Review: Simply the Best

Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been reading this series since the very first book: It Had to Be You, and all of the rest of her books. I can see where Ms. Phillips has grown as an author. Her books have usually been wonderful reads for me. They are both funny with serious (sometimes very serious) elements. I always come away wanting to turn right around and do a re-read.

This book seems to take off in a different direction. We don't seem to deal much with the team anymore. Rory (our female lead) is a strong and very opinionated woman who makes one mistake that I was not very happy with. Spoiler Alert!  ( [ She gets drunk and then sleeps with an unknown man who happens to turn into our male lead ) Things finally do get cleared up in Ms. Phillips's usual zany manner. And then tragedy strikes—a murder.

Things seem to go downhill from here; the book starts centering on the relationship tension (if you know what I mean) more than any of the other essential plot lines (and there are several) like Rory starting her own artisanal chocolate business and getting her brother cleared of murder charges. Yes, this is a romance, so I accept that aspect of this book, but unlike some of Ms. Phillips's other books, it seems to happen too quickly and too often for my tastes.

Although I'm a bit unhappy with this edition of the series, I'm not disliking it either. Other fans will likely like, and perhaps even love this book. So I think this book will be well worth the read.

It's best not to start the series with "Simply the Best"!

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SYNOPSIS: "#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips returns with the next book in her Chicago Stars series where a successful sports agent and the sister of his biggest client engage in a take-no-prisoners battle of the sexes.

Take one hard-driving sports agent…

Throw in a failed chocolatier…

And her superstar football player brother…

Add a quirky pink and purple food truck…

Then, to really screw things up, mix in a very unfortunate murder.

Brett Rivers is the hottest sports agent in the business—fast and furious, swift and deadly. Failure? Not an option.

Rory Garrett is—let’s be honest—a disaster. She has a big heart, an empty bank account, a passion for making exquisite chocolate, and a huge inferiority complex from living in the shadow of Brett’s most important client, her football legend brother.

Brett and Rory should never have met, and they absolutely, positively should never have had to deal with the consequences of one stupid, drunken night…one disastrous lie…one career in jeopardy…one missing football player…and a very dead body.

It’s going to get messy…and dangerous…and heartbreaking…and sexy. To Rory, Brett represents skewed values and a devious mind. To Brett, Rory is forbidden fruit, off limits, do not disturb, and no entry—definitely no entry.

A woman who has succeeded at nothing and a man who’s succeeded at everything confront the challenge of their lives as they struggle with themselves and each other. When it comes to love—what price are any of us willing to pay to be simply the best?  "

Review: Diva

Diva by Daisy Goodwin
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Like the other readers, I was looking forward to reading this book. I love what I call semi-fiction (not a biography, but with enough truth to sustain it). But this book really rubbed me the wrong way. I know nothing about Maria Callas since I was a toddler when she was at her peak. I didn't even know anything about her time with Aristotle. However, I did know that he married Jackie Kennedy.

Half of the way through this book, I just knew that I was going to have to force myself to finish it. The characters are unlikeable, and I do mean all of them, even Maria. What a diva she was. But I suspect not so unlike any of the female musicians nowadays. Wow, Elsa Maxwell, what a pip! It seems as if she was sabotaging Maria from the start. Nowadays, we do know that she had a major thing for Maria, so who knows? Maybe Elsa really was sabotaging her.

The more I read this book, the more disgusted I got with all the characters. However, I must keep reminding myself that this (Maria') generation is totally different from this one and even the Boomer generation. I was disgusted at how easily Maria could give up on her career for a party or a man.

You already know how the book is going to end because of the beginning of the book. However, it's interesting to see Onassis try to keep his affairs from Maria, and Maria does have to deal with him just a few months after his marriage.

If you don't know anything about opera before you read this book, you sure will be an expert once you finish it. I was fairly bored and annoyed throughout this novel, but I did manage to finish it.

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

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SYNOPSIS:"The story of the scandalous love affair between the most celebrated opera singer of all time and one of the richest men in the world

In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas was known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic, and striking beauty, she was the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. But her fame was hard won: Raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her golden voice, she learned early in life to protect herself from those who would use her for their own ends.

