authentic reviews and insightful interviews for inquisitive readers
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Title: The Christie Affair Author: Nina de Gramont Series: n/a No. Just no. I would like to thank Nina de Gramont, Lucy Scott, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. I rarely DNF (did not finish) books, especially ones received via NetGalley, but I’m calling it. When at 48% I saw that I had five and half hours left of this audio galley, I simply thought, “Nope.” …
Title: The Brightest Star in Paris Author: Diana Biller Series: Moore Family Saga #2 genre-confused, otherwise great! I would like to thank Diana Biller, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a great book, but holy mackerel it was long. *compares to other random romances* Okay, it wasn’t freakishly long, but it definitely FELT long. Probably could have stood to trim a few dozen pages. The …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Caught by the Cowboy Dad by Melinda Curtis shows why she is the best at writing relationship stories. Readers take a journey with the characters as they struggle through their feelings and must decide if second chances really exist. The plot has Holden Monroe coming to grips with his seventeen-year-old son Devin leaving for college, an ex-girlfriend, Dr. Bernadette Carlisle, expecting his baby, and having to deal with his financial losses. All of these …
Title: Rancher’s Forgotten Rival Author: Maisey Yates Series: Carsons of Lone Rock #1 Shallow writing hiding behind humor and sex I would like to thank Maisey Yates, Harlequin, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to Lisa Wray for inviting me on the blog tour. I feel like I see Maisey Yates’s books everywhere, and I’ve been meaning to check her out for a couple years now. I …
Title: Buried Cold Case Secrets Author: Sami A. Abrams Series: n/a Amateurish but better than expected I would like to thank Sami A. Abrams, Harlequin, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Lisa Wray for inviting me on the blog tour. This book was a solid piece of work and better than I expected, though still amateurish. The writing style lacked personality but wasn’t off-putting or bad …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney brings to life a fabulous cozy mystery. This first of the series has a community readers will care about, detailed descriptions of the town, and an engaging mystery with blackmail, deceit, and murder. Beyond that the author chose the historic town of Cambridge England set in a 400-year-old bookshop. After the death of her father Molly Kimball realizes her mother Nina needs a change of scenery. When a …
Title: A Touch of Romance Author: Paullett Golden Series: Romantic Encounters #2 Slow start but satisfying Thank you very much to Paullett Golden, who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Jules and Leila meet at a writer’s retreat hosted by mutual friends. Randomly paired together for an activity, they don’t expect to like each other much, and when instead sparks fly, no one is more surprised than they are. But Jules, of humble means, had …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Dead Cry Justice by Rosemary Simpson always involves a mystery, returning characters, and a social issue during the Gilded Age. This historical novel delves into a very tough and disturbing topic. But Simpson is such a gifted author and writes in a manner that does not go over the top. She realizes a line should not be crossed, leaving the subject matter up to the reader’s imagination. The story opens with the main …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Marriage Can Be Mischief is a cozy mystery in the small town of Harvest, Ohio. It features Amish quilting matchmaker crime solver Millie Fisher and her English friend Lois Henry. This installment has Millie’s childhood friend, Uriah Schrock, returning to Harvest to find out what happened to his sister, Galilee. Forty years ago, her abusive husband Samuel was found dead, and she has disappeared. But now a film crew doing a documentary on this …
Title: The Secret of Snow Author: Viola Shipman Series: n/a Questionable lead, unimpressive writing, melodramatic I would like to thank Viola Shipman, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thanks to Sophie James for inviting me on the blog tour. When Palm Springs meteorologist Sonny Dunes is fired and replaced with a sexy robot, she gets drunk and lets the world know how she feels about the …