Snow Kissed

Finished April 15

Snow Kissed by RaeAnneThayne

Set in small town Idaho, Holly Goodwin More runs a flower shop. Holly is divorced and has a five-year-old daughter, Lydia, who has Down's syndrome. Holly loves Christmas but this year the season is more complicated. Holly's former sister-in-law, who is also a friend, is getting married, and Lydia will be her flower girl. Holly's ex, his wife, and their new baby son will be in town for the wedding. Lydia doesn't want to be pitied for her situation, and her twin sister Hannah comes up with an interesting idea. What if she brings a fake boyfriend to the wedding, so everyone can see that she too has moved on. Holly has moved on, although she doesn't feel she needs a man to prove it. 

One of Holly's employees is in rehab after a scary car accident woke her up to the reality of her life. Because her employee's stepmother was badly hurt in the accident, and the employee's father is busy looking after her, the employee has asked her brother Ryan to come to town to look after her tween daughter Audrey. Ryan is a Navy helicopter pilot who is going through his own physical recovery from a work accident. Until Ryan can arrive, Audrey is staying with Holly and helping look after Lydia. With an employee down during the busy Christmas season, Holly is very busy with floral orders. Audrey and Lydia genuinely like each other and get along well. Audrey also likes the opportunity to earn some money of her own for presents. 

When Ryan is approached about taking on the role of fake boyfriend, he agrees asking for Holly's help in making Christmas special for Audrey with her mother absent. 

As the two grow closer, they develop both respect and feelings towards each other, and the story develops nicely from there. 

The Gingerbread Bakery

Finished February 2

The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore

This is the fifth book in the Dream Harbor series, but the first one I've read. The main characters here are Annie Andrews, who is the owner of Gingerbread Bakery, and Mac Sullivan, the owner of Sullivan's Pub, which he bought from his parents. 

The two have known each other most of their lives. Annie took a dislike to Mac from elementary school, when he bullied her best friend Logan. Her opinion of him hasn't improved. But when they finished high school, most of their contemporaries went on to college and in November they encountered each other at a local event. Mac bought some of Annie's cookies from her home-based business, and then arranged to meet her again. They found themselves spending time together and beginning a friendship. Something happened to change that, but we don't find out what until later in the book. Now, Mac has been back in Dream Harbor for three years, and Annie has been avoiding him every chance she gets. With Logan getting married to Jeanie, a more recent addition to the town, they find themselves both part of the wedding party and forced to spend time with each other. When a small crisis arises days before the wedding, and Annie determined to keep Logan from worrying, she finds Mac is the one who helps, and doesn't give up. Not only does he help with the crisis, but he also forces Annie to deal with the past and the events that drove them apart.

A Christmas season romance with a small town setting and even some kittens. 

The Bridesmaid

Finished October 28

The Bridesmaid by Cate Quinn

This is a dark novel, as seems to be common for this author. The suspense builds as we move through the book, especially when we move from the beginning New York City location to the island of Elysium, a privately owned island off the coast of Colombia. In a hotel in New York, where Adrianna Kensington is gathering with her bridesmaid before a final dress fitting, one of the bridesmaid's is found hanging in a ballroom, posed in a bridal gown, with other gowns hanging beside her. The bridesmaid was an investigative journalist working on a story about the bride's kidnapping, which occurred at her 21st birthday party on Elysium. She was found locked in the estate's panic room three days after going missing, and the case is still unsolved.

Holly, a forensic expert who was mentored by the dead bridesmaid, is brought in by the police and Adriana's fiancé to help with the new murder case. She has also been cast as the replacement bridesmaid to avoid too many people being told her real purpose. As her assistant, a senior police officer accompanies her. 

The original bridesmaids were all former students at the private Kensington School, owned by Adriana's family. The school began on Elysium, later moving to New York. 

As Holly works her way deeper into the case, she also works her way into the family history, and what is currently happening on the island. It also seems that the murder case and kidnapping case are linked in some way. 

I liked the character of Holly who has lots of tricks up her sleeve, but who is also emotional about the loss of her friend. Her police partner is key to her success, calming her down if needed and helping her focus on each situation.  

The Marriage Hearse

Finished July 13

The Marriage Hearse by Kate Ellis

This is the tenth book in the series featuring DI Wesley Peterson. Here the book opens with a crime scene, where we see a young woman, dead and in a state of undress, be staged for a misdirection as to her death. We then jump to a wedding scene, at the registry office. The registrar is Joyce Barnes, a middle-aged motherly woman who notices an unusual emotion in the bride's eyes, fear. The reader is moved again, to a different wedding scene, opulent and formal in a church, where things are not going well. The bride, Kirsten Harbourn, is late, and her father finally appears, but instead of walking her down the aisle, he is alone and announces that she is dead, murdered. 

