Category: book review

Book Review: Dungeons and Danger, by Elizabeth Penney  

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books.

Title: Dungeons and Danger
Author: Elizabeth Penney     
Genre: Mystery/thriller  
Rating: 4 out of 5

As Halloween approaches, Ravensea Castle is bustling with excitement as Nora Asquith welcomes the fall season guests to her family’s newly converted bed and breakfast. A historian studying the movements of the Vikings has traced their exploits to Ravensea. A certain Viking woman, known as the Red Maiden, landed here and the historian believes she buried a treasure hoard before the castle was built. He is hopeful he can find the hoard now. Nora can’t help but wonder if the enigmatic castle ghost she’s always referred to as the woman in red could be this very Viking?

Meanwhile, a team of four ghost hunters is coming to stay at Ravensea for the filming of Britain’s Got Ghosts. Former students of the historian, the group arrives with their own rivalries and baggage. They try to see who can make the most paranormal contacts and end up getting more than they bargained for.

When the historian is murdered during a Viking festival on castle grounds and his notes go missing, Nora can’t help but wonder if the treasure was why he was killed . . . and could it be connected to the visiting ghost hunters? Additional “accidents” befalling the hunters raise the stakes as Nora races to find the killer—and the treasure—before another death occurs.

This is the second book in this cozy mystery series, and it’s a pleasant series to read. The Asquith family are fun to read about, and the secondary characters are solid, too. There were several red herrings in this read, but they were handled well without being heavy-handed. I really enjoyed the Viking festival and the historical snippets. This is just a sweet, fun read you don’t have to put too much thought into.

Elizabeth Penney lives in New Hampshire. Dungeons and Danger is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur books in exchange for an honest review.)

  

Sundays are for Writing #372

This was a decent writing week, considering my allergies are trying to kill me (bleh) and work felt like it was complicit in that effort. I wrote two book reviews, The Shippers, by Katherine Center, and Dungeons and Danger, by Elizabeth Penney.

I’m drinking copious amounts of hot tea, reading, and journaling, hoping my allergies cooperate with me so I can enjoy my birthday tomorrow.

Happy writing!  

Book Review: The Shippers, by Katherine Center

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: The Shippers
Author: Katherine Center            
Genre: Romance   
Rating: 5 out of 5

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

It’s a Katherine Center novel, so of course it was heartwarming, sweet, and laugh-out-loud funny. The idea of being trapped on a cruise with my entire family is…overwhelming. Doing that six weeks after you walked away from your own wedding at the altar, and for your own sister’s wedding…well, I can’t imagine.

JoJo and her obsessive over-thinking and analyzing/planning really made me laugh because, same. Cooper…man, everyone needs a Cooper in their lives. These two are so absolutely perfect for each other! I loved their banter, their fighting, the way they had each other’s back no matter what. Watching JoJo slowly come to realize how perfect they are together was so much fun. Loved this read!

Katherine Center is a bestselling author. The Shippers is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #371

I haven’t written anything this week. I’ve barely read anything. Work has been exhausting and stressful and all I’ve managed to do is survive. Hopefully next week will be better.

Happy writing!

Book Review: Seconds to Spare, by Rachel Reiss

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books.

Title: Seconds to Spare
Author: Rachel Reiss       
Genre: YA   
Rating: 4 out of 5

Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Werth is trapped in what feels like a never-ending nightmare. She’s the only person onboard Aloha Airways Flight 1333 who’s stuck in a 28-minute time loop, one that repeats over and over again. During each loop, four things always happen:

1. The Internet goes out and the pilot warns of upcoming turbulence.

2. There are five minutes of moderate shaking.

3. A woman in the very last row collapses.

4. The plane tilts forward and begins to nosedive.

When Orion James –the cute boy who’s been asleep the entirety of each cycle– wakes, it triggers an alarming change in the events Evelyn has come to count on. As the two grow closer and learn to trust each other, they discover there’s more to the loop than they initially realized. They must discover the hidden clues, piece together the moving puzzle, and save everyone onboard –before it’s too late.

This was a solid read! I liked the mystery of what was going on, and I loved how the characters dealt with their own issues in 28-minute increments. I can’t imagine how maddening doing the same 30 minutes 400 times would be—especially with it ending just before the plane crashed! I liked the action, the characters, and the mystery. This would be a fun weekend read!

Rachel Reiss lives in California. Seconds to Spare is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Burnout Summer, by Jenna Ramirez  

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press | Saturday Books.

Title: Burnout Summer
Author: Jenna Ramirez             
Genre: Romance  
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Four years after graduation, life isn’t going the way Camille Luna expected. Her corporate career is soul-sucking, she’s in debt from student loans, and her breakup with her ex has created a serious rift between her college best friends. When her spiraling lands her in jail for the night, it’s Danny Brennan —the lovable burnout from their college clique— who bails her out and offers the perfect solution to her quarter-life crisis: a summer by the beach.

