A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper

4 Stars

Jessamine Bricker loves a plan. Contingency plans and pros-and-cons lists are her love language, and because of that, her proposal planning business is thriving. But with rent costs rising at her office building, Jess jumps at the chance to plan a proposal between her snobby high school classmate, Diana, and her very wealthy boyfriend, Trenton Tillard…the Fourth.

Roped into joining Diana’s ”pre-bridal” retreat at the exclusive Golden Ash resort, Jess hopes to fade into the background, get some work done, and maybe find some time to unwind. Their first day is anything but relaxing: Diana is furious about the mountain spa’s lack of cell phone reception, the couple next door argues constantly, and Jess swears she just saw a drug deal go down. To top it all off, she’s warned to stay out of the woods by the gruff and sexy chef, Dean Osbourne. Is this a retreat or a horror movie?

As Jess tries to do her job while placating the bride-to-be and her increasingly over-the-top demands, she spends more and more time with the resort owners, finding herself much more in tune with the laid-back Osbourne family than her social climbing “boss.” Between a meditation garden-related drowning and Jess’s discovery of a body in a sauna, it's clear that deadly secrets abound at the Golden Ash. Now it’s up to Jess to unravel the mysteries here in the mountains—before all her plans are cancelled…permanently.

I loved this murder mystery with just a bit of romance. The characters were well developed and so was the world. I loved how the mystery played out. As well as the back and forth between Jess and Dean. Definitely looking forward to the next one.

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Meows and Murder by Nicolette Pierce

4 Stars

Murder, magic, and cuckoo clocks—just another day in Forgotten Falls.

When a vampire turns up dead in the peculiar town of Forgotten Falls, it’s up to Wren to crack the case. All that’s left behind? A pile of ashes and a house crammed with hundreds of cuckoo clocks.

As Wren digs deeper, a century-old case reemerges could be connected to her investigation. With secrets surfacing and suspects popping up like angry gnomes, Wren must race to stop a killer before the past repeats itself.

More information is added to the overall plot from book 1 and 2. The mystery was interesting and engaging. I still loved all the characters. I can’t wait for the next book.

Book 3 A Black Moon Mystery

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Summer Escape by Jill Shalvis

4 Stars

Anna Moore didn’t just wake up one day and decide to go on a wild quest—especially since her life no longer lends itself to wild anything—so how in the world does she end up racing against the clock with Owen Harris, a sexy, enigmatic adventurist, to prove her beloved dad innocent of stealing a million-dollar necklace?

It’s all Wendy’s fault. Her older, bossy sister, who’s seven months pregnant and on bed rest in their small Lake Tahoe hometown, is desperate to clear their departed dad’s name. Owen, though, is convinced he’s guilty as hell and wants to return the jewelry back to its rightful owner—his elderly great aunt. Together Anna and Owen go on a scavenger hunt for clues to the past (with Wendy remotely along for the ride via an earbud, supplying a running wry commentary to boot).

On opposing sides and suspicious of each other as they are, Anna and Owen still can’t deny the inexplicable and explosive chemistry between them on this heart-stopping adventure, the outcome of which will prove the necklace isn’t the only thing stolen—their hearts have been as well.

I enjoyed this listen. There’s a mystery of who stole the jewels and where they were. Add in FMC not trusting men for some very good reasons. I loved the interactions between FMC and her sister/BIL. I felt the story was more about the mystery than a romance but I still enjoyed listening to it.

Book 6 Sunrise Cove

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Sable Peak by Devney Perry

Vera Gallagher is chasing constant. For four years, her life was anything but normal. And the years before that she refuses to even remember. Dwelling on the past only hurts. Life is fragile, a lesson her mother taught her well. She’s determined not to waste a moment of her newfound freedom.

Maybe some would consider her crush on Mateo Eden wasted time. Maybe some would call her a fool for loving a man who hasn’t once dropped a crumb of interest her way. Still, to Vera, it’s Mateo or nothing.

He’s handsome. Charming. Witty. And he loves his family the way Vera loves—with her whole heart.

