This was a pretty busy week. I didn’t get much reading done, so I only wrote one book review, The Last Fashion House in Paris, by Renee Ryan (review forthcoming). I did get in five fiction sessions, though, so that’s a win.
Happy writing!
Tag: book review
Book Review: Booked for Murder, by P. J. Nelson
Title: Booked for Murder
Author: P. J. Nelson
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Madeline Brimley left small town Georgia many years ago to go to college and pursue her dreams on the stage. Her dramatic escapades are many but success has eluded her, leaving her at loose ends. But then she gets word that not only has her beloved, eccentric Aunt Rose passed, but she’s left Madeline her equally eccentric bookstore housed in an old Victorian mansion in the small college town of Enigma. But when she arrives in her beat-up Fiat to claim The Old Juniper Bookstore, and restart her life, Madeline is faced with unexpected challenges. The gazebo in the back yard is set ablaze and a late night caller threatens to burn the whole store down if she doesn’t leave immediately.
But Madeline Brimley, not one to be intimidated, ignores the threats and soldiers on. Until there’s another fire and a murder in the store itself. Now with a cloud of suspicion falling over her, it’s up to Madeline to untangle the skein of secrets and find the killer before she herself is the next victim.
I need the main character of cozy mysteries to be believable and not go running off after every crazy, fleeting thought they have. This one did not deliver. Madeline changed her mind about every 35 seconds. About everything. The insta-friendship between her, her “aunt”, and the reverend did not feel realistic, and the rest of the characters felt like barely-sketched caricatures.
P. J. Nelson lives in Decatur, Georgia. Booked for Murder is his newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Book Review: The Metempsychosis Collection, by Nicholas Conley
Title: The Metempsychosis Collection
Author: Nicholas Conley
Genre: Science fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
The Metempsychosis Collection is a puzzle of seven pieces. As metempsychosis is the transmigration of the soul after death, these snapshots of startling, wondrous, and terrifying moments show a human race perpetually weighed down by pain and loss, yet forever grasping at the stars with hope and aspiration. In each tale, lives are touched, changed, and reshaped. A woman surrounded by her loved ones is faced with a sudden crisis beyond her mortal comprehension. The dawn of real-life super-powered individuals—and the devastation they are capable of—remolds not just the shape of society, but even the most intimate of relationships. The collision of perfect cutting-edge technology against imperfect human memory brings the dead closer to us even as it pushes them further away. A trucker drives into the night with no clear destination, tormented by the mysterious, unearthly cargo that drives her. A sick man ponders his legacy as he struggles not to succumb to an ancient, incurable extraterrestrial disease. Two childhood friends, bonded by hardship, are ripped apart by the most fantastic — yet horrific — discovery of their lives. And finally, an ambitious scientist, following her passions, must escape a prehistoric miracle that threatens the life of her pregnant wife.
Every new beginning closes a book from the past, and every ending opens another. The wheel turns. The world spins. And for every death, there is an awakening.
I don’t usually read science fiction or short story collections, but Nicholas Conley’s writing always manages to pull me in, no matter what. Each of these stories captured my interest and had me eager to find out what happened next. For me, short stories make it hard for me to connect with the characters, but that wasn’t a problem here. These characters were all sympathetic and interesting enough to keep me engaged—and I read this entire collection in one sitting. I think the last story was my favorite. Who doesn’t like a good dinosaur tale?
Nicholas Conley lives in New Hampshire. The Metempsychosis Collection is his newest book.
(Galley courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.)
Book Review: What the Woods Took, by Courtney Gould
Title: What the Woods Took
Author: Courtney Gould
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5
Devin Green wakes in the middle of the night to find two men in her bedroom. No stranger to a fight, she calls to her foster parents for help, but it soon becomes clear this is a planned abduction—one everyone but Devin signed up for. She’s shoved in a van and driven deep into the Idaho woods, where she’s dropped off with a cohort of equally confused teens. Finally, two camp counselors inform them that they’ve all been enrolled in an experimental therapy program. If the campers can learn to change their self-destructive ways—and survive a fifty-days hike through the wilderness—they’ll come out the other side as better versions of themselves. Or so the counselors say.
Devin is immediately determined to escape. She’s also determined to ignore Sheridan, the cruel-mouthed, lavender-haired bully who mocks every group exercise. But there’s something strange about these woods—inhuman faces appearing between the trees, visions of people who shouldn’t be there flashing in the leaves—and when the campers wake up to find both counselors missing, therapy becomes the least of their problems. Stranded and left to fend for themselves, the teens quickly realize they’ll have to trust each other if they want to survive. But what lies in the woods may not be as dangerous as what the campers are hiding from each other—and if the monsters have their way, no one will leave the woods alive.
There’s a solid level of creepiness going on here. Like, I won’t be walking in the woods with my overactive imagination anytime soon. Solid writing and descriptions, and I enjoyed the relationships between the characters, who had all just met, so the growing camaraderie and trust was done well. Devin was a bit too…pushy and brash for me, but I did enjoy this read and thought the secondary characters were great.
Courtney Gould lives in Salem, Oregon. What the Woods Took is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
The Best Books I Read in November (2024)
In November, I read 20 books, bringing my total for the year to 214 (according to Goodreads. My count in my reading list is 217, but I can’t figure out where the discrepancy is, and I already gave myself a headache with this). I also DNFed three books (not bad). Of those 20 books, several were excellent reads.
The Keeper, by Charles Martin (Review coming closer to publishing date in April 2025). Yes, Charles Martin is my favorite author. And yes, the Murphy Shepherd books are my favorite of all of his. That doesn’t stop this from being a fantastic read! I absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down.
The Sunflower House, by Adriana Allegri. Such a good historical fiction read! I love a good World War II read, and this one did not disappoint.
A Monsoon Rising, by Thea Guanzon (review forthcoming). Once I started reading this, that was it. I couldn’t put it down. Tons of action and intrigue, secrets, tension, and such a slow burn.
What I Read in November (2024)
Books Read in November: 20
Books Read for the Year: 214/215
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Tangled Echoes, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): Another solid read in this series.
Now or Never, by Janet Evanovich (TBR): I’ve been dying to read this, since the cliffhanger ending of last year’s book. Did Stephanie’s choice surprise me? No. Sadly. Was I disappointed? ABSOLUTELY.
Silent in the Sanctuary, by Deanna Raybourne (TBR): I’m really enjoying these mysteries!
The Kiss and the Killers, by Melissa Marr (TBR): I like the mythos of these books, so I’ll probably continue to read.
Brute of all Evil, by Devon Monk (TBR, audio): This was a lovely ending to this series! (I assume).
High Jinx, by Kelley Armstrong (TBR): This was a fun duology to read!
For Review:
The Keeper, by Charles Martin (review forthcoming). I don’t have the words to tell you how excited I was to read this novel, my favorite series by my favorite author. And it DID NOT disappoint.
Rules for Camouflage, by Kirstin Cronn-Mills. Not going to lie, the octopus tentacles on the cover were what caught my eye, because I love octopi! And Aretha was my favorite character in this novel, but this was a solid YA read.
Midnights with You, by Clare Osongco. This was an okay read, but Deedee’s mom was pretty horrible, and Deedee herself was no picnic.
All’s Fair in Love and Treachery, by Celeste Connally. This was a solid read, although the MC really flipped and instantly beloved the worst of the man she loved, without a shred of evidence to back it up, which wasn’t super believable to me.
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, by P. Djèlí Clark. I liked the characters and the world here quite a bit, except the patois the gods used near the end. That was almost unintelligible to me and made that pivotal scene almost incomprehensible.
The Sunflower House, by Adriana Allegri. Parts of this were so hard to read, but I loved the story. SO full of hope!
Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis. Thoroughly enjoyed this heist adventure story even more than the first book.
On Heaven’s Hill, by Kim Heacox. I enjoyed this slower-paced read, but I could have done without the politics and the author’s negative view of anyone religious.
A Legend in the Baking, by Jamie Wesley. This was an okay read, but nothing out of the ordinary.
The Serpent and the Wolf, by Rebecca Robinson. I loved this romantasy! I was captured from the very first page, and can’t wait to read more.
What the Woods Took, by Courtney Gould (review forthcoming). This was pretty creepy. The MC was not the most likeable for me, but the secondary characters were great.
Booked for Murder, by P. J. Nelson. This didn’t really work for me. The MC kept changing her mind every three seconds, and her actions did not make sense to me.
A Monsoon Rising, by Thea Guanzon (review forthcoming). I’m still loving this world and these characters! The enemies-to-lovers aspect is so well done, and I was never sur what was going to happen next!
Just Because:
Demon’s Bluff, by Kim Harrison. This is one of…two series that I buy in hardback on release day, so I’m not sure how I missed this, but I loved it, as I have all the other books in this series. Loved the surprise return of one of the characters from early on in the series.
Left Unfinished:
A Forty Something Fury, by Paige Andrews and Bryon Cahill. I just wasn’t impressed with the writing style.
Arthur the Soldier, by Chris Gidlow. The pacing felt very slow in this, and my attention kept wandering.
Not in My Book, by Katie Holt. Rosie was so bitchy–to a ridiculous extreme–that it destroyed any interest I had in reading more.
Sundays are for Writing #305
This was a great writing week! I got in five fiction sessions and four book reviews, The Serpent and the Wolf, by Rebecca Robinson, What the Woods Took, by Courtney Gould (review forthcoming), Booked for Murder, by P. J. Nelson (review forthcoming), and A Monsoon Rising, by Thea Guanzon (review forthcoming).
Happy writing!
Book Review: The Serpent and the Wolf, by Rebecca Robinson
Title: The Serpent and the Wolf
Author: Rebecca Robinson
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5
All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.
After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.
But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.
This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?
I was hooked from the very first scene. That’s when the action started, and it never let up. So much political intrigue! My brain just doesn’t work this way, with all the twists and turns and backstabbing, but it was fascinating to watch. I loved how the trust and emotion slowly grew between Vaasa and Reid as they got to know each other, and they genuinely started to care for each other. I loved all of this and can’t wait to read more.
Rebecca Robinson is a school administrator. The Serpent and the Wolf is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Sage Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Book Review: A Legend in the Baking, by Jamie Wesley
Title: A Legend in the Baking
Author: Jamie Wesley
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.8
August Hodges was supposed to be the silent partner in Sugar Blitz Cupcakes. Emphasis on silent. That is until his impromptu feminist rant about how women bakers are the backbone of the industry and baking cupcakes isn’t a threat to masculinity goes viral, making him the hottest bachelor in town. With a new location in the works, August and his partners decide to capitalize on this perfect opportunity to help cement their place in the community. But the hiring of his best friend’s younger sister, the woman who has haunted some of his best dreams for years, was as much of a shock as his new-found fame.
Social media manager Sloane Dell fell hard for her brother’s best friend the moment she met him more than a decade ago, but that teenage infatuation cost her dearly. Still, she accepts her brother’s request to revamp the bakery’s social media presence to take advantage of August’s newfound popularity, knowing it’s the big break her fledgling career needs. She’ll just ignore the fact that August is still August, i.e. sexier and sweeter than any man has a right to be. And that he drives her crazy with his resistance to all her ideas.
They vow to leave the past in the past. But when an explosive make-out session makes it clear their attraction burns hotter than ever, Sloane and August are forced to reconsider what it means to take a risk and chase your dreams.
As they’re both about to find out, all’s fair in love and cupcakes.
This was a decent read (I DNFed the first book in the series, so this one was clearly more to my taste). I enjoy second chance romances, although this one wasn’t quite that. I didn’t feel like there was much conflict here, except the manufactured one with the protestors—there was no hint of trouble, then, boom, they’re picketing? Again, this was decent, but nothing out-of-the-ordinary.
Jamie Wesley holds a master’s degree in sports management. A Legend in the Baking is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Book Review: On Heaven’s Hill, by Kim Heacox
Title: On Heaven’s Hill
Author: Kim Heacox
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
The small town of Strawberry Flats sits on a remote Alaska coast, peacefully left to itself—until controversial plans for a road and a bridge threaten to upend everything.
Former trapper Salt d’Alene never thought he’d find himself in the midst of such a dispute, but he’ll do anything to provide the best care for his son Solomon, recently diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Eleven-year-old Kes Nash just wants her father—back from war in Afghanistan—to be normal again. And circling the perimeter of the town is a wolf, Silver, and his pack, quietly watching.
This was a slow-paced read, but I enjoyed it. The descriptions of nature were lovely, and I felt like I could actually see the landscape. The small-town setting of Strawberry Flats made my skin crawl—but only because I don’t care for small towns—I found it very true-to-life. This book got a bit political, which I could have done without, in favor of focusing more on the story. I also could have done without the author presenting anyone with religious beliefs as narrow-minded and intolerant. Solid writing and complex characters kept me reading, despite these issues.
Kim Heacox is an award-winning author. On Heaven’s Hill is his newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Turner Publishing Company in exchange for an honest review.)
Tomorrow Is Another Day 