Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

 

From the blurb:

"The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present."

My thoughts:  I've read six other books by Riley Sager: I really liked three of them, disliked two, and thought the sixth landed somewhere in the middle. So I didn't know what to expect with this one. But I'm happy to report that I ended up really liking it. Ethan's guilt and grief felt so real, as did his desire to figure out what happened to his friend that long ago night. And Sager does an excellent job of interweaving the past with the present through the different characters' POVs. The way he lets the story unfold builds good suspense and made me want to keep reading. I also really liked the touch of supernatural in it. All in all, this is a fun mystery!

My rating:  4.5/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

The other three Riley Sager novels I really liked:

Home Before Dark

The Last Time I Lied

Lock Every Door

I did post reviews of the other three Sager books that I've read, so you can find them on my blog if you're interested in knowing what I didn't like about them.

Two quick recommendations...

 

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

She's a Vampyre; he's a Were.  They're supposed to be enemies.

She's grown up without love or family. He's never found his mate.

Their arranged marriage is a political alliance. 

They're not supposed to fall in love. 

But then their worlds collide and everything changes. 

This paranormal romance is such a fun read! Misery Lark is a sympathetic and spunky character. And I loved her swoony relationship with Lowe Moreland. There's also great banter and humor.   4.5/5 stars.

Midnight Movie by J.L. Bryan

Ellie Jordan is a ghost trapper. She and her partner, Stacey, are investigating the strange paranormal phenomena happening at a local Drive-In movie theater that's being renovated. Is it being haunted by the ghost of the previous owner? A murdered actress from the old movies that they used to show there? Or something more sinister? This is another fun ghostly mystery with humor, atmosphere and a suspenseful ending. Though it's not as scary as some of his other Ellie Jordan books. Ellie and Stacey and their boyfriends, Jacob and Michael, are great characters. I really like them....and this series.    4/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday...

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme:  BOOKS I WAS ASSIGNED TO READ IN SCHOOL. Here are ten books I had to read in high school, and a brief thought about each one.

1. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.   I liked Hawthorne's writing; and while I thought Pearl was strange, I admired Hester Prynne's quiet strength.

2. A Separate Peace by John Knowles.   So sad! But I've never forgotten Phineas or Gene. 

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.   My favorite of the bunch...mostly because of Scout and Boo Radley.

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.   This was my introduction to Fitzgerald, whose books I still really like. 

5. The Diary of Anne Frank.   I appreciate this book more now as an adult than I ever did at thirteen. Back then I thought it was a little boring.

6. The Princess Bride by William Goldman.   I got to read this one in my ninth grade English class and totally loved it. Such a fun book! All classics should be this fun.

7.  Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury.   Another favorite. This book epitomizes summer. (I also really liked reading Something Wicked This Way Comes.)

8. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.   Ugh. I did not like anything about this one.

9.  Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.   Another really sad one...but good.

10. The Crucible by Arthur Miller.   Had to read this one then go see the play. Didn't love it, but didn't hate it either.

Happy Reading! 

Hearts of Darkness by Jana Monroe

 

When Jana Monroe was growing up all she wanted to do was right the wrongs of the world. This desire led her to become one of the few female police officers in Long Beach, California. A few years later, she applied for and got accepted into the FBI where she made a mark as one of only a few women in a male-dominated world. She worked cases in New Mexico and Florida before starting training with the FBI's world-renowned Behaviorial Science Unit. With the BSU, she consulted on more than 850 homicide cases, profiling serial killers and helping to catch murderers. She even coached Jodie Foster on her role as Clarice Starling in the movie The Silence of the Lambs.

Her biography, Hearts of Darkness, was my nonfiction read for this month, and it's such a compelling book! Monroe chronicles her time in the FBI with both honesty and humor. And her writing feels very conversational as she relates her most memorable cases and experiences. And she certainly saw the worst of humanity in her job. But she never stopped working to make a difference. Her resilience and intelligence shines through on every page. She's a remarkable woman. And this book is a mix of memoir and true crime that I found very interesting. 4/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

October's Bookish Art...

