Category: book review

Book Review and Blog Tour: The Last Christmas Cowboy, by Maisey Yates

Image belongs to Harlequin.

Title: The Last Christmas Cowboy
Author: Maisey Yates
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

This Christmas, cowgirl Rose Daniels is determined to play matchmaker to ensure her beloved sister will meet someone under the mistletoe. She enlists the reluctant help of family friend Logan Heath, but his insistence that she doesn’t understand chemistry is exasperating. Until they share one electrifying moment that shows her exactly what chemistry is all about, and it becomes outrageously, irresistibly intriguing…

Logan hates the holidays. They are a painful reminder of the family he lost and a time of year he always wants to spend on his own. But Rose refuses to let him. Logan’s worked for years to keep his attraction to her under wraps—she’s his best friend’s youngest sister and she couldn’t be more off-limits. He’s the last cowboy that innocent Rose should ever kiss, but this Christmas, will Logan become the only cowboy she’ll ever want?

This is the second book in the Gold Valley series I’ve read. This was much better than The Hero of Hope Springs because I found the characters much less annoying and selfish. Rose seemed a lot younger than 23—not entirely surprising, considering how she grew up—but almost too naïve to be believable. I liked Logan, too, although his perceptions of what people were going to say or do were a bit unbelievable.

What bothered me:  the double standard for the men and women in the Daniels family. Rose is 23 and never even been kissed. Her sister Pansy was a virgin until her love interest swept into town, then she fell right into bed with him. Their older sister, Iris, has never been on a date. Yet, their brother, Ryder, and Logan, his best friend, have no problems with sleeping with whoever catches their eye and are definitely not okay with the sisters even thinking about sex. I am not okay with the message this sends. If it’s not okay for the women, it’s not okay for the men, either.

Maisy Yates is a bestselling author. The Last Christmas Cowboy is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: Happily This Christmas, by Susan Mallery

Image belongs to Harlequin.

Title: Happily This Christmas
Author: Susan Mallery
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Wynn Beauchene has a thriving business, a great kid and a mildly embarrassing crush on the guy next door—local cop Garrick McCabe. She’s a strong, independent woman who can’t help dreaming what-if about a man she barely knows. Until he needs her help…

Garrick’s pregnant daughter will be home for Christmas, and his house needs a woman’s touch. Garrick and his little girl were tight once and he’s hoping a small-town Christmas will bring her back to him. But thawing his daughter’s frosty attitude will take more than a few twinkle lights. Maybe sharing the holiday with Wynn and her son will remind her of the joy of family.

As the season works its magic on these wounded souls, Wynn realizes it’s time to stop punishing herself for a painful secret, while Garrick remains haunted by the ghosts of past mistakes. Will he allow Wynn to open the only gift she truly wants—his heart?

I haven’t read any of the previous books in the Happily Inc series, but that isn’t an issue with these standalones. I enjoyed this read a lot! Wynn’s snark made me laugh and Garrick—usually so capable—is totally useless when it comes to dealing with his pregnant daughter. Who is, frankly, awful to everyone. I really disliked her until the last third of the book. This is a solid read with great characters, and I recommend it.

Susan Mallery is a bestselling author. Happily This Christmas is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: A Princess by Christmas, by Julia London

Image belongs to Harlequin.

Title: A Princess by Christmas
Author: Julia London
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

After three years of mourning—and turning her dear deceased husband’s gazette into the ton’s sauciest source of fashion and gossip—Hollis Honeycutt feels her life has been strangely bereft of late… Her sister is living abroad, and her best friend moved to the country. What must a young widow of rank and reputation do? Why, transform her society gossip sheets into serious investigative news, starting with a rumored coup…and the rather dashing, mysterious gentleman whom Hollis suspects might be the villain of her first real story, and she is the only one who can write it.

