2020 in Reviews... Books I've Reviewed in August 2020

 A new upstairs, downstairs Victorian murder mystery in the Kat Holloway series from the  New York Times  bestselling author of  Death in Kew Gardens.

 
When young cook Kat Holloway learns that the children of London's Foundling Hospital are mysteriously disappearing and one of their nurses has been murdered, she can't turn away. She enlists the help of her charming and enigmatic confidant Daniel McAdam, who has ties to Scotland Yard, and Errol Fielding, a disreputable man from Daniel’s troubled past, to bring the killer to justice. Their investigation takes them from the grandeur of Mayfair to the slums of the East End, during which Kat learns more about Daniel and his circumstances than she ever could have imagined.

 

My Thoughts...

This is my first Kat Holloway Mystery and it will not be my last.   I cannot wait for more about these wonderful, intriguing, and unique characters.    Kat is a skilled cook for a well-to-do family but that is not her whole story.   She has a way with people that gets them to trust her, to tell their stories, and to help solve mysteries that may get overlooked by others.     

In Murder in the East End she is asked to find out where foundlings, children without parents, are being sent when they disappear from the London Foundling Hospital.  I was intrigued, I was invested in finding the truth, and I could not stop reading.

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Jordyn knows what her future holds—a proposal from her high school sweetheart and a happily ever after…or so she thinks.

Real life has other plans as secrets are revealed one night at The Loft.

What happens when her world is rocked with not one but two bombshells? Will she overcome the obstacles she now faces or will she hold onto the past with her whole heart.

My Thoughts...

This is a novella but I felt it was really more of a teaser.   The whole story from beginning to end is sixty pages long and leave the reader with a HUGE cliffhanger.   

I found the story fun to read and was a great introduction to the characters of Jordyn and Ridge.   They have been high school sweethearts and all she wants is to be engaged.   Then one night happens and her whole world is turned upside down.   She has an unexpected hero in her corner and, as the reader, I am not sure who I want her to end up with.    

It will be interesting to see how Casey Peeler starts the next book in the series  but I am sure that I will be looking forward to reading it when it becomes available.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jJslZl 

Apple: https://apple.co/33uDCHy 

BN: https://bit.ly/3kmJRmT 

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2PqxLeb 

Publisher's Summary

Officer Kristin Greene returns along with the rest of the characters you have grown to love. Only, this time, it’s not just her life on the line. Now, the entire breed’s existence is in danger.

Olivia Newman has been Kristin’s best friend for years and loves the new life that Kristin is living. Her relationship with Gabriel is bittersweet, and she knows that because she is human. A future between them can never really last.

Gabriel Montgomery takes his position in the Vampire Military Force seriously and never expected to have such intense feelings for a human woman. When Olivia is kidnapped, Gabe, Kristin, and the gang realize they have stumbled upon a human trafficking ring. 

Only, this ring isn’t for sex. The leaders of this ring are hell-bent on destroying the breed. Can they rescue Olivia and save their future before old enemies return and destroy the breed? Find out in Mixing the Blue Blood.

©2019 Stacy Eaton (P)2020 Stacy Eaton, Nitewolf Novels

My Thoughts…

Audiobook Thoughts…I have become a fan of Alex Black, narrator.   His tone, the emotion he projects, and the way he can bring a story to life has me looking forward to listening to him tell Stacy Eaton’s Mixing the Blue Blood.     There are many characters in this book and the way he can change his voice to bring the characters to life make the story come to life as I listen.

Book Thoughts…  There is a lot going on in this story.   This is the fourth book in the series and you definitely have to read or listen to the ones earlier in the series to know what is happening.    The characters are all intertwined with each other, the storylines for each run into each other at every turn, and the new characters keep the story fresh.   I love how it all comes together perfectly and even with all that is going on it is easy to follow the story.   

There were a few times that I felt it got repetitive.  When different characters retell what was happening at a certain time I felt that it was maybe a little too much of the same story but I still enjoyed getting the different perceptive of what was happening.   