This is one of the cases that Wesley is now engaged in, as they endeavour to discover who killed the bride-to-be and why. The situation is a little unusual, with the bride preparing for the wedding on her own, instead of with friends and female family members, and this raises the question of whether she had planned on meeting anyone during this time.

Kirsten worked as a secretary at a local ESL school where European students came to board and learn the language. Wesley and his team take a look at the situation there, as some people close to Kirsten have mentioned that something odd was going on there, and that she may have endangered herself if she discovered something. 

When a local man with a metal detector investigates a field with permission from the farm owners, he finds jewelry, but also human remains. The police are called in and Wesley calls Neil as the bones look as if they've been there for some time. As he learns more, Neil is determined to solve the riddle of who this woman was, and enlists the help of an archivist friend. 

Wesley's archeologist friend Neil Watson is in charge of a dig at local Tradington Hall, where discoveries have been minimal to this point. 

On the personal side, Wesley's sister Maritia is about to get married to the new vicar of Belsham, and the couple and friends, including the best man who is visiting from London, are working on the vicarage which has been neglected for some time. Meanwhile, she is staying with Wesley and his wife Pam and their kids, and been helpful with the kids as well. 

The local theatre group is putting on a play, newly discovered, but dating back to the late 1500s. The playwright, Ralph Strong, was born locally, and went to London to further his prospects as an actor and playwright. This is the only one of his plays to survive, and is titled The Fair Wife of Padua. Each chapter is introduced with either lines or programme notes from the play, and we begin to see how it aligns with different parts of the many plotlines. 

I always enjoy the way the various plotlines link in Ellis's books and how there is an historical story that has things in common with the current day crime. 

This was an engrossing read that I finished quickly. 

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

Finished June 8

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss

I always enjoy this author's books, she has a nice way of drawing you in and making you care about her characters. Here the main character is Elinor (Nory) Noel, who runs a secondhand bookshop in London. She comes from a working class family, with her parents running a greenhouse. She was accepted as a scholarship student at a prestigious boarding school and made friends with a group of kids there. She has kept loosely in touch with most of them. Two of them are now getting married and have proposed a reunion in the days leading up to the wedding, at the manor house (now inn) that backs onto the school property. They aren't far from Nory's parents' home and she plans to visit them while she's there.

A few years ago, one of the friend group died, and it brought the group together in grief at the time. Several of them questioned the way their life was going, and Nory was among them. She didn't enjoy her work, and that is when she determined to open the business she runs now. She is much happier and has one close friend from the school group, Ameerah, and is also friends with her one employee, Andrew. 

Nory is looking forward to the reunion in some ways, but not so much in others. She had a night with one of the former school friends, Guy, years ago, but he hadn't told her that he was married, and neither had the friends that were aware of it. She is determined to avoid him as much as possible. On the first night there she goes out into the gardens, which she knows fairly well from childhood, to avoid him and ends up getting startled by the head gardener Isaac, who father used to head the gardens. 

As the two get to know each other, they find a lot of things in common, but there is also pressure from someone close to her against her choice, and a secret Isaac has that complicates things. 

The friends are an interesting bunch, all from wealthy backgrounds except Nory, and some of them are definitely out of touch with the real world. It's not necessarily because they don't care, but their lifestyle just hasn't exposed them to the awareness of other lives. Nory is someone who is sure of herself, but less sure of how others feel about her. A fun read. 

Lies and Weddings

Finished June 7

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

There and many lies and several weddings in this novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is definitely tongue in cheek at times, and the whole vibe of the novel was just great. 

It begins with a tragic scene in Hong Kong in 1985, and then jumps to the present day. As a reader, I gradually became aware of the way this early event related to the characters and actions in the present day. 

We get a list of seven characters who are the 'main players' in the story. They are an English earl, Francis Gresham; his Hong Kong model wife, Arabella; their three children, Rufus, Augusta, and Beatrice; Thomas Tong, a doctor, friend of Francis, and longterm tenant in a cottage on the property; and Thomas' daughter Eden, a newly minted doctor. 

Arabella is about to get married to a prince of Liechtenburg, on a new resort property of the Greshams in Hawaii. Then things begin to go wrong in a variety of ways from environmental to financial. 

