unsatisfying, I hit on this gem!

Yes, it is a bit early to read a Christmas book, but it is well worth it. I will be doing a re-read later on, closer to the season.

I highly recommend this book to those who love Fannie Flagg, Dorothy Benton Frank, Anne B. Ross, and of course, this author.

*ARC supplied by the publisher St. Martin's Press, Mary Kay Andrews author, and Net
Galley. My thanks.

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SYNOPSIS: “Cozy up with Santa’s favorite novelist (Adriana Trigiani)” – New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews – and celebrate the season of love and second chances.

“Nobody does Christmas like Mary Kay Andrews.” ―Debbie Macomber

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?


Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel."

Review: The Block Party

The Block Party by Jamie Day
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 stars- I didn't love this book, nor did I hate it.

I really don't know how many stars to give this book. Also, it comes with so many trigger warnings that I'm afraid that you, the possible reader, will be able to piece everything (or almost everything) together before you get a quarter of the way through the book!

The timeline is a little odd, with the book alternating a bit. There is a murder at the block party, but you don't get to who- done- it or even discuss it for the whole book. Or at least until the last, oh...10% of the book. The only reason you even know that there was a murder is that there is a social community page where others not from this street discuss what may have happened that day.

Frankly, I did not like any of the characters, and some even less than others. Alex is the main character, a drunk busybody with her nose all up into everyone's lives. Her daughter Lettie is the young adult main character, and the chapters of this book switch back and forth between them. It sometimes makes it a little difficult to keep track of the author's 'voice.'  The author doesn't do a great job of making each character memorable in their own right. Perhaps two of the many characters have any uniqueness. 

The ending of the book should have been shocking, but for me, I read too many other reviews that had enough hints of what was to come that I wasn't shocked one bit.

Mind you, I did manage to read this whole book, and I admit some chapters did keep my rapt attention, and I WILL recommend this as a good summer read. It just wasn't a great summer read for me.

Now for the trigger warning -and do NOT read any further if you want to go into this book knowing nothing than what the recap tells you:

Alcoholism, drug use/addiction, wife abuse, the death of a child, revenge, sex with a minor, lies, threats, mania, and just all-around bizarre behavior on the part of a couple of the characters.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher, St. Martin's Press, the author, and Netgalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "This summer, meet your neighbors.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.

On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.

But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems."

Review: Darius

Darius by J.R. Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You would think that a book numbered  0 in a series should be read before all the others. I don't recommend you do so unless you have read, at the very least, the first few books. There is enough at the end of Darius to be considered large spoilers, and you wouldn't want to ruin your anticipation, now would you?

This is a somewhat shorter book than normal, so it is a fairly quick read.

For those of us who have read the entire series, make sure you have a full box of tissues by your side, especially for the last few chapters. And oh my goodness, what an epilogue we get. So much is wrapped up, and questions answered that I think I'm going to be re-reading this book again this weekend. Then, of course, I will have to re-read book one. (Oh, who am I kidding, I'll have to re-read the entire series!)

I highly recommend this book to all lovers of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

I understand that this book was out in the audio version for a while-well now; we can buy it for Kindle or, hopefully soon, paperback.

*ARC was supplied to me by the publisher Gallery Books, the author, and NetGalley and will be released on September 5th, 2023. My thanks.

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SYNOPSIS:"Darius, son of Marklon, isn’t looking for love the night destiny comes to claim him. He’s also not interested in crashing his new car. But when a human woman runs out into the road and he must swerve to avoid killing her...everything goes off course.

Disillusioned by his King’s lack of leadership and the losses in the war against the Lessening Society, Darius finds purpose in protecting a woman he cannot make his own. Love finds a way, however—until the truth of what he is comes out and she leaves him in horror.

Unbeknownst to them both, Anne is carrying his young, a female who is destined to be Queen—and after a tragic reunion, he vows to protect their daughter. Resigned to perpetual sadness, he is determined to serve the memory of his beloved no matter the cost...unless by some miracle, fate sees fit to once again bring them together."

Review: Hidden Away at Promise Lodge

Hidden Away at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although the recap talks about Mercer and Andi Swann as though they were going to be main characters throughout the novel-they aren't. They do help things along when tragedy strikes, but that is about it.

This book is filled with two desperate tragedies, a miracle, and several weddings.

This is a melding of an Amish community and a Mennonite community, and I wish I had read the earlier books in this series so I could have understood this melding better. There are many characters to keep track of, and that got a little complicated for me. Most likely, this wouldn't have been a problem had I read the other books in this series.

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SYNOPSIS: "Returning to the fan-favorite world of the closeknit Amish community of Promise Lodge, the small-town Missouri setting of her beloved Amish inspirational romance novels, the author continues to delight readers with uplifting tales of faith, family, and the blessings and happiness of true love and caring partnership. For fans of Shelley Shepard Gray and Beth Wiseman.

When Karen Mercer and Andi Swann come to Promise Lodge for a week’s stay, the Kuhn sisters quickly detect the guests are not Plain folk, despite their kapps and homemade dresses. Entranced by the idyllic Amish lifestyle they’ve read about in romance novels, the visitors have gone undercover to revisit the place that was once the church camp where they spent happy summers. They mean no harm—but when the truth is uncovered, their deception has an intriguing impact on the faithful, hard-working
community . . .
 
Meanwhile, amid bustling preparations for a spring wedding, a shy horse trainer is encouraged to share his colorful world with a newcomer awaiting a miracle . . . while the widowed baker of luscious Promise Lodge Pies sees a long-time friendship in a romantic new light. And in the wake of a destructive storm, Karen and Andi’s insider knowledge of the grounds may offer the safe passage they all need to renew and rebuild—stronger than ever . . .
 