I recommend picking up your own audiobook copy and losing yourself in Alex Black’s voice and Stacy Eaton’s story or picking up a print book and finding an amazing vampire story.

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Two strangers start out saving animals and end up rescuing each other in this heartwarming romance from the author of Unbreak Me. 

Mari Tucker is a wildlife biologist who scoops bunnies and endangered tortoises out of harm’s way on construction sites. Still haunted by her past, she takes the most remote jobs in the Mojave Desert to avoid people and hide from her ex. It’s a simple, quiet life filled with sweet animals and solar-powered baking until she ends up assigned to Jack Wyatt’s crew.

Construction foreman Jack Wyatt’s loud, foul-mouthed temper keeps even the most rugged of men on his crew in line. No mistake is overlooked, because out in the desert it could mean life or death. In his opinion, the job site is no place for sensitive biologists, especially one as shy as Mari. But instead of wilting from the heat and hard work, Mari wins over Jack and his crew one homemade brownie at a time.

Jack and Mari find a comfortable rhythm, building a friendship that’s rare for both of them. After Jack’s rocky childhood, they have more in common than they’d imagined. But even the Mojave sun can’t chase away the shadows when the past is determined to track them down… 

My Thoughts...

Jack and Mari circled each other so much.  Jack was a jerk; Mari was scared of becoming close with anyone, yet they were drawn together without much chance of fighting it.   Mari calmed Jack and Jack allowed Mari to let down the walls she had built.   

Breathe the Sky is not a new story to tell.  I have read versions of it before but this one was sweeter, more friendly, and fun to read.    Both characters had histories, both characters had been hurt, and both were not looking for a relationship.   Together they work and together they learn to live and love again.  

Michelle Hazen wrote a fun story to read.  It was easy to read and quick to read.   If you are looking for a book with a cute story, tough characters, and characters opening their hearts again check out Breathe the Sky. 

**Thank you Dache Rogers at Berkley and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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2020 in Review... March 2020 Reviews

 Fall in love at Bayside, where sandy beaches, good friends, and true love come together in the sweet small towns of Cape Cod.

Bayside Summers is a series of standalone steamy romance novels featuring alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They're fun, flirty, flawed, deeply emotional, always passionate, and easy to relate to. And of course, you'll see cameos from the Seaside Summers characters!

In Bayside Passions....

When Emery Andrews's best friend, Desiree, moves away, falls in love, and opens an inn all in one summer, she feels her absence like a missing limb. Until she visits over the holidays and meets sinfully hot Dean Masters, who's as easy on the eyes as he is to talk to. After returning home, what starts as a flurry of late-night flirtations quickly turns into a deep connection and unexpected friendship. Now, months later, Desiree offers Emery a job teaching yoga at the inn. Adventurous Emery jumps at the chance and heads for Wellfleet, Massachusetts, to reunite with her BFF and her new close friend, Dean.

After months of sharing their lives and their secrets over video chats and phone calls, Dean's ready to move things to the next level. The fact that Emery seems oblivious to the sparks between them and has recently put her foot down about dating friends just means he'll have to bide his time.

When Emery finds a naked man in her kitchen the first morning she's there, Dean doesn't hesitate to move her into his guest room. Maybe now, Emery will see what's right before her eyes - although that guy she's got a date with might be a problem.

©2018 Melissa Foster (P)2018 Melissa Foster

My Thoughts…

Audiobook Review… I had never listened to an audiobook before I started listening to Melissa Foster’s Love in Bloom Series.  Now I cannot stop listening.   I’ve broadened my listening but BJ Harrison’s (narrator) is still my favorite.    He brings Melissa’s characters to life, brings feeling to the stories, and makes me feel what the characters are feeling.    I can hear the flirting, feel the fun, and enjoy the love that Emery and Dean share.  

Ebook Review…Back at my favorite book setting, Cape Cod.     This time Melissa Foster takes her readers to Bayside and we get to catch up with the Bayside crew.   Dean and Emery deserves to have their story told and I am so excited about it.    These two met last summer and have been keeping in touch through FaceTime, text, and phone calls.   They have been flirting, sexting, and sharing their lives for so long it seems that they have been together forever.   