I love a lot of the details of Kwan's writing. Things like the list of schools a character went to listed when they first appear in the novel; the inclusion of text conversations, announcements, invitations, and newspaper articles; and the way he uses language to hint at upcoming plot elements. But the best is the use of footnotes. These footnotes are done properly and seem serious, but are often hilarious in the way they make fun of the characters, situations, and general class system that is at play in the novel. 

Wealth and status in this novel are front and center, but despite the outer trappings of money or the character's title, one can never be sure whether the wealth is a facade or the real thing. I loved the role of Eden as a grounded middle class doctor who lives on the edges of the earl's family. Childhood playmate and friend of all three Gresham children, she doesn't have the designer clothes, the international travel, or the connections that they have. Accepted in some ways, and not in others, she finds herself seeing her situation in a new light here. 

The novel takes us from the English home of the characters to Hawaii for Arabella's wedding, to London, Paris, Marrakech, Beverly Hills, and Venice. We see the high life close hand, designer names dropped continuously, and ostentatious displays of wealth throughout. But they are always so ostentatious that they become objects of ironic humour. 

I will definitely be seeking out more books by this author. 

Abandoned

Finished June 1

Abandoned by Cody McFadyen

This is the fourth book in a series, but the first one I've read. The main character in the series is FBI agent Smoky Barrett, who has already been through some difficult situations, where she was kidnapped, raped, and tortured, and her husband and daughter were killed. Here, she is at the wedding of a fellow agent, when a car driving by the outdoor wedding venue slows down and pushes a woman out of the car. She is in bad shape, wearing only a nightgown and very thin with her head shaved. 

The wedding guests spring into action as most of them are either police or FBI. The woman is obviously traumatized and she doesn't respond to questions, so they use other methods to track down her identity. Which leads them to some very interesting new questions. 

As usual with serious cases, they also look for other similar crimes, and find some that fit. As Smoky digs deeper, she also puts herself at risk. She has extra security on her adopted daughter, and her husband is also in the law enforcement business, but this criminal is tricky and seems organized and dispassionate about the effect on their victims. 

This was a fast-paced read, with tense situations and life-changing outcomes for any victims that are released. The plotline was interesting, and there are parts where we see how the criminal was formed by their upbringing. There is also a secondary plotline with a potential job change for Smoky, and we get to see into the personal lives of many of the characters, something that brings depth to the characters. 

How to Hide in Plain Sight

Finished May 12

How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes

This novel is outstanding. The main character, twenty-one-year old Eliot Beck hasn't seen in family in three years since she left for New York City. She is the youngest child in a large family, and loves her siblings and their partners. She fled because of a secret that she feels is devastating, and she uses routine and work to distract herself from her obsessive-compulsive thoughts. 

Eliot has agreed to attend her brother Taz's wedding celebration at the family island, Cradle Island,  located in Canada near Manitoulin Island on Lake Huron. Eliot grew up in Chicago, in her family's large home there, with summers on the family island. The island has numerous cabins located on a sheltered cove and connected by a boardwalk. It is a place close to the heart for the family, special to them all. 

The summer that Eliot was ten, her brother Henry, less than a year older than her, stayed behind in Illinois for summer school, but died in an accident. Eliot's obsessive-compulsive disorder began then, although she didn't have a term for it and thought of it as her worries. When she started school that fall, she became attached to a new boy in school. Manuel is from Colombia and his parents travel a lot for work, leaving him to be raised by his nanny. At first, Eliot natters to him endlessley, without a response. She picks up where she left off the last time she saw him. 

Eliot's oldest brothers, Caleb and Clarence, are from an earlier wife of her father's. Then came Karma, Taz, Henry, and Eliot. There was a fairly large gap between Taz and Henry, and Henry was the way that quieter Eliot connected to her older siblings. Since losing him, she's felt that she doesn't fit in, and struggles with what to say at family dinners. 

The book moves between the present, over a four-day wedding celebration that integrates family traditions and new connections, and Eliot and her family's past, beginning with the loss of Henry. We see her mother's withdrawal followed by a new purpose-filled existence, and her father's collapse and resolve. We see Karma's obsession with baking leading to a new career, and details of the social changes the family goes through. 

We also see clearly one example of obsessive compulsive disorder, an example of intrusive thoughts that drive Eliot to confide in Manuel, and then ask her parents to let her go to a therapist. Despite the professional help, the disorder affects Eliot in a large way, and she struggles to hold onto what she can of a normal life as she tries to hide the reality of her mental health. 

This book had me laughing and crying as I saw the reality of Eliot's struggles and her relationship with her friend and close-knit family. 

An amazing read that also opens a window into a complicated mental health condition. 

