Eddie Winston is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin

 

From the blurb: 

"Eddie Winston is 90 years old. He has lived and loved, but he has never been kissed.

"A true gentleman and incurable romantic, Eddie spends his days volunteering at a charity shop, where he sorts through the donations of the living and the dead, preserving letters and tokens of love. It is here that he meets Bella, a troubled young woman who, at 24 years old, has just lost the love of her life.

"When Bella learns that Eddie is yet to have his first kiss, she resolves to help Eddie Winston finally find love, sparking an adventure that will take them to unexpected places and, they hope, bring Eddie Winston to the moment he has waited for all his life."

My thoughts:  What a charming story! Eddie and Bella are such engaging characters; I loved both of them. And Eddie's flashbacks with his first love, Bridie, were poignant and bittersweet. But this isn't a sad book. There's a lot of humor in it. Especially with Eddie's forays into online dating. And Eddie's friendship with Bella was so cute. I liked how he helped her through her own grief. They make a fun pair. Cronin has written a captivating novel of love and loss, kindness, laughter, found family, and hope. I really enjoyed it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

 

From the blurb:  "You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what's worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That's what. 

"Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world--or just get to the next level--in a video game-like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that's actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly drug-dealing llamas. This ain't your ordinary game."

My thoughts:  After a string of mediocre 3-star reads, it was a relief to immerse myself in this entertaining, quirky, and irreverently hilarious book. If you ever played an RPG like D&D, get ready for some fun. This is a crazy, action-filled adventure with fantastic monsters, loot, and leveling up. Though there's also a fair amount of language and a little gore at times, too. Despite that, I really enjoyed this book. Carl is such a great character, trapped in the dungeon without shoes or pants. And the snarky, full-of-herself Princess Donut, a talking Persian cat, totally made me laugh. They make an awesome team. I've already put the second book on hold and I can't wait to check it out.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Happy Reading!

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

 

From the blurb:  "Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitue teacher living with his two cats, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle, Jake, dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had a lot of enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie."

My thoughts:   John Scalzi knows how to write inventive novels that will make you laugh out loud. And Starter Villain is uniquely fun. I loved the whole idea of an average guy like Charlie inheriting his uncle's supervillain business. And I loved how he dealt with everything from super smart spy cats to assassination attempts with self-deprecating humor and aplomb. I especially loved his interactions with his cats. (He handled the surprisingly snarky dolphins well, too.) Charlie is smart and nice, and not exactly supervillain material. Which made for some very funny moments. Fast-paced and full of action, this whole book was awesome. 

My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

P.S. I also really enjoyed Scalzi's book The Kaiju Preservation Society.

Runaway Bride and Prejudice by Emma St. Clair

 

"People say when one door closes, another one opens. And maybe that's true. but I wanna know what people say when one door opens and you find the groom hooking up with someone who's not the bride--less than an hour before the wedding. In a church, no less."

Van's known as a bad boy in hockey. He's no one's hero. But he can't let Amelia marry her cheating fiancé. Because he cares about her. Not that he can admit that...to anyone. 

"As for how I know Amelia...it's a simple story. We met randomly. Talked. Thought she might be my soulmate. Then I realized she was my coach's daughter. The quintessential Romeo and Juliet story. But with more hockey and hopefully less death and mayhem."

As Amelia's wedding ends before it begins, Van ends up running off to Florida with her on her non-honeymoon...just to make sure she's okay. He definitely did not plan on what happened next.

"We laughed. We flirted. I started to think maybe this could be something--the kind of something I'd never had. I mean, it was way too fast and definitely stupid to think about that, but Amelia stirred to life the kinds of feelings I've never had. The kind of easy enjoyment mixed with potent attraction that left me feeling woozy." 

What can I say? Van is the best! And I loved this sweet, closed-door, hockey romance. Amelia and Van have great chemistry. And Emma St. Clair knows how to write clever banter, fun and humorous interactions, and swoony kisses. And I love the Appies hockey team. This book made me happy. Here's one more favorite quote from it:

"She and I argued over whether rereading a book should count toward your reading goals for the year. She nearly took my head off arguing about keeping your reading tally 'pure' with only first-time reads. ... And she's wrong, by the way. Rereads totally count." 

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.

A good read won from Goodreads....

 

An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris

Harris has created a fun alternate timeline in this book, where the assassination of FDR and an influenza outbreak back in the 1920s caused the United States to fracture into five distinct countries. It's also where magic meets the Wild West, a very crazy and fun mash-up.