Maybe he’ll never notice her. Maybe she’s too damaged, too broken, to find that normal life she craves. Maybe her secrets will always keep them apart. But Vera will love him anyway. Whether Mateo realizes it or not.

Vera and Mateo make such a cute couple and I loved the family were happy for them. However, Vera needed to get so much therapy after everything she had been through to work through her issues and she never did. This led to all the problems in the relationship.

Book 6 The Edens

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Crimson River by Devney Perry

3 Stars

Lyla Eden has spent the last few years watching her siblings fall in love. Meanwhile, she’s married to her job. It’s on her hundredth consecutive workday that her sister stages an intervention, kicking Lyla out of her own coffee shop. With nothing else to do, Lyla sets out on her favorite hiking trail.

It’s there that she spots a man washing blood from his hands in a stream. One moment she’s staring at the jagged scar on his face. The next, his hand is around her throat. But by some miracle, he lets her go.

Shaken to her core, Lyla reports the incident to the local police. Two days later, Vance Sutter arrives in town, armed with endless questions and a tarnished badge.

Vance may be ruggedly handsome but he’s as mysterious as the man he’s hunting. And he’ll be gone from Quincy in a blink. Yet Lyla’s crush is impossible to stop.

No matter how hard Vance tries to ignore it, there’s no denying the chemistry between them. And avoiding Lyla is not an option. After years of chasing dead ends, she’s his only lead to closing the case that haunts his career. So together, they’ll retrace her steps.

To find the scarred man she met beside a crimson river.

I wanted to like this book because I liked Lyla in the other books. The serial killer plot was a lot and the ending was meh. I did like the love between Lyla and Vance.

Book 5 The Edens

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Jasper Vale by Devney Perry

3 Stars

Eloise Eden’s pride and joy is her family’s hotel in Quincy, Montana. Her lifelong dream is to own The Eloise Inn. All she has to do is prove to her parents that she’s the epitome of responsible. That her days of being duped and making reckless decisions are history. She’s so close she can taste it.

Until after one weekend in Las Vegas, she comes home married to a stranger.

Jasper must have put her under a spell with those soul-deep eyes because after a single night together, they woke up husband and wife. Her only hope is to keep this marriage a secret until it’s annulled. Then she’ll pretend it never happened.

Except Jasper begs her to stay married. To fake it for three months so she can accompany him to a wedding. Maybe she’s lost her mind to agree. But her brooding husband seems desperate. It’s only three months, right? Then she’ll say goodbye to Jasper Vale, and with any luck, hello to her new hotel.

Oh Jasper. I loved him so much but he’s so stupid too. I connected with Eloise. She’s ignored so much and just wanted to be seen. Yes she’s made mistakes in the past but the way the family deals with it is to make her feel useless. The big shooting at the end really didn’t add anything to the story other than to show the matriarch of the family doesn’t take responsibilities for her own mistakes.

Book 4 The Edens

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Garnet Flats by Devney Perry

4 Stars

Talia Eden loved Foster Madden for one year, two months and eleven days. It was on day 438 that her love died. The day he chose to marry her best friend. The day she vowed never to think of Foster again.

Until years later when he has the audacity to show up in her small hometown of Quincy, begging for her help.

The ink on his divorce papers is barely dry, yet he comes armed with apologies and promises. She knows it’s all a ploy. Foster is the king of games and secrets. But he’s got delusions the size of Montana if he thinks she’ll help him train for a world championship fight.

Except Talia has forgotten exactly what made Foster famous. The man has dedicated his life to victory. He’s steadfast. He’s determined. And he won’t stop fighting until he’s won her heart.

This book flowed nicely. I loved the backstory of Talia and Foster. Talia deserved so much more groveling from Foster than she got. I get Foster was in tough spot but there were so many ways that this could have been better. I did like them together.

Book 3 The Edens

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Juniper Hill by Devney Perry

3 Stars

Memphis Ward arrives in Quincy, Montana, on the fifth worst day of her life. She needs a shower. She needs a snack. She needs some sanity. Because moving across the country with her newborn baby is by far the craziest thing she’s ever done.