Dead with the Wind

Finished May 3

Dead with the Wind by Miranda James

This cozy mystery is set in small town Louisiana, where Mississippi sisters An'gel and Dickce Ducote have come to visit their cousin Mireille for her granddaughter Sondra's wedding. They've also brought their ward, Benjy Stevens, and his Abyssinian cat Endora and Labradoodle dog Peanut. They are staying in a cottage rooms, part of a bed-and-breakfast that Mireille runs along with her longtime housekeeper/cook Estelle. 

Mireille's daughter Jacqueline and her second husband Horace live with Mireille at her large home, as does Sondra. As the scene is set, we see all the main characters, including Mireille's long-term butler Jackson, Sondra's fiancé Lance, Mireille's lawyer Richard and Horace's son Trey. 

Estelle is outspoken and often rude, very critical of Sondra and her actions. Sondra is also outspoken and rude, particularly to her grandmother. She's very beautiful and very entitled and her parents spoiled her when she was younger. There is some question as her motives for getting married. Lance is as beautiful as Sondra is and they've known each other since they were in kindergarten. Lance is also extremely clueless and not very bright. Trey has a crush on Sondra and is jealous of Lance. Horace and Jacqueline's relationship seems tense and we gradually learn why. 

As An'gel and Dickce observe the people around them, and the reactions when Sondra is swept off her balcony to her death in a storm, they also look for who might have wanted to kill her and why. 

There is a lot of southern tradition in the main characters and their relations, as might be expected from wealthy white women who come from plantation backgrounds, but the sisters are more open to new ideas than they seem at first, and Benjy also explains some things to them when they don't understand something. This book grew on me as the plot developed, and while many of the characters are stereotypical, the plot is interesting. 

Save the Date

Finished March 31

Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews

This novel has romance, drama, and intrigue, all set in Savannah, Georgia. Florist Cara Kryzik is a recent transplant to the city, coming from Ohio with her now ex-husband Leo. She had been working as a florist, when the owner retired and gifted her the business and its assets. She put her own money into it, and it is now an up-and-coming favourite for weddings, thanks to a previous client. She has an assistant Bert, who she also considers a friend. 

As the book opens, there is much drama around last-minute changes and work needed for an imminent society wedding. The mother-of-the-bride, Lillian calls several times a day, and has high expectations. 

When Cara's golden-doodle Poppy slips her collar, she is searching the neighbourhood for her, and sees her with a strange man who refuses to give her back. She and Bert have to leave for the wedding venue, so she can't deal with it at the time, and the police don't seem to consider it a priority.

As is usual, Cara stays at the wedding awhile, and sees the man, Jack, who had her dog there. He turns out to be related to the groom. 

The wedding goes well, and the next day Cara is pleased to find she is one of the florists being considered for another society wedding. Her competition is new in town, recently expanding from another city. When she gets the contract, the bride insists that she do it all, and Cara is put to the test. 

And when Jack keeps showing up at the weddings she is working at, she finds him growing on her. 

Cara is tight financially, having put all her money into her business, and dealing with an unresponsive landlord, a building that needs a lot of repairs, her ex wanting her back, and a possible lawsuit over a missing decor item a client entrusted her with, so there is a lot going on. 

I liked Cara for the most part, but she definitely has some baggage, but she's also worked through a lot starting her business and really making it her own, with her own flair and style. She works hard and has a high standard that she sets for herself. She is also one who creates relationships with her clients, so there is ongoing business that comes out of the initial contract. 

I also liked Jack. He's another hard worker with high standard, but also has some baggage. I was definitely rooting for them. 

A fun read. 

Not Quite Over You

Finished March 24

Not Quite Over You by Susan Mallery

This novel is part of a series set in the small California town of Happily Inc., a town that a previous generation marketed as a wedding destination, and that the town now embraces as one of its main revenue streams. Silver Tesdal runs a mobile bar service out of an refurbished Airstream trailer, and her business is booming, so she wants to expand and has her sights on two old Airstreams currently for sale. She tried a few banks, but despite her well-thought-through business plan, no one is biting. When her last hope is gone, a unexpected offer comes her way. 

Banker Drew Lovato, who works at that last hope bank, was a three-month passionate relationship for Silver after high school, before Drew went off to university, when it ended. When he noticed that his aunt, head of commercial bank at their family bank, convinced the board to deny her the loan, he took a look at her application and business plan. 

He decides to purchase the trailers and come to Silver with a partnership offer. He hopes that the move will allow him to win back her trust, as well as support her in the town's major industry. 