While I definitely appreciated Harris's inventive world building, I absolutely loved her main character! Gunslinging Lizbeth Rose is independent and fierce, and at just nineteen, she's one of the best gunnies in Texoma. She'll risk her life to protect her clients. Even when her clients are grigories, two Russian wizards who need her help to track down a direct descendant of Grigori Rasputin. Lizbeth has her own reasons for not liking wizards, but she needs this job. And before their journey through Texoma to the border towns of Mexico is over, she'll have more than earned her money protecting her clients from ambushes, bandits, magical traps and enemy wizards. 

This is one fun adventure: compelling, gritty and immersive. I didn't want to put it down! I won a copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway last year, and the fact that it was such an entertaining read makes me feel even luckier. I can't wait to read the other books in this series. 

Happy Reading!

A fun romantic adventure...

 Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

3 Things I loved about this book:

 

💗 It's set in Canyonlands, Utah --which made it very easy for me (being from Utah) to visualize the awesome scenery the characters were riding and hiking through.

💗 There's a treasure hunt! I loved how Lily and Leo pieced together the clues and figured out the secret codes left by Duke Wilder as they searched for Butch Cassidy's legendary lost treasure.

💗 Lily Wilder and Leo Grady. I loved how these two characters came back together after being apart for the last ten years, and how they had several honest and heartfelt conversations in order to work through their past heartbreak. Their chemistry and steamy romance was pretty great, too.

With plenty of action, humor, friendship, mystery, heart and romance, this was a captivating and fun book.

Happy Reading!

Would Like To Meet by Rachel Winters

A brief summary: Evie Summers is 29 and living in London. She once dreamed of becoming a screenwriter; instead, she's been a lowly agent's assistant for the last seven years. And now, in order to save her job, she has to convince arrogant Ezra Chester to actually finish the screenplay he's been promising her boss for the last year. Only Ezra claims romantic comedies are unrealistic and completely beneath him. (Evie suspects he has writer's block.) To help him out, she offers to reenact those meet-cute scenes from her favorite rom-com movies to order to prove to him people really can fall in love like they do in the movies. Only so far it isn't working. She's spilled orange juice on a stranger, attended a book group, and even gotten her heel stuck in a sewer grate in the hopes a handsome stranger will rescue her. The results? Public humiliation and failure. And Ezra still isn't writing. What is she going to do?

My thoughts:  There is a lot to like about this book! It's entertaining and humorous and it has that happy "ahh" moment at the end. Evie's attempts to recreate her favorite meet-cute movie moments made me smile, especially when those moments came from some of my own favorite romantic comedies. My favorite parts were Evie's interactions with single dad, Ben, and his seven-year-old daughter, Anette, who witness several of her less-than-successful attempts to meet a cute guy. The way her friends cheer her on through their group texts was also fun. And what happens on the red carpet and at her friend's wedding totally made me laugh. I do wish Evie had stood up to her boss and Ezra more often, because neither one deserved her help or loyalty, but I was glad she finally stood up for herself at the end. It's hard to put a fresh spin on a romantic comedy, but Winters manages to do it well. Of course, the happy ending was completely predictable, but I thought it was cute and very satisfying. All in all, I'd give this one 4 stars.

Happy Reading!

P.S. I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. 

Fantastic Fiction...

In The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, Theodora Goss weaves together a captivating mystery involving Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and the daughters of several classic mad scientists: Mary Jekyll, Diana Hyde, Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein. Their fathers were all involved in the Societe des Alchimistes, a society devoted to helping humans and animals evolve through transmutation whose strange and terrible experiments involved their very own daughters! And while these men are all dead now, someone from their society has been killing women in London ... and stealing their body parts. Mary Jekyll is determined to figure out her father's part in the society, who this new murderer is, and what his ultimate goal may be.

There are lots of monsters and adventure in this one, and I enjoyed every page. I think it helps to be a little familiar with the original classics that Goss draws from, but she does a good job of having each character narrate enough of her own story to catch you up of you're not familiar with them or their infamous fathers. Mary Jekyll and Beatrice Rappaccini were by far my favorite of the bunch, but all of these headstrong heroines are well-drawn and memorable. And the mystery is a good one, too. But then any mystery with Sherlock Holmes in it is one I know I'll like. For me, this was just a fun read. It's also my fourth and last book for this year's R.I.P.

Happy Reading! 

Haiku reviews...