 

Rose Mead -- Molly Reading, 1920

"...we gravitate toward the stories we need in life. Whatever we are longing for--adventure, excitement, emotion, connection--we turn to stories that help us find it. Whatever questions we're struggling with--sometimes questions so deep, we don't even really know we're asking them--we look for answers in stories."          --Katherine Center, The Rom-Commers

 

Death From a Top Hat by Clayton Rawson

 

When an occultist is found dead in a locked room, and the only suspects are an escape artist, a ventriloquist, a clairvoyant and her husband, and a professional medium, the police call in the Great Merlini, a master magician himself, to help them figure out who the murderer is. Because it takes a magician to catch one. And Merlini is very skilled in magic and misdirection. And they're going to need all his skills of deduction when a second magician is murdered just like the first.

"Of course, Inspector," Merlini said, "the really difficult crimes to solve, as you know, are the ones in which anyone might have popped in and done it. But when, as in this case, it seems that no one could possibly have murdered either man, it means that, once we find out how they were done, we will know who did them. The impossible situation, by its very uniqueness, ultimately limits the possibilities." 

Clayton Rawson, a talented magician himself, wrote this mystery in 1938. And it is so much fun! I loved Merlini and how he and Ross Harte, the writer/journalist narrating the story, banter with the police and discuss all the possible ways a murderer could escape a locked room, quoting from the best detective novels and crime fiction afficianados. Their discussion of classic magic tricks was also fun. And while I didn't figure out whodunnit, the clues were there. And the Great Merlini was more than happy to explain them all at the end. I've read several Golden Age mysteries this year, and this is one of my favorites.

Happy Reading!

The Gathering by C.J. Tudor

 "Black clouds bristled on the horizon. The white snow undulated like a vast frozen sea. A storm was coming, something foul on the air. .... They were back. It was about to begin again."

Plot summary:  When a teen's throat is ripped out in Deadhart, Alaska, Detective Barbara Atkins, a homicide detective and doctor of forensic vampyr anthropology, is called in to investigate his murder. But she's walking into a powder keg. And no one is happy to see her. Because Deadhart is a town full of secrets. The citizens want to cull the nearby vampyr Colony. The vampyrs are fueling for a fight and very ready to defend themselves. The current murder resembles one from 25 years ago. The town's fanatical preacher has her own agenda. The nights are getting colder...and longer. And if the boy's murderer wasn't a vampyr, Barbara just might have a psychopath on her hands.

My thoughts:  The Gathering is a compelling mix of police investigation and psychological thriller with a touch of supernatural horror. And it reads fast. I really like the way Tudor writes, and this book is no exception. It's atmospheric and suspenseful. And Tudor has created an interesting world where vampyrs are a segregated but protected species, although one very much feared and disliked by humans. I did feel like there were A LOT of characters (and even more secrets!) to keep track of, some going far back into Deadhart's past, which made it feel a little convoluted at times. But everything gets wrapped up in a satisfying way at the end, which I appreciated. Though once again I could have done without the epilogue. All in all, I'd give this one 4 stars. 

Happy Reading!

Other books by C.J. Tudor that I've enjoyed:

The Burning Girls

The Chalk Man

Randomness....

Recently finished reading:  Calamity by Constance Fay.

This space opera is an appealing combination of science fiction, adventure & romance.

It reminded me a lot of Jessie Mihalik's Hunt the Stars and Polaris Rising.  4.5 stars.