Silver is wary, but her business acumen knows that his knowledge would be an asset to her, not to mention that he now has the trailers she wants. With his investment, she can move forward quickly on most of her plans, but she has a secret that he isn't fully aware of. That secret will change their relationship, and their plans for the future. 

I enjoyed this novel, which moved quickly. There were a lot of characters introduced, and I assume we see some of them in other novels in the series. Here, Silver and Drew take center stage, and we see their relationship grow, both personally and on the business side, and we also see family members from both sides have their influence. Friendships are also big here, with some having interesting international scope for plotlines in other books. 

A fun read from a series I'd definitely read more in. 

A Holly Jolly Diwali

Finished December 5

A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli

This romance novel is set around Niki Randhawa, a late twenties data analyst living in Seattle. As the book opens her parents have approached her, worried about her single status. She agrees to have them give her number to a man they know of through friends. Niki has always made practical choices, as opposed to her older sister Jasmine, who has always been a rebel. Jasmine has followed her dreams and has a great career in the art world she loves. Niki, meanwhile chose practicality despite her own love for music and art, and she is good at what she does, but lately has been bored by her job. 

When she is unexpectedly laid off minutes before she is supposed to meet her date, she acts in a different way, choosing things that aren't safe. Drinking too much on the date, she impulsively decides to change her mind about attending her college best friend's wedding in India, and books a flight. 

She arrives in time for Diwali, and her questions about the holiday get answered in different ways, depending on who she asks. This also prompts questions about her knowledge of Indian culture and language. Her parents, who are Sikh and Punjabi are proud of their heritage, but not strongly religious and never educated their daughters in Punjabi as many of her peers have been educated. 

She also begins to question her own choices and when she meets someone she is attracted to she wavers between moving forward and holding back. While in India, she meets both new friends and relatives she hadn't seen before, and learns more about both herself and her culture. 

Back home in Seattle, she begins to have meaningful conversations with her parents about culture and choices, and she begins to have a true friendship with her sister. 

I liked the growth of the character in this novel. The romance was an interesting plot element, but for me, it was secondary to her own self awareness. 

When You Are Mine

Finished October 10

When You Are Mine by Michael Robotham

This tense, fast-moving novel takes place in London, where Philomena (Phil) McCarthy is an officer of the Metropolitan Police. She is also the only child of a man known to be the leader in a family of criminals. She had not realized that growing up, but has estranged herself from her father as an adult. A significant birthday is coming up for him, and Phil's stepmother has been trying very hard to get her to come to the birthday party.

In the course of her job, Phil attends an apartment after a neighbour calls to report a domestic. She finds a young woman, Tempe, with obvious signs of trauma, and a man who threatens her and uses his own police standing to try to get her to back off. When she forges ahead, she finds herself ostracized, put on desk duty, with her camera footage taken and not uploaded as would be standard. As she befriends Tempe, she finds her hard to disengage from.

Phil is living with her partner Henry who is divorced and has a young son, Archie. They are planning to be married soon, but are having difficulty finding a venue. Tempe proves resourceful in not only getting a venue, but assisting with all the other wedding tasks. She calls herself a wedding planned, but doesn't seem to have any online footprint. Meanwhile, Tempe's former partner, Darren Goodall, is a decorated police officer, one who was deemed a hero in a previous major police incident. He is also married with two young children. 

As Tempe learns more about networks within the police force working against her, and researches more about Darren's past, she finds that her father's connections may prove useful to her. 

This is a novel which will have you worried for the main character, tense about the situations that she gets herself into, and dismayed at the havoc it takes on her personal and professional life. A book that will have you in his clutches more and more as you get into it. 

Anger Bang

Finished February 19

Anger Bang by Avery Flynn

This novel is the first in a romance series and the two main characters, Thea and Kade, had their own baggage that they are bringing to their present situation. Thea was a child actress along with her sister and their mother was a stereotypical Hollywood mom, doing everything she could to keep parts coming. But Thea's heart was never in it and she stepped back when she became a teenager and the parts dried up. She is now a paleontologist and loves her job. Kade's story is unveiled as the book progresses, but he had an unhappy childhood that is still unresolved. 

As the novel opens Thea is getting the final fitting for her bridesmaid dress. Her sister's wedding is a reality show event at a camping resort in Wyoming, with footage revealed to fans daily. Both bride and groom are stars looking for a lift in their careers and have agreed to do this as a career move. They are friends as well. As Thea is standing outside her sister's trailer, she meets Kade, the best man and brother of the groom. Kade looks like a rebel with his tattoos, long hair, and motorcycle, but he has a successful entrepreneurial career that belies his looks. 