In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle 

When Molly needs help,

rival bounty hunter John

comes to her rescue.

Romantic suspense .... 336 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(How could I resist a book about five bounty-hunting sisters? Plus, Rachel's review made it sound so good I had to check it out. I'm so glad I did.)

A Merciful Truth (Mercy Kilpatrick mystery #2) by Kendra Elliot

Arson and murder

force Truman and Mercy to

track down a killer

Great suspense/mystery .... 307 pages ... 5/5 stars.  

(I love this series!!)

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Boarding school can be murder!

Anne is determined to find

her roommate's killer.

Very entertaining YA mystery .... 310 pages .... 4/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

Two worth reading...

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

What this book offers:  Impressive galaxy-building with lots of futuristic tech, exotic alien races, and a complicated history of how they all came together. It's a well-written and entertaining space adventure, very character-driven, that revolves around a pieced-together spaceship called the Wayfarer, and her truly unique crew. Chambers went into a lot of detail about everything and everyone, and sometimes I felt like all that detail slowed the story down and made it feel a bit long. But overall, I liked this one. And I'm very interested in seeing where she takes her crew next.

Lost Girls by Merrie Destefano

What's good about this one:  It's one intense, crazy ride right from the start. Rachel goes missing for two weeks, but when she comes back, she can't remember the last year. Everything from her friends to her hair has changed, and she doesn't know why. And she doesn't know who kidnapped her, or how she got away. There are some really good plot twists in this one as Rachel uncovers the truth about her past and her new friends...ones I did not see coming. This YA mystery is suspenseful, fast-paced and fun.

Happy Reading!

A British Crime Classic...

Title & Author:  Seven Dead by J. Jefferson Farjeon
Genre:  Classic British Mystery
First line:  This is not Ted Lyte's story. He merely had the excessive misfortune to come into it, and to remain in it longer than he wanted.

Plot summary:  When six men and one woman are found dead at Haven House, it appears to be a mass suicide. Only the shuttered room where they were found was locked from the outside. And there's a portrait of a young girl in the dining room that's been shot through the heart. Who are these seven strangers? And what happened to Mr. Fenner and Dora, his niece, the owners of Haven House? Detective-Inspector Kendall and freelance journalist, Thomas Hazeldean, suspect there's something much more sinister going on, and they're determined to find out the truth.

My thoughts:  I like how these classic British mysteries are more about piecing together a bunch of seemingly random clues than about shocking crime scenes or dark plot twists. It's refreshing. I also really liked Hazeldean's brash optimism and cheerful confidence. His over-protectivness of Dora, and her 'feminine' fearfulness was a bit of a cliche, but then this book was written in 1939. As the mystery proceeds, Detective-Inspector Kendall ends up doing a lot of explaining as to his theories of what really happened, but I loved his understated British humor so much I didn't mind. I hope he's in Farjeon's other books. And even though the mystery itself got a bit fantastical towards the end, I still thought this one was a lot of fun.

Happy Reading!

Another British Crime Classic to check out:

Death on the Cherwell by Mavis Doriel Hay

Two TBRs...

1.  Cavern of the Damned by Russell James

Why I wanted to read this one:  I read (and enjoyed!) James' second novel with Dr. Grant Coleman, Monsters in the Clouds, last summer, which then made me want to go back and read this first one.

The premise:  A park ranger, a paleontologist, an untrustworthy spelunker, an actress, a film director and his two-man crew enter a cavern that's been sealed up for over 13,000 years. When the entrance of the cave collapses, they're trapped inside with a slew of monstrous prehistoric creatures. (And not everyone is going to make it out alive.)

The upshot:  This one's a short, fast-paced, fun adventure. It's humorous, too. And while there's not enough time for a lot of character development, I did really like the three main protagonists. And the creatures in the cave were kind of awesome. All in all, Cavern of the Damned, was a very entertaining read.

My rating:  4/5 stars.

--------------------------------------

2. Island in the Mist by C. G. Mosley

Why I bought this one:  The awesome cover! (I'm a bit of a sucker when it comes to dinosaurs.)

The premise:  Angus Wedgeworth is a self-made millionaire; he's arrogant, selfish ... and aging. When he hears a rumor of an island in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle with its own fountain of youth, he hires a crew to help him find it. There's just one problem. The island is full of dinosaurs. And they're not exactly friendly.