My library haul for October:

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

One by One and The Teacher by Frieda McFadden

Death From a Top Hat by Clayton Rawson

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

The Gathering by C.J. Tudor

Always Practice Safe Hex by Juliette Cross

Hearts of Darkness by Jana Monroe

The Devil Came Down the Mountain by Christopher Bond

And my list of glad things that brought me some joy and happiness last month:

• All the beautiful changing fall leaves; I love the autumn colors and the cooler weather! 
• My work schedule changed--which means I have fewer hours, but I now have Fridays off, something I'm really enjoying. Four day work weeks kind of rock.
• I found a new favorite song:  Surviving by Kaz Hawkins. If you like songs with a bluesy sound check her out!
• My favorite college football team, BYU, is 5-0 so far this season. Nice for them to be on a winning streak; here's hoping they can keep it up.
• And I'm loving ABCs new show High Potential. It's so nice to have something new to watch on TV that is both smart and funny. 

The Spirit Girls by Dawn Merriman

 

First line:  I should be afraid, but I'm not.

Plot summary:  Rylan Flynn can talk to ghosts. She and her friend, Mickey, film some of her encounters for their YouTube show Beyond the Dead Investigations. But mostly Rylan tries to help the ghosts crossover. But when the ghost of a young woman leads Rylan to her dead body in the woods near her aunt's house, Rylan finds herself caught up in a murder investigation. Something Detective Ford Pierce is not thrilled about. 

My thoughts:  This is a fast and fun paranormal mystery; it's a little short, and not too scary, and I really liked it. From the ghosts in her home to her penchant for filling her house and garage up with found 'treasures', Rylan is an interesting and likable character. And her longtime crush on Ford hints at the possibility of some romance in future books. It's a very promising start to this new ghostly series. And I look forward to reading more books about Rylan Flynn and the ghosts in her life. 

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

The Suicide House by Charlie Donlea

 

First line:  I killed my brother with a penny. 

Plot summary:  In the summer of 2019, two students from Westmont Preparatory were killed in the abandoned house near the campus. It's rumored they were part of the Man in the Mirror secret society. One of their teachers was accused of their murders. A year later, both a newspaper reporter and a podcaster are digging into their murders, and the suicides that have followed. But the students of Westmont and their advisors are keeping secrets. Then Dr. Lane Phillips, a renown forensic psychologist, and Rory Moore, a cold case savant, get pulled in to help. And all those dark secrets start to come out.  

My thoughts:  There are a lot of layers to this mystery, with multiple character POVs interspersed with journal entries written by the murderer, and lots of shifts between the past and present. All of which slowed the pacing for me, especially at the beginning. Once I settled into the flow of the story, the pacing picked up. And I found the ending compelling. Though I have to admit, I didn't like this one nearly as much as I did Donlea's previous novel, Some Choose Darkness. Probably because with so many characters, and so much of the storyline taking place in the past, Rory's role isn't as prominent. And she's the character I like the most. But this mystery is still a good read. 

My rating:  3.5/5 stars. 

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday...

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme:  BOOKS ON MY FALL 2024 TO READ LIST. 

Easy topic, right? 

My hardest thing was chiseling my list down to just these ten eleven books. 

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

The Gathering by C.J. Tudor

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

Grave Expectations by Alice Bell

The Next Everest by Jim Davidson

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig

The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard

Novice by Taran Matheru

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Happy Reading!

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

 

"I have a hard time not blaming myself for what happened. I wish I didn't. I wish this was not a cautionary tale about what happens to girls who wander off in the dark. Who are made to learn there are bad people everywhere. That the truth is these people are not strangers. They are the men who you sleep with, the men you work with, the men you raise. I wish this wasn't what it means to be female--it is not a matter of if something bad will happen, but when."

Two years. Two weeks. One day. 

That's how long Ellie Black has been missing when she stumbles from the Captiol State Forest near Olympia, Washington. She's thin, bruised, clearly traumatized, and wearing a sweatshirt spattered with someone else's blood. Ellie's disappearance was Chelsey Calhoun's first case as a detective. Now she's hoping to find Ellie's abductor and arrest him. Only Ellie won't answer any of her questions, and it's clear she's keeping secrets. When Chelsey learns that the blood on Ellie's sweatshirt is from another girl who went missing before Ellie, Chelsey fears there are more missing girls out there still being held by the man or men who took Ellie. And she's determined to find them. 