When Thea overhears her sister say that she didn't even want Thea at the wedding, but the producers insisted, she is hurt. That evening, at the rehearsal event, Thea propositions Kade in front of everyone, on camera, and is surprised when he agrees. As the two spend time together, both trying to escape the cameras and wedding events, the find themselves confessing secrets and growing closer. 

There is lots going on here, with Thea's issues with both her sister and mom, and an unresolved situation at work that we never see resolved. Kade has issues with both his brother and his estranged mom, not to mention his dad who passed away years ago. With his mom at the wedding, things come to a head for him in a way that isn't entirely predictable.

This book has a lot of humour that really makes the story come alive. Thea is a lovely woman who has let herself be a doormat for far too long, and Kade has pushed people away in his life, focusing on his work. It was a quick enjoyable read. 

Three Holidays and a Wedding

Finished January 15

Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marisa Stapley

This holiday novel begins in Denver as, nearing the end of December, people are travelling for the holidays. The year is 2000 and Hanukkah, Christmas, and Ramadan are all happening near the same time. This means more people are travelling, and travelling by air in the winter in North America is always taking the chance that weather will cause delays. 

Maryam Aziz is herding herding her parents and grandfather, and a vast amount of carry-on luggage toward their gate. Her younger sister, a doctor working with Doctors without Borders, has chosen this time to get married, and the group is travelling to Toronto for the wedding. Her sister Saima has just flown in, and is meeting them at the gate. Maryam is the one who is always tasked with organizing things, and, in this case, she has worked with Saima's future in-laws to organize the entire wedding, and the travel plans for her closest family members. She is tired and a little bit annoyed at feeling taken for granted.

Anna Gibson has been dating Nick, a wealthy man she met at a fundraiser for a few months, after bonding over their roots in Toronto. She is travelling to spend the Christmas with his family, but sometimes feels that he doesn't really listen to her or want to hear her thoughts and dreams.

It is the weather that foils all their plans, and they find themselves landing at a small airport outside of Ottawa instead of at their destination. It is near the town of Snow Falls, a very Christmassy, yet surprisingly diverse small town, where they find themselves welcomed. 

As they work to figure out a way to get to their planned destination, they also find things to do, a time outside of their normal busy lives to ponder what they really want, and insight into the shared traditions across all three religions. 

This is a feel-good novel of hope, friendship, and romance. It has second chances for some, a fresh start for others, and newly formed bonds made stronger through shared experiences. 

A great and uplifting read by two skilled Canadian writers.

Two previous series reads that somehow got missed: Blue Moon by Lee Child and The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley

While following up on some of the series I read, I noticed gaps for two them where I seemed to have missed a book. I've taken them out of the library, but as soon as I started reading them I remembered them. I've searched all my notes and don't seem to have written reviews, which is very odd for me. They both date from the same time period, published in late 2019 read either in late 2019 or early 2020 and I guess that I missed them in the busyness of other things at the time. So here they are, now.

Blue Moon by Lee Child, read by Scott Brick

This is the 24th book in the series and once it again it begins with Reacher on a Greyhound bus in the middle of America. He assists an older man after the man is attacked in the street after exiting the bus, and one thing leads to another as he first helps him to the place where the payment the older man needs to do is to take place, and later to his home. The man and his wife are worried about their daughter whose story unfolds for him. He soon finds himself impersonating the old man, and getting between the Ukrainian and Albanian gangs who run the town and are vying for expansion under the new police commissioner in the small city. 

As each gang makes moves and Reacher makes some to protect himself and the older couple, there is luck that happens, as they say, once in a blue moon. Reacher's investigations lead him into the world of paid healthcare in the U.S., IT startups successes and failures, money trails and extortion rings. 

This is classic Jack Reacher, satisfying for the little guy, with the bad guys in deep trouble. 

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley

This is the 10th book in the Flavia de Luce series. Her oldest sister Ophelia is getting married as the book opens, but there's a shocking item in the wedding cake when she slices it. Flavia is quick on her feet and manages to take the item while the focus is on Ophelia's hysterics. 

Flavia has also teamed up with her father's valet, Dogger, as a private investigation firm. The wedding discovery turns out to be the start of their first case, leading them to a special railway for the dead, a visit from missionaries, and a client who dies before the case is resolved. 

Dogger serves as a guide for Flavia's enthusiasm, putting her on the right track, and encouraging her good ideas. To their clients and the police they present a team that can put things together faster than the officials can. 