Marek Brendan is investigating terrible rumors of treachery and treason that threaten his home country of Wesloria, but he must proceed with caution. No one can discover the truth. After all, who would ever believe he is Wesloria’s lost crown prince? Only Hollis Honeycutt’s cerulean-blue eyes seem to know more than she’s letting on—and worse, Marek can’t seem to resist her curious charms. But even as betrayal threatens a nation and a throne, nothing is quite so dangerous as the lovely young widow who’s determined to find the truth…and a prince of her own.

I enjoy reading linked standalones, so this was a fun return to old characters. I feel like the blurb is a little misleading, because Hollis is not looking for a prince of her own—or any man. She just wants people to take her writing seriously.  

Hollis is fun and saucy—why are the women in this serious so wildly unconventional? You cannot tell me royalty would be able to overlook some of the stunts they pull. Royal protocol wouldn’t allow it.—and she’s struggling with how her life and the people in it are changing. Marek just wants to keep to himself, but Hollis won’t let him. She’s like being hit by a truck. This was a quick, fun read.

Julia London is a bestselling author. A Princess by Christmas is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Truth, Lies, and Second Dates, by MaryJanice Davidson

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: Truth, Lies, and Second Dates
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.0 out of 5

MaryJanice Davidson is a bestselling author. Truth, Lies, and Second Dates is her newest novel.

Captain Ava Capp has been flying from her past for a decade. She’d much rather leave it, and her home state, behind forever. But when she finds herself back in Minnesota, against her better judgment, everything goes sideways in a way she never expected it to.

M.E. Dr. Tom Baker has never forgotten Ava and the cold case she ran away from. When she shows up unexpectedly in town, in spite of himself, sparks fly. Which is terrible because he can’t stop his growing attraction to her. Can these two Type-A’s let their guards down and work together to put Ava’s tragic past behind her for good? And keep their hands off each other at the same time?

I’m all for snarky writing and poking fun at tropes, but, while I know that’s what this was, it didn’t feel like that. Instead it felt like a painful slog towards something I didn’t even care about with annoying people in tow. I honestly didn’t like any of the characters, except G.B., her flight attendant buddy, and I was zero percent invested in even finding out what was going on. Just not a good fit for me.

MaryJanice Davidson is a bestselling author. Truth, Lies, and Second Dates is her newest novel.

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

Book Review: The Mermaid from Jeju, by Sumi Hahn

Image belongs to Alcove Press.

Title:   The Mermaid from Jeju
Author: Sumi Hahn
Genre: Fiction, historical fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

In the aftermath of World War II, Goh Junja is a girl just coming into her own. She is the latest successful deep sea diver in a family of strong haenyeo. Confident she is a woman now, Junja urges her mother to allow her to make the Goh family’s annual trip to Mt. Halla, where they trade abalone and other sea delicacies for pork. Junja, a sea village girl, has never been to the mountains, where it smells like mushrooms and earth, and it is there she falls in love with a mountain boy Yang Suwol, who rescues her after a particularly harrowing journey. But when Junja returns one day later, it is just in time to see her mother take her last breath, beaten by the waves during a dive she was taking in Junja’s place.

Spiraling in grief, Junja sees her younger siblings sent to live with their estranged father, Suwol is gone, the ghost of her mother haunts their home–from the meticulously tended herb garden that has now begun to sprout weeds, to the field where their bed sheets are beaten. She has only her grandmother and herself. But the world moves on without Junja.

The political climate is perilous. Still reeling from Japan’s forced withdrawal from the peninsula, Korea is forced to accommodate the rapid establishment of US troops, and her grandmother, who lived through the Japanese invasion that led to Korea’s occupation understands the signs of danger all too well. When Suwol is arrested for working with and harboring communists, and the perils of post-WWII overtake her homelands, Junja must learn to navigate a tumultuous world unlike anything she’s ever known.

This is a gorgeous cover, isn’t it? I probably would have picked this book up for that reason alone, but the blurb intrigued me as well. And I’m glad I read this—although it’s not a happy, fluffy bunny book, by any means. This book is about sorrow and danger and unimaginable courage.