I laughed often while reading Bayside Passions.    Between Violets craziness and Emery’s uncensored reactions I chuckled, giggled, and laughed out loud many times.    There were times I cringed at these same ladies and how unrestricted they were at times.    But I loved every word of it.   I also loved how the rest of the Bayside Crew accepted them as they were.    There was never judgment just 100% acceptance.  

Together Dean and Emery are opposites.   Dean is settled, living his life, and just doing his thing.    Enter Emery.   She blows his world apart.   Leaves her things all over his house, enters his every thought, and changes his life for the better.   The best thing is Dean also changes Emery’s life for the better.    He brings in some form of order, accepts her for all her quirks, and shows her what true love really is.  

I was so happy to be back with these characters.   It was wonderful to get to know Dean and Emery better and catch up with the other Bayside characters.   I cannot wait for more from this wonderful location and amazing characters.  

New York Times bestseller Brennan's latest novel featuring FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid finds her searching for a missing child.

Three years ago, authorities assumed that the Albright family fled the country to avoid prosecution for embezzlement. But when their remains are discovered after a recent storm, the FBI is called in to investigate -- and find the youngest child, whose body wasn't found with the others. If the child is dead, why wasn't his body found with his family? If he's alive, where has he been for the last three years? As FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid and her partner Nate investigate the cold case, they receive surprisingly little help from the original investigators. With minimal forensic evidence and no witnesses, Lucy and Nate don't know if they'll be able to find justice for these tragic murders, but with one small clue--the timeline of the victims' last day--they recreate what might have happened to the family.

While Lucy is deep in her investigation, investigative reporter Maxine Revere arrives in San Antonio because of another case. The confessed killer of a family friend has recanted his statement, and now the family simply wants her to find the truth about what happened to Victoria -- Max's specialty. She hires Sean Rogan, a PI and Lucy's husband, to assist her. When Max learns that Victoria knew Lucy's victims, she connects a series of dots that lead to a deadly conspiracy. Lucy, Max, and Sean must work together again if they are to find justice for these two families ... and finally uncover the truth about what happened. As they dig deep into the world of corporate embezzlement, high-stakes gambling, and multi-million-dollar land investments, they realize that more than one person has secrets dark enough to kill for ... and that one of them is the next target.

My Thoughts…

A family who was thought to have run to Mexico to escape the law is found in a grave but they are missing one child.   Is that child alive?  Is that child in a different grave?    Cut and Run centers around the Albright family and their son Ricky.   The reader is taken on a roller coaster of twists, turns, upside downs, and drops while following the path that Allison Brennan wrote.   I anticipated what would happen next but many times I was way off the path.   I tried to guess, I tried to stay on the path, but that path just kept me guessing.    

The dynamics between Lucy, Max, and Sean was interesting.    They all had different styles of investigating and were working different cases but these cases wove together, keeping the characters intertwined, and the story flowing perfectly.   I liked seeing how they trusted or didn’t trust each other, how they shared what they found or didn’t share, and how they were able to put the clues together to solve their respective cases.  

I am a fan of Allison Brennan and cannot wait to read more of her Lucy Kincaid series.   I’d recommend picking up Cut and Run and enjoying a thriller of a story.

2020 in Reviews...Books I've Reviewed in August 2020

 A woman unlocks the mystery of her father’s wartime past in a moving novel about secrets, sacrifice, and the power of love by the bestselling author of Daughters of the Night Sky.

Beth Cohen wants to make the most of the months she has left with her elderly father, Max. His only request of his daughter is to go through the long-forgotten box of memorabilia from his days as a medic on the western front. Then, among his wartime souvenirs, Beth finds a photograph of her father with an adoring and beautiful stranger—a photograph worth a thousand questions.

It was 1944 when Max was drawn into the underground resistance by the fearless German wife of a Nazi officer. Together, she and Max were willing to risk everything for what they believed was right. Ahead of them lay a dangerous romance, a dream of escape, and a destiny over which neither had control.