When she met the fabulously rich Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, for the first time in her life, she believed she’d found someone who saw the woman within the legendary soprano. She fell desperately in love. He introduced her to a life of unbelievable luxury, showering her with jewels and sojourns in the most fashionable international watering holes with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

And then suddenly, it was over. The international press announced that Aristotle Onassis would marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.

In this remarkable novel, Daisy Goodwin brings to life a woman whose extraordinary talent, unremitting drive, and natural chic made her a legend. But it was only in confronting the heartbreak of losing the man she loved that Maria Callas found her true voice and went on to triumph."

Review: Upside Down

Upside Down by Danielle Steel
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Unless some are re-issued, Ms. Steel has published six books so far this year, with this one scheduled for Jan 2. Based on this book, Ms. Steel may want to slow down a bit and put more thought into her books. In this book, each chapter seems to be a rehash of the one before it. At the 50% mark, the story is just so obvious, with mother and daughter pretty much disliking each other and each of them falling for what seems to be inappropriate men. Dare I risk more of my time and continue?

Morgan, the main character Ardith's daughter, is quite dislikable, cold, and rigid, and it amused me to see Morgan fall for a man who was just like she perceived her mother. Never there as she was growing up, selfish, and aloof. Ardith also falls for someone inappropriate, or at least that's what she thinks. Frankly, I did too! Josh is childlike.

Eventually, major issues happen to test each woman's love for the men and for each other, and ta-da, there is a happily ever after for all!

It's a fast read that you need little thought to get you through.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press, the author, and by NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "Oscar-winning actress Ardith Law is a Hollywood icon. Radiant at sixty-two, she is the epitome of glamour and a highly respected artist. But her success has come at a she has a strained relationship with her daughter, Morgan, who at thirty-eight still blames Ardith for putting her career before being a mother. Morgan is a successful plastic surgeon in New York City—and the distance from Ardith’s Bel Air mansion is not lost on either of them.

Ardith became a single mother when Morgan was seven, after her unfaithful husband died in a helicopter accident. In recent years, she has found amiable companionship with fellow actor Bill West. But Ardith’s comfortable world is turned upside down when she hires a temporary personal assistant, Josh Gray, while Bill is away filming in London. Josh’s rough-around-the-edges persona is the opposite of what Ardith is used to, but an unexpected tragedy brings them closer, stirring up conflicting feelings in her for this younger man.

In New York, Morgan is swept off her feet by world-renowned TV anchorman Ben Ryan. Though more than two decades her senior, Ben is handsome, charismatic, and just as smitten as Morgan. But when a blackmail scheme puts his career—and their relationship—on the line, Morgan doesn’t know where to turn. Perhaps . . . to her mother? As each woman navigates an unconventional romance, they cautiously approach each other on new terms and attempt to put aside their past for a new future.

In Upside Down, Danielle Steel tells an unforgettable story of bold choices, second chances, and the hope of reconciliation."

Review: Firetrap

Firetrap by Otho Eskin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 Stars

Well, this was a hell of a funky ride! All I could think while reading this was what a movie it would make - if it were set in the 1940's. I kept getting a noir feeling from this entertaining and illogical novel!

A cop who doesn't carry a gun it's illogical but unique, so I figure I'll keep on reading. A cop that works with a major drug dealer and helps them to get rid of another dealer...okay, sure! But I kept on reading, and my ability to suspend disbelief wore thin. You may even think of Marko Zorn as a sort of modern-day Robin Hood, stealing from the corrupt major drug dealers (Big Pharma/illegal drug manufacturers) and keeping for himself.

While these books can be read as stand-alone, this book ends on what can almost be called a cliffhanger. What will the major players be doing in the next novel? I'm not sure if I really feel the need to find out.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Oceanview Publishing, the author, and NetGalley.

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A dangerous drug is spreading through Washington, D.C.—can Marko Zorn take down the company behind it?

Washington, D.C. homicide detective Marko Zorn takes on a far-reaching, complicated investigation when a narcotic more deadly than fentanyl spreads across the city, causing countless fatalities. His search for the people behind the off-label drug leads him to a Big Pharma company run by mysterious, psychopathic twin brothers. Anyone who crosses them is dead.

