WHAT ARE WE READING & REVIEWING IN APRIL 2023?

Tell Us What You Are Reading or Plan To Read in April.

Carol's April Reads
🎂 - ★
47/47
🎂Damage Control - Lynn Van Dorn - 5★ - (Make A Friend)
🎂Code Red - N R Walker- 5★
🎂Code Blue - N R Walker - 5★
🎂Undercover - Eliot Grayson - 4★
🎂Getting It Right - A M Authur - 4.5★
🎂Say It Right - A M Authur -4.5★
🎂Building Bonds - Morticia Knight - 5★
🎂Safe Limits - Morticia Knight- 5★
🎂Bondage Rescue - Morticia Knight - 5★
🎂Grand Opening - Morticia Knight - 5★
🎂Gaining Trust - Morticia Knight - 5★
🎂Finding Home - Sloane Kennedy - 3★
🎂Firm Hand - Nora Phoenix - 5★
🎂Gentle Hand - Nora Phoenix - 5★
🎂Dirty Hand - Nora Phoenix 4.5-★
🎂No Limits - Nora Phoenix - 5★
🎂A Puppy For His Little - Della Cain - 3.5★
🎂Moonlight Cherries- Alexa Piper - 4★
🎂Something Wild & Wonderful - Anita Kelly - 5★
🎂Dinner at 8:00 Death at 8:30 - Edward Kendrick- 4.5★
🎂Stay, His Command - Piper Scott - 5★
🎂Heal, His Command - Piper Scott - 5★
🎂Heal, His Command - Piper Scott - 5★
🎂Monstrous Intent - Alice Winters - 5★
🎂Within The Mind - Alice Winters -5★
🎂Roped In - A M Authur - 4★
🎂The Truth As He Knows It - A M Arthur- 4.5★
🎂Embracing His Syn - A E Via -4★
🎂Firfly Lane - Riley Hart -5★ (Reread)
🎂Her Husband’s Lies - T.J. Brearton - 4★ X
🎂Innocent Blood - P D James - 2★
🎂Endangered Species - Michael Altieri - 3★
🎂Rag Doll Bones - J R Erickson - 5★
🎂The Birthday - Carol E. Wyer - 2★
🎂Edge of Shadows -Cege Smith - 5★
🎂What We Did Last Night - Vanessa Garbin - 4.5★
🎂The Things We Keep - Janet Dawson - 4★
🎂I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuiston - 5★
🎂Unwelcome Guests - Anna Willett - 2★
🎂How I'll Kill You - Ren DeStefano - 3.5★
🎂Sub-Zero - Matt James - 4.5★
🎂Born Evil - Julia Derek - 2★
🎂Creepers - David Morrell - 5★
🎂Girl, Forgotten - Karin Slaughter - 5★
🎂Games for Dead Girls - Jen Williams - 5★
🎂Severed Relations - Rebecca Forster - 4.5★
🎂What Happened At The Lake - Phil M. Williams - 4.5★

Code Red - N R Walker - (California)
Atrous series - Book 1
Genera: M/M Romance/Boyband
5★
Maddox Kershaw is the main vocalist of the world's biggest boy band. He's at the top of every music chart, every award show, every social media platform, and every sexiest-man-alive list. He's the bad boy, the enigma, the man everyone on the planet wants a piece of. He's also burned out and exhausted, isolated and lonely. Not in a good headspace at the start of a tour. Roscoe Hall is Maddox's personal manager. His job is high-flying, high-demand, high-profile, and he loves it. Maddox has consumed his entire life for the past four years. Roscoe knows him. He sees the real Maddox no one else gets to see. He's also in love with him. When the tour and stress become too much, when the world begins to close in, Roscoe becomes Maddox's lifeline. But as Maddox knows already, and as Roscoe is about to learn, the brighter the spotlight, the darker the shadow.

Being in the world's most famous boy band isn't always all it's cracked up to be...the press and paparazzi...the fans following wherever you go and especially the loneliness that comes with it. Those bones are what this sometimes sad, though beautiful story are based on...and it's also from one of my favorite authors, N.R. Walker. The story portrays the message clearly that fame is not all sweet-smelling roses and good times. It's not even about the money and fame...it's about the price it demands that isn't always visible until it overtakes the performer. we see what happens when it all becomes too much and spirals into health problems both mental and physical. It affects everyone around them. It's also a love story that clearly shows how the power of love is everything especially when you feel like you have nothing, and no-one is on your side and sees that you are much more than a "money maker". N R Walker has done a fantastic job of showing the human cost of fame.

Code Blue - Atrous - (California)
Atours series book 2
Genera: M/M Romance Book 2
5★
Steve Frost had dreams of wearing the national championship belt in mixed martial arts, maybe even going pro, but instead, finds himself working as a security guard for the rich and famous in LA. Quickly earning a reputation for his blunt and precise people management skills, he lands a position on the security team for an up-and-coming boyband, Atrous. Years later, he's head of security. He knows these boys, and with countless tours, flights, car trips, public events, concerts, he's closer to one band member in particular. Jeremy's been a pillar for Atrous since day one, but even more so these last few months. Now the face of the band more than ever, he's also got himself the attention of a delusional stalker-fan. When the fame and stress become too much, when Jeremy's health takes a hit, Steve becomes Jeremy's lifeline. But as Jeremy knows already, and as Steve is about to learn, not even the brightest star can shine forever.

This is the sequel to N.R. Walker’s first book, Code Red, about the boyband that finds themselves winding down after years on the road. This story signals the turmoil that’s ongoing between the band’s label who wants more from them professionally and more management of their personal lives. The band members now find that the unhealthy physical and mental health conditions they now find themselves after years of constant touring and stress are catching up with them. Another of the band's members, Jeremy, now gets his story and romance told. Even though he's only 26, he finds that he's physically breaking down under a decade’s worth of abusing his body and not listening to doctors' instructions. He’s a diabetic and his lack or inability to stay on target to the nutritional structure he needs to stay healthy has finally taken over and he’s a total mess. No one knows the full extent of how bad it’s become. Jeremy is a wonderful character. He’s well developed, and his personality as well as his physical ailment is worked into the story very well. We get to know him, his trust issues, and his confusion over his sexuality. We “see” him through the loving eyes of his security manager/guard, Steve Frost. The story is mostly told from Steve’s perspective. Steve is another terrific character. He's older, with a painful history. I didn’t see why he needed to hide it...but that's not an important issue since he’s protection/security. I liked so many aspects of Steve’s personality. When the danger to Jeremy becomes clear, Steve ups Jeremy’s security system. but yet together and separately, they continued to take chances that I don't believe any professional security team would be taking, even with their emotional involvement. I love this author and her stories, and I did root for Jeremy and Steve's beautiful romance.

Innocent Blood - P D James - (England)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
2★
Adopted as a child into a privileged family, Philippa Palfrey fantasizes that she is the daughter of an aristocrat and a parlor maid. The terrifying truth about her parents and a long-ago murder is only the first in a series of shocking betrayals. Philippa quickly learns that those who delve into the secrets of the past must be on guard when long-buried horrors begin to stir.

Basically, what we have is a book that was way longer than it should have been that tried very hard to be what P D James's other books are, but without Adam Dalgliesh. Unfortunately, it falls very short of all those goals. What we have in a nutshell, is a story about an adopted child, Philippa, who has just turned 18 and learns the shocking truth of her real parents' identity. She is determined to find and reclaim her natural mother. First clue that nothing is going to turn out to be good in any way. In addition, we have a mild-mannered man who vows revenge on the woman who killed his only child. None of the characters are sympathetic or even remotely likeable. Not the grocer, not the neighbor where Philippa learned the first piece of the puzzle, nor the hapless murder victim herself. It's also a rather tired portrayal of the class system which includes the expected swipes at the Conservatives. To sum it up it's a bitter observation on society with a little intrigue thrown in. Personally, I found it rather depressing.

The Other People / C.J. Tudor
4 stars

Gabe is driving home to his wife and daughter when, in the truck just ahead with offensive bumper stickers in the window, the driver driving badly, up pops the head of a little blonde girl in the back – Gabe’s daughter Izzy! How is that possible? Gabe chases for a few minutes, but the truck gets away and when Gabe calls home, a police officer picks up.

Three years later, and Gabe hasn’t stopped looking for Izzy, though the police are convinced Izzy is dead. Katie is a waitress where Gabe often comes in, so they recognize each other, and Katie has held onto a missing flyer passed on to her by Gabe. Fran and little girl Alice are running from something. All three storylines do gradually come together with, of course, a few twists and turns along the way.

I really liked this. The beginning pulled me in right away and I wanted to know what happened. Gabe himself has some secrets we learn about along the way, as well. A really enjoyable book (for me) in what is my current favourite genre.

Damage Control - Lynn Van Dorn - (California)
North Shore Stories series Book#1
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Tyler’s worked hard to kick the dust of the Chicago suburbs off his heels and move on with his life as Hollywood’s newest up-and-comer, burying his demons and hiding his scars from the world. Just as everything seems to be going his way, a scandal from his past threatens everything he’s worked for. Now he’s stuck back home, where his family of lawyers can maybe help sink the scandal and find out who’s behind it. Afraid to love. Josh doesn’t know what to think when his ex’s little brother falls into his arms, other than that Tyler is trouble with a capital T. But when Tyler’s publicist suggests that an adoring fake boyfriend might be just the ticket to saving Tyler’s acting career, Josh doesn’t mind playing along. It’s not like he has anything else going on, and faking a relationship with someone you’ve known your entire life can’t possibly be that difficult. A second chance for two damaged hearts. Now they’re stuck together for the foreseeable future, and neither can deny their mounting attraction. Why should they? They’re supposed to be in love, at least out in public. But in private, when no one is watching, Tyler and Josh grow closer in a way that has nothing to do with their agreed upon arrangement. What do they do when make-believe becomes real, and how can two men with such different lives have a shared future?

This book was incredible and absolutely brilliantly written. It's also snarky, passionate and painful. It brings to light something that makes me feel like finding my soapbox, which I will try not to do here. As the mother of a wonderful gay son who has been married for 15 years to the most precious man, I have ever met...I see red when I hear anyone suggesting conversion therapy as a "gay cure". However far beyond anything else, the way the therapy part was handled is what gave the book the incredibly real feeling. I can't find enough adjective to describe it so I will just say bitterly honest, heartbreaking, funny, emotional and sweet should just about cover it. Tyler and Josh will make you laugh one minute and cry the next. It's a very long story...over 420 pages, but each page is an adventure as we get to follow these two men while they are falling in love and fighting for their right to do so without judgement. It wasn't an overnight "flip of the switch" thing. It happened over time until that moment that Josh realized that everything had changed. I loved Purvi, Tyler's friend. She didn't pull any punches with Tyler...but told him how things would need to happen if he and Josh wanted any chance at happiness. Everyone needs a best friend like this.

How I'll Kill You - Ren DeStefano - (Arizona)
Genera: Psychological Thriller/Mystery & Suspense
3.5 ★
Make him want you...Make him love you...Make him dead. Sissy has an interesting family. Always the careful one, always the cautious one, she has handled the cleanup while her serial killer sisters have carved a path of carnage across the US. Now, as they arrive in the Arizona heat, Sissy must step up and embrace the family pastime of making a man fall in love and then murdering him. Her first target? A young widower named Edison—and their mutual attraction is instant. While their relationship progresses, and most couples would be thinking about picking out China patterns and moving in together, Sissy’s family is reminding her to think about picking out burial sites and moving on. Then something happens that Sissy never anticipated: She begins to feel protective of Edison, and before she can help it, she’s fallen in love. But the clock is ticking, and her sisters are growing restless. It becomes clear that the gravesite she chooses will hide a body no matter what happens; but if she betrays her family, will it be hers?

This was 100% a dark psychological thriller, it may even find a place into the dark romance genre. Either way you look at it, it was very different from anything I have read in the genera. Can you say nuts? Can you say psychotic? The three identical triplet sisters are so ready to be locked up and the key thrown away. The plot is intense to put it mildly. Three sisters that are serial killers. Sissy is the only sister that has yet to kill out if the three and she’s being pushed to make her first kill. Enter Edison. The minute Sissy spots Edison, she gets the feeling that he is the one. She stalks him and manages to catch his attention by singing at the church he attends. Their relationship progresses quickly from there. Sissy helps Edison when he breaks his sobriety; he’s an alcoholic who has been sober for years. What she didn't count on was falling in love. The triplets take all these murders...and there are LOTS...to a level that I don't think anyone that isn't behind prison walls could possibly relate to. Also, to really make this storyline work, most readers would need to have the victims be people that they didn't have any feelings for. The book is very graphic in its descriptions of how Sissy handles a cleanup job, so if you are the least bit squeamish, be prepared.

>8 Carol420: I don't think I put it in my review, but I liked that this one is different. Different in more ways than one, so for me, that (I believe) will make it more memorable than many thrillers.

>8 Carol420: I liked the book also, but I don't think it's for just anyone.

Rag Doll Bones - J R Erickson - (Michigan)
Northern Michigan Asylum series
Genera: Horror/Thriller
5 ★
Their mother’s told them monsters weren’t real, but they were wrong. It’s the start of summer vacation in 1983. Twelve-year-olds Ashley and Sid are excited for three months of swimming at the pit, playing arcade games, and getting lost in the woods. But the woods aren’t safe. Kids are going missing in their small town. One of them has been found dead. The cops are indifferent, the parents are clueless, and a summer of fun Is slowly turning into a summer of terror. Sid and Ashley have come face to face with the monster, more boy than creature, and are desperate to reveal it.

Mystery lovers will have a great time with this book...horror enthusiast may find it a bit too mild depending on how scared you want to be. Kids are coming up missing. There is a rumored monster in the woods and a creepy abandoned funeral home, which should give anybody a few chills. A schoolteacher and three bullied teens start to try to figure some things out. The ending will surprise you and you more than likely will spend most of the book thinking you know what's happening but I'm betting you are going to be SOOOO wrong. I did think that one of the events that happened was unnecessary to the story...but hey...I didn't write the book.... but I really enjoyed every single goosebump and I will continue the series.

Queen of America– Luis Alberto Urrea
4****

Urrea picks up where he left off in The Hummingbird’s Daughter and continues the story of his great aunt, Teresita Urrea, “The Saint of Cabora” or “Mexican Joan of Arc,” who fled the 1892 uprising in Mexico with her father, Tomas, to the relative safety of Arizona. But the Mexican government, fearing that she was still fomenting revolutions sent a series of assassins to kill her. And yet pilgrims continued to flock to her, for the tales of her healing powers would not abate.

Trying to find her way she travels across America, from Arizona to Texas, California, St Louis, and New York. She encounters physicians, journalists, famous politicians and tycoons, even European royalty. She also finds love … of a sort … sometimes with decidedly unworthy men. She begins as a naïve, sheltered young woman who wants nothing but to gather herbs and help the women of her area as a midwife / healer. Teresita is in turns sheltered and looked after, abused, taken advantage of, earning and taking charge of her celebrity, and finding peace. She is best served when she listens to the women around her.

As always, Urrea’s writing is full of the mystical and includes many references to indigenous culture (here the Yaqui). Set against the backdrop of historical events in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he gives us a woman who has earned a place in history and legend.

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba – Chanel Cleeton
Digital audiobook performed by Frankie Corzo, Holly Linneman, and Rebecca Soler
3***

For her fourth book featuring a member of the Perez family, Cleeton turned to history and one exceptional Cuban woman – Evangelina Cisneros – who was instrumental in the fight to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule.

This is true: At age eighteen Evangelina was imprisoned at the infamous Recogidas prison. Meanwhile, back in New York, William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were rival newspaper tycoons, each intent on making HIS paper the best and widest read. Hearst did, in fact, publish a photo of Evangelina and dubbed her “the most beautiful girl in Cuba.” Her escape from Recogidas was done with the help of American journalists. The loss of the USS Maine brought the US into the war against Spain. And Hearst did, in fact, charter a yacht to get a “front-wave” seat to the battle between US and Spanish warships.

Cleeton invented Marina Perez to support Evangelina’s story and to connect this book with her popular series. And she added intrepid Grace Harrington, who gets caught in the back-and-forth between Hearst and Pulitzer before coming into her own.

The action was constant, as one would expect during such a conflict. I thought the love interests were mainly there to provide a big, strong, man to rescue the damsel(s) in distress. But the story held my attention and I’m glad I read it.

The audiobook was performed by three talented voice artists: Frankie Corzo (Evangelina), Holly Linneman (Grace), and Rebecca Soler (Marina). This made it easier for the listener to handle the changes in point of view throughout the work .

>11 Carol420: I try to read a series every year - this looks like a interesting series to read!

>14 JulieLill: There are, I believe, 8 books in the series.

The Johnstown Flood / David McCullough
2.5 stars

In 1889, Johnstown, Pennsylvania’s dam broke and the town was flooded. The town had flooded many times before, but it was nothing like this. Over 2000 people lost their lives. Turns out the dam wasn’t maintained nor repaired properly.