But Max isn’t alone in his haunting remembrances of war. In a nearby private care home is a fragile German-born woman with her own past to share. Only when the two women meet does Beth realize how much more to her father there is to know, all the ways in which his heart still breaks, and the closure he needs to heal it.

My Thoughts... 

WWII is my time.  I devour books set in this time and love when a story really pulls me in.   Across the Winding River is wonderful.   I was invested in the characters, I cared about their lives, and I was excited to see what their future would hold.   

Across the Winding River has dual timelines that tell the story of life during WWII and life after WWII.   Life during WWII has two stories that are tied together but I did not catch on to how they are tied together until later in the story. The life after WWII is set in 2007 and tells of love left behind during the war.  

Aimee K. Runyan did an amazing job writing the story and weaving the characters together as the story was told without giving it all away at one time.  I loved putting the pieces together as I read and figuring out who everyone was and how their stories came together.    I am adding this to my list of recommended WWII books.  

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Become enamored with the splendor of Paris in this heartwarming and delightful story about writing one’s own destiny and finding love along the way.

Vanessa Yu never wanted to see people’s fortunes—or misfortunes—in tea leaves.

Ever since she can remember, Vanessa Yu has been able to see people’s fortunes at the bottom of their teacups. To avoid blurting out their fortunes, she converts to coffee, but somehow fortunes escape and find a way to complicate her life and the ones of those around her. To add to this plight, her romance life is so nonexistent that her parents enlist the services of a matchmaking expert from Shanghai.

The day before her matchmaking appointment, Vanessa accidentally sees her own fate: death by traffic accident. She decides that she can’t truly live until she can find a way to get rid of her uncanny abilities. When her eccentric aunt, Evelyn, shows up with a tempting offer to whisk her away, Vanessa says au revoir to America and bonjour to Paris. While working at Evelyn’s tea stall at a Parisian antique market, Vanessa performs some matchmaking of her own, attempting to help reconnect her aunt with a lost love. As she learns more about herself and the root of her gifts, she realizes one thing to be true: knowing one’s destiny isn’t a curse, but being unable to change it is.

My Thoughts...

I love reading books set in Paris.   The city, the culture, the people, what is there not to love about Paris?   In Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop, I am taken to Paris by Vanessa in her quest to be able to control her gift of predicting the future.   A gift that she wishes she did not have. 

Vanessa and Evelyn must work together to be able to control Vanessa’s gift of predictions.  While Evelyn embraces her gift, Vanessa does not.  They butt heads, argue, and fight all while loving and protecting each other.    The aunts, left-back in the states, still find their ways to meddle.   The families still show their love and support.  

What would a story set in Paris be without some romance?  Both Evelyn and Vanessa find some romance.  The twists and turns in these relationships had me wondering if they really could find their red threads and their happy ever after.  I enjoyed meeting the men in their lives, seeing how they would be able to have relationships with all that was happening around them, and I was thrilled with how it all played out.  

I recommend picking up your own copy and enjoying this wonderful story of love, family, magic, and Paris. 

*Thank you Dache J. Rogers at Berkley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. 

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Publisher's Summary

Fall in love at Bayside, where sandy beaches, good friends, and true love come together in the sweet small towns of Cape Cod.

Bayside Summers is a series of stand-alone steamy romance novels featuring alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They're fun, flirty, flawed, deeply emotional, and easy to relate to. 

In Bayside Fantasies....

Tegan Fine has never had a plan - life, business, or otherwise. But she's always had goals - to laugh daily and to pay it forward as often as she is able, just like her favorite uncle always did. After inheriting her great-uncle's amphitheater, Tegan makes a risky move to a charming small town on Cape Cod to carry on her uncle’s legacy and hopefully expand the business with her new friend, Harper. Unfortunately, those goals aren't doing much to help her plan a business strategy for her new endeavor. With Harper counting on her and her uncle's legacy at stake, she swears off all distractions, determined to succeed. If only she could stop bumping into a certain arrogant, witty, and excruciatingly hot businessman who tweaks her nerves and invades her every thought. Including her late-night fantasies. 