Marko discovers that the company will soon release another dangerous prescription opioid analgesic, but when the company learns that this information has been leaked, more bodies pile up. Let down by his higher-ups, Marko sets off to solve the deadly ring of crime that now surrounds him, all while evading repeated attempts to kill him.

Marko will need all his wits, skills, and contacts both inside and outside of the law to shut down the twin brothers’ criminal drug empire. Can a painting from a major art theft decades earlier provide the key to how Marko can cripple the whole operation? Only if Marko isn’t killed first.

Perfect for fans of David Baldacci and Daniel Silva

While the novels in the Marko Zorn Thriller Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence

The Reflecting Pool
Head Shot
Firetrap

Review: One in a Million

One in a Million by Janet Dailey
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

1.5 Stars because I finished it.

Trigger Warning: issues with an exotic animal game farm and descriptions of their deaths and captivity.

I think I have only read one other book by this author and it must not have left a big impression on me, because I don't remember it! When I was offered this book, I was unaware that Janet Dailey died on December 14, 2013. Knowing that an unknown author wrote this book might have me turning this book down. However, I agreed to read it, and I think I made a large mistake by doing so.

This book was clunky, with all of the character's unlikeable, unrealistic actions on behalf of the characters (what FBI agent in his/her right mind has relations with a suspect?), unrealistic plotting, etc.

Not to mention the HUGE cliffhanger that some may miss because it is in the epilogue.

Perhaps long-time readers can overlook these issues. Perhaps Janet always wrote her plots and characters like this. I did a little research into her and was astounded at one of the things I found out. *sad*

I did manage to finish this book just because I did want to know who-dun-it. And herein lies the cliffhanger.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and NetGalley.

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Yellowstone meets Dallas against the backdrop of Texas horse country, as the death of a patriarch leaves his rich and powerful ranching family dynasty at odds, a high-stakes reining competition in the balance, and forbidden attractions in the mix.

Fans of Linda Lael Miller, Danielle Steel, and Diana Palmer will devour this soapy saga filled to the brim with Texas-style drama, corruption, money, and sizzling affairs.

Frank Culhane may be the wealthy patriarch of one of Texas’ most prestigious families, but his party girl daughter, Jasmine, is only interested in the money the ranch brings in—and the cowboys. Until the day she heads to the stables in search of their hot horse trainer and instead discovers her daddy’s body in their prize stallion’s box stall.

Roper’s rodeo career was cut short by an injury. Now, he’s hungry to compete in reining events, like the prized forthcoming Run for a Million. In the meantime, until his family can afford their own breeding business, he’s got to work for the rich ranchers who snub them—including the Culhanes. But when an autopsy reveals Frank was murdered, Roper lands on the list of possible suspects.

A city outsider, Detective Sam Rafferty’s investigation propels him into a tangle of simmering rivalries. For the ranch is now in the hands of an explosive Frank’s young, glamourous second wife, Lila, and his scorned first wife, Madeline. Lila has a genuine passion for ranching. Madeline is determined to destroy her.

Through Sam’s interviews, more tensions surface—there are Madeline’s grown children who’ve been bypassed for control of the ranch, the socially dismissed McKennas, and the breeders, politicians, and gangsters ready to profit from Frank’s death. But tricky alliances are also brewing. While Lila and Roper clash, they discover a fire beneath their sparring. And with a killer still at large, the heat between Jasmine and Sam could put the case, and all their futures, on the line . . .

Review: The Amish Quiltmaker's Unlikely Match

The Amish Quiltmaker's Unlikely Match by Jennifer Beckstrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've liked others of this author's books, but I'm having major issues with this one.

 By chapter 9, I'm finding that I really don't like Clay (the male protagonist) very much. He looks pretty childish and thinks everything can be handled with cash and gifts. He has not taken the time to understand the Amish way of life at all. Mary has a way of making things worse (at least in her mind) and does what I consider a lot of non-Amish things to keep him around the farm because she has fallen madly in love with him in this short amount of time.

 However, by the end of chapter 9, most of Clays' issues will have been revealed, making me a little softer toward him and understanding why he is the way he is.

 The secondary character I like the most is Cathy, a non-Amish family friend and driver for the Amish. She is 84 years old and says what's on her mind, no matter who she hurts. She does always apologize for it, though, and that redeems her!