But maybe it takes a little crazy to build a good life. If putting the past behind her requires a thousand miles and a new town, she’ll do it if it means a better future for her son. Even if it requires setting aside the glamour of her former life. Even if it requires working as a housekeeper at The Eloise Inn and living in an apartment above a garage.

It’s there, on the fifth worst day of her life, that she meets the handsomest man she’s ever laid eyes on. Knox Eden is a beautiful, sinful dream, a chef and her temporary landlord. With his sharp, stubbled jaw and tattooed arms, he’s raw and rugged and everything she’s never had—and never will. Because after the first worst day of her life, Memphis learned a good life requires giving up on her dreams too. And a man like Knox Eden will only ever be a dream.

I loved Memphis so much. She is trying to make it on her own with a kid and starting over. Knox is an ass from the beginning with reasons he eventually tells Memphis about. After he explains everything he does make it up to her. It was a slower paced book which is why a 3 instead of a 4.

Book 2 The Edens

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Indego Ridge by Devney Perry

4 Stars

Winslow Covington believes in life, liberty and the letter of the law. As Quincy, Montana’s new chief of police, she’s determined to prove herself to the community and show them she didn’t earn her position because her grandfather is the mayor.

 

According to her pops, all she has to do is earn favor with the Edens. But winning over the town’s founding family might have been easier if not for her one-night stand with their oldest son. In her defense, it was her first night in town and she didn’t realize that the rugged and charming man who wooed her into bed was Quincy royalty.

 

Sleeping with Griffin Eden was a huge mistake, one she’s trying to forget. He’s insufferable, arrogant and keeps reminding everyone that she’s an outsider. Winslow does her best to avoid Griffin, but when a woman is found dead on Eden property, the two of them have no choice but to cross paths.

 

As clues to the murderer lead to one of Quincy’s own, Griffin realizes Winslow is more than he gave her credit for. Beautiful and intelligent, she proves hard to resist. For him. And the killer.

I loved Win and Grif’s story. This book was more mystery than a romance, but it worked for me. Win has to deal with a lot with the new job and people showing up murdered. Add in falling for Grif who is technically a suspect. I loved the ending and the mystery played out.

Book 1 The Edens

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Magical Makeover by Brenda Trim

4 Stars

Divorce comes as a relief when you discover your husband is a walking cliche and having an affair with a woman half your age. When life gives you lemons... give yourself a magical makeover!

One day I'm married, living in the triangle, and working as a head nurse at one of the country's best hospitals. The next, I've shed a hundred and seventy-five pounds of idiot and find myself encountering ghosts, dragons and pixies while taking care of a sick patient.

Losing my sanity didn't seem like the worst thing to happen since I moved back home with my mom and nana. But I have to make the best of this mess for the sake of my children. And I refuse to give my ex the satisfaction of knowing he literally drove me crazy.

I didn't mind rolling with the punches... I just never imagined those hits would come in the form of magic. Witches, shifters, and Fae don't exist, right? This new world I've discovered is dangerous.

The Tainted want to kill me, innocent paranormals want my help, and the son of Hades needs me to find demons. Give me an Ibuprofen, and watch out. I'm not about to stand by and let someone else ruin my life.

I'm a middle-aged woman on a brand-new mission, and nothing's going to stop me.

This was a different book in a good way. Phoebe is older and human but becomes magical with a very steep learning curve. The pacing in the book was nice and I liked all the characters. Phoebe is very determined to do her best by everyone and at times does to much. It doesn’t end with Phoebe ending up with anyone yet and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

Book 4 Midlife Mysteries and Magic

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Cheating Death by Sarah Reynolds

4 Stars

Sunday is an empath and she knows the rules to stay away from the other supernaturals but she’s not given a choice when her brother goes missing. She now has get help from a vampire. This brings her too close to other supernatural world and she must rely on Grayson to help get her brother back. But can they keep their hands to themselves?