The upshot:  I hated Angus and his bodyguards; liked several of the other characters, especially Silas, the big game hunter, and the two paleontologists; and loved all the dinosaurs. The dialogue feels stilted and artificial at times, but the action scenes are fun. And it's another book off my TBR shelf. One that counts for the 2019 Backlist Reader Challenge. 

My rating:  3/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

A bookish adventure...in space!

Ada, a princess from House von Hasenberg, has been on the run for two years when she's snagged by mercenaries. They mean to return her to her family and claim their reward. But then Richard from House Rockhurst, the man she was supposed to marry, turns up to claim her for his own. She's in serious trouble this time. But she's not the only captive on board ship with a price on her head. Marcus Loch, the notorious Devil of Fornax Zero, is also a prisoner. If they team up, they just might be able to escape. But can she trust him not to double-cross her the moment he regains his own freedom? And how is she ever going to get Richard Rockhurst off her trail without starting a war between both their houses?

The engine steadied and the window shutters retracted, leaving a clear view of the vast emptiness of space. And for the first time, the magnitude of what I'd done hit me. I was alone on a tiny lifeboat, in the middle of nowhere, with a man twice my size. And he was a known murderer. Without the adrenaline driving me, fear crept in.

Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik is non-stop space adventure fun. I stayed up half the night reading this book because I didn't want to put it down. Ada and Marcus are irresistible characters--both smart, stubborn and tough; they're also complete opposites...and completely perfect for each other. I loved them both. There's also some great futuristic tech--healing nanobots, shield bracelets, FTL drives, etc.--but the story never bogs down in the science. It's all fast-paced, compelling, entertaining action (with some sex and romance, too). Can you tell I really liked this one?

Happy Reading!

A classic comic novel...

I chose to read a Georgette Heyer for this year's Back to the Classics Reading Challenge classic comic novel category because Heyer's books always make me laugh. And Sprig Muslin is no exception. Here's just one example of Heyer's wit and humor:

"Sometimes one is forced to take desperate measures. And it is of no use to tease oneself about propriety, because it seems to me that if you never do anything that is not quite proper and decorous you will have the wretchedest life, without any adventures, or romance, or anything!"

 So says 17-year-old Amanda, a young lady who's run away from home as part of her "campaign" to force her grandfather to give her permission to wed Captain Neil Kendal (who is completely unaware of what she's done).

Sir Gareth Ludlow is on his way to Brancaster to make an offer of marriage to Lady Hester Theale when he happens upon Amanda at a public inn. His conscience won't let him leave her there unprotected; so, against her wishes, he determines that the only thing he can do is to take her along to Brancaster where he knows she'll be safe.

"If Sir Gareth meant to arrive at Brancaster Park with this dazzling young beauty on his arm, he was unquestionably out of his senses. But it was not the business of his groom to point out to him the unwisdom of introducing his chance-met bit of muslin to Lady Hester."

 Lady Hester, unassuming and shy, does indeed reject Sir Gareth's proposal. (Despite his claim of affection and esteem for her, she wishes for love.) And that's when things really start to get interesting. Amanda runs off. More lies are told. And many other humorous complications ensue as Sir Gareth tries to wrangle the headstrong runaway and return her safely home. Even Lady Hester manages to have a small adventure. Sprig Muslin is a charming and delightful Regency romance with captivating characters and happy endings for all. I loved it. In fact, it's now my favorite Heyer novel. (With The Quiet Gentleman a close second.)

Happy Reading!

A bookish adventure...

It's 1814. Napolean has just been exiled to Elba and 16-year-old Georgiana Fitzwilliam is facing her own exile to Stranje House. Which really isn't fair. She didn't mean to burn down her father's stables; she was only trying to formulate some invisible ink when things got a little bit out of hand. And now, for her crime of having a scientific and curious mind, she's being sent away to Emma Stranje's School for Unusual Girls. But Stranje House is much more than a reform/finishing school for unmarriageable young ladies. And Georgie is about to embark on her most exciting adventure yet.

"One thing I knew for certain. My life would never be the same. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. I glimpsed something, something shimmering with possibilities. Maybe, just maybe, Stranje House would be a way out of the tight-lidded box into which I'd been born."

There's A LOT to like about Kathleen Baldwin's A School for Unusual Girls. It's entertaining, and unexpected, and full of humor and romance. All the girls at Stranje House are exceptional in very unconventional ways:  from picking locks, to training rats, to making Holmesian deductions, to dissembling with a curtsy and a smile. I liked all five girls, especially Georgie and Tess. And I enjoyed all the secrets and spies, too. Stranje House is the place to be if you're looking for some fun and adventure. I can't wait to read the next installment in this YA series.

