Breathe

Finished October 1

Breathe by Lucinda Race

This is the first in a series of romance novels set around the Finger Lakes winery industry in New York. Tessa Price has been the marketing manager for her family's winery for several years, hoping for more. But she has realized that her brother is the heir apparent, and begun looking elsewhere. As the novel opens, she tells the family that she's just bought Sand Creek Winery, a relatively new winery in the area that was in danger of going under. Kevin Maxwell was the owner of Sand Creek, and as she did her research before the purchase, Tessa believed that keeping him on board would be helpful to her.

As Tessa and Kevin (Max) began working together, they begin to see how their skills and working styles complement each other, and Tessa wants him to be more involved.

When an accident brings their lives in danger, Max realizes how his feelings for Tessa have grown. This is a story of romance but also a larger story of the winery industry, with a lot of details on how things work, and a story of family for both Tessa and Max.

I found the story a little slow, with sometimes more details than I felt necessary, and put it down a few times before finishing it. I'd be interested to see how further books in the series compare.

October Reviews for the 19th Annual Canadian Reading Challenge

 This is where you add links to the reviews of books you've read that meet the requirements of this challenge. We are three months into the challenge and seeing readers add many interesting titles. 

The King's Evil

Finished September 29

The King's Evil by Andrew Taylor

This is the third book in the series set in the time of Charles II. James Marwood is a clerk to Joseph Williamson, who is in charge of the Royal Gazette and Undersecretary of State to Lord Arlington, but also clerk to the Board of the Red Cloth, which takes precedence and to which duties he is called by Lord William Chaffinch, Keeper of the King's Private Closet. 

Catherine (Cat) Lovett is the daughter of one of Cromwell's followers, and is in hiding, posing as Jane Hakesby, a draughtsman and maid to Simon Hakesby, surveyor and architect. His firm has several projects underway, including work at the Earl of Clarendon's large home. 

James is informed by Lady Quincy, a woman he has previously been in contact with, that Jane's cousin, Edward claims he has discovered her identity, and asked to warn her. 

James and Cat have been involved in incidents before and have a sometimes helpful, sometimes antagonistic relationship. Cat is smart, capable, and not one to give in to fear lightly. She refuses to leave Simon as their is much work to do. 

When James is called to Chaffinch and asked to undertake an confidential investigation on the king's warrant into a death at Clarendon's estate, he finds himself involved in both Cat's life and a larger conspiracy. Not sure who to trust, he uses the increasing reputation he has along with the help and contacts of his two servants to follow the clues he discovers. 

The title of this novel refers to scrofula, a disease that showed in swellings on the skin, particularly on the neck. It was often called the King's Evil as a ceremony involving recitations and touching by the king was said to cure it. This plays a role in the plot of the novel. 

Here we see James' discretion and abilities begin to be known by the higher levels of the court, something that makes it harder for him to operate without being noticed. 

I enjoy this series of novels, for both the historical elements and the intrigue in the plot. I also like some of the architectural details that are brought up through Cat's role. 

The Housewife Assassin's Handbook

Finished September 23

The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown

First, you need to know that this book, and the series that it begins is farce, with great humorous moments. Donna Stone is a suburban housewife. The day her third child is born is also the day that she learns that her husband was undercover FBI and was killed by a car bomb. His boss is the one that informs her and asks her not to let anyone else know he is dead. So she spins stories about him being away on business trips. Donna is involved in all the usual suburban mother activities, PTA and driving kids to their various activities. As she begins to think about how she will manage without her husband's income, his boss suggests that she might be cut out to be an agent herself. 

After training, she takes on the role of a not very bright, but sexy woman in many of her agent roles. But things change when another agent, Jack, who has a reputation for being a player, shows up at her house impersonating her husband Carl. As her fellow housewives swoon over 'Carl', she tries not to resent him for gaining the trust and adoration of her children, and for making moves on her. 

But as the pair becomes involved in dealing a fatal blow to the criminal organization that supposedly killed her husband, things become trickier and it is harder to separate fact from fiction. 

Each chapter begins with a housewife tip that has an edge at the end. The scenes have lots of action and suspense, and the body count damage is mostly offscreen. 

I enjoyed this for the farcical aspects, and it reminded me of some of the action shows of my youth (such as Remington Steele). A fun read. 