This isn’t a fast-paced book, although there’s a lot going on. The reader is firmly in Junja’s life and what happens to her, getting a feel for the culture and experiences she lives through in Jeju. If you’re looking for a deeply moving story, this is definitely the read for you.

Sumi Hahn was born in Korea. The Mermaid from Jeju is her first novel.

(Galley courtesy of Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #98

It’s been a good writing week! I wrote four book reviews, plus two other blog posts (November reading and the best books I read in November). I also got in four fiction writing sessions. I’m still figuring out my characters in the new story, but I’m having fun with it.

Happy writing!

Book Review: The Butterfly Effect, by Rachel Mans McKenny

Image belongs to Alcove Press.

Title: The Butterfly Effect
Author: Rachel Mans McKenny
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.0 out of 5

Is there such a thing as an anti-social butterfly? If there were, Greta Oto would know about it—and totally relate. Greta far prefers the company of bugs to humans, and that’s okay, because people don’t seem to like her all that much anyway, with the exception of her twin brother, Danny, though they’ve recently had a falling out. So when she lands a research gig in the rainforest, she leaves it all behind.

But when Greta learns that Danny has suffered an aneurysm and is now hospitalized, she abandons her research and hurries home to the middle of nowhere America to be there for her brother. But there’s only so much she can do, and unfortunately just like insects, humans don’t stay cooped up in their hives either–they buzz about and… socialize. Coming home means confronting all that she left behind, including her lousy soon-to-be sister-in-law, her estranged mother, and her ex-boyfriend Brandon who has conveniently found a new non-lab-exclusive partner with shiny hair, perfect teeth, and can actually remember the names of the people she meets right away. Being that Brandon runs the only butterfly conservatory in town, and her dissertation is now in jeopardy, taking that job, being back home, it’s all creating chaos of Greta’s perfectly catalogued and compartmentalized world.

Once I got past the idea that Greta was just an unlikable person, I enjoyed this book. But yeah, Greta is kind of a jerk. I mean, I get her being uncomfortable around people and not having any idea what to say, but…being deliberately mean and unfeeling is a bit much.

Good writing here and I like the concept—entomology fascinates me, and I’d love to work in the rainforest or a butterfly conservatory—but Greta was unlikable enough to detract from the read. And…the cover makes this look like a light rom com read, but it’s not. It’s really much more a journey of discovery for someone who’s never bothered to care about anyone besides herself.

Rachel Mans McKenny is from the Midwest. The Butterfly Effect is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in November (2020)

In November, I read 24 books, bringing my total to the year for 293 books. Some of those books were really good. Here are the ones I enjoyed the most:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I have no idea how many times I’ve read this, but I still love it! And I cry every single time.

Defending the Galaxy, by Maria V. Snyder. I am a huge fan of Snyder’s writing—I love the Study series—but everything else is great, too. This was a great conclusion to her newest trilogy.

The Little Shop of Found Things and The Chocolate House, by Paula Brackston. I read The Garden of Promises and Lies in October and thought I’d read the first book in the series and somehow skipped the second, so I decided to re-read. Now I don’t think I had read the first one, but I’m all caught up anyway. These books were really great!

Book Review: Murder is a Must, by Marty Wingate

Image belongs to Berkley.

Title: Murder is a Must       
Author: Marty Wingate
Genre: Cozy mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5

Hayley Burke, curator of Lady Fowling’s collection of first edition mysteries, is settling into her position at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House. She’s even made progress with Lady Fowling’s former secretary, the ornery Miss Woolgar. The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling’s life and letters. Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning.

Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going swimmingly until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors. Oona feels this book could be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed with finding it.

When they find clues that appear to point to the book being somewhere in the First Edition Library, Oona is certain she’s unraveled the mystery and texts Hayley the good news, but upon arriving back at Middlebank, Hayley finds her old boss dead at the bottom of the stairs. Did her discovery of the rare book get her killed or was it some angry shadow from her past? Hayley must read between the lines to catch a malicious murderer.