"Ever since Ellie Black's disappearance, Chelsey has volunteered for any case involving violence against women. She always has plenty of work to do. All those beaten, all those bruised, all those maimed women are welcomed on Chelsey's shores. It is a type of atonement, Chelsey understands. She could not save (her sister) Lydia. She could not solve Ellie's case. ... A lump rises in Chelsey's throat, and she gulps it back. She won't allow the tears to come. All these girls. These bright, bold, beautiful girls. All that potential wasted. All those possibilities snuffed out. What could have been. The question stretches to infinity. She pulls one of Lydia's Beatrix Potter rabbits from the bed and screams into it with a shimmery, impotent rage."

This mystery is both page-turning and haunting. It alternates between Ellie's and Chelsey's POVs. I could understand and sympathize with Chelsey's intense determination to learn the truth about what happened to Ellie, and to keep it from happening to any other girls. And I liked the way Ellie's story unfolded bit by bit over the course of the novel. It kept me guessing about what secrets she was hiding. And there's a good, very unexpected twist, at the end. This is a very compelling thriller, as well as a sad commentary on the bad things that can happen to young girls in our society.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Haiku reviews...

 

Off the Beaten Path by Madison Wright

Flirty, sunny Wren

tangles with her grumpy neighbor,

single dad Holden.

Romantic comedy .... 360 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Loved Holden's relationship with his six-year-old daughter, June, in this sweet romance.)

Metropolis by B.A. Shapiro

Six lives intersect

at Metropolitan Storage; 

each with their own secrets.

Fiction .... 355 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(This character-driven novel is so well-written!)

Beauty and the Beach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

Her need for money.

His grandma's will. Two reasons

for a fake marriage (that turns out to be real).

Sweet romance .... 306 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(A charming summer romance with clever and humorous banter...and some very funny nicknames between Holland and Phoenix.)

Happy Reading!

September's bookish art...

 

Georges D'espagnat -- Woman Reading

"Do not set out to live a well-read life but rather your well-read life. No one can be well-read using someone else's reading list. Unless a book is good for you, you won't connect with it and gain from it. Just as no one can tell you how to lead your life, no one can tell you what to read for your life."

 --Steve Leveen, The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life    

The Case of the Baker Street Irregulars by Anthony Boucher

 

This classic mystery was first published in 1940. And it's very entertaining, especially if you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes. As the Baker Street Irregulars are. This group is dedicated to the great detective and know every story written about him. So when they learn Metropolis Pictures is planning to make a movie of The Adventures of the Speckled Band and have hired Stephen Worth to write the screenplay, the Irregulars are horrified. As a group, they begin a letter campaign threatening the producer F.X. Weinberg unless he fires Worth.

"...this man Worth, hereinafter to be known as that rat, is the author of many stupid and illogical mystery novels...and has many times expressed in public print his contempt for the exploits of Holmes."

Stephen Worth doesn't have a much better opinion of the Baker Street Irregulars:  "These cockeyed pantywaist deductionists. These silly-frilly nancy-pantsy dabblers who think they can write about detectives....they're going to learn something in this picture, and they're not going to like it."  

Wanting to get the Holmesians off his back (and unable to fire Worth because of an ironclad contract), Weinberg and his secretary, Maureen, devise a plan to bring five of the most well-known Baker Street Irregulars to Hollywood to oversee the script. But when Worth is murdered at their welcome reception, they all become suspects. Banding together, the Irregulars try to solve this puzzling murder. But they're stumped when every clue and red herring they find seems to point back to one of Sherlock Holmes's famous cases. It can't be a coincidence. But who's behind it all? 

Irreverent, engaging, humorous and a little zany, I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. Boucher creates quite a cast of characters, even including a police sergeant named Watson. I found all the nods to Holmes and Watson lots of fun; though you don't have to be familiar with anything Sherlock Holmes to appreciate this mystery because the Irregulars are more than happy to explain each and every connection. There's a touch of screwball comedy in this one that I wasn't expecting, but found amusing. And while I didn't have a clue whodunnit, I loved watching the police and the Irregulars try their best to solve the crime. And the ending made me smile.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. 