Mockingbird

Finished September 25

Mockingbird by Chuck Wendig

This is the second book in a series set around Miriam Black, a young woman with a strange ability, an independent spirit, and an empathetic streak. The first time she touches someone, she will see the moment of their death, including the day and time as well as details such as disease, accidents, and violent deaths. Recently she's been trying to pass as normal, living with a man she saved from his fate and working as a cashier at a grocery store. She wears gloves to prevent touching the customers and overwhelming herself. But it goes against her nature and one day her mask slips and she ends up touching someone at the store. She foresees that the woman will be violently killed by a man with a gun, in only a few moments. As much as she doesn't like the woman, this is not something she wants to happen, and she steps in to change fate again. 

When she has these visions of deaths, she often sees birds, usually a crow that seems to talk to her in her head, and we see birds appear in other scenes as well. I found this an interesting and key part to the novel, something to think about in a new way. There are also  chapters in the book called 'Interludes' where we see visions of people from Miriam's past, now dead, interacting with her. 

Afterward, she returns to the trailer she lives in with Louis, a long-distance trucker. She decides that she needs to move on, and begins a trek from Long Beach, New Jersey toward the rest of the continent. But she ends up sidetracked towards a girls boarding school, one for misfits and delinquents but offering academic excellence. There, she's agreed to a job, using her ability for a woman who fears her own death is near.

As Miriam finds more than she bargained for at the school, she knows she must step in to change fate again, rather than have young girls undergo horrible things. As Miriam relies on her instincts, Louis, and the birds that fly along with her, she takes the birds' warnings and tries to understand how to do what she feels she must. 

I really liked Miriam, her antisocial attitude, casual coarse language, and her perseverance. She's a woman who doesn't necessarily like what she feels she has to do, but does it anyway. She can't see her own death, but somehow doesn't fear it either. 

I've had this book on my shelf for a while and regret not picking it up sooner. I'll look for more in the series soon.  

A Crafty Christmas

Finished September 19

A Crafty Christmas by Mollie Cox Bryan

This is the fourth novel in a series set around a group of scrapbooking friends in small-town Cumberland Creek, Virginia. In this novel, one of them, Sheila, has won a scrapbooking themed trip for herself and two friends on a cruise of the Caribbean. The trip takes place in mid-December and the novel begins with Sheila tripping over a body as she does her customer morning run on deck. She soon discovers it was a woman she'd been friendly with and who had been talking about hiring Sheila as a designer for her scrapbooking company. 

Sheila's friends Vera and Paige are on the cruise with her, and Vera had brought along her new boyfriend Eric, while Paige brought her pastry-chef son Randy. Randy has had some experience crafting before and is intrigued by a variety of elements of cruise ship life. Eric is a lawyer and relative newcomer to the group that they haven't entirely warmed up to yet. 

When the authorities discover that the victim was poisoned and become aware that Sheila had met with her recently, Sheila becomes a potential suspect in the case. When Sheila is on the scene of a second dead body as it is discovered, this becomes more of a threat. Thus the group begins to gather information to find the real killer before more deaths happen. Part of this is working with the friends and family back home, such as Vera's mother Beatrice and the crafting group member Annie. 

When odd occurrences begin happening back home in Virginia, the group begins to wonder if they are connected. 

This is a cozy mystery with lots of references to crafting and the specifics of the Christmas season. It also includes lots of references to delicious food from the gourmet offerings on the ship to the Christmas backing in both locations. 

The is a short section at the end with crafting terminology and Christmas scrapbooking ideas. 

I enjoyed the group problem-solving and the side stories around various of the characters. 

The Library of Borrowed Hearts

Finished September 17

The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore

This contemporary novel is set in small town Washington state, where main character Chloe Sampson had to give up her dreams to leave college to look after her younger siblings when her mother abandoned the family. Chloe loves her siblings and is close to them all, and loves her work at the local library, where she works with best friend Pepper. When she finds a book in the library's basement with messages between two people written inside, she finds herself drawn into this historical mystery. She wants to know the story of the two young lovers who used the book as a way to leave messages for each other. 

Her grouchy hermit of a neighbour Jasper Holmes also takes an interest in the book, and this draws her and her family into his life. 

When Chloe finds that this isn't the only book the couple used, she finds herself on a search for other books. She also finds herself looking for clues to the identity of the young people in question. She finds the identity of the young man first, but struggles to figure out who the young woman is. When a young man enters her life through the escapades of one of her brothers, she finds herself opening herself up to new dreams. 

I enjoyed this book-centred novel, and the story of both the historical lovers and the current day characters. Chloe's siblings are interesting, particularly her brother Aloysius (aka Noodle) who has his own struggles. The book offers up plot surprises and new opportunities for many of the characters. Very enjoyable.