Self-professed workaholic Jett Masters never slows down. He lives life with no attachments - except to his clients, to whom he gives his all. A reluctant trip to his hometown has him itching to shake the ghosts of his past and get back to spinning deals and adding to his investments. But when he comes face-to-face with a gorgeous, handsy woman who is quite possibly the snarkiest and most disorganized person he's ever met, sparks fly, and his sharp mind stumbles. He doesn't even know her name, but he can't get her out of his mind. 

A chance encounter turns into a wild, sexy night, and their chemistry is off the charts - even if their ideals, and their lives, are worlds apart. Neither Jett nor Tegan is looking for more. Becoming friends with benefits seems like the perfect solution. But when they are trapped together in torrential weather, they work side by side in the aftermath, and every passionate kiss deepens their connection. Secrets are shared, trust is built, and no promises dare be made. As their lives move on, lines begin to blur, hearts get hurt, and their true selves come into focus. Tegan and Jett are left wondering if they make the perfect storm, or if they've reached the end of their bayside fantasy.

My Thoughts... Audiobook Review…I read this book before I listened to it and I love Jett and Tegan so much.   The hurt that Jett held in and the sweetness of Tegan made them perfect for each other.   Now that I have listened to Andi Arndt and Aaron Shedlock narrator their story I am even more in love with this couple.     Both narrators brought feelings, heart, and realism to the story while keeping the reader entertained.     eBook Review…I have heard about Jett in the previous books in this series. He is driven, focused, and has a chip on his shoulder that he just cannot shake. When he met Tegan, the sparks were flying. Tegan, from the first meeting, kept him on his toes. She did not take his attitude, called him out on his arrogance, and made him take a second look at how he is living his life. I loved how Tegan kept him guessing, changing his life for the good, and making him work to becoming a better person. Tegan and Jett were just the couple I was looking for. They are sweet, they are sexy, and they are so perfect for each other. Neither person is perfect, but together they make sense. The wild, crazy, live life to the fullest Tegan takes the orderly, everything has its place Jett and pulls him into a world that he did not know he was looking for. Jett does the exact same for Tegan, helping her organize her business plan for the theatre and finding out what is important in life. If you are new to Melissa Foster Bayside Fantasies is the perfect place to start enjoying her fun, sexy, and sweet stories. If you are a fan of Melissa Fosters jump into this book and get caught up with some of your favorite characters while meeting some new ones also.    Purchase links ➜AMAZON: https://smarturl.it/BFa_Amazon ➜APPLE: https://smarturl.it/BFa_Apple ➜AUDIBLE: https://smarturl.it/BFa_Audible ➜Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52079104-bayside-fantasies Georgie is just back from her honeymoon with Darcy when a friend in need pulls her into a du Maurier-like murder in this all-new installment in the New York Times bestselling Royal Spyness series from Rhys Bowen! Georgie's best friend, Belinda, inherits a spooky old house in Cornwall and asks Georgie to go with her to inspect the property. When they arrive, they meet Rose, a woman Belinda knew as a child when she spent her summers with her grandmother in Cornwall. Belinda never liked Rose, who has always been bossy and a bit of a bully, but when Belinda's house proves to be uninhabitable, Rose invites them to stay with her. Rose is now married to Tony Summers, Belinda's childhood crush, and lives in the lovely house on the cliffs that he has inherited. Rose confides that she thinks Tony killed his first wife and now she is afraid. She asks Georgie and Belinda to observe Tony's behavior and their surroundings. Is Rose imagining things? Is Tony dangerous? In their quest for answers, they encounter a creepy housekeeper, Mrs. Manners, and learn that some kind of forgotten tragedy occurred on the property years ago involving them all. There is a lot of strange to go around and things only get weirder--and deadlier--when one night a member of the household is found dead. All clues point to Belinda as the prime suspect. Now Georgie must uncover some long buried secrets that may prove the victim was really a villain before Belinda takes the fall for the murder.   My Thoughts... Rhys Brown always seems to write books that entertain me.  I know that when I pick up one of her books I will laugh, smile, and cringe all while loving every word that I am reading.    Her books have mysteries, quirky characters, and unique storylines.   In The Last Mrs. Summers, we find Georgia traveling with her friend Belinda to check out a property that was left to her.  Of course, there is more to the story.   The property is a shack, the first night there a man climbs into bed with them.   The next day, in search of a new place to stay, they run into an old friend and are invited to stay with her.   The story continues with a murder, an investigation, and a mystery of who-dun-it to be solved.   I cringed at some of the events they uncovered, I tried to put the clues together as they were revealed, and I laughed at the situations that Georgia and Belinda found themselves in.     I recommend picking up your own copy and reading about the wild situations that Georgia finds herself in.  Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads Purchase your own copy on Amazon