This was a weird book I couldn’t put down and when I finished, I wanted to start the second book immediately. I wanted more world building and some things explained. I also with the author used the characters names vs pronouns because there were times it was difficult to determine who was speaking or being spoken too. I have zero problem with the one character asking to be referred to as they/them however, when the author is talking the collective plus this character it made me reread the paragraph a couple of times to figure out who was involved. It does end on a cliffhanger which was a bit disappointing but book 2 is out.

Book 1 House of Marchese Saga

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A Borrowed Boyfriend by A.R. Casella

4 Star

I’m internet famous because I was left at the altar. My friends want me to be happy and sign me up with the Fairy Godmother Agency. It is run by a husband/wife team who will work on fixing my whole life. They set out to make my ex jealous with a fake boyfriend. Griffin is very convincing as my boyfriend and I’m not sure I want it to be fake. Griffin loves spending time with Marnie where it’s less like pretending and more like falling in love. Will they find there HEA?

I really enjoyed this very lighthearted romance. Marnie deserves her HEA after her ex being a jackass. The book was full of well-developed characters not just the main characters. There were no major holes or errors. Just really good book.

Book 1 Fairy Godmother Agency

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You Can Run by Rebecca Zanetti

 

4 Star

FBI agent Laurel Snow is about to board a plane to go back to DC when she gets a call from her mother that her uncle is being investigated for being a serial killer. Instead of heading back to DC she heads home to investigate and profile the killer. She is tasked to work with former soldier Huck who trusts no one. Will they be able to track down the serial killer before they strike again?

I need the next book right now. This one ends in such a way that it leaves loose ends that need wrapping up but was amazing. We don’t know who Laurel is going to end up with but there are hints. There were several twists and turns I didn’t see coming and I enjoyed every minute of the read. Definitely worth reading.

Book 1 Laurel Snow

https://www.amazon.com/You-Laurel-Snow-Romantic-Thriller-ebook/dp/B093XVS6XN/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=rebecca+zanetti&qid=1640290954&s=digital-text&sprefix=rebec%2Cdigital-text%2C119&sr=1-8

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

 

2.5 Star

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram didn’t run for office but here she is elected as sheriff of her hometown.  Moving her daughter Auri home with her parents she doesn’t expect anything special for her first day.  Instead of an easy day there is a delivery of muffins that prophesies trouble to come.  A girl has gone missing and she will need to find her before it’s too late.  Secrets will come out.

This book was so incredibly slow.  I had the hardest time getting into it and I gave it way more chance than I normally would have because her other books are so amazing.  I tried listening to the audio but found myself confused by the POV.  The book switches between Sun and Auri and at times I couldn’t figure out whether we were with Sun or Auri.  Even reading the book there were times I had to reread sections to figure out who was talking.  There was no suspense for the main plot point of the missing teen.  Everyone seemed to be walking around with no clue what was going on and it never really got better.  Who took the girl was just kind of revealed and who it was should have been a suspect at the beginning when the parents were interviewed.  I also had issues with the subplot of who Auri’s father was.  When all was said and done, they didn’t really wrap anything up in the story.  All of it is left dangling for the next book.  There are enough hints that you can guess some of the answers, but it just was so freaking frustrating.

Book 1 Sunshine Vicram

The Body Reader – Anne Frasier – 4.5*

Detective Jude Fontaine was held for three years.  She was kept in an underground cell where she was raped, beaten, and tortured almost daily.  She escapes and runs home not realizing how much time has passed.  Her boyfriend has moved on and everyone she knew thought she was dead.  After a number of months she is able to get back on the force in her former position but with a new partner, Detective Uriah Ashby.  They are trying to track down a new killer who is murdering young women.

I loved this book.  It was well written and even though I figured out who the main bad guys were there were still a number of twists I didn’t see coming.  It was an amazing story to read to find how she comes back from three years of hell to mostly functioning adult.  I kind of want more books with these characters.

A Dark Lure – Loreth Anne White – 3*

I so wanted to give this book a higher rating. I loved this book and would have given it a higher rating if not for the end.

