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Special Feature: The House on Prytania (Royal Street #2) by Karen White
Over the years I have read some of Karen White’s collaborations and standalone novels. I have also jumped around a bit in her other mystery series and always find her writing well thought out and enjoyable. I enjoy smartly written novels and White’s books have that as well as a little bit of a paranormal element. It’s not so much that it takes the book to a full on paranormal or horror story but it’s enough to make the books memorable and fun. This latest series by White will have many of the things that her Tradd Street books had, mystery, ghosts, charming houses, and great characters. I haven’t started…
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Special Feature: The Friday Night Club by Sofia Lindberg, Alyson Richmond, and MJ Rose
This is the second book this week that I have had on my blog that features a collaboration of three authors. I think collaborations are a fun way to incorporate very different writing styles and visions to work toward a common plot. I think it gives readers a glimpse of something different and allows for the authors to make something truly unique and give readers the feel they are reading very different characters. It can also be a big challenge for authors. Culminating three different styles can come with its own set of challenges but considering all of these authors are tried and tested in their own individual books, I…
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Special Feature/Excerpt: Funny Guy by Emma Barry
Who doesn’t love a modern rom-com. This friends to lovers romance that has as fun little comedic twist in that the main love interest is a stand up comedian! I have only been to a couple of standup comedy shows but I always wonder if the comedian is as funny in person as they are on the stage. Or if they are as charismatic as they appear on stage. I thought this book sounded really interesting for that very reason! Author Emma Barry has written a number of romances that have developed quite a fan following and I was super excited to see what this book has in store for…
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Review: The Castle Keepers by Aimee Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan
Over the years I have enjoyed each of these authors on an independent basis. I love all of their respective books individually and I was so thrilled to see that these three powerhouse writers were teaming up to write a collaborative novel! Obviously no one had to twist my arm to get me to review this one, it was an absolute no brainer! Sometimes collaborative novels can be difficult. I have only really seen a couple of writing teams successful with it. It can be hard blending different writing styles let alone character visions. I believe this is the first collaboration for these three authors as well which can sometimes…
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Special Feature: Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay
Bring on all the summer books! I spent Mother’s Day at the beach where it was over 90 degrees (highly unusual for Oregon!) and I sat there reading a book set in the French Revolution and all I could think about was—-where are all my good beach reads at??? As soon as that sun comes out and we start spending more time at the coast, I start really looking for books that are going to be light and relaxing plus set on the beach is a bonus! One of the first authors I thought of was Jenn McKinlay! I read her book Wait for It last year that was set…
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Review: Who Cries for the Lost (Sebastian St Cyr #18) by C.S. Harris
Over the years I have jumped around in the Sebastian St Cyr series, until I finally decided about a year ago to go back and read all the books in order. Some of the books can be read out of order, others not. This book has some carry over from the last book so I would say this is probably not the one to start with if you are new to the series. I have loved this series and I am so glad to see that it’s going strong. If you love historical mysteries but want something with a bit more grit, this is an excellent option. Every spring I…
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Review: No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby
When this one came up for review it sounded cute and charming. Like it might be a little bit cozy mystery with a little bit of romance which made me excited to read it. Though the cover doesn’t scream ‘cozy mystery’ to me—in fact the cover felt a little blah. But what the cover lacked in eye catching detail, the summery made up for and I was excited to check this debut novel out! I am always a sucker for historical mysteries (cozy or otherwise) and I thought this one sounded like it would be something new to check out. One thing that surprised me about this book was it’s…
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Review: Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen
Last year I was part of this cover reveal and since then I have been eagerly awaiting this book! Like many many many girls, the makeup brand Estee Lauder is considered the gold standard in skin care and cosmetics. Growing up, my mother and grandmother always wore Estee Lauder make up and perfume. It was expensive for a girl who was experimenting with makeup but as I grew up, and became an adult with more of a ‘style’, it was also my go to brand. This was the book that I didn’t know I needed. I never once considered the person behind this famous cosmetics brand until this book came…
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Review: Deep Tide (The Texas Murder Files #4) by Laura Griffin
I completely binge read all of Laura Griffin’s books late last year into 2023. I fell in love with her fast paced thrillers that also contained some romance to keep things interesting. Needless to say I had this one on my radar for months before it came out. I loved the other books in the series and was excited to see which characters from previous books would get their own story in this one. These books do not need to be read in order but you will see a few familiar characters making appearances thought out the series. For example, this book features Layla Breda who owns a coffee shop…
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Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry
I absolutely loved Emily Henry’s debut novel Beach Read. But you know, sometimes those amazing debut novels don’t always mean the author will be able to replicate that magic in follow up books. Before I decided to make Emily Henry an auto buy author, I decided to give check out her second book, People We Meet on Vacation, a try and see how the sophomore novel went. It was a great second novel and enough to confirm me as a big fan. But it was truly her novel Book Lovers that made Emily Henry an auto buy author for me! Seeing her latest novel Happy Place was coming out this…