 Lastly, what we read towards the end of this book...well, let's say that we have to suspend our disbelief just a little too far, in my opinion. I think the Bishop would have banned Mary for the stunt she pulls! But all in all, it was a fast, pleasant read.

 *ARC supplied for review by the publisher Zebra Books, the author, and NetGalley.

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Filled with her trademark humor and relatable characters, award-winning author Jennifer Beckstrand's blends quilting, matchmaking, and a close-knit Colorado community in her newest Amish Quiltmaker novel, as independent-minded quilter Esther Kiem sets her sights on an unusual match between the shyest Yoder sister and a professional baseball player…

Perfect for fans of Charlotte Hubbard, Wanda Brunstetter, and Linda Byler.

Though Mary Yoder longs to marry someday, she finds caring for her community’s injured and sick is much easier than courting. But when Englischer Clay Markham crashes his car nearby, Mary’s nursing shows her his hidden wounds are more painful than his injuries. Though she’s irresistibly drawn to his kind nature, can she risk letting him into her heart?

On the run from his troubled past, ex-pro baseball player Clay can’t believe the quiet sanctuary he’s found under Mary’s care. Her gentle faith and knowledge are somehow giving him hope he can change his life—and offer her the love she truly deserves. But when his secrets catch up with him, can he and Mary find the courage to face the truth, set things to rights . . . and make way for a future together?

Review: Welcome Home, Stranger

Welcome Home, Stranger by Kate Christensen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 Stars rounded up for lack of half stars.

Okay, I'm going to be the loan reader who found that this was just not the book for me, nor is it for anyone who may suffer from depression. This book was filled with angst, recriminations, fights, falls off the wagon, and the typical things that most women face once they hit a certain age. None of this was prettied up. I have never read a book where so much 'bad' happens to one person.

I admit the authors' descriptions of everything were wonderful, and I admire the fact that Rachel may end up happy in her new circumstances - but it did not help me one bit from feeling a bit depressed as I read this novel. The life that these sisters grew up with was bad enough, but to heap so much other crap onto one person was just too much for me. I might have liked this more had the ending not left me wanting to drown myself in a big bottle of wine.

This was a quick read for me, though after about 3/4 of the way through this book, I did a tiny bit of skimming. Perhaps that makes this an award-winning novel, but just not for me.

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Can you ever truly go home again?

An environmental journalist in Washington, DC, Rachel has shunned her New England working-class family for years. Divorced and childless in her middle age, she’s a true independent spirit with the pain and experience to prove it. Coping with challenges large and small, she thinks her life is in free fall–until she’s summoned home to deal with the aftermath of her mother’s death.

Then things really fall apart.

Surrounded by a cast of sometimes comic, sometimes heartbreakingly serious characters—an arriviste sister, an alcoholic brother-in-law and, most importantly, the love of her life recently married to the sister’s best friend–Rachel must come to terms with her past, the sorrow she has long buried, and the ghost of the mother who, for better and worse, made her the woman she is.

Lively, witty, and painfully familiar, this sophisticated and emotionally resonant novel from the author of The Great Man holds a mirror up to modern life as it considers the way some of us must carry on now.

Review: The Edge

The Edge by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in this series, but you don't have to read The 6:20 Man to get the gist of this book.

It is a fast-paced (not as fast as the last book), semi-violent, suspense-filled murder/military/government mystery filled with delightful red herrings. This novel is set on the coastline of Maine, and the authors' descriptions of the area are spot on. Mind you, you do have to suspend some of your disbelief for this book, but that may be just me since I don't know much about the Amy Rangers!

This book also follows the same formula as the last book but is by no means repetitious. To me, it's just comforting to know that certain character traits and actions of Devine are going to be followed from book to book.

A good, intense read.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Grand Central Publishing, the author, and NetGalley.

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The 6:20 Man is back, dropped by his handlers into a small coastal town in Maine to solve the murder of a CIA agent who knew America’s dirtiest secrets—can Travis Devine uncover the truth before his time runs out?
 
When CIA operative Jenny Sikwell is murdered in rural Maine, government officials have immediate concerns over national security. Her laptop and phone were full of state secrets that, in the wrong hands, endanger the lives of countless operatives. In need of someone who can solve the murder quickly and retrieve the missing information, the U.S. government knows just the chameleon they can call on.
 
Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine spent his time in the military preparing to take on any scenario, followed by his short-lived business career chasing shadows in the deepest halls of power, so his analytical mind makes him particularly well-suited for complex, high-stakes tasks. Taking down the world’s largest financial conspiracy proved his value, and in comparison, this case looks straightforward. Except small towns hold secrets and Devine finds himself an outsider again.
 
Devine must ingratiate himself with locals who have trusted each other their whole lives, and who distrust outsiders just as much. Dak, Jenny’s brother, who’s working to revitalize the town. Earl, the retired lobsterman who found Jenny’s body. And Alex, Jenny’s sister with a dark past of her own. As Devine gets to know the residents of Potter, Maine, answers seem to appear and then transform into more questions. There’s a long history of secrets and those who will stop at nothing to keep them from being exposed. Leaving Devine with no idea who he can trust... and who wants him dead.

GenresMysteryThrillerFictionMystery ThrillerSuspenseCrimeAudiobook

Review: Holly

Holly by Stephen King
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Firstly, I want to congratulate our esteemed Author, Stephen King, who no longer cares about who reads his books. About the people who carried him through, even when he was writing as the unknown Richard Bachman. It takes a lot of guts to make fun of those who do not share his political views. And make fun of them he does. Talk about cliches coming out of...well, you know where!

Secondly, I want to give him kudos for writing one of the most boring of books. It really takes a lot of talent. Had I known that I had to read · Mr. Mercedes · Finders Keepers · End of Watch · The Outsider · If It Bleeds, to understand THIS book, I would have never spent my money.

Had I also known that COVID-19, masks, injections, smoking, cigarettes, and 'poor me's' were going to be beaten like a dead horse, I would have passed.

I can't believe I am saying all this, and I am only at 58%. The book starts with such a good hook and devolves into nothing more than a cheesy gumshoe mystery and then a diatribe about poetry (you have to read the book to understand); I would have passed.

I must assume, given all the rave reviews, that this book must pick up towards the end. I'm not sure if I'll manage to get there, but if I do, I'll come back and add to this review.

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SYNOPSIS - "Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope.” —BILL HODGES

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

“I could never let Holly Gibney go. She was supposed to be a walk-on character in Mr. Mercedes and she just kind of stole the book and stole my heart. Holly is all her.” —STEPHEN KING"

Review: Dirty Thirty

Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars and I really, really wish Goodreads/Amazon would allow half stars.

Seriously???

Thirty books and Janet must have thought that she was losing her audience. Well, she most likely was, but to decide that the 30th book needed a cliffhanger to keep her long-time readers hooked? I don't know whether to cry or laugh at how this book ended. (SPOILER) the cliffhanger has to do with Stephanies romantic relationships (END SPOILER)

I don't know if I should be avidly looking forward to next year when book 31 comes out or just say I'm done and just borrow the book when it's available from the library.

The rest of the book was ALMOST the same old same old but with Stephanie actually not relying on Ranger or Joe to bail her out. Well, at least definitely NOT Joe at least. The mystery aspect was pretty good, IMHO. Not great, but it's pretty good.

Worth the read but not worth paying full price.

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SYNOPSIS: " Stephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered a freelance assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds out of his safe. Stephanie is also looking for another troubled man, Duncan Dugan, a fugitive from justice arrested for robbing the same jewelry store on the same day.

With her boyfriend Morelli away in Miami on police business, Stephanie is taking care of Bob, Morelli’s giant orange dog who will devour anything, from Stephanie’s stray donuts to the upholstery in her car. Morelli’s absence also means the inscrutable, irresistible security expert Ranger is front and center in Stephanie’s life when things inevitably go sideways. And he seems determined to stay there.

To complicate matters, her best friend Lula is convinced she is being stalked by a mythological demon hell-bent on relieving her of her wardrobe. An overnight stakeout with Stephanie’s mother and Grandma Mazur reveals three generations of women with nerves of steel and driving skills worthy of NASCAR champions.

As the body count rises and witnesses start to disappear, it won’t be easy for Stephanie to keep herself clean when everyone else is playing dirty. It’s a good thing Stephanie isn’t afraid of getting a little dirty, too."