 

2020 in Reviews... March 2020 Reviews

 

Levi

It's no secret I was born from money. And I'm destined to take over the family business, King Cosmetics when my father retires.

At least that was the plan. 

Until my father decided to impose some stupid rule about being married before I take the reigns. Everything I've worked for hangs in the balance and the future of the company is in jeopardy without a King behind the controls.  

I never considered Becca part of the plan for taking over, but when one kiss leads to so much more, I can't help but wonder if she's the answer to my problem.

Becca

There are two things I love - my beauty blog and Levi King. 

Coming from the same social circle has given me ample opportunity to crush on the next generation of King Cosmetics, but he made it clear a long time ago that I would never be anything more than "like family" to him.

Feeling the need for some serious changes in my life, I start shaking things up. 

It wasn't part of my plan to kiss Levi, but one kiss could never be enough. When that kiss turns into a relationship and I find out that Levi's been keeping a secret, I begin to question if our love affair was too good to be true.

Looks like we're about to find out if we can truly build flawless foundations for the rest of our lives. After all 425 Madison is the perfect place to fall in love.

My Thoughts…

Becca has been in love with Levi since she was 12 years old.   He pushes her drunken attraction away when she visits him in college, and she decides she is over him.   Love isn’t that easy to get over.     They live in the same complex, Becca is his sister’s roommate, so you know that they see each other.    All it takes is one kiss in the hallway and it is game over for Levi and Becca.   The attraction heats up, the love comes rushing back, and it takes all that they have not to rush right into the bedroom. 

I love this story.   It is one of my most favorites in the 425 Madison series so far.    Becca and Levi are wealthy, educated, and strong willed.   They both are going after what they want in life and together they will accomplish it.   Levi needs Becca to get CEO of his family’s company but that is not why he is wants her.   He shows his love for her with each touch, word, and fear that if she finds what he is hiding she will run.     Becca wants to earn her own way; she doesn’t want hand outs and she is willing to put in the hard work to get where she wants.   

Lauren Helms takes two amazing characters and brings them together in the most perfect way.  

Where do you see yourself in five years?

When Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Cohan is asked this question at the most important interview of her career, she has a meticulously crafted answer at the ready. Later, after nailing her interview and accepting her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, Dannie goes to sleep knowing she is right on track to achieve her five-year plan.

But when she wakes up, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. The television news is on in the background, and she can just make out the scrolling date. It’s the same night—December 15—but 2025, five years in the future.

After a very intense, shocking hour, Dannie wakes again, at the brink of midnight, back in 2020. She can’t shake what has happened. It certainly felt much more than merely a dream, but she isn’t the kind of person who believes in visions. That nonsense is only charming coming from free-spirited types, like her lifelong best friend, Bella. Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.

That is, until four-and-a-half years later, when by chance Dannie meets the very same man from her long-ago vision.

Brimming with joy and heartbreak, In Five Years is an unforgettable love story that reminds us of the power of loyalty, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of destiny.

My Thoughts…

In Five Years started, for me, as a romance book.   Two people in 2020 are living together, in love, getting engaged but then there was a twist.   Dannie has a dream that she is in 2025 and that her life is different from what she is living now.    It was a dream, right?   It couldn’t have really happened, could it?  