This week's theme:  BOOKS THAT PROVIDE A MUCH NEEDED ESCAPE.

For me, I turn to more light-hearted, magical reads when I need an escape from real life:  books with humor & heart, quirky friendships, cute dogs, exotic settings, swoony romances, a touch of the supernatural, and of course, a happy ending. But really, any favorite book can be a welcome escape! Here are ten of mine:

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca

Silverborne by Patricia Briggs

The Confessor by Daniel Silva

The Gargoyle Gets His Girl by Kristen Painter

(Though all of Painter's Nocturne Falls books are favs.)

Something From the Nightside by Simon R. Green

Beauty by Robin McKinley

Altar of Eden by James Rollins

The Match by Sarah Adams 

Space Cadet by Robert A. Heinlein

My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

(Or any of Jane Austen's books really.)

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

This list of books could be A LOT longer; I have so many books that I turn to when I need an escape from real life. But I think I better stop here. Can't wait to check out your favorite escapes.

Happy Reading!

Tap Code by Col. Carlyle "Smitty" Harris (Ret.)

 

The epic suvival tale of a Vietnam POW and the secret code that changed everything.

Shot down on April 4, 1965, Smitty Harris was the sixth American captured in the air war over North Vietnam. I'm sure you've heard of the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Smitty was there, as well as in seven other prison camps. For eight long years he suffered torture, solitary confinement, hunger, humiliation and abuse. But through it all, he never lost his belief in God, or his own integrity and honor as an American soldier. 

In the midst of his captivity, he remembered an old, long-unused World War II method of communication he'd once learned--the Tap Code. It's based on a 5x5 grid of numbers and letters that allowed him and his fellow POWs to covertly communicate with one another while imprisoned. And that ability not only unified these men, but enabled them to strengthen and support one another and help each other to survive their long ordeal, their "misery made bearable by camaraderie."

Meanwhile, back in the States, Smitty's wife, Louise, never gave up hope that he would come back home. As one of the first MIA wives, she had to learn to be her own advocate, as well as to be strong and optimistic for her three young children as she raised them on her own. Her memories of that time period are equally captivating. 

This is an incredible story of faith, resistance, hope and survival. And one of the best nonfiction books I've read all year. It's so good! Here's just one of my favorite quotes from it: 

"When times were really bad--and especially during those times when I feared I might not survive--I prayed frequently and fervently because I had nowhere else to turn. I knew I needed help. And help came. No, I didn't experience a personal miracle. The torture didn't stop. I wasn't free and back home. But I gained more than I even knew to pray for. After prayer, I knew I was no longer alone. Prayer gave me renewed strength to continue resisting a brutal enemy. And all those miracles I prayed for came true--just not on on my timetable, but on God's. Now I feel that I have everything I could have ever wanted. Through the difficulty of my years of captivity, I found a renewed belief in a Supreme Being--God, my Father--who looked after me then and still does today."

My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Happy Reading!

 

Two fun reads...

 

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter

"Here's the thing about waking up with no memory in the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of Paris: at least you're waking up in Paris."

She's not a spy, but she gets caught up with one. And Sawyer's the only thing standing between her and all the bad guys chasing her. There's a lot of action, banter, suspense, and some great laugh-out-loud moments between Zoe and Sawyer in this one. This is such an addictive and fun novel; I couldn't put it down. I loved the combination of spies and romance.   4.5/5 stars. 

Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren

"For as many books as she'd read in her lifetime, Ren had never found one that taught a woman like her--raised away from society and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years--how to live in the real world. Still, she was so ready for the change, she could practically taste it."