Happy Reading!

  

(P.S. Happy PI Day!) 

Urban Fantasy Fun!

5 Reasons to read Booke of the Hidden by Jeri Westerson: 

• It's set in Moody Bog, Maine. (How great is that?) And it's full of magic...and it's funny, too!
• The Booke of the Hidden.  Found bricked up in a wall, "It was at least twelve inches wide by eighteen inches tall. The cover was of ancient leather, worn at the edges. An ornate metal latch sealed the book ... I lifted the cover and opened the Booke. Tawny sheets of parchment crackled under my fingertips. It smelled musty, of old attics and forgotten memories. Eagerly, I turned the first few pages to discover its buried secrets. But no matter what page I turned to in this gigantic, ancient tome, I couldn't find a single word written in it...anywhere."
• Kylie Strange.  She moved to Maine to open an herb and tea shop. What she found instead was the Booke of the Hidden. And what she loosed when she opened it....well, now it's up to her to hunt the evil down and put it back. At least she has a cool weapon to do it with:  a magical Cthonic Crossbow. (It came with the book...sort of.) Too bad she doesn't know how to use it. Yet.
• Erasmus Dark.  The tall, dark, handsome demon with an English accent who's tied to the Booke and who's there to help Kylie with her task. At least, that's what he says. But can she trust him? He is a demon, after all.
• Doc Boone, Nick, Seraphina, and Jolene. Moody Bog's own amateur Wiccan coven. They're game to help Kylie any way they can. Too bad they've never actually done any real magic. (Jolene, who's a computer savvy teenager, especially made me laugh.)
  

(The one minor flaw for me:  Kylie's excessive attraction to Erasmus, and his to her, and how fast it got physical between them. Especially when she was still supposedly suspicious of him and his motives. I could have done without this bit of romance so early in the series. But at least it didn't overwhelm the plot.)

 My rating:  3.5/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

Similar reads:
Lost Soul by Adam Wright
Wickedly Dangerous by Deborah Blake
It Happened One Doomsday by Laurence MacNaughton

Shameless plug!

Check out my new favorite picture book:

It's AWESOME!

My brother-in-law did the fabulous artwork and my sister wrote the fun text. 

It's the second book they've done together. 

Here are a few of my favorite pictures:

Isn't it fun? Don't you want a copy all your own?  If you want to see more,
check out http://gregnewbold.blogspot.com/ or https://www.amynewbold.com/

Their first picture book, If Picasso Painted a Snowman is also still available.

They'd make great gifts for the budding artists in your life. Or for the kid in you.

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

On the train, at work,

coming home --- be on your guard.

Someone is watching.

(Psychological thriller .... 375 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.)

Murder on Union Square (Gaslight Myster #21) by Victoria Thompson

Accused of murder, 

Frank needs everyone's help to

prove his innocence.

(Historical fiction/mystery .... 323 pages .... 3/5 stars.)

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

Gothic steampunk fun:

a cursed lord, murder, ghosts, vamps,

mystery & romance.

(Steampunk romance/mystery .... 313 pages .... 4/5 stars)

This is a crazy, entertaining take on Beauty and the Beast.

Happy Reading!

A haunting tale...

Title & Author:  The House Next Door by Darcy Coates
Genre:  Paranormal
First line:  I live next to a haunted house.

Summary:  Jo has never been inside Marwick House; her cats won't even enter its yard. And she's never met any of its occupants either, mostly because none of them stay for very long. Until Anna moves in. She seems nice, and a little fragile, and Jo tries to warn her that sometimes strange things happen in Marwick House, but Anna doesn't seem to mind. Not even when she sees the ghost of Helen Marwick who died a very unhappy death there years ago. But things change when Helen starts to make her presence known.

My thoughts:  I love novels about haunted houses and Darcy Coates writes some good ones. At first, Marwick House seems fairly benign. There's a little ghostly activity here and there--flickering lights, doors that open and close, haunting piano music in the hall--but it's not until the second half of the book that things ramp up and start to get really suspenseful and scary. I was intrigued by Marwick House itself, and I liked the quiet build up at the first, and how I almost felt sorry for Helen. Jo and Anna were a little too passive at times for me to really like them, but Jo made up for it at the end. And what an ending! Although I thought the The Carrow Haunt was better, I liked this ghostly tale enough to give it 3.5/5 stars.

Happy Reading!