Cam is whisked away to Elswick, Rhode Island, where former slacker Danny has taken over his uncle’s restaurant and turned it into a seaside hotspot. But while Danny has grown into a devoted boss and dog dad, his carpe diem life philosophy is still as fiery as ever. The hazy summer days start to blur between shifts at the restaurant, dips in the ocean, and a reignited passion for writing, all alongside Danny who makes her laugh like nobody else. Cam can’t help but wonder —is it the salty waves that have her feeling so renewed, or is it the carefree friend she always overlooked? But summer can’t last forever, and Cam’s looming student debt reminds her at every turn that the frigid air of corporate office life is waiting.

As September approaches, Cam must decide between snuffing out the flames with Danny in order to keep her beloved friend group together and return to the corporate grind—or falling into his forbidden arms and setting her old life ablaze.

This was a solid read, but nothing unexpected. Cam was a bit whiny and why-didn’t-anyone-ever-tell-me-things for me (about everything from her student loans to oh, the engagement of one of her supposed best friends, so…not a one-time thing). While I agree that you don’t have to have a degree or do what everyone else is doing to be happy, Cam low key got on my nerves with her judgment of others and feeling sorry for herself.

Jenna Ramirez lives in L.A. Burnout Summer is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Saturday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #370

This was not a good reading week, so I only wrote one book review, Burnout Summer, by Jenna Ramirez. I DNFed eight straight books before that one held my attention enough to finish it. I certainly hope this is a better reading (and writing) week!

Happy writing!  

Sundays are for Writing #369

Crazy busy week + travel=limited reading and writing. I wrote one book review, Cast in Blood, by Michelle Sagara, plus my April reading post, and my best books I read in April.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in April (2026)

I read 15 books in April. Still behind in my reading…Of those 15 books, several were really excellent reads.

First Witches Club, by Maisey Yates. i enjoyed this from the very first page! This was relatable, cathartic, and made me laugh out loud several times (And root for happy endings, of course!).

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman’s Legacy, by Kim Michele Richardson. I’m so glad the book woman’s story continued! I’ve really enjoyed these books and seeing more about life in Appalachia. This was a wonderful read!

Cast in Blood, by Michelle Sagara. I can’t believe there are as many books in this series as there are…and I’ve enjoyed all of them. Kaylin and the gang are always a lot of fun to read and I find myself so immersed in the different cultures that it’s hard to put the book down. Same for this one!

What I Read in April (2026)

Books Read in April: 15
Books Read for the Year:  51/225

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

This Inevitable Ruin, by Matt Dinniman (TBR, Audio): Still can’t believe I’m so invested in this.
The Last Caretaker, by Jessica Strawser (TBR): This was a solid thriller.
Recipe for Second Chances, by Ali Rosen (TBR): This was a tiny step above meh for me, because Stella was ridiculous.
Gorgon with the Wind, by Devon Monk (TBR): This is going to be a great series!
First Witches Club, by Maisey Yates (TBR): This was SO GOOD!
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms, by Charlie N. Holmberg (TBR): I enjoyed this.
The Canopy Keepers, by Veronica G. Henry (TBR): Meh.
Snag, by Meghan Ciana Dodidge (TBR): Interesting world.

For Review:

The Book Witch, by Meg Shaffer. This is the perfect read for bookworms everywhere. For anyone who has ever fallen for a fictional character. For anyone who loves to read.

Deathly Fates, by Tesia Tsai. This was a solid fantasy read, even if it wasn’t very twisty. Does that make sense?

Metal Slinger, by Rachel Schneider. The twist in this completely surprised me! I enjoyed the world and the characters, and the cliffhanger has me eager to read more.

Thistlemarsh, by Moorea Corrigan. I really enjoyed this! It felt like a classical novel with magic thrown in.

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman’s Legacy, by Kim Michele Richardson. I’ve really enjoyed the Book Woman books. This is such engrossing historical fiction, about something I had no idea about.

Cast in Blood, by Michelle Sagara. Another great read in this series!

The Ruins Beneath Us, by Sasha E. Sloan. The MC got on my nerves, not going to lie, but this was a decent read.

Left Unfinished:

While You Were Seething, by Charlotte Stein. It’s not that this was bad. But, I didn’t have time to read for 5 days, and I felt no urge to pick it back up.

Mad Mable, by Sally Hepworth. I just need to accept that this author writes characters I do not like, and stop trying to read her novels.

The Girl Upstairs, by Jessica R. Patch. The first 20% of this just gave me weird vibes, and I don’t care to read more.

The Island Club, by Nicola Harrison. This author is hit or miss for me. I found the characters boring.