Ren is naive, optimistic, eager and full of sunshine. Fitz is streetwise, charming when he wants to be, but hiding some dark secrets from his past. The two of them together? Magic. From Ren's first weeks at college to their road trip across the country, I ate this book up. It's a charming read with lots of humor. I liked how spending time with Ren made Fitz open up and want to be better. And Ren's journey had some unexpected surprises in it, especially at the end.   4/5 stars.

Randomness...

I recently watched this excellent Anthony Hopkins movie:  One Life.  It's based on a true story about an ordinary man who helped save over 600 refugee children from the Nazis during WWII. 

My library haul for the month: 

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

The Case of the Baker Street Irregulars by Anthony Boucher

September House by Carissa Orlando

Suicide House by Charlie Donlea

Beauty and the Beach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

Flirting With Fire by Jane Porter

Tap Code by Carlyle S. Harris

Calamity by Constance Fay

Metropolis by B.A. Shapiro

A few of my glad things from August:

• We got several days of lovely drenching rain last month, which was a refreshing change from the string of 100+ days and no rain that was the month of July.  
  
• A Rufous Hummingbird came to the feeders in my backyard and stayed for awhile on its migration south. They're such fun birds to watch. 
• My neighbors gave me some of their freshly picked blackberries and I made 7 jars of yummy blackberry jam from them. 
• My family gave me a large turtle Squishmallow for my birthday; it's cute, very huggable, a little silly and totally makes me smile. 

"The Secret to Life is Finding 

Joy in Ordinary Things."

--Ruth Reichl

Until Next Summer by Ali Brady

 "...there's something magical about summer camp."

How it begins:  "When I was a kid, I had a button on my backpack that read I LIVE TEN MONTHS FOR TWO. When people noticed it, I'd get one of two reactions: total confusion, or a knowing smile. The ones who smiled would inevitably ask one question. A question that let me know without a doubt, that they were my kind of people:  'So where'd you go to camp?' "

The plot:  For Jessie, Camp Chickawah always felt like home...the one place she truly belonged. It's where she met her best friend, Hillary, though the two aren't in touch any more. So being Chickawah's camp director has been her dream job. Only the camp hasn't been making money. And now the owners want to sell it to developers. And Jessie has only one summer left. To make the most of it, she invites all of  Chickawah's past campers to come back for a memorable and nostalgic adult summer camp experience. Every week will have a different theme. They'll relive all their favorite camp moments. And when Hillary shows up with an idea that could save Camp Chickawah, Jessie is all in. 

"(Because) once a camp person, always a camp person." 

My thoughts:  There is something magical about summer camp. My summer camp experiences were never eight weeks long, but they were always fun. And I always wished I could go to a place like Camp Chickawah with a lake, swimming and canoeing, archery, arts and crafts, hiking, scavenger hunts, color wars, and summer camp friendships and memories that last a lifetime. That's probably why I love reading books with a summer camp setting so much. And this one really captures all that magic. It has both humor and heart. I loved seeing Jessie and Hillary rekindle their friendship. Jessie's romance with a reclusive writer named Luke, and Hillary's summer fling with the camp chef were both sweet and swoony. And all the camp activities were so fun. This book just made me happy. To quote Jessie, "It was Chicka-wonderful!" And one I wouldn't mind owning so I can read it again every summer. 

"...camp people never say goodbye; we say 'see ya next summer.' "

My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

 

Desire or Defense by Leah Brunner

Suspended NHL star

coaches youth league--falls for player's 

cute older sister.

Hockey romance .... 267 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(I loved Mitch's personal journey to work through his anger issues and become a better person, one worthy of Andie's love.)

Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan

City girl, outdoor guy.

One week at the Get Lost Lodge.

True love, or just a fling?

Romance .... 309 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Funny and sweet! Presley's humorous thoughts on hiking and biking made me laugh out loud.)

The Murder of My Aunt by Richard Hull

Again and again

Edward tries to find a way

to do in his aunt.

British Library Crime Classic .... 208 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Darkly funny with a great twist at the end!)

Happy Reading!