What I liked:
The book is told from different people's perspectives which normally would bother me but in this book it worked.
There was some predictability for me but not so much that by the 25% mark I had it all figured. It was more like the 50% where all the main plot points for me were figured. This didn't bother me because there was still the issue of how things were going to be resolved.

What I hated:
The reason for the 3 star is because the book just ends. I don't know if there will be a series and things will be wrapped up in a later book. It didn't look like it but it irritates me that there were things not concluded.

Overall, I don't feel it was a bad book. I would definitely read it again. The book just needed an epilogue like 6 months down the road to show where everything was at.

Books read this week

Books in Review:

Sword of Raven by Diana Duncan   ***
This paranormal romance is about Delaney Morgan whose life falls apart when her cop brother is arrested and convicted for corruption.  She finds out that she has magical abilities and everyone wants her.  Some to help and train her and others who want her essence.

It was a good story and it moved along nicely.  There were some moments in the book where the story seemed to jump ahead and it wasn't made clear so the reader was left to figure out what was happening.  Overall I will definetly be looking for the next book in the series.

If you can't stand the heat by Robin Allen **

If you can't stand the heat is a mystery set in Austen Texas.  Female protagonist Poppy Markham has left her family restuarant to be a health inspector.  Her father has her help out on the grand reopening.  During the evening Michelin-rated chef Évariste Bontecou is murdered and Poppy's stepsister Ursula is the prime suspect.  Poppy's father and stepmother expect her to figure out her is the actual murderer.

This was an ok story.  The mystery part of the story was really good and interesting.  However, the problems I had with the story were the interaction between Poppy and her family and former boyfriend.  There seemed to be a backstory about what happened with the boyfriend that was alluded to but not really explained.  Her family kept asking her to deal with the murder but were rude and obnoxious to her.  I don't know how many people would be willing to solve a murder to get someone off who was being that nasty to you.


Weddings can be murder by Christie Craig ***
Weddings can be murder is one of Christie Craig stand alone romances.  Katie Ray is about to be married and is having a massive case of cold feet.  She flushed her $8,000 engagement ring down the toilet by mistake.  Katie shows up for a meeting with her wedding planner and witness the wedding planner being murdered.  She ends up locked in a closet for 18 hours with P.I. Carl Hades.  After getting out of the closet she breaks off her engagement and ends up in protective custody with Carl.

I liked the storyline for the most part.  It was well written and flowed nicely.  The issue came in with the romance between Katie and Carl.  She breaks up with her fiance and starts up with Carl the same day.  It just didn't seem very realistic but it was interesting to see how Carl got himself out of trouble after pancaking twice.

Warrior Trainer by Gerri Russell *

Scotia was raised to protect the Stone of Destiny from everyone as well as, train everyone from the Scottish clans.  Ian MacKinnon has come to train with her so that he can defeat the four horseman who are terrorizing all of Scotland.

The premise of the story was interesting but there were to many complications in the story.  The romance was slow starting.  Ian and Scotia would get together then break apart and then they would sort of get back together just to not end up together.  The action was also very slow to start and then it was done.  The build up was long and extensive and then it was done.  I would have prefered there to be less build up.

Genie knows best by Judi Fennell ****
Sequel to I dream of genie.  Samantha Blain has just lost her father and found out her soon to be fiance is only using her for her inheritance.  When she finds a bottle in her father's safe she discovers a genie named Kal.  Kal is on probation and once he finishes granting all of Samantha's wishes he will finally be off probation.  The problem is he doesn't want her to finish her wishes because then they will be done with each other.

This was a funny and sexy book.  Drama and chaos throughout the book but it all ends up the way it should in the end.  I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara *****
Kaylin was born and raised in Nightshade fief until a slew of murders made her run.  She ends up in the City of Elantra.  She became a hawk patrolling the streets until the murders start again.  She has to confront her past to prevent more deaths.

This was a very well written fantasy novel.  The story moved and there was enough details throughout the story to not feel like the reader was missing vital details while leaving information to be uncovered in later books.