I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but that wasn’t a problem. This was a solid cozy mystery read, but not a surprising one. I’ll admit the over-the-top character in the teal suit was a bit eccentric, but there really had to be one colorful character in this novel, didn’t there? This was an entertaining and fun read.

Marty Wingate is a bestselling author. Murder is a Must is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Berkley in exchange for an honest review.)

What I Read in November (2020)

Books Read in November: 24

Books Read for the Year:  294/200

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books: 

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (classic re-read). I love this book so much!

Pretty in Punxsutawney, by Laurie Boyle Crompton (TBR). Light and fluffy read.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Tough, by Neta Jackson (TBR). I’m enjoying this series.

As Sure as the Dawn, by Francine Rivers (TBR). I loved this whole trilogy!

For Review:

Tsarina, by Ellen Alpsten. This was a solid historical read, though the characters were horrible to each other, and the culture was bit much for me.

The Forgotten Sister, by Nicola Cornick. This is two stories in two different timelines, and I enjoyed the one in the past much more than the present-day one, although the present-day characters showed a lot more growth.

Glimmer as You can, by Danielle Martin. I really wasn’t a fan of this. It felt rather disjointed and the characters were distant.

Claiming the Rancher’s Heir, by Maisey Yates. Eh. I didn’t really care for this. Another case of feeling distant from the characters, and they didn’t show much growth at all.

Once Upon a Mail Order Bride, by Linda Broday. This was a solid romance read, set in a town settled by outlaws. It’s the last in the series of linked standalones, and I’d probably go back and read them all.

Defending the Galaxy, by Maria V. Snyder. Loved this! I’m a huge Maria V. Snyder fan, and I’ve enjoyed this sci-fi trilogy so much!

Murder is a Must, by Marty Wingate (review forthcoming). I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but this was a solid cozy mystery.

The Butterfly Effect, by Rachel Mans McKenny (review forthcoming). If you can get past how unlikable the main character is through the first 75% of the novel, this was a good read. But…the cover makes it look like a light, funny read, and it definitely is not.

The Mermaid from Jeju, by Sumi Hahn (review forthcoming). This cover is gorgeous! I really enjoyed reading this book, based on something that really happened, but it was not an easy read.

Awaken My Heart, by Emily Wilson Hussem. Wonderful devotional!

A Princess by Christmas (review forthcoming), by Julia London. I’ve enjoyed this series, but why are all the women so deliberately unconventional…and yet still marrying royalty/high society? That’s not terribly believable.

Happily This Christmas, by Susan Mallery (review forthcoming). This was a good read. Loved the banter and sarcasm.

The Last Christmas Cowboy, by Maisey Yates (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this more than the previous book in the series.

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates, by MaryJanice Davidson (review forthcoming). Sigh. I know this is supposed to be poking fun at tropes, but…I still didn’t care for it. Or the MC.

The Last to See Her, by Courtney Evan Tate (review forthcoming). I am ambivalent about this one. Solid writing, but not really a fan of the characters.

Just Because:

Glorious Appearing, by Tim LeHaye. Finally finished my re-read of this series.

Treasure & Treason and Ruins & Revenge, by Lisa Shearin. I love the Raine Benares series, so when I recently realized these two books existed, I was all over them. Excellent choices!

Little Shop of Found Things and The Chocolate House, by Paula Brackston. I had to go back and read these, after I read the third one. I’m still not 100% sure if I’d read them before, but I loved them!

Left Unfinished:

Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I tried. I read 20%, but I just could not get into this. It felt super slow and the MC was…both over-dramatic and boring.

Strange Fire, by John MacArthur. This was my spiritual book for the month, until I realized MacArthur believes some things that aren’t biblical (not the main subject of the book, but very important). That makes this a big NO for me.