This isn't my favourite of the series, but it does offer some interesting scenes, and cousin Undine plays a larger role than in earlier books. 

Talk Bookish to Me

Finished May 10

Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley

This novel is set around romance novelist Kara Sullivan. Kara has always loved romance novels, and now has a few of her own. She has a looming deadline for her next one, but is having trouble getting in the groove. She's also very busy helping with the wedding of her best friend Cristina, which is just over a week away. The book opens with Kara arriving at a pre-wedding party. Cristina is there, but her fiance Jason is late, waiting for a couple of groomsmen who are arriving from out of town. When they arrive, Kara is stunned to find that her college boyfriend Ryan is the best man. 

Ryan graduated first and moved away, but the long distance now present in their relationship and family pressures on both sides created a situation ripe for miscommunication, and the relationship ended badly and abruptly. 

The two have a lot to catch up on, and yet, so many underlying feelings that it is hard to communicate well, just like ten years ago. When Kara gets back home that evening, she finds herself inspired and her writing pours out of her. With financial pressure to get the book in, since Kara has prepaid for a six month trip to Italy, she decides to take advantage of the muse that Ryan seems to be for her, and spend significant time before the wedding in his company. The presences of his adorable bulldog Duke only adds to the fun. 

The first part of the story moved quickly, taking place in that week before the wedding, with lots of activity, meals, outings, and encounters. The book then switches to a more leisurely pace as Kara relaxes in Italy, mulling her life and enjoying the company of a lovely man. 

I liked Kara and Ryan, and could connect with their occasional emotional outbursts when faced with situations they don't like. I liked how Duke was portrayed, and the little idiosyncrasies that the author gave him. The plot has a few surprises as well. 

An enjoyable read.

Do You Take This Man

Finished March 14

Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams

This romance starts off with one of the main characters literally running into the other one. RJ is a divorce attorney with a sideline officiating weddings. She got into the wedding thing after going viral doing an impromptu ceremony, and kind of enjoys it. Her mentor wants her to give it up and she has agreed to see through the summer bookings that are already made and then stop. 

Lear has recently moved back to Asheville after a bad breakup and a job loss. He was an event planner for a football team in California and has now taken on the role of assistant to his cousin Penny at her wedding planner business. 

He was just standing outside a venue waiting for a client when RJ runs into him. They both take offense to the other's attitude and when they find they must work together on some weddings, things get a bit hostile. Besides that feeling though, another one pops up between them and that is definite attraction. RJ is a straightforward woman and it's been a while since she's had a boyfriend so it doesn't take her long to suggest an 'enemies with benefits' arrangement.

That's when things get a bit crazy. As things get hot between them, and yes, the sex is graphically written here, they both have to fight the urge for more. 

This is a case of two strong characters, each with their past hurt affecting their expectations for relationships, afraid to be too honest with each other. But honesty is the only way forward.

I liked both characters, although I leaned towards Lear a tad as I like a truly nice guy. Williams has them both grow here, with a little help from those close to them. 

It's not a criticism, but one thing that I found interesting that although he's white and she's black, there was no real discussion of race in the novel, either as as aspect to their relationship, or in the social world they moved in. 

A Kiss for Christmas

Finished September 6

A Kiss for Christmas by Melody Grace

This book is a collection of four novellas: Holiday Kisses, Unwrapped, Unexpectedly Yours, and Meant to Be. All take place during the Christmas season, in various parts of the U.S. They are all part of either the Beachwood Bay series or the Sweetbriar Cove series, but can be read as standalones. 

Holiday Kisses is #5 in the Sweetbriar Cove series. Taking place in Sweetbriar Cove, on Cape Cod this story has British director/screenwriter Dash Everett planning to hole up in one of the cabins at the local inn to try to break through a writing block as he writes a screenplay. The cabin is more rustic than he expected, with no electrical power, and only a fireplace for warmth. But he has access to the main building and Ellie Lucas is a big draw to spend time there. Ellie and her family have been running the inn for a long time, and this Christmas season Ellie is holding down the fort while other family members vacation. Sweetbriar Cove has a Christmas festival that attracts tourists at a traditionally quiet time of the year. The book opens with a meet-cute when Ellie is on a ladder doing some seasonal decorating and Dash opens the door into the ladder and then catches her when she falls. As he gradually gets into the holiday mood, Ellie also dares to look at a world beyond her hometown. She is one of those people who likes to help everyone around her and is often an early volunteer in any community project, so there is a pull for her to stay where she is comfortable and openly appreciated. 