I love how her life in 2020 continues, she gets her dream job, she is with a wonderful man but is she really happy?   I had many thoughts while enjoying this book.   I wondered how many people settle in life, how many people wish their life could change and would they be happier if it changed?   While Dannie doesn’t really want a different life, is she settling with her life?   

The story of Dannie and her best friend broke my heart.  I had tears rolling down my face as their story was told.    Their friendships were so true.   They fought, they loved, and they protected each other.    Even while not getting along they did things for each other, just because they knew the other would appreciate or need it.   

This is my first book by Rebecca Serle and I look forward to reading more.   The twists, the friendships, the love, and the story are all amazing and I recommend picking up your own copy.

Thank you to Atria Books for a copy of In Five Years in exchange for my honest review.

Veronica Speedwell navigates a dark world of scandal and murder in this new adventure from New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian colleague Stoker are asked by Lady Wellingtonia Beauclerk to help with a potential scandal so explosive it threatens to rock the monarchy. Prince Albert Victor is a regular visitor to the most exclusive private club in London, known as the Club de l'Etoile, and the proprietess, Madame Aurore, has received an expensive gift that can be traced back to the prince. Lady Wellie would like Veronica and Stoker to retrieve the jewel from the club before scandal can break.

Worse yet, London is gripped by hysteria in the autumn of 1888, terrorized by what would become the most notorious and elusive serial killer in history, Jack the Ripper--and Lady Wellie suspects the prince may be responsible.

Veronica and Stoker reluctantly agree to go undercover at Madame Aurore's high class brothel, where another body soon turns up. Many secrets are swirling around Veronica and the royal family--and it's up to Veronica and Stoker to find the truth, before it's too late for all of them.

My Thoughts…

Each book in the Veronica Speedwell series is an adventure that introduces you to new and interesting characters while bringing back some of my favorites from past books in this series.  I picked up A Murderous Relation excited to follow Stoker and Veronica on their next adventure.   This adventure introduced me to more of Veronica’s family and showed that not all of them think she is should be kept a secret.  There was some history shared with Jack the Ripper storyline but it was mostly fiction and fun. 

The attraction between Stoker and Veronica is so hot.   I expect them to explode at some point.   I enjoy that their relationship is moving slow and that Stoker wants them to come together at the right time but oh my gosh… how long does a girl have to wait?  

The excitement, the characters, the mystery kept me turning the pages with the need to find out the rest of the story.    I am excited for book 6 to be released since these are now characters that I am invested in, that I enjoy reading about and look forward to seeing what new trouble they can get themselves into.

An intimate portrait of the life of Jackie O…

Few of us can claim to be the authors of our fate. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy knows no other choice. With the eyes of the world watching, Jackie uses her effortless charm and keen intelligence to carve a place for herself among the men of history and weave a fairy tale for the American people, embodying a senator’s wife, a devoted mother, a First Lady—a queen in her own right.

But all reigns must come to an end. Once JFK travels to Dallas and the clock ticks down those thousand days of magic in Camelot, Jackie is forced to pick up the ruined fragments of her life and forge herself into a new identity that is all her own, that of an American legend. 

My Thoughts…

I’d love to go back in time and live the world with Jackie Kennedy Onsassis.   To see such an amazing woman navigate a life that wasn’t always easy, that had such a great love as she shared with Jack, and to see her love her children so entirely would be wonderful.   She had style, grace, and a strong will that no one stood a chance when they pushed her against her morals.   

They Called it Camelot is a rare look inside the life of the former First Lady’s life.   It is a celebration of the life of Jackie while also sharing the heartbreak that came along with her life in the limelight.    There were times I had to remember that this was not a biography of Jackie, it is a historical fiction telling of her life.   

When I started the chapters of 1963, I slowed way down in my reading.   I knew what happens in 1963 and was not ready to read Jackie’s perspective on her husband’s murder.    The tears rolled down my cheeks as I read how she second-guessed what she could have done to save him,  how she protected him even in death, and how different her life was going to be with Jack not in her life.    The strength that she showed to the nation and for her kids while she mourned the love her of her life showed how truly strong she was. 

They Called it Camelot is a top read for 2020.