Praise for the novels of Charlotte Hubbard

Review: Canary Girls

Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

When you see in the book's description: "Rosie the Riveter meets A League of Their Own," it is no lie.

I give this book 5 stars for its historical accuracy, 5 stars for the compelling storyline, and, although interesting, only 3.5 stars for all of the football/soccer (I'm not a huge fan of soccer). I found it interesting to read the Author's notes on women's Soccer in Britain through the years and how sexist it all was compared to how it is now.

 The work in these munitions plants is hair-raising, and I don't think I could do it even for the good of my country. Thank goodness we've invented machines to do jobs such as these. The horror these strong women face by being canary girls is amazing. It's bad enough to worry about being blown to bits, but add in the fact that none of the women complained about their yellowing skin, bleached and yellowing hair, or even the fact that  the women were dying from working with TNT. It was not like it would be today.

I love history mixed with my fiction, and this book was perfect for me. I love learning about new things while being entertained by a good story. The stories of April, Helen, Lucy, and Marjorie were heartwarming. There were the expected tragedies...aren't there always s tragedies during wartime? But there was happiness also. 

Perfect!

*ARC was supplied by the publisher William Morrow & Company, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: ''Rosie the Riveter meets A League of Their Own in New York Times bestselling novelist Jennifer Chiaverini’s lively and illuminating novel about the “munitionettes” who built bombs in Britain’s arsenals during World War I, risking their lives for the war effort and discovering camaraderie and courage on the soccer pitch.

Early in the Great War, men left Britain’s factories in droves to enlist. Struggling to keep up production, arsenals hired women to build the weapons the military urgently needed. “Be the Girl Behind the Man Behind the Gun,” the recruitment posters beckoned.

Thousands of women—cooks, maids, shopgirls, and housewives—answered their nation’s call. These “munitionettes” worked grueling shifts often seven days a week, handling TNT and other explosives with little protective gear.

Among them is nineteen-year-old former housemaid April Tipton. Impressed by her friend Marjorie’s descriptions of higher wages, plentiful meals, and comfortable lodgings, she takes a job at Thornshire Arsenal near London, filling shells in the Danger Building—difficult, dangerous, and absolutely essential work.

Joining them is Lucy Dempsey, wife of Daniel Dempsey, Olympic gold medalist and star forward of Tottenham Hotspur. With Daniel away serving in the Footballers’ Battalion, Lucy resolves to do her bit to hasten the end of the war. When her coworkers learn she is a footballer’s wife, they invite her to join the arsenal ladies’ football club, the Thornshire Canaries.

The Canaries soon acquire an unexpected fan in the boss’s wife, Helen Purcell, who is deeply troubled by reports that Danger Building workers suffer from serious, unexplained illnesses. One common symptom, the lurid yellow hue of their skin, earns them the nickname “canary girls.” Suspecting a connection between the canary girls’ maladies and the chemicals they handle, Helen joins the arsenal administration as their staunchest, though often unappreciated, advocate.

The football pitch is the one place where class distinctions and fears for their men fall away. As the war grinds on and tragedy takes its toll, the Canary Girls persist despite the dangers, proud to serve, determined to outlive the war and rejoice in victory and peace."

Review: The Breakaway

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5 Stars

So many reviewers have already described this novel perfectly. It's a novel filled with angst, secrets, poor choices, misdirected loathing, the joy of cycling, and the unlikely plot of a woman who meets on man in camp as a teenager and then meets up with him again as an adult. This woman also has a (and this is in the very first chapter) heated one-night stand with a man she has picked up (for lack of a better word) while on a bridal party outing and then meets up with him years later on a cycling trip she is leading.

I could not connect with many of the characters, I found the politics to be annoying (and I'm all about a woman's right to choose), and some of the shenanigans on the trip concerning certain teenage people to be forced and potentially horrific.

I finished this book, but I'm not at all sure that I liked it. Fans of this author, and perhaps the younger set, will likely love this novel. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Atria Books, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes a warmhearted and empowering new novel about love, family, friendship, secrets, and the power of a trip to change your life.

Thirty-four-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. True, she still has gig jobs instead of a career, and the apartment where she’s lived since college still looks like she just moved in. But she’s got good friends, she’s got her bike, and her bike club in Philadelphia. She’s at peace with her plus-size body—at least, most of the time—and she’s on track to marry her childhood sweetheart. Abby and Mark met at the weight-loss camp Abby’s perpetually-dieting mother, Eileen, forced her daughter to attend. Fifteen years later, when Abby reconnects with a half-his-size Mark, and finds out that he still adores her, it feels like fate.

Yet Abby can’t escape the feeling that something isn’t right…or the memories of one mind-blowing night spent with a man named Sebastian two years ago. So when Abby gets a last minute call to lead a group bike trip from New York City to Niagara Falls, she’s happy to have time away from Mark, and a chance to make up her mind.

But on the first day, Abby is shocked when she sees a familiar face in the tour group—Sebastian, the one-night stand she never thought she’d see again. As a serial dater who lives a hundred miles away, Sebastian is far from Mr. Perfect, and Abby is determined to keep her distance, even if their chemistry is undeniable. To make things even worse, there’s a last-minute addition to the trip—Abby’s mother, Eileen, whom Abby blames for a lifetime of body shaming and insecurities she’s still trying to undo.

Over the next two weeks, strangers become confidantes, hidden truths come to light, and a teenage girl with a secret will unite all the riders in surprising ways—while all of Abby’s certainties about herself, her mother, and the nature of love are challenged."