Unwrapped is #2.5 in the Beachwood Bay series. Lacey James is on her way home to Beachwood Bay for her best friend Jules' wedding. But she is cutting it fine when her flight runs into a wicked storm and is diverted. During the flight she sat next to Jules' ex-boyfriend Daniel Sullivan and the two connected more than they had previously, with Daniel really seeing Lacey for herself. When the flight to Atlanta is diverted, she pours out her panic to him, and when they finally find a room available, there is only one and they find themselves sharing it, and so much more. Daniel is determined to get Lacey to the wedding in time, and, as a smart problem solver finds a way to make it happen. 

Unexpectedly Yours is #6 in the Beachwood Bay series. For this one, only a small part of the story is set in Beachwood Bay. Sophie Young has had a desire for a romantic weekend in New York City at Christmas for years, including a list of all the things she wants to do with her boyfriend. He's supposed to meet her there, but when she arrives, he isn't there. And then she gets the call telling her that he isn't coming. She's angry and disappointed, and alone on Christmas Eve. She decides she can't stay in her room, and goes down to the hotel bar for a drink. She overhears the man at the next table, Austin Kelly trying to find someone in his little black book to spend the holiday with after his flight home to Europe was cancelled. So when he tries his line on her, she calls him on it. Austin is in a well-known rock band and used to having women do anything to be with him, so he finds that her not realizing who he is and treating him like a regular guy is refreshing. He is surprised and intrigued by this woman, and offers to make her stay in NYC a fun one, taking her to his favourite places and many on her list. As they spend time together, they find themselves more and more attracted to each other, but an unexpected visitor throws everything off, and Sophie goes to her friend's place in Beachwood Bay for comfort. Maybe New Year's will bring magic to both of them after all.

Meant to Be is #1 in the Sweetbriar Cove series. Poppy Somerville has just cancelled her wedding plans as she realizes that she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life with this man. She runs to her aunt's house in Sweetbriar Cove, a house where she spent many a childhood summer and has fond memories of. Poppy has become a writer of romance novels, but lately she's had a bad case of writer's block and she hopes this time away by herself will provide inspiration. When she finds Cooper Nicholson working on the house next door, she is first bothered by the noise, and then by the realization that this man is the same person as the boy that constantly teased her in those long ago summers. Cooper has been burnt before in a relationship and has a lack of confidence in the idea that any woman would want him, especially one from a big urban city. But as the two spend more time near each other and begin talking, they find they have more in common than they thought, including a definite attraction. 

A great introduction for me to this author and some hot romance too. Very enjoyable. 

Queerly Beloved

Finished May 16

Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond

This romance novel set in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2013, centers around Amy. Amy's passion is baking, and she has hidden her lesbian identity in order to get a job at the best bakery in town, which is run by a Christian fundamentalist. Amy also has a second job, in the evenings at a gay dive bar, where she can be her real self. Most of Amy's family is also fundamentalist, and her relationships within her family became icy once she came out to them. Her mom, who raised her on her own, is a big support to her, as well as her mom's best friends, a gay couple who are like uncles to her. 

When she is outed at the bakery and then fired from that job, she is understandably upset. Amy has been single for a while and recently met a woman, Charley, who she is drawn to. They have a first date planned for the evening of the day Amy was fired, and she is torn about whether to go. She also has a family wedding around this time, to which she is invited, but placed at a perimeter table. The bride is a cousin that Amy practically grew up with, and the distancing adds to her negative feelings.

When Amy talks with the other guests at her table, she finds potential friends, as well as an odd invitation. She is invited to fill in as a bridesmaid for the couple at her table, who had a last minute situation with one of their bridesmaids unable to attend. 

Amy is a big romantic, a fan of Say Yes to the Dress, and a person who likes to see others happy. She agrees and soon considers taking on "bridesmaid for hire" as a way to earn some extra money. She finds that her skills are a good fit for this: her baking expertise, sewing expertise, and event management skills all prove to be helpful in different situations. But this job provides a new dilemma for Amy as she is still hiding her true self, not out to those who hire her, and sometimes put into very uncomfortable situations. 

This is what I would classify as a Women's Fiction novel, as the major story here is the growth of Amy. She has to struggle through her identify issues, think about what she wants in a life partner, deal with the situation at the time of lesser rights for LGBTQ people, and even about her interactions with family and friends. There is a romance plotline with her and Charley, but that isn't the core focus. We see, through her evening job and some friends, the range of identities and issues in the LGBTQ community and there are multiple views given of these that really help show the frustration that goes along with not having the same rights as cisgender people. 

A book with depth and thought-provoking situations, and an interesting character in Amy.