Sounds like an interesting story, but it just couldn’t keep my attention. Much of the book was just not that interesting to me, especially before the flood hit and after. The flood itself and people’s stories of what happened during was a bit better, but not great. I have read one other book by this author and it seems I was underwhelmed reading it, too; that one, I listened to and wasn’t sure if it was the writing or the topic, but I’m thinking it’s the author’s writing style that just isn’t for me. There were photos included, and I have to say those were pretty impressive, pretty scary. The photo that might stick with me is one of all the debris smashed up against a bridge.

Undercover - Eliot Grayson - (Vermont)
Vino and Veritas series Book #4
Genera: M/M Romance/Mystery
4★
Rich kid. Party boy. Gabe is tired of the labels. He’s a smart guy, but ever since he got kicked out of grad school, people are only interested in his no-limit credit card and his pierced ears…and other places. Tall, dark and scowling Alec hates Vermont, with its artisanal-freaking-everything and its irritating people. To be fair, most people irritate Alec, including the FBI director who sent him here to investigate a smuggling scheme involving yoga mats. When one of the cutest twinks Alec’s ever seen takes an interest, Alec knows there’s an ulterior motive. No one with multi-colored hair, piercings, and an ass like that would want boring, serious Alec. The kid must be up to no good. Either way, Alec can’t blow his cover. If only he could keep his hands off of Gabe long enough to find out what he’s up to…Can they ignore their explosive chemistry long enough to foil a smuggling ring? Or will their budding relationship sink faster than a yacht full of contraband?

This was a really fun entry in the series. I read it in one sitting, partly because it’s fairly short and partly because it moved the story forward so well on every page. The book is interesting from start to finish, and you just have to see where the two guys are in their budding relationship that you want so badly to happen for them. It follows Gabe and Alec. Gabe is a rich, former party-boy who got kicked out of his Ph.D. program because he got in with the wrong crowd and got distracted. And now he feels a bit aimless. He also has serious self-esteem issues. Alec, on the other hand, is a grumpy FBI agent who’s currently working undercover. The two of them meet via Vino & Veritas, and there are lies involved. Like Alec’s real identity and his suspicion that Gabe might be related to the case. The book is equal parts the case and the romance. And I think both of those were executed and balanced well. I liked Gabe and Alec together. And I liked that, even though Alec didn’t tell Gabe about being an FBI agent, there was never any doubt that his feels toward Gabe were genuine. I also like that there was a real, justifiable reason for Alec to keep his job a secret, as it would’ve gotten very frustrating otherwise. I don't usually like conflict in my romance books but the conflict toward the end was done very well and was soon worked out with the "what" and "why" making perfect sense. I respected Gabe more as a character. I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t the most memorable of the series but it was well-paced, well-written, had a good plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Endangered Species - Michael Altieri - (Arizona)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
3★
When sixteen-year-old Madison Brenna goes missing from her home in Arizona, her mother, Faith, reaches out to the half-sister she has never met to ask for help. Her half-sister Brenda Corrino is a former detective who currently works as a private investigator in Connecticut. When Faith asks her to travel to Arizona to investigate her daughter’s case, Brenda agrees to help, even though she has no idea what she’s getting herself into. Once in Arizona, Brenda teams up with Deputy Sheriff Logan Cartwright, who, in addition to looking into Madison’s case, is investigating two murders that he thinks are tied to human trafficking. Brenda and the sheriff piece together the few leads they have managed to identify in their individual investigations.

What do two murders have to do with 16-year-old Madison, who has gone missing? Here's where the story became way too hard to believe. A stranger offers 16-year-old Madison a deal that was too good to be true. Actually, it should have had Madison running for the hills but then she is only 16. Madison agrees to take stranger up on his offer. She'll supposedly will receive an education and five million dollars...all in exchange for five years of her life. She thought this to be the opportunity of a lifetime...too good to be true...a chance to help her family...and all she has to do is disappear for five years and do whatever it is that she is told to do and then return home at the age of 21. Then all she has to do then is not tell anyone where she's been. Now I ask you...what could possibly happen to her? What could possibly be the "catch" to this scheme? In the meanwhile, two men have been found dead with their bodies mutilated. Deputy Sheriff Logan Cartwright is trying to investigate those murders. His attitude as a lawman was also a off the wall. Keep in mind that this girl is 16 years old...she is a child, not considered to be an adult in any state in the union...and this sheriff say that there is "not much he can do to help Madison’s family because it appears that she left on her own accord". Really??? Also, he says that he has no leads in her case. Yeah...because he hasn't looked for any. A private investigator, Brenda Corrino, arrives from Connecticut and enters the investigation because Madison’s mother calls her asking for help. Now you may ask how does a woman in Arizona know a private investigator in Connecticut? It seems that Brenda and Faith are sisters, but the catch is that Brenda was clueless to the fact that she even had a sister. Now we join Brenda; her boyfriend and fellow investigator Darren; and Sheriff Cartwright as they try to locate Madison before it's too late. Now here's another rather "off the wall" adventure...they attend a sex swapping party where Brenda asks Faith’s friends a few questions. This story has twists and turns; romance; quite a bit of sex; and a storyline that kept me reading just to see if these people finally get anywhere near the brains that God gave green apples. I found the actions of the people that should have been the most concerned really hard to believe...but it was entertaining.

Over the weekend I finished Stone Wings by Jenn Burke which was pretty good. Not a lot of gargoyle m/m romances out there :-)

Elementary, She Read – Vicki Delany
Digital audiobook narrated by Kelly Clare
3***

First in a new (to me, at least) series starring Gemma Doyle, “a transplanted Englishwoman who has returned to … Cape Cod to manage her great uncle Arthur’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium.”

This has all the elements of a successful cozy mystery series: an amateur sleuth who is frequently smarter than the police and incredibly nosy, a cute pet (in this case the black cat named Moriarty), a job in a retail shop that brings her into contact with many public persons, a best friend who runs a complimentary business, and a supporting cast of “helpers.” I loved all the book references, and thought the basic premise was sufficiently plausible to keep me interested and engaged.

I’m likely to continue this series.

Kelly Clare does a good job of voicing the audiobook. She sets a good pace and does a good job of giving Gemma a recognizable British accent.

Her Husband's Lies - T J Brearton - (New York)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
4★
Callie has a great life, living in a ten-acre home in the Adirondacks with her husband, Abel. Their son is away at college and Callie, a writer, is content living a relatively secluded life. Then Abel skids off the road into an icy lake. No one heard anything. No one saw anything. But Abel is left in a coma in a Vermont hospital. Things seem bad but they're about to get even worse. Now Callie is getting calls from a woman who claims to know more about the accident. Callie is skeptical, though a few things do line up, and she's always wondered why her husband was where he was at the time of the accident. Then every spouse's worst nightmare: police tell Callie her husband is a suspect in the disappearance of two teenage girls. Callie will do whatever it takes to clear his name. But is she really ready for the truth about her husband?

I found it to be a little disappointing. The plot itself is well-written and drew me in, but I just couldn't get excited about the characters...especially Callie Sanderson, whose husband Abel is in a coma as a result of an auto accident that she is convinced wasn't an accident as the police concluded. The main reason she's convinced is that she was told Althea who is a psychic, that he drove into a tree while trying to avoid someone. I'm not opposed to the notion that there are folks who "see" and "know" things others may not, but Callie's determination to go off on her own despite good advice from people to whom she should listen to, like the police...kind of placed her in the nut category for me. Not only did she not listen to reason, her "on-my-own sleuthing" never once turned up any facts the police didn't already know. Finally, there's that title thing. I like for my titles to at least somewhat fit the storyline...after all that's what most of my choices of books are based on. So, all the way through, I kept waiting to find out what the "lies" were that her husband told. All I could see was that while he didn't always spell out in detail what he did and where he was every minute of every day, I couldn't find a single time in which he told an actual untruth. All that said, the story itself held my interest throughout. I just sort of ignored Callie's relentless questioning of her own thoughts and those of everybody else and focused on what was actually happening. It seems that two young girls recently went missing and haven't been found, and little by little, connections between the girls and Abel come to light. Questions began to form and that's usually a sign that I don't totally hate the book:) Was it possible her husband had something to do with the girl's disappearances? We learned that he did go out a few times without telling her specifically where he'd been. Still, Callie can't believe he's involved, but the plot thickens as she digs deeper, egged on by Althea's newfound insights. Her neighbors in the rather remote area of the Adirondacks become suspects also based only on something they said, or didn't say, even Abel's estranged brother, Garr, who suddenly turns up out of nowhere, isn't immune from her suspicions. Meantime, the police, led by detective Footman, continue to work the case despite Callie's constant harping about issues they're already investigating. Overall, it was worth 4 stars and I believe that this is a book that most readers of this genre will enjoy.

The Barbizon – Paulina Bren
Audiobook read by Andi Arndt
4****

Subtitle: The Hotel That Set Women Free

I remember reading Mademoiselle magazine when I was a teen, anxiously poring over the “College” issue and imagining myself on some distant campus, dressed “just so.” I never say myself in New York City, however, HAD I imagined that I would have imagined myself living at the Barbizon.

Bren has done her research and chronicles the history of the iconic hotel from its conception and construction in 1927 to its eventual conversion to multi-million dollar condominiums in 2007. As she tells the story of the hotel, she tells the story of women in America, of their hopes, dreams and aspirations as contrasted with society’s expectations and the structured roles assigned to “proper” women. The list of famous women who lived there is impressive, from writers such as Joan Didion and Sylvia Plath, to film stars (Grace Kelly and Ali McGraw), but it is the countless others who grabbed the chance for independence and success who should really be celebrated. Brava, ladies!

The audiobook is narrated by Andi Arndt and she does a marvelous job of it. Even my husband got hooked on the story when he listened as we drove to dinner one evening.

Building Bonds - Morticia Knight - (California)
Kiss of Leather series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
5★
After Kyle’s partner of five years leaves him for another man on the night of their housewarming party, the shy, early-thirties carpenter needs to do a major reassessment of his life in addition to raising some serious cash. With no one to help him pay the lease on his Los Angeles condo, he worries how he’ll survive. His best friend sets up a meeting with one of the Doms and partners at Kiss of Leather, a gay BDSM club being built as a premier destination for those who want the best of the best. Master Gavin not only wants the best—he demands it. When he meets Kyle, he assumes that part of the builder’s reticence to share anything personal with him must be due to his experiences with an abusive former Master. Not one to back down from a challenge, Gavin determines to break through the walls surrounding the beautiful man he can’t get out of his mind. He’s hopeful that once he convinces Kyle to sign an initial contract, Kyle might be the first sub to open up his heart. Misunderstandings and accusations almost destroy everything between them before they have a real chance to begin. However, the true obstacle becomes not only whether Kyle will embrace BDSM as a lifestyle, but also whether he can handle a full-time D/s relationship with a big, bad, scary Dom who’s as sexy as hell.

Kyle is on the shy side, partly by his nature and partly because of his ex. He also has a knack for building exquisite dungeon equipment, even though he himself is not in the lifestyle and doesn't believe his old friend when he tells Kyle he's a natural sub. When Master Gavin, one of the owners of the new club approaches Kyle with an offer to build equipment for "Kiss of Leather", their new club. He just assumes Kyle must be an experienced submissive and takes quite an interest in the young man. Kyle is afraid to tell Gavin the truth, which of course leads to complications. Building Bonds is a sweet and spicy kinky romance, with just enough realistic drama to keep it interesting. There's very little doubt how stories like this will end, so the trick to making them interesting is how believable they are while getting there, and this story definitely is believable making it a very good read. Kyle is a wonderfully drawn character. I found I could easily relate to him and the way he reacted to most situations. He seems to be a very honest and earnest young man. Dom Gavin, on the other hand, is a little too good to be true, but not enough to ruin the story, and you know that he is absolutely the perfect match for Kyle. It's just harder to believe a guy like him exists, but you desperately want him to be "real". This is the start of a recently re-issued series centered around the "Kiss of Leather" BDSM club, making most of the characters that will be featured in the later books having already been met in this one. I like books where my favorite characters reappear and don't just fade away.

Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century
Roseanne Montillo
4/5 stars
This was the fascinating, true story about the death of a millionaire's wife, Ann Woodward in the 50's and the role Truman Capote figured into her death.

The Gunslinger – Stephen King
Digital audio performed by George Guidall
2.5**

This is the first in the novels that comprise King’s epic odyssey “Dark Tower” series. It’s an odd mixture of classic Western mixed with science fiction, fantasy and horror. In it, he introduces the reader to Roland Deschain, a “gunslinger. ” Haunted and determined, Roland wanders a bleak landscape in search of the man in black, determined to eradicate evil. It’s an odd setting – a civilization in ruins that bears some resemblance to the United States, but that is fantastical enough to make this reader wonder if this is another world entirely.

Among the characters he encounters are Jake Chambers, a young boy from New York, whom he befriends and who accompanies Roland on his meandering journey. Some people they meet are helpful, others a danger to them. I found most of these encounters strange and unsettling, and, in at least one instance, quite frightening.

There is something about Roland that makes me want to follow him, that makes me believe that he is “a good guy” and the kind of hero I want to cheer for. Still, I’m left with far more questions than answers, and a general sense of unease. As much as I love Stephen King, I really have no desire to continue the series to find out what happens next.

George Guidall does a fine job performing the audio. He really makes these characters come alive.

The Truth As He knows It - A M Arthur - (Pennsylvania)
Perspectives Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance
4.5★
Lies are the chains that keep you weighed down at rock bottom. Officer Noel Carlson isn’t out to anyone in small-town Stratton, Pennsylvania, only to distant friends and family, so a relationship is out of the question. That doesn’t stop him from wanting one, though. When a night-shift call brings him face to other body parts with a hired stripper whose girl-party gig went terribly wrong, Noel takes pity on the guy and lets him go. But he can’t get the encounter out of his mind. Shane has big-time debts to repay, especially to the brother who sacrificed nearly everything for him. His two jobs, in a deli and as a stripper, leave him no time for a social life. But a non-date of hot sex and takeout food with Noel? He can squeeze that in. The bond they form is stronger than either expected or wanted. Especially since the step Shane’s about to take to put his brother—and his soul—back in the black isn’t quite legal. And he never calculated just how much his determination to make things right will cost him in the end.

Shane was abused by his step-father when he was 10. When his brother Jason found out about the abuse, there was an altercation, the result of which was that Thom, the stepfather was dead and Jason went to prison for three years for manslaughter and Shane was sent to a group home. Shane always blamed himself for what happened to Jason and, when he is bullied at school at age 15, for being gay, he tries to kill himself. After his release from prison, Jason fought for custody of Shane and between the legal bills and the rehabilitation and therapy costs for Shane, they are heavily in debt. Shane feels responsible in all the ways for the debt, even though Jason never complains. Jason finds that he can pay off the loan with the some really big checks...all he has to do is appear in 3 porn videos. Shane of course, tells no one how he is getting the money. Then Jason becomes ill, apparently from overwork, Shane decides to become “Colby” the porn star for a limited season of 6 more videos in order to quickly pay off the mounting medical bills. Then he meets Noel, a police officer and sparks fly and Noel and Shane start to explore their attraction to one another. All goes along well...the money is rapidly coming in for the bills and Noel seems like a gift to Shane...until...Shane feels that he will need to come clean to both Jason and Noel about what he had been doing for the money, but each time he starts he finds that he just can't so it. Jason will be disappointed in him, and Noel will never want to see him again. They soon find out that Jason wasn't just overworked...he has the same heart condition that killed their mother at age 32....the exact age that Jason is now. There is a lot going on in this book. It has a high angst factor...which I usually try to avoid in my books that are supposed to be HEA's. That being said, there were places I was half expecting the story to go and found myself pleasantly surprised when it didn’t. Then the bottom drops out.... for me and the characters. I try to never become emotionally over involved in a book of any genera but sometimes it sneaks up on you. Books that make me cry loose stars...this one lost only half a star because I loved Noel and Shane so much. Have a box of tissue handy.

Bondage Rescue - Morticia Knight - (California)
Kiss of Leather Series Book #6
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
5★
Master Derek and his new sub, Corey have signed a contract and enjoy their first scene together. The love between them is strong and Derek is as protective of his boy as ever. The only thing left that would make their world perfect would be to bring Corey’s ex-Dom and abuser to justice. The legal firm that represents Kiss of Leather is charged with hiring a private investigator to flush out the man who orchestrated Corey’s gang rape. Stone Manning is hesitant to take the job, though. He was once wrongly accused in the death of a sub and swore never to enter a BDSM club again. But he owes attorney Glen Sharp his life after the lawyer got him acquitted. Their meeting is disrupted when Kyle’s missing friend Marshall calls for help. Master Josh promises to help the mouthy Marshall get back on his feet under one condition—Marshall must sign a six-month D/s contract as a full-time sub and prove he can fully submit to a man as well as learn to respect those around him. Stone Manning suddenly finds himself charged with taming the brattiest sub ever. In truth, the bigger the brat, the more his heart races with excitement. Marshall promises to be just the type of challenge to inspire Stone to be a Master again. As Stone learns more about him, he sees the pain that Marshall has always tried to numb with drugs and alcohol. Stone also sees a man he could love—if he can ever reach him. In the meantime, Stone and his investigative partner, Chuck, continue to search for Corey’s attacker. The abusive Dom appears to have gone underground. But what they don’t realize is that the closer they get to their prey, the more dangerous he becomes.

From our first view of Marshall in book #1, we know that he is unhappy and running from himself and now in this book we see him at solid rock bottom. His confusion and rebellion resonated with me as being so authentic for so many of us humans. He tried to create an image of himself that would make him be loved and it was all empty and hollow. Such a beautiful confused young man. Stone has a very interesting backstory and i was immediately intrigued with him. He currently works as a PI, and he knows the lifestyle very well. He used to be a Dom until he was falsely accused of the death of a sub years ago and he removed himself from the life, to survive and create a new life. What he realizes is that he is not complete without being a Dom and when the opportunity to help Marshall occurs he offers his help. So, we have the meeting of a strong and caring man, that understands loss and wants to help this beautiful, confused and rebellious young man at rock bottom. Stone is a man coming back into his own, finding balance in his life again. Marshall needs Stones' patience and care. Stone is strong yet ever so gentle and caring. He sets very clear guidelines for Marshall and I loved how Stone helps Marshall develop a sense of self-worth before they become intimate. Their story is a long slow build, but really great.

Stay, (His Command) - Piper Scott - (Illinois)
His Command Series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance /BDSM
Narrator: Michael Pauley - (Wonderful narration)
5★
Above a "kingdom of kink" rules an alpha who’s fought for his family since the beginning. Sterling Holt, owner of kink club The Shepherd, has given all he has to keep his family together. But after years of hard work raising his much-younger sister, his nest is empty—and so is his heart. Beneath the weight of his own guilt aches an omega who can’t see salvation. Proud, cocky, and outspoken, on the surface it looks like Adrian Lowe has it all—but beneath his prickly facade lurks something darker. Something painful. Something he can only escape during weekends at The Shepherd. He will never forgive himself for what he’s lost. But the lost can be found again. When one night of scorching intense passion binds two lonely souls together, Adrian and Sterling will either have to sever ties and give in to their loneliness or admit that what they’ve found in each other is worth staying for.

First, I would like to say a word about the narrator, Michael Paulley. The man deserves a giant, shiny gold star for being one of the main reasons, but not the only reason that I gave this book a five-star rating. Michael Pauley's performance was simply amazing and truly showed the pain that Adrian had throughout his life. He gave these characters life, and a believable voice. Well done, Mr. Pauly!! Now, about the story...Adrian is not what he seems to be. He was not very likeable much less lovable at first... but he has his own reasons and he had been hurt badly. He's had a crush on Sterling since book #1. Sterling is an older man and the owner of The Shepherd, a kink club. He lives in the penthouse above it. Adrian is an omega who is most of the time outspoken to the point of rudeness. He hasn't had the best upbringing and his parents are homophobes with capital letters. This story takes place 4 years after Adrian's brother Gabriel goes missing and that also contributes to Adrian's attitude. He blames himself and he may share a portion of the blame but not all of it. He does improve gradually throughout the book and things do get better. Sterling was absolutely perfect and adorable.... patient, caring all helping to break down Adrian's stonewalls. About Gabriel...We learn he was a young man that really never had a chance. He was taken by a monster and signed into what he thought was a binding D/s agreement and then it all went wrong leaving him utterly, thoroughly broken.... seemingly almost beyond repair. His healing process wasn't easy...at one point it seemed impossible...but I won't reveal any more...but will say we will learn more about this in book #4. The first two books should be read before this one or book #4. This has been one of my favorite Piper Scott series and this book was even better, than the first two...if that is even possible. This story has a lot of angst and there is a lot of emotion here with plenty of heat. This one is definitely an emotional rollercoaster...but OH WHAT A RIDE!

The Birthday - Carol Wyer - (England)
Natalie Ward series Book #1
Genera: Mystery &Thriller
2★
When five-year-old Ava Sawyer goes missing from a birthday party at a local garden center, the police are bewildered by the lack of leads. That is until two years later, when Ava’s body is found and another little girl, Audrey Briggs, goes missing. Audrey also attended that party. Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward. A mother of two teenagers, this case chills her to the bone, and is a disturbing reminder of the last job she worked on. One that still keeps her awake at night. Natalie soon discovers that Ava’s mother has some worrying gaps in her alibi and as she digs deeper, she’s sure Ava’s father is not telling the full story. And what did the owner of the garden center Elsa see that day? Something that she’s not telling Natalie. Just as Natalie is facing up to the grim possibility that Ava and Audrey were killed by someone close to home, another little girl from the party doesn’t come home from her ballet lesson. Can Natalie find a way to stop this killer before more innocent lives are taken?

This is the first book in the Natalie Ward series. The characters were short of even being okay and the plot, that sounded good on the blub about the book, went almost no where close to any of it. The police investigation and the action of the other characters was another issue. Would the police really even begin to think "natural causes" as the cause of death if a child's body is found buried behind a garden center? I don't think so. I was put off in the first few pages after reading through a long and boring discussion about the teen who had bought expensive trainers to help his self-esteem. What did that have to do with the "price of peaches in Georgia"? Or the lesbian couple that wanted to have a baby and was discussed in long details? The two ladies in question had absolutely nothing to do with the story at all except that they lived in the village. Way too many contradictions, ridiculous red herrings and wooden dialogue. I really had high hoped for this one. Oh well...on to something else.

Embracing His Syn- A E Via - (Georgia)
Nothing Special Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance/Police Procedural
Narrator: Aiden Snow
4★
Sergeant Corbin ‘Syn’ Sydney transferred from the Philadelphia Police Department as soon as he’d heard there was going to be an opening on Lieutenant Cashel Godfrey and Lieutenant Leonidis Day’s Atlanta Narcotics Task Force. Syn’s primary goal in his life has been to be a great cop. There has been no time for relationships, romance, or especially love. Syn was dedicated to his new force, focused and ready to back up God and Day as their third in command, but what he wasn’t ready for was the feelings he got from seeing the love they had for each other. Syn’s all prepared to accept his lonely fate until he walks into a small pub and meets long-haired, tattooed, bartender, Furious Barkley. Before he can even understand why, Syn’s feeling things he barely recognizes: passion, yearning, cravings; and if the dark, lustful gazes are anything to go by, Furious might be feeling the same things for him. Just one thing needs to happen before Furi and Syn can give each other what’s been missing from their lives for so long… Syn needs to allow happiness into his world and Fury needs to learn to open his heart and trust again.

When a position opens on God and Day’s elite task force, Corbin Sydney, known to his friends as "Syn", takes the plunge and interviews for the spot. Out of everyone, he is lucky enough to be chosen for the team. That’s not to say they make it easy for him to start, but he ends up fitting in with the team really well. Syn is curious when he joins the team. He’s never acted on any feelings for a man other than having once had feelings for an old roommate that didn’t go anywhere. Being on the team, he sees other same sex partners...Ro and Johnson, God and Day and their interactions as a solid loving couple. It really starts to make him think. He’s certainly not happy being alone, but he’s not found that perfect someone to fit with him. Then one night he wanders into a pub and meets Fury (Furious), the very sexy bartender. I They don’t dive hard and fast into a relationship, because Syn doesn’t really have experience, and Fury is dealing with a lot of leftovers from his last relationship, a marriage with an abusive partner. When they finally do come together it’s really hot in a lot of ways. Like God and Day, these two just fit with the other. This is a very solid story in a very loosely connected series. There was an instant connection with God and Day, but Syn and Fury took a little a little more time because of their personalities that often didn't seem to mesh at all. There were some fantastic moments in this story, though, and the characters are really well written. The story has a lot of humorous moments and a lot of really "hot" moments. This story is very different than the previous two, but that is what made me get book #3. Syn and Fury will simply grab your heart and won’t let go. A word about this series....if you are already a fan of MM Romances, you will probably love this series... but if it is a first try with the genera...you might want something a bit more vanilla.

Over the weekend I finished The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud, which is book 3 of his Lockwood & Co. YA series. The books are based on an alternate universe of the present day world where technology languished in the face of a ghost and spirit outbreak. Civilization turned to ways to counteract the dead instead of moving on with technology. I'm really enjoying these books and am already a few chapters into book 4.

The Forgotten Sisters / Shannon Hale
3.5 stars

In this, the 3rd (and final) book in the Princess Academy series, Miri is about to head home to the mountain with her boyfriend Peder, but she is called back to see the King and Queen at the last minute. They have “asked” her to travel to a swampy area in the kingdom where the king’s three girl cousins live; she is requested to be a tutor to train them to become princesses. The King plans to offer one of the three to a neighbouring monarch in order to prevent a war.

I enjoyed this. Of course, the sisters were nothing like princesses and it took a while to convince them to try (though there were extenuating factors, like not having time to do any lessons), so it was somewhat amusing at first, too. There was a section in the middle that slowed down a bit, but when a war started, anyway, it picked up again. I feel like it was a nice wrap-up to the series.

The Secret Wife of King George IV / Diane Haeger
3.5 stars

King George IV (King of England between 1820 an 1830) before becoming king, did not get along with this father at all. Not only that, he fell in love with a Catholic (Maria) and there was no way his father would agree for them to marry. Maria insisted on being married before agreeing to becoming further involved in the relationship, so they married in a Catholic ceremony (that was illegal/not recognized in England). George had hoped his father would not live much longer (but he did), so he would be able to change that law and have Maria recognized as his legal wife.

This is not a time period I have read much (or anything?) about. It was really interesting to learn of this secret relationship/marriage. There was more romance to the story than I’d expected; I added this to my tbr a long time ago, so it’s possible I realized that at the time. But it was still interesting. There were times that the story moved a bit slowly, though. I also can’t say I really liked either main character, but I was still interested to read that this had happened at all.

Laughing On Writing M*A*S*H, Tootsie ,Oh,God! and a Few Other Funny Things
Larry Gelbart
3/5 stars
Larry Gelbart, who brought the series M*A*S*H to television, relates his career in show business, the movies and TV Series he was involved in and the people he worked with. I liked it but parts of it dragged on.

Edge of Shadows - Cege Smith
Shadows Series Book #1
Genera: Paranormal Romance/Supernatural/Horror
5★
Darkness has been Ellie Coulter's constant companion since her parents' untimely death when she was eight, and she harbors a secret that never fails to remind her that she's different than everyone else. Fresh off a failed marriage with a man who harbored his own dark secrets, Ellie shut herself off from the world as a form of self-preservation. For months, Ellie's protective bubble includes nothing but her coffee shop, her few friends, and her dog. The attention of a handsome young doctor, David Mitchell, pushes her out of her comfort zone, and Ellie warms to the idea that she may have found a risk worth taking. Then one of Ellie's friends abruptly leaves town, entrusting her home to Ellie's care. The house has its own mysterious past that draws Ellie into a tangled web of deceit. Her ex-husband resurfaces with premonitions of Ellie's death. And suddenly Ellie's life is being turned upside down yet again. Something old and evil has found Ellie and wants to keep her all to itself.

OMG!!! Why hadn't I read this before now??? A tragic childhood has left Ellie Coulter with a supernatural gift that tells her a person’s true intentions. Believe me we could all benefit sometimes from that gift! This time not even her "gift" to protect her. Not from a cheating husband with his own self-destructive secrets. After finding the strength to leave this "God's Gift to Every Woman", she retreats from the world to heal. A friend insists on playing matchmaker and eventually draws her back into the world. After some persistent coaxing, Ellie warms to the idea that she may have found a reason to let her walls down, and his name is Dr. David Mitchell. After her friend's dinner party ends on a sour note...Ellie unexpectedly finds herself the caretaker of the Bradford mansion, an old and impressive home that, like many old stately homes, has also been rumored to be haunted. Ellie is reluctant to believe in ghosts and is curious about the mansion's history. Soon Ellie and David find themselves entangled in events that happened well over a hundred years ago and led to the disappearance of the mansion's former owners. Unknown to them, there is someone hiding behind the scenes, pulling the strings to twist their destines and answer a dark calling of their own. The house itself seems to almost have a mind and a will of it's own and has been patiently waiting just for them. I, The Ghost Story Junkie", absolutely loved the book, and you probably will also if you are drawn to ghost stories or books with something creepy living in the basement or other parts of the house, waiting on its unsuspecting victims. I am so looking forward to the next two books in this series. Amazon Prime had better get a move on:)

Safe Limits - Morticia Knight - (California)
Kiss of Leather series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
5★
The men from Kiss of Leather gather together to rescue a terrified young sub. But it’s Master Derek who wants to keep him for good. Master Gavin and his boy, Kyle, are celebrating their newly established bond when Master Josh calls requesting their help. Josh’s sub, David, needs the men to help his best friend from childhood while they’re away at a BDSM convention in San Francisco. Corey ran away from his Master after a horrible scene, but he blames himself for everything that happened. No Master would ever want him if they were to find out what he did. Corey’s not sure if he’ll ever feel safe enough to give himself to a Master again anyway, even if all he’s ever wanted was to belong to somebody. Master Derek agrees to watch over Corey until Josh and David return from the convention. All he needs is another pretty twink messing with his head and his heart, so the older, growly bear of a man determines to keep his distance. But when Corey wakes up screaming after a devastating nightmare, Derek is more drawn than ever to the young sub—the need to keep Corey safe from whatever or whoever has hurt him becoming his main priority. Kyle and Corey develop a friendship when Corey assists Kyle in the dungeon furniture workshop. Kyle has his own fears—the ones that make him feel he’s broken because of the things he desires to do with Gavin. Through helping Kyle and receiving his own help via Derek, Corey decides he’s ready to let go of the demons from his past and move forward into a new life. Now if Corey can only get Derek to believe that he’s ready—and to finally do something about it.

I'm bad about reading series out of order and usually it isn't really a problem. But since I have read this entire series, (just haven't written all the reviews yet), I do believe that this is one that diffidently begs to be read in order since the characters and the events, bounce off of one another from book to book. The main story here is Derek and Corey's story. Having had a Dom who hurt him...actually nearly killed him...Corey struggles to trust anyone. When he meets Kyle and Gavin from the first book...he instinctively shies away. Then he sees Derek for the first time and is intimidated. Not only is Derek huge and his body language screams "I'm A DOM", but to Corey's amazement he finds that he sees Derek as beautiful, manly and over the top...gorgeous. Derek doesn’t really have time for a sub. However, he is drawn to young, pretty guys, and Corey fits all that and then some. Still, he tells himself that he doesn’t want to get involved with someone again, especially someone that is coming out of a relationship he absolutely refuses to talk about. Derek knows that whatever happened it has clearly made Corey afraid. When Corey's friends find that Derek is the only one that has a room for Corey...they leave Corey with Derek and the two now have to figure out how to navigate around each other and come to terms with...against all odds...their mutual attraction. The author, Morticia Knight has a wonderful ability to create caring, deep, characters. Not a single one of her characters is alike, and each story is different from the last. While they have some things in common, that’s what makes them all such great friends. Each one would move Heaven and Earth to help the others. Each character is so rich with individual, interesting personalities. Derek is a gentle giant who likes to work on his Harley. Corey isn’t too sure about wanting a fulltime D/s relationship, but he knows that he has grown to love Derek, and to his surprise...he's not in the least afraid of him. The insight into Derek’s past is interesting. We learn he used to wrestle, and that admits that he has anger management issues. While that might seem like a bad combo for a Dom, he’s fully in control with subs and would never hurt them. His anger stems from people taking advantage of those that are weaker and more venerable. It's a fairly short book...196 pages...but full of so much friendship and love.

The Fountainhead / Ayn Rand
2 stars

This is something about architects, architecture, philosophy, and super-selfish people, particularly the main character, Howard Roark. He’s an architect who wants to only design what he wants. He doesn’t want to design what others hire him to, just what he wants.

There are relationships in the story, but I’m not sure how they happen given how selfish everyone is. I listened to the (lllllooooonnnnngggg) audio, and tuned much of it out, as it was boring. Boring boring boring. Maybe a good thing I tuned it out because there didn’t appear to be a single likable character, as far as I could tell, from the bits and pieces I did pay attention to. The first chapter (was this some kind of intro, I’m thinking?) turned me off immediately via all the philosophy. At least after that, there was somewhat of a story, but it was also pretty slow and of course, there was plenty of philosophy sprinkled throughout. Not my thing. Add to that the selfish unlikable characters. In all honesty, half the time I missed who was in a relationship with whom. Just no.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuiston - (Alabama)
Genera: LGBTQIA /YA
5★
Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and the puritanical administration of Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny. But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes. On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her. It’ll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair and square. Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe―probably not, but maybe―more to Shara, too.

This book was beautifully written about people not being afraid to be who they are and love who they love. It's a romance with a variety of queer characters set against the backdrop of an Alabama school. Chloe Green is the only one who sees through Shara Wheeler’s better-than-you act, and now that Shara’s pulled a disappearing act right before being crowned prom queen, Chloe makes it her business to find her. This means teaming up with unlikely allies like Smith Parker, Shara’s hunky jock boyfriend, and Rory Heron, the brooding boy next door, who both are in love with Shara, just as Chloe claims she certainly is NOT! What brings the trio together is a series of notes that Shara has left them, along with the awkward fact that she kissed all three of them before she vanished. It starts off as a fun page-turner with a fairly good and likeable cast of characters but then slowly begins to become only a slight disappointment with its very predictable plot and protagonists whose journeys feel rather blah. In a story that uplifts the importance of friendship and found family, the main character appears to have had a bad case of tunnel vision and indifference toward her friends’ problems. I thought the Shara character could have given off a better vibe and been less superficial and narcissistic, which would have better answered the question of why so many people drop everything to pursue her. The author has beautifully mixed a cast of characters, that at least one is sure to produce a feeling of camaraderie with some reader out there. The characters of Shara and Chloe are white; Rory has a white mom and black dad; Smith is described as having dark brown skin; and Chloe is bisexual with two moms. I see this diversity in the flesh almost every day. Since my youngest son came out at 15, I have volunteered for a youth center that offers so much to the LGBTQIA kids in the community by giving them a safe place to be whoever and whatever they are. Some of the older kids had read this book and eagerly handed it to me and told me I "HAD TO" read this.... that they believed it was written just for them and everyone just like them. After reading it...I have to agree with them, and the kids said to include their favorite line from the book in my review. So here it is... from one of the main characters, Chloe Green: "And, this, here, right now...even if nothing changes, even if all we can do for today is prove that we exist and that we're not alone...I think that matters a whole f--g lot." Well said Choe.

Hidden Valley Road – Robert Kolker
3.5***

Subtitle: Inside the Mind of an American Family

I don’t think I would have read this book were it not for my F2F book group.

Kolker did a lot of research, conducting interviews with all surviving members of the family, as well as multiple researchers and mental health professionals. What emerges is a history of the treatment of schizophrenia (and other mental illnesses) through the latter half of the twentieth century and into the early part of the 21st century.

The Galvin family certainly seemed the quintessential successful post-WW2, Eisenhower-era family. A father with a military background and a secure position, a stay-at-home mother who channeled some of her energy into multiple community events and cultural committees, in addition to birthing and raising their children. Devout Catholics, Mimi and Don Galvin had twelve children over twenty years: ten boys and two girls. Six of their boys would eventually be diagnosed as schizophrenic.

In a time when mental illness was frequently “blamed on the mother” and was certainly an issue for Don Galvin’s security clearance with the military, they chose to keep the problems quiet. Or as quiet as they could. Devoting her time and energy to getting help for her sick boys, Mimi seemed to let the non-mentally-ill children fend for themselves. How any of them survived this chaotic childhood to become stable, productive adults is a miracle.

Kolker basically gives a chronological account of the family’s struggles, interrupted with chapters that give information on the state of mental health research and treatment options prevalent at the same time. I found interesting and informative, but it was not always compelling.

Blackbird House – Alice Hoffman
3***

This is a collection of vignettes, spanning two-plus centuries, all set in the same house / farm on the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. beginning when the area was still a British colony and ending in the early 21st century.

There is something magical about the property, starting with the snow-white blackbird whose appearance frequently portends disaster. Still, couples make it a home, start their families, till the soil, pick the fruit, make pies, and jam. And each family is changed by their time at Blackbird House.

I found these stories enchanting and mesmerizing, though I’m hard pressed to say what exactly it was about them that so charmed me. Maybe that is the magic of Hoffman’s storytelling.

Severed Relations - Rebecca Foster - (California)
Finn O'Brien series Book #1
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller/Police Procedural
4.5★
Murder behind the gates of Fremont Place was unusual; two children and a nanny slaughtered in the home of a rich young lawyer and his beautiful wife was unheard of. When Detective Finn O'Brien, recently cleared of murder charges in the death of a fellow officer, catches the call it creates a political nightmare. The cops want him to fail and get him off the force once and for all, Angelenos who see him as the only good cop in a corrupt system want him to save them from the monster in their midst, and Finn wants to be left alone to do his job and find his own personal salvation. Knowing he is caught between a public relations rock and a hard place, unable to find a detective who will work with O'Brien, the Wilshire Division captain taps Finn's old partner, Cori Anderson, to fill the gap. Together they work Los Angeles from Fremont Place mansions to Miracle Mile high-rises and the dive bars of Hollywood; they connect the dots between the ladies-who-lunch, lawyers who skate on the edge of the law, pornographers, and freaks. Following a trail of bodies and shattered relationships, they uncover the horrific truth behind the murders only to be faced with a choice that is personal and deadly. What comes next will either bind Cori and Finn together for eternity or severe their relationship in the cruelest cut of all.

The beautiful old home in a rich gated community, gives the reader no idea as to what had taken place on the second floor. Soon we learn that the nanny lay in a pool of blood, dead from a gunshot wound. The two girls were butchered with a knife and bore no resemblance to the laughing, carefree kids that they once were. Detectives Finn O'Brien and Cori Anderson were called to try to make some sense of the chaotic mess and above all to find whoever had committed this atrocity. As the lead detectives O'Brien and Anderson investigate the case and soon discover that it is anything but cut and dried. The parents, Sam and Elizabeth Barnett, are wealthy upstanding people in the community so the murders make no sense. They wondered if it was retribution for something that the killer perceived that the parents had done or perhaps it was simply a horrible, random act of violence. O'Brien is just one false step from losing his job because he'd been ostracized by his fellow community of cops for killing a fellow officer. It was justified but that didn't seem to matter. Anderson is a single mother and grandmother who has her problems as well. As they each fight their own demons, they work to solve this case. Eventually the supposed killers are caught but something doesn't fit right about the case to Finn. Soon another suspect, and one that I thought was the killer from the start is looked t much closer, This person had dirty dealings that resulted in him becoming a millionaire. The surprise ending will catch you off guard even when you think you have it all figured out. I want more.

Grand Opening - Morticia Knight - (California)
Kiss of Leather Series Book #4
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
5★
The men of Kiss of Leather celebrate a beginning, but will the price be another ending? The grand opening of Kiss of Leather draws near and the pressure is on to make sure everything is completed for the big night. Master Josh is a perfectionist, so no detail is too small in order to enhance the quality of the prestigious club they’ve all worked so tirelessly on. Unfortunately, the endless demands on Josh’s time have caused him to forget the more important things in life. David’s love for Master Josh is strong, but lately, that love has been constantly tested. How can a sub in a full-time D/s relationship serve a Master who’s never there? As things continue to deteriorate between him and Josh, David wonders if maybe his Master has tired of having to care for a sub 24/7. By the time the grand opening arrives, Josh and David seem to have worked out their differences and David is hopeful for their future. The emotional collaring ceremony between Gavin and Kyle is a beautiful testament to the power of love. But when an unexpected party crasher intrudes on the evening’s festivities, the men are reminded that there are still too many unanswered questions related to Corey’s kidnapping. More than ever, the men of Kiss of Leather need to stand united. Will Josh and David be able to do the same?

I really hate to see this series end. These guys have been beautiful together. However, I know Morticia Knight has more beautiful couples up her sleeve and more great books to write. Like the rest of this series, Grand Opening weaves the main story around a particular couple, blending it in with the threads of the previous three books, so you really should read the first three before tackling this one. In this addition we follow Josh and David. The story moves along the plot of the slave trafficking ring that caught up Corey and Marshall in the last two books, as well as catching us up on the relationship between Marshall and Stone. It also rather emphatically sets up the next book, which features Stone’s assistant and the manager of another club. If you are not familiar with the lifestyle you may find that the whole idea of a club like Kiss of Leather and the world in which these characters exist is somewhat of a stretch. Please don't misunderstand... clubs like Kiss of Leather do indeed exist but those of us not in that lifestyle seldom, if ever, see them in person and quite frankly probably never wish to. But reading about this one and the people that run it with their partners makes it one you kind of want to believe exists. This, Josh and David’s story, is both heart breaking and heartwarming, showing another side of the lifestyle that isn't seen that often in the BDSM stories.

The Unconsoled –Kazuo Ishiguro
Audiobook performed by Simon Vance
3***

From the book jacket: It is the story of a man named Ryder. He is a pianist of international renown who has arrived in a European city he cannot identify to give a concert he cannot remember agreeing to give. In the days before the concert, he is led in and out of the lives of seeming strangers, but his fleeting recollections of them and of his purpose among them are invariably overwhelmed by their inexplicable knowledge and expectations of him.

My reactions
Ishiguro is a brilliant writer, but this was a really challenging work. It is the stuff of dreams, or perhaps nightmares. People come and go, and Ryder (not to mention the reader) is left trying to puzzle out what is happening. He sets off with one purpose and gets waylaid time and again. As an example, one evening he goes to a movie, only to be introduced to a group of men who are playing cards and having loud arguments about local politics. Or he goes to a fancy dinner in his dressing gown and slippers. Or he’s in the middle of town and then driving for a long time into the countryside where he parks in a field, then enters a gallery which, he later discovers, is actually attached to his hotel (which is in the middle of town).

I was kept constantly off balance by these strange sequences. And really never did wrap my mind around whatever Ishiguro was trying to say. I appreciated the work more than I enjoyed it. And I’m not sure I would recommend it to most people I know.

I listened to a good portion of this on audio, narrated by the marvelous Simon Vance. But I think this is a book that is best tackled in text format, and I read about 30 percent of it rather than listen.

Dinner at 8:00 Death at 8:30 - Edward Kendrick
Genera: M/M Romance/Mystery
4.5★
Attending the dinner party thrown by his father, Ed Newton, to celebrate his sister's engagement seemed like a fine idea to Mick and his lover, PI Trent Taylor. Even a snowstorm didn't dampen the spirits of everyone attending, despite the fact it soon turned into a raging blizzard. Everything would have gone as expected -- until the power went out during dinner, trapping the guests in Ed's penthouse condo. Even that would have been surmountable if James, the father of the future groom, hadn't died suddenly, soon after dessert was served. At first glance it seemed to be a heart attack brought on by a severe case of food poisoning. Trent wasn't so certain that was the case, but with no proof otherwise, he kept quiet other than to tell Mick why he believed it could be murder. The death, and the blizzard, definitely put a damper on the festivities. Then a second person dies, and this time the circumstances are decidedly suspicious.

I've read several other books by this author and loved them, but I will have to admit that I picked this one up, not because of the author particularly, but because of the cute, catchy title...and of course it helped me complete a challenge. No one is surprised at that I see:) It was a fun little story even if the ending was a bit predictable. Mick and Trent were adorable and sometimes "off the wall" funny when it came to dealing with Mick's father...a power outage in the middle of what started as a light snowstorm that turned into a raging blizzard...and of course the dead guest, AKA - the bride's father. Those pesky dead guests are just so hard to ignore. Nice story, good characters, and a lot of fun as all Edward Kendrick's books have been.

Lucky In Love – Kasie West
3***

Maddie is a bright, responsible teen, who is always organized and focused on attaining her goal of being admitted and getting a scholarship for college. She has a couple of best friends who meet for regular study sessions on Friday nights. And she has a regular job at the local zoo, where she’s frequently paired with Seth, another teen staffer. There are some issues in her family, but she’s handling it. And then … well, she wins the lottery and now she isn’t sure who is really her friend and who just wants to use her for her millions.

This is a pretty typical YA romance. The interesting twist, of course, is Maddie’s status as a BIG lottery winner, and that definitely does complicate things for her. She quickly learns that she is way too trusting and naïve, and that even family members may not have HER best interests at heart. But Maddie isn’t even sure SHE knows what her best interests are.

I really liked Maddie. She’s young and inexperienced but generally has a pretty good head on her shoulders. She values family relationships and her friends who have known her both before and after her status as a multi-millionaire. Her friendship with Seth is a touchstone in her life and I certainly understand her reluctance to see it change. And speaking of Seth, he’s a pretty good guy.

All-in-all, a fast, fun read.

Say It Right - A M Arthur - (Delaware)
All Saints series Book #2
Narrator: Tyler Stevens
Genera: M/M Romance
4.5★
After his parents kicked him out for being gay, Marc Villegas lived on the streets before getting a second chance. Now, he's giving back by working at a shelter for LGBT teenagers - because helping fight their demons keeps his own at bay. Including his infatuation with the former best friend he's sure is straight. Anthony Romano hasn't seen Marc since Marc left home eight years ago. In his confidant's absence, Anthony turned to heroin. Now at rock bottom, he has an offer from Marc to help him get clean. Detox is hard, and ugly, but not as hard as admitting the truth: He's in love with Marc. Always has been. Marc swore he'd never date an addict, but he never dreamed the one in question would be the man he's always wanted to be with. As the two explore their feelings for each other, Marc faces a difficult choice. Say yes, and it could cost him his sobriety; say no, and it could cost him his heart.

This is the second book in the "All Saints" series, but it could also be a standalone story. Marc Villegas has been sober and drug free for over four years. His parents threw him out when he came out while still a teenager. He went through some hard times before he hit rock bottom and finally got clean and sober. Now he helps run the All-Saints shelter for LGBT teens, so they don’t have to do what he did to survive. Then we meet Anthony Romano who had it all; he was going to be a soccer star. He and Marc were best friends and then Marc left. Anthony’s life just seemed to fall apart after that, but he couldn’t admit why to anyone. He’s been in and out of rehab and is at his rock bottom when Anthony finds him dirty and drugged up living in an abandon gas station. Marc has never stopped loving Anthony, but he promised himself that he would never date an addict. Now Marc has to decide if he’s willing to break his promise to help the man that he’s always wanted but never though he could have. The story is very emotional on several levels.... some good...some bad...some heartbreaking. it was a great job that Ms. Arthur did treating this subject with frankness as well as compassion. I’ve never personally known a drug addict, but I have worked with LGBTQIA youth who have had or have family and friends that have been addicted, so I know that the author must have either had an experience or thoroughly researched this subject in order to write this story. Her descriptions and accounts were accurate and compelling. Anthony had a lot to overcome before Marc will trust him with his heart. Marc has to let go of demons from his past and let Anthony in. I don't especially like stories that twist you up before getting to the "Happy Ever After" part, but I couldn’t put this one down once I started reading. I didn't intend to start with book 2 but I'm an old hand out reading out of order, so I'll just get book 1.

The Son of a Certain Woman / Wayne Johnston
3 stars

Percy was born with FSS (Famous Someone Syndrome), where his hands, feet, and lips are all oversized; he also has an extremely large wine-red/purple “stain” on his face. He lives in St. John’s, Nfld with his beautiful single mom and her boarder, who also teaches at Percy’s school. A frequent visitor to their house is his mom’s friend, Medina. He also realizes there will never be a girl/woman who will love him or have sex with him; he figures his only hope is his mother. The story follows Percy from about 5 years old to 15.

Ok, as distasteful as that is, the story itself wasn’t bad. Initially, it reminded me of John Irving. It was pretty slow, though. It did pick up for me as I continued on, so I temporarily thought I might rate is just a bit higher, until something at the end of the book brought my rating back down to “ok”. It was apparently set in the 1950s and 60s, but I don’t recall if that was explicitly stated in the book. There was some humour and plenty of criticism of the Catholic Church.

Getting It Right - A.M. Arthur- (Delaware)
Restoration Series Book 1
Genera: M/M Romance
4.5★
Detective Nathan Wolf might just be a junior detective, but he tackles every case with the passion that he lacks in his personal life. A series of failed relationships with women has left him still single at thirty-four—because he’s too scared to admit to his longtime crush on his best friend James. Dr. James Taggert likes to keep his profession as a psychiatrist separate from his party-animal persona. Known around the gay clubs as “Tag,” he’s the guy who screws them, leaves them, and never looks back. But James’s drinking is getting heavier, and when bad memories from the past resurface, he’s close to becoming the worst version of himself. After a drunken blackout ends in a hot and heavy make-out session with his very straight best friend, James has no memory of the steamy affair. But Nathan isn’t sorry for the kisses that James can’t remember. Nathan finally musters the courage to tell James how he really feels, but a life-altering event might force them apart before they can ever be together.

Dr. James Taggart, (Tag), is an unashamed flirt, but you can't help but love him. there it's worth it. It's a beautiful story of love found, and acceptance with deep understanding. Each has issues to deal with and share with each other. James Taggert. tag is a psychiatrist and Nathan is a detective. Nathan's cases are sometimes gruesome, and his current one is really horrible. Dr. James Taggart counsels a lot of abused teens and young adults. His cases can be heartbreaking also. Nathan and James have been best friends since college. They once shared a drunken kiss in college, but both shut down those feelings because Nathan said he wasn't interested in guys, but now... he's looking at James, and ONLY James. They begin to connect again with kisses and touching...very sexy and sweet. The relationship starts to expand, and these guys are great together. They have a tough patch or two to get through and they must remember to communicate to stand any chance of working it out. Then Nathan is attacked while hunting a serial killer, and James must come to grips with his drinking. Nathan is awesome in his strength and expertise, and James for his brilliant mind and big heart. You have to love these guys! Deep characters, hot sex, and an interesting plot make this a totally worthwhile read. I'll be reading more of this series. The books can stand alone, but it's more fun to read them in order knowing the previous characters made every story richer. Amazing characters, action, suspense, violence, understanding, acceptance, loving friends, and great romance. It just makes you smile. The book lost a half star because of the on again off again, back and forth was a bit too much...but still a worth the time read.

Girl Forgotten - Karin Slaughter - (Delaware)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
3.5★
A small town hides a big secret…Who killed Emily Vaughn? A girl with a secret…Longbill Beach, 1982. Emily Vaughn gets ready for the prom. For an athlete, who is smart, pretty and well-liked, this night should be the highlight of her high school career. But Emily has a secret. And by the end of the evening, that secret will be silenced forever. An unsolved murder…Forty years later, Emily’s murder remains a mystery. Her tight-knit group of friends closed ranks; her respected, wealthy family retreated inwards; the small town moved on from her grisly attack. But all that’s about to change. One final chance to uncover a killer…US Marshal Andrea Oliver arrives in Longbill Beach on her first assignment: to protect a judge receiving death threats. But, in reality, Andrea is there to find justice for Emily. The killer is still out there—and Andrea must discover the truth before she gets silenced, too.

Forty years after the unsolved murder of a Delaware teen, a new to the job U.S. Marshal on an unrelated assignment finds herself thrown back into this cold case. Forty years ago, when only a high school senior, Emily Vaughn finds she is pregnant. She says she has absolutely no recollection of ever having had sex with anyone. I found it hard to believe if she didn't remember ever having sex, how she could truthfully have refused to tell her censorious, judgmental parents who the possible father could have been. In any case, they turn on her with a vengeance and throw her out of their home. Emily is stubborn even after she's that. She is also expelled from school and shunned by her classmates. This girl just doesn't know when to give it up, so in defiance she shows up at her senior prom in full dress and of course, is again shunned and shamed by virtually everyone she encounters, including the teachers. Then she’s brutally attacked by a shadowy figure and left close to death. Four decades after her death, new to the job, Marshal Andrea Oliver, who knows more than a little about domestic problems herself...as her father is serving a prison sentence for his many crimes committed as a psychopathic cult leader. Andrea is assigned as part of her initial rotation to protect Judge Esther Rose Vaughn, who’s received a series of death threats accompanied by a dead rat. Now it becomes a little complicated and difficult to keep straight. Esther, it turns out, was Emily’s mother, and Andrea’s assignment will bring her in contact with not only Esther but also Judith Vaughn who Emily gave birth to 40 years ago when the doctors managed to keep her alive long enough for Judith to be born. It seemed that the author was not very interested in revealing Emily's killer but was extremely interested in showing all the many ways that Emily was outcasted and rejected. Rejected by her peers, her teacher, and her family and the bitter legacy that all her "supposed transgression" left behind. Overall, I did enjoy the story. However, readers should be aware that it is very dark and complex with many possible triggering producing elements to be aware of.

The Boomerang Clue by Agatha Christie
5*****

To be fair, I read this in 1989, re-read a few stories in 2007, and then read "The Boomerang Clue" this year for a challenge.

That said, these stories are a twist on the usual Agatha Christie reads, in that both Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot only show up in one mystery each. There is even a long-ago Egyptian mystery set in 2000 BCE! I chose to read "Boomerang Clue" as it seemed to present the typical Agatha Christie elements: a twisty, curvy strange set of events that still manage to present elements of the British class structure, the time in which it was written, and a view of the British countryside. Though honestly, the travel by 1920's era Bentley between the coast of Wales and London seemed a bit quicker than I would think possible at the time for the storyline and conversations that ensued.

Young ne'er do well (at least in his Vicar father's eyes) Bobby, and Lady Frances (Frankie) of Marchbolt are two friends keeping strong their friendship from before the Great War. During a golf outing, Bobby loses a golf ball over the side of a particularly nasty cliff in Wales and descends to find a man on the ledge below with a broken back. His companion, the local Doctor, comes and assesses the situation, and they dying man utters his last breath, "Why didn't they ask Evans?"

This mystery evolves to a local manor house with a young family and a father who seems to have an addiction to opioids. His wife takes in young Frankie after her (borrowed) car has a nasty accident against the manor wall, and Frankie becomes the confident of Sylvia, the young wife and mother. There is also the charming Roger Bassington-ffrench, brother-in-law to Sylvia, and the evil-seeming Dr. Nicholson who runs the local nursing home (sanitarium) for the medically addicted. And let's not forget Dr. Nicholson's lovely wife, Moira, who bears a striking resemblance to the photograph found in the deceased's pocket.

Add in several inquests, mistaken identity, a chauffeur's suit and hat, and you have the elements of a quickly moving, always interesting whodunnit that is quickly and easily readable. Great to re-visit Dame Christie's genius!

What We Did Last Night - Vanessa Garbin - (Australia)
Genera: Psychological Thriller
4.5★
Do you love your partner enough to share them with someone else? This is the question facing Laura when a group of close friends, all neighbours living on the same street, decide one night to put their keys in a bowl and swap partners. No one is obliged to do anything but the rules state that what does happen remains under wraps. Not everyone is keen on the idea, though Laura’s husband certainly is, but group pressure mixed with alcohol means they run with it. This will set off a chain of jaw-dropping events that will change all their lives forever.

This was a debut novel for this author. It's written from multiple points of views and is a lesson about consequences and how everyone is affected by the decisions that are made under the influence of alcohol. The aftermath either didn't matter to these people or there is going to be another book that covers it. The story of what these close friends and neighbors brought down on themselves and their families by the suggested "fun" and daring activity among tipsy, though consenting adults, will keep you immersed in their stupidly, until the last page. Don't hold your breath expecting hot, explicit sex scenes... you are going to be very disappointed. It’s really about the emotional baggage the characters are carrying and the fallout from what did...or didn’t do that night. I had to seriously question the practical realities of the activity. Laura...the host, was very much against the whole thing. Question #1 - Why didn’t Laura just tell everyone to go home? Her 17-year-old daughter was supposed to be coming home at any time. Question #2 - exactly where were four slightly drunk, swinging couples supposed to go to carry out the purpose of this swap? Were they supposed to use the master bedroom...the kids’ bedrooms, the spare bedroom...the living room sofa, dining room table, kitchen worktops or bathroom counter? Question #3 - the "clean up" the next morning? There was going to be a lot! Another entertaining comment that leads to more wondering and gave birth to another question, was when one of the characters said she "needed to take a shower"... oh I bet she did, but she needed this she said, "before everyone arrived". Question #4 - Really??? She had already spent two paragraphs before stating this desire, doing her hair and makeup...now she's headed for the shower??? What woman on Earth does, or would ever think of doing that? The biggest question of all is Question#5 - how will these friends and neighbors ever look one another in the eye the next morning or over a cup of coffee, or while talking over the fence...or fully trust their partners ever again? The author could build an entire series on these characters alone. I loved the whole tipsy, crazy bunch! This was, without a doubt, one of the most entertaining books I have read in a long time.

Blue Lightning / Ann Cleeves
3.5 stars

On the “Fair Isle”, a part of the Shetland Islands, there is an observatory with a group of bird watchers in attendance. Police detective Jimmy Perez is visiting home with his fiancee, Fran. Jane is the cook at the observatory, which is also the place where most people stay when they come to the Fair Isle. Angela and Marshall run the observatory, and Marshall’s teenage daughter is also visiting. Unfortunately with bad weather, everyone is stuck with no way on or off the island. Then, someone is found with a knife in her back.

This was good. It is quite atmospheric, but in all honesty, I tend to tune much of that out. I did have a bit of trouble figuring out all the characters at the start of the book; it didn’t help that at least one of the characters (though I did eventually figure it out) was sometimes called by his first name and sometimes by his last (Jimmy Perez). Overall, though, the story ended up being good, and I liked it as much as the first in the series and better than the other two.

Daisy Jones & the Six / Taylor Jenkins Reid
4 stars

This is the story of a (fictional) famous rock band from the 1970s, Daisy Jones & the Six, including lead singers and songwriters, Daisy and Billy. Early on, Billy gets into rehab and gets clean, but gorgeous Daisy is all about the drugs. Billy is married and starts a family. Billy’s brother Graham is in the band, and unknown to most of the others, has a relationship with another bandmate, Karen; bandmate Eddie is the one who most wants to stick to rock’n’roll. The story is their rise to stardom until their breakup at the end of the 70s.

This is sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll. I listened to the audio and it was so well done. The story was good (I’d give the story itself 3.5 stars), but (as I always do when it’s this good), I am adding an extra ¼ star for the audio. But also an additional ¼ star for the format of the book. It’s told in interviews with many of the characters: the people mentioned above, but also Billy’s wife, Daisy’s best friend/disco star, the band’s producer, and many more. I think this format led really well to the audio, with each character having a different narrator for the audio. So well done!

Creepers - David Morrell - (New Jersey)
Genera: Horror/Suspense
5★
On a cold October night, five people gather in a run-down motel on the Jersey shore and prepare to break into the Paragon Hotel. The once-magnificent structure is now boarded up and marked for demolition. They are “creepers”: urban explorers with a passion for investigating abandoned buildings and their dying secrets. Reporter Frank Balenger joins them to profile this highly illegal activity for the New York Times. But he isn’t looking for just another story, and soon after they enter the rat-infested tunnel leading to the hotel, he gets more than he bargained for. Danger, fear, and death await the creepers in a place ravaged by time and redolent of evil.

While "creeping" is illegal, its mostly harmless, except for the inherent risk to the folks...the "creepers", that participate. the Paragon Hotel, a long-abandoned building built and owned by a reclusive hemophiliac until his mysterious suicide. Set in Asbury Park, New Jersey, the once grand summer resort of the rich and famous is now just another east coast city time has forgotten, a near ghost town of urban decay. Robert Conklin is a professor of history at Buffalo State University, and also an experienced and principled practitioner of the little talked about sport of "creeping". His team for this adventure is composed of some of his former students. Conklin and his crew have plans to somehow gain entrance to the seemingly impregnable Paragon and to unlock its secrets, including confirming the existence of a vault rumored to have been installed by an infamous New York City mobster. Joining the team is Frank Balenger, supposedly a New York Times Magazine reporter on assignment to document this obscure pastime. Our explorers, who I believe may need their heads examined, set out to enter the hotel by going up through the mutant rat-and-cat-infested sewers of Asbury Park. The abandoned building has long been a scary story told around the campfire, and the author uses this along with added amounts of suspense and terror. The hulking wreck of the Paramount hides secrets in its seven floors of rooms which reminded me of Stephen King's "The Shining". Soon the group finds that they were not alone and what was there has absolutely no desire to make their stay and enjoyable one. There is more to the story than an innocent trip into the Asbury Park, and both Conklin and Balenger have hidden histories of their own. It was a fun read if you are a horror story fan. I don't want to give away too much of a deliciously creepy storyline and spoil all the fun...but it is very hard to stop reading once you get into the hotel itself.

Last Chain On Billie: How One Extraordinary Elephant Escaped the Big Top
Carol Bradley
4/5 stars
Bradley relates the tale of the elephant Billie who was captured in Asia and taken to the states to perform in circuses in the most horrible of conditions and who eventually with a lot of help is released into an animal sanctuary. The author also details the cause of animal rights, those who helped and those who tried to rig the system in their favor.

Gaining Trust - Morticia Knight - (California)
Kiss of Leather series Book #5
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
5★

Master Jordan’s charms are much too alluring for the vanilla Chuck to resist. Will he finally allow the Club Consequence owner to take charge? Shy investigator, Chuck, takes his job seriously—perhaps too seriously. But when the handsome Jordan danced with him at Kiss of Leather’s grand opening, the sparks between them couldn’t be denied. Chuck yearns to be with Jordan, yet the mysteries of submission fill him with terror. Jordan can’t get the sweet young Chuck out of his head or his heart. Falling for a man not in the lifestyle is asking for trouble he doesn’t need. Still, something tells him that Chuck might be the one, and he isn’t about to step back from a challenge. As the case of Corey’s ex-Dom takes a sinister turn, Chuck finds his attention divided. Being a lonely, vanilla man—with a homophobic and racist family—makes him wonder if he’s ready to fully give himself to anyone. Maybe he should take the easy road and focus on work the way he always has. But when Chuck’s world comes crashing down, he must decide which path to take. Will he run away from Jordan? Or will he seek solace in the Master’s protective arms?

Chuck was first introduced to the series several books ago. There is something about the shy, young private investigator that the reader can really connect with. He has drawn the attention of some others as well, including Jordan who owns Club Consequence in another city, but is a close friend with the "Kiss of Leather" club owners. I was sure that as often as he appeared that he surely must have a story and Morticia Knight finally got around to him. We get to see what Chuck’s family is like, and we learn more about Jordan and what he is looking for in a partner. Chuck's family...if you can call them that, should be taken out and hung. He makes a wise decision to settle in with his friends at "Kiss of Leather" and explore a possible relationship that he can count on, with Jordan. This story did an excellent job portraying a young man just coming to terms with his submissive nature and what he might gain from it. I really liked how Chuck bloomed under Jordan’s Mastery. The two of them grow and work together to discover what it is they both really need and enjoy. Their passion is palpable as they get to know each other. From their first cancelled date to their first time actually meeting up, and then going back to Jordan’s house, their relationship follows a course different from the others. Morticia Knight does a fantastic job of creating characters that not only complement one another but are each distinct from the others. Jordan has some characteristics that are similar to the other Doms, but he is still unique. Considering this is the fifth book in the "Kiss of Leather" series, the fact that each character still has his own voice speaks loudly to the skill of Morticia Knight. Fans of the "Kiss of Leather" series will enjoy this latest installment as much as the others thus far. If you are new to the series, I recommend starting with the first book, since each one builds from the next and the characters from the previous books always stroll though. However, they do seem to be okay as standalones. I am so glad that I bought the series and now can look forward to the rest of the stories and then some rereads.

Within the Mind - Alice Winters
In The Mind Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Paranormal/Mystery

Seneca is the complete package. He’s smart, sexy, and confident, much to Chevy’s annoyance. They’ve worked with each other for two years, and even though Chevy might secretly find his partner charming and attractive, playful harassment is all they have. Chevy was born with a unique gift that allows him to go into the memories of others. As detective, he uses this ability to find peace for victims who have been hurt or attacked. He delves into their memories and can pick out minute details that will help them put the criminal behind bars. But neither Chevy nor Seneca are prepared when they are asked to go into the mind of a serial killer in hopes of finding survivors. They are even more unprepared for the monsters they find inside the man’s mind. Drawn into a memory where it’s hard to figure out where the truth exists, they realize that there may be more to the serial killer than they originally thought. The dark world draws the two men together in a way they never dreamed. It will take everything Chevy and Seneca can give to stop the darkness that could consume their minds. As the two are forced to face what is keeping them apart, together they realize that there’s more to the mind and heart than either of them know.

This story has a fascinating and unique plot, and the detail of that plot is like nothing I’ve ever read before. Police detectives Chevy and Seneca live in a time when some people have unique mental gifts. Chevy is able to help solve crimes, searching for clues by rifling through a criminal’s mind as if it’s pages of memories in a filing cabinet. Seneca’s gift is that he can mimic another’s "gift"; in this case, it allows him to join Chevy on his mind trips. Entering the mind of a serial killer is as creepy and unpredictable as it sounds. Entering this psychopath’s mind was like navigating a twisted and depraved carnival house of horrors. Of course, working in "each other's skins" and already sharing a thus far unspoken attraction...produces something that they both think is unprofessional. However, Alice Winters gives insight into a relationship low on angst and often high on humor. Chevy and Seneca were first coworkers as well as friends before they become lovers. It takes a bit for Chevy to convince himself to move beyond the "friends" status. The story does have its share of humor...like when Seneca stubbornly insists on carrying four suitcases by himself across a hotel lobby...Chevy: "“How can I be attracted to this embarrassment, and why does he look so hot when he should look like an idiot? Who could possibly look sexy doing this besides Seneca?” Oh yes...who indeed? The book is well-written, as Alice Winters’ books always are, with an interesting cast of characters. The trip into the serial killer’s mind, and how he "built" this strange world is fascinating and intriguing, though you can't spend much time there without feeling the need for a long hot shower. It is so easy to form pictures of the dark journey Chevy and Seneca take. Thank you, Ms. Winters, for another terrific reading experience.

The Eyes of the Dragon – Stephen King
Digital audiobook performed by Branson Pinchot
3.5***

From the book jacket: A tale of archetypal heroes and sweeping adventures, of dragons and princes and evil wizards…

My reactions
Well, this was a fairy tale I never expected from Stephen King. The dedication states he wrote this for his daughter, Naomi, who “ loves me, but has very little interest in my vampires, ghoulies, and slushy crawling things.”

I was reminded of a number of classic fairy tales, adventure quests and such that enthralled and entertained me when I was a child. Heck, I came to Harry Potter as middle-aged adult and loved those stories as well. This story speaks directly to the child that still dwells inside me. It allows me to suspend disbelief while I cheer for the hero and hiss at the villain.

King has a new book out now, titled Fairy Tale. I haven’t checked to see if it is a continuation of this story or a totally new effort. I know I’ll read it, and I’ll find out then.

Branson Pinchot was absolutely marvelous performing the audiobook. I particularly liked his creepy, sibilant voice for the villainous Flagg. 5***** for his performance.

Home Front – Kristin Hannah
Book on CD read by Maggi-Meg Reed
1*

Jolene Zakardes is a wife and mother and a helicopter pilot in the National Guard. She also carries the baggage of her early life with two alcoholic parents. It was their deaths, a few months before she graduated from high school, that led her to join the Guard; alone and without resources she found a “home” and a “family” in her unit. Her best friend, Tami Flynn, is a fellow pilot, and her next-door neighbor.

Jolene prides herself on creating a calm, loving and organized home for her family. She never raises her voice, because she knows how damaging discord and chaos can be for children. When her attorney husband, Michael, misses important events she makes excuses for him to assuage her daughter’s disappointment (not to mention her own). And she turns to Tami to talk about the things that worry and concern her.

But her carefully orchestrated life is turned upside down when her unit is deployed and the two women are sent to Iraq. “We won’t be in battle,” she assures her family. “I’ll be flying VIPs from place to place.”

Hannah is somewhat like Jodi Picoult in that she picks issues to address in her books that might be in the public’s eye, and which could lead to serious discussion. This time she’s focusing on PTSD in veterans. However, Hannah relies on emotional manipulation to tell her stories, and that just makes me roll my eyes. And no matter what issue she’s addressing, her plotting is pretty formulaic.

Maggi-Meg Reed does a pretty good job of reading the audio version. Her diction is clear and she really nails the “whiny tween” voice of Jolene’s older daughter. Too bad she didn’t have better material to work with.

Firm Hand - Nora Phoenix - (New York)
Perfect Hand series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
5★
How can he want to call his best friend’s son Sir? Or even worse…Daddy? Cornell is broken after losing his best friend Jonas and getting hurt himself. He’s too old, too imperfect to ever attract a Dom again. Until Rhys. When Rhys gives him commands, Cornell yearns to obey. When Rhys takes care of him, Cornell wants to kneel for him. When Rhys is everything he’s dreamed of, Cornell aches to call him Sir. And when Rhys makes him fly, Cornell soars higher than ever before. But there’s one problem. Rhys is twenty years his junior…and he’s Jonas’s son. How can you call your best friend’s son Sir…or Daddy?

I have bought and read this entire series. The characters are so real and lovable. A year had pasted since Dom Jonas and his best friend and sub, Cornell left the club on a cold night with icy roads They had been best friends for decades and looked after one another. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on their side on that night. Now Cornell is lost. His best friend is dead and he’s severely injured. He is a successful estate lawyer, but he can’t go home to his home that isn't designed for someone with his injuries…he can barely walk let alone take care of himself. Work is also out of the question right now. When his godson Rhys, Jonas’ son and a newly graduated Physical Therapist, insists that he go home with him back to his dad’s ranch, he wants to say no but knows it’s for the best. What he doesn’t know is that Rhys has been attracted to Cornell for years and he is now a mature, twenty-three-year-old that just happens to be a Dom and he is ready to seize his opportunity to finally get what and who he wants. The younger man being the dominant to his older godfather really didn’t bother me. I felt that it was a nice twist to the predictable older Dom/younger sub that most books have. I also liked the chemistry between both Rhys and Cornell. There were fewer intimate scenes than I would have expected with these two...but Cornell was injured. For quite a bit of the book we were more in the two characters head’s than in their relationship. The story showed the developing relationship through both Jonas's and Cornell's points of view, which helped immensely. The only character I didn't like throwing in her two cents worth was Rhy's mother. Rhys was not a fifteen-year-old kid...he was a twenty-three-year-old man who she deserted along with his father years ago. The writing is superb. I have come to expect nothing less from Nora Phoenix. She always includes the unexpected and unconventional in her writing. The dynamics of the younger Dom with his much older sub was a nice twist.

Battleship A Daring Heiress, A Teenage Jockey, and America's Horse
Dorothy Ours
4/5 stars
This is a fascinating true story, mainly set in the 30's and 40's, that features Marion duPont, a wealthy woman who lived for her horses and the racing industry; Bruce Hobbs, a 17-year-old jockey who was raised by his father who was also a jockey and a horse named Battleship who becomes the unlikely hero of this book. Very interesting!

Moonlight Cherries - Alexis Piper
Phoenix Immortal Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Ghost Story
4★
"I couldn’t change that I was…attracted to a guy I’d watched getting murdered on the subway." Amory lives a quiet life as a waiter. The Moonlight Diner is the home he found after he was kicked out and disowned by his family for no other crime than who he loves. Amory's life is shaken to its very foundations after a chance meeting that has Amory witness a murder--except the man who dies in Amory's arms doesn't stay dead. Far from being a ghost, Soyer is very real. He pulls Amory into a world in which magic exists and wreaks havoc on the life of unsuspecting people. But within what remains of the spell that touches both their lives, Amory and Soyer may just find love.

These two characters were original, and unique. It was refreshing to see a lot of the first part of the story was Amory and Soyer simply getting to know one another before we were drawn into Soyer's "other world". There is some dark drama and violence mixed in also...but not especially disturbing. Alixis Piper has created a unique take on the paranormal with this one. Most people are frightened by Soyer, but he shows his gentle, loving side only to shy Amory. Soyer is also possessive around Amory...which isn't always a good trait in a lover.... but in this case, it's okay since he is also patient in all the ways that count. This turned out to be the kind of love story that brings out the best in both partners. Hope there is going to be a book 2, 3, 4....

Gentle Hand - Nora Phoenix - (New York)
Perfect Hand Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance/Kink/Age Play/ BDSM (mild)
5★
Adulting is hard for Raf. After a less than ideal youth, he’d hoped to find where he belongs. But despite trying several things in the club his best friend frequents, nothing clicks for him. Until he meets Daddy Brendan, the perfect bear of a man with the gentle voice, the soft cuddles, and an appendage Raf is rather fascinated by. Daddy Brendan wants to take care of Raf in every way, and Raf quickly discovered he loves being Daddy Brendan’s baby boy. He’s finally found where he belongs. If only he could forget about his past and be truly happy.

An interesting book on "Daddy" and "littles" play. Raf has always been a disappointment to his parents, especially his father. His ADHD made his life miserable and difficult to navigate through. And what makes it worse is that he knows he is attracted to the "lifestyle" just as much as his best friend Rhys, but he has no idea what form of the lifestyle he is supposed to follow. That is until he literally wound up in the lap of a born Daddy. With Brendan, all he has ever wanted was a “little” to take care of and call his own. When he discovers the boy crying, in the next booth over in the club, he knows his search may finally be over. But can he let his ordeal with his last “boy” go so he can pursue the life he desires most? We first met Raf and Brendan in the first book in this series Firm Hand. Raf is Rhy's best friend. Although this is the second book in the series it actually comes before and then follows the storyline of the first book...if that makes any sense. The first book it was interesting allowing us to see how both Rhys and Raf became who they were and why they fell into their particular "likes". It also made more sense into how Cornell and Rhys fell into their kink. Rhys just wanted to make sure his best friend was taken care of, and Brendan was a natural for the job. Raf really needed a Daddy to take care of him and allow him to relax away from the struggles of the real world he was so ill equipped to succeed in. I liked both men and I did however enjoy hearing the whole backstory of Raf and Rhys. Nora Phoenix has an excellent writing style that tells a story that you want to go on and on.

Games For Dead Girls - Jen Williams - (England)
Genera: Horror/Thriller
5★
When Charlie was eleven, she created a monster…For Charlie and her niece Katie, it’s supposed to be a quiet holiday in the peaceful, out-of-the-way seaside town of Hithechurch, England. Charlie is researching a book on the folklore of the area, and the gloomy sea and dangerous caves seem to offer up plenty of material, while Katie is just there to run wild and get some fresh air. But Charlie’s research reveals a deeper, darker secret, one that uncovers her own, carefully hidden past. Because young women are going missing again: a teenage girl snatched from the beach in broad daylight, and before that, other girls through the decades have vanished from the area, their families left with no answers and no bodies to bury. Charlie’s creation was a thing of felt, straw, fury, and a rusty pair of scissors in the dark. It couldn’t be her monster. Could it? Charlie is set on discovering the truth about the girls’ disappearances, but she’s about to encounter a force of pure, obsessive malevolence that threatens to destroy anything in its path.

In the vein of Frankenstein and Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde, comes Games For Dead Girls. The story of what horrors, humans, even children, can create but are unable to send back. Supernatural powers are hidden within the caves of southern England and within the psyches of these adolescent girls. Charlie was at the center of a horrific crime as a child. As an adult, she lives under a new identity. When a teenage girl, Cheryl, goes missing decades later in the same seaside town, Charlie returns to the scene of the long-ago violence. Feeling compelled to put her shocking memories to rest by helping to find Cheryl but anxious to avoid recognition, Charlie poses as a folklore researcher and begins collecting information about Cheryl and other missing girls. The novel’s grim setting is a caravan park on the coast where a warren of caves served as hiding spots for pirates and smugglers for centuries. As one person notes, "the caves are a liminal space, neither part of the sea or the land; anything can happen there". The secrets buried in the caves contributes to the feel of the caravan park as a vortex where people go missing. Alternating between time periods, the book revolves around the park. In chapters designated “1988,” Charlie is on holiday with her large extended family during the heyday of the park. At that time, Charlie is a typical kid except for her obsession with gruesome horror stories. By raising the stakes again and again in one of her imaginary games she unknowingly has built suspense across multiple timelines, until the stakes get higher than anyone, including Charlie, could ever have imagined. The story moves quickly across a fractured landscape, with surprising twists revealing one unexpected connection after another. As the smaller mysteries are resolved, this complex thriller pulls the alternating time frames together in a surprising and very satisfying resolution. If you love horror stories...you will eat this one up...if it doesn't get you first.

Finding Home - Sloane Kennedy - (Montana)
Finding Home Series Book #1
Genera: M/M/M Romance
3★
Three men, three choices, one chance at finding home.

Being treated as an outcast in your own town would drive most people away, but some would stick it out for a number of reasons. Finn's was simply that he has nowhere else to go and he lacked the confident to strike out on his own...so he took all the homophobia and abuse those people will doled out. But another reason for staying was because there are people who care enough to stand by him, no matter what the cost. For Finn, that person is Callan Bale. Callan is managing the family ranch and has been friends with Finn ever since Callan’s father hired and then hired him. Finn's father had left town, but only after nearly beating Finn to death following an incident that occurred the night of Finn's high school graduation. Cal was there for Finn even more. The ranch is going through some unbelievable hardships and is slowly losing everything...livestock dying or injured...water holes poisoned... fences broken, but Cal and Finn refuse to give up. Along comes Rhys, whose friend Frank recommended him to Cal for work during the six months required for his parole. Rhys was a former cop whose partner and lover got involved in selling the safe house location of one of their informants that resulted in the death of the informant and his family, along with two Agents who were guarding them. It was Rhys’ word against his, and Rhys lost. Now, he just wants to finish the six months and then go back to Chicago. These are two men that have been hurt in different, unspeakable ways. Ways that we should hope no one would ever go through. In their town homophobia is an everyday occurrence. I have no tolerance for these folks, neither in person nor in the printed word. Rhys coming into Cal and Finn’s lives is nothing but pure fate. He completes what is missing in these men’s lives. He was determined to make the townspeople see how their homophobia and their small-mindedness had resulted to animosity and chaos. Good luck with that Rhys. The story is high in angst and I become frustrated with most of the character very soon...but it's one of those stories that you have to keep reading hoping that something will work out for them. I liked and disliked the book in equal measures, but I don't think it's a series that I want to continue.

Angel Falls – Kristin Hannah
2**

From the book jacket: When Mikaela Campbell, beloved wife and mother, falls into a coma, it is up to her husband, Liam, to hold the family together and care for their grieving, frightened children. Doctors tell Liam not to expect a recovery, but he believes that love can accomplish what medical science cannot.

My reactions
I think this was the first time Hannah chose to put a character into a coma, though I’m not certain. The plot focuses on the difficulties the family has coping with their wife / mother’s condition, and the “twist” comes from the discovery of Mikaela’s secret past – a previous marriage to a movie star. Yada Yada Yada.

I feel like my reviews are all starting to sound the same … probably because this is my third book by Hannah in the last week, and they all follow a predictable formula. This time I actually read the book rather than listened to an audio version. I’ve been helping a friend who had major surgery and this was a easy read, that generally held my attention and helped fill the many hours of sitting in waiting rooms. I’ll give her credit (and an extra star) for that.

The Things We Keep - Janet Dawson (California)
P.I. Jeri Howard series Book #14
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
4★
TWO HUMAN SKULLS ON A PILE OF BONES. EMPTY EYE SOCKETS STARE UP AT JERI HOWARD. Oakland PI Jeri Howard finds a battered footlocker hidden in a dusty storeroom. When she pries open the lid, she’s shocked at what she finds. Human bones. Whose bones? How did they get there—and why?

"It began with a house. The house on the corner was an old Queen Anne Victorian built in the 1800's. The house hadn’t been painted in a long time and several of the windowpanes were cracked and dirty. Abandoned? No, there was a car in the driveway, so someone was living in the house. It made me wonder about the stories hidden within those walls. I had a feeling this old house had secrets, lots of them.” The bones that Jeri finds when she is helping friends clean out a relative's home and is then asked to investigate are found inside an old Navy footlocker with several other items. DNA and dental records may provide answers, but those are the things available to the police...things that Jeri has no control over or ready access to. She discovers clues in other ways. Old newspaper articles accessed online...flesh that might remain on the bones.... property records, as well as internet archives and databases. She finds it's bones of two people... two broken skeletons with a 95% chance of being in the locker since the 1960's.."hippy days". Could they possibly be victims of the Zodiac Killer? This is the first Janet Dawson book that I have read but it was a fantastic read. Now I have to start from the first. Quite a task since this was book #14 in the series...but I'm up for the challenge.

Unwelcome Guests - Anna Willett - (Australia)
Genera: Thriller/Horror
2★
A weekend getaway in an isolated country house is just what Caitlin needs to fix her relationship with husband Eli...Her spirits are up as they enter the spacious retreat and cool off in the nearby lake. With Eli’s easy-going brother accompanying them – the party was his idea – the barbeque lit and beers cracked open, everything should be set for a perfect evening. But her husband is cold and dismissive so Caitlin decides to drown her sorrows, and heads into the wine cellar. What she finds there will change their lives forever. No peaceful sojourn from their daily worries, the house will stage an intense battle of wits: violent, claustrophobic and cruel. The danger the small group are in will put their trust in one another to the ultimate test. The question is, will anyone get out alive?

Eli and Caitlin have reached a slight bump in their relationship. I thought it could better be described as a deep ditch. Eli's brother, Jace, comes to the rescue. Jace has a friend who has let him borrow his home for the weekend. Caitlin and Jace persuade Eli that it would be a good idea for them all to go. Eli isn't too enthused about going but gives in to his brother. These three people seem to have more problems than a week-end way is going to solve.... Dr. Phil would even be at a loss. Jace, Eli's brother, has feelings for Caitlin, Eli's wife, which went beyond those of a brother-in-law for a sister-in-law. For her part, Caitlin is haunted by a horrible incident which happened 15 years ago when she was 14. The things that occurred at the house seem to be unbelievable. A psychopathic sexual predator who has been hiding in the basement spends the better part of the book terrorizing the three people and chasing Caitlin around the house. Lots of blood is spilled, and I mean LOTS. Eventually Jace and Eli try to stop the psychopath only managing to place Caitlin in even more danger. Then we find out that Caitlin had a "BIG" secret that she never shared with Eli, but he eventually finds out when she was at the hospital. Then when she is confronted with a decision about who she would like to see live, she chooses a total stranger rather than a family member. Really? Who does that? Just way too many unrealistic characters doing way too many unrealistic things.

The Heart Goes Last – Margaret Atwood
Digital audiobook performed by Cassandra Campbell and Mark Deakins.
4****

In a country facing economic and social collapse, Stan and Charmaine struggle to hold onto their love and their marriage. Having lost their jobs, they wind up living in their car, where they are preyed upon by gangs of roving thugs. Stan’s about to turn to his brother Conor, who’s some sort of underworld criminal, when Charmaine happens to see an ad on the TV at the bar where she’s a parttime cocktail waitress. The Positron Project promises jobs, clean living conditions, and an idyllic environment. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to have a neat little house again, clean clothes, good food, a job where she could actually contribute! The catch? The couples who sign up live in the tidy bungalows only half the year; the other half they switch with another couple who have been in prison. It’s a win-win situation, the ad promises. But, of course, promises are cheap, reality costly.

Damn but Atwood is a fine writer! I love how she shows us this young couple , their dreams and ambitions revealed through their actions. They make mistakes, as we all do, and they become desperate to change their circumstances. Can they find the strength to pull together? They trusted the Positron promise, and look where THAT got them? Dare they trust that there is a way out? Will their love survive?

And what IS love? Is it passion and excitement? Is it devotion and sacrifice without thought to self? Can we choose whom and how to love, or is it an emotion so powerful that we are helpless in its grasp, destined to follow the path laid out before us?

At times the scenarios are quite humorous (the Last Vegas Elvis impersonators are a hoot), and other times I cringed with embarrassment at Charmaine’s naivete or wanted to warn Stan that “No! that’s not a good idea!” I was as unsure about whom to trust as they were.

Two very talented voice artists perform the audio version. The change in narrator helps to clearly show the changes in point of view.

>69 BookConcierge: I really liked this one, as well. It was chosen a number of years back for my book club.

Finding Me
Viola Davis
4/5 stars
Davis, who is an actress, relates her life of poverty as a child and how she got out of it and became an award winning actress who won awards in all the major entertainment categories. This was a fascinating read!

Dirty Hand - Nora Phoenix - (New York)
Perfect Hand Series Book #6
Genera: M/M Romance/
4.5★
George has needs, a lot of them, and so far, he hasn’t found a man who can meet them. When muggers attack him, he gets help from Jack, a six-foot-four, built-like-a-tree lumberjack. That chance encounter leads to the hottest night George has ever had, but in the morning, he gets the surprise of his life. Jack might be a beast in bed, but he also has a nurturing side. A Daddy side. George doesn’t need a Daddy, but he’s very interested in continuing to see Jack, so he agrees to experiment with him. Can’t hurt, right? But what happens when two weeks later, Jack has a job to return to…and neither one of them wants to let go?

Not my favorite of the series but still a fairly good read. I thought that things happened way too quickly between the two guys and it felt a little rushed especially at the end. Almost like a couple of chapters had been left out. Also, could be because the book was shorter than the others in the series. In spite of that it's part of a series that I have really enjoyed and will reread at some point.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
5***** & ❤️

Maisie Dobbs got her start as a maid in an aristocratic London household when she was thirteen. Her employer, suffragette Lady Rowan Compton, soon became her patron, taking the remarkably bright youngster under her wing. Lady Rowan's friend, Maurice Blanche, often retained as an investigator by the European elite, recognized Maisie's intuitive gifts and helped her earn admission to the prestigious Girton College in Cambridge, where Maisie planned to complete her education. The outbreak of the war changed everything. Maisie trained as a nurse, then left to serve at the Front, where she found--and lost--an important part of herself.

What a beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful, amazing book. I have had it on my shelves for a number of years and many times I looked at it, thought about it, then put it back. Until now. And zowie! I am completely blown away by this book. The story covers the post-war years in England, then zips back with stunning clarity into the years just before the outbreak of the Great War, and wraps everything up in stunning fashion.

Maisie Dobbs has begun her own private investigation firm. Her first client is a gentleman of the upper classes who suspects his wife is having an affair, so hires Maisie to follow her. Which she does with great detail to present to her new client. And through the interactions Maisie has with this husband, and the caretaker of her building, and her internal conversations about her ever-cold feet, we begin to see that she has been impacted by the Great War.

When Maisie follows the young wife to a soldier's graveyard, the first hint that this book is different comes fully to light. Here we are in 1929, what America sees as the Roaring Twenties, watching two women tending the graves of the fallen soldiers in England. One no longer has a surname on his grave, and this leads to revelations about The Farm, where wounded and disfigured soldiers can go live in peace. To contemplate a situation wherein the shells were so powerful, faces were mutilated but the soldiers lived only to be shunned or receive "those" looks from their beloveds is heart-wrenching. And told with such compassion as the after-effects of the Great War.

The middle section details Maisie's growing up as a maid in service to a wealthy suffragette who thinks that maybe, just maybe, she can change the life of one person, even if she can't change the world. Well, she does. She recognizes the need Maisie has to read, to study, and enriches her mind by providing her with a tutor as well as the time she needs to study. And added to this idyllic reading time is the prevalent class consciousness of Britain that causes Maisie to doubt her own calling to education.

We do get to the War, and Maisie's service in Britain before finally being called to France, where she deepens her relationship with Simon, a gifted wartime doctor. And her life as a battlefield nurse, with the mud, the sleepless nights, the close quarters, the endless wounded, are so very well described. When they abruptly end and we are back in the modern era, there is still a mystery unfolding about The Farm and the repercussions of the battlefields, at home and abroad.

Homecoming / Kate Morton
3.75 stars

It’s 2018. Jess has been living in England for a long time, but is called home to Australia when her grandmother (who pretty much raised her) ends up in the hospital. Her grandmother, Nora, makes some odd comments. Jess, being a reporter, investigates and finds some family secrets.

In 1959, Percy is walking in a neighbour’s yard to find a mother and three of her children dead, not a mark on any of them. There was a basket hanging and he hadn’t realized there was a baby in the basket, but by the time the police have arrived and realize there should have been a baby there, the baby is missing.

This was good, but it took a long time to set up and get going. I had a hard time focusing initially, and many of the characters would delve back into memories which made it a bit harder for me to follow, as I was still figuring out characters, time frames, etc. Eventually, I figured things out and it did pick up, and I was interested to know what was going on/what had happened in 1959 (and, of course, how it related to Jess and Nora).

I’m not generally a fan of a “book within a book” and this one had that. That might have been at least part of the reason it took me longer to get “into” the book? Of course, there were twists. I thought I had one figured out, but I was incorrect in what I’d thought. So, my star rating has it just a bit higher than “good”, but I didn’t want to bring it quite up to 4 stars due to the slow start for me.

Down the Mysterly River / Bill Willingham
3.75 stars

12-year old Max is a Boy Scout and is in a forest, but he has no idea how he got there. It’s not long before he meets up with a talking badger. Next comes along a talking feral cat, then a talking bear. How very odd! In trying to figure out what is going on here (Max considers himself a bit of a detective), Max and the others learn that they are being chased by people called the “Cutters”. The animals know that the Cutters cut critters into something different that isn’t themselves. The Cutters themselves think they are making the critters better with the cutting they do. In any case, Max and his three new friends need to run from the Cutters. They are making their way down the river to the Wizard’s sanctuary.

I liked this. I often am not a fan of fantasy (although I generally do better with children’s fantasy, as this is) and talking animals, this was cute, and I liked all the characters, including those talking animals. I gave it the extra ¼ star for the twist at the end. Max has mostly solved the mystery of where he came from, etc, but he learns more from the “wizard” and I thought that twist was very clever – I did love the twist!

Sub-Zero - Matt James - (Antarctica)
Genera: Thriller/Horror
4.5★
The only thing colder than the Antarctic air is the icy chill of death…Off the coast of McMurdo Station, in the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean, a new species of Antarctic octopus is unintentionally discovered. Specialists aboard a state-of-the-art DARPA research vessel aim to apply the animal’s “sub-zero venom” to one of their projects: An experimental painkiller designed for soldiers on the front lines.All is going according to plan until the ship is caught in an intense storm. The retrofitted tanker is rocked, and the onboard laboratory is destroyed. Amid the chaos, the lead scientist is infected by a strange virus while conducting the specimen’s dissection. The scientist didn’t die in the accident. He changed.

It really amazed me that the characters had such a sense of humor. I suppose that in a story with such serious subject matter and that was supposed to have had a non-stop creep factor, some humor was appropriate and even necessary, otherwise, we would have been left with stale, flat shadows of the people that were moving from one dangerous situation to another. This is a story about a monster, a new species, or at least a never-before-seen species, of octopi that dwelled in the Antarctic Ocean. A previously retired tanker ship is retrofitted by the Navy and DARPA and sent to Antarctic with a team of scientists in the hopes of discovering this octopus and using its venom as a pain blocker for soldiers. This gave the ship and the men a reason for being there, but in reality, it isn't like ONLY THIS octopus had venom that would block pain...this has actually been used in some form for several decades. Anyway, as you can imagine, things didn't go as planned and of course a deadly storm is headed right for the ship. There were a few things that went right for the crew in spite of the storm, but I didn't come away feeling really concerned about the main characters. As a 'zoo person", I was more concerned for the octopus:) This is where the previous humor set the story slightly off course. I really don't think that by the time the storm arrived and the octopus with it, that jokes would have been what was being exchanged among the men while they were supposed to be confronting horror and running in terror. What was an unusual experience for me, and what gave the story that extra boost, was seeing some of the events through the creature's perspective. That was brilliant and original on the author's part and was extremely well done. This book is certainly a read that is well worth the reader's time.

Roped In - A.M. Arthur - (California)
Clean Slate Ranch series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
4★
For Colt Woods, Clean Slate Ranch is home. The dude ranch in Northern California helped him heal from a devastating breakup. So, when his ex-Dom, the man who broke his heart, waltzes onto the ranch, Colt doesn’t know how to deal. A research job at a nearby ghost town brings history PhD Avery Hendrix to Clean Slate. He’s not in town forever, but it doesn’t take long for him to feel the familiar draw to Colt. When they find out they’ll be sharing a cabin on the ranch, it’s all Avery can do to stop himself from bending Colt over a saddle right then and there. In such close proximity, Colt’s and Avery’s old feelings come galloping back. Soon Colt is doing his master’s bidding again and loving every moment of it. And the pair may be in for the ride of their lives—if the dedicated professor and his rugged cowboy can learn to trust again.

While the first book in this series, Wild Trail, was about two men meeting and falling in love, this book revisits two old lovers who never quite got over each other. There’s a lot to love about these two reuniting, but it drags a little bit, and I got a little bored towards the end, waiting for them to work their arrangement out. Avery and Colt come together explosively as sexual partners, and they can be immediately recognized as "Dom" and "sub", giving high emotion to the eroticism of their "Sir/pet" scenes. In spite of that, some of the BDSM elements of the story didn't really seem to be something that the "Dom" really embraced, or he needed, something not yet spoken...something more from his "sub". There was no doubt that Avery loved Colt but he many times came across as not really caring to be anyone's "Dom". He's not the stereotypical “Dom” that usually appear in these types of stories. He’s quiet, introverted, and not overly masculine. This caused me to really like some parts but be confused by others. On the other hand, whenever he enters the room, his easy confidence commands respect. The author also made his character demisexual and possibly somewhat on the ace spectrum. This is discussed quiet openly between Avery & Colt and gave the reader not overly familiar with the sexualities, some insight. Overall, this story just needed a better plot "backbone" to make it as successful as the first book. While it’s a steamy, sexy read by an absolutely awesome M/M author, it isn't as "up there" as the previous one...still...a good series...and soon I will soon start book #3. Oh... and you just HAVE to love Avery's mother!

Born Evil - Julia Derek
Genera: Physiological Thriller
2★
What would you do if you found out your child ai a psychopath? One night when Jennifer Hanson returns home, she catches her 12-year-old son Shane stabbing their cat to death. Thankfully, he doesn't see her. Having long known Shane has a brain with psychopathic tendencies, her worst fears may be confirmed. Ever since he accidentally shot his father to death at age six, she has done everything she can to ensure Shane doesn't become a full-blown psychopath. He has behaved normally up until now. Have her efforts been in vain? She can tell he's changing, becoming increasingly dangerous, but she can't stomach putting him in a psych ward. But then she finds pics of a dead girl in his phone, a girl everyone thought had died accidentally.

"Disturbing" doesn't even begin to describe this book. I read a lot of gory stuff...and this had promise in the beginning, but I had to quit when the 13-year-old kid killed the cat. I don't tolerate torture to helpless, innocent animals. The mother actually made excuses for years for her psycho kid...who "accidently" shot his father when he was six. She KNEW for years that this child was nothing resembling normal. Lots of "accidents" seem to happen around this young man. I ask you...just how deluded can a parent be? Hope she sleeps with one eye open, her door barricaded and a light on. I look for the next book to be entitled "Born Stupid", telling the mother's story.

Firefly Lane - Riley Hart - (North Carolina) - (REREAD)
Briar County series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
At forty-three, Holden Barnett is getting along just fine. His job as a pilot keeps him from getting restless, and he’s got a man who doesn’t want promises for the future. One phone call from his estranged sister changes everything. She needs his help, so Holden drops everything and heads to Harmony, a small town in Briar County, which represents everything he’s tried to avoid in life. Monroe Covington is forty-five and happy. He loves his life—running his store, helping at his family’s farm, and spending his days with his best friend, Lindsey, and their son, Wyatt. Sure, half the town likes to forget he’s gay, and he’d love for the queer population to be bigger, but Roe makes do. He misses dating, relationships, and a man to hold at night, but at least he gets new eye candy when Holden, the brother of the woman who’s renting his cabin, shows up. The attraction is instant, the friendship not far behind, but between Holden’s initial relationship status, family complications, and the two of them wanting different things, they’re a disaster waiting to happen…only it doesn’t feel that way, not with how much time they spend talking, laughing, and eventually, tumbling into bed, a field, or the back of a truck together. The closer they get, the more Holden realizes that just being fine isn’t enough, and Roe begins to see that his life isn’t as complete as he thought. Now, if they could only sort out the rest of it.

Roe is one of the most thoughtful, nice and understanding men I’ve ever encountered in any book of any genera. He’s the only openly gay man in Harmony, N.C, but after spending some time in DC, he knows Harmony is where he belongs. His family, his son Wyatt and his best friend Lindsey are some of the most important people in his life and he’ll go out of his way to do anything to make them happy. He’s happy with his life, his shop and his big , loving family, but he’s missing someone to share his life with. Then into his life comes Holden who doesn’t like small towns at all...but when his sister calls him for help, he finds himself leaving Atlanta to make the trip to Harmony. After years of no communication, he’s dedicated to helping his sister and his nephew to get back on their feet, make them feel loved and taken care of and rebuild their relationships. He’s a protector at heart and is determined to leave his family behind feeling more secure when the summer is over. From the first time they see each other, Roe and Holden have an immediate chemistry. Even though they start out as friends, that chemistry slouches around under the surface until it’s finally the right time for both of them to open up about their feelings. It was good to have characters that were open about their communication, feelings, dreams, pasts, everything. They were mature men in their 40's and their relationship reflected that. There was never a time in the story that it could be questioned, even when some outside drama reared its head. I hate when characters are obviously supposed to be together and then the author sees fit to have them apart and miserable for better than half the book. The story really delves into the concept of family, highlighting that while Roe and Holden’s families didn't necessarily fit the stereotypical mold...and there’s nothing wrong with that...no matter if it's reunited family, biological family, extended family, friends that are family...it’s all about the quality of the relationships and the support, not what it's called. Firefly Lane is a really sweet "friends to lovers", small town, slow burn romance with almost no angst. There are also goats...yes, really:)

Treasure State
C.J. Box
4/5 stars
Cassie Dwell is back and trying to solve two mysteries in this latest book. Cassie is hired to find a con man who meets wealthy women and convinces them to give them their fortunes. Also on her to do list is to find a client who claims to have buried treasure and he wants her to find him. I am enjoying this series. I hope that Box continues with the Cassie Dewell series.

All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay
320 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

One November day in 1975, Miranda Larkin arrives home from school and finds her mother missing. Jane Larkin is gone, sparking speculation about what happened to her. Investigators suspect her husband Dan, a criminal defense attorney with some shady clients. The problem - there' no body and no evidence linking Dan - or anyone else - to a crime. Decades later, Jane's remains are found, and the three Larkin children must choose sides.

I first read Landay a few years ago - Defending Jacob - and knew there would be some twists and turns along the way, and his most recent novel did not disappoint. Told in four voices - Phil (a friend of the children), Jane, Jeff (one of the children), and Dan - we ultimately find out Jane's fate, and understand the family's reactions, loves, and loyalties.

Something Wild & Wonderful - Anita Kelly
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Alexei Lebedev’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail begins with a single snake, and it is angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex is prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he isn’t prepared for is Ben Caravalho. But somehow—on a 2,500-mile trail—Alexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again. It might be coincidence. Then again, maybe there’s a reason the trail keeps bringing them together . . . Ben has made his fair share of bad decisions, and almost all of them involved beautiful men. And yet there’s something about the gorgeous and quietly nerdy Alexei that Ben can’t just walk away from. Surely a bad decision can’t be this cute and smart. And there are worse things than falling in love during the biggest adventure of your life. But when their plans for the future are turned upside down, Ben and Alexei begin to wonder if it’s possible to hold on to something this wild and wonderful.

Two men meet while hiking in the West Coast wilderness. Lots of folks hike the Pacific Crest Trail every year, and they each have their own personal reasons. Alexei Lebedev has already resigned himself to his journey being a mostly solitary affair, leaving room for the occasional meetings and small talk shared with his fellow travelers...but...that all changes when he meets Ben Caravalho, a handsome stranger with gloriously unruly hair and a dazzling personality. What could have been merely a passing encounter turns into more...much more. Alexei keeps running into Ben. This happens over and over until the two men decides to just hike together. Neither can deny the attraction between them, but of course...there are complications. Wouldn't be an M/M romance without those pesky complications. Alexei is still coming to grips not only with being gay, but from also being out. Ben's history is different. He has a vastly supportive family that accepts him totally. The longer they walk, the more Alexei finds himself willing to try on opening up and embracing the sides of himself he's been afraid to acknowledge. Simply try being honest about what he's feeling not just for Ben's sake but for his own as well. Ben is coming off of a string of bad relationship decisions, but even he can't deny the fact that Alexei has carved out a unique place in his heart. Kelly has written a beautiful, sweet, curative read about the new identities people create by giving themselves permission to heal from the pain of the past and what can be discovered about who and what they are while giving themselves permission to "Be". The older kids that I volunteer with called it a story you could spend hours getting lost in, and they were 100% right.

Monstrous Intent - Alice Winters
Mischief and Monsters Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Paranormal
5★
Declan:
It’s really hard to pretend like life is normal when you’re staring a monster in the eyes, though he’s both tempting and irritating in his human form. I put my days as a hunter behind me, unable to cope with the death and pain anymore, to become an upstanding citizen and for what? To assist Lake, a man who claims he’s not a monster but keeps talking about me like I’m edible and–even worse–wants to "woo" me? Between my old organization trying to pull me in and Lake proving that things aren’t quite what they seem, I’m dragged back into this world of fighting the things that humans fear the most.
Lake:
"The human is exquisite. The first moment he told me he was going to hunt me down; I felt my heart burst. He’s beautiful, sassy, angry, and going to be mine (even if he thinks he can refuse my charms). But what Declan doesn’t know about me is that there’s a reason I’m hiding as a human among monster hunters. And while he definitely doesn’t know why, he’s willing to work with me because the people around us strangely want Declan and me dead at the end of this (I mean, who would want to kill us? We’re amazing). But honestly… what’s more fun than dragging a hunter off to the dark side?"

Alice Winters often writes dark topics filled with murder, assassination, torture, themes of mass destruction, both n the real world as well as whatever alternate reality she has created and filled with the paranormal events and beings. Snarky, sharp, and irreverent humor with moments of serious reflection and empathy, however, brief, is her trademark. About our two guys: Declan is a former monster hunter for the Department of Research and Defense (DRD). He became disillusioned with the constant attacks and killings, so he left to become a teacher. Now with an increase in Chimera sightings and killings, the DRD wants its top hunter back and won’t stop until he’s part of the organization again. Then there is Lake. Lake is an enigma. He works for the DRD, but he's different and Declan is instantly aware of Lake and knows that he is "much more". This is a story guaranteed to hold the reader’s interest and keep them engaged with the characters growing relationships. Declan just hopes that Lake's invite to dinner didn't include him being the main course. Lake wants to devour Declan, but the dinner table is not where he has in mind. I did so enjoy the antics of these two guys and have book 2 waiting.

The Coyotes of Carthage – Steven Wright
Book on CD performed by Glenn Davis
4****

Andre Ross has made a mistake. And it may end his career as a hotshot political consultant. But, his mentor agrees to give him one more chance. Sent to a backwater community in South Carolina, he’s tasked with passing an initiative that no one has even considered. He has an assistant (who is the partner’s grandson, and completely green) and a limited budget. But he KNOWS how to do this.

Dre is something of an enigma. He’s clearly intelligent and well-informed. He is a professional whose middle name may as well be “cutthroat,” and will take whichever side is paying his salary. He’s also deeply troubled. The fact that he’s a black man in a blue-collar white community in the deep south doesn’t deter him, though that does pose some challenges. As the novel progresses the reader begins to see signs that Dre isn’t so sure this is the right path for him. He seems to be falling apart. Will his conscience, long silenced, win out? Will he win this election? Will he keep his job? Does he want to?

I found this riveting and informative. I could not help but think of our current political climate and the way the populace is manipulated by the message. A tweak here, a slightly different phrasing there, a negative connotation “accidentally” floated onto the local gossip mill, a charismatic young woman whom everyone knows is a “good person” … and you have everyone ready to vote against their own best interest and in favor of the candidate or position least likely to actually benefit them.

Glenn Davis does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. He sets a good pace and differentiated the characters sufficiently that it was always clear who was speaking.

The Miracle & Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets / Sarah Miller
4.25 stars

The Dionne quintuplets were born in rural Ontario in 1934. It was the Depression and their parents had no idea how they would pay to take care of 5 more kids! They were the first set of quintuplets who all lived. But the doctor who took care of them was so careful and cautious, he separated the quints into an entirely new, separate building across the street from their parents and other siblings, taken care of full-time by rotating nurses. They were so careful, the family was rarely able to visit. The Ontario government took over their care, supposedly so they wouldn’t be paraded around the U.S. Instead they were paraded out in front of the crowds who came to see them in their rural Ontario “home”. It was only when they were almost 10-years old did their parents win back custody of their own children.

Wow, those kids certainly did not have a normal childhood. Initially, they didn’t know any different, but when they finally were back with their family, they had no idea what a “normal” life was like. They’d never had to do any work before, everything was given to them and/or done for them. The parents suffered greatly, as well. They were harsh when they got the girls back; they were trying to provide a normal life for them, but they didn’t seem to have any inkling of how hard this was for the girls.

I don’t remember when the fictional version that I read of the Dionnes’ story ended, but this one continued right up to publication in 2018, when two of the sisters were still alive. I feel like the fictional book I read didn’t follow them into adulthood, so it was interesting to read that, too.

I’m giving this an extra ¼ star because I feel like this was researched so very well and the author tried to find a middle ground with all the melodrama and exaggeration and heightened emotions that seemed to happen with interviews with all parties. I feel like this is a well-rounded version, and I guess I can’t really say it’s the best version of what happened (since I’ve only read the one other (fictional) book about the quints), but I feel like it might be -- with the way it was researched and told.

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos / Dominic Smith
2.25 stars

In the 1950s, a young painter, Ellie, is asked to “copy” a painting originally done by Sara de Vos, a Dutch woman painter from the 17th century. Is this a forgery? Or a copy? Is there a difference? She does it. Not sure what happens after this, except that someone hires a private detective who finds Ellie, but then things get passed off to another man to take the young painter to an auction to… try to figure out if she’s the forger? Not too sure… The setting seemed to move between Amsterdam, New York City, and Australia.

I listened to the audio, which did a piss-poor job of keeping my interest (that is, it didn’t – must be able to tell from my feeble summary!), except for briefly with Jake whatever-his-fake-last-name was; anyway, Jake and Ellie ended up in some kind of a relationship, or she thought so, anyway. Near the end of the book, suddenly it was 40 years later, and I missed how that transition happened (though as I read the summary, apparently much of the story was already 40 years later? And I missed it.) The story did shift back in time to 17th century Holland, but I have no idea what was happening in that time frame. I missed ALL of that. Art – also not my thing. The ¼ star is for the brief relationship when I actually paid a little bit of attention.

And wow – I’ve learned so much of what I missed in the book by reading other reviews! I imagine I will learn more in my book club discussion (where I will have very little to contribute!).

Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt
Digital audiobook performed by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie
4****

Tova Sullivan is a 70-year-old widow who works mopping floors and cleaning the glass on the tanks at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. She’s a quiet, steady presence, but in addition to her late husband, Tova is also mourning the loss of her son Erik, who was only eighteen when he disappeared in Puget Sound some thirty years ago.

Cameron is a young man who’s a bit lost. He can’t seem to keep a job and has landed in this part of Washington, still hoping to find the father who left him when he was a child.

Marcellus is a Giant Pacific Octopus who is very bright, quite wise, and observes the people who come to see him more closely than they realize. He develops a strong relationship to Tova, and is determined to help her understand what he knows.

These three characters take turns narrating the story in Van Pelt’s marvelous debut. I totally believed in Marcellus (and no, he doesn’t actually talk to the other characters) and came to love his wry observations and how he puzzled out these strange people and their odd sayings. Reminded me a bit of Chet in the Chet & Bernie mysteries when he hears a colloquialism and takes it literally (There are SMART cookies? Where are the wild geese we’re supposed to be chasing?), though Marcellus is far less prone to distraction.

They are supported by a number of characters who help flesh out the story and give depth to the main players.

Van Pelt weaves disparate characters into a tapestry of love, forgiveness and second chances. The story is tender and heart-warming and charming, if a little unbelievable. I was completely captured by it and loved every minute I spent with them. The ending is pretty perfect, though I did long for one more Marcellus chapter. This is a strong debut and I eagerly await the author’s next effort!

The audiobook is wonderfully performed by two talented voice artists: Marin Ireland and Michael Urie. I particularly loved how Urie voiced Marcellus!

>85 LibraryCin: This has been on my list forever - glad you liked it!

What Happened At The Lake - Phil M. Williams
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
4.5★
Possible Trigger Warning: This is a dark story that delves into some very depraved acts.

They went on vacation. Not everyone made it back. The Palmers went to the lake for a week of fun in the sun. But Alex Palmer had an agenda. He wanted his brother to reconcile with their hypercompetitive father. He wanted his daughter to break up with her shady boyfriend. Most of all, Alex wanted them to be a family one more time before he faced his predicament at home. Evil incarnate and a brutal double murder shifted Alex’s focus from wants to needs. He needed to keep his family safe. He needed to find her. He needed to know what happened at the lake. His pastor often said, “God won’t give you more than you can bear.” This had nothing to do with God.

What happened at the lake? A better question would have been. what didn't happen at the lake? It started as a family get together to try and heal relationships. An outing for the family to have some fun time together. For them to catch up with each other. Oh yes...we also had stopped-up toilets....no water...a power outage...a storm...a murder.... and last but certainly not least, a rape. Sounds like a fun time to be had by all. I really liked the sheriff and his reasonable way he went about to solve this fiasco. You can't help but feel the frustrations of Alex, the guy that put this outing together and had such high hopes for all to work out. The biggest challenge I had with this story was even though the plot was interesting and well-presented...there were SOOO many characters! I honestly lost track of them and had to search back to see who some of them were and what they had to do with anything...and the answer was often "absolutely nothing". Just hanging out and watching the show, I guess. I really did like the story. There were lots of twists, especially close to the end that were a complete surprise. Fans of physiological mysteries and suspense stories will probably really like it.

Prince of Annwyn by Evangeline Walton
4 1/2 ****

Prince Pwyll met Arawn, Lord Death, and departed from the encounter still alive, though with a heavy charge: to take on Arawn's guise and kill for him the one man Death could not fell. A difficult task, but not any more so than other trials that awaited young Pwyll if he should survive this mortal combat. For Arawn's Queen was very fair, and Pwyll had to resist her charms so that he might yet woo the mysterious Lady who had promised to wed him once he returned to the living world.

This is a brilliant re-telling of the First Branch of the Mabinogion, that mysterious tale of ancient Wales that has been translated both well and not-so-well over the centuries. Evangeline Walton does a marvelous job building out the drama, the language, and the tension that the bards conveyed. It is a tale as hold as humanity: human Pwyll, Prince of Dyved, meets with Arawn, Lord of Death and the Underworld called Annwn. Here, they switch places and both their aspects are changed. Pwyll even rides the Grey Horse of Arawn while Arawn rides Pwyll's horse. And there are the tasks that only Pwyll can do in place of Arawn in order to save humanity from destruction of warring tribes while Pwyll also gets to take Arawn's seat in his kingdom for a year and a day.

As the tale of Pwyll unfolds into the tale of Rhiannon with her birds, Pwyll brings his Ninety-Nine Companions to the Mound of Gordsedd Arberth where they seek, in charmed slumber, to join the first King of Dyved and his daughter, Rhiannon, so that Pwyll might marry her and thereby gain a Queen and an heir. Three times they climb the Mound, and three times the Old Druid seeks to murder him with his sickle, only to be thwarted in his lust for absolute and continued power and control. Walton's ability to bring ancient tales to a modern audience are most welcome with this volume.

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
4****

At the furthest limits of the imagination, in worlds upon worlds of time and space, and on the green hills of future earth, these are tales to set you shivering, gasping, gaping with terror and with wonder. Nineteen incomparable stories that blend weird fantasy and chilling truth in the magic manner of a master.

Original review:

What great stories, what interesting twists, and what true innovation in seeing the world. For anyone wanting to know what the science fiction authors thought "back in the day" in the Golden Age of Science Fiction writing, this is a prime example. Some of the characterizations of women are sadly 1950's, but others are much more elevated. I think my favorite is the priests who discover the real Martians and step down from thinking they need to teach them about God.

2023 review:

Still a great set of short stories, told with compassion for the vagaries of humankind. Yes to the characterization of women as wives or mothers as being part of the 1950's culture, and with greater clarity to the ways in which homes are more likely to be automated to great detriment to the inhabitants, humans try to escape from oppressive regimes with greater or lesser success, and the aspirations of humans are not that much different from what they were (or will be) when we took walking tours of Wisconsin or get cut off from our space ships and are doomed to free fall or endless space wandering until our oxygen runs out.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
5***** and a ❤️

This is one of my all time favorite childhood books, and even adulthood books! For this month's reading challenge, I read 2 versions: the version I've had since as far back as I can remember, illustrated by Marjorie Torrey, and a newer version, illustrated by Paolo Barbieri. Both are abridged which made them a good, fast read for April.



1) Illus. by Marjorie Torrey:

An abridged but marvelous re-telling of this story. It shows a smart girl in a green pinafore with an apron who strives to make sense of an uncertain world. She is courageous and undaunted. And the illustrations are soft and sweet, a contrast to the satire and confusing themes in the original.

The little girl face is definitely an original and not influenced by the famous Disney film. There is a feeling of honesty, of what a little girl would think in a confusing place and how would she react to each new situation. Definitely a guidebook for life!



2) Illus. by Paolo Barbieri:

This modern illustrated classic is phenomenal: the genre is "steam-punk" meaning that the sweet little girl with the pinafore is transformed into a modern, 21st century version of the heroine. Her hair is cropped short, her pinafore is a pair of black pants with heavy boots and a leather belt. She wears gauntlets around her wrists - with lace cuffs - and her face shows an intelligence that could only be accepted now.

Oh, and there's a stuffed white rabbit from her childhood attached to her belt. Which makes perfect sense to the White Rabbit in her dreams.

I give 5 stars to the illustrations that bring this heroine of childhood into the time of cars and asphalt and cynicism of the 21st century. But, and this is big, the chopping up of the story itself to fit the illustrations? Only a 3.5. It's far too disjointed to make sense, and additional pages should have been included to tie the storied illustrated pages together. Maybe the second edition of this volume will include those changes.

The War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches ed. by Kevin J. Anderson
4****

Nineteen gut-wrenching reports from the front lines of the War of the Worlds, as logged by Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, H.P. Lovecraft, Winston Churchill, Jules Verne, and many of the other most famous writers of the time.

The premise for this book is simple: the Martians did come to Earth on their spaceships, destroyed many things and places, then died from the bacteria. So as an alternative to Wells' book/timeline, it also is written as a series of dispatches from writers around the world in 1899-1900.

The first dispatch is by Theodore Roosevelt as he sees a mechanical monster in the jungles of Cuba, in 1897-1898. The second in order, both in the book and chronologically, is Percival Lowell, who sees through his astronomy research the series of canals on Mars and duplicates them on the sands of Egypt in order to send a signal to the Martians. Whether they see his signal and that causes the launch, or not, is open for debate.

The remainder of the dispatches are told as though they were written by writers of the era: Joseph Conrad recovering from a fever near the Congo river; Jules Verne walking the streets of Paris as they are destroyed by the Martians coming down; Mark Twain escaping from their destruction on a steamship crossing the Atlantic; and even a Dowager Empress of China trying to withstand the destruction to her people and also her social structure.

Because at the heart of this book is destruction, despatch by despatch, and a few have "postludes" in that they describe how humanity rebuilds itself in the aftermath. While it reads as a series of short stories, each author to the volume writing in the voice of their chosen author, it is much easier to read it a few at a time and letting a couple of days pass. Because really, the destruction, though fictional, overwhelmed me if I read it for long periods of time. Highly recommend this book and its originality, and kudos to Kevin J. Anderson